Prompt: James is claustrophobic
"Potter!" She whispers his name but it still echoes down the stone corridor and she looks over her shoulder, wary of Mrs Norris or Filch. A few moments pass and Lily Evans frowns, starting to walk forwards again. She had stopped a minute ago when she saw a flash of red and gold striped socks, seemingly unattached to a leg, appear a few paces in front of her. Aware that she looks foolish, the redhead stretches her hands out in front of her and tries to see if she can grab something, to no avail. Under the cloak James smirks, raising his eyebrows as he watches the new Head Girl miss him by an inch with her outstretched hands. He gives it a second before pulling off the cloak, ending her embarrassment.
"Evans." Lily turns sharply, recognizing his voice, and straightens her lips out.
"What are you doing up?"
"I could ask you the same question." It's a perfectly viable response but Lily still lets her brow crease, annoyance forming as she realizes she should of just let it go. Then she notices the two fairy cakes in his left hand and it's her turn to raise her eyebrows.
"Visiting the kitchens, again, I see." James shrugs, almost as if it's prerogative to do so.
"Out after hours, again, I see." He doesn't miss a beat in replying but she's too concerned about his words to bother with wit.
"What?"
"I said, out after hours again." The black haired boy leans casually against the wall, taking this chance to tuck the cloak into the waistband of his pyjama bottoms, smiling so that butterflies hatch in Lily's stomach.
"Well that's a blatant lie." And even though it's the truth that this isn't the first time this week she's been wandering the corridors after curfew, she doesn't let it show.
"No, but what you just said was." James isn't really bothered about the rule breaking, his interest lies in why. He's been in love with the girl in front of him since fifth year and wandering the halls alone is out of character for her - he would know.
"If I remember correctly we were talking about you being in the corridors after hours."
"I don't know if you do remember correctly though; you can't seem to recall the trips you took to the library last night - or the night before that in fact."
"How in Merlin's name did-" Lily never gets to finish that sentence though because at that second a voice sounds from James' pocket.
"James! James!"
"Have you shrunken Sirius?" Despite being dubious about her question, Lily is still indignant when James laughs and shakes his head.
"Don't be daft." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a mirror. Instead of reflecting James and Lily though, Lily sees Sirius Black staring up at them. In the corner she spots Remus trying to get into the frame.
"Stop flirting and hide. Filch is coming your way. Two corridors down and Mrs Norris is near too. You'll be expelled for sure if you get caught this time."
"Don't be such a drama queen, Padfoot." Remus finally manages to push his head into the mirror and he looks from Lily - who is still staring, shocked, at the mirror - to James. "But I would advise hiding. He's closing in fast."
"Gotcha. See you in a bit lads." James shoves the mirror into his pocket and looks up and down the corridor, biting his lower lip. Lily had noticed how he did that whenever he was thinking something through and, last week in Transfiguration, she had decided that she liked it. Not that she was actually ready to admit that to herself.
"What was that?" Stopping herself from staring at his lips - it was quite hard - she pokes him in the shoulder, drawing his attention back to her.
"A mirror. We've got to hide."
"We could just run." Lily points out but he shakes his head.
"Norris will cut us off." Deciding that, as a Marauder, James probably knows more about this sort of thing then she does, Lily looks down the corridor and spots the obvious. A broom cupboard James has apparently over looked.
"There then." He knows where she's pointing and he tries not to let his nerves show.
"No."
"Wow. James Potter turning down a close encounter with Lily Evans in a broom closet, what will he do next."
"Change his mind and accept the offer." He's thought it over and comes to the decision just as Filch's shuffling steps become audible.
"It wasn't an offer!" Lily hisses, following him at a jog as he runs to the cupboard.
"Oh just get in." She rolls her eyes but obeys anyway, much preferring to be trapped in a cupboard with Potter than in detention with Filch. The cupboard door shuts and the pair are enveloped in darkness. Lily can't see James expression but she can feel him. Pressed against her. Her left foot stands in between his and she can feel his warmth breath on her forehead. Their arms brush and his chest is against her shoulder. The butterflies are diving and somersaulting now, ecstatic at this contact. Lily thinks she'd much rather the butterflies burn in acid than be ecstatic but at the same time she feels a warmth spreading from wherever her body is against his. "You're shivering." He whispers, begging Merlin that she hasn't noticed his hands start to shake.
"It's cold."
"Can't be me." James refuses to let anything on but Lily notes how is breath is now more ragged, how his arms are shaking and how - when his palm knocks into her wrist - it's clammy.
"James, what's the matter?" Her voice is soft, both soothing and I-don't-want-to-be-caught.
"Nothing." Her first thoughts had been disgusted, certain that this close proximity had given Potter a bit of a... rush. Then she had realized it wasn't just the fact that her thighs were pressed against his causing him to shake and sweat.
"You're a dreadful liar in the dark."
"My hamartia." He mutters sarcastically, closing his eyes and trying to take big breaths. Down the corridor Filch's slippers scratch against the floor and Lily knows she has to calm him down before the caretaker hears his nervous breaths. Grabbing his wrists she looks up, hoping she's looking at his face and not a mop. Her eyes adjust to the dark and she sees the hazel glint.
"Whatever it is, don't worry. I'm right here. Nothing is going to happen."
"Yeah, because having your tits on my arm is totally helping the problem." He says quietly, not having let any part of Lily bloody Evans being pressed against him go amiss. "Oh, shit, I'm gonna die."
"No you're not, don't be stupid. What's wrong?" He wants to tell her but he's James I-Am-The-Coolest-Potter and admitting to Lily I-Am-The-Sexiest Evans that he's about to shit his pants because the walls are definitely closing in and the ceilings about to crush him is a ridiculous notion. "James."
Filch's steps approach the door and she slams her hand over James mouth, her other hand slipping into his in an attempt at comfort. Some how the lanky quidditch player has managed to shrink and now stands a head below her. As the caretaker's steps slowly pass the door, Lily feels James squeezing her hand tightly and she's sure her knuckles must be turning white.
James' heart is thrashing in his chest and he can't discern if it's from the fact that he's about to be squashed to death or the fact that his nose just brushed Lily's rib cage. He's so close to her and the walls are so close to them and he can feel the brick on his back, the brooms cluttering against him. Finally Filch passes the corridor and Lily takes her hand from James mouth, whispering softly.
"He's gone. You can stop sniffing me now." She's trying to make a joke, not sure why exactly James is shaking and... "Did you just whimper? Did James Potter, captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, best friends with Sirius Black, leader of the Marauders... just whimper?" He comes to the conclusion that besides already being classed as a stuck-up specky git by the love of his life he will now be considered a complete and utter baby and decides that maybe he should just continue his route to the floor, curl up and die. "James... please, what's the matter?"
"The walls." He finally manages and Lily realizes.
"Oh, shit, I'm so sorry. Hey, are you okay?" She reaches over him, feeling for the door, and pushes it open, not caring now if Filch is standing right outside it. Sure, Potter maybe a bastard a lot of the time but hell if she's going to let him have a panic attack. "Look - open space. Be free small one."
"Not funny." He sighs as he hastily scrambles - very unattractively - out of the cupboard and spreads out his arms and legs. "Space, space, space." James whispers to himself and Lily holds back a laugh, watching the boy she's started to appreciate as actually quite good looking spin in dizzying circles. He knows he's exaggerating the relief now but he doesn't care about looking stupid because - Merlin's balls - he just spent at least five minutes pressed up against Lily Evans and - Godric's ghoul - he's not about to get over that in a hurry.
When he feels it's safe for him to stop spinning and Lily to not seem him in a state of slight arousal, he stops.
"You're the biggest dork I have ever met Potter."
"I'm claustrophobic."
"I guessed. I wasn't thinking you were scared of the monstrous mops."
"Clearly you've never woken up next to a mop... scary stuff."
"You recovered quickly." Lily says dryly, crossing her arms but smiling all the same.
"Well... you called me James. Is there a better remedy than that?"
