The Morning After
October 1977, Gryffindor Seventh-Year Boys' Dormitory
Lily Evans was having the most wonderful shower of her life. The water was soothingly warm against her skin and the deep, woodsy scent of sandalwood was heavy in the air. Best of all, a pair of hands were roaming over her body, soft but sure, lathering the bar of soap down her back, across her stomach, and up her arms.
She closed her eyes and let the water stream over her face. Her body was a little sore and more than a little exhausted after certain nameless activities had kept her up half the night. Her fatigue was also aided by the copious amount of alcohol that had led to said activities. She smiled as the memory washed over her like water. Warm and flushed with firewhiskey, she had danced, grinding her hips to the ABBA record Mary had put on in the common room and magically amplified. She had laughed and sang and danced and drank. Remus had been cajoled out from his reading nook and he had danced with her, twirling her with clumsy grace and doing a hilarious attempt at the twist. His hands, narrow and nimble, had been replaced with another pair of hands, callused and dark. These were the hands that had grasped at her waist and spun her around the room. Several hours later, those same hands had tentatively cupped her chin and tilted her face to his in a dark corner of the stairwell. Those hands were now making their way across the intimate valleys of her body.
She gave a soft gasp as one of the hands drifted between her thighs, pulling her from her memories and into a very, very sweet reality. Her gasp was met by a low chuckle as the owner of the hands rose behind her, replacing the soap in the dish, and starting softly kissing her neck. She shivered, feeling an ache of pleasure in her core, and leaned back into the strong embrace. She felt the lips curve into a smile on her neck.
"Hello," the lips murmured.
"Hi," she breathed back. She forced herself to twist her head and open her eyes, partially to convince herself that this was not in fact a particularly embarrassing dream, and found herself staring up into the shining hazel eyes of James Potter.
His smile widened in a way that made her weak in the knees.
"Now if you'll stop fondling me," she teased breathlessly, "I'd actually like to get clean so I can sneak out before the boys get up."
"Oh really? You want me to stop?" His low voice pulled at something in the bottom of her stomach. "Could've fooled me…"
The wonderful shower lasted for another twenty minutes, and by the end of it Lily wasn't sure if she really did come out the other end cleaner than when she started. As she wrapped herself in a soft towel taken from the shelf alongside the marble sinks, she tiptoed over to the large, frosted glass window of the boys' dormitory bathroom. The dawn had fully broken, and a warm October sun cast long rays over the stone turrets of Hogwarts Castle, glinting off the many windows and reflecting on the shimmering surface of the azure lake. The boys' rooms really did have a better view than the girls', she mused.
Her musings were interrupted as James muttered "Uh oh" from across the room. She turned to see him pressing an ear to the door, wand in hand as he temporarily lifted the silencing charm he had placed earlier. He looked up at her guiltily.
"Er, Lily," he cleared his throat as he reapplied the charm. "I'm afraid we took a wee bit too long in the shower. It appears the boys…are up."
Lily groaned and crossed the room. "You're kidding. When do they ever get up this early?"
James grinned, but he looked worried. "I can sneak you out," he said hurriedly. "I've got this, well, thing, that I can use- "
"What are you, ashamed of me?" She asked coyly, cutting him off with a hand to his bare chest. "You already regret our drunken tryst?"
"No!" He protested. "Of course not Evans, I…you…it was brilliant." He finished weakly, looking down at her with something soft in his eyes. "But, well, I want to save you any embarrassment." He flushed.
She moved her hand up to his chin, a little surprised at her own boldness. James' eyes were wide, but he gathered her to himself and she dropped her head into his shoulder, kissing it softly.
"I'm not embarrassed," Lily murmured into his skin, an echo of what he did to her in the shower. She was pleased to feel that its effect on him was much the same, as he shivered. "And besides," she said, pulling away from him with a smile, "It's only the Marauders. I can handle myself."
He grinned widely. He knew that she hated how the boys had christened their little squad and had gone to great lengths in the past to avoid using the name. But then, everything he did had annoyed her in the past, she thought. Today, with the soft morning light streaming in through the window and softening his features, with his warm arms on her back, she was struck with the realization that nothing about him was the least bit annoying.
They got dressed, trading shy grins as he handed her a soft red jumper and some tartan pyjama bottoms to wear. She had no idea where her clothes from the night before had ended up. She realized with a grimace that they were probably strewn out on the floor of the dormitory for all of James' dormmates to see.
As they gathered themselves and prepared to face the room beyond, James threw one final look at her, cocking his head as if to double check that she was sure. She nodded in what she hoped was a reassuring way, although her heart was pounding wildly in her chest.
He shook his head, droplets from his messy hair scattering across the stone floor, and pointed his wand at the door, muttering "Alohamora". The heavy wooden door opened with a click, and he strode through it confidently, entering the boys' circular dormitory.
"Oi!" She heard Sirius' deep voice, gravelly with sleep. "Look at this, lads, he emerges! We thought you'd drowned in there."
A tinny voice that she recognized as Peter Pettigrew's followed. "Really Prongs, some of us needed the loo. We – I drank rather a lot, you know." He sounded grumpy.
"We all did, Pete," Remus Lupin replied tiredly.
Great. So all of them were awake. Lily swallowed. There was nothing for it.
She adopted an expression that she hoped conveyed casual confidence and followed James out of the bathroom, toweling her hair.
"Morning boys."
Sirius, who had been lounging astride his bed with a sickly expression, immediately bolted upright. He looked well and truly gobsmacked.
Remus glanced up from pulling on a pair of brown fluffy socks and stared, mouth agape.
Peter, who already looked rather green, clapped a hand over his mouth. His eyes flitted back and forth between James and Lily with astonishment, like he didn't know where to look.
"Er, yeah, sorry lads." James, who had walked over to his bed and was now holding a pile of something, had the sense to look sheepishly down at his feet. "Got a little carried away in there, didn't realize how long…"
"Wha- "
"How- "
"Evans?"
The three all spoke at once, stammering wildly. James cleared his throat.
"If you lot would care to show some decorum, Lily was just leaving." He said sharply, casting a glare around the room. He turned toward her and she saw that he was holding a carefully folded pile of her clothes from last night. She felt a sudden rush of gratitude. She met his eyes briefly and felt a tugging in her chest again. He was looking at her like she hung the moon. She turned away, with difficulty, and looked at the boys again.
Remus had begun to recover, and she saw the beginnings of a knowing smile on his lips as he cocked an eyebrow at her.
Sirius was still gaping, mouth forming the word "Lily" in incredulity.
Peter, however, had suddenly lurched forward, the expression on his face turning pained. "I'm genuinely really happy for you lot, and this has nothing at all to do with my reaction to this news, but if you're done in there…" He stammered, hand on mouth, gesturing to the bathroom.
Lily jumped aside, murmuring apologies as the other boys tried to contain their laughter.
The small, sandy-haired boy rushed past her, slamming the door behind him. Lily was mildly aware of the fact that the silencing charms James had placed on the room were still intact, for which she was grateful. She finished drying her hair and moved across the room briskly, taking the pile of clothes from James.
"On that note, I take my leave of you gentlemen. Cheers for the kind and enthusiastic welcome," she said. She was incredibly aware of the two pairs of eyes taking in her borrowed garments.
She tossed the towel on James' bed, trying not to think about how she had been splayed out on the same surface less than an hour ago, and sauntered out the door, daring to flash a cheeky grin at Remus, who now looked less mildly amused and more delighted.
She had barely started on the stairs when she heard James calling after her.
"Hey Lily!"
The sound of her first name on his lips was still unexpected even though she had now heard it softly moaned many times, both last night and – she blushed to recall – this morning.
He had hurried to catch up to her, closing the door behind him. As he got closer to her though, he seemed to lose his nerve. His eyes flickered to hers again and then down, as he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.
"I…er…well, I was wondering…" He muttered breathlessly, color rising to his cheeks.
Her laugh bubbled up unconsciously, and he looked up at the sound of it, beaming.
"Don't tell me you're getting shy on me, Potter." She teased, flicking him on the arm playfully. "After…" She trailed off purposefully.
He looked up again, eyes flashing with amusement. He cleared his throat.
"Right you are, of course." He grinned, his confidence returning. "I just figured you'd miss me terribly once you left and I wanted to set your mind at ease by inviting you on a little stroll this evening. I know of a great little spot, you might have heard of it, the Three Broomsticks?"
She pulled her face into a chastising frown with some effort. "Funny, I believe I wrote the Hogsmeade schedule for this term and I know for a fact that tonight is not on the approved list of dates."
James waved a hand carelessly. "I wouldn't worry about that if I were you. I happen to know both the Head Boy and Girl and I'm sure they would be very understanding. So how about it Evans?" He smiled broadly. "Up for a little romp in Hogsmeade tonight?"
As she looked at him, warm hazel eyes shining out from behind his precariously perched glasses, hair still damp and cheeks flushed, her heart gave another little tug. She couldn't resist a small smile as she stretched up to kiss the corner of his mouth.
"I suppose I might as well give you a shot," she sighed, "Merlin knows I may live to regret it."
Epilogue
As Lily's red hair receded down the steps and out of view, James was left grinning madly, heart thumping. He ran one hand through his hair, gripping it as if to tether himself back to reality, shook his head with stunned joy, and gave a low whistle. Then he shook his head to clear it and whirled around, charging back through the door. Sirius and Remus were still in their respective positions, both eyeing him incredulously.
He leaned elegantly against his bed frame, unable to conceal his ebullient grin. "Why are you muppets still looking as if you've seen the Bloody Baron?" He asked his friends cheekily. "Did I miss something dramatic?"
Sirius pulled himself together, bounding over to his friend and clapping him on the back excitedly. "PRONGS!" he roared, "YOU CRAZY RUDDY BASTARD YOU'VE DONE IT!"
"When did this happen?" asked Remus, less loudly but with just as much enthusiasm.
"Last night." James wrenched himself away from Sirius, who had apparently forgotten his hangover in all the excitement and was now wincing in pain. "We got a bit tipsy at the party."
"I would say so," chuckled Remus fondly, returning to his task of dressing. "I'm not so surprised, I've caught her gazing at you a few times this year in Prefect's meetings. Maybe it's your newfound aura of responsibility."
Sirius scoffed. "Oh that's it, for sure." He tousled James' hair, a bit renewed. "So?" He asked eagerly. "You're not going to cock this up, are you?"
"Not a chance," James beamed. "We've got a date. I'm taking her to Hogsmeade tonight."
"Hogsmeade?" Remus frowned. "It's not a Hogsmeade weekend."
"Oh come now Moony, I'm disappointed in you. You know we don't pay heed to silly little things like permission." James said, laughing as he pulled on his own shoes and socks.
"Not the one-eyed witch!" yelped Sirius. "You can't show girls the passages out of the school. C'mon Prongs, that's Marauder stuff, that's sacred!"
"Oi!" James replied indignantly. "I happen to know that the notoriously philandering Sirius Black has made use of the passage behind the fourth-floor mirror for many a conquest." Sirius spluttered while Remus snorted amusedly, turning slightly pink. "And furthermore!" James drew himself up and pointed aggressively at Sirius. "It's not girls. It's Evans."
As this was stated in a way that suggested an end to any further protestations, Sirius threw his hands in the air in defeat.
"All I'll say is, if she rats on us to Filch or McGonagall and gets that passage sealed up, I'll never forgive you." He said it shortly, but the joking glint had returned to his eye.
"Really Sirius, she spent the night in the boys' dormitory and is willing to sneak out to Hogsmeade on a Sunday." Remus said, smiling as he knelt to tie his laces. "I think she's beyond bending the rules."
"That's true actually," James mused. "All this time, me thinking Evans would make a model citizen out of me, and here I am having a bad influence on her."
Sirius wheezed with laughter as he stumbled back to his bed, flopping down on it with a sigh and running his fingers through his hair. "I'm still in shock that it's finally happened, and it's not just a wet dream of yours."
"Oh trust me," James said. "It happened."
"Oh?" Sirius cocked an eyebrow at him and smirked.
"A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell, Padfoot, you tosser." James said self-importantly. He still couldn't shake the smile from his face. Stretching, he ambled over towards the door as Peter finally emerged from his arduous encounter with the toilet.
"Congratulations, mate" Peter said weakly. He managed a wan smile, leaning against the bathroom door frame for support. James patted him motheringly on the cheek as he passed by.
"Anyone fancy a spot of breakfast?" He said, grinning. "I'm suddenly feeling a bit peckish."
There was a newfound spring in James Potter's step as he marched the others down to the Great Hall that morning. He didn't lose it for several years.
