A loud cracking noise echoed through Lily's bedroom, and she awoke with a start. She bolted upright in her bed, one hand flying to her chest in surprise and the other reaching for the wand on her nightstand. But, instead of a threat, the first thing she saw as her eyes adjusted to the dim light was a blindfolded James Potter.

He stumbled forward and immediately stubbed his toe on her bedpost. "Shit!" he whisper-yelled, grabbing the injured toe with both hands. He hopped on one foot and cursed some more.

Having determined that nothing had broken (save, maybe, her fiancé's toe) and she wasn't in any danger, Lily started to giggle.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded through her laughter. "You're not supposed to see me!"

James stopped swearing and lowered his foot gingerly to the floor. "Hence the blindfold, Almost Potter," he said, his expression solemn as he tapped the scarf tied around his face. "I respect your Muggle traditions." He pawed at various surfaces in Lily's room – looking for what, she couldn't be sure – until she stood and guided him to the foot of her bed. He sat with a grateful sigh.

"Thank you."

Lily shook her head. "Are you drunk?"

James' lips twitched with a suppressed smirk. "Would be a lousy stag party if I weren't."

"But you apparated here!" Lily thwacked him hard on the arm. "James, that's so dangerous!"

"I had to see you," he said stubbornly, rubbing his biceps where she'd hit him. "Hear you—be here. Whatever. I don't like being apart." He folded his arms over his chest, his lower lip protruding slightly in a pout.

And Lily – secret marshmallow that she was – melted. "Oh, sweetheart," she whispered, joy and tenderness filling her heart so completely she worried it might burst. "You big idiot. I love you. I love you so much."

"I should hope so, we're getting married tomorrow," James said, and a delighted smile spread across his face. He extended a clumsy arm, his hand groping the air some few inches to the left of Lily's shoulder before she grabbed it and brought it to rest on her thigh. James beamed, despite the scarf covering his eyes, and gave her leg a squeeze. "And I love you, too. More than you can imagine."

"Oh, I can imagine."

She hadn't meant for the words to sound seductive, but James' eyebrows lifted over his blindfold and he licked his lips. "Are you sure?" he asked softly. "'Cause I could show you…" His hand on her thigh slid up to her hip, and he leaned forward.

"No!" Lily exclaimed, breathless but resolute. She captured his hand against her side before it could move any further. "Tomorrow you can prove your love all you want, but we're supposed to spend tonight apart. Now, up you go."

James made a dissatisfied whimpering noise as she dragged him to his feet. "Must I?"

"Yes," Lily said firmly. "Have you got your mirror?"

He sighed. "Always."

"Good. I'm going to see if Sirius can come fetch you. I can't have you drunk and blind apparating all over England. Wouldn't want my groom splinched on our wedding day."

"No, wouldn't want that," James agreed. His voice was low, but there was a quiet desperation to it when he added, "I have to be perfect for you."

"Oh, James." Lily ran a hand through the unruly waves of his hair, and he leaned into her touch. She pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. "My love. You could never be anything less."