Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Written for Sammy, as a Summer Fair prize for Hogwarts.

Heated Cheeks

Remus felt his cheeks heat up and saw a matching blush on Lily's face. Across the common room, he could see James' crestfallen expression, and Sirius' gleeful smirk.

Of course this was Sirius. Of course it was.

"I, uh…" Remus trailed off, unsure what to say.

He liked Lily. Liked her as a friend, liked her as a study partner, liked her as… well. He liked her. But he'd also long accepted that James had 'dibs' on her. James was his friend, one of his best friends, and he couldn't do that.

But Lily was looking up at him with those beautiful emerald eyes, and mistletoe floated tauntingly overhead, and he couldn't resist.

Leaning down, he pressed his chapped lips to hers. Her lips were soft and plush, and she pushed up on her toes to return the kiss, her hand reaching up to rest against his jaw.

Knowing they were being scrutinised by their housemates, Remus pulled back after a few seconds, sure he was beet red now. A cheer went up as the mistletoe floated away to terrorise others, and with a shaky smile, Remus stepped away from Lily and escaped up into the dorms to collect his books.

It was definitely an evening to hide himself away in the library.

…

Remus groaned as he woke, the aches and pains from the full moon still making themselves known. He pushed himself into a sitting position in the hospital wing bed, and rubbed at his eyes.

A delicate cough at his side made him jump, and he turned to see Lily sitting beside his bed, a small pile of books in her lap.

"Hi."

Lily smiled at him. "Hi. I, uh, heard you were sick, and I know that the boys are probably a bit useless when it comes to studying so… I fetched you some books, just in case you were feeling well enough for it."

His heart swelled at her thoughtfulness, and he smiled at her. "Thanks. I… I should be back in the common room tonight, but… it means a lot. That you came here. That you brought the books."

Pink tinged her cheeks, and Remus couldn't help but acknowledge how pretty she was when she blushed. She stood, and surprising him, leant over the bed to brush her lips against his cheek.

"Of course, Remus. I… I like you. I uh… I'll see you back at the tower later."

She put the books on the bedside table and left the hospital wing.

Remus watched her go with a dazed expression, his cheek burning where her lips had touched it.