It was the twenty second of November, two days before the Winter Ball. The Marauders and Lily's group were in the Gryffindor common room, lying about at random places.
Remus had asked Dorcas to the ball, Marlene was going with a Hufflepuff named Jake, Emmeline with the Gryffindor seeker Alex, Peter wasn't going and Sirius was still dateless.
"How come you don't have a date yet, Sirius?" Lily laughed, "last time I checked, all the girls were drooling over you."
"They still are.. but I don't really have someone in mind." He grumbled, glancing at Marlene, who was sitting behind James on the sofa, who was on the floor.
"Oh?" Lily raised her brows, picking up on why he was grumpy immediately, "that's sad. I can cancel my date and go with you." She chuckled.
James rolled his eyes.
"Who is your date?" Sirius asked.
"Hold on, you don't know?" Marlene widened her eyes. "How do you not know?"
"Someone told me but I didn't believe 'em." He laughed.
"Well.. he's annoying." Lily laughed. "And he's also your best friend."
"Come on, that's all you have to say about me? I'm better than that!" James muttered.
"Fuck. That's awful." Sirius rolled his eyes, "I feel bad for you." He winked at her sneakily.
James smacked his forehead.
"Leave the poor guy alone." Marlene laughed, ruffling James' hair.
"Stop, Blondie!" James chuckled, reaching behind him for her hand, "don't mess up my hair."
"Please, it can't possibly be any messier!" Marlene huffed, "its soft though, what do you use?"
"Shampoo." He rolled his eyes.
Marlene rolled her eyes as well, running a hand through it, wiggling her fingers while at it. James smiled, tilting his head up, "keep doing that."
"I don't think Lily would like that." Marlene laughed.
"She's not my girlfriend. Are you, Evans?" He smirked, nudging Lily with his foot. "Unless, you want to do it?"
"Put that thing away from me!" She pointed at his foot, "and no."
James shrugged, "see, blondie? Now make yourself useful."
Marlene shook her head amusedly, doing what he asked.
Lily and Sirius exchanged confused looks. Lily's gaze now mixed with mischief. Remus looked at James, who winked, grinning. Peter looked rather lost.
"Sirius," Lily began, turning her head back to him, he raised his brows questioningly, "I have a friend in Ravenclaw, Elena Rose, why don't you go with her? She wasn't going because she didn't agree with whoever asked. And I just know she would love to go with the Sirius Black."
"The pretty brunette?" Sirius sat up straight, now interested.
"That's her," Lily smiled, "she's very nice too," taking a short glance at Marlene, who Lily saw had her lips pressed together in a thin line, forcefully giving all her attention to James' hair.
"Okay, I'll ask her." Sirius shrugged.
Shouldn't have agreed with Jake so quickly then, Mar'. Lily thought as she studied the expressions of her best friend. It wasn't fair to Sirius if Lily prevented him from going, he was her good friend now too and she felt like she had to look out for him as well.
A moment of awkward silence later, "so... Let's play a game." Sirius stated.
"I swear if someone suggests truth or dare I'll kill—" James began but was interrupted by Dorcas.
"Truth or dare."
James glared at her, "I'm out." He crawled away from Marlene, halfway through getting up, when Lily pounced on him, "No you are not!" and pulled him back, James stumbling and falling on her. His hands at her sides and him hovering over her, their faces inches away from each other and eyes wide.
"Whoops. Sorry." Lily's cheeks reddened as she smiled sheepishly.
James raised his brows at her in amusement, then smirked. "Shall I start kissing your neck? Because I really want to."
Lily rolled her eyes, "if you want to give our friends, and half of the Gryffindors a show, yes."
"Get a bloody room!" Sirius exclaimed.
James snapped out of his daze, and cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck as he sat up. His cheeks slightly tinted. "I guess I have to play.." he sighed.
The others snickered, including Lily.
"He's so shy sometimes. It's cute." Emmeline whispered to Lily, who chuckled, "I know, isn't it?" She hushed. Emmeline was surprised for a moment since Lily had agreed but lately, Lily had been saying stuff about James she had never said before. All nice.
"Marlene's first. Truth or dare?" Lily asked, ignoring the glare she was giving her for what happened earlier with Sirius.
"Truth." She stated.
"Do you have a crush on anyone in this group?" Lily wiggled her brows, "do specify gender and last letter of their first name."
Marlene blushed lightly, "yeah... er— male, the last letter is s."
James and Sirius let out a low howl, "that's mine, Sirius' and Remus' name. All end in s Mar'" James said in a teasing voice, which Marlene blushed further at, "shut up, it definitely isn't you."
James looked appalled, he put a hand on his chest, "oh Merlin, that hurt like a bitch." He said in a pretend sad tone, pouting, "what's it that I don't have? Even Evans has a crush on me. Evans."
"Hahaha no." Lily stuck her tongue out at James, who narrowed his eyes at her, "you'll see when we're married someday with three children." He laughed.
Lily gasped, grabbing a pencil from the side and throwing it at him while the group laughed. James shielded his face with his hand in alarm, the sharp tip of the pencil digging into his palm before falling down.
"Well, fuck. Now I'm bleeding." James muttered as he turned his hand over and saw a big red dot of bright red blood on his palm.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" Lily frowned, quickly moving over to him, her expression full of concern. She sat beside him, grabbing his hand, looking at the puncture.
James smiled, looking up at their friends, who all had extremely amused looks on their faces. He then turned his head to gaze at Lily, who had swiped her thumb over the spot, spreading the blood away so she could see the damaged skin.
"You've killed me, love." He whined.
"Oh don't be such a drama queen," Lily scoffed, taking out her wand and doing a spell, the blood cleaning away and the small shallow hole in the skin healing instantly, "I'm sorry though," she said sincerely, glancing at him.
James couldn't stop smiling as she looked away, and down at his hand again. He leaned over and placed his lips against her cheek, pausing and slowly pulling away. "You're forgiven," he whispered.
The hairs on the back of Lily's neck stood up at his tone. "By the way, since when did your hands get so delicate?"
"Excuse you. My hands aren't delicate the pencil was too sharp, and you threw it too hard." James said defensively, causing Lily to giggle.
Sirius and Remus exchanged looks that clearly said they were more than happy for James. He got Lily to stand him, he got her to actually bear with him. Even thought it took almost seven years, it was a perfect sight. They were somewhat proud.
"Why do I get the feeling that they're destined to go together?" Dorcas whispered to Emmeline and Peter, "like some sort of important thing rests on these two together?"
"Same," Emmeline hushed as Peter nodded. "They go together y'know? It clicks."
"It sure does." Peter added.
As the friends turned their attention back to the redheaded girl and black haired boy, they weren't shocked to notice that the two looked like they would start snogging anytime soon by the way they were looking at each other and hushing about things.
"Lily, you?" Dorcas asked, causing Lily to stop whispering to James, and raise her brows as she looked back at her, "truth or dare?" Dorcas said again.
"Dare."
"I dare you to give James a lap dance!" Frank yelled from across the room, getting a smack on the head by Alice.
Lily gaped at him, "I will not!"
James blinked, clearing his throat and pretending to be very interested in the loose string of his shirt.
"Okay, okay, I admit it it's a bit extreme." Frank grumbled as Alice glared at him, "er– I don't know."
Sirius then spoke, "let's just skip Lily, I'll think of a dare for her."
"Okay, then James..." Emmeline sniggered, James chuckled, "dare,"
"Ooh, I know! I know!" Marlene piped up, "take off your shirt for the rest of the game."
"I object!" Lily exclaimed, "there's children here!" She said pointedly. And a lot of teenage girls.
"Not to worry, let's just move the game to our dorm," Remus said, Lily gulping slightly as everyone nodded and made noises of agreement and started to get up. Okay, calm down, prepare yourself, don't stare. DON'T STARE. She mentally yelled at herself while everyone moved up the stairs of the boys dorms and eventually into the room shared by three out of four marauders.
James slipped off his shirt the moment they stepped in, throwing it aside in the most dramatic way he could, and running a hand through his hair, then ruffling it up, "well, well, well, don't I look sexy." He said in a deep voice, checking himself out in the mirror.
Sirius, Peter and Remus rolled their eyes, while Marlene, Dorcas and Emmeline sneaked a few good looks at him before sitting down on the beds.
Lily was determinedly looking away, but then she remembered how she had seen him shirtless less times than she'd like to admit, and turned her head to him. And as if James could feel her gaze, he looked at her, and winked, mouthing, "try and get a snogging dare,"
She rolled her eyes, oh sure... I would.
Once they were all settled, Sirius shot up, a wide smirk across his face as he stared at Lily, who quirked her brow, internally praying for the dare too not be something too... yeah.
"Hmm," Sirius hummed, walking closer to Lily, who was sitting on a chair at the desk. "You,"
"Me," Lily nodded, "what do I have to do, Black?"
Sirius smiled, "I dare you and James, to snog the hell out of each other. And I've set ground rules too, if there aren't at least three hickeys on each of your bodies, you will have to eat cockroach clusters. You will get twenty minutes."
"Cockroach clusters? Ew!" Lily shuddered, then got up from the chair, going over and grabbing onto James' arm, "oh get up I don't want to eat cockroaches." She groaned.
James blinked several times, "oh, yeah," he breathed, standing up from the bed he was sitting on. Is she really gonna do it? It's nothing new, yeah, but still. He thought, pausing and awkwardly looking at Lily, who turned her head to their friends, looking at them with interest.
"Are you all gonna watch or...?" James raised his brows at them.
"As exciting as that would be, no, just go into the bathroom." Marlene quickly said, "we can't handle that much passion,"
Lily and James laughed, turning around and walking towards the bathroom door. It's not like they hadn't kissed before, but both felt very nervous.
Plus, awkward. James took his glasses off and folded them, putting them in his pocket.
And just as they went in, Sirius ran over and closed the door behind them, locking the door from the outside and also turning the light off.
Inside, the sudden darkness startled the pair, but they calmed down fast. "Well, this isn't making things any easie— mmph!" James' sentence was cut off as soft cherry flavoured lips were placed on his.
Lily pushed him back into the wall the moment he started to retaliate, her hands roaming his body as she felt up every inch of him she could. James let her take control, and while their lips worked against each other, he unbuttoned her shirt, pulling it over her shoulders and off her arms.
Lily moaned as his hands slid low from her back to her arse, squeezing lightly. She pulled away from him, trailing open mouth kisses down his jaw, and then his neck, slowing down her pace as she neared the nape.
James sighed as she bit down on his skin, sucking on it.
And when Lily pulled back even a little, James flipped their directions, so now her back was to the wall instead. He lifted her up, so she could wrap her legs around his waist, while he buried his head in her neck as he kissed it softly.
"James.." Lily whispered, her tone laced with pleasure, her fingers entangling in his hair as he moved down further when he was done with her neck. Her voice was shaking from the adrenaline pumping in her veins. From the lust consuming her body.
He was driving her wild.
He travelled his mouth down to her collarbone, leaving his mark there as well. Then, he suddenly stopped, raising his head and kissing her back on the mouth. She kissed back instantaneously, this time James deepening the kiss right after.
A few minutes later, Lily pulled away, her hot and heavy breaths fanning James' face, "if we don't get those love bites we have to eat cockroaches,"
"Fine," James chuckled, then moved back to the outline of her breasts, placing several kisses in a line, then swiped his hot, wet tongue over them and sucked on her flesh.
Lily couldn't help but suppress a groan of satisfaction as her head titled back. Her eyes closing shut of their own accord. "Bloody hell, Potter." She murmured as he gave her other other breast's outline the same attention, and then her sternum.
She pushed him away as he paused to breathe, attacking the other side of his neck with hungry kisses, where she sucked on his skin occasionally. She did the same with his chest, and then his abdomen.
When she was done, she finally went back to his lips, both of them kissing each other passionately.
The lights turned on.
"Okay, time's up!" Marlene's muffled voice came through the door.
Lily and James pulled away, not even a little satisfied from the amount of snogging they had done. But hey, the love bites had to be visible, or they would have to eat freaking cockroaches.
James groaned, "oh already?"
"Yes!" The muffled voice replied again.
"Okay, just a moment!" Lily called back, then stepped away from James, picking up her shirt from the floor, "to be continued?" She giggled.
"Oh yeah definitely." James nodded, smirking as Lily turned around, her chest on display from between her unbuttoned shirt. Including the red marks all over it.
"Hmm, I think we got a bit carried away." James thought out loud as he glanced down at himself, the marks on his body were really not three hickeys.. nor were they on Lily's.
She shrugged, buttoning up her shirt. "I really don't want to eat cockroaches."
James raised his brows, then slowly nodded, "sure you don't." Oh, she so likes me. He thought.
Lily made a face at James, then went over to the door and opened it, stepping out, him following right after. All of their friends were staring at them curiously.
"So?" Sirius asked, "where are your hickeys?" He wiggled his brows teasingly.
"Hmm, so you don't see the almost purple spots on Lily's neck? And mine?" James said in a deep voice, pointing at his neck as he tilted his head to a side, "oh and my chest," he gestured towards his chest, "oh and my abdomen too! Lily!" He exclaimed upon noticing a red spot just below his belly button, causing her to giggle.
How– wha– When did she even— he spluttered even in his thoughts.
Sirius looked very surprised. And confused. How? How is it possible that she... oh bloody hell. Marlene was gaping at James' appearance, Remus cleared his throat, "wow, um,
Lily... you really–"
"Outdid myself?" She smiled sheepishly.
Emmeline snorted with laughter, Dorcas laughing at the sound, "okay, so James allowed her to make her mark anywhere on his upper body, and Lily only allowed him the typical spot, her neck? Aw, James..." she mocked.
James smirked, "depends on Lily if she wants to show them."
Their friends snapped their heads towards Lily, eyes wide. She blushed upon the attention, "I am not showing them with blokes in the room." She stated.
"Holy shit." Sirius muttered, "are you for real? Come on!"
"But they're on my boobs!" Lily rolled her eyes.
James snickered as he saw Sirius' shocked face. Remus looked very interested. Peter blinked rapidly. Marlene's jaw was still slack, Dorcas' eyes were as wide as saucers. Emmeline almost fell off the bed.
Sirius then shook his head, "you're bluffing."
Lily sighed in exasperation, unbuttoning the first three buttons of her shirt, showing the love bite on her collar bone, and one just on the outline of her breast, and one between her chest. "I'm not going further."
"There's a further?!" Marlene squeaked.
Lily chuckled, buttoning her shirt up again, and glanced at Sirius, "so no eating cockroaches then?"
"Nope..." he said in disbelief.
Then they just casually moved on to Dorcas, "truth or dare?" Lily asked.
"Truth."
Lily smirked, "would you ever get involved with a professor is they were only a few years older?"
Dorcas chuckled, "if they looked like Professor Alaric Walker, then.. I could think about it..." she bit her lip.
"Eek!" Lily squeaked, "I know right, isn't he just handsome? Too bad he'll be gone by the end of the year."
"The DADA Professor? God, you girls are weird. He's just another bloke in his late twenties." James scoffed.
/
"I'm sorry about all that. My friends can be annoying." Lily stated as they entered their dorm.
"It's okay, mine didn't let you slide either. I'm sorry I told them about the bites clearly not needed to be seen." James grimaced, "egotistical prat moment."
"Hey, I enjoyed the looks on their faces." Lily laughed.
"Come to think of it, how many times have we kissed and got carried away?" James smirked.
"Er— about.. four times? I don't remember." She stated. "They were mostly the heat of the moment thing, dares even."
James shook his head, "admit it, Evans. You're starting to like me." He grinned.
"Yeah, you're my friend. Of course I like you." She rolled her eyes.
"Romantically, Evans." He said in a deep voice.
"You must've hit your head." She chuckled. "Best get some rest."
"Don't be so ignorant." He rolled his eyes.
"I'm not ignorant. You're just too arrogant, with an ego so large you can't seem to process the fact that I don't like you that way, James. A girl can kiss someone without having an ulterior motive, you know I don't think of going any further than that, so kissing is really nothing!" She exclaimed, her face going red with frustration upon the fact that he had picked up on her behaviour.
"But Evans, you agreed to be my date too!"
"Friends can go as dates of each other at parties, Potter. It's not a crime!" She scoffed.
"Bullshit! You're too embarrassed to admit you have feelings for me! I'm not dense Lily, I notice things too." He said, his voice barely audible as he looked at her, frowning.
"I don't have feelings for you, Potter! I never fucking will!" She didn't know why she just said that, but she kept going, "have some bloody self respect! Not every girl is practically in love with you, just stop!"
James was very shocked at her sudden outburst. He had meant to turn it into a joke, but she took it seriously. Very seriously. She could've just waved it off... laughed... but instead she put him in his place, which was as far away from her as possible. Even as good friends...
"I'm sorry.." he said quietly, his expression full of hurt. He silently prayed that he won't start crying like an idiot. But his heart was aching, he loved her with all of it, and she had shattered it into trillions of pieces with only a few words. Why was it so hard for her to give him a chance?
He slowly inhaled a short breath, and sighed, meeting eyes with green ones, who looked ever so different. These weren't the eyes he usually saw... they were cold, distant.
"Alright then, Evans. Inform me if you don't want to go tomorrow," he said, his voice unusually deep, he fake smiled.
Lily's face softened, finally realising that she had said too much in her act to hide her feelings as she studied the look on his face. She had to dodge the question, not prevent him from asking it altogether!
Fuck. Lily thought as she saw him turn around, briskly walking up the stairs.
"Wait, James!" She called in alarm, she had fucked up big time and she knew it. If someone had said to her what she had said to James, she would've murdered that person by now.
"No it's alright." James chuckled, "you know, this is exactly the reason why I stopped asking you out. I thought I should be friends with you first, so you could genuinely like me. We could get to know each other better.. But I guess it's impossible. I like you so much—" love you he thought, "—it'll be hard to get over you...but that's the only option I've left, conveniently." He muttered, going into his room and slamming the door shut behind him.
Right as he did so, a small tear slipped down his cheek, which he angrily wiped away. That's what you get for being such a prat back then. You'll never deserve her, she'll always be too good for you. The voice in his head stated, to which he nodded to himself, "stop being such a sensitive bitch, Potter. Get the fuck over her already." He gritted his teeth, clenching his jaw.
But how do you get over someone you love so much that you'd die for them in a heartbeat?
Lily felt a sting in her eyes as she gazed at the closed door of James' room, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "Oh my God." She put her hand over her mouth, holding back a sob.
She didn't want to say that!
"Why did I say that?!" She aggressively ran a hand through her hair, running up to her room. She shut the door behind her, sliding down against it till she sat on the floor.
"I'm sorry, James." She mumbled to herself. "I'm so sorry I make you believe I don't like you... while the truth is the complete fucking opposite. I'm so sorry I hurt you every time when you try and talk to me about it. I hate that I can't tell you my feelings, I'm the one who can't get past my ego. I'm confused, I'm scared. I've never felt this way before, I just know that a feeling so strong feels like this. I— I think I love you, James." She whispered, tears falling down her cheeks, she brought her knees up to her chest, burying her face between them. I bloody love him and I'm too afraid to tell him. I'm too afraid to love someone so much.
While in James's room, he lay on his bed, staring at the canopy of his four poster.
/