Written for the Quidditch League Round 10: Appleby Arrows - CHASER 2: 1980's: Bette Davis Eyes — Kim Carnes, (object) ring, (dialogue) "How could you possibly think that was a good idea?", (dialogue) "This couldn't have happened at a worse time." and Hogwarts' Writing Club: Chic Spy Day - Write a Spy!AU.
Word count: 1854
you set my world into motion
'All the boys think she's a spy, she's got Bette Davis eyes'
James remembers the first time he had seen Lily Evans perfectly. Just thinking about that moment—the ball, with the red drapes and golden lights—is enough to make his veins burn with a familiar thrill of excited fear, because even then he had known that Lily was special.
She's dangerous, in the way all the women in their field are—spies can never afford anything less if they want to stay alive—and she's beautiful for it. Sometimes (always, to tell the truth), James thinks she stole his heart the moment they met.
It's really too bad they don't work for the same agency, seeing as they've kept meeting since then.
The gala is in full swing when he notices her entering the room. Her emerald green dress seems to sparkle as she walks in slowly, and James only notices he's ignored his companions for the moment when they ask him if he's alright.
"I'm fine," James replies, feeling a little breathless as his eyes track Lily's progression.
The man he's been talking to follows his gaze toward her, and snorts a little "I see," he says, and James doesn't have to turn back to see that he and his wife are laughing at him.
"I'm really sorry about this," James replies, even though his eyes are inexorably pulled toward Lily. He hasn't seen her in weeks—not since that time in Prague, where they ended up fighting their ways through the sewers for an entire weekend after competing to get stolen nuclear codes that were hidden in a diamond ring—and he's missed her terribly.
"It's fine," the woman replies, and her smile is wry enough to make James like her even though he knows she's most probably involved in her husband's business of selling state secrets to the highest bidder. "You should go to her."
"Oh, I couldn't," James says, giving her his best dazzling smile.
Her husband is the one to answer. "You really should," he says. "A woman like that won't wait forever. Trust me," he adds, sending his wife a fond look that has no place on the face of someone who's killed, by their last count, at least two dozen people, "I would know—Narcissa here would never have chosen me if I hadn't pursued her as I did."
"Well, of course," she replies, smiling smugly.
James takes a long look at them before his eyes drift back to Lily, who's now talking to someone James is pretty sure is some kind of Minister for a European country he's forgotten the name of.
They're his mission, but if Lily's here, chances are this is going to go sideways soon. He might as well try to enjoy himself before he finds himself kidnapped/stabbed/thrown out of a moving car this time.
"If you'll excuse me, then," he tells the couple in a whisper. "I'll be back."
He snatches two champagne glasses on his way over and offers one to Lily as soon as he reaches her.
"Pardon me for interrupting," he starts smoothly, nodding apologetically at the dignitary Lily had been talking to, trying not smirk smugly when he leaves with a huff in his direction, "but I couldn't help but notice that you had come in alone. Would it be presumptuous of me to assume that you might be free for a dance, then?"
Lily's green eyes sparkle mirthfully as he kisses the back of her hand in greeting. "It wouldn't," she says. "But you have yet to introduce yourself, Mister…?"
This is James' favorite part: them having to pretend they've never met. It's never dull, and it lets him be so much smoother around her than he would normally be. By now, they've met so many times—galas, charity functions and other such events, and on one very memorable time, a wedding—that they've got this down to a pat.
"You can call me James," he replies charmingly. He shares his name with his alias this time around, which is the way he prefers it, but he's been through a dozen names since their real first meeting, as has she.
"Well then, James, you may call me Miss Greenwood," she replies with a smirk.
"No first name?" James asks, fighting back the urge to pout by widening his grin.
Lily shakes her head, red curls bouncing merrily on her shoulders. "I'm afraid you haven't earned that, yet."
"And how will I earn it?" James asks curiously.
"Well, that'll depend on how good you are at dancing," she replies playfully, winking.
"I," James starts grandly, "am amazing at dancing. Shall we?"
Lily takes one look at the dance floor—more than half empty—before shrugging. "Why not?" she says as she takes the hand James was offering her.
"So, what are you doing here?" James whispers in her ear as he pulls her against his body, the music ringing the sharp notes of a tango.
"What are you doing here?" Lily counters, her breath hot on his neck. "And how could you possibly think that was a good idea?"
"I asked first," James says, mock glaring at her as he spins her away from him. "And dancing with you is always a good idea."
"Hm, that you did," she says in a hushed tone, running her hands over his shoulders with a featherlight touch that leaves him shivering. "I guess I could tell you, then. But," she adds, their faces so close all James can see is the gold specks swimming in the green ocean of her eyes, "you'll have to do something for me first."
"Apart from making your target jealous by dancing with you, you mean?" James asks breathlessly, pulling back smoothly and twirling her again.
"How did you know that's what I was doing?" she asks with a pout.
James arches an eyebrow at her. "It's what you did in Paris. And Rome, too."
"You forgot Berlin," Lily replies, grinning.
James huffs out a laugh. "How could I ever forget Berlin? You nearly run me over with a Lamborghini."
"It was a nice car," Lily sighs fondly. "And you clearly didn't deserve it. Besides, you dodged very nicely—I barely grazed you."
James sobers up. "So, what is it that you want me to do, and why are you here?"
Lily sighs, but sobers up as well, body tensing up in his arms. "Same thing as you, I imagine," she says, nodding toward the couple James had left behind to come dance with her.
"The Malfoys?" James asks.
Lily smiles mysteriously, looking every inch of the dangerous seductress she can be. "Something like that. Now," she says, batting her eyelashes at him and taking his hand in hers, "what do you say we take a little tour of the facilities? If I remember correctly, you're quite good with locks," she whispers, breath tickling against his ear.
"Breaking into their office, then?"
"You guessed it," Lily replies with a wink. "Now, are you in or not?"
James snorts. "You know I am."
"Perfect. Then let's go."
The problem, as it turns out, isn't so much getting in as it is getting out. They're spies, not thieves, and while those two jobs do seem to have a lot in common, they're also rather different.
The alarm starts ringing the moment Lily plugs in a hard drive into the computers, starting to copy the files.
"This couldn't have happened at a worse time," she snaps with a growl, cursing as they hear footsteps closing in on them.
"I don't know," James replies in a whisper, hastening to hide behind mercifully thick velvety curtains. "I do think it might have been worse if they had actually caught us in the act, don't you?"
Lily's answering glare is delightfully murderous, and James has to bite his cheeks to keep from laughing out loud.
Them not being found at this juncture is pure luck—somehow, they always seem to have a lot of that going on for them—but it does make them a bit more careful when Lily plugs in again.
"I'm guessing you'll forward me a copy of these, then—seeing as I helped you get them."
Rolling her eyes, Lily hands him a second thumb drive, gesturing at him to get on the computer. "Take what you need."
"How gracious of you," he replies with an amused drawl.
"I know, right?" Lily smirks playfully, and James' heart skips a beat.
It takes him only a handful of minutes to get what he needs, but James is painfully aware of every single second. His heart is pounding in his chest and his fingers are tapping against the desk nervously, and Lily looks way too calm for this. James has no idea how she does it.
"Done?" Lily asks when James finally steps away from the computer.
"Yup," James confirms, patting the pocket where he's tucked away the drive. "All good."
He takes her other hand this time, and only startles a little at the feeling of cool metal.
"You kept the ring," he states softly, not sure whether to be surprised or pleased by the familiar sight of the diamond encrusted gold band.
"I kept the ring," Lily confirms, letting their hands fall back at their side. "No codes anymore, though," she adds, sounding almost regretful.
James shrugs a little. "It's a nice ring."
"It really is," Lily replies, smiling. She pauses for a moment before smirking. "And you gave it to me."
James' heart skips a beat. "You remember that, then?" He hadn't been sure that she would—in fact, he hadn't been sure that she would survive, for a while, bleeding as she was.
"I remember that." Lily smiles, though she avoids his eyes. "But like I told you before, I won't hold you to anything you say when we're dying and/or drugged or poisoned."
Despite himself, James huffs out a laugh. "Well, I meant it—you do deserve to keep that ring, after all the trouble it gave us."
"It did give us a lot of trouble," Lily replies, nodding with a playful kind of seriousness.
James only hums out an answer, sticking his head out of the door quickly to check the corridor. "Coast is clear," he whispers. "We should leave."
Lily nods in agreement, following him out and locking the door behind them. "Think we can do another dance?"
James smiles. "For you, I would dance all night long."
And Lily smiles back. "I think we should probably leave before that. Just in case they find out that somebody's been in their office."
James sighs dramatically as he offers her his arm. She's right—he always hates it when she's right. "One song, then."
"Or maybe two," Lily replies, eyes twinkling.
"Three?"
"Don't push it," Lily replies in a laugh, elbowing him in the side lightly.
And if, on their fourth song, Lily whispers the name of a place where they can meet outside of their jobs in his ear? Well, that's only one more secret he'll take to his grave.
It might be the most important, though.