socal4ever: I think you might just be my favorite person ever... Talk about stupid grins, I think I get one just about every time you review my story, so THANKS:D
A/N: I meant to get this chapter out a couple of days ago, but when you miss a week a school make-up work really sucks... Anyway, read, enjoy, review...
Great deeds are usually wrought at great risks. – Herodotus
First romance, first love, is something so special to all of us, both emotionally and physically, that it touches our lives and enriches them forever. - Rosemary Rogers
Chapter Six
Lily was woken up two weeks later with a spray of cold water to the face. "AHHH!" She sputtered.
"I told you that would work." Dorcas said bounding over to Lily's bed. "I've wanted to do that for two months now. Happy birthday, Lily."
Lily looked grumpily at Dorcas, "You are one of the meanest people that I know." She grabbed her wand and dried herself and her bed off. "I'm coming to your house this summer just so I can spray you with water."
"Hey, Lily, I'd go the day before, so that way you can spray her down, but she won't be able to do anything back to you." Alice said grinning.
Dorcas gaped at her while Lily grinned evilly. "That's true; you guys want to come with me?"
"What? No, that's not allowed." Dorcas whined.
"Blows to be the last to turn seventeen, doesn't it." Emily laughed while Dorcas pouted.
"Anyway," Marlie said, "Lily, do you want your presents now? Or do you want them tomorrow?"
Lily thought about it for a second, "Tomorrow."
"Seriously?" Dorcas asked, "How can you wait that long?"
"Not everyone is as impatient as you are Dorcas." Alice said.
Dorcas shrugged, "Weird."
Lily laughed, "Plus I like the anticipation, it makes it better when you finally get to open them."
Dorcas, Emily, Marlie, and Alice looked at one another, tried not to laugh. It didn't work; Dorcas was the first to start snickering, which caused the other girls to laugh as well.
Lily looked at them strangely, "What's so funny?"
"You like anticipation because it makes it better?" Marlie asked.
"Yeah." Lily said slowly, not sure where this was heading. "I like to drag it out."
"Does that go for everything?" Alice asked shaking.
"What?"
Marlie was biting her lip to keep from laughing, "How about with James, does it make it better when you drag it out?" They all started laughing hysterically as Lily went red.
"James and I are just friends."
"Whatever you say Lily." Alice said.
Later that night, after almost everyone else had gone to bed, Lily was sitting in the common room finishing essay for herbology, serves me right, leaving it to the last minute. She put her arms over her head and arched her back to stretch the ache out of her lower back. "Can you do that again?" A voice called from across the room.
Lily smiled, "Pervert."
James shrugged, "Do you want help with your essay?"
"No, thanks, I've just finished."
"Okay, I've got something for you." Lily raised an eyebrow and James rolled his eyes, "Now who's the pervert. I meant a birthday present."
Lily's eyes lit up, "You got me a present?"
"Yeah, let me run up to my room and get it, stay here." James ran up the stairs and quickly bounded back down grinning. He handed her a bag packed with tissue paper.
Lily gently started pulling the tissue paper out of the bag, "Lily, come on."
She giggled, "Just kidding." She tore the rest of it out, pulled out a stuffed monkey. "James, he's adorable."
"You like it?"
"Yeah, he's so soft and squishy." Lily said squeezing him.
"Okay, good. That was for your childhood, er, fascination, we'll call it, with monkeys." Lily rolled her eyes, "And this is because I thought you would like it." He said taking a small box from behind his back.
Lily looked at him curiously, "You got me two presents?"
"Yep. Here's the other."
Lily took the box, slowly unwrapped, then gasped. "James, you shouldn't have." Sitting in the box was a gold necklace with a small heart charm.
James' face fell, "You don't like it?"
"What? No, I love it. But wasn't it expensive?"
He shrugged, "It wasn't too bad. It's only a little more than I would've spent on the guys for their birthdays. Plus, it's your seventeenth birthday, it should be special."
Lily smiled at him, felt the tears well up in her eyes, "Thank you." She held the necklace out to James, turned around, "Can you put it on for me?"
James took the necklace, lifted Lily's hair out of the way, and clasped the necklace. He placed a soft kiss to the back of her neck, smiled when he heard her sharp intake of breath. "Let's see then." Lily turned around and he smiled, "It looks lovely."
"Thanks." She hugged him, stood on her tiptoes so that she could kiss his cheek. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Night."
"James!" Lily hissed, "Stop bouncing! We're supposed to be writing an essay on Amortentia."
"I know, but, Lily, the match is going to be starting soon." James replied.
Lily looked at her watch, "It doesn't start for another hour. And all I have to do is write about what it smells like to me." Rain, freshly mowed grass, and, something else, Lily thought, her brow furrowed. Something that, oddly enough, reminds me of Christmas.
"Please, Lily." He looked at her with puppy-dog eyes. "We can finish the essay tomorrow morning, I swear I'll be up by eight."
"James, you know you'll never be up that early." Lily whispered; Madam Pince was glaring at the pair of them even though they were the only two in the library. "And those eyes don't work on me."
James sighed, then grinned evilly, "Well then, I guess you're forcing me to pull out my last weapon."
Lily's eyes narrowed, "What are you on about?" She put her quill down as James scooted closer to her. "What are you doing?"
"You'll see." James placed his hand on her knee, right below the bottom of her skirt.
"James!" Lily hissed; she had a suspicion where this was going.
"We can stop now Lily, or you can suffer my wrath." Lily turned to face James, raised an eyebrow, and lifted her chin slightly.
James nodded his head in acknowledgement of her challenge, then instead of moving his hand up, as Lily had expected, he squeezed lightly. Lily jerked and let out a short burst of laughter.
"This is a library. You are to be quiet." Madam Pince called.
"That's not fair." Lily said through hushed giggles. James' other hand had found its way to her waist and was tickling her side. "Stop." She giggled, "I c, c, can't breathe."
"All you have to do is say the word." James replied grinning.
Lily turned, shifted closer to James, "Oh, g, god, J, Jay." She moaned, through gasping breaths. James stopped dead at her breathy plea. Lily swallowed, her legs had shifted when she moved and the hand that had rested on her knee was now quite high on her thigh.
Lily stared at James, quite suddenly unable to move, she watched as he swallowed. He scooted closer to her, his hand riding up slightly higher. He moved his hand from her side to the back of her neck, and Lily buried her own hand in his hair. James leaned down, inadvertently putting some of his weight on the hand on her thigh; she felt her eyes go blurry. Lily tilted her head to James'.
"WHAT IS GOING ON?" Lily and James jumped apart. "THIS IS A LIBRARY, NOT A BEDROOM! GET OUT! AND TWENTY POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR FOR INAPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR!"
They ran for the exit as their books smacked them upside the head. Lily rubbed her head when they were out of the library, "Ouch."
James grinned at her, bent down to pick up their books. "We keep getting interrupted just when we get to the kissing part."
Lily blew out a breath, "How many times is that now?"
James looked up, "Four or five."
"Maybe it's some sort of sign?"
"Merlin, I hope not." James replied, Lily giggled. "Here are your books, Lil." Lily went to grab for the books, but instead of giving them to her, James grabbed her hand.
He turned her hand and placed his lips gently on the inside of her wrist. Lily smiled as she felt her knees go week, "The match." She murmured.
"Uh huh. We're going to be a little late; I've found something a bit more entertaining at the moment." He kissed the inside of her elbow, gently pushed her against one of the walls.
Lily leaned back against the wall, thankful it was there, she wasn't sure how much longer she would be able to stand on her own. James was placing butterfly kisses on her neck, suckling occasionally, and blowing lightly on the red marks he had made. She put her hand behind his neck, pulled him towards her when he found a particularly sensitive spot under her jaw. Her nails scraped lightly over the back of his neck when he nipped at her ear. "James." She said throatily. He moved to her face; kissed her eyes, the tip of her nose. Lily moaned softly when he kissed the corners of her mouth.
"What have we here?" An oily voice asked.
"You have to be fucking kidding me." James muttered pulling away from Lily. Lily glanced over and into the eyes of a malicious Severus Snape.
"Ah, it's the blood traitor and his filthy mudblood whore." Snape pulled his wand from his robes, twirled in menacingly in his spidery fingers.
Lily felt James stiffen next to her and grabbed his hand. She shook her head slightly when he looked down at her. "Whipped already, Potter? How long has she be putting out then?"
James started towards Snape, but Lily pulled on his hand. "Don't." She said to James. Then she turned her attention to Snape, her eyes narrowed dangerously, "Why don't you go fuck yourself, you should be used to that by now, as no one else would dare touch you."
Snape sputtered as Lily pulled James down the corridor. "I'm going to figure out what you're up to, Potter." Snape called right before they rounded the corner.
James stopped short, "I thought that would have been obvious, even to someone like you. I was kissing Lily, though I realize the only snogging experience that you have is with your mum's knickers, and may not have realized that snogging is supposed to involve two people." Though he knew Snape wasn't talking about him and Lily; he'd taken to following the Marauders around on the nights of the full moon.
"He's such a total and utter wanker." Lily said as they walked into the Gryffindor common room. "I'll just be a second; I want to throw my books upstairs." Lily dashed up the stairs threw her books on her bed, then quickly ran a brush over her hair; her hair had a habit of getting messy when she and James were together. She was smirking as she walked down the stairs.
James was sitting on one of the tables, playing around with a snitch. "Where'd you get that?"
James whirled around, his face looking like that of a naughty child. "I, er, nicked it last year. I just found it in my trunk when I went to put my books back. I was going to put it back when we went down to the pitch." Lily smiled, shook her head, and laughed a little. "What?" James asked letting the snitch go.
"You just look so guilty." Lily giggled. Then, to James' astonishment she snatched the snitched out of the air before he could grab it.
James' mouth dropped open, "Why don't you play Quidditch?" He asked walking down the stairs to the Entrance Hall.
Lily smiled, "Because I'm not particularly good at flying. And last time I checked that was a requirement for Quidditch."
"I could give you lessons if you wanted." James suggested as they walked out to the pitch.
Lily shrugged, "Maybe." She said dismissively.
"I wonder what the score is." James said looking at the blue and green blurs above them.
"I cannot believe I'm saying this, but I really hope that Slytherin is winning." Lily said climbing the stands.
"Tell me about it." James replied. "Hey, budge over a bit." He said to several seventh years.
"Sorry James, Lily, you two should have gotten here earlier. There's not a whole lot of room." Said a brown haired boy moving over as much as possible.
James shrugged, "Thanks Dylan. Don't worry, we'll squeeze in." James turned to Lily, "Here you stand in front of me." Lily squeezed herself in between the front of the stand and James.
It was the weirdest Quidditch Match she had ever been to. The whole of Gryffindor was hoping that Slytherin would win, but, as it just felt wrong to be rooting for them, there was no cheering coming from the Gryffindor stands. When Lily said as much to James he laughed, put his arm around her stomach to pull her closer, and set his other on the stand in front of them.
"Tell me about it, I feel like I should be rooting for Ravenclaw; even if it means losing the cup." James muttered in her ear. Lily smiled and leaned back into James, she sighed contentedly when she felt James' chin rest on her head.
The Gryffindors, who had watched the match in relative silence, didn't cheer when Slytherin won, but they did breathe a sigh of relief. They still had a chance to win the cup; all they had to do was beat Slytherin.
"OY! James, Lily!" Called Gideon from the middle of a crowd of people.
Lily and James looked back, smiled, "Hey."
"Where were you guys?" Alice asked.
"We were working on our potions essays earlier this morning, and by the time we got down here, it was packed. So, what did you think of the match?" James replied.
"It's good that Slytherin won, but come on, four hundred and twenty? Someone should have a serious talk with the Ravenclaw keeper." Dorcas muttered.
"Tell me about it." James responded. "We're only going to need a hundred and seventy to get second, but we're going to have to beat Slytherin by a hundred and twenty."
They all shook their heads, "Hey Lily, can I borrow your potions essay? I have a shit load of homework that I still have to do, most of it for Arithmancy." Dorcas asked.
"I didn't finish it." Lily answered.
Dorcas' brow furrowed, "How come?"
Lily shrugged, glanced at James out of the corner of her eye, he grinned back at her, "Wasn't enough time."
The girls noticed the exchange between the two, "Come on Lil, I think it's time that we have a little girl time." Alice said linking arms with Lily.
"I'll see you guys later." Lily called to the boys, though she was only looking at James.
The girls walked with Lily up to their dorm so that way they could get some privacy. The moment the door closed the questions started, "So, Lily?" Marlie started, "What's going on with you and James?"
"Nothing. We're just friends."
"Friends?"
"Yeah." Lily responded, friends who practically snog in the corridors.
"The kind of friends that come with benefits?" Dorcas asked.
"Don't be ridiculous." Lily replied. "Why don't we ask Marlie about Ryan? I bet she has a lot more entertaining stories to tell."
"That's a nice try." Alice said. "But we know what is going on with Marlie and Ryan; they're dating and shagging every chance that they get."
"Shove off. We're trying to find out about Lily and James, not discussing my sex life." Marlie responded, blushing furiously. "Dorcas, remind me never to tell her anything again."
Dorcas grinned, "Will do. So Lily, judging on your dodging of the answer, I'm assuming that you and James are, indeed, friends with benefits. So the question begs, how is he?"
Lily turned a violent shade of red, "I don't, we don't," She took a deep breath, "James and I've never even kissed." Properly, Lily added mentally.
Emily, who had been quiet up until then, raised her eyebrows, "Really? So where did that love bite come from?"
Lily's hand jumped to her neck, "No fucking way." They all laughed as Lily jumped to the mirror to examine her neck.
"It's no use, dear; you'll need a charm to cover that." The mirror said to her.
"I'm going to kill him." Lily muttered darkly.
A week and a half later James and Lily were walking around the grounds, it was an unusually warm April day, and most of the students were taking advantage of the gorgeous afternoon. "I love Easter break." James said. "I really needed a break. I thought this year would be easier than last year, since our O.W.L.s are over, but it's actually harder. N.E.W.T.s aren't even until next year, I don't know what they're playing at."
Lily grinned, "I know what you mean. I imagined that this year would be a lot easier than last, we have no big tests and fewer classes, but somehow I think there's more work. Speaking of needing breaks, how is Remus doing?"
"I think it's some sort of weird allergic reaction or something." James replied hastily.
Lily looked at him strangely, and he wasn't sure if she believed him or not, "To what?"
"I dunno, something he ate at lunch apparently."
"Huh."
"Yeah. So, there's one more Hogsmead visit this year."
"Yes, there is, in a couple of weeks." Lily replied.
"So, do you, er, want to go with me?" James asked.
Lily smiled, "Are you sure you don't want me to tutor you in potions instead?"
James turned red, "I was nervous, I thought you would say no. What about the next trip, do you want to go with me?"
Lily stopped, turned to James, "Yeah, I'd like to go with you." James smiled, grabbed her hand, and pulled her towards the school.
They were almost in the castle when James spotted a figure moving near the Whomping Willow. "What's Snape doing down there?"
Lily turned, saw Snape examining the tree, "Who cares, let's just hope that the prat gets whacked around a bit." Even as she said it a branch knocked Snape to the ground.
"I'm going to tell the git to get away from there." James said as he started walking towards Snape.
"James, stop." Lily said putting her hands on James' chest to stop him. A sudden image of the two of them in James' room a couple of days before Valentine's Day popped into her mind. "James you're not thinking straight."
"Bloody right, I'm not. I'm too bloody angry."
Lily grinned, "Come with me."
James looked at her strangely, "Lily, I'll go with you in a second, I just want to talk to him for a moment."
Lily rolled her eyes, stood on her tip toes, "You meet the requirements now." When James continued to look confused she continued, "I'm going to take advantage of you." James grinned at her and they laughed all the way up to his dorm.
"It's a good thing we didn't meet anyone on the way up here." Lily giggled as she closed and locked the door. James raised an eyebrow, "I don't fancy anyone else walking in on us. Remus may have kept it secret, but not everyone would. Plus, I'm not keen on any more of your roommates seeing me half naked."
"Does that mean I'm going to get to see you half naked?" James asked with a broad smile.
Lily smiled back, pushed him so he was sitting on his bed. "We'll see how it goes." She straddled his legs, planting one knee on either side of his thighs. She nipped lightly at his jaw. "You know I still haven't gotten you back for that love bite you gave me last week."
"Sorry." James said, though he sounded anything but.
Her hands gripped his shirt, untucked it, and drew it up over his head. Lily tossed the shirt over her shoulder where it landed in the middle of the room. She pushed him down so that he was lying on his bed. Lily's breath clogged in her lungs at the sight of the wiry muscles in his arms and chest, she bent down to place open mouthed kisses on his chest. She smiled against his skin when he groaned.
James hands had found their way to her hips and were in the process of lifting Lily's shirt when she slapped them away. James raised an eyebrow, "I'm the one taking advantage of you this time." Lily murmured sitting up, her eyes widened slightly when she felt him harden against her bottom.
"Just giving you a hand." James mumbled, he was having a hard time getting air into his lungs.
Lily smirked, "That's not your hand."
James was surprised that he could laugh at a time like this, but laugh he did, "Right you are." His laugh ended on a moan when Lily continued kissing his chest. She had made her way to his navel, James' hand tangled in her hair, when there was a loud knock on the door.
"Potter! Why is this door locked?" Came McGonagall's voice.
Lily jumped off the bed, "Oh, shit!" She looked around panicked for a place to hide.
James grabbed a cloak off the floor, threw it at her, "Invisibility Cloak." James tossed his shirt back over his head, making sure to leave it untucked. He opened the door as Lily covered herself with the Invisibility Cloak. "Sorry Professor, I was taking a nap."
"A nap?" McGonagall asked. "On a beautiful day like this?"
"Yeah, it's the only time when it's quiet in here." James said quickly.
She stared at him suspiciously, "The Headmaster wants to see you in his office."
"Okay, I'll be right down." McGonagall walked down the stairs, throwing one more suspicious look over her shoulder. "It's okay, Lily, she's gone."
Lily pulled off the cloak, "That woman has the worst timing ever. Where did you get that cloak?"
James laughed, pulled Lily into a hug and kissed her forehead. "From my dad, he gave it too me in third year, it's been in our family forever." He answered, "We're going to finish this eventually."
"Yeah," Lily muttered, "eventually."
"I'll see later?" James asked. Lily nodded, "Okay, good, why don't you use the cloak to get back to your room, that way no one sees you sneaking out of here."
"Good idea, thanks." Lily grabbed the cloak, tossed it over her shoulders and darted out the door.
Later that night Lily was patrolling the corridors, alone as Remus was still in the Hospital Wing, when she heard two people whispering harshly to each other. She went over to tell them off for being out of bed, but stopped when she noticed it was Sirius and Snape.
Lily ducked into an empty classroom to listen to what they were saying. "I thought you told you to stay away from the Whomping Willow, Snivellus."
"And since when do I listen to you, Black?" Snape replied. "I will find out what the four of you are up to. And I promise you that I will get the lot of you expelled. And then you and Potter can kiss those auror careers goodbye."
Sirius growled, "You really want to know where we go?" Snape looked at him suspiciously. "All you have to do is find a long stick and prod the knot at the base of the Whomping Willow with it. The tree'll stop moving, then all you have to do is follow the tunnel."
"Why should I believe you?" Snape asked warily.
"It's up to you really." Sirius said, then he turned and walked away with a smirk.
Lily watched as Snape looked out the window at the Whomping Willow. She had an apprehensive feeling, like something very bad was going to happen. That was twice in one day that one of the Marauders had flipped because Snape had been near that tree.
I'm going to find James and see what the hell is going on. Lily thought. She hurried towards the Gryffindor common room and happened to run into James on his way down to the kitchens. "Hey, want to go get something to eat with me?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "Or, er, not."
"What's going on at the Whomping Willow tonight?"
She watched as James lost all color in his face. "What are you talking about? What gave you the idea that anything is going on?" James asked in rapid succession.
"One, Sirius just told Snape how to get into a secret tunnel under the tree and told him to go down there, two…"
James grabbed Lily's arms roughly, his face was now dead white, "What did you say? Are you sure?"
"Ouch. What the hell James? Yes, I'm sure, I just heard them myself. What in Merlin's name is going on?"
But James didn't answer; he was pulling a bit of parchment out of his robes. He tapped it with his want, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Lily watched in astonishment as lines spread out and formed on the paper. "Shit, he's down there now. Lily go to Dumbledore's office; tell him what you just told me." He tapped the parchment again, "Mischief managed."
"What? Why?" Lily asked.
"Just do it; it's a matter of life and death. The password's licorice stick." He shoved the parchment in his pocket.
"Where are you going?"
"To stop Snape. Lily you have to go to Dumbledore, now, or he could get killed." James said then took off running; neither of them saw the parchment flutter to the ground.
Lily turned and ran in the other direction, sprinting down the corridors, she didn't know what was going on, but she knew that James wouldn't say it was a matter of life and death if it wasn't. She passed a couple of people who called her name, but she didn't slow down. By the time she got to the gargoyle outside Dumbledore's office she was panting, badly. "L, l, licorice stick."
She ran up the stairs even as they were bringing her up and pounded on the door. "PROFESSOR!"
She was slightly shocked when Professor McGonagall opened the door. "Evans? What is the meaning of this?"
"Let her in, Minerva, I'm sure it's important." Dumbledore said good naturedly.
"Professor, Sirius Black just told Severus Snape how to get into the tunnel under the Whomping Willow, and told him to go down it tonight." Lily said, still slightly out of breath.
She heard Professor McGonagall gasp, watched as the twinkle in Professor Dumbledore's eyes went out. "Lily, stay here until one of us comes back for you. Minerva." They hurried out.
"Professors," Lily said just before they shut the door, "James Potter, just went down there to stop Snape."
Dumbledore nodded his head gravely. "Thank you, Lily. Minerva, we have to hurry."
Lily sat down in one of the chairs, fidgeted for a minute before standing up. I wish I knew what was going on. She watched several of the portraits before she started pacing. She grabbed, something off a shelf near the window, rolled it in her hand, placed it back.
She squinted out the window, squinted to see to the Whomping Willow, even with the full moon she could hardly see anything it was so dark. Wait, the full moon? Why else would they be so worried? There's a werewolf. It's obviously not James and Sirius, but they know who it is...REMUS! Lily thought.
She dashed to Dumbledore's desk, but couldn't find a calendar. "Accio Calendar." Lily said and had a calendar shooting at her from around a corner. She flipped it to April fourth; a full moon. She turned it back, Remus had been sick three weeks before the last Quidditch match; there it was, March fifth; a full moon. She looked back at February and January, Remus had been sick around those full moons too.
Lily swallowed, James! He'd gone to get Snape away from a fully grown werewolf, on his own. She hugged her arms to her stomach, bit her lip, and felt her eyes tear. She paced back and forth frantically, her mind imagining a number of different scenarios as to what was going on. Nearly all of them had James not coming back.
When the door opened Lily froze, there was Dumbledore, but where was, "JAMES!" She pounced on him, frantically checking for bites. "You're so stupid." She cried, hugging him when she was satisfied that he hadn't be hurt, "You could have been bitten or worse."
James blinked, hugged her back, "Some people would say that there's nothing worse than being bitten."
"Yes, well, some people are stupid." Lily replied. James hugged her tighter.
"Lily, James." Dumbledore said, "I want to thank you for what you've done tonight. Because of you Severus Snape's life was saved. I trust you have figured out what happened here tonight Lily."
"Yes, sir."
"I don't believe I need to inform you that the identity of the werewolf needs to remain a secret."
"No, sir."
"Good, now, for your actions, I believe I will award you each fifty points. Now go back to your common room, I need to speak with Mr. Black now. James I would like to speak with you in the morning." Dumbledore said, looked at Lily for a moment, "I would like you to come as well, Lily."
"Yes, sir, thank you." James said squeezing Lily's hand, she still hadn't let go of him. "Come on Lily, I don't think we want to be around for this."
The passed Sirius walking with McGonagall on their way back. "Thanks a lot Evans; do you know how much trouble I'm in because of you?"
"Don't you blame her for this, Sirius. If it weren't for Lily you'd be out of the school." James said angrily.
Sirius looked at James, "Figures you'd take her side. Good to know that a girl comes before your best friend."
"Mr. Black, that is enough." McGonagall said. "We are going to the Headmaster's office, now!"
James watched Sirius' retreating back, "Bugger it." He said, then punched the wall. "Fuck, that hurts." He mumbled shaking his hand.
Lily jumped, "Are you alright? Here let me see." Lily took James' had, tapped it with her wand.
"Thanks, that feels better." James muttered. "Listen, I don't want to go back to the common room. I'm just going to wander around a bit."
"No, wait." Lily said. "I know where you can go."
James furrowed his brow, "Where."
"Come with me." Lily said pulling him. "Stubbins told me about it when I went down to the kitchens to thank him for the picture."
They walked back and forth past a stretch of wall several times. "Lily, what are we doing? Didn't this used to be a broom cupboard? I hid from Filch one time in it."
Lily pulled him in the room, "It's called 'The Room of Requirement'. It becomes whatever you need it to be."
"Wicked." James murmured. He looked around the room; it was an almost exact replica of his bedroom at home.
Lily smiled slightly, "Do you want me to go?"
James shook his head, "No, I think I'd like it if you stayed."
Lily looked up at him, "Okay." They sat down on the bed; Lily brushed her hand across his cheek. "I was so worried about you." She said softly.
James kissed her forehead. "I'm okay."
"I know." She looked up at him, "It didn't stop me from being worried, once I realized what was going on. I kept thinking about what would happen if Dumbledore and McGonagall didn't get there in time."
"Lily."
Lily shook her head, wiped at the tears falling down her cheeks, "You did something great tonight. Risking your life for Snape's."
"He was really pissed when I pulled him out. He thinks I was in on it."
"Dumbledore knows differently, so it doesn't matter what Snape thinks."
"Everything's going to be different after tonight. I don't know if Sirius and I will ever get over this, he was so stupid. And when Remus finds out what happened, I don't know what he'll do."
"It'll be okay." Lily said softly.
"You don't know that."
"You'll make it okay, I know that."
James placed his hand on her cheek, "Thank you." He placed soft kisses on her eyes, across her cheek bone, and, finally, on her lips.
He moved his hand to Lily's hair, nipped her bottom lip, soothed it with his tongue. Lily moaned softly. He traced her lips with his tongue, slipped it between her lips when she opened them. "James." Lily murmured. He placed several more soft kisses on her mouth.
"James." Lily said again.
He rested his forehead on hers, looked into her eyes. "I think you might be the best thing that's ever happened to me."
Lily felt her breath catch in her throat. She pulled his face back down to hers, kissed him again. She pulled back, traced his face with her fingertips, "Tell me about it."
James lied back, brought Lily with him. She shifted, laid her head on his shoulder. "Goodnight, James." She placed her hand on his chest, over his heart.
"Goodnight, Lily." He pulled her close to his side, left his hands around her waist, and kissed the top of her head.