"All right, Evans?" James asked, sauntering into the Heads' Office.
Lily was bent over a desk, notepad in front of her, pencil moving gracefully in her hand. She didn't respond right away, and, for a moment, James just enjoyed watching her work.
Checking in on her had become one of his favorite parts of the day. They hardly ever bickered anymore, it was all good-natured banter these days, plus a bit of teamwork and even the occasional exchange of personal information. They were definitely friends now, if not more.
If not more.
Sometimes it felt like more, but James couldn't be sure.
He cleared his throat. "What're you working on?"
To his surprise, Lily slammed her sketchbook shut. "Hmm? Nothing," she said, too quickly. She stood up and smiled at him, but her cheeks were a bit flushed. "I thought you were tutoring this evening?"
"Two of my third-years have some sort of stomach bug, so I decided to reschedule. Heading to the Great Hall for a late supper, thought I'd check if you've eaten."
"Oh!" Lily's blushed deepened. "Thanks, Potter, but I ate already. I'm just going to finish up here, but I'll see you back in the Common Room, right?"
James narrowed his eyes for a moment, then let his face relax into an easy smirk. "Well if there are Head duties to finish, I should stay here and help you."
"No, no, nothing like that. Just...a project of my own."
"Ah, something personal, eh?" James waggled his eyebrows, and Lily looked like she was fighting a smile.
"Yes, personal, Potter. Now, go have some supper, and I will talk to you later." She put one hand on his back to steer him from the office.
But that meant only one hand was holding her sketchbook. So, with what he could only describe as the precision and agility of a world-class athlete, James spun away from her and snatched the book from between her fingers.
He had no intention of opening it – he loved to provoke her, but he'd never disrespect her privacy that way – but she didn't seem to know that.
She gasped in shock. "Give it back!"
"Nope," he said grinning. "We share things now, don't we?"
"Not everything!" Lily cried, lunging for the book. James held it high above his head and laughed.
"I'm hurt, Evans," he said, pressing his free hand to his chest and poking his full bottom lip out in a pout.
"You will be, if you don't give it back!" Lily said, her eyebrows raised in warning.
James made a come-and-get-it face and waved the notebook in the air. Lily ran at him and, when he turned away to shield the notebook from her, hopped on his back.
That only made him laugh more. He used one long arm to continue to hold the book out of her reach and wrapped the other around her thigh, securing her to him.
For her safety, of course.
Never mind how much he liked having her there. Right now, they had a game to play.
Thus: "Jeez, Evans, you're more clingy than Devil's Snare today," he said, still laughing.
Lily huffed, mildly indignant. "I'll show you Devil's Snare, all right. James, give it back now, or I'll—"
He noticed her tone and the use of his first name, and he hoped it wasn't a sign that he'd taken things too far. But she wasn't screaming at him – in fact, she seemed on the verge of giggling, herself – so he decided to keep pushing.
"You'll what?" he asked, mischievously. "Hex me? Very unbecoming of our Head Girl, don't you think?"
"I'll bite you," Lily finished emphatically. She had her legs looped around his waist and one arm around his neck, the other flailing for the notebook he held out in front of him.
James froze for a second, thinking of the implications of her words, then forced out a chuckle. "That's even less appropriate than hexing me, don't you think? I don't believe you've got it in you."
"Just give me back my notebook, and you won't have to find out."
"You've shown me your drawings before, what's so different this time?" he asked, turning his face a bit so he could see her out of the corner of his eye.
And instead of answering, Lily took that opportunity to sink her teeth into his neck.
"Shit!" James yelped. He flinched and dropped the notebook. "You bit me!"
"Told you I would," Lily sang. She unwrapped her legs from his waist and hopped down from his back, then bent over to pick up the notebook from the floor, brushing a bit of dust off its cover. As she straightened, she glanced at James over her shoulder, her lips quirking up in a tiny grin.
Shit.
In an instant, James closed the distance between them. He kept his hips angled slightly away from her, lest he embarrass the both of them, but he pressed his chest against her shoulders and let his hands rest gently on her waist. He heard her breath hitch, and a smug smile graced his lips. Lily's breathing seemed to synch with his as he leaned close to her ear.
"You bit me," he repeated, softer this time.
He felt rather than heard Lily take a deep breath. She turned slowly to face him, and he let his hands slide gently around her waist, never breaking contact. She clutched her notebook between their bodies and looked up at him, unsure and defiant and playful all at once.
And sexy.
Whatever James thought he saw in her bright green eyes, there was no uncertainty in her voice as she said, "And I'd do it again."
"Would you?" James asked, hoping he sounded half as confident as she did. He removed one hand from her hip and took hold of the edge of her notebook, but he didn't pull it from her grip. He bent his head towards hers, cocked to one side, close enough for his lips to brush her cheek. The angle exposed the golden skin of his throat, right beneath his jaw.
Lily swallowed hard, but she gave a quick nod of affirmation. James let out a low chuckle.
"Well, go on, then," he whispered, giving the notebook a gentle tug. "Like you mean it this time."
...
AN: Been daydreaming about these kids flirting, and this sexy little drabble popped into my head. Hope you enjoy it! Let me know, your reviews mean everything to me!