Chapter 1 Title: Of Rain and Pivotal Kisses
Chapter 1 Summary: James gives Lily a pivotal kiss, Lily is surprised. What more needs to be said?
Chapter 1 Word Count: 599 (not including A/Ns)

Challenge: History of Magic (Option [a]: write a happy/humorous/heart-warming story with a maximum word limit of 600 words).
House: Slytherin
Wand: TBA
Please PM my full score to me. Thanks!

And to anyone reading this, please review!

"Oh, come on, Evans!" James Potter exclaims, trailing behind a certain angry redhead. He looks desperate. The rain running down his face soaks him to the bone, making him appear even more pathetic as he pursues Lily.

"Explain to me why I should listen to you," snaps the irritated seventeen year-old. "You ruined a perfectly nice date to Hogsmeade with my boyfriend, who I wanted to enjoy the day with."

"-I told you, Padfoot and I were passing by anyway-"

"Oh, the entire population of Hogwarts knows you and Sirius wouldn't just pop into Madam Pudifoot's for a romantic cup of tea. You're fooling nobody! Why did you have to ruin a fine afternoon with William?"

"William's a git," whines James. "I'm much nicer, much better at Quidditch anyway…"

"He's an intellectual!" Protests Lily.

"He's boring," retorts James. "The Lily Evans I know would never want to go to Madam Pudifoot's."

Lily's face breaks into a reluctant smile and she begins to laugh, then cackle in her shouldn't-be-attractive, Lily-esque way. "Madam Pudifoot's," she gasps. "I was having tea in there. The fourteen year-old me would've been ashamed. Can you believe it, James?"

"Exactly my point," James responds promptly. "See, you just started dating him so that you'd have an excuse to say no to me."

"Excuse me?" She sputters. "What're you on about now? I like William, I'd never use him like that!"

"Oh, yeah?" asks James, raising an eyebrow and looking cocky.

"Yeah," Lily replies, raising her nose in the air and crossing her arms.

"What if I did this?"

And with that, sopping wet lips and hair and all, James leans over and kisses her smack on the mouth.

"Potter! What was that?"

"What?" James asks sheepishly. "It's not as though William saw… Evans, you're too good for him! Don't you see? That every time I annoy you, it's just to get your attention? Don't you notice that you're the one I always want to talk to? I've liked you for years! Come on…"

Although Lily can't deny that even though their kiss was brief, and it was much nicer than any she's ever shared with William, she's unsure how to feel. She's been unhappy with William for a while now. James is right; he's boring. He talks only of books. Someone like Potter, who she hid any feelings for till now, would be exciting to date.

'Every time I annoy you, it's just to get your attention.'

He'd give much nicer kisses. Snogging him would probably be enjoyable; maybe it wouldn't feel as though her face was being eaten. Just looking at his lips…

"Lily? Earth to Lily? Please say something. I'm sorry if I upset you." James is rambling now, and even though Lily used to find it deathly annoying, it's suddenly endearing. "Come on Lily, I'm sorry. I'll go now. I promise."

Lily looks at him for a bit longer. Why does he seem so attractive all of a sudden? Was one fleeting kiss really that pivotal? Wasn't she mad at him before? How angry will William be?

"Come here, you idiot," she responds simply.

She pulls James toward her, and they kiss in the rain.

Lily smiles, eyes closed; it doesn't feel as though her face is being eaten.

When she pulls away, James looks rather dazed. "You've been waiting for that for a while, haven't you?" Lily asks. She continues, "I'm not sure how to tell William…"

"Let's save that for later," he suggests, wrapping his chilly hand around hers and walking up towards the castle.

Rain is now James's favourite weather.

Fluff? Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...