House: Gryffindor
Position: Year 1
Category: Short Story
Prompt: Rain
Words: 1038
James Potter and Lily Evans had one thing in common that they didn't expect. They loved the rain. The loved going in out in the rain and dancing in it, without a care about catching a cold. This was often the cause of exasperation to their respective mothers. When they were children, they would stubbornly refuse to come inside on a rainy day. As James got older, he took to flying on his broom during the rain. As captain of his Quidditch team, he even made his team occasionally practice in the rain as he thought it was good training in case they had to play a game on a rainy day.
On one such rainy day during the fall of their 7th year, Lily decided to take her usual walk in rain. She took a detour to the Quidditch pitch as she had been told by Sirius that James was out flying. Lily caught a glimpse of James up in the air, and admired him on his broom. Although, Lily regarded James as an arrogant toerag for most of their Hogwarts career, they had formed a friendship in their sixth year after James had toned down his arrogance and tendency to show off and more importantly after Lily began seeing his softer side.
James finally caught a glimpse of her and quickly landed down on his broom.
"Lily, fancy seeing you out here," said James. Lily stomach did a summersault as she got a closer look at his drenched figure. Not that he wasn't attractive in his dry form, but he had an extra effect on her in his wet form.
"I usually take a walk in the rain. Dancing in the rain happens to be one of my favorite pastimes. But this time, Sirius told me you'd be out here, so I thought I'd check if you were as good in the rain," said Lily as James grinned.
"Come on Evans, haven't I proven capable by scoring seven Quaffles during our last match in the rain?" James teased.
"Show-off," Lily teased.
"Care to dance?" James held out his hand.
"What?"
"Well, you said dancing in the rain was one of your favorite pastimes. It's mine too," he said, still holding out his hand, his eyes filled with eagerness.
Lily gave him her hand and they began dancing in the rain. It was a lot more fun with company and she could feel sparks throughout their steps. He spun her around and they gazed at each other longingly. She had never had a greater desire to kiss him than at that moment. James tilted Lily back up to a standing positiong, their gaze never leaving each other and their arms still wrapped around each other. She felt a rush of electricity as their lips met. It was only fitting that their first kiss took place under the rain. Their passionate kiss lasted for a good few minutes before they pulled apart. They both had a mixture of shock and content on their faces. They wordlessly agreed to take a walk, hand in hand. The Gryffindors were shocked to see James and Lily walk into the Common Room, holding hands and drenched wet. James's broom lay forgotten at the pitch.
A year and a half later
Lily knew where to find her boyfriend on a rainy day. But instead of on his broom or dancing, she found him sitting and thinking to himself on the Quidditch pitch at the Potter Manor. She sat beside him and it took a few moments before he realized her presence. He smiled at her and took her hand in his.
"Care to tell me what's bothering you?" asked Lily.
"What makes you think something's bothering me?"
"I can read you like a book, James Potter," said Lily "But if you don't want to share it with me, that's alright," she said in pretend defeat.
"I was just thinking about the war and people dying," said James.
"But we're fighting it," said Lily determined.
"I know. But we're outnumbered 20 to 1. And when would it all end?"
"James, there's no way of knowing for sure, but what matters is that we keep fighting and don't lose hope," said Lily.
"I won't lose hope. Especially not as long as you're with me," said James, squeezing her palm.
"Goodness, James. You just got me thinking. What if one of us dies?" asked Lily apprehensively.
"Lily, I didn't mean to get you worried," said James.
"But what if we never get to …" Lily began. "What if we never get to spend our lives together because death does us apart before we had the chance?"
"What if we got married now, while we still have the chance," said James, suddenly.
"What?"
"Lily Evans, will you marry me?" asked James, grinned.
"James, I only said that because it was on the back of my mind. I didn't mean to make you feel pressured to propose," said Lily cautiously.
"I'm not pressured. I love you, Lily and I do want to spend the rest of my life with you, however short or long," said James, earnestly. "But only if you want to of course," he added, quickly.
"Of course I want to," said Lily.
"So, it's a yes?" he asked eagerly.
"Yes," she eagerly threw arms around him and he eagerly embraced her.
They were engaged in the rain that they both loved.
More than a year later
It was another rainy night. Lily stood by their bedroom window watching the rain as James entered.
"I just put Harry to sleep," he announced.
"We can't got out in the rain for foreseeable future, can we?" asked Lily.
"Yeah," James admitted, as he stood beside her and put his arm around her shoulder. "But soon we'll be able to, once this is all over," he said reassuringly.
"And when might that be," asked Lily.
"Sooner than you know. And when it does, you owe me an overdue re-enactment of our first kiss, Evans," James said teasingly.
"Oh, stop," said Lily blushing as she tried to control herself from smiling. She rested her head on James's shoulder with his arm still around her and the continued watching the rain.