Year 7 - September

He pressed his face into her neck, inhaling deeply. "Merlin, Evans, why do you always smell so good?"

"Do that - do that again," she gasped, pressing her hips back into his.

He groaned, tracing his hand back up to her neck, fingers glancing across her collarbone, down the side of her breast, before wrapping around her at the waist, hauling her closer, where she had been sure there already was no room.

James's other hand released her hip, sliding down behind her until it gripped at the curve of her arse.

Her fingers were nearly numb from where she'd been clutching onto his shirt.

She made a quiet noise when he brought his lips back to hers, tongue sweeping in to taste her.

"Merlin's sake, you two!" Sirius's voice exclaimed.

Perhaps a bit slower than the two should have, Lily and James pulled apart in the arched alcove they'd found, out of breath and only somewhat visibly guilty.

"Taking your head duties seriously, I see," Sirius continued in a sly voice. "Don't suppose you two are aware of what time it is?"

James grinned. "Nearly midnight, I'd estimate. Lost track of time a bit there."

Lily used a hand to cuff him on the arm. "I assume you're here because it is nearly midnight and we're due to meet at Camelot's Corner?"

"Approach," Sirius corrected, but looked pleased regardless. "And you assumed correctly."

James held his hand out for her to take. She accepted it, threading her fingers with his, sharing a shy smile.

Sirius cleared his throat. "Unless you two need an extra moment."

"We're right behind you," James confirmed, but hadn't looked away from Lily's face.

She stepped into his space, inhaling the scent of him as she tilted her head to accept another kiss.

He grinned against her lips. "I won't ever get tired of that."

"Just 'cause I let you snog me doesn't mean I'll go easy on you tonight," she murmured.

"Oh, I hope not."

"Let's GO," Sirius called impatiently at the other end of the corridor. "The only positive outcome of this thing between you two is that you'll both be too distracted to worry about as competition."

Lily and James shared another smile, before he tugged her along after his fellow marauders. "Ten sickles either one of us will pull ahead of him by at least fifteen points."

"Don't go defiling my point system," she teased. "Bet's on."