Chapter Four

"Do I look good tonight sweetie?" asked Gwen, seductively, pressing herself against him as they danced.

"You look gorgeous," James whispered into her ear, holding her waist possessively. "I love your bunny costume."

"I'm sure you'd love it even more off of me," she said winking. "Put in a pile with your very sexy toga."

James grinned at the thought. It had, after all, been over two months since he had shared a bed with his girlfriend. Over two months since he had felt a warm body under his. He was a guy after all.

"I'm sure I would."

"But we've got to stay at the party," said Gwen, twisting a strand of her platinum blonde hair around her finger. "It'd be rude to leave so soon. I'm off to get a drink. Why don't you dance with your friend Lily?"

She walked off to the bar, swaying her hips in a tantalizing way as she did so. Dance with Lily? She had to be kidding. He looked over to the side of the pub where Lily currently was. She was stood on her own with a butterbeer in hand, looking bored stiff out of her mind. Why she was bored was beyond him. She should have been dancing and having fun. He could see several guys eyeing up her body like a piece of meat, but then again, who could blame them? She looked stunning. Where was her perfect boyfriend though? He watched as some random guy came up to her and asked her to dance. This guy was using all his charm saying some cheesy chat up line. Lily was just nodded her head as though going long with what he was saying. Anyone but the fool who was chatting her up would have known she was being sarcastic. She shook her head and the guy walked off away from her. She sighed, looking even more miserable than before.

James walked up to her confidently and leaned against the wall beside her.

"Where's Evan?" he asked off handedly, facing straight forward not looking at her.

"It's Ethan and he went to talk to somebody," she replied determinedly. "What's it to you?"

"Oh nothing," He said, finally facing her. "I just wondered why he wasn't dancing with you. So why don't you put your butterbeer down and dance with me instead?"

"What makes you think I want to dance with you?" she scoffed.

"Nothing but it's got to be better than standing here sipping your non alcoholic drink."

She glared at him but none the less peeled herself off the wall and placed her drink down at a random table.

"Well come on then," sighed Lily irritably. "I thought we were going to dance."

"That we are," smirked James. When they had reached the dance floor he grinned as a slow song started playing. He placed his hands on her waist as she placed hers on his shoulders. His hands were touching her bare skin as the trousers she were wearing hanging low at the top of her hips. Her skin was hot to touch and he loved it. The skin on his shoulders tingled were her delicate hands were placed.

"So since when have you been with Edward then?" asked James as he twirled her around.

"His name is Ethan as you fully well know," snapped Lily. "I've been seeing him since Easter."

"That's nice," said James in a teasing manner. "Where did you meet Ethan?" he specifically emphasized the word Ethan.

"In the bookstore in Diagon Alley," said Lily, "I couldn't reach one of the books on the top shelf and he, being so sweet, went and got it for me."

"So sweet indeed," mocked James. He received a smack round the head from Lily.

"Where did you meet the airhead model, she certainly looks like your type?"

"She's not as stupid as she looks Lily," sighed James. Lily looked at him, eyebrows raised. "OK she's a bit dim witted at times but she's great fun. And how can you say stupid blondes are my type? You're definitely not a stupid blonde but you've been my type for years. Well you were my type anyways."

She looked into his hazel eyes. She saw flecks of gold in them and looked away from the intensity.

"I've got to go find Ethan." She pushed herself away from his grasp and ran into the midst of people on the dance floor and out of his eye sight. He grinned slightly as he watched her disappear into the crowds before going off to find Sirius and Remus.

"Were you just dancing with Evans?" asked Sirius, whilst checking out a busty brunette to the side of him.

"Yeah, she was stood there all alone so I thought I'd ask her to dance. Gwen told me to anyways," said James defensively.

"Speaking of Gwen," stepped in Remus. "She's your girlfriend. Not Lily. So don't start lusting over her again like you did when we were in Hogwarts."

"I'm not an immature lovesick teenage boy anymore Remus," glared James, before letting his features soften again. "I'm with Gwen now and I suppose I love her."

"You suppose you love her?!"

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" asked James, an expression of confusion etched onto his handsome features.

"There's nothing wrong with loving her," said Sirius, as if he knew about everything to do with the matters of the heart. "It's just that you said you 'supposed' you loved her. That means you're unsure."

"I'm a man what more can I say?"

For the next few hours, James spent his time either dancing with Gwen or catching up with his fellow Marauders. He found it particularly amusing to hear about how Sirius set his own kitchen on fire."

"I meant to do it," insisted Sirius exasperatedly.

"Whatever you say Padfoot," laughed James, taking a drink of his firewhiskey. "You're never setting foot into my kitchen again."

"James, sweetie, I need to go soon," whispered Gwen into his ear.

"But its only-" he glanced down at his silver watch. "-eleven thirty. This party's going to go on until three, four in the morning. "Why do you have to go so soon?"

"I have to go around twelve because I'm up early for a photo shoot. So I need my beauty sleep. But I thought I'd tell you now, so we can have a little fun before I have to go." She replied softly, caressing his neck with her breath.

"Well what are we waiting for then? Let's go."

Half an hour later, a very satisfied looking James, departed one of the carriages, before holding his hand out to help his girlfriend, who looked equally satisfied, out as well.

"That is something I have definitely missed," grinned James as he straightened out his toga. Gwen winked at him and kissed him hard one last time.

"So you should. I've got to go now though babes. I guess we'll have to wait until Christmas for a repeat of events."

"I suppose so," said James looking glum. "I'll miss you, bye baby."

"Bye sexy Caesar," she said blowing him a kiss before she disapparated, most likely back to their apartment.

He was joined a minute later outside the pub by his slightly drunk best friends who were both accompanied with a girl each.

"We'll see you at Christmas, Prongsie boy, me and Moony have to leave to make sure these to gorgeous ladies get home safely," Sirius said winking.

"Yeah, bye, Prongs," added Remus in a drunken slur.

"This is the first time in about three months that I have seen my best mates and within a couple of hours they have ditched me for a pair of girls," muttered James as he watched them disparate.

He walked back into the party and up to the bar to get another drink. It was only then did he notice Lily slumped over the bar, with a glass of firewhiskey in hand and many empty ones around. He went and sat on the barstool next to her.

"Hey."

She looked up at him, only then becoming aware that he had sat there. Her eyes were red and puffy and her mascara had run down her face in black streaks. Her hair was messed up as though she had just woken up. She was obviously drunk and something had upset her greatly as Lily Evans never drank alcohol.

"What's the matter?" He asked concerned. He wrapped his arms around her as she collapsed in a fit of sobs.

"I-its Et-Ethan," she sobbed uncontrollably. "I w-w-walked in o-on him scr-screwing some b-blonde." She buried her heads into his chest.

"Sshhh its ok," soothed James, stroking her soft red hair. "He clearly isn't worth it darling. He doesn't deserve you if he cheated on you. He's stupid as well. I mean who would cheat on the most attractive girl in the room?"

She looked up at him and smiled.

"Come on, we need to get you back to Hogwarts. You're completely wasted," said James, taking charge, standing up. "Can you stand?"

"Of course I can" muttered Lily. She stood, wobbled, then fell over and burst out into a fit of giggles. "Woops!"

He looked down to the sight of Lily sprawled across the floor laughing hysterically. He sighed. This was going to be one long night. He reached down and placed one arm around her waist and the other under her knees. He lifted her up easily into the bridal style. Lily shrieked at the sudden change and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly.

"Don't worry," said James softly. "I'm not going to drop you I promise." She calmed down and rested her head against his hard chest in content.

"After the short carriage journey to Hogwarts, he was once again carrying Lily bridal style except this time through the corridors of Hogwarts, not knowing where he was going to go. He couldn't take her to her bedroom as they were protected with a password and he didn't know hers. Alternatively he couldn't just leave her in her office. He didn't think he could leave her alone at all. He'd have to take her to his bedroom.

"Hazel stag."

The door to his room swung open and he walked right through towards the queen-size four-poster bed and softly placed Lily on to it. He sat down next to her and watched her bounce up and down with joy on her pretty features. It made him smile as well.

"Hey, you should get some sleep you know," he said gently. "You're already going to be feeling severely bad. It won't help much if you haven't slept."

"But I'm not sleepy," pouted Lily. She looked adorable. Her cute bottom lip stuck out and her emerald eyes shone with total innocence. "I don't want sleep. I want you." His breath hitched in his throat. She was drunk, he told himself, she didn't mean what she was saying.

"No you don't Lily," sighed James. "You sleep in the bed and I'll camp out on the floor."

"I don't want to kick you out of your own bed," said Lily. Even drunk she still cared about other people. "I want you in it. With me. " Or perhaps she just wanted to get into his pants…toga.

"You're drunk."

"Please don't leave. Stay with me please," she pleaded, hugging him fierce.

"Alright I'll stay in the bed but just remember in the morning who was the one that wanted me to sleep in the bed."

"I promise."

He watched her lay down on her back. He sighed then repeated what she did. They were both just staring up at James's ceiling in silence doing nothing but lying down. That was until he felt someone tug at his toga. Lily had managed to shrug it off his shoulder so now his entire chest was bare.

"Lily, stop," he said warningly. She didn't stop. She started tracing his muscle with her fingers enticingly slow. It was becoming increasingly difficult to not just grab her and kiss her. Even when intoxicated she knew what buttons to press to turn him on. He almost whimpered when she started pressing her lips to his chest tenderly, slowly…seductively. She moved her lips slowly up his upper body until they reached his. At this point she was straddling his waist. Her face directly in front of him, the tips of their noses touching as strands of her wavy red hair tickled his face.

She kissed him so softly that their lips were barely touching but he certainly acknowledged them. The kiss got more intense and passionate as James began to lose himself and start running his hands up and down her body. It was only when he heard her moan that he fully realised what he was doing. Using very little strength, he flipped them over so he was on top, straddling her. He looked down at the beautiful woman underneath and sighed. If he was Sirius or probably any other man in this position, he would have shagged her by now. Her drunken innocent eyes looked up in confusion to why he had stopped.

"Lily we can't do this, you can't do this. I especially can't do this," said James lightly. She didn't argue back. "Lily? Lily?" He looked down at her face. Her now sleeping face. He sighed and kissed her forehead gingerly. He got up of her carefully and draped the quilt over her sleeping body, tucking her in gently. He removed his toga, leaving him in his boxers and conjured another blanket for himself. He lay back down on the bed beside her and layed on his side facing her. He tucked a loose strand of her hair that had fallen in front of her face behind her ear.

"Sweet dreams Lily," he whispered, before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep himself.