The date is September 3rd, and the Head Girl is waiting for the Head Boy to arrive in the west corridor of the second floor at Hogwarts, on which they will take their very first patrol.
The aforementioned Head Girl is bored.
"You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen!" sings an off-key Lily as she sits in the corridor, "Do-do do-do do-doooo." She taps the rhythm on her knees and keeps humming the same line, (the only one she actually knows) over and over until a voice breaks her solo.
"Evans?" James Potter says, walking towards her. Immediately, Lily's mouth slams shut.
"Hi, Potter." Pushing herself off the ground, Lily tries to look half dignified and waves awkwardly, slapping herself internally when he raises an arched brow in bemusement. He doesn't say anything though, to her relief, and so they set off.
"Sorry I was late," begins James to break the silence, "Peter needed some homework help."
"S'alright. I was only waiting for a couple of minutes," says Lily. He runs a hand through his hair.
"So," clearing his throat, he asks hesitantly, "Do you want to patrol together or separately? I mean, I don't really mind, but I thought it would be less boring if we do it together," he runs a hand through his hair again, "But it's up to you."
"That's fine," Lily says, and she tries for a smile at him but fears it might have come off as more of a grimace. Somewhat uncomfortably, the pair continues to walk down a corridor, listening for random noises and checking for stray students as they go, of which they only find a few.
It's Lily who speaks first this time, breathing in deeply, "Congrats on the badge, by the way. I don't think I ever told you earlier."
He grins down at her and says, "Thanks, Evans. I swear Remus should have gotten it – I asked him as well, but he said I'm better for it. Dunno what he was on about, to be honest."
Lily smiles, "I don't know, James. I think he has a point – you're a very good leader."
James blinks in confusion, "Really?"
"Sure," she says, nodding, "You run the Gryffindor Quidditch team pretty well, I'd say."
"Huh," says James, "Thanks, Lily."
Smiling, Lily shrugs and runs a hand over the walls, skipping her fingers into the cracks of the stones as they walk at a steady rhythm. James shoves his hands into his pockets, starting to whistle.
It takes a good few seconds for Lily to realise what exactly he is whistling, and why exactly he is smirking at her as he does so.
"Merlin," gasps Lily, "You weren't supposed to hear that."
James shrugs and laughs, breaking off his tune, "You weren't being very quiet."
Lily smiles embarrassedly, and she can feel her cheeks burning. "Shit."
"You're a good singer, Evans," says James teasingly, and Lily shoves him.
"Shut it," she says, though she's laughing too.
"No, really," he insists, "You should be in a choir." Lily sticks her tongue out at him childishly and he chuckles.
A short pause passes until Lily speaks again, "Let's play a game."
"Feeling like a first year again, Evans?"
Lily rolls her eyes, "No, Potter. I'd just like to pass the time."
James laughs. "Okay, then. What game?"
"Twenty questions."
"What?"
"You ask me twenty questions to learn stuff about me, and I do the same." Lily explains and she asks James if he'd like to go first. James nods and silence falls between them yet again.
"Got one!" he says, and Lily motions for him to ask it.
"What's the song you were singing called?"
Lily glares at him, "Did you have to bring that up again?"
"Yes."
"If you must know, it's called 'Dancing Queen'."
"Okay. Your turn."
"Right," Lily says, and wonders what she'd like to know about James Potter. Finally, she speaks. "Do you have a middle name?"
"Yup."
"Well, what is it?"
"That's a separate question, Evans."
Lily makes a noise of irritation and he laughs, "It's all about the wording, Evans."
"You go, then."
"Fine."
They turn a corner and he asks, "Have you ever kissed someone?"
"Yes."
"Who was it, then?"
"Can't tell you," she is already laughing, "That's a separate question, Potter."
His mouth falls open jokingly and she laughs at his expression. "Fair play," he admits, and she smirks smugly.
"What is your middle name, then?"
"Charlus, after my dad. Who did you kiss?"
"My parents, on the cheeks."
James glares at her again and she snorts, "It's all about the wording, Potter."
Throwing her a dirty look to which she giggles at, she asks, "Who have you kissed on the lips, then?"
"Why do you want to know, Evans?" he asks cheekily, but answers anyway, "Kate the Ravenclaw from the year above in fifth year. Also, Charlotte from Hufflepuff last year when we dated. Oh, and Sirius once."
Lily bursts out laughing, "You kissed Sirius?"
James shoulders shake in laughter, "In my defence, we were reasonably smashed, and it was a dare. Neither of us ever back down from dares."
"I always knew your relationship wasn't completely platonic." She laughs, and James protests.
"It is, though! We landed up having a fight afterwards because neither of us could believe that we'd actually done it!"
"Whatever you say, Potter. Why haven't you ever dated Sirius?" Lily smirks.
James glowers, "It's my question, Evans."
They carry on asking each other all the stupid questions they can think of (Why is the sky blue, Evans? and Do you think Sirius is ever going to ask Marlene out? and Why won't you tell me who you kissed? and Would you rather wash Snape's hair for him or swim naked in the Black Lake?), until a different one pops up.
"Do you hate me?" James asks quietly. He's stopped laughing now, and his brows are furrowed.
"James, if I hated you, I wouldn't be talking to you," she sighs. "Honestly, I never hated you. You were just kind of..."
"An arrogant, bullying toerag?" He smirks at her and she looks slightly sheepish.
"Well, even that's a bit harsh. But we're friends now, yeah?"
"'Course we are." They smile at each other and Lily realises that they've come all the way round the floor to the stairs leading to Gryffindor Tower.
"Hey, James?"
James smiles, "Lily?"
"I think that was twenty questions."
"Huh. So it was. I had fun, Lily." He says, and suddenly they've reached the Fat Lady's portrait.
"So did I."
They stand together outside the entrance to the common room, and Lily asks, "James?"
"Yeah?"
"Could I have a bonus question?"
He laughs, "Depends on the question, I suppose."
"Okay," she says, "What are you doing for Hogsmeade on Saturday?"
He breaks out into an almost nutty smile and says, "I dunno, Evans. I'm pretty sure I'm free, though."
"Great," Lily says, and muttering the password to the Fat Lady, she winks. "I'll pick you up at ten."
Lily steps into the common room, skipping off up the stairs. Outside, she leaves an astounded James Potter standing in the corridor, wondering just how on Earth he'd managed to get a date with Lily Evans on his very first patrol.