James and Remus bounced into the girl's dorm on Christmas morning, full of
life. Lily groaned and turned over, muttering something about turning the
sunlight off. Remus pulled her pillow out from under her head, but she just
grunted a little, hiding her head under the covers. The boys exchanged a
glance, and dragged her out of bed, pulling her upright. She gave in and
woke up at that point.
With them both hovering over her, she opened the presents at the foot of her bed, exclaiming over each with joy. Katie and Maria had bought her a new cloak and scarf, since the ones she had were just a little tattered, having lasted her seven years so far. Her parents had sent little things, like hair-clips, and jewellery. Petunia had thoughtfully sent the plainest wooden box she could find to keep them in. Lily had to laugh at James' gift. He'd bought her How To Counter A Hurling Hex, and a helmet and kneepads. Remus and Sirius had clubbed together and bought her a broomstick, with Peter providing a broom care kit. And there was another smaller parcel. It contained a ring that matched the necklace she'd received before, and another note.
Lily, Merry Christmas. I hope you like the ring. If you want to know who I am, meet me in the inner cloister at midnight tonight. S.S
*
'Lily?'
James knocked gently on the door to the dorm.
'Lily, are you awake?'
Not hearing any answer, he pushed the door open, peering into the darkened room. He couldn't see any shadows that would betray her sleeping form. Drawing his wand, he illuminated the tip, searching the room methodically. Her bed was the way they'd left it that morning when they'd woken her. He was about to leave, when a white shape caught his eye. He picked up the parchment, reading it over. James' face darkened. She wouldn't be that stupid, would she?
He looked at the clock. A quarter past twelve. After thinking it over, James hurried out of the room, and fairly ran down to the cloister. He couldn't see anything in the darkness. As he crept through the halls, he heard sounds of a struggle to his right, around the next corner. He slipped around to be confronted with a scene that made his blood boil.
Severus Snape had pressed Lily up against the wall, and was kissing her soundly. Judging by the noises she was making, she was not a willing participant. Her hands were firmly attached to his arms, pushing as hard as she could. As James watched, she lifted a heeled boot, and brought it down excruciatingly hard on Snape's soft slipper. James winced, as Snape broke the kiss, cursing. Lily's hand came up and smacked him around the face. Enraged, Snape lifted a hand to hit her back. James lifted his wand, throwing a Hurling Hex at the foolish boy.
Unfortunately, he hadn't let go of Lily, so she was thrown away along with him. They slid along the floor, Snape looking dazed. Lily struggled out of his grip, lurching to her feet, since she had already experienced James' hexes. James saw a dark bruise on her cheek, as she came to stand beside him, shaking. He felt his fury reach new heights. Snape pulled himself upright, took one look at his face, and ran at full speed for the safety of the Slytherin Tower.
James turned to Lily, taking a deep breath to calm down. She gazed at him gratefully.
'What did he do?' he asked.
She touched the bruise gently.
'This wasn't him,' she explained, as he led her back to their wing. 'I ran into the door, trying to get away when I realised what he wanted.'
Despite himself, James laughed, wrapping an affectionate arm about her shoulders. Lily smiled up at him, glad he'd come looking for her. She'd gone to the cloister to find out who her admirer was, only to be ambushed by none other than Severus Snape. Once she'd got over the shock (which took roughly three seconds) she'd pushed away, slamming into the doorframe in an attempt to escape. It had never occurred to her to shout for help.
James walked her to her dorm, seeing her in before leaving for his own bed. She thanked him profusely, planting a gentle kiss on his cheek. The look on his face as she closed the door gave her sweet dreams the whole night.
*
James decided to catch up on some Quidditch training the next day, to try and take his mind off Lily's kiss. He swerved all over the pitch, diving to the floor and pulling up just in time. His hair whipped about in the wind, his glasses crusted up with snow. In disgust, he lowered himself to the ground and took them off, wiping them clean.
Two figures swept past him on brooms, waving as they came about. Lily and Remus grinned at his expression as his glasses crusted over again. He cursed, and pulled them off.
'This is ridiculous!' he exclaimed.
'What's up, Prongs?' Remus asked him, stamping to keep warm.
James glared short-sightedly at his glasses.
'I can't see a thing without them, and now I can't see a thing with them!'
He was on the verge of packing in training altogether, when Lily plucked the thick-rimmed spectacles from his hands. She muttered a word, tapping them with her wand, and handed them back. As they watched, every flake of snow that touched the lenses was deflected away, effectively keeping James' vision clear. He grinned at her, slipping them back on. At her warm answering smile, he blushed and looked away. Remus looked at them, clearly seeing what they didn't, and announced he was going back inside.
'It's too cold,' he complained, sweeping off on his battered broom.
James and Lily exchanged amused looks.
'Need a hand?' Lily asked, gesturing to the quaffle lying on the team bench.
James grinned, grateful she'd asked.
'If you could throw it at me a few times, that'd be a great help.'
She did, more than a few times. They were out there most of the day, James teaching Lily how to swerve and turn sharply. One of these resulted in Lily being hurled from her seat. She would've crashed to the ground had James not caught her about the waist and pulled her aboard his own broom. Cradled against him, Lily suddenly found herself unable to breath properly, his proximity was so stimulating. James was having the same problem.
He flew them down to where her broom had come to rest, slipping off when she did. She turned and looked into his flushed face.
'I, er, think that's enough training for one day,' James stammered, wanting to back away, but knowing, if he did, he'd fall over his broom. Lily was gazing into his eyes with an unreadable expression on her face, her eyes dark with some unidentifiable emotion. James swallowed, feeling her inch closer to him.
Compelled by an unknown force, he leant down until their noses almost touched. He could feel her warm breath on his cheeks. James found himself inching nearer, until his lips brushed hers. Suddenly he felt her shiver. Pulling back, he saw her teeth were chattering between lips tinged with blue. He smiled down at her. Taking her hand, he called the brooms to them, leading her back to the castle.
'We can develop this later.'
With them both hovering over her, she opened the presents at the foot of her bed, exclaiming over each with joy. Katie and Maria had bought her a new cloak and scarf, since the ones she had were just a little tattered, having lasted her seven years so far. Her parents had sent little things, like hair-clips, and jewellery. Petunia had thoughtfully sent the plainest wooden box she could find to keep them in. Lily had to laugh at James' gift. He'd bought her How To Counter A Hurling Hex, and a helmet and kneepads. Remus and Sirius had clubbed together and bought her a broomstick, with Peter providing a broom care kit. And there was another smaller parcel. It contained a ring that matched the necklace she'd received before, and another note.
Lily, Merry Christmas. I hope you like the ring. If you want to know who I am, meet me in the inner cloister at midnight tonight. S.S
*
'Lily?'
James knocked gently on the door to the dorm.
'Lily, are you awake?'
Not hearing any answer, he pushed the door open, peering into the darkened room. He couldn't see any shadows that would betray her sleeping form. Drawing his wand, he illuminated the tip, searching the room methodically. Her bed was the way they'd left it that morning when they'd woken her. He was about to leave, when a white shape caught his eye. He picked up the parchment, reading it over. James' face darkened. She wouldn't be that stupid, would she?
He looked at the clock. A quarter past twelve. After thinking it over, James hurried out of the room, and fairly ran down to the cloister. He couldn't see anything in the darkness. As he crept through the halls, he heard sounds of a struggle to his right, around the next corner. He slipped around to be confronted with a scene that made his blood boil.
Severus Snape had pressed Lily up against the wall, and was kissing her soundly. Judging by the noises she was making, she was not a willing participant. Her hands were firmly attached to his arms, pushing as hard as she could. As James watched, she lifted a heeled boot, and brought it down excruciatingly hard on Snape's soft slipper. James winced, as Snape broke the kiss, cursing. Lily's hand came up and smacked him around the face. Enraged, Snape lifted a hand to hit her back. James lifted his wand, throwing a Hurling Hex at the foolish boy.
Unfortunately, he hadn't let go of Lily, so she was thrown away along with him. They slid along the floor, Snape looking dazed. Lily struggled out of his grip, lurching to her feet, since she had already experienced James' hexes. James saw a dark bruise on her cheek, as she came to stand beside him, shaking. He felt his fury reach new heights. Snape pulled himself upright, took one look at his face, and ran at full speed for the safety of the Slytherin Tower.
James turned to Lily, taking a deep breath to calm down. She gazed at him gratefully.
'What did he do?' he asked.
She touched the bruise gently.
'This wasn't him,' she explained, as he led her back to their wing. 'I ran into the door, trying to get away when I realised what he wanted.'
Despite himself, James laughed, wrapping an affectionate arm about her shoulders. Lily smiled up at him, glad he'd come looking for her. She'd gone to the cloister to find out who her admirer was, only to be ambushed by none other than Severus Snape. Once she'd got over the shock (which took roughly three seconds) she'd pushed away, slamming into the doorframe in an attempt to escape. It had never occurred to her to shout for help.
James walked her to her dorm, seeing her in before leaving for his own bed. She thanked him profusely, planting a gentle kiss on his cheek. The look on his face as she closed the door gave her sweet dreams the whole night.
*
James decided to catch up on some Quidditch training the next day, to try and take his mind off Lily's kiss. He swerved all over the pitch, diving to the floor and pulling up just in time. His hair whipped about in the wind, his glasses crusted up with snow. In disgust, he lowered himself to the ground and took them off, wiping them clean.
Two figures swept past him on brooms, waving as they came about. Lily and Remus grinned at his expression as his glasses crusted over again. He cursed, and pulled them off.
'This is ridiculous!' he exclaimed.
'What's up, Prongs?' Remus asked him, stamping to keep warm.
James glared short-sightedly at his glasses.
'I can't see a thing without them, and now I can't see a thing with them!'
He was on the verge of packing in training altogether, when Lily plucked the thick-rimmed spectacles from his hands. She muttered a word, tapping them with her wand, and handed them back. As they watched, every flake of snow that touched the lenses was deflected away, effectively keeping James' vision clear. He grinned at her, slipping them back on. At her warm answering smile, he blushed and looked away. Remus looked at them, clearly seeing what they didn't, and announced he was going back inside.
'It's too cold,' he complained, sweeping off on his battered broom.
James and Lily exchanged amused looks.
'Need a hand?' Lily asked, gesturing to the quaffle lying on the team bench.
James grinned, grateful she'd asked.
'If you could throw it at me a few times, that'd be a great help.'
She did, more than a few times. They were out there most of the day, James teaching Lily how to swerve and turn sharply. One of these resulted in Lily being hurled from her seat. She would've crashed to the ground had James not caught her about the waist and pulled her aboard his own broom. Cradled against him, Lily suddenly found herself unable to breath properly, his proximity was so stimulating. James was having the same problem.
He flew them down to where her broom had come to rest, slipping off when she did. She turned and looked into his flushed face.
'I, er, think that's enough training for one day,' James stammered, wanting to back away, but knowing, if he did, he'd fall over his broom. Lily was gazing into his eyes with an unreadable expression on her face, her eyes dark with some unidentifiable emotion. James swallowed, feeling her inch closer to him.
Compelled by an unknown force, he leant down until their noses almost touched. He could feel her warm breath on his cheeks. James found himself inching nearer, until his lips brushed hers. Suddenly he felt her shiver. Pulling back, he saw her teeth were chattering between lips tinged with blue. He smiled down at her. Taking her hand, he called the brooms to them, leading her back to the castle.
'We can develop this later.'