"I can't believe you just did that!" Lily was pushing James into an abandoned classroom, trying to get something that he held behind his back. He shot one eyebrow up, smirked at her and said: "Well, you better believe it, baby. 'Cause I did it!" Lily looked into his hazel brown eyes. Her heart skipped a beat. "What is the matter with me? Last year I loathed you when you acted like this arrogant prick, but now it … it …" James moved his face closer to hers. "Now it makes you want to kiss me, doesn't it?" Lily made a sour face, but somehow the thought of his lips on hers made her knees weak. For one moment she was scared. Scared that James knew the truth about her feelings for him. But he couldn't know. Lily would never tell him, or anyone for that matter, that since a few weeks she started to have feelings for James.
It all started with a few dreams in the beginning of the year. James had his final growth spurt over the summer, so he was taller than ever. He probably trained for Quidditch during those two months as well, because he had never been so muscular. He was lean, but you could see his muscles through his t-shirts. His hair was just as wild as ever, but his face was different now. It was more mature, he had a stronger jawline. The first moment Lily laid eyes on him after getting off the Hogwarts Express she had to process this for a while. "Is that James Potter?" Marlene hit Lily in her ribs. "Daaaaaamn, summer was kind to him. Look at him!" She didn't had to tell Lily twice, because she was. She was eyeing him with an interest that she had never felt before.
That night she had her first dream. She woke up, feeling a bit hot and sweaty. Once she realized who she was dreaming about she grunted. No, not him. Please, she thought by herself. I cannot think about him that way. But that didn't stop her subconsciousness to give her at least three dreams about James per week ever since. And now here he was, standing in front of her, in this empty classroom. Just teasing her about kissing him. "No." She said shortly, hoping that she looked like she meant it. "Somehow it makes me loathe you just a tiny, little bit less. So lucky you." James walked slowly backwards until he reached the middle of the classroom, still hiding this object behind his back. Lily sighed. This should bother her way more, it used to bother her way more! Why did he disobey her orders? She was Head Girl for Merlin's sake. "Listen to me. I am the Head Girl. You can't just hide properties of teachers for your own fun. Not when I have something to say about it. Now give me it back to me." James stepped to the left. "Why don't you come and get it, Evans?" She knew he was teasing her, trying to have a go at her.
A few months back Lily would have never acted on something like this. She would have gotten her wand out and got the object with magic. But somehow the fact that James pushed her buttons, trying to find out how far he could go, intrigued her now. Which was strange, because before it only irritated her. Whenever it came to telling someone off or following rules, they usually obeyed Lily. She had two full years of Prefect experience, just her appearances and her presence would do the trick. First and Second years were intimidated by her sometimes. But not her classmates. And especially not James Potter. She sighed. This was not going according to plan. At this moment she had no advantages on James except that she was just as good, and maybe even slightly better, at performing charms and hexes. But Lily didn't feel like resorting to that quite yet. Because once she would get the object, this would be over.
She couldn't just grab whatever James had nicked now, because she wasn't tall enough. She wasn't really short, but just average. And that was also how she felt a lot of the times, just average. She knew she was smart, one of the best of her year. But there were also other smart people, so in her eyes that made her average again. Not standing out at all. The only way she stands out in a public is because of her flaming red hair. She knew nobody with the same, bright color at Hogwarts. But for the rest, Lily felt just plane. If you would look at her friend Marlene, she was a whole other story. When she entered a room you knew she arrived. Marlene radiates self-assurance. Lily had no idea why she made a Prefect in their fifth year and not Marlene. Marlene would never need no magic to get something from someone. All she would have to do was ask. Professors, fellow students, everyone she got wrapped up around her finger. But especially boys.
So Lily made up her mind. Maybe James Potter was too tall for her now and probably faster with his Quidditch skills, so she resorted to the one thing she knew she was the best in. "Fine." She shot at him, taking her wand out of her sleeve. "But don't go crying to Sirius if I hurt you, Potter." James laughed out loud and Lily's breath was taken back for a second by him laughing. He closed his eyes when he laughed and threw his head back a bit, looking careless. Focus Lily, she shot to herself, she took her position and raised her wand.
"Whoa whoa!" James put his hands up. Lily looked at him, eyebrows risen. "What?" "Well, I meant that you would and come get it from in person. I am not looking for a duel, just for a laugh." If Lily didn't know any better she would read that expression on his face as worried. His brows were furrowed and you could see his brain working overtime. "Could you put that wand away, Evans?" Lily pushed her lips together. "Why would I? You have and advantage on me if you want me to chase you for it. You are faster, stronger and taller. Even if I would get you I would probably never reach it. Does that sound like a fair fight to you?" James thought about it for a moment. "And what if I promised that I wouldn't put it up in the sky?" He looked at her expectantly. This confused Lily. Meant this that he would give it to her? "What if I promised you that all you have to do is tag me and it's yours?" Tag him? How old were they? Did James really think that Lily would start running now, trying to touch him, so she would win? "Why wouldn't you just give it to me already? Why let me run after you around this room? What are, five years old?"
She slowly started to get irritated and she liked it. This was the feeling she knew when being close to him. James shrugged. "Well, it would be a nice chance for once. You chasing me. I always was always the chaser and every single time you shot me down." Lily rolled her eyes. She knew this was a pun, since James Potter was also the Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. "Ha-ha. Very funny. I won't run around, chasing you until I finally tag you. Just take your wand and defend yourself while I try to take it from you." James shook his head. "No can do. Sorry Evans." Lily was slowly driven to this familiar madness by him. "Why won't you face me like a man? Is it because I am girl? Are you afraid to hurt me? Because I think I will hurt you first, Potter!" James' eyebrows shot up in disbelieve. "Is it because you are a girl? Evans, are you mental? I don't care that you are girl, like at all. You are just way too good for me." Lily had nothing to say, she was at a loss for words. He had never said something like that before. Lily never knew he thought she was better than him. Softly she said: "You think that I am better than you?" James looked around, trying to buys himself some time, but he knew they were perfectly alone. "Don't make me say it again, Evans. You heard it right." Lily looked at James and she took a step closer. "Why? You are the best at Transfiguration of our year. You even do better in Defense Against The Dark Arts in some of our exams. So the duel would be fair. I just don't understand why you avoid this. You love to fight, sometimes too much if you ask me." James laughed again. This was the second time in a few minutes that Lily's breath was taken away.
"I never said there wouldn't be fight. Did you honestly think that I just threw down my wand? No, no Evans. We would duel for this obscure and mysterious object that I now carefully placed on the table and shield with my body." James took a step towards Lily. "Do you know how our duel would go? Well, we would go head to head with each other, it would be an intense fight. You would try to stupefy me and I would try to melt the soles of your shoes to the ground." He took another step forward. "You would shoot objects at me and I would shield them off. But in the end you would get me. You will conjure these tiny birds we learned about last year and distract me with them. While I would fight them off..." He took another step towards Lily, he was so close to her now. "You would either stupefy me or tie me together with ropes. I wouldn't be able to move. You would grab this thing." He waved behind him, still blocking Lily's view on 'this thing'. "And you would leave me be until that hex wears off or someones find me. And …" He added, now standing in front of her, closer then he had ever been. "I think you would be me impressed with me. Probably the one person who could take on Lily Evans in a fair fight and get himself that far. True, you would never say this out loud to anyone. But you would think it while you would leave this classroom. The Marauders would give me a lot credit if I tell them about it. Hell, they wouldn't even mind that I lost it. I still would have my dignity. Because losing to Lily Evans is no shame, it is closer to an honor." Lily was now the one laughing. She felt her cheeks flush, but she didn't care. James talked about her in such awe that she could hardly feel average anymore. Would you listen to him? How could you think that about yourself if somebody talked about you that way. "You talk about it like it has already happened." James shrugged. "That is the way it would go, believe me. I can see it all in front of me!"
Lily looked up to meet his eyes. Her heart started beating faster. She was starting to feel that special kind of warmness again. The one she woke up with after dreaming about the boy who was standing in front of her now. "So I would beat you?" She whispered almost. James nodded. "Definitely." She tilted her head a bit. "But you also said that I would leave you?" James thought about that for a moment. "Well, yeah. Your goal was that thing and I was in the way. You got you wanted and then you left. Off to your next goal." Lily was quiet for a moment. At that moment there was not a single part in her body that wanted that stupid, mysterious thing anymore. She couldn't care less about retrieving it. She wanted to close the distance between her and James, kiss him, put her fingers in his untidy, ravishing hair. Lily could feel the atmosphere change around them. She felt bolder and a little bit mischievous, probably because of all the nice things he said about her, but mostly because she had felt this way about him for a few weeks now. "But what if my goal would change? I could still leave you behind after I get what I want, that is true. But what if I don't care about that object anymore?" She cocked her head even more, still looking in his eyes. He met her gaze and she knew she looked intensely at him. A gaze that James Potter had never seen in her eyes and it made him shift on his feet. She could James swallow deeply and speaking up with a hoarse voice. "I – I .. ahum." He had to scrape his throat. "I have no idea what your new goal would be. But if that changes, than that should be the one thing you should go for."
Lily was never the one to break rules or do something reckless. But she hadn't felt herself since the beginning of this school year. She took not only James, but also herself, by surprise when the stepped forward. She closed the distance between their bodies, stood up her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed her lips to his. The warmness in her body changed into a hotness that shot right through her. It took James only a second to respond. He took his last step forward, pushed Lily's body to his, snaked his arms around her waist and lifted her a bit. Lily's mouth was kissing him slowly and soon it became deeper. She felt his tongue at her lips and she opened her mouth to let him enter. Their tongues danced around each other and his fingers caressed her lower back.
James lifted Lily up, like she weighed nothing at all. Lily could feel his muscles tense up under his shirt when he picked her up and put her on a desk behind her. Her legs were on either side of James and she hooked them together behind his back, pulling him closer to her. Never once did they break their kiss. James leaned down a bit and now their tongues and lips were ravishing each other. Lily put every desire, every need, every confused feeling of liking him in this kiss and James seemed to answer with the same, deep passion. Lily felt her stomach explode when he put his hand on her hip and her mind went blank when he put his other on her cheek, slowly moving his thumb along her jawline. She let her hand slip in his hair, tugging a bit and just going through it. Just as she thought she couldn't take it anymore he left her lips, leaving her wanting more. He rested his forehead on hers, eyes closed and a little bit out of breath. Lily was watching his chest go up and down, faster than usual. She could smell his breath, which was minty. This had to be her new favorite taste.
"Lily…" He whispered. Hearing her own name made her snap out of the minty trance she was in. What did she just do? Lily couldn't believe she really had done that. She kissed him! She had just kissed James Potter. Her heart jumped. The best thing about it was, he kissed her back. They had just made out, passionately if she had to say, here in this empty classroom. But then the reality kicked in. What in Merlin's name was she doing? She was Head Girl for heavens sake. What if someone had walked in? A professor? A student? It was the fault of those stupid dreams! She couldn't think clear anymore around him. It pained her a little bit to confess she had liked it. The reality was even better than all the kisses they had shared in her dreams. This was just reckless behavior, she was never one for reckless behavior, but this time it didn't bother her.
Lily's thoughts were scattered all over the place right now. She needed space and time to recollect them. And being around James his warm body and minty breath was distracting her. His hands were still on her cheek and hip and now he opened up his eyes, looking into hers. She looked back up and he said her name again, while slowly closing the small distance between them. She knew she should have stopped. She knew that she should have pushed him away. But Lily felt his lips slowly sinking on hers and an electric jolt shot through her body, making her forget about any thought she had. She licked his bottom lip with her tongue. He groaned at that touch, slowly opening his mouth. The hand he had on Lily's cheek slowly moved to the side, caressing the skin he slowly exposed while brushing away her hair.
This kiss was slow, intense and deepening. Lily felt herself melting away at his touch, his taste and his warmth. She pulled him towards her, as close as he possibly could get. She pushed herself towards him, giving in on every feeling and thought she had about him. This was everything she wanted since a few weeks and somehow she was proud of herself that she was bold enough to take the risk of kissing him. Bold enough to stop caring about who could see it if they walked in! Just enjoy yourself Lils, she said to herself. And she could, she could enjoy herself so easily right now. Nothing felt wrong at all, it was like this whole thing just clicked, like they belonged together. It was heaven at the moment, the best she had ever felt or even been kissed. James did everything that gave her goosebumps. He was playing with her hair and slowly circling his finger on her hip. And Merlin, what was he making her knees weak with his tongue. It was like he just knew what she liked and what made her belly jolt in excitement.
At that they were disturbed with a loud bang. The door shot open and in the doorway stood Sirius Black, grinning like a pirate who just had found his treasure. James and Lily shot away from each other. Lily released James from her legs and James let go of her face and hip. "Oops. Wrong door!" He said sarcastic, slowly closing the door while he kept smirking. Lily and James only stared at him until they heard the door click. Lily turned her head to James to see that he already looked at her. He smiled, bringing his hand up to move away a stray of hair that was hanging in her face. "Well …" He said. "I know I asked you out already like a hundred times the past 2 years and you always said no. But I somehow feel lucky tonight." He winked at her. "Lily Evans, will you go out with me?" Lily looked at him, wanting to say say yes immediately. But somehow she felt a bit more like teasing right now. Her feelings might have changed for him since the beginning of the year, but that didn't mean that she had to change every single about them right now. She softly pushed him a little bit out of her way, jumped of the table, adjusted her skirt and hair, turned to James and said: "Your request is duly noted. I will have your answer within 2 – 5 business days."
She walked out of the room, but couldn't help to look at James while closing the door. James stood there, he made it look like he was hit with Stupefy and unable to move, just like in their conversation. And indeed she let him be, just like James predicted. She left that nicked object behind, not caring about it anymore. The goal had changed along the way. Halfway through their conversation she didn't care about it anymore, because she wanted something else more. And that was kissing him. While walking towards the Gryffindor Tower she couldn't help but smile, she was impressed by James Potter. Her goal was achieved.
Authors note: Reviews are appreciated.