Initial: 1) Of, pertaining to, or occurring at the beginning. 2) The first letter of a name.

The first time James kisses Lily, they are fourteen, and she has just saved him from being strangled by Dolohov and Nott.

'OI!' someone yells.

James, purple-faced with struggling, catches a glimpse under Nott's arm of a red-headed goddess descending with her arm outstretched before a BANG sounds. The bodies of his attackers fall heavily on top of him.

'Thanks, Evans,' He mumbles, crawling out. She yanks him to his feet with her surprising strength.

'You would have done the same for me,' she says with a cool twist of her mouth.

'What did you do to them?' James stares at Dolohov ad Nott. As he watches, the latter breaks wind loudly.

'A simple hex,' Lily smiles, 'it should be easy to remove but it's not. I'm betting they'll have a hard time finding the counter-spell.'

'Why?' James finds himself smiling back. He can never help himself around Evans.

She narrows her eyes. She thinks he is taking the piss.

'It's easy… Instead of just simulating a fart sound, like most people would do, I jinxed them so that the gas is formed by reacting with food in their stomachs. Basically, it's a real fart.'

'The more they eat, the more they…'

'Precisely.'

'That's neat. Shoulda used it on Goyle though. He had six helpings of pie last night, I watched.'

Lily laughs. James swallows, nervous in the silence that follows.

'I'd better go,' she says, pushing her wand up her sleeve, 'got double Potions next. Can't afford to miss the start.'

'Right.' James can't remember what he has next. Look away, you moron, look away from her face before she thinks you're weird.

'Well,' Lily hitches her bag up and give a little wave of her fingers, 'later, Potter,'

'Yeah, look, thanks,' James burbles, 'thanks a lot for saving my life.' He takes a step closer to her. Her freckles are like cinnamon sprinkles on a sundae.

She lifts one eyebrow a fraction, still smiling.

'I said, it's fine. You're a prat, Potter, but I wouldn't go so far as to let you die.'

He just looks at her very green eyes, closer than ever.

'Hello?' Lily peers at him, moving back one one foot, 'catch you later.'

James kisses her.

They kiss in a school corridor, amidst the unconscious Slytherins.

It's swift and clumsy and warm and sweet for three entire seconds, then Lily's pushed him away.

'Oi!' Her cheeks flush, and the green fire is back in her eyes.

'Shit, sorry,' James looks away from her wildly, searching for his bag.

'Potter!'

'I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!' He finds his bag and stands to face her, hands in the air.

'You kissed me!' She seems frozen with fury. 'No-one's ever kissed me before!'

James doesn't know what to say.

'Oh.' He finally manages.

'Not once! Not ever!'

James is lost now.

Lily pokes him with a sharp finger until his back is against the wall.

'You tosser, James Potter! YOU STOLE MY FIRST KISS!'

James flees.

A bird made of intricately folded paper lands on James's desk.

Along one wing is scrawled James's initials. He unfolds it.

3 Broomsticks on Saturday. 12 o clock.

L.E.