Disclaimer: Harry Potter might own my heart, but I don't own it
Chapter Twenty-One
James tried his hardest not to laugh as he sat down at the breakfast table the next morning. After he'd gotten Lily to bed he'd gone straight up to try and get some sleep while he could, and sure enough an hour and a half later Sirius had dived on top of him singing something about a hippogriff at the top of his lungs. Remus had looked exhausted and fallen onto his bed without a word, while Peter already looked like he was asleep standing up. That had left James to deal with Sirius, and he'd ended up with a snorting best friend taking up half of his bed.
While he might not have been hungover, he was certainly exhausted.
Lily on the other hand, was looking much worse. She was sat directly across from him, and was leant against the table with her head in her hands. Sirius was at next to him staring into a cup of coffee as though he was contemplating drowning himself in the dregs.
"Good morning" James said cheerfully as he helped himself to toast.
"Please Prongs" Sirius groaned, "No loud noises."
"Where are the girls?" he asked Lily.
She mumbled something into her arms.
"Didn't catch that."
Lily sighed and pulled her head up from her arms, her hair was slightly mussed and her eyes drooped.
"Marlene refused to get out of bed, and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't move Mary."
"Are you looking forward to Charms?" He asked.
"I'm trying to not simultaneously throw up and pass out."
James laughed.
"It was worth it though" Sirius said, taking a huge gulp of coffee.
"You're lucky I can't move my limbs, Black" Lily said through gritted teeth, "Or I'd strangle you for buying all those shots."
"No one forced you to drink them" Sirius pointed out.
"I'm going to the bathroom before Charms" she told them, before grabbing her bag and leaving the table without looking back.
James watched her red hair sway as she left the Hall as his mind wandered back to last night. Lily Evans demanding that he kiss her seemed like something he could only dream up, and he had to keep reminding himself that it actually happened. He was only jolted out of his thoughts of her when Sirius said, "I heard you drew the winning lot last night."
His head whipped back around to face Sirius, "What?" He demanded, trying to keep the guilty look off his face.
"Lily said you carried her home" Sirius couldn't contain his grin, "Had to be better than Remus trying to herd me and McKinnon when I had my tongue down her throat."
"You should leave Marlene alone" James said, letting out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. The last thing he needed right now was Sirius finding out about him and Lily. Things were going to well, and as much as he loved his best friend, the boy just had a knack for causing mischief.
"She loves me" Sirius shrugged, flicking his hair out of his eyes. "Shall we ditch Charms?"
"Evans looks ten times more rough than you and she's still going."
"Evans is a goody goody" Sirius pointed out.
"Well, I'm going" James said, getting out of his seat. "Try to stay out of trouble."
Sirius shot him a two fingered salute and winked as he caught the eye of two pretty Hufflepuffs watching him from their table.
James rolled his eyes as he left, but by the end of the first period Charms lesson he wished he had taken Sirius' advice and just skipped.
His best friend was also absent from their second period Transfiguration lesson and after spending the first half of third period in the library with Remus he had to concede that Sirius had been right.
He had a soft throbbing under his right eye and every time he tried to concentrate on reading something the room started to spin.
James bid Remus farewell as he went in search of somewhere quieter than the library. He was relieved when he entered the common room and there was no sign of Sirius, the last thing he wanted to deal with right now were his best friend's antics.
He just wanted some quiet without dealing with complicated Transfiguration questions or wand movements for Charms.
James was relived when he reached the solitary of the dormitory, and placed his throbbing head against the cold stone of the wall.
He just needed a ten minute nap before he could even think about facing the rest of the afternoon or even dealing with other people.
The sound of breathing jolted him out of his self pity and he glanced around, wondering who else had come into the room to find sanctuary. He was surprised to see there was a lump curled up on his bed, and he moved around the room slightly so he could get a better look at the trespasser. When he spotted tuft of red hair on his pillow he knew who it was immediately.
"Alright Evans" he grinned, leaning against one of the four posts and glancing down at her.
She opened one eye to look up at him, "Just leave me alone to die" she groaned.
James rolled his eyes, she was worse than Sirius when he thought he had a cold. "What are you doing up here?" He asked.
"There were too many people in my dormitory."
"Are you suffering?" He teased.
"I'll never forgive Sirius for making me chug half a bottle of Firewhiskey" she complained, her voice muffled into the pillow.
"Do you need a cuddle, Evans?"
She looked up at him with those big green eyes, "Yes" she said quietly.
He climbed up over her onto the bed and pulled her back against his chest. She scooted backwards and he found she fit snugly into him, as though they had been designed for each other.
This was beyond perfect, and more than James could have possibly wished for when he came up to his dormitory.
He could happily stay like this forever.
"Did you have a good birthday, Evans?" he breathed into her hair.
"Thanks to you and your friends" she replied.
"You doing okay?"
She reached to take hold of his hand and squeeze his fingers, "Better now."
Carefully he intertwined their fingers together, "If you ever wanted to talk about your parents, that would be okay" he told her quietly.
"I'm not sure what to say" she mumbled.
"Not talking is okay too" he pulled her closer up against him.
"It's hard to make myself remember they're gone, you know?" She said quietly, "Because here nothing has changed and I don't have to think about it, I'm not as sad as I should be."
James remained quiet but traced nonsense patterns on the back of her hand with his thumb.
"I miss the way my mum smelled, like baking and lavender" her voice shook but she didn't cry, "I miss the way my dad called me his Lily Flower."
She softly detangled her hand from his and turned around so they were practically nose to nose against the pillow.
"What do you miss about your dad, James?"
James took a deep breath, "My dad was like a constant presence in our family" he told her, "He was never afraid and he always knew what to do, and for a long time I felt lost without having him there for advice."
Lily reached out to muss his hair.
"And I suppose I worry that my mum is lonely, with no one to share that big house."
"You have a big house?" Lily asked.
"I told you I was rich, Evans" he grinned.
"I thought you were just saying that to try and impress me."
"Did it?"
"Nothing you do impresses me, Potter" she told him, holding back a laugh.
"You're going to be sorry for all the mean things you've ever said to me, Evans" he promised.
She narrowed her eyes, "I'm not mean to you" she defended.
"Making me wait all those years before you finally admitted you liked me" he placed his hand on his heart dramatically, "You put me through so much pain, Evans."
"Well I think you're getting a bit ahead of yourself, Potter" she laughed, "I never said I liked you."
"I think you trying to snog my face off last night was a clear indication."
"Oh you're reading the signs all wrong."
"Right, now you are being mean" he grinned, "And you asked for this."
He reached out to wrap his arms around his waist and dug his fingers into his ribs. She squealed and wriggled under him as she tried to escape, "Stop!"
"So remind me who your favourite person is, Evans?" He grinned as he continued to torment her with his fingers.
"James, please!" She choked.
"Sorry I don't do nice things for people who don't like me."
"Okay, okay I give up!" She said, wriggling away from him as he finally let her go. "I'll say it."
"Better make it good, Evans."
"Out of all the people in this dormitory, you're my fourth favourite" she said, bursting into a fit giggles at the look on his face.
"Right you, come here" he said, grabbing hold of her arm and pulling her across the bed. "I know a better way to shut you up."
He was about to draw her into a kiss when she stopped him, all green eyed and breathless.
"I do like you, James" she told him quietly, "You make me less afraid somehow."
He did kiss her then, long and hard until she giggled and pulled away breathless.
Because at her words a fire had lit in his chest, and none of the horrors happening inside or outside the castle walls mattered anymore.
All that mattered was Lily Evans, and her ability to make him happier than he had ever been.