Author's note: This is just a short, Jily moment. I'm part of an RP group, as James Potter, and the situation is that they aren't together yet. They have had several "moments" and Lily is noticing things about him that she likes. She's currently got a boyfriend, Jason, Ravenclaw Quidditch captain, and fellow 6th year. This came to me about 6am after a sleepless night.


Oh sod it all, Lily thought. She couldn't sleep. A quick look at the clock told her that it was 2:27am. Why couldn't she sleep? James sodding Potter is why she couldn't sleep. They'd had so many moments over the Christmas break. The party, the camping trip, when they met up and it was just them two.. So why had she still not broken up with Jason? To be fair, she said to herself, you haven't really had chance to speak to him. Was he avoiding her because she said they needed to talk? Who knew? She threw back the covers and padded out of the dorm, past her sleeping dorm mates. She'd left her copy of Catcher in the Rye in the common room, and decided she might as well go down and read for a bit.

As she crept down the stairs and into the common room, she noticed someone laid on the sofa, reading. It only took her a split second to identify the person, even though she couldn't see him properly as the sofa was facing away from her. But, she had seen the messy, black hair. She walked over gently, "James?" she spoke softly. He was reading, and started at her voice. "Merlin, Snowflake. Nearly gave a heart attack." he sat up slightly. She noticed he was wearing loose pyjama bottoms and a too-big Quidditch shirt. He looked somehow softer, more approachable. Not so "sexy Quidditch captain, Marauder, intelligent, sex God, Potter". His hair was everywhere, as usual. He had a slight red mark on the left side of his face, he must have been leaning on his hand as he was reading. How long had she been thinking and not said anything to him? Oh God, Lily. "What are you doing up? And what are you reading?" she asked, sitting in the space between his legs and the back of the sofa, her legs hanging over his. He didn't seem to mind her sitting there. "I couldn't sleep. It's called Catcher in the Rye, it was on the table and I thought I might as well read it." he said, closing the book. Lily smiled, "That's mine, actually. I came down looking for it, I thought I might as well read seeing as I can't sleep either." He looked shocked, for some reason. A slight blush crept up his face, and she smiled even more. He looked adorable when he blushed. "I.. Sorry. I didn't realise it was yours. I would have asked, but no one was up. I was just looking for something to do and I.. Sorry." he bumbled out. She started to laugh, "James, it's fine. I don't mind you reading it. How are you finding it?" she asked. He grinned, "It isn't 'alf bad actually. Interesting." He put the book on the table, laying back into his original place before Lily had joined him. For about a minute, they just sat and looked at each other. It was uncomfortable, but it wasn't. Lily remembered him saying that to her, he'd said it was always like that with them. He was right. Not that she'd tell him that. "I'm cold." she said, suddenly breaking the silence. He looked amused for a moment before gently pulling her up, so she was half laid across his chest, and cuddling her. "Better?" he asked softly. She nodded. It was better. Much better. James was always warm. A human radiator, he'd once called himself, somehow proving his eternal usefulness to her. But it wasn't just the warmth. She fit perfectly here. His chest was muscular and comfortable. His arms wrapped around her, making her feel safe.

They sat like that in silence for a long time before she realised his breathing had changed. He was breathing slowly and gently. He'd fallen asleep. Lily chanced a glance up at him. She noticed more about him than she already had, he was different in his sleep. Normally, James was never still for more than two seconds, but in his sleep, he was perfectly still. She noticed stubble starting to break through his skin. She noticed how James he smelled. She noticed how his lips were slightly parted as he slept. She noticed how her heart was racing as she stared at a man who was not her boyfriend.

Oh sod it all, Lily thought as she wrapped an arm around his waist and gently fell into the very first best night's sleep she would ever have.