There is something satisfying about sore muscles at the end of a good practice.
Jamie has always thought that they were a sign of progress, a way of knowing that something was accomplished. Every session that ends with sore muscles means it will take a bit more work to be as tired the next time. It means she's that much stronger.
It's another step closer to being a better player on a better team.
Even before she was made captain, Jamie was known for being the player to stay on the field the longest, attempt the most throws, and ask for additional practice slots. She was the one who snuck out under the cover of her Invisibility Cloak to get in a few more tries of a play because she wasn't sure it was perfect for Saturday's game.
Today's practice was one of her favorite kinds. She's mud-streaked and tired and her legs burn, but her blood sings with it. The Gryffindor match against Slytherin is approaching, and she has every intention of being more than prepared to face off against the snakes.
"All right, everyone," Jamie announces, clapping her hands together as a signal to release them. "If we keep playing like that, Slytherin doesn't stand a chance!"
A few of her teammates wave their hands in muted celebration, though Jamie knows they're more exhausted than excited at the moment. The looks on their faces show that they are looking forward to showers and beds. They're also eager to beat Slytherin, but they don't let Quidditch take up the space it has in Jamie's brain.
Most of the team ambles off the pitch and heads toward the changing rooms. Jamie gives them space to air any of their grievances without her lurking over their shoulders. It's healthy, she decided at the beginning of the term, to let them grumble about how hard she pushes them. They can always thank her when the Quidditch Cup is in their hands.
Jamie lets them go, taking the time to strap the bludgers back into place and packing up the quaffle. She lets the practice snitch go a few times, always catching it before it goes farther than an arm's reach, before tucking it into the proper place in the Quidditch trunk.
Resting her broomstick against her shoulder, Jamie walks slowly toward the supply shed. She slides the trunk of practice balls into their spot, bats away some of the cobwebs, and closes the door behind her. When she emerges, some of her teammates are headed up to the castle, waving in acknowledgement.
By the time Jamie gets to the changing room, she'll have the place to herself. When nerves about an upcoming match start to get to her, it's one of the top places she wants to be. She can chart out plays for their upcoming game in the same place Gryffindor captains have planned for hundreds of years.
As she gets to the door, however, something - or, more accurately, someone - catches her wrist and quickly tugs, pulling her off balance and making the end of her broom knock against her legs. It's a bit embarrassing, really, how clumsy Jamie can be when she's on solid ground and not in the air. Whoever caught her directs them into the thankfully empty changing room.
"Hey -"
Any protest dies on Jamie's lips when another pair darts up to drop a peck on her cheek. Red hair tickles the side of her face and makes her even more glad that the rest of her team is on their way back to the common room.
Lily grins, triumphant with her victory, when she pulls back to reveal herself. "Hey yourself," she answers.
It's because she's tired from practice, Jamie reasons. That's the only reason Lily, who is always in the stands instead of on the pitch, is able to catch her off guard.
Jamie can't deny, however, that Lily has excellent reflexes. If she wasn't so horrified at the idea of being off the ground, Jamie thinks she would make a decent seeker.
She crosses her arms and makes a stern face but doesn't move from under Lily's hands, absolutely delighted that they're on her shoulders. It hasn't been long since the last time they saw each other, but Jamie is sure that she'll never get tired of Lily Evans touching her.
"Lily Evans," she says seriously, though she's sure that her eyes give her away, "are you spying on my team?"
"If I am, I'm a shit spy."
"Why's that?"
"I kept staring at one of the Gryffindor chasers and couldn't focus on the plays to report back."
Jamie copies her grin. "Was she any good?"
"For a Gryffindor," Lily replies with a shrug and small smile playing at the corner of her mouth.
Jamie isn't one to let a comment like that stand.
She moves forward, her broom still nestled against the crook of her elbow, and slips her fingers under the hem of Lily's jumper. Lily leans into the touch and tilts her head back to help Jamie close the few inches of space between them.
They both hear the door at the same time.
Lily jumps, breaking the kiss with a bite that is more of an accident than a tease. Jamie makes a soft sound of protest, tracing her lip with her tongue to assess the damage.
She doesn't have much time. Thankfully, she knows the room, since she's come here after nearly every practice and match since she made the Gryffindor team. Jamie grabs Lily's hand and pulls them into the closest shower stall, cursing her teammates under her breath as she hears the door shut.
"Where did Potter go?"
"I saw her headed this way a few minutes ago. Maybe she packed up already?"
The other person laughs. "And miss a chance to run plays in her head again before Saturday?"
The girl who has occupied more of her thoughts since fifth year than Jamie should ever admit is pressed up against her, but Jamie can't even enjoy it properly. Two people are talking over each other only a few feet away, clearly oblivious to the secret meeting they interrupted.
Lily moves in her hold, eyes wide. "Can they see...?"
Jamie puts a finger over her lips but quickly softens the action by moving her hand aside to kiss Lily lightly. Lily hums against her mouth, though Jamie pulls away before they can make it more serious. She knows how distracted a kiss from Lily Evans can make her.
She needs to be alert.
"Maybe she had a hot date," one of the voices in the main room says. "I heard her and Black -"
"That's rubbish," the other interrupts.
There's a short pause where Jamie suspects that the first person is shrugging. "I dunno. They spend a lot of time together."
"Did you see her during practice?" Another laugh. "I can't imagine Potter letting some snogging distract her from Quidditch."
Despite the need to be quiet in their current position, Lily joins the laughter. Luckily, she muffles it against Jamie's neck, but that sends a flutter of nerves down Jamie's spine from the place where Lily's lips brush against her skin. Lily must feel her shiver, because she presses herself closer and slides her fingers under Jamie's practice robes.
The Slytherin prat, Jamie thinks.
She's absolutely perfect.
Fate isn't totally on their side, though, when two bodies and a broomstick are too many things in too small of a space. Jamie's foot slips, and she narrowly catches herself with a combination of Lily's hand and the wall. Her broom clatters to the ground, echoing when it hits tile.
"What was that?"
"I'm in the shower!" Jamie calls, saying the first thing that comes to mind to stop them from investigating. It's not a lie, but Jamie suspects that this might be one of those times her mother warned him about not telling the whole truth. Really, it's better if her teammates - and her mother - don't know that a Slytherin snuck into the changing room to distract her.
"Potter?"
"Jamie!" Lily hisses. She moves onto her toes, as if that will make the extra set of feet in the stall less obvious.
A voice from the main room starts to get closer. "Have you been here the whole time?"
"Yeah," Jamie answers, doing her best to keep her voice natural, like she's doing exactly what they expect her to be doing. "You should go on. I'll be awhile."
"Are you okay?"
"Um," the other voice says, "I don't hear the water."
Cursing under her breath, Jamie fumbles for the knob on the wall, mind screaming that they're already suspicious. She's still in her practice robes and Lily is in her muggle clothes, but Jamie can only handle one anxiety-inducing thing at a time. The first time she takes her pants off in front of Lily is not going to be because two of her teammates are standing right outside the door.
Lily whispers urgently, "They can't see -"
A stream of water from above cuts her off, making her gasp.
Jamie hopes the shower is loud enough to cover it. For good measure, she kisses Lily as the lukewarm water makes their clothes stick to their skin. She tries to adjust the temperature with one hand, but Lily is the most distracting thing she knows. Jamie gives up to tangle her hand in her hair.
She'll warm her up in other ways.
Jamie lets the water keep running over them until she's sure the other players have left. Of course, she has no complaints about the excuse to keep her hands on Lily, entertaining themselves so they aren't tempted to talk and give away their hiding spot.
Hopefully, she is the only one to hear Lily's delicious gasp when Jamie's lips find the sensitive skin of her neck.
Once the footsteps fade and it is otherwise quiet, the knob is easier to find. Jamie turns off the water with a twist of her wrist.
Laughing softly, Lily pulls away.
If anyone saw her, the kiss-swollen lips and rising mark above her jumper would give away how she spent the last few minutes. Her hair is a wet tangle, like she was caught in a sudden and complete downpour. Truly, she was, even if the weather isn't to blame.
"This is what I get for surprising you? I thought it was a nice, romantic gesture."
"It was," Jamie assures her, comforted by the fact that her words are teasing and hidden behind a smile. "Maybe it's not what you planned, but I thought this was pretty nice."
Lily nods, pulling her hair to one side and trying to wring out some of the water. "Not exactly what I had in mind," she confirms, "but I'm also not complaining. I am going to freeze, though. How do I explain that I got completely soaked on a clear day?"
"I can fix that."
Reaching into the pocket of her robes and lifting her wand, Jamie casts a non-verbal charm with a complicated wave. She points the hot air that blows out of the tip toward Lily, adding to the steam in the room as her clothes start to dry. Once she's sure that Lily isn't going to catch hypothermia on the trip from the pitch to her common room, she turns the wand on herself.
The kissed lips and neck are still there, but she's less inclined to hide those.
"There. Plus, I'll make it up to you, Evans," Jamie promises, leaning forward to kiss her again. "I'll come up with something grand and romantic."
Lily smiles against her mouth. "You better, Potter."
With the newly-empty locker room and a stack of homework that can be put off for another day waiting in her dormitory, Jamie decides that, at this moment, nothing and no one needs her attention more than Lily Evans.
The game comes both too quickly and not soon enough.
It comes too quickly because, as Saturday approaches, Jamie's free time is completely overtaken by Quidditch practice and remembering essays that need to be done. She often leaves things for the last minute, but a detention can't get in the way of her being on the pitch.
Not this weekend.
Days stretch between their chances for playful banter and teasing snogging sessions as more eyes linger on one of the school's biggest Quidditch stars and her mounting responsibility. Even if people weren't watching her more closely, Lily knows her dedication would prevent Jamie from spending as much time with her as she would like.
Lily is selfish, but she's not that selfish.
The feeling that is building in her chest makes her want to see Jamie thriving and happy. She wants that even more than she wants an opportunity to keep her to herself. Quidditch practice gives Jamie a pleasant flush like nothing else can, and she will regret it if she lets anything get in her way of playing her best.
The game doesn't come soon enough because, as it inches closer, Lily misses Jamie more and more. Once this is over, she can't wait for a whole day when they can come up with a few excuses and find a secluded part of the castle to make up for lost time.
After taking care not to let Cornelia know that Lily still remembers her comments, she thinks they may have faded into the background. They talk about nothing over homework in the common room. They go to class. They sit together for dinner, and Lily pretends to believe Cornelia when she acts like Avery's lack of initiative in their relationship doesn't bother her.
Lily suspects that Cornelia has a few more things up her sleeve, but she lets herself relax. School is easier with friends.
On the highly-anticipated morning, Lily finds the most obnoxiously green things she owns and gets dressed. She doesn't even look at the Gryffindor table over breakfast, not wanting to give anyone a reason to accuse her of messing with them or giving Jamie a reason to be distracted.
Even though she wants Slytherin to win, Lily wants Jamie to be the one who shines.
The members of both teams leave the Great Hall first. After giving them enough time to start getting ready, the rest of the school follows, excitedly throwing around their predictions for the match ahead of them.
"You think Potter's losing her edge?" Avery muses aloud as they shuffle down the hill, following the rest of the crowd.
"Maybe," Cornelia replies, tightening her hold on Avery's hand so their arms brush together.
Lily scoffs.
"What was that, Evans?"
"Nothing," she answers, adjusting her scarf into place and determinedly not looking at them.
"Are you rooting for Gryffindor now?"
She stops herself from rolling her eyes, knowing it won't help matters. "If you haven't noticed, Avery, I'm wearing green. Of course, I'm cheering for Slytherin. That doesn't mean I'm stupid enough to pretend that Gryffindor doesn't have a chaser who might be the best in the whole school."
Mulciber nearly sneers. "Did Sirius Black tell you to say that?"
"No, I can see it for myself."
"You have been getting pretty cozy with Black."
"I'm not talking about Black," Lily argues. "Potter is -"
"No matter what he tells you, Evans, you're always going to come second to his favorite bitch."
"You're repulsive," Lily answers firmly, tilting her chin back. She lengthens her stride enough to pull in front of them and quiet some of the angry buzzing in her head.
"Lily!"
She ignores the first few attempts of someone calling her name, determined to find a place in the stands where she can try to watch the game in relative peace. The rival stands aren't exactly an option with her current attire.
"Lily," Severus says again, catching her elbow. "Ignore him. I know you'd never -"
"That's the most important thing you got from that?" Lily snaps, spinning on Severus and yanking her arm out of his grasp. "Not the fact that your friend has absolutely no respect for women? For me? That he assumes everyone is just as vile as he is?"
"You're not actually defending Sirius Black, are you?" Severus answers.
"This isn't about Sirius Black. This is about our pathetic excuses for housemates and the disgusting things you're perfectly all right with them saying."
"Of course, it's not all right for him to talk to you like that," Severus says. Lily wonders vaguely if this is the first time he's actually said that bit out loud to her, the first time he's acknowledged that she sees every day. "But everyone knows Black -"
"Even if it was true," Lily cuts in, "who cares? It sounds like his own business."
"Not if he's dragging you into it. Prancing you around the school like -"
Lily gapes at him, crossing her arms firmly. "I'm not a doll someone can drag along when they please."
"Him and Potter strut around the school like they own it," Severus continues, like she hasn't tried to interrupt him. "I don't want to see you made a fool of. By now you should know what kind of people they are."
She raises her eyebrows. "I don't have to limit who I talk to, Severus, because you think you're a better judge of character than me."
"You want to talk to them?" His features twist. "You want to spend time with the kind of people who turn you against your actual friends?"
"That," she answers stubbornly, "sounds more like you. You have some sick vendetta against them that means you have to control whether I even look at them, like you think -"
"You think that's what this is?" He tries to rearrange his expression, but Lily knows he is practically bursting. His hands curl into fists at his sides and the red spots on his cheeks give away the extent of his anger. "Don't you remember what they've done to me?"
"I also remember a fair amount that you did to them."
With that, she turns back to the stands and takes off, barely containing herself from running to the top where most people will be too tired to join her. She takes the stairs two at a time, finding an empty spot to sit by herself and watching the small red and green figures start to line up on either side of the field.
Severus, wisely, sits a few rows in front of her, clearly deciding that trying to engage right now would not let either of them win.
She is just fine sitting alone.
That means their housemates can't keep whispering comments to each other, getting louder with every sentence so they can sneak glances at her to figure out exactly when she realizes that they are talking about her.
Here, with nothing but the whispers of the wind around her and the echo of the commentator's voice, she can enjoy the game in peace.
The players form their lines and take off from the ground. Gryffindor gets the first possession, and then everything moves quickly. Both teams treat this game like the final, not willing to give up a point if it can be avoided.
Lily lets herself think about the game and nothing else. She follows the players and tries to anticipate their plays. She keeps her eyes on the balls in play while also scanning for the glint of gold that will end the match. When a shimmer catches her eye, Lily tries to determine if she managed to see the Snitch or was fooled by a trick of the light.
It might be right there, if someone could only -
"Hey, Evans!"
Her attention is pulled immediately from the possibility of the Snitch.
A Gryffindor player stops directly in front of the Slytherin stands, contrasting sharply with the emerald and silver that color this section. In scarlet robes that snap behind her, Jamie Potter looks like she could conquer the world.
So what is she doing, halting the highly anticipated Slytherin versus Gryffindor match-up to call out to a member of her opposing team's cheering section?
"I have a question for you!" Jamie shouts as if the entire school hasn't taken their eyes off what was a game to stare at her.
Lily is staring too with her mouth open.
Petunia would wrinkle her nose and make some comment about catching flies, if she could see. Her sister isn't here, but she can feel the weight of everyone who isn't looking at Jamie looking at her. The judgment from her classmates, humor from the Gryffindors, and confusion from the yellow and blue sections.
"Aren't you busy right now?" she answers, voice a little strained and practically yelling to be heard over the murmurs of the crowd and whistling wind.
Jamie, quaffle tucked under one arm, waves her other hand dismissively. She doesn't even flinch at the idea of being so far off the ground without holding onto anything, but Lily's stomach twists at the thought.
"Reg can wait." Jamie whips her head around, wild hair flying, to find the Slytherin seeker. "Can't you, Reggie?"
On the other side of the field, Regulus Black pulls his broom to a stop and glares, eyebrows drawn together in an expression Lily has caught a hundred times when Sirius has his back turned. He doesn't bother to reply, already used to barbs from Potter and knowing that trying to answer never works.
Jamie turns back to her with a grin. "He can wait."
The rest of Potter's team hovers uncertainly, glancing between each other, torn between laughing and cursing their captain. One of the beaters bats a bludger away from everyone else on the field, assisting in Jamie's efforts to halt the game completely.
A few of the Slytherin players group together at the far end of the pitch, grumbling and arguing about what they should do.
"Get back to the game, Potter," Lily says, face warming as blood rushes to her cheeks. She presses her hands, which are covered in green fingerless gloves that match the streaks of paint on the high points of her cheeks, against them like it's the cold bothering her instead of the way her heartbeat starts to race.
Even from her place in the stands, Lily can see the way the thrill of playing and doing something unexpected makes Jamie's whole being light up from the inside. In the high sunlight that peaks from behind a cloud, the gold flecks in her hazel eyes shine. She steadies her broom and tosses her hair, the dark waves catching some of the sunlight.
"I will," Jamie allows with an easy grin.
It's like they're talking over a table rather than over a dozen feet away from each other with one of them mid-air. Jamie's eyes don't leave Lily's. When she is the only target of Jamie's undivided attention in the middle of a Quidditch game, Lily's heartbeat moves into her throat and she understands some of the thrill of floating above everyone else.
"Yeah?" Lily poses, unsure if Jamie can actually hear her over all of the other sounds and Lily's dry throat.
Jamie grins, all confidence. "I will if you go out with me, Evans."
Lily bites her lower lip to stop herself from smiling.
This is one of those bold gestures that belongs in books and not her actual life. The kind of thing she would read about and never imagine actually happening to her. It belongs to people who are allowed to do these kinds of things. People who are allowed to date each other openly and for anyone to see.
Both of them know that they aren't those people for about a million different reasons.
Someone scoffs loudly, and she doesn't have to look to know who it is. A burst of anger wipes away the simple joy of the moment and makes her want to scream.
If a hundred things were different, people would be talking about this moment for years to come. It would be remembered fondly as the romantic gesture of a lovesick teenager who couldn't keep her feelings to herself.
Lily knows the kind of rumors and comments this will cause when given to the wrong people. Part of her wants to shy away and prevent it from ever touching her, while another part wants to yell until they all understand how stupid their bigotry really is.
She isn't sure which part of her will or even should win.
A whisper starts to pass through the crowd from student to student.
Lily speaks over them in a clear voice. "I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the Giant Squid."
"Bad luck, Prongs!" Sirius calls from the red and gold section, his voice amplified in the momentary silence.
An uneasy chuckle ripples through the Gryffindor crowd as if they're on hold with their reactions. The team sways on their brooms, keeping their muscles active for the moment they'll jump back into action. On Lily's side of the pitch, students in green start to elbow each other, jeering and whispering behind their hands to neighbors.
Jamie's expression doesn't change, but she lifts a hand to fluff the back of her hair. "It's like that?"
"Yeah, it's like that," Lily replies, the hint of a smile peeking through despite her best efforts to maintain neutrality. She knits her fingers together and rocks forward onto her toes. "At least the squid isn't a Gryffindor."
A ringing laugh trails after Jamie as she jerks her broom to one side without warning and streaks to the end of the field. Before the keeper in green notices her coming, Jamie draws her hand back and throws the quaffle through the center hoop. She pumps her fist in the air, and spins to face the crowd. The Gryffindor section lets out a cheer while Sirius raises his arms and poorly conducts an out-of-tune melody.
While the other chasers line up their next play, Jamie finds Lily in the stands again. "That was for you," she mouths with a wink.
With the weight of only one stare on her, Lily bites her lower lip but doesn't let it mask her smile.
Jamie's attention is captured by the game a second later when she swerves so a bludger narrowly misses her shoulder. She takes off in pursuit of the quaffle, shouting an insult to one of the Slytherin beaters, before she can see Lily hide behind her hands.
Once the match is over, Lily doesn't make it away from the stands before she hears the voice behind her. In a moment, they're separated from the crowd and he's pouring as much disgust as he can into three words.
"What was that?"
With increasing frequency, Lily has kept him at a careful distance. There was something to be said of their friendship when they were alone in Cokeworth, but Hogwarts is different. Here, it's harder to ignore what he must talk about when she isn't around.
Lily turns in place, carefully forcing her expression to remain neutral and controlled.
"Excuse me?"
"What was that stunt with Potter?"
"Oh, that?" Lily answers. "It was a joke, Severus. Maybe you've heard of them? They're something friends do."
Severus' brow twitches, showing that her comment hit its mark. She stops herself from grinning with some self-satisfaction. "So now you're friends with Potter?"
"Am I not allowed to have friends?"
"That's not what I said." The rest of their house passes by, lost in their own conversations and leaving Lily and Severus behind. "If you made an effort, some of our house could -"
"I don't think they have a problem with me because I don't make an effort," Lily answers, scoffing. "I can be friends with whoever I want, and I have no interest in being friends with the newest Death Eater recruits."
"It's not -" Severus shakes his head, knowing this is a fight they've been over more times than either of them can count. He must decide it's a loss. "But her, Lily? Everyone thinks she's so great, but she's just -"
Lily shrugs, cutting him off and not willing to tell him any more than she has to. "I don't see how it matters to you." She doesn't owe him anything, she reminds herself. She doesn't have to share that Jamie is the only person she really feels like herself around anymore. That time with Jamie is the light at the end of each tunnel that keeps her going.
"It matters what people will say with you betraying your house and hanging around people like that. People like Potter and Black, who are -"
"Blood traitors?" she offers, practically spitting the word. "If you remember, Severus, I'm just a filthy little mudblood."
"I didn't mean -" he tries, verbally backtracking and taking a step closer. He puts a hand on her forearm in a gesture he must think is comforting. It's the opposite of what she wants. "I just don't want to see you made a fool of."
Lily jerks away from him, the sensation of spiders crawling on her skin following from where he touched her. "I didn't ask for your opinion."
"I'm simply -"
"Well, don't," Lily answers bluntly.
Before he can say anything else, she spins on her heel and storms off, hoping the metaphorical storm clouds brewing over her head are enough to make him keep his distance. Her good mood from the flush Jamie brought to her cheeks or the chance to see an exciting Quidditch match fades with every step.
Until another hand finds her wrist.
Her impulse is to pull away, but she makes herself look first. This hand, unlike the other, is soothing on her wrist, running a thumb over her hammering pulse. Her eyes follow the line of the arm, meeting the question in the other girl's eyes.
"Is this a good time?"
"God, yes," Lily answers, letting Jamie pull her under the stands where they won't be seen.
Jamie's lips are on hers as soon as they're away from any lingering eyes. It makes Lily feel like she's the one who won the match.
Tugging Jamie closer to her, Lily welcomes the sweetness of everything else leaving her mind. Jamie is the only important thing at this moment. She's the only thing Lily wants to think or see or taste or touch.
The kiss isn't long enough, but Lily stops herself from following Jamie's mouth when she pulls away. Instead, she notes the sparkle in the other girl's eyes. She loves the way the dark red of her robes brings out the Quidditch flush on her cheeks. Jamie is always beautiful, but she's especially beautiful when she's glowing like this.
Their foreheads touch. Jamie's smile is contagious, so Lily can't help but mirror it.
"Did you like the match?"
"'Course I did." Lily rises briefly onto her toes to kiss the tip of Jamie's nose. "You've been practicing your Sloth Grip Roll. This time, I didn't have a mini panic that I'd have to watch McGonagall scrapping you off the pitch."
"Observant, knows about Quidditch, and gorgeous? How did I manage to snag this girl?"
"Must be that spectacular playing you just did. Girls always go for the sports hero." Lily nudges Jamie's glasses into position. "Those cute frames don't hurt either."
Jamie inclines her head like she would bow if Lily gave her enough room. She must know that Lily isn't willing to let go of her yet, so she doesn't try to pull away. "Anything to make your watching more enjoyable."
"And you didn't mind the extra points it got you," Lily replies, unable to stop grinning. "Although, you also didn't seem to mind taking a break in the middle of the game either."
"Keeping things interesting." Jamie's voice is light, but she lifts a hand to ruffle her hair. It's how Lily knows that under her proud bravo of confidence, Jamie can be just as nervous as Lily. Maybe she's worried that she's crossed the line and done something too loud and reckless.
"What was that about?" Lily slips her fingers under the sleeves of Jamie's robes and moves them up her arm slowly so she knows she isn't in trouble.
"I could ask you the same thing." Jamie leans into her touch. "What was that about going out with the giant squid?"
"Maybe I'll give him a chance. I've heard he's quite the romantic."
"Ah." Jamie doesn't look impressed.
"Moonlit walks along the lake, visits by the window in my common room, lazy days on the beach…"
"I don't know," Jamie replies, her forehead creasing in mock-thoughtfulness. She lifts her hand to trace the side of Lily's face with her knuckle. "He doesn't seem like your type."
"And what is my type?"
Jamie grins, back in her element. "Witty, charming, and… What did you say at the party? A 'big quidditch hero?' How about someone like that?"
Lily laughs and shoves Jamie's shoulder, but it lacks force. Her fingers stay against her skin. "Do you know any of those?" she asks, moving Jamie's hand to her waist.
"A few." Jamie tucks some hair behind her ear with her other hand and lingers by her cheek, fingertips tracing the curve. Her thumb swipes at the paint, smudging the green and silver together. "If you look this good in green, Evans, just imagine you in red."
"Who says I can't root for both teams?"
Jamie presses a kiss to her forehead and hums against Lily's skin. She moves, gently peppering kisses along the side of her face. "You look pretty Slytherin to me." Jamie slips her fingers under Lily's scarf to pull it away from her neck and replaces the stolen warmth with her lips. Lily giggles, twisting her fingers into Jamie's Quidditch robes to tug her closer.
"Am I distracting you? Shouldn't you be celebrating with your teammates?"
Jamie doesn't pull away from her neck. "Would you come to that party?"
Lily isn't sure if it's an actual invitation. A minor chill makes her shudder, though she blames the way Jamie is still kissing her. "I don't think that would go over too well, considering which team you just beat."
Shaking her head, Jamie answers. "They won't care about that. Might even make the party extra exciting, having a snake in our midst."
"It's not a good idea," Lily says more seriously. "Someone's bound to suspect something, and we can't let them know..."
Jamie's lips still for an amount of time that feels like minutes but is probably only seconds. The air is heavy like the moment after hearing bad news.
Lily tightens her grip on Jamie's robes and wonders, not for the first time, if she's said something wrong enough to ruin everything. If she's revealed too much. If she's asking for too much. If she's cracked through the thin layer of ice they skate as them.
"Then I have to be here."
Lily lets out a sigh of relief and melts a bit more against the other girl. "I'm glad you are."
Her blood pounds loudly in her ears as Jamie goes back to her previous task. She trails a few kisses under her chin, finding the sensitive skin that makes Lily hold onto her more tightly.
"It's barely a party without you there, Evans."
An answer starts to form, but it's blocked by the feeling of glue in her throat and guilt in her thoughts. "I'm sorry," Lily whispers.
Jamie pulls away, her forehead creased in confusion. Her hand in Lily's hair makes it hard to look away, though she's grateful. It's probably the worst thing she could do, but she might be enough of a coward to try.
"What are you sorry about? Rooting for your own house team? I give you a hard time, Evans, but it's all right."
"No," Lily replies. She presses the fabric of Jamie's robes between her fingers. "About all of this. Sneaking around. Kissing where no one can see. Skipping parties with your friends to stay with me. It's not fair. If you were with someone else -"
"That?" Jamie moves her lips back to Lily's neck. "You don't have to be sorry. I'd rather sneak away with you than kiss anyone else in the middle of the Great Hall."
Lily doesn't quite believe her, but she has to hold onto what she has while she still has it. "You mean that?"
Jamie must detect something in her voice, because she moves back, taking care to meet Lily's eyes again. Her fingers move gently through Lily's hair. She can't remember another time when someone held her so carefully, like she is something precious. Her fingers move down her cheek. She puts a finger under Lily's chin and tilts it so she can't miss what she has to say.
"I solemnly swear."