The Passion Flares Again
Prompt 1: Lily & green & bittersweet
"Congrats, Potter!"
"Well done, Captain!"
"Excellent match, James, you deserved the win!"
"Gryffindor for the win! Prongs, you wonderful, fucking talented bastard!"
Lily snorted to herself as she watched Sirius Black shove aside the groupie that had been hounding his friend since he had entered the Gryffindor Common Room. He smacked James Potter on the back and the two boys embrace enthusiastically.
"You were on the team too, you idiot!" James laughed.
"You won the game for us!" Sirius Beamed back. "Here, have some firewhisky, you deserve it."
He shoved a bottle of the amber liquid at Potter, who grinned and raised it, clinking Sirius's glass.
"Cheers! Here's to beating those Ravenclaws!"
Lily let her eyes linger on the Captain's muscular forearms, on his athletic shoulders, which looked ready to burst through his skin-tight quidditch uniform, the way it hugged the outline of his pecs and abdominal muscles, his muscular calves, his-
"Lily, you're staring."
Mary MacDonald's voice sounded amused. Even now Lily was reluctant to tear her eyes away.
"Very obviously staring. You seem very, er, thirsty. Shall we get you a drink?"
Mary was outright laughing at her. Lily's sharp elbow dug into her annoying friend's side and Mary yelped in surprise.
"I'll get it myself, you muppet!" Lily said, trying to keep her expression neutral even as she felt herself turning red.
"You're very pretty when you blush, Evans."
She turned around, heat rising, and gave Sirius Black a condescending glance, before downing an entire glass of firewhisky in one go. The golden liquid made her throat burn, her eyes sting. She didn't splutter or cough once. She watched Sirius' gaze, impressed, his expression softening a bit.
"Fuck off," she said, when she could speak.
"Don't you like being complimented?" he said with a smirk.
"Not particularly," she scoffed, rolling her eyes good naturedly. "Would you like it if I said you were looking pretty?"
He made a face.
"Not particularly," he said, laughing.
She laughed too, twisting the glass in her hand.
"You do look well, Evans," the dark haired boy said. "Trying to impress anyone?"
She had worn a muggle outfit, a long, boho dress in very fine crepe de chine polyester fabric with swirls of sea green, bright pink, cornflower blue. Her hair was long and wavy, the dark auburn colour highlighting her emerald eyes. She had worn it become she looked almost ethereal in it, stunning, and because...
Her eyes fell on the Gryffindor captain again, who was linking arms with a tall, dark-haired witch, a Seventh Year girl, who was also on the Quidditch team. She looked wonderful and they looked well together, happy, laughing, contented.
She had only found out they were dating when she had seen Potter pull her in for a quick kiss. Dorcas had confirmed it, sensitively. She had dropped her glass of butterbeer, smashing it on the floor. And replaced it with something stronger.
"They look well together," she said.
She was still twisting the glass in her hand.
Sirius looked over at his friend. He shrugged his shoulders.
"She's great," he said. Noncommittal.
"I'm glad he's happy."
If Fifth Year Lily could have seen herself now at the start of Seventh Year, the bittersweet tone of her voice, longing in her eyes, brooding facial expression... she's have been stunned.
"You are in your arse," said Sirius.
She stared back at him, preparing herself to look highly offended. But...
"Come on, Evans, don't be a coward," Sirius Black's grey eyes flashing, full of challenge.
"Look. I'm glad he's happy, I'm not lying, alright? I just... I just wish I was the one making him happy. Satisfied?"
She sighed and poured herself another drink. She couldn't believe she had just said it. Must be the alcohol.
"That's my girl, a true Gryffindor," Sirius said, his grey eyes alight now, twinkling dangerously.
"If you fucking say a word to him, I swear to you-"
"My lips are sealed, Evans," he said, putting his arm around her and squeezing her shoulder tightly. "He's my best friend, but that doesn't mean he's not an idiot. And anyway, we're friends too now, aren't we?"
"Yeah, I think we are, Padfoot," she said, using the nickname she had heard for the past two years.
"One of these days I'll explain where that comes from," Sirius said, barking a laugh as he took her hand and led her to the centre of the Common Room, where numerous couples had started to slow dance. "Sometimes When We Touch" came on the magical record player.
"Come on then, Evans, a dance for old time's sake, seeing as we're mates. It'll cheer you up. Do it for me. I'm thwarted in love and drowning my own sorrows. Help a chap, would you?"
"Oh?" she was surprised that the suave, charming but aloof boy was opening up to her of all people. He hadn't liked her last year, but they had grown closer since then, realising they had much in common.
"Oh fine, Sirius, just because you asked nicely," she said, pushing his arm playfully, slightly less morose than before.
"Excellent," he said, putting his arms around her waist.
She didn't see the flash of mischief in his eyes.
The lyrics played...
At times I'd like to break you
And drive you to your knees
At times I'd like to break through
And hold you endlessly
At times I understand you
And I know how hard you've tried
I've watched while love commands you
And I've watched love pass you by
At times I think we're drifters
Still searching for a friend
A brother or a sister
But then the passion flares again
James Potter was now staring at his attractive friend, holding onto Evans' waist, Evans who looked bloody gorgeous in her beautiful muggle dress, like a vision... wait, what? And Sirius still wearing his tight Quidditch gear, which for some bloody stupid, godforsaken reason he seemed to have charmed to fit him too tightly, look at his bloody arse that was fucking ridiculous, and WHAT DO YOU MEAN "THEN THE PASSION FLARES"!?
Lily Evans had her head on Sirius' chest, a glass of firewhisky still in her hand, the other one looping casually around his friend's neck. Occasionally they murmured something between them, both of them giggling aloud, intimate, serene. Playfully swatting each other, Sirius whispering in her ear, Lily's neck arching backwards, her eyes closed blissfully...
And sometimes when we touch
The honesty's too much
And I have to close my eyes and hide
I wanna hold you 'til I die
'Til we both break down and cry
I wanna hold you 'til the fear in me subsides
Sirius caught him staring and smiled back, smug, with a barely raised eyebrow.
James stared back, raising both brows, surprise, trying a feigned indifference. Trying, and failing.
What the fuck, his look said, I didn't know you fancied Lily?
Maybe I do, Sirius Black's eyes challenged. You're over her anyway.
Potter sweeps a hand over his face in desperation.