"But, Lily!" James pouts.
"It's Evans to you, Potter."
"Back to surnames, are you?"
"Shut up, Sirius."
"How come she calls you by the name?"
"She likes me best," Sirius says.
"Padfoot can you please go fu–"
"James!" Lily stops him.
He grins. "Yes, dear?" She ignores him.
"Sirius could you kindly leave us? We were discussing an important matter here."
"Fine," he holds up his hands "I'll leave you with birthday boy here. Make good use of this empty room."
Once Sirius is out of the portrait hole, Lily starts talking. "I'm not going to skip Astronomy to try out your new Firebolt tonight, James. That's out of the question."
One part of him gets very mad. Why can't they do as he wishes, for once? Surely she can oblige, at least for once. At least today.
"But it's the only class we'll be able to skip! Please, Lily, you know I wouldn't ask if it weren't my birthday…"
She knows. But she has other plans for tonight. An entirely different sort of plans.
He can see it in her eyes, that she's not gonna let him win on this one. For some reason, she doesn't want to go along with him. So he gives up.
"We'd better go. McGee is going to kill us if we're late for the test."
Lily smiles at the fact that he's acknowledged his defeat.
She cups his cheeks. "You're adorable when you're pouting."
He grunts.
It's true, they are already late. So why not tease him a little more? She kisses his lips, still swollen from the wind brushing them in Quidditch practice.
He doesn't respond at first. He wants to hold a grudge. Because it's his birthday. Then Lily's tongue slips inside his mouth and how can he do anything but kiss her back? She's everything he's ever wanted and there's a war going on and people are dying and how can he–
"Guys."
It's Remus.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but we should really go." Then he notices James's glare and adds, "Unless you want me to tell McGonagall that you're sick or something…"
"No, we're coming. Don't worry," Lily says. "You go ahead."
Remus nods once and disappears out of the portrait hole.
"He's right," she tells him. "Besides, I'm not even half as good as you are in Transfiguration, I'll need all the concentration that I can get."
She takes his hand and brushes his hair out of his face. "We'll catch up later, I promise" and she gives him one last peck.
Things aren't going as Lily had planned.
Her plans involved keeping an eye on James and tagging along all day. Losing him before second period even began was definitely not part of her plan.
"Peter!" she calls. "Pet, do you know where James has gone? I swear he was here two seconds ago…"
Peter looks around. "No idea, sorry, Lily."
"Can you use the Map?" she urges him.
He checks his pockets. "Padfoot has it."
"Black," she approaches Sirius.
"Have you sorted that little argument with Prongs?" he asks her.
"That's what I intended to do now, but he practically fled after he handed his paper to McGonagall… can you check the Map and tell me where he's gone?"
Before he opens the old parchment, he looks into her eyes and smirks, as if sensing her thoughts.
"You're not going to Astronomy tonight, are you?"
For a second, Lily is shocked at how quickly he got there. Sometimes Sirius understands her better than anyone else. Usually it's her feelings, today it's her secret plans for his best mate's birthday.
"Of course not. But James doesn't need to know just yet. He'll appreciate more, believe me."
"Oh, I do." He grins. "Do you want us out by the time you grace our dormitory with your visit, Flower?"
The two of them often have this kind of conversation. Whenever Lily wants to surprise James, she conspires with Sirius.
"It would be better, yes. And do take that Map of yours so he doesn't know I'm coming."
Sirius nods. "I'll tell him we're going to the kitchens, the elves did bake a cake for him this morning."
Lily smiles at his helpfulness. "Help me with this plan and I'll help you throw the best party Hogwarts has ever seen."
James's birthday party was going to be held next Saturday, due to Quidditch, Head duties and Astronomy classes. This was no secret to James, who was in fact not expecting any celebration for tonight.
"Deal." Sirius shakes her hand like they share a secret, which in fact they have. "Anything for James's pleasure."
He laughs and walks away, leaving Lily to blush.
She gets the chance to kiss James again just before lunch, outside the Great Hall.
"How was Care of Magical Creatures?" she asks him.
"Unicorns," James snorts. "Us boys had to stay in the back."
"Ancient Runes was pretty boring, too." She takes his hand. "Hungry?"
"A little bit."
"I was hoping we could go somewhere more private, later. Take a break from all this studying…"
James lights up. "Room of Requirements?"
"I was thinking of a walk in the grounds, really."
"And you call the grounds private?"
Lily waves her hand. "I'm sorry that you can't get a proper celebration today."
"Yeah, it sucks. Guess it's not your fault that NEWTs are approaching. But the party on Saturday will make it up for me. And in two weeks, when Gryffindor beats Ravenclaw, I promise we'll have a huge celebration."
And, because he is not the sulking type, he smiles at her. So Lily brushes her lips on his once, twice, three times. Until they remember that they're in public. They enter the Great Hall and position themselves at their usual spots on Gryffindor table, where their mates are already eating. Some Hufflepuffs come and wish James a happy birthday.
They do end up in the grounds somehow, all of them. James, Lily, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Mary, Marlene and Emmeline. Spring has come and it's a warm, sunny day.
"Moony, you're ridiculous," Sirius declares.
Remus – ever the bookworm – seems to be enjoying what he's reading and doesn't even pay attention to Sirius. Everyone has brought their textbooks, but for now they're just chilling out.
James scoots over to Lily and hugs her from behind. She turns and caresses his cheek.
"Oi, you two. Don't start making out, please."
"Shut up, Sirius. Let them be," says Marlene and slaps him jokingly on the arm.
A few minutes pass. James and Lily cuddle, Peter plays with a snitch and the girls are making fun of something Sirius has said.
"Guys," says Emmeline at one point, "I hate to be the one to say it, but it's time to start studying."
Lily nods and is about to get up, but James stops her. "It's my birthday. You can study while I practice. Please."
About an hour later, McGonagall comes to tell them about some extra Head duties they have to attend to immediately. So they follow her up to her office and stay there until James reminds her that there's Quidditch practice and they have a match in two weeks, and McGonagall dismisses both of them.
James is exhausted. Everybody on the team is grumbling about sore muscles and aching limbs. They didn't complain much today, just followed his orders in silence. Because it's his birthday and they want to make him proud. He appreciates. James knows he pushes them too hard, but he's sure they're gonna win the Cup. Three years in a row would be awesome, he thinks as he exits the shower.
It's just time for dinner and somehow he's grateful that they're not having a party tonight because he's so tired that he's not sure if he'd be able to stay awake all night.
He hasn't done a piece of homework today, so he knows he'll have to work harder tomorrow, but it's his birthday and just for one day he doesn't want to feel the pressures of the NEWTs approaching. It's a rule Sirius came up with back in first year: no studying on your birthday, and James had been more than happy to embrace this rule and make it a tradition for all the years to come.
He sits at the dinner table between Mary and Remus. The girls are all here except for Lily. Sirius and Peter arrive a few minutes later.
"D'you guys know where Lily is?" he asks, more to the girls than to the Marauders.
"She was still studying when we left. She told us to go on without her, she needed to finish the Charms essay," says Marlene.
"You know Lily," continues Emmeline "she must have completely forgot about dinner if she's concentrating."
"She'll be down here in a minute, don't worry," Mary pats him on the arm.
Lily doesn't show up.
A part of James is sad because the day is almost over and they didn't get to spend much time together today, a part of him is mad because she should've seen to this and then there's another tiny part of him that's worried. What if something has happened? What if the Slytherins have attacked her? What if –
"Prongs," Sirius shakes him out of his thoughts. "Stop worrying, she's fine. I've checked the Map, she's in the Common Room, and she's alone. Probably still working on Flitwick's stupid essay, or –more likely– fallen asleep on it."
"Yeah, chill out, James," Remus adds. "Lily will come around."
"Let's pull a prank," Sirius suggests. This definitely improves the mood.
"On the Slytherins?" Peter asks.
"On Filch," James answers.
"Padfoot, that was brilliant!"
"Thanks, mate. We haven't done anything like this in a while. With you being all responsible Head Boy and Lily glaring at us like we're being naughty boys... I swear she reminds me of your mother, and I'm not sure that's a good thing."
"Not funny."
"I'm serious! Pun unintended. But it's true: red hair, authority, death glare and unquestionable skills... She's just like Dorea. Isn't she, Moony?"
"A little bit," Remus answers.
"I'd rather you didn't compare my girlfriend to my mother, you know. It makes me question things."
"You've been in love with Lily for the majority of our time at Hogwarts, mate. Let's say... four years? Probably five. What's to question?"
James shakes his head.
"Besides," Sirius adds, "I am in love with your mother, Prongs. She's taken."
"Yes Padfoot, by my dad!"
"This is getting ridiculous," Remus declares.
"What time is it?" Peter asks.
"Ten thirty."
"I'm so bloody tired," James says.
"Why don't you head up to our dorm while we stop by the kitchens, Prongs?" Sirius suggests. "We'll bring you some cake, I promise."
"So that we can eat something before Astronomy," Remus supplies.
James nods. "See you in a bit."
By the time James finally opens the door to his dormitory Lily stirs on his four-poster bed and shoves her Charms textbook aside. She had meant to make up for lost studying while waiting for James, but she thinks she has fallen asleep at least three times in the past hour, waking up at any noise, thinking it might be him. Now it is James coming through the door and for the first three seconds he doesn't seem to notice her. Then he looks up and surprise lights up his handsome face.
"Lily?" he stutters. "What – what are you doing in here?"
"Waiting for you, dummy," she says as she gets up from the bed. He is still standing by the door, so she walks to him and wraps her arms around his broad shoulders.
"You didn't come down for dinner," he notes.
She nuzzles him just behind the ear.
"I'm here now."
She runs her hand in James's dishevelled hair, her face close to his.
"This is what I meant when I said I wanted to go somewhere more private, by the way."
"It won't be much longer. The boys are on their way..."
"Oh, don't worry about them," Lily says grinning.
"What do you mean?"
"They're not coming. I've... arranged things so that we can be alone tonight. Relax, I have a deal with Sirius."
"Now that makes me nervous."
She pokes him on the nose.
"What about Astronomy?"
"Wait, you actually believed I'd rather go up there and study constellations than spend time with you?"
"Watching stars can be romantic, you know."
Lily's eyes find his. "You know me."
He holds her closer. "So?"
"It's still your birthday."
James suddenly moves out of his temporary stillness. He sweeps her off her feet and drops her uncerimoniously on the bed.
"Damn right it is."
Hi everyone! This was supposed to be much longer, but I realized at the last minute that I wouldn't finish it in time to post it for James's actual birthday, so it got split in two. I'm currently working on the second part, so stay tuned. :)