Lily woke late the next morning with James still holding on to her tightly.
It's as if he thinks he'll lose me, Lily thought to herself, rolling over. James was awake, his breathing too uneven to say otherwise.
"Morning sunshine," he whispered. "Happy Valentine's Day." Lily groaned softly.
"What' wrong?"
"I forgot today was our day," she whispered in reply capturing his lips in a sweet kiss. A knock on the dormitory door interrupted the attempted snogging session as Sirius entered carrying a tray of food and James' invisibility cloak over his arm.
"I borrowed this, mate, to bring our love birds some breakfast before I left to go to Hogsmeade with Alaura," he said with an extra wide grin. This threw Lily off somewhat. What had Sirius done this time?
"Is it safe?" Lily asked.
"What? The food? I brought it straight back here after borrowing Jamesie's cloak here," Sirius replied indignantly, setting the tray on James bedside table and the cloak over his trunk. Lily grinned.
"Thank you," she said as Sirius turned to leave the room. He paused, shooting a 'you're welcome' smile over his shoulder and pulling the door closed after him. Sitting up, Lily removed the tray from the precarious position it was in on James' bedside table and balanced it on her lap carefully.
"Breakfast is served, love," she smiled to James. He wrapped his arm around her waist and nipped her earlobe.
"I don't know if its food that I'm hungry for." Shivers skittered over Lily's spine at his admission.
"Well isn't that too bad. Food is all I've got right now," she whispered. James understood; she wasn't ready yet. (A/N: This is PG-13 people though I really am probably going to stretch the limits here! Sequel maybe not) He picked up a strawberry lying artistically beside the pancakes on one of the plates and held it up for Lily. She took a bite savouring the taste on her tongue as James watched completely enraptured. He couldn't help it any more. Food or not, hell or high water he was going to kiss her, but there would be a twist. He quickly stuck the rest of the strawberry in his mouth. Lily pouted.
"I wanted that," she said quietly. It wasn't a very big strawberry and Lily's bite hadn't left much behind. It was therefore easy for James to shove it into his cheek for a moment.
"Come and get it." He wasn't really sure if he expected Lily to try and take the strawberry from him but he did want her lips on his.
"That's evil Mr. Potter," she said before pressing her lips to his and thrusting her tongue into her mouth to get at the strawberry. James, to stop her, lightly bit down on her tongue, and therefore the strawberry, squirting the sweet juice into his mouth and hers. Lily pulled away.
"Not fair," she stated before licking her lips.
"I'll give you half," he responded biting as close to the halfway point as he could. Lily bent forward, taking the half he had left for her and letting her lips graze his quickly. They continued breakfast, feeding each other at times and at others taking the food from their mate's mouth.
The couple didn't get down to Hogsmeade until after noon and even then they almost hadn't made it at all. The desire to stay in James' bed, wrapped up in their kisses was overwhelming but Lily had eventually gotten him out of there and down to the small town. They bypassed Zonko's Joke Shop as the ambled down the street. This was their day; Zonko's could wait. They spotted Alaura and Sirius moving down an alley.
"Who'd have thought?" Lily asked as they continued down to the Three Broomsticks. James, always the gentleman, held open the door for Lily and followed closely behind her. She loved the feeling of him at her back. It gave her support and confidence to know that she was loved. They chose a table away from every body else sitting quietly just looking at each other.
"What can I get you two?" Madam Rosmerta asked quietly, afraid of disturbing something. She had known, the first time Lily, James, Sirius, Liandra, and Remus had entered the small dining room that these two would end up together. They had always had a knack for knowing where the other was at any time.
"Butterbeer," James answered.
"Cranberry juice, please," Lily replied emphasising the please.
"Yes, of course, please," James retorted, more to Lily than the elderly waitress.
"One minute." Lily watched her go, tracking her progress across the room to other tables.
--------------------
James was shaking. He had something he wanted to give to Lily, to the girl that meant the most to him. He fingered the tiny velvet covered box in his pocket. (A/N: no James is not going to propose to Lily in their sixth year! What do you think I'm nuts?) Lily's gift sat nestled in that box. Madam Rosmerta came back with their drinks a few minutes later and James and Lily sat in companionable silence watching the other customers come in and go out, all the while keeping an eye out for their friends.
"Let's go up to the Shrieking Shack," James suggested downing the rest of his butterbeer. If he didn't give her the gift now, he was sure he never would. Lily noted the look of nervousness on his face but refrained from comment as she finished the rest of her glass and followed James out of the Three Broomsticks and up the grassy hill to the old worn down house.
"There's something bewitching about this place," Lily said softly looking up at the Shack. James nodded pulling out the box.
"I have your gift," he said holding it out for her carefully. Lily took the box and lifted the lid, gasping at the object underneath.
"It was my mother's. I don't have any sisters, or she would be passing that down to them. When she gave it to me before I left to Hogwarts this year she told me to give it to the woman I loved." Lily looked up at James as he finished, tears of happiness shining in her eyes. She lifted the silver heart locket into the air and out of the box, carefully storing the box in her pocket. She handed it to him and he wordlessly fastened the clasp behind her as she lifted her long hair out of the way. The necklace was silver with two pendants. One, she knew he had gotten especially for her, and the other was part of the necklace. Upon opening the silver heart locket (the other pendant was a white lily) the redhead found a picture of her and a picture of James on opposite sides.
"Thank you James," she breathed before pushing herself up to kiss him slowly. They were both breathless when they pulled away moments later and Lily's cheeks were flushed red.
"Let's get back up to the castle," he suggested. Lily nodded, though they hadn't spent that much time in Hogsmeade. They passed Honeydukes on the way back and Lily dragged James inside. She made the excuse that she was running out of sweets as she turned around quickly and kissed him again. Once stalked up on candy, the two slowly made their way back up to Hogwarts.
The afternoon passed with Lily and James sitting cuddled on a couch in the common room, laughing, talking and dozing. The night was something unexpected. A carnival was held for Valentine's Day, courtesy of the Heads and teachers. James and Lily ambled down to the Great Hall that night, stopping to look at the work that had gone into the night's event. Sirius was in the kissing booth with Alaura standing off to one side glaring and Liandra and Remus to the other with amused expressions on their faces. In one corner was a cute red and pink version of the Shrieking Shack and in another a maze had been magically grown. James and Lily gravitated towards the maze following the path their feet took them, only stopping to kiss each other sweetly. They stopped in a secluded dead end and lay on their backs watching the stars come out on the enchanted ceiling.
"It's beautiful," Lily breathed. (Corniness at it's best coming up!)
"Not half as beautiful as you," James answered and though he had said it numerous times to other girls as he dated, with Lily, he meant it with every fibre of his soul. She smiled softly in the light glow of the moon.
"I walked into that."
"You sure did." Somewhere far away a bell sounded signalling the end of the carnival. James and Lily were not a bit disappointed that they had missed the other activities they could have done as the wandered back up to Gryffindor Tower and back to James' now made bed, curling up together to go to sleep.
I hope that was fluffy enough for you all. I was running out of ideas in the end there so I kind of cut it off abruptly. I might break them up before the end of the year but I'm still sitting on that one and if I don't I will try my very hardest to make another fluffy chapter for you all!
Button… You know the rest! Review!
Kavi Leighanna