Take a walk in the snow.
Chapter 3: The art of igniting a spark.
Gathering outside the house, the gang rapidly split up in teams for the snowball fight; Alice, Lily, Remus and Peter against Sirius, Frank and James.
Lily initially thought it would be an easy win for the other team, but as the night progressed it seemed Alice had been serious in her promise to crush Frank to a pulp. The fight soon evolved into a full-scale snow war, and the kids howled with joy as the preyed on each other and attacked with all snow-related means possible.
By the time it got too dark too keep fighting, both teams were soaking wet and exhausted – but happy.
Sirius had lost his sweater being ambushed by Remus, and his white shirt now clung wet and see-through to his body. This caused him quite a few lusty stares from female students out playing or walking in the snow (Lily suspected quite a lot of them hung around mostly to see the half naked Black, though). This obviously didn't pass by Sirius unnoticed, and he made a big show out of taking off his shirt and loudly inspecting it for rips and tears.
After a couple of minutes' showing off, to the excitement of the watching girls and barely suppressed laughter of his friends, Remus eventually made Sirius dress again("Merlin, Pads! You'll catch pneumonia.."). He practically forced the dark-haired boy's sweater over his head with a disgruntled look.
Lily giggled to herself. In their younger years it had annoyed her extremely how Sirius took advantage of his looks and acted so arrogantly, but lately she felt like she had gotten to know him better. Actually, she felt like all the marauders had calmed down a fair bit this last year – maybe they were finally growing up? James had even stopped asking her out whenever he saw her. Which was good, she supposed, but at the same time…
Well, maybe she secretly had enjoyed the attention a little bit? Wasn't a girl allowed some guilty pleasures?
*
"Hey Evans, looking beautiful as ever today. Plans for Saturday night?"
16-yearold Lily looked up from her essay, not surprised to see James Potter leaning over the table and looking at her. He ruffled his hair.
"Go away Potter" she said distractedly, turning back to her paper. She had 400 words left to write, but had run out of smart things to say about Animagi about 1000 words ago. She had thought last year was bad, but now in 6th year they demanded even more!
"Not until you say yes" the boy answered, apparently unbothered by her uninterested response.
"Which is not going to happen any time soon.." mumbled Lily, crossing out a particularly dreadful section about methods of recognition.
Her distractor merely smiled.
"Wanna bet?"
She sighed. "Not really, no."
"Afraid you'll lose? I'll tell you what – you can have the prize anyway."
Lily smacked her lips at her essay, only half paying attention.
"What prize?"
"Why, a kiss from your favourite Quidditch player of course!" smiled James, looking as radiant as ever.
Lily looked up at him.
"Really, do you mean that?!" she said with faked exitement, batting her lashes at him and smiling.
For a second James' eyes widened, his lips drawing apart.
" – you really think Archer would kiss me?" continued Lily.
Hazel eyes immediately lost their glow.
"Ha ha, very cute" he said drily. "No my Lilyflower – I know you're too embarrassed to admit you like me. But don't worry! I can see it quite clearly in your eyes…." He flashed her his most charming smile, leaning a little closer over the tabletop.
"Those pretty green eyes of yours are just screaming my name, aren't they….."
Lily raised her eyebrows.
"Oh yeah, sure. I need you bad Potter. Take me now."
"Great!" he answered, and in one smooth movement kissed her nose, leaned back across the table, and stood up.
"Pick you up Saturday at eight then!"
And with that, he turned and ambled happily towards the dormitory stairs.
"Hey, wait a minute Potter! I said, it's not happening!" Lily shouted after him.
"You hear me Potter?"
He turned at the foot of the stairs and winked.
"Sure! And don't forget to wear something nice!"
"Potter!"
"Like a dress maybe. I like those short ones, you know…."
"Ha! You disgust me!"
"By all means Lilykins - if you'd rather go naked, I won't complain!"
"POTTER!!!"
But James had disappeared around the bend of the stairs.
Lily chuckled, despite herself, and touched her nose where he had kissed it.
A big-headed, arrogant, too-cool-for-school moron he might be….. But he had style, she had to admit that.
With a small smile she returned to her paper, a pretty blush coloring her cheeks.
*
Lily smiled to herself at the memory, as she continued magically drying her hair.
After the rest of the gang had dressed and dried themselves up, Alice and Frank disappeared inside. They were obviously using the opportunity of being out of the castle to, Lily assumed, find a place for some alone-time.
Frank and Alice had been together since 5th year, and Lily loved both of them to pieces. But sometimes it was a bit draining to be around such a lovey-dovey couple all the time. Not that she was jealous or anything.
"Hey, it's only like, 8.30 or something, I'm not going in to hang around with some loser Ravenclaws!" Sirius announced.
"Why don't we make snow lanterns?"
Lily was momentarily taken aback. Snow lanterns? Sirius Black? It had to be some scheme to impress the girls again..
But she wasn't ready to go inside yet either, and besides..she liked snow lanterns. And, even though a year ago she would have rather died than admit it, she quite liked hanging around with the marauders. They'd really changed the past six months, and weren't as annoying as they'd been.
"I'm in" she smiled at Sirius.
James, Remus and Peter hurriedly agreed as well.
*
Sirius made them walk a little way away from the house, claiming they needed unsoiled snow. When he finally found a spot he was satisfied with, they sat down and started building.
Lily felt a little strange, sitting there in the snow with four seventeen year old boys, building lanterns. But then again, hadn't she always known all men were 6yearolds at heart?
As Remus repeatedly failed at making two single snowballs stick together(Sirius had insisted, "no cheating with magic!"), Lily had to laugh. He looked over at her with a sheepish smile.
"Help?"
Lily giggled again, moving over and sitting between him and James.
(Sirius and Remus quickly blinked at each other behind her back)
"Look" she told him, "You just have to be a little more careful! Try this…"
And shortly, all of them had together succeeded in making five little lanterns.
Sirius grinned proudly at his work.
"I feel like a muggle already! This wizard-incignito-thing tomorrow'll be a walk in the park! But" and he took on a look of feigned seriousness, "do you know what's missing?"
The others looked at each other.
"Lights! Lights, you dimwits! It's not a lantern if you don't light it!"
Remus stood up.
"Hey, why don't we go inside and see if we can find some candles?" he proposed with an innocent look.
"Yeah", piped Peter, "I'll help!"
And before James or Lily could utter a single word, the three boys had scrambled out of the clearing and back towards the house.
Silence descended among the lanterns and the two youths sitting by them, unnaturally close now that Remus had left.
James cleared his throat.
"Pads, eh?" he smiled uncertainly. "You'd think someone slipped something in his drink tonight, the way he's hopping about.."
Lily emitted a quiet little laugh, absentmindedly playing with her hair.
James noticed her pursing her lips. Those perfect, pink lips..
They sat next to each other in silence a little longer.
"So.. Hey, why don't we find something to light the lantern ourselves? We don't really need a candle do we?" James looked over at his companion.
"Um, no, I guess.. When I was little, my sister and I used to just set fire to sticks and use them as candles" Lily smiled at the memory, with a slight sad look in her eyes.
"Great! I'll get on it!"
James practically jumped up, eager put out of her mind whatever was making Lily smile so sadly, and in the process managed to trip over something and fall flat on his face in the snow.
Lily burst with laughter at the sight, feeling herself relax immediately.
"Hey" she snorted, "are you okay there James?"
She crawled over to him, still giggling.
James grinned back at her. So they were on first-name terms now? No Potter?
"I'm fine love, and I think I found what we're looking for!"
He triumphantly dragged up from under him what he'd apparently tripped on – a stick!
This made Lily erupt in giggles again, seeing him so proudly holding up his catch.
"Great, come over here then, and see if you can't make it back without trashing all over the place…" she smiled
James grinned again, and crawled after here back to their lantern. This time they sat next to each other a lot less stiffly.
James held up the stick, and ignited it with a spark from his wand. It instantly erupted in a small flame, and Lily took it from his hand and lowered it to the lantern.
"Hold back the snow while I put it in, so that it doesn't fall.."
James did as he was told, and put his hands down next to hers. The lantern was quite small, so they ended up huddled close together to keep it from falling to pieces.
"Okay" said Lily, suddenly very conscious of just how close they were, "we'll just have to hold it here for a little while until it sticks…"
She felt a blush lightly tinging her cheeks, and hoped he didn't notice.
"Lily" mumbled James softly into her ear.
She looked up, and their eyes locked over the glowing lantern. Their faces were only centimetres apart.
All was quiet around them.
James held her gaze, and slowly leaned in…
Suddenly, Lily felt like she awoke from a dream. What was she doing? This was James Potter, her constant pesterer and annoyance through seven years of school! Why did it suddenly feel so good, sitting here cuddled up beside him?
Confused and embarrassed, she let go of the flaming stick and stood up, nearly knocking James over in her hurry.
"Ah, I should go, it's getting late and..I'm sure Alice is wondering where I am. Well. Um. Anyway, see you tomorrow! Good night!"
And with that, she spun around and disappeared in a near jog towards the house.
James was left alone in the clearing.
O-kay.
He smiled to himself.
Sure, she might have gotten up at left just as he was getting close, but…
He'd seen the blush.
And he could swear she had been leaning towards him too in end there!
All in all, a very good night.
And tomorrow – he grinned in the dark – the great witch hunt Part B!
He sauntered off towards the house, images flying through his mind of fiery-red hair brushing against his chest, perfect pink lips meeting his own…
*
*
Author's Notes:
Hi fellow LJ-lovers! Like/don't like or have something on your mind? – don't hesitate to drop me a review!
Also: I know L and J "really" got together in 6th year – but in this story I've chosen to put them in 7th. And that's that
