For Allie (dimitrisgirl18)

2/24

(note: each section is exactly two hundred words.)

"quand on est tellement triste on aime les couchers de soleil."

.Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

i.

You see her on the grounds as you head back toward the castle from Quidditch practice. She leans against the building, her eyes pointed toward the sky, and you just stop in your tracks to watch her as she watches the sunset, knowing well that the beauty seen through both of your views are of equal magnitude. Or perhaps yours is slightly more so because she's Lily and you're almost sure that nothing of this earth can surpass her in that right.

Your first thought is to join her, to take a place on the grass beside her and see why she's out alone. What stops you is the weakness of your current friendship with her and the weakness of your self-control when you're near her. Seventh year has brought the two of you closer and you don't wish to destroy that by intruding on her privacy.

Therefore, you content yourself with keeping out of sight but close enough to see the Gryffindor. She stays still, quietly regarding the sky, until the darkness of night blots out any remaining signs of the sun. When it's over, she smiles to herself and you can't help but notice how sad she looks.

xxx

ii.

The second time you see her out on the grounds whilst you are scouting for tomorrow's prank, you do sit beside her, the leaves of autumn crunching under you. "What are you doing?" you ask curiously, paying special attention to your hands so they don't wander too close to her. You pick up a brittle leaf, absently tearing it apart to keep your fingers busy, until you realize it's the color of her hair and you stop.

Lily gazes up at the sky as she had done the previous time you saw her out here. "Sometimes I watch the sunset when I'm sad," she tells you quietly. "It's an idea I got from a book," she adds sheepishly, and you can detect a faint reddening of her cheeks in the dimming light. "It helps me relax and sort out my thoughts."

"Why are you sad?"

She sighs and grins at you, and it's much happier than the one you saw before. "Do people need reasons to be sad?"

"I guess not."

Nothing more is said as you both drift into a comfortable silence. The sun sneaks away, taking its colors and, without a sound, is replaced suddenly by the moon.

xxx

iii.

You squint your eyes, holding her book so close to your face that the pages almost touch your glasses, and read the text, attempting to pronounce the French as well as your limited knowledge of the language allows. "J'aime bien les couchers de soleil. Allons voir un coucher de soleil," you stutter through and, by her laughter, you know you've butchered the sentence. You push her shoulder playfully with your free hand, whining, "Don't laugh."

She tries to regain her composure. "No, no, your French – it's great," she says, but once the words are out, she can't keep a straight face and laughs once more.

But you don't mind anymore because, for once in the almost seven years you've been here, Lily didn't shy away from your touch or threaten to remove your hands from their rightful place on your arms. You close the book and give it back to her, the smooth skin of her fingers brushing against your calloused ones in the process. Your eyes lock with hers for a few breathtaking moments, but then you turn away. "You're going to miss the sunset," you tell her.

You feel her hand cover your own. "I'm not sad tonight."

xxx

iv.

You can feel her shiver when the crisp, fall breeze plays with her hair as you play with her fingers. She leans her head against your shoulder and it seems as though all is right in the world, as though all your waiting has paid off.

"You're not so bad, you know, Potter?" she says, and you can feel her cheek press against you as she smiles.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day you would say that, Evans," you tease, and it's true, but things have changed, you have changed. After Sirius' accident with Snape, some of the reckless pranks the Marauders once would've pulled have lost their hilarity, not to mention you are Head Boy now.

She pokes your side and warns, "Don't make me regret it, then." Her expression resembles one of the many death glares she has sent you over the years, but it also has a much fonder look about it at the same time.

You grin and press a light kiss in her hair and it tickles your lips as you say, "I promise I won't."

"I'll hold you to that," she tells you, and then claims your lips with her own.

This story was inspired by the scene in "Le Petit Prince" where they talk about sunsets. The quote at the beginning and the sentence James attempts to read belong to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. I was going to translate the quote into English at the beginning, but, to me, it sounds much better in French so I left it. The translation is "one loves the sunset, when one is so sad."

This is the first time I've written James/Lily and het for a long time. It was nice for a change, though!

Thank you, mew, for betaing!