Lily Evans sat quietly on a couch. She had to talk to James. He was a Marauder; why wasn't he slacking off? He'd appeared diligently at every Heads meeting, and patrol. He'd planned Hogsmead weekends, and taken points from Slytherins, not hexed them. She couldn't figure him out!

Ten minutes later, James stumbled into the common room with his best friend; Sirius. Lily rose to her feet. "James?" she asked uncertainly.

The boy turned his hazel gaze onto her own emerald green eyes. "Yes, Lily?" he asked, his voice suddenly free of the sleepiness that had plagued it just minutes before.

"Could I talk to you?" Lily asked quietly. Sirius took his cue to hurry up to his dormitory. James sat down next to her, and looked down a few inches with a welcome smile on his face.

"Hello." He said happily, "Why are you still awake?"

Lily almost smiled, but her thoughts held down the corners of her mouth, preventing even the trace of a grin. "I had to talk to you…" she muttered. James looked genuinely interested in what she had to say, which confused her even more. When had he ever cared what she had to say? That wasn't true. He always cared. He always listened.

"James, what's going on? You've been acting really strangely."

"How?" James asked. He couldn't help but urge her to keep talking. He loved how passionate she was about anything that struck her.

"You're actually trying to be a Head Boy!" Lily exclaimed. She was so confused, she couldn't help but raise her voice a little bit.

James tilted his head slightly, "Well… yes." He said, sounding puzzled, "Are I not supposed to?"

"No…" Lily mumbled, "I guess not. I just… It's really bizarre." She admitted. "You're usually such a… Marauder."

He shot her a dazzling smile that was so different than the ones that she was used to seeing when he was around a girl. This was genuinely amused, not flirtatious. "Yes," he said simply, "I am. But I'm a Head Boy, too. I want to help you."

"Why?" Lily asked desperately, "I don't understand!"

"Do you remember the first thing you said when you learned I was Head Boy?" James asked, almost reminiscing.

Lily shook her head in a very cute, confused way that James loved. He adored that she allowed herself to be confused and vulnerable around him. He adored that she trusted him. "You said that it should have been Remus." Lily frowned a little. She felt terrible for saying that.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, but he didn't let her finish.

He shook his head. "That's not the point. It's just that… ever since then, I wanted to prove you wrong. I wanted to show you that I could… I don't know. Live up to your expectations, I guess…"

Lily smiled, "You did so much more than my expectations…"

"Good." James said, sounding not even a little proud of himself. "But that's not saying much… You probably didn't even expect me to remember your birthday."

She blinked, "My… oh." She whispered, "It's not a huge deal for my family, so…"

James held her gaze in his, "It's a big deal to me." he said honestly. He pulled a black rectangular box out of his robes pocket.

Lily bit her lip to keep a tear from falling down her cheek. Her parents had forgotten. Her friends had forgotten. But James remembered. He remembered because he wanted to. He got her a present.

He handed her the box, and stood up with a tiny yawn. "Happy birthday, Lily." He said quietly, then he walked away. He didn't even want a 'thank you'.

She slowly opened the box and held back a gasp. Inside was a golden chain with a matching gold tiger. The stripes were etched in, and the eye was a twinkling emerald. It was beautiful. She panicked a tiny bit. Did he know her animagus form? It couldn't possibly be a coincidence, could it?

Lily shook her head a little. He couldn't know, but what if he did? She crept up the stairs to the boy's dormitory silently. Lily found the door for the seventh years, and knocked softly.

James opened the door a few minutes later in his boxers. He looked very groggy and confused. "Lily?" he asked stupidly.

She tried very hard not to stare at his chest and to instead focus on his eyes. "Um… I was wondering… Do you… know something? About me, I mean?"

He took a step outside, and closed the door behind him. "Pertaining to the bracelet?" he asked uncertainly. Lily nodded. "I don't know anything you don't want me to know." He said quietly.

"What if…" Lily faltered, "What if I want you to know?"

James blinked, "Lily, I'm an animagus. My form is a stag." He said, with the inkling that going first would make it easier on her.

Lily smiled lightly, "James, I'm an animagus too. My form is a snow tiger."

"There now." James said, "That wasn't so hard, was it?" Lily smiled and shook her head. "I think it's brilliant that you figured it out all by yourself. You're truly amazing; you know that?"

She broke their gaze, "I'm not," she whispered.

James lifted her chin slightly, and touched his lips gently to hers. "You are, to me." Lily's emerald eyes sparkled in the darkness. How was it even possible that he was so perfect? How? "You should get some sleep."

"Goodnight," Lily said quietly.

"Goodnight, Lily." James muttered, then he disappeared behind his door. Lily walked to her own dormitory, deep in thought. He was so sweet, and so nice, and so… so perfect. She realized just then that she loved him. It was the best birthday present in the world. s