Unnoticed, a crowd of students began bustling down the hall. Seeing the two, or perhaps feeling the tension in the air, they all stopped, their loud chattering hushed as those in front whispered to the ones in the back what was happening.
Lily heard the thundering of feet, but thought it was her heart. She and James were staring eye to eye, and the whispering sounds around her could have been the blood rushing through her ears. She couldn't spare a thought for these sensations, as James demanded all of her attention. She had so easily slipped into that easy remonstrance from their earlier conversation, the first time she and James had been civil in over a year. Already she had driven a wedge between them, all because of her hopeless, unreciprocated love. She couldn't bear to hear him tell her that he had no feelings for her.
"If you tell me, "Lily's voice was sharp in the charged hush of the corridor, "that you do not love me, I refuse to be responsible for the consequences. Just let me keep pretending, please," she winced as she sounded like a tortured child. "If you dash my hopes now, I don't see how I'll survive the year. The month, even." She heard a gasp at this, but James' eyes had widened in panic, and she didn't like them like that. Her own were steadily dripping salty tears. "I could have gone on just fine without you knowing. You've pushed me to a new ultimatum. I never want you to talk to me again, James Potter."
James tried to open his mouth to speak, but her hand stayed firmly there, as her sad eyes sent him a message of hopeless defiance. He had to tell her! He had to! It would be the greatest irony of his life if he found her only to lose her when he tried to charm her. A bitter irony. Well, if he could not tell her how he felt, perhaps he could show her. He tried to take a step forward, but she stepped back, maintaining the pressure of her hand. Well, if that was how it had to be, he would play that way. He kissed her palm, staring into her face. She inhaled quickly, looking frightened, then mesmerized, as his hands came up to hold hers. She was thoroughly off balance at this point, unsure whether he was teasing her or sincere. He used her hand to pull her close, running his own fingers over her lips, an expression of reverential incredulity on his face. Lily attempted to steal her hand back, but he placed it on his chest, so she could feel his rapid heartbeat.
A small part of Lily was screaming that she should run back to her dorm, that James Potter was once again playing her, but she had been lost to the moment James had kissed her hand. She was rooted to the spot, lost to everything but him. When she felt his heart beating, Lily buried her face in his chest, listening to the bu-bump speed up as she smelled his after shave.
They distantly heard a voice start to say something, only to be cut off by a loud hissing sound and a thump, but they ignored it, so lost in their discovery.
His hand tentatively made its way to her red hair, and she sighed in contentment. James was quickly becoming enamored of the effect he had on her, and was amazed that it had never occurred to him that loving her would be infinitely better than fighting her. He began to imagine what his life would be like, if he and Lily were allies, instead of adversaries. What if they began dating? To be able to experience this every day? To hold her anytime he wanted? Yes, he would do that in a second. He squeezed her with the arm that was now encircling he waist, though he didn't remember when he had done that, it felt so natural. She looked up at him, her tears still falling, and he kissed a tear about to trail down her cheekbones. She blushed and looked away, lifting a hand to wipe the tears away.
Lily felt like she could burst with happiness; he had kissed her again. He didn't hate her... unless this was all a joke. She decided that she had always allowed him to play tricks before, so why not play along. She was embarrassed that she was crying, and tried to clear her face, but he stopped her. Lily made swift eye contact, and found him much closer than he had been when she looked down. He brushed away another tear with his fingertips before kissing her again, right where a new droplet had escaped from the corner of her eye. She knew she must have been looking at him like he was mad, but he kissed two more tears away, and she thought she heard her heart sigh when he pulled away. Her lip had begun to tremble from the sweetness of his gentle kisses, and the pain of loving him so much.
Her proximity, which had originally rendered him motionless, now galvanized him to action. Lips brushing her face, he took advantage of it to smell her, and look closely at the, somewhat tangled, shining hair that fell around her face. He thought it was enough until he saw her lips trembling. He stopped what he was doing to gaze, transfixed, at Lily's mouth. He tried to justify what he was about to do by saying that she was still sad, and he needed to comfort her, but he wanted the comfort from her lips, just as much as he wanted her to take from his. He lunged forward, startling her so that she lost her balance, catching her lips with his.