A/N: Written for two challenges on the HPFC Forum:

Monthly One-Shot Exchange – October by SiriusMarauderFan. Prompts: James/Lily, romance, green. Dedicated to MaryandMerlin
Birthday Fic Exchange by SiriusMarauderFan. Prompt: James/Lily. Dedicated to Future Madam Pomfrey

Happy Eighteenth

Her birthday was on the thirtieth of January. She told him this once, casually, skipping on to a new topic in another second, but he saved the information and stored it in his brain the way he'd been memorising insignificant, intricate details about her ever since that day they'd met on the Hogwarts Express. And sometimes not just information, but lovable quirks, like how she touched her thumb to her mouth while thinking hard or pressed her lips together when trying not to laugh.

'So, what do you think?' James asked.

Remus held the birthday card, while Sirius read it over his shoulder and Peter peered from beside him.

'It's a bit … sentimental,' said Remus, wincing slightly and passing it over. 'Here, Sirius, you read it properly.'

'You're being too soft on him, Moony,' said Sirius a minute later. 'This is the soppiest thing I've ever read.'

'But will she like it?' James asked, trying and failing to look unconcerned.

'Hey, I'm not the one who's been dating her for months,' answered Sirius. 'You should be able to answer that, not me.'

But James couldn't. He woke early on the morning of Lily's birthday, dressed quickly and dashed down to the common room, his stomach churning madly. This was worse than the nerves before a Quidditch game that he claimed he didn't get. He liked to think he understood girls pretty well, but Lily Evans was another enigma completely. But he tried to keep his jitters from showing on his face. Fancy other people knowing that the great James Potter could be cowed by his girlfriend's birthday! It didn't bear thinking about.

To his despair, the common room was half full by the time the door to the girls' dormitory opened and revealed the one he had been waiting for.

'Hey,' he said, waylaying her.

'Good morning to you too,' said Lily. Her green eyes were especially bright, and James was sure her demure-looking mouth was teasingly mocking him.

'I … er … just wanted to …'

'Yes?'

'I have something for you,' James said in a rush.

Lily frowned. 'You're two weeks early for Valentine's Day, you know.' From the sniggers that erupted around the common room, she could tell just how many people were eavesdropping on them.

'Come on,' she said, hooking her arm into his. 'Let's find somewhere else, then you can tell me.'

Once they had entered a disused classroom not far from Gryffindor Tower, she shut the door, turned to him and crossed her arms.

'So, what is it?'

James took a deep breath. 'Happy eighteenth.'

For once, she didn't have a witty comeback, or even anything at all to say. Her mouth simply dropped open.

'I didn't think you'd remember!'

'Yeah, well, anyway, I was trying to figure out what to get you, and nothing seemed right, but I couldn't just forget, because this is your first birthday since we started snogging repeatedly –'

'– it's called "dating", you know –'

'– anyway, I couldn't find anything that was good enough, so …' Steeling himself, James pulled the card out of his pocket before he could babble any longer. 'Er … I made this for you.'

'What is this, primary school?' were the words on Lily's lips as she took the envelope, but she settled for pursing her lips instead. When she had finished reading, she looked up at James with the trace of a smile on her lips.

'That is the soppiest thing I've ever read,' she informed him. 'And you signed it "your favourite boyfriend". Just what are you implying, James?'

'Nothing!' James yelped. 'I mean, I meant to write "your favourite", but then I thought you were going to say I was being all stupid again, so I decided to go with "your boyfriend", and the two somehow got mixed up, and … and then I ended up with that. I'm, er … really bad at presents or planning or surprises … you know that from Christmas …'

'So, the wonderful James Potter can't form a coherent speech when he's got his mind on his girlfriend?' said Lily, and James wasn't sure at first whether she was referring to his current tongue-muddled state or his apparent inability to sign a birthday card properly. 'You could have just signed your name, you know. Or got a new parchment. Or spelled away your mistakes.'

James ran a hand through his already messy hair. 'But I want to be your favourite – I mean, your boyfriend – er, I mean, yours. I want to be yours. Or am I already?'

'You tell me,' she said softly, reaching around his neck and pulling him closer. He could feel her breath tickling his nose.

'Oh, stuff it, here's your proper present,' he said hurriedly, drawing her nearer to him, the card forgotten as their lips met in a kiss.