I know it's been a long wait but this chapter has taken forever to write. I hope I have made it up to you all by it been over 4500 words. Please let me know what you think, I really, really love reviews.

Chapter 6

A few hours later James strode across the common room. Sneaking up behind Lily & dropping a kiss on her cheek "time to go" she giggled, tilting her head to give him better access.

"I'll go get changed" she began to gather up her thing while he continued kissing her cheek & jaw, she turned, pecking him on the lips & disappearing up the girls staircase.

James sprawled in Lily's chair watching after her.

"You better make sure she's back safe & sound by seven o clock tomorrow night" Alice warned putting down her quill & fixing him a don't-mess-with-me look

"Why seven?" James glanced at her

"Because" Marlene narrowed her eyes "it's the rules, any date lasting more than twelve hours, the girl must be back in the common room by first & second year curfew, we came up with it in third year, it's never been broken" James gave her a look "it won't be broken now Potter"

"Ok, ok I can do seven" he held up his hands defensively "Marauders honour"

"If you hurt her Potter, we will come after you" Alice whispered as Lily came back down the stairs.

"Ready?"

Lily nodded "have the girls been giving you the third degree" she smiled "see you later girls"

"Ladies, lovely as always" he slipped his hand in hers as they walked towards the door "baby you look beautiful"

She did, her hair curled in soft waves down her back, her dress dark green in colour was sleeveless & fitted in the body but was slightly A-line in the skirt hitting her knee. Her makeup was minimal.

She smiled, altered the bag on her shoulder, tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"You're not thinking of doing homework, are you?" He grinned leading her in the direction of the room of requirements

"Naa it's a change of clothes for tomorrow, it means I don't have to go back to my dorm in the morning"

"Good thinking Evans" they were in the corridor in which the room was located "close your eyes"

She could feel him leading her into the room, the floor felt soft & springy, like moss, she saw flickering lights behind her eyelids & smelt lilies & orange blossom & wood smoke & James. She could hear him moving around.

"Alright open" his arms came to wrap around her waist

"Oh James, it's beautiful" she felt tears well up in her eyes, there were candles everywhere big fat church ones in groups on the floor, long ones, thin as pencils hovering, shimmering above their heads, wide tea lights on a mantelpiece above a crackling fire at one end of the room all smelling divine. The floor was nearly completely covered in a thick carpet, so thick her feet literally sank into it, there was a huge bed in one corner near the fireplace covered in pale gold sheet, with rich red hangings, in the other a small table on which sat a gramophone. "Did you do all this? She turned around placing both hands on his shoulders.

He ran a hand through his hair "I had a bit of help from the lads & house-elves

"James it's wonderful"

"Do you want to dance?"

She nodded; he made his way to the gramophone & placed the needle down. The first bars of Wonderful Tonight echoed around the room & the tears in her eyes finally spilled over & flowed down her cheeks.

"Alice said you loved this song" she nodded again as he took her in his arms swaying awkwardly from side to side

"You're a terrible dancer" she laughed softly "but I love this song"

"You look wonderful tonight" he sang slightly out of key. She brought herself closer resting her head on his chest, her arm draped around his neck their fingers laced together. She was astonished how easily they fit, like two pieces of a jigsaw. He continued to sing softly in her ear. When the song ended they continued dancing for what felt like hours, while he hummed in her ear "do you want me to put another record on?" he said quietly

"No just stay here"

He began to hum a song she vaguely recognised "who's that?"

"Dragon Party, well a very slowed down, kind of bad interpretation of Dragon Party. They were huge a couple of years ago, they sound a bit what I expect the Weird Sisters will sound like in twenty years' time"

She giggled "Me & Marlene were hugely into them in forth & fifth year, Alice is more of a Patty & the Pumpkins fan, not really my cup of tea"

James chuckled "you need a friend with a better taste in music. Are you hungry?"

"Umm I guess, I'm happy here though"

He unwrapped her from his arms, their fingers still entwined as he led her to a small table set for two by the gramophone

"Da daar" he pulled the sliver dome off the plate in front of her

"Ooo burger & chips my favourite" James grinned & put another record on.

The pair chatted quietly while they ate.

"What do you want to do after we leave here" Lily asked

"I used to want to play Qudditch professionally" James replied. He paused.

"But now?"

"Now I want to fight in this war, I want to help make the world a safer place for my children to grow up in, I don't want them to worry about Death Eaters or You-Know-Who except when their learning dates for History of Magic"

She laughed softly "You think about that stuff?"

"Only in the broadest sense, I know at some point in my life I want to get married & have children" he shrugged "what about you, what do you want to do when we leave?"

Lily placed the burger down on her plate & sighed quietly "I'm not sure, I've toyed with everything from working in the ministry to becoming a healer, to teaching. You & your little gang put me off teaching"

James laughed "You could always fight Lil" he said seriously "Fight to make the world safer, not just for wizards but muggles too. Your more than capable, I should know I've been on the receiving end of some of your hexes, I'd hate to see what you could do if you really wanted to hurt someone"

Lily smiled shyly

"Are you finished?"

She nodded

"Got room for pudding?"

She nodded again. He moved their plates with a wave of his wand, went to a small side table & came back with an enormous Knickerbocker Glory & two ice cream spoons

"I thought we could share"

Again a nod in response

"Lily what's the matter" he took her hands across the table

"Tonight feels different" she said quietly not making eye contact

"Different how?" James' heart pounded in his chest he could not & would not let her leave now, not when he barely had her "Lily it's me, you can say anything to me, it won't change how I feel about you"

"it feels like my whole world is changing, my sister will always be a bitch to me but she's married now, she won't be there in school holidays, me & Snape are definitely over"

James' jaw tensed at this point & his hands gripped her slightly harder, he wasn't a hundred percent sure what exactly went on with her & Snape, but he did know how much the 'mudblood' comment tore her up, he had caught her after she had just been crying a few time, although she pretended she hadn't. Once he'd actually caught her in full flow, sat in the corner of the common room at three o clock in the morning eyes red & puffy, skin splotchy & wet from tears. He'd been under the invisibility cloak at the time & although half of him wanted to rip it off & comfort her, the slightly more rational part of his brain managed to convince him that him appearing out of no-where in the middle of the common room at three o clock in the morning while she was crying over his most hated rival was probably not going to bring her the reassurance she needed. She would probably assume he was looking for her when her guard was down to get into her knickers.

He really wasn't sure if he wanted to hear about Snape tonight but he didn't say a word, if she could just talk it out, let him go completely then maybe he wouldn't feel like he was trying to step in another man's shoes.

"I tried all last year to forgive him" she continued "I tried so hard James, he was my best friend. But in the end I couldn't & to top it all off you've turned from someone I despise to someone I love. I don't know James, all the other times we've fucked it's been very caught in the moment." She saw the look on his face "great, really great" she gave a small smile "but tonight feels more real, like the start of something huge." Lily sighed deeply.

This is it James thought this is where she's going to leave me.

"I guess I spent so much time & energy hating you it makes it hard to love you" She finished

James got out of his chair & knelt by her own, his hands still gripping hers silently begging her to stay "no Lily I can feel you love me. I can feel it every time you kiss me, every time you hold me, with every smile, you even have a smile that's just for me. You've got to stop over thinking everything." She cracked a small smile. "I personally thought the sex was fucking fantastic, if it only got a 'great' from you, I'm going to have to make you scream much louder" he gave her a lopsided grin & he watched as the tension in her jaw, neck & temple disappeared, dropping kisses to those places. "Come" he said standing up "desert can wait I want to show you how loved you are Lily Evans."

As soon as she was on her feet, he sealed his lips to hers, kissing her, pouring all his heart & soul into that kiss, it was a passionate, leading sort of kiss. Both their hands cupping the others face holding tight for fear of letting go. Her finger tips playing with the short hairs at his temple, his cradling her neck.

When they broke for air James kissed the tip of her nose, the smattering of freckles across her cheekbone, the space between her eyebrows, the thin delicate skin behind her ear, the side of her neck, under her jaw. Lily held his face close to hers, they didn't realised it they were dancing cheek to cheek towards the bed, the record that James had put on while they ate dinner was still playing softly a mixture of acoustic guitar & piano playing a heart-breakingly sweet melody. Lily's right hand was tangled in his hair, her left still holding his face to hers. Her eyes hadn't opened since he kissed her, there was nothing she needed to see, everything she needed could be felt from the soft, slightly weather beaten skin of his cheek against her hand, the sugar rough stubble of his jaw against her cheek, to his hardening cock pushing into her hip. She breathed in the outdoorsy, woodsy, smell laced with false pear & peppermint that was all James. She had never before wished a moment to last forever, but now she did, she idly wondered if there was a deity out there that would grant her the wish to stay here in this room dancing with James forever.

James' hand found the back zipper of her dress & pulled it down. Lily let go of his face long enough for the straps to fall from her shoulders, she slipped her arms out, settling them on James' waist, tugging his t-shirt up. He reluctantly let go of her so Lily could pull it up & over his head taking his glasses with it. He picked her up in his arms, hands supporting her bum as she wrapped hers around his neck kissing him again. He knelt with one knee on the bed, when he dropped her onto it. Not letting him out of arms she pulled him down on top of her. James pulled off long enough to let her slide up the bed, holding onto the bottom of her skirt, so as she slide up the skirt slid off, before reconnecting their lips. When she broke apart for air his lips stayed glued at her throat, her chest, tongue chasing the line of her bra, she breathing in holding her breath. He broke away from her skin hovering inches away from her

"I love you more than you will ever know" & he began to drop soft kisses all over her belly & ribcage.

Their clothes seemed to melt, to disappear away through their kisses, she bent her knees cradling him as he slid into her. Everything about tonight was slow, careful, loving, so, so different from the eager, quick, lust-fuelled fucking they had previously experienced together. The music continued to serenade them, mixing with their quiet moans & gasps of pleasure. No words were spoken. No words were needed they felt everything, they didn't need words to tell them what they both knew.

He felt her tighten around him & spun them around so she was on top, she dropped her head to the crook of his neck kissing wherever she could reach. His hands moved her hips slightly barely moving them at all. She raised her head staring down at him, one hand on his chest, the other cupping his neck, the connection was incredible, his hands dug a little harder into her hips as she moved harder against him, the space between their mouths inches apart, breathing each other's air melded together as they came.

"Do you doubt I love you?" she whispered in his ear a while later

"Never" came the reply "not for a second Lily, my world begins & ends with you for a long time now. But you always knew that."

They hadn't moved in what could have been hours "ready for desert yet?"

"No let's stay here forever, nothing can touch us here"

He smiled into her shoulder blade running his fingertips up her body fascinated at the goose skin that followed his hand all the way up to her cheek. She leaned into his hand & keeping her eyes closed allowed him to lead her to his lips.

The bright new sunshine threw its light across the two bodies tangled between the sheets & right into James' eyes. He grumbled unintelligibly & buried his face into the mass of curls in front of his face but it was no good James was the kind of bloke that as soon as he was awake he couldn't go back to sleep. He moved the hair over Lily's shoulder she stirred a little as her hair tickled her cheek, she was on her side with one hand on the pillow next to her face & the other resting on his which was groping her breast. He kissed the back of her neck & her shoulder blades asking her silently to wake, to inhabit his world again.

"Mmm baby let me sleep" she mumbled sleepily squinting her eyes against the sunlight.

Now he knew she was awake he kissed her all over her back more persistently "Come on we've got to get going"

"Can't we just stay here all day?" still she refused to open her eyes

"No you'll love it, I promise"

She blinked a few times her eyes adjusting to the bright morning "so Potter you got me up at stupid o'clock on a Sunday, where are we going?"

"Surprise" he said pecking her lips

A while later when they were showered & dressed James took one last look around the Room of Requirements & threw the invisibility cloak around them

"James what the hell is this?"

"Invisibility cloak, shh it may be invisible but it doesn't block sound"

"Why have you got an invisibility cloak?"

"It's inherited, sort of" he hurried them down to the fourth floor where a large mirror was hung in the western corridor

"What do you mean 'sort of'?" Lily jogged to keep up with him

"I nicked it from my father's desk in second year & we have it now because I want to take you out of the grounds & neither of us have permission"

They had reached the mirror by now which only added to Lily's confusion. "Secret passage to Hogsmeade" James explained "Aperire Diu Cuniculum" he whispered tickling the belly of the carving of a small boy with wings on the side of the mirror. The reflective glass disappeared & in its place was a long, low tunnel panelled in dark wood. "Go" James tore the cloak off them both & all but pushed Lily down the tunnel before checking up & down the corridor & climbing through himself.

"How the hell do you know this stuff"

"Lily it's a really long story made for another time" he sighed, then noticed her expression "I will tell you, just not today. Let's just enjoy our day"

She narrowed her eyes for a second, just to inform him she would not be forgetting his promise. "Where does this passage go?" she walked into the darkness lighting the tip of her wand. He followed the passage was only wide enough for a single file.

"Hogs Head"

Lily made a face "The dodgy pub at the end of the high street, with the creepy bartender"

"Abe's alright, a bit of a weird obsession with goats, but he's not bad once you get to know him. He's been supplying Gryffindor parties with Firewhiskey, rum & Godric knows what else for years. You see as charming as me & Pads are" Lily snorted "Rosie won't give us anything stronger than Butter beer"

Lily rolled her eyes & was just about to comment at least one person he knew was vaguely responsible when she noticed the change of surroundings & they were now quite clearly in the cellar of the pub. On one of the shelves there was a large box with a slit in the top big enough to fit a galleon a bit like a muggle piggy bank.

"That was their when we first discovered this passage. We reckon Abe's been supplying booze to students for decades." He turned to face her "ready, we're going to apperate from here just in case there's any teachers in the village." He swung the cloak back over them both & gripped Lily's hand tightly.

Lily closed her eyes & felt the familiar sucking feeling. When she once again felt terra firma beneath her feet she opened her eyes.

They were in a dark alley between two tall brick buildings with no windows facing into the alley. She could hear the screech of seagulls, the sound of light traffic on the road in front of the alley & the footsteps & chatter of a few people mere yards away, yet completely oblivious to the two teens who had seemingly dropped out of the sky when they should be at school in the highlands of Scotland. She smelt last night's take-aways slightly rain-sodden, the salty tang that reminded her of the sea-side, & the overly-sweet reek of the fairground.

"Where are we?"

"Blackpool, you said you used to come here on holiday & you missed it" James ripped the cloak off them both & started to fold it roughly

"When did I say that?" she racked her brains to think when she had spoken to James Potter about her childhood holidays that had come to an abrupt end the summer before sixth year.

He handed her the cloak to put in her bag "last year, you were talking to Marlene in class"

"You were eavesdropping on me" Lily was indignant

"How else was I going to come up with my next strategy. Come lets go for breakfast, I need your help with this muggle money" he said casually holding his hand out which she immediately took in her own completely dumbstruck. He'd once overheard her make an offhand comment over six months ago about her favourite holiday destination & remembered it, then he's somehow got his hands on some muggle money to take her there as a first date.

She matched his step as they walked onto the main road wandering up the street until they found a little café & went in for breakfast.

At the end of the meal James got out a muggle wallet & emptied the contents onto the table between them.

"See this is a pound, or a quid it means the same thing" she pointed to a rectangle piece of paper which James now noticed had a number one in the corner.

Lily continued to softly explain all the notes & coins. James took in everything she said, he could just imagine her teaching things to their children with the same soft patience. She glanced at the bill the waitress had left on the table & without a blink gathered a few coins & made her way to the till at the back of the café.

"Is he foreign, your fella?" the waitress asked as Lily handed over the bill & the money

"You could say that" Lily said smiling to herself taking the change "thanks, ta ra"

"Ta ra duck"

Years later the waitress remembered the girl & her foreign boyfriend when she saw their pictures in the newspaper, brutally murdered in their own home for apparently no reason, only their infant son survived. They seemed nice, very young, very much in love, didn't deserve what happened to them.

Lily & James made their way out of the café & onto the front towards the Pleasure Beach. It was gone eleven o clock now so nearly all the attractions & amusements that would be open on a Sunday were open. Lily introduced James to muggle fairground rides & roller-coasters he was thoughly bemused how it all seemed to work without magic but still enjoyed himself & found it hysterical how Lily screamed on all the rides until she was horse. They ate popcorn & candy floss. James had an ice cream cone which when she asked for a taste he smuched it in her face & pushing her against a wall kissing it all off. They laughed all day, in the afternoon they made their way to the beach & leaving shoes & socks further up the beach they ran barefooted in & out of the surf. The cold Irish Sea turning their feet almost blue. As a particularly big wave came James swung Lily up into his arms pretending to throw her into the water.

Later as the sun was setting they cuddled on the beach watching the sun melt into the water

"Thank you for today, it was brilliant" Lily said laying her head on his shoulder

"I'm just happy you finally came on a date with me, should we get going?" he pulled her further into his chest resting his chin on her shoulder gazing out to sea & making absolutely no effort to move

"No, we have to wait 'till it gets dark, that's the best part of Blackpool. Come it's getting cold we'll go for a pint while we wait" Lily unlaced James' hands from her own around her stomach & jumped up brushing the sand off her jeans.

James rested back on his elbows staring at her. She was so pretty with the setting sun igniting her hair, her eyes glowing like emeralds, her jeans had shifted down slightly exposing her sharp hipbone. She held out a hand to help him up only he ended up pulling her down on top of him

"I like this way better" he said with a familiar eye-crinkling smile right before he kissed hand on her cheek the other tangled in her hair, his legs tangled with hers pulling her closer, always closer.

They spent an immeasurable amount of time rolling on the beach kissing paying no attention to the adults walking past tutting, & making side comments. They only stopped when Lily felt the hem of her jeans getting wet from the rising tides. They quickly got up & moved further up the beach. Shielded by James & the rapidly fading light she took her wand out of her bag & dried both their clothes

"Come let's get up to the prom the lights should be on by now" Lily shrugged on her jacket & took James' hands leading him to the promenade where the world famous light display would surely be on by now.

Lily placed her hands over his eyes & lead him around the corner to the display.

"Ta Da" she laughed whipping her hands off his eyes.

Now James had done Muggle Studies between 3rd & 5th year so the concept of the light bulb was not a complete loss on him but this was a completely different kettle of grindylow.

Lily lead him down the promenade where the lights continued to shine for miles both pointing out different characters, pictures & scenes made out of lights.

"This is why I love Blackpool, there is nowhere else like it. We used to come for the switch on every year" her tone changed from light & happy to melancholic "the last time we came was the summer before 6th year"

"Hey, hey" James grabbed her around the waist "this is brilliant, I'm so glad I was listening in when you talked about here, I'm so happy I got to share this with you" he kissed her tenderly "as much as I'd love to stay, I should get you back before your friends hunt me down & hurt me"

Lily giggled "they said that?"

"They implied it" he draped his arm around her shoulder, she slipped hers around his waist. As they continued to look at the illuminations while looking for a dark secluded alley they could apperate back to Hogsmeade from.

"Where are we going?" she asked as they stood in the alley & handed him his cloak

"The alley beside the Hogs Head" he draped the cloak over them both

"Bloody hell James, you do know how to treat a girl right, between alleys, desks & showers I really do feel like a princess" She said sarcastically

"Hey you said you loved last night" he protested

"Fine" she conceded "I'll give you last night it was pretty close to perfect"

"Great" He gripped her hand tightly "Let's get back, before someone notices we're missing or worse your friends kill me"

A/N So what do you think? I found this awesome photo of the Blackpool Illuminations from September 1977

photos/bispham2/3625389827/

I have tried to reseach common money used in the UK in 1977 but for once the internet wasn't very helpful So if I have made any mistakes please let me know. That also goes for the geography of Blackpool I haven't been to the illumations myself for about 15 years.

The Other Red Lilly x