James entered his flat exhausted and utterly worn out. What he should have done was take a bath and gone to bed, but what he wanted was Lily. Dumbledore had honestly explained the situation for the Order today. He told them the severity of what was on the rise, how Voldermort was gaining power, how people were disappearing, how very dark times were ahead…
All of that talk, all of the horrible news had made James want to be with Lily more than ever. While Dumbledore calmly explained to them all how everything was changing, he wanted to cling to the one thing in his life that was constant. He could not believe the last year or so of his life; how he had longed for her from afar for so long and how now she was right in front of him every day, every night. She was a part of his life, a part of his soul, forever. When they finally had gotten together, he could no longer imagine life without her. Sometimes he would wait at night on pins and needles for her to get home, just to see her face, hold her in his arms, make sure that she was alright and to tell her that he loved her.
He had that feeling now, that deep-rooted desire to see Lily, to touch her, to know she was okay and she was his. He drifted aimlessly around the flat, half heartedly fixing himself some food and attempting to read the Daily Prophet.
As if she was reading his mind, Lily apparated into the flat within half an hour or so carrying a bunch of odds and ends including food and what appeared to be a very wildly colored new scarf.
"Hello love," she said in a hurry as she began putting her various things away around the flat, "sorry I'm late, got held up for hours running errands for the Order. Then I ran into Remus and we chatted for a while. Poor bugger, must be near the moon because he looks a frightful mess. He said he might see you and he'd tell you he saw me and I was running late but you know how his memory is—"
Lily never got to finish her sentence because before she knew it James had walked right up to her and kissed her passionately on the mouth. He had been so overcome with desire and love for her the second she apparated into the apartment he barely heard a word she said. All he saw was her flushed face, her beautiful mouth, her gorgeous hair…
After several moments Lily broke the kiss. "Well," she smiled, "what did I do to deserve that?"
"You did nothing more than be your undeniably beautiful self I'm afraid." James smiled back and kissed her again. Lily wanted James just as much as he wanted her. She had been thinking of him all day, about the messy way his hair looked in the morning, the muscles of his stomach, the way he looked at her when she was nude that would make her blush.
"Oh," she giggled, "you are oh so suave, buttering me up with sweet nothings."
James made to remove Lily's traveling cloak, and as it fell to the flood he directed his attentions to Lily's beautiful neck with its creamy skin and flowery scent.
"I was thinking about you today." Lily whispered, enjoying James's ministrations as she made to remove his shirt.
"Oh?" he replied, lifting his shirt over his head and dropping it to the floor.
"Yes," she breathed as he removed her shirt so it joined his, "I was in Diagon Alley," she emitted a gasp as James kissed her breasts through her bra, "and…and I saw these flowers displayed outside of a shop. And…and it made me think of that time, six or seven months ago, on the grounds at school, do you remember?" she kissed him forcefully on the mouth and made to undo the belt of his pants.
"How could I forget?" James murmured in her ear, unclasping her bra as he did so and letting her breasts fall loose. He stared unabashed at her, taking in her beautiful body, a body that only he had seen. He felt as if he were on the inside of a wonderful secret that he alone knew. He smiled a little crookedly and said, "We were behind the flower beds. We made so much noise Hagrid nearly caught us. As I recall, we ended up leaving several articles of clothing behind that had to be retrieved later…"
"Yes," Lily blushed at the memory as she helped James remove her skirt. She could remember vividly the moonlight, the smell of flowers, the feeling of him entering her for the first time. The newness of it all, the way he made her feel, a way that no one else could, "you said…you said that I was 'A Lily among the lilies'. I think…I think that night I was sure."
"What were you sure of?" James asked as he bent down to remove Lily's knickers.
"I was sure…" Lily panted lightly as James removed the last of his clothing and picked Lily up in his arms, "that I'd love you forever."
Her statement excited James so much that all aims of making it to the bed were quickly dashed as they began to kiss and touch one another with frenzy. James grabbed his cloak (technically it was Sirius's cloak but James had borrowed it the day before) from the couch and put it down beside the fire and then laid Lily upon it.
He spread himself out over her, feeling her naked body against his, her hips grinding into his as both their breath became labored. He had come to know her body very well, and as he touched her and made her gasp and cry out he though to himself that this was where he was meant to be. He was meant to be with Lily, and that would be enough to sustain him through a million lifetimes.
Although she enjoyed his ministrations she could wait no longer, so she positioned him appropriately and he gently pushed himself inside of her.
"Oh James." She breathed. She loved the feeling of their bodies joined, them moving rhythmically together. They knew each other so well, all the initial awkwardness had been left behind months ago. They continued on like this, moving as one, until with a final cry Lily came, James following soon after.
They clung to one another, bathed in the glow from the fire, nestled together underneath Sirius's cloak.
"Oh my goodness, this isn't your cloak is it? Isn't this Sirius's cloak?" Lily asked, finally recognizing the cloak they had made love on.
"Oh, yeah I guess it is." James laughed. "Um, considering the circumstances I didn't really think about who's cloak it was when I grabbed it…" he smiled down at her and kissed her forehead.
Lily fluttered her eyelashes, feeling simply happy wrapped in her lover's arms.
"You know, Sirius is going to be so angry when he finds out where this cloak has…um… been." Said Lily amid a giggle or too.
"Well, lets put it this way. With all the …um…compromising positions I've seen him in over the years we were at school…I'd say this makes us even. So no worries." James smiled and kissed her hair.
"Compromising positions?" Lily giggled louder, putting her hands to her mouth, "Oh my, I could only imagine. He had quite the reputation."
"Did he?" Now it was James's turn to laugh, "I was too busy wandering around the castle causing mischief and being totally enamored with you. But if you say so, I'd believe it."
"Believe it," Lily smiled, "because he was simply notorious. He was just so … so good with girls. And of course every girl who wasn't nuts about you was head over heals in love with Mr. Sirius dreamy eyes Black."
"And which one were you in love with," James said, a very slight hint of seriousness in his voice, "arrogant, head-full-of-hot-air James Potter, or dreamy, mysterious, brooding yet fit Sirius Black?" he turned her around to face him, pushing a strand of hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear.
"Well," she replied, "considering the last, oh, several months or so, I'd have to say the former, rather than the latter."
"So, even when I was running around with a head completely full of hot air, I was, as they say, the object of your affection?" he kissed her forehead.
"Oh, shut it you," she giggled, "there were times when I could have just hexed you I was so angry at you. But, as they say, the heart wants what it wants…"
"So, you do love me then? Not just after my body, you vixen?" James asked with a wide smile.
"Don't be daft, I adore you, you silly man. I—I always did. There were times when I didn't want to because it made everything so complicated, but it's you, it's always been you…" she replied, this time plating a kiss on his forehead.
James looked at her, slightly bewildered. He knew Lily loved him now, but he would have never guessed she had had feelings for him for so long. Considering he spent half of school showing off and acting out in vain to get her attention, the fact that it had all worked to some extent was somewhat shocking. It was like stumbling on something inescapably pleasant completely unexpectedly.
"Marry me." He said simply, looking into Lily's eyes.
Lily gazed back; James's eyes were unblinking, beautiful and clear. "Yes", she replied softly, "James Potter, with my entire heart yes." She leaned up and kissed him, feeling that her life, everything she had wanted, was right here in front of her. Even with the war, the Order, all of it, everything made sense. Her life was here with James.
It's beginning. Lily thought to herself. Everything is beginning.