I huffed a sigh and my breath clouded in the cold December air. I wasn't in the habit of taking midnight walks on the grounds, but I needed to be outside under the stars. More specifically I needed to clear my head and I had been feeling stifled in the castle.
I'm not usually a rule breaker. I'm Lily Evans, renowned good girl, always top of the class, prefect and now Head Girl. It's not like me to be sneaking out and breaking curfew.
But the circumstances demanded it and I was feeling reckless and completely unlike myself.
I walked faster, as though I could out pace my problems and leave them behind with my foot prints, each one a glaring hole in the otherwise perfect crust of white snow.
The wind picked up, chilling me through as it blew my red hair. My black cloak flapped behind me, adding a sinister air to my dark shadow, the silhouette of which was pronounced against the pale snowy stretch of the Quidditch pitch.
I looked up at the thousands of silver stars twinkling above me in the seemingly endless night sky. As I peered into infinity, I began to think again of him. James Potter. The whole reason I was out here when I should be finishing my Potions paper in the Gryffindor common room by the blazing fire. That's the thing that normal Lily would do. But I didn't feel like normal Lily anymore. Normal Lily wouldn't stare off into the distance thinking of messy black hair and deep brown eyes behind circular lensed glasses. Eyes that belonged to someone who I couldn't like. Who I hadn't even been able to stand for most of my life. Who made me laugh and made me feel things that I'd never felt before.
I sighed again. He'd asked me out consistently and annoyingly at every chance for two years. Then, out of the blue, he'd stopped. For awhile we were nothing and then we slowly became friends. Then seventh year started and he was Head Boy to my Head Girl. We still argued, we always would, but recently I had realized that I got a spark from our tiffs that I got from nothing else.
I pulled my cloak tighter, shivering. I continued walking, head down, staring at my feet as I made my way across the pitch.
I had almost made it to the other side where the three hoops seemed to stand sentry, throwing tall shadows onto the ground. Small flakes began to fall from the dark sky. I was so wrapped up in my frustrated thoughts that I bumped into something and fell down. I angrily sat up and attempted to brush myself off when I realized that I had collided with a person. Though shocked, I immediately drew my wand, just in case it was some Muggle-Born prejudiced Slytherin. But when I discovered who it was, at the moment I almost would have preferred a Slytherin.
"Lily, I am so sorry!" James Potter apologized profusely. "I didn't think that anyone else would be out here, so I wasn't watching where I was going! Here, put your wand away and let me help you up,"
I followed James's suggestion and took his outstretched hand. It was large and warm, especially when compared to my own icy, small one. He pulled me up and I ended up far closer to him that I had expected to be. Small white snowflakes were nestled in his black hair and his gold and red scarf looked bright next to his dark cloak.
"It was my fault as much as yours. I wasn't paying attention either," I confessed, pushing down my urge to run my hands through his hair.
He grinned. "Then it will be a joint endeavor. What brings you out here at such an hour?"
"I could ask you the same," I fired back, while simultaneously trying to come with my own reason. I couldn't very well tell him the real cause.
"Nothing much, just got some stuff on my mind that needed to get pondered away from everyone else." he shrugged.
I realized that I hadn't let go of his hand yet and I did so, blushing and somewhat reluctant. I prayed that he would think my cheeks only red because of the cold.
"Same," I said simply, as he had started to look at me funny when I hadn't replied immediately.
There was awkward silence for a moment and we both just stood there, shifting from foot to foot. The wind gusted and the snow began to pick up, falling to the earth thicker and faster. I began to shiver uncontrollably.
James looked at me with concern in his eyes that had been haunting my every thought. He slowly bent and pulled me into his arms. His embrace was loose, so that I could step out if I felt uncomfortable. I moved closer to him, leaning my head on his chest. James put the folds of his cloak around me and rested his head on top of mine.
A perfect moment, surrounded by his warmth and his smell. I felt so small and at the same time, bigger than ever before, swelled with my emotions.
"James?" I asked after a minute of quiet broken only by our soft breaths.
"What is it?" he whispered quietly in my ear.
"Do you-" I swallowed. "Do you still love me?"
"Yes," he said without hesitation.
I turned my head and looked up at him. There was steadfast truth in his eyes. I kept my own green eyes fixated on his face as I moved closer to him.
He suddenly closed the remaining distance and kissed me. It was more perfect then I ever could have imagined.
And so there we were, moon shining, snow falling, our own island of warmth and new beginning at one end of the Quidditch pitch. A moment more magical than anything that I'd ever encountered in the wizarding world or Muggle world.