The first few days of the holidays pasted blissfully, Lily loved spending all day with James and she loved cooking with his Mum and debating Ministry matters with his father. One evening, they lay on his bed, James had his acoustic guitar out, a talent Lily hadn't known he had; and was lightly strumming a few cords. Lily hummed along. James began to sing, Lily sat up shocked by the quality of his voice.
"Potter?" She smiled, he blushed and stopped singing.
"I didn't know you could sing," She whispered pushing the guitar out of James's arms and moving closer to him, snuggling into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her head.
"There's alot of things you don't know about me." He said attempting to sound mysterious.
Lily laughed. "I know loads about you!" Lily sat up, and James peered up at her.
"Yeah?" He asked, pulling her back into his arms, she didn't resist his arms.
"I know you middle name is William. Your favourite colour is Red. You support the Tornados, You play chaser but have always liked the idea of playing beater, but you know you're better at Chaser. You're an animagus, in the form of a Stag, and your patronus is a stag too. You're a pureblood only child of a very old wizarding family, although you are an only child you feel like you have a brother in Sirius and Remus too and sometimes Pete when he doesn't annoy you. You're the top of the class at school, even though you try not to look clever, your prefect and you'd never admit it but you really want Head Boy next year. And you want me to get Head Girl as you think it would be kind of hot. You're friends and family mean the world to you and you'd do anything, be anything, die for them if necessary. You are very protective, especially of your friends; Sirius because of his family, Remus because of his condition and Peter because you see him as vulnerable to influences, although you do influence him too."
Lily stopped; James stared at her, silenced by this. He then proceeded to kiss her and whisper in her ear. "You missed just one thing Evans."
"Oh?" She asked, distracted by his hot breathe in her ear.
"I love you." He whispered, kissing her jaw. She bit her lip and peered at him; she took off his glasses and kissed each of his eye lids in turn. She pressed her forehead against his and whispered.
"I could never get tired of hearing you say that!"
"I love you. I love you. I love you." He laughed tiggiling her.
Lily squirmed attempting to get away from him, trying not to laugh as he tiggled her sides. She burst out laughing, in fits of giggles! "James!" She laughed, frayling around on the bed as he tiggled her, laughing too now as he couldn't resist the sound of her laughter.
Lily loved how carefree and happy she felt around him, he was the answer to all her worries, the guy of her dreams, her protector, her lover. She had never thought she'd ever fall in love this hard, so it had taken her by surprise, swept her off her feet before she could do anything about it, before she could protest. However, why the hell would she protest? It was James Potter, he was handsome, he was caring, he adored her and well...he meant the world to her.
On the fourth day of the holidays, Lily decided to take James out in the Muggle side of London. She got out a lot of her Muggle money from the account her parents had set up when she was a kid. She took him on a journey of the tube trains, although he travelled by them when necessary, she'd used them a lot when going to London with her family, so knew them better.
Lily took him to every Muggle shop and public attraction she could think of, he clung to her hand following her around like a lost puppy, the pureblood pampered boy feeling alien in this Muggle environment. They stopped for lunch and all James could do was sit there and gawk.
"I love Muggles." He hissed as he watched people going about their lives. Lily grinned and continued to eat her jacket potatoe. "I'm serious Lils! They're fascinating." He insisted.
"I'd prefer if you just loved a certain Muggle Born." Lily smiled at him; he tore his eyes away from the television in the corner of the cafe and smiled at her.
"Of course," He said simply, because the fact that he loved her had been evident to him since the day they'd met on their first ever train ride to Hogwarts.
That night Lily woke tangled in the bed sheets in the spare room at the Potter's house, she sat up, she was shaking, the dream she'd just been having...she shuddered, that nightmare she'd had before, how she hated it, she usually curled up into a ball and tried to cry herself back to sleep, however now she sat up, running her hands through her tangled sweaty hair. She stood up shaking, the images from the nightmare still in the mind. "James," She whispered into the dark, empty room, he would make it better...
She stumbled out of the room and then knocked quietly on his door.
"James," She whispered creaking the door open slightly, she could see in the dim light coming through the curtains, that he was lying face down into the mattress, his bare arms covering his head blocking out the world. "James," She whispered her voice cracking as the dream wouldn't leave her mind.
He rolled over, waking up slightly, he rubbed his face. "Lily?" He groaned. He woke up more and sat up, seeing the scared look on her face. "Lily?" He asked worried.
"James!" she repeated and rushed over to the bed. He looked confused but pulled back the cover so she could get in, she climbed in beside him.
"Lily what-?" He asked but she laid down pulling him besides her wrapping his arm around her.
"Hug me." She whispered and they soon fell back to sleep.
Rays of sunlight filtered through the old heavy curtains, the light fell on James's face stirring him awake. He woke, to see the top of his four poster bed and for a moment he wondered if he was back at Hogwarts then he noticed the walls were a different colour and then he realised he was at home and Lily was in his bed. She was curled up close to his bare chest; he sighed sleepily and looked down at her sleeping form. She had come in to his room in the middle of the night looking upset and needing a hug and he'd let her in, naturally; even though now thinking about it his parents properly wouldn't be best pleased, but what could he have done? Turned her away? She'd obviously had a nightmare and was seeking comfort; he wrapped his arms around her protectively. "She came to me for comfort, wow, she needs me as much as I need her." He thought happily, relieved that the strength of his feelings was returned.
"I love you Lily Evans!" He murmured overcome with emotion, his lips pressed to her soft ginger hair. This woke her, she muttered something and rolled over, putting more weight onto his arm.
"James," She said half asleep.
"Yes beautiful?" He asked propping himself up on his elbow. She rubbed her eyes still waking up.
"Morning." She yawned looking at him.
"Alright?" He grinned in complete bliss. He leaned towards her and kissed her lightly. "You're in my bed." He whispered.
She looked around. "Oh," She said then sat up panicked. "Oh, sorry." She blushed. "I shouldn't be-!"
"Its fine," James said trying to get her to lie down again, trying to calm her. "You had a nightmare."
" But you're mum...!"
"Mum won't be mad!" He cut in, stroking her hair, soothing her. "You had a nightmare. She trusts us." He said simply.
Lily was downstairs baking with his mother, James loved it when he walked into his kitchen and she was there baking away, completely comfortable with his family. He entered the kitchen carrying an empty mug and a buddle of parchment, "Hi," He dumped the pile he was carrying on a stool. He smiled at the two women he loved most in the world; however he loved them in two very different ways. He leaned over to reach Lily who was the other side of the work surfaces, up to her arms in dough, and kissed her quickly; he then looked at his mother. "You two okay?" He asked.
"We're making bread!" She smiled at her son.
"I've never made bread from scratch before." Lily beamed, James smiled and grabbed a pinch of flour between his thumb and forefinger he then proceeded to flick it at Lily, who spluttered it out of her mouth, laughing "Prongs!" Her eyes narrowed at him and she flicked flour at him too. "Cheeky!" She laughed.
Mrs Potter chuckled and walked round the kitchen, a secret handful of flour hidden behind her back. "Don't be so childish James." She pretended to chide him; she reached up as if to touch his hair, depositing flour on top of his head. Lily roared with laughter, James stammered, annoyed yet laughing. "Mummm!" He protested like a child, Lily continued to laugh.
After a few minutes James left to clean the flour out of his hair, leaving Mrs Potter and Lily still chuckling; and then there was quite in the kitchen except for the ticking of the clock, and the women's subduing giggles. They continued to knead the dough in peace.
"You make him really happy." Mrs Potter said quietly.
Lily was shocked; she looked at her boyfriend's mother. "He makes me really happy," She said simply, not knowing what else to say.
Mrs Potter looked at her, "We know about last night, James told me." She said carefully.
"I-I had a nightmare!" Lily rushed to explain, her cheeks flushing pink instantly.
"Hey, it's fine," She said soothingly, reminding Lily of James's soothing tone earlier that morning. "If you want to share the same bed, that fine, you're old enough to decide who you sleep next to." She emphasised the word sleep.
Lily stared at her. "I honestly had a nightmare Mrs Potter-!" She said extremely embarrassed, her cheeks red.
"I know," She smiled.
"I didn't think about it, I just wanted him to hug me and make it better..." She looked down, at the dough on the floured work surface.
"Its fine," She said again touching her arm in a mothering fashion. "It's nice really, to see James this way." She touched Lily's cheek lightly. "And you're so wonderful, just what he needs, someone to deflate his head a little." She chuckled.
Lily laughed. "Don't worry, I can handle that! I have to do it constantly." She laughed.
So for the remainder of the holidays Lily and James slept in each other's arms, in James's bed; James had never been so happy, he got to fall asleep with Lily and then wake up with her right there. What more could he ever want? However, on the last day of the holidays he woke up not feeling as relaxed as normal. Today they were going to Lily's home; he was going to meet her parents. His stomach churned with nerves.
Lily however seemed excited; she wore a pretty dress and made him wear fairly smart muggle clothing, he didn't mind but stood in front of the mirror desperately trying to flatten his hair. When Lily saw this she tutted and said. "Enough Potter I love your hair." He leaned and kissed her.
"I'm nervous," He whispered low into her ear.
"Don't be." She smiled a hand on his chest. He wrapped his hand around hers, taking a deep slow breath.
"Will they like me?" He asked nervously.
"Of course, my parents will love you!" She beamed and her smile relaxed James slightly. However, when a small crease formed in her brow James rubbed it gently with his thumb. "Dear?" He asked. She looked up at him, her green eyes into his hazel ones she said just one word and he understood everything. "Petunia." She said sadly.
James wrapped his arms around her. "Will she be there?"
"Properly, Mum might make her. She might be mean to you and to me." Lily sighed she looked away.
James kissed her forehead. "It's okay honey. I'll be ok and so will you!" He reassured her and leading her by the hand they left the room, to go to a meal at The Evans house.