Let It Snow
Chapter One: Oh the Fire is Slowly Dying
Quote: Speak when you are angry--and you will make the best speech you'll ever regret. Laurence J. Peter (1919 - 1988)
A/N – Sorry, I know it's short but the next few are going to be. Review!
Lily usually had a pretty good conception of time but she didn't have the slightest clue how long she and James had been kissing. It had started innocently, gently, lovingly but had quickly turned passionate and intense. They had moved from the fireplace and were moving slowly to the bed. Bit by bit, clothing began to come off: first Lily's sweater, then James' sweatshirt, then his polo. Lily had made out many, many times before but it had never been like this. She had never felt like this before, like she was being lit on fire, like she couldn't get close enough. James lifted her onto the bed, and Lily felt the letters under her. She arched her back to get her hand under to brush away the letters from Sirius….Sirius. SIRIUS!
"Sirius!" Lily cried and broke away from James.
"What?!?" James asked. "I'm James."
"No…Sirius." She pointed to the letters strewn carelessly on the floor.
Sirius. Adelle.
James suddenly felt like a leaden weight had been dropped into his stomach. What was he doing? He looked at Lily in panic and back away quickly as though to distance himself from the crime.
"What are we doing?" James asked softly, and then glanced at the door quickly as though he expected Sirius and Adelle to burst in at any moment catch them, red handed.
"I don't know?" Lily said, looking very lost.
"Well how did this start?" James demanded hotly, shame coloring his face and filling his chest.
"Why are you asking me?" Lily asked, suddenly feeling very defensive. "You're the one who kissed me."
"Kissed you? No way, you kissed me. I would never do that to Sirius." James said, though even he didn't seem totally convinced.
"Well you did." Lily said shortly and jumped to the floor to get her sweater which she put on very quickly. James, suddenly aware of his bare chest, put on his polo.
"And so what if I did?" James suddenly burst out not even sure of what he was saying.
"What?" Lily asked her voice dangerously quiet. "So what if you did?" Her voice slowly rising. "He's you best friend and my boyfriend. And need I remind you of Adelle. Your girlfriend."
"So what, you're telling me you didn't feel anything at all just now? Nothing?" James demanded, past control or any vestige of feeling for anyone but himself. It was a rare moment of selfishness in James but that few minutes was the first time he'd felt alive in years and he was so scared to lose it.
"What does it matter if I felt anything or not…there are other people involved here, James." Lily said, her voice steely though inside her heart was bursting to say otherwise, kiss him again, to get that feeling back.
"What does it matter? It matters a lot!" James said his face suddenly growing very hot.
"Oh really, and why's that?" Lily asked coolly.
"Because I love you damn it!" James burst out.
Suddenly Lily's principles were gone. She felt as though the wind were knocked out of her. "What?" She whispered, suddenly wondering if you were supposed to exhale or not or just inhale.
"I know it's crazy," James said in a slightly calmer voice. "But I love you. Lily," he turned to her desperately. "You've made me more alive in the last week than I've been in years and I just can't…I just give that up."
Lily looked at him, suddenly stone cold, terrified to give herself away. "Well you're going to have to. You didn't know I was alive last week and this week I make you feel alive, perhaps next week I'll be dead and then all this will solved." Her voice was smooth as steel but she wondered if he could see how badly her hands were shaking.
James looked as though he'd been slapped but he stood up and nodded. "Fine." He said and grabbed his sweatshirt. "Just fine." And with that he walked out the door without another word. The door was barely shut before Lily burst into tears.
******
"I'm sure she's fine, Sirius, will you please go to bed." Adelle said sleepily and Sirius strode the length of the room for the tenth time.
"I just hope James is nice to her, he's never liked her very much." Sirius said, his voice tight as he went over the possibilities.
"I'm sure he is. James is very charming, you know. "Adelle said and gave a great yawn.
"Yes, I know." Sirius said darkly, a whole new host of possibilities entering his head.
"Let it go, Sirius, it's late and we'll see them in a few days." She said.
Sirius paused in his walk for a moment before nodding. "Yeah…okay." He said reluctantly and strode to the couch.
"Besides," Adelle added with a smile. "We have a big day tomorrow; we've got to take advantage of all that Italy has to offer. It's not every country where you find the drinking age is just the suggestion!"
"Here, Here!" Sirius said.
And with that happy thought, both Sirius and Adelle drifted to sleep with thoughts of wine, and run dancing in their heads. Neither aware of how wrong they really were.