Disclaimer: Nope. I'm still not JKR. Sorry.
Word count: 1,289
Beauty Therapy, Task #10: Write about a memorable kiss.
As Wonderful As This
James Potter was probably sweating, zooming across the Quidditch pitch in the bright sun. It was hot today, and the members of the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw Quidditch teams were in long, heavy robes. They must have been sweltering.
James Potter was probably sweating, but that didn't make him any less attractive - at least not in Lily Evans's eyes.
Mary Macdonald grabbed Lily's arm. "You're staring again," Mary whispered. "Oh, Lily, you're so in love with him. It's so romantic."
Lily shook her head, but she couldn't fight the smile that was tugging at her mouth. "I am not."
"You are," Marlene McKinnon interjected. "Everyone knows it. Well - everyone except you and James. And besides, Mary's an expert on romance. If she thinks you're in love, then you're in love."
Lily sighed, but she was secretly pleased. "Well, Mary also thought Hestia and Davey were in love."
"They are!"
"Hestia broke up with Davey last week, Mary. She's dating Benjy now."
"Oh." Mary frowned, her brow furrowing. "Well, I'm sure they'll get back together eventually. You should have seen the way Hestia looked at him, Lily. It was almost like the way you look at James."
"Oh, shut up, the lot of you," Lily said lightly. "I'm going to actually watch the game now. If Gryffindor wins this match by at least a hundred points, we'll win the Quidditch cup."
"That'd be nice," Marlene said thoughtfully. "It's been a while since we've won."
"Yes, but we're sixty points down right now. Which means if Hestia catches the Snitch before any of the Chasers score, we'll only win by ninety points. Which means this is a very important match. Which means it's very stressful. Which means you all should be quiet and let me pay attention."
"To James?" Mary supplied.
Lily wished she had something to throw.
The truth was, Lily's eyes had been focused primarily on one particular Gryffindor Chaser. And although she would never admit it to any of her friends, she was positively infatuated.
It had been just a crush before, what Lily had with James. But then there was last week. Last week had been... different, somehow. He'd smiled at her, said something stupid: "C'mon, Evans, come to Hogsmeade with me, won't you?" She'd said no, of course, like she always did. But it was almost like she didn't want to say no. Almost like she really, truly enjoyed spending time with him.
Almost.
And then they'd gone to the library together, despite James's complaints, to write up the weekly reports they had to do as Head Boy and Girl. "Oi, what day was it that we found those two third-years snogging in a broom closet?" James had asked, scribbling something on his paper. And then he'd looked up at her, and oh dear God, he'd looked good. Attractive, of course, with his strong jawline and warm eyes - but more than that, he'd looked happy. Like he wanted to see Lily happy. He'd smiled, and his eyes had softened, and he'd looked like he honest-to-God cared about her.
And then she'd said, "Tuesday."
Lily hadn't been able to stop thinking about him after that. She could imagine pressing her lips to his, falling into his embrace. She could imagine leaning against him, letting herself forget the world. She could imagine dancing with him. She could imagine saying yes.
And then there had been yesterday. Dear God. After yesterday, if there had been any doubt that they - well, she didn't want to say loved quite yet - admired each other, it had vanished.
They'd been in Defense class, and Professor Zimmerli had brought up the topic of Dementors. With the rise of Voldemort and the arrival of a war - Lily didn't like thinking about this, but she supposed she had to - Dementor attacks had become much more common. "Well, you have to know how to defend yourself, don't you?" Zimmerli had said. And then he'd taught them the charm that conjured a Patronus: Expecto Patronum. "This spell is extremely difficult, so it's okay if you can't manage to do it. But I want you all to try."
Lily had poured her heart and soul into that class for a solid two hours, trying so desperately hard to conjure a Patronus. And towards the end of the class, she'd finally done it; a silver doe burst out of the tip of her wand, and she swelled with pride.
And she pretended not to notice that James's Patronus, which he had conjured with great ease, had been a stag.
And now she was staring at him, just like he'd stared at her since third year. She was watching him, even though he was nothing more than a red and gold blur in the distance. She was thinking of what it would be like to accept his invitations to Hogsmeade, or even to ask him on a date herself.
Because she was thinking of these things, she almost didn't notice when Hestia reached out to grab the Snitch. "Goddamnit, no, Hestia!" Lily shouted, standing up from her seat. "We still need ten more points!"
She was so focused on Hestia and the Snitch that when the rest of the crowd erupted, she groaned and sank back into her seat. "Damn," she said. "We've won the match, but we'll lose the Cup by ten points."
Marlene glanced at her. "What are you talking about? Didn't you see?"
"See what?"
"James," Mary said excitedly. "He managed to get the Quaffle through a hoop just before Hestia's fingers closed around the Snitch."
Lily's breath caught. "Oh my God," she whispered. "Are you serious?"
"Yes, I'm serious. Look," Mary said, pointing to the pitch. "There he is."
James had gotten down from his broom, grinning from ear to ear. He had good reason to be smiling; he had, after all, won the Cup for Gryffindor. And at that moment, as James started towards Dumbledore to retrieve the team's trophy, as thunderous applause echoed through her ears, Lily wanted him more than ever.
She leapt up from her seat and, without a second thought, dashed towards the pitch. She was going so fast, there was adrenaline making her heart beat, and damn, she loved James Potter.
James just had time to whirl around and see Lily before she flung herself into his arms, and then they were kissing. Her lips were pressed to his, and she was sinking into him. The whole world seemed to stop as she kissed him, saving a moment just for them.
Lily pulled away. "I'm sorry," she breathed. "I just - well, I - " But she couldn't say anything else because he was pulling her back into him, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, and he kissed her more passionately than she could ever have imagined. And she closed her eyes, and the world had slowed down for her, and she was kissing James Potter.
When they finally broke apart, James seemed brighter than he ever had before, and Lily looked beautiful. "Alright, Evans?" James asked quietly, still holding her hands.
And Lily didn't even have to think about that question. She didn't have to think about whether or not she wanted him, and she didn't have to think about whether or not she loved him. She didn't have to think about whether or not she was alright. "Yes. Yes, I am," she said, flushed. And so he kissed her again, on her cheek this time, and then on her neck, and then on her forehead, and then finally on her lips. Nothing could be as wonderful as this.
And then Lily whispered, "Let's dance."
And dance they did, to the tune of one thousand other people's cheers, and it was perfect.