James

James's shoulder hurt. He was fairly sure he'd failed to properly heal a gash on the back of his calf and it was weeping down to the heel of his shoe; but he was wide awake.

"Did you bash your head last night?" Sirius demanded in a tired, cross tone.

"Don't think so," James replied, unfazed.

His ribs felt too tight, like his chest was fit to burst. He wasn't sure how he'd managed to keep it to himself, but he'd done it.

Granted, he'd been transfigured into a creature that couldn't speak, which helped certainly.

He had snogged Lily Evans. Not twelve hours ago.

The elation flowed through in waves of flames; before they immediately were snuffed.

He had snogged Lily. Pulled her against him, held her.

And then promptly left her, not even giving a proper excuse.

That part he hadn't been keen on. But there was nothing he could've done. Remus needed him.

But he assumed he could work through that; he had the confidence he could divert her attention from it.

He knew that Sirius, Peter and himself were returning to the castle too late for breakfast; after waiting for Pomfrey to show up before they snuck away - and knew he needed a shower before Muggle Studies, otherwise the dried mud and dirt would be telling.

Plus… there was the obvious chance he'd run into Lily. Smelling like dirt, sweat, and animal probably wouldn't help.

"Why are we rushing to class?" Sirius moaned. "It's bloody Muggle Studies."

In all honesty, James wasn't sure why he'd made them rush. It wasn't like class would end sooner - but still, he was restless.

He'd hope by attending class, his brain would be somewhat distracted.

Distracted, it was. Unsurprisingly, his thoughts strayed to the kiss.

And then, inevitably, the snog.

When Lily had first kissed him, he thought surely he'd been dreaming. Or perhaps he'd been the one to fall into the trick step and knock himself unconscious.

When he'd seen her shocked, nervous expression after she'd pulled away from him, he knew he wasn't dreaming (if he had, she would've been more than pleased at their first kiss) .

He'd been a man possessed then, pulled towards her.

She was so warm. Soft. And she tasted absolutely, maddeningly delicious.

And she reciprocated. He had heard her moan.

That sound would haunt his dreams, he knew it. His recollection of the sound of it even now raised the hairs on the back of his neck.

James was abruptly pulled from his internal thoughts by a sharp jab of an elbow to his ribs. "What?" he hissed, twisting his neck to glare at Sirius.

His mate jutted his chin towards the front of the class where Professor Trimble was staring at him pointedly.

"Yes, Professor?" James asked, equipped with his grin that typically allowed teachers to let him off easy.

"Properties of petroleum? And its purpose?" The professor asked in a tone that implied she'd already asked it once.

"Oh, er," he struggled, rubbing at his cheek. "Liquid in form. Also known as petrol or gasoline. Derived from crude oils and mixed in order to power cars."

"Or motorcycles," Sirius added quietly, wryly from beside him.

James struggled not to laugh - his emotions already on edge - and waited for Trimble's response.

The professor looked unwillingly pleased. "Nice recall, Potter. Be sure to pay attention. Next lesson, we're testing devices that use petrol."

"Of course." James smiled, relaxing into his seat. The muscles of his back ached, but he was still riding the high of a successful night.

By the time the bell rang signaling the end of classes, James had fallen into at least half a dozen daydream variations of his … time with Lily.

He jumped up from his seat, anxious and antsy.

"Where're you going?" Sirius demanded when he made to take the left corridor.

"I've got to check on something," he answered with a light laugh, sure that his feet were barely touching the ground. "I'll meet you for Creatures."

"What about Peter?" he called at James's back. They'd left the fourth Marauder in the dorm, their friend having passed out as soon as they'd returned. He could afford it, having a free period.

"Go get him from the tower!"

Sirius mumbled something under his breath, loud enough that James suspected he wanted him to hear, but still failed to do so, rounding the corner before Sirius could make another withering remark.

Using his well-versed knowledge of the castle, James navigated his way towards the fourth floor. With varying degrees of success in avoiding chatty classmates, the journey towards where he knew their paths would cross was relatively easy.

Before he knew it, he turned the corridor that would lead around to the staircases, catching sight of Lily at the other end of the long hallway.

She noticed him just the same time he'd clocked her.

Her mouth dropped open in surprise; even from the distance he could trace the lines of her lips with his gaze, aided by the knowledge he'd touched them with his own just the night before.

She blinked; snapping her mouth shut and saying something aloud.

After first, he thought to him, but he realized Marlene stood beside her, the witch's back to him.

Before he had a chance to advance, Lily bolted.

The familiar waves of red hair disappeared around the corner before he had a chance to call her name; refraining from shouting only for the fact he knew she'd hate him to.

He gave chase, his chest tight with the thrill of it as he jogged lightly over the path he was sure she would've taken. She'd divert, of course, but she wouldn't stray too far in order to still make it to class on time.

But damn if he couldn't catch sight of her, checking each corridor as he passed them.

"Where to in a rush, Potter?"

The voice had come flirtatiously, filtering across the corridor with a tone that made James shudder.

He turned, unsurprised to find Lucinda Talkalot and one of her mates standing beside her.

"Don't want to be late for class," he said mildly, tone not unfriendly, so as not to raise her hackles, but polite enough that implied small-talk only.

"Where's that then?" she asked, twisting her blonde straight hair behind her ear. "Maybe Therese and I could join you."

"That's alright," he declined lightly, tacking on his default grin. "Promised Sirius I'd meet him in a few."

Lucinda's expression glowered, James's intention of bringing his friend up working as planned. "Oh," she said distastefully. "I'll see you around then."

"See you," he called, already walking away.

He tried to not to think too closely about the way Lily had fled.

But that was fine. He'd find her.

Lily

The day after what Lily coined as the Stairs Incident was October 1st; charitably a Tuesday - which meant Lily could drop off the detention slips to McGonagall and head straight to her Alchemy lesson without any possibility of running into James.

Potter.

She knew she wouldn't run into Potter.

But still, any glimpse of dark hair sent her heart spiralling into her chest, a slight dampness at her temple as nerves nearly overwhelmed her.

Why was it that she couldn't go longer than two minutes without thinking about James Potter's lips on hers? The way he'd taken control of the kiss and pressed against her? The way his knee had pressed between her leg and the delectable way the pressure of his thigh had hit just right .

"Are you alright?" Emmeline asked, having been one of the only other Gryffindors to sign up for the class.

"Fine. Why do you ask?" she asked as nonchalantly as she could.

"You seem… tense or something."

Lily waved her off. "Think I've got a cold or something coming."

"Head to the Infirmary after class?" Emmeline suggested. "I'm sure Pomfrey's already got a set of Pepper-Up Potions brewed."

She nodded, acting as if she were considering the idea. "Good idea. Maybe I'll stop before lunch."

"Would you like company?"

Lily shook her head. "It's alright. I'll go on my own."

Selfishly, Lily knew that Emmeline was a slow walker; which would lead to greater chances of being caught out or running into James.

Lily needed to be able to duck away if possible. If Emmeline were there, she wouldn't be able to - or worse, it'd lead to questions if she even tried. At least if she were on her own, Lily knew she'd have better luck evading.

Concentrating on class was a whole other matter, Lily found.

After a restless sleep, riddled with absolutely heated, ridiculous dreams, Lily was finding it nearly impossible to pay mind to Professor Lennox as he introduced the elements and composition basics of transmutation.

Not when she could still imagine the ghost of a touch along her jaw, the phantom press of a hand just beneath her ribcage; much lower than where she wished it would go - or oppositely, higher than where she hoped it would venture.

Jesus, she was a tart. She'd snogged a boy for less than ten minutes and she was turning into a bloody slag for him.

What was wrong with her?

Besides. He left. She must've done something wrong or…

"You sure you don't want me to walk with you?" Emmeline asked as they were released from class. "You're looking a bit flushed."

Having it pointed out made it all the worse as Lily shook her head, trying her best to remain nonchalant. "All fine. I'll see you at lunch?"

Still, Emmeline looked unsure; worrying her lip in between her teeth. While it had become a habit for her friends to accompany her between classes; Lily needed to be on her own.

"You've got to get to your next class, right? On the fifth floor?"

"Yes, but the staircases are right beside the classroom," Emmeline countered, but Lily could sense her cession.

"But remember the last time the staircases switched on you?"

Emmeline scoffed. "I suppose… if you're sure?"

"All sure."

"Alright, see you then."

Lily felt absolutely idiotic splitting paths from her friend, all just to keep the farce of traveling to the Hospital Wing in order to avoid running into Potter.

But - also feeding into her quickly lowering self-esteem levels - she knew Potter was getting out of Muggle Studies across the castle; and there was a chance their paths could cross as he had Magical Creatures next, whereas she had Magical Theory.

It wasn't pitiful that she already knew his schedule, Lily reasoned with herself - not when he'd complained about it during their time together in their small office; woeful about how the walk from Muggle Studies to the Entrance Hall didn't even allow him a chance to stop by the kitchens. He needed the extra energy for Quidditch Practice.

God, Quidditch Practice. Scheduled right before their monthly meeting set on the 1st of the monthly; time already chosen before all that occurred the night prior.

What idiot set that up?

Her. She did. She was the idiot.

He'd probably arrive with wet hair and flushed cheeks. A wild look in his eyes from the flying - a small semblance to the glimmer in his eye just before he'd pulled her closer in order to kiss her.

But he'd left.

Or well, she left him. After he'd stopped her. Stopped them from more snogging. Her brain couldn't quite fathom his reasonings behind it; and her heart stopped her from digging into the rationale more deeply.

"Jesus," she sighed, rubbing at her temple as she paused at a corridor's entrance. How could this have spiralled out of control so spectacularly?

"Oi!"

Terror-struck, Lily whirled around to face the sound - immediately and immensely relieved to find Marlene at the other end of the corridor.

"Whoa, what'd you do, run into a ghost?" Marlene looked amused, adjusting her book bag over her shoulder as she approached Lily.

Lily laughed lightly. "No, not at all. Just not feeling well, I think. Might be coming down with something."

"I knew attending that 1st Year Charms Club introduction meeting would lead to catastrophe," Marlene sighed. "Those 1st years looked particularly germy."

Lily's laugh this time was genuine. "You didn't have to come, you know."

"Yeah, but McGonagall's been on me about my transcript. Says I need more leadership opportunities listed if I want to follow in my da's footsteps."

"You sat back and watched the whole thing," Lily pointed out. "I don't think you helped a single 1st Year."

"It's called nurturing independence," Marlene protested. "How else will they learn?"

"Right, because teaching them doesn't result in learning."

"Exactly."

Lily figured she'd waited the recommended amount of time; surely James would have already been past the Entrance Hall - and if anything, already outside of the walls of the castle.

"Say, you are looking particularly peaky," Marlene commented after they'd fallen into step with each other. "Were you heading to the Hospital Wing?"

"I was thinking about it," she fibbed, ignoring the flush at her neck. "But I didn't want to be late for class."

Marlene scoffed. "I think they'd let it slide, honestly."

"I just don't want anyone to think I've begun to slack," Lily said diplomatically. "After not being here last year…"

Marlene knocked her shoulder against Lily's. "I highly doubt any of the professors would think that. We're only a month into the term. And it's not like you didn't sit the same exams as the rest of us last year…"

Lily shrugged, not fully convinced. "I'd rather be -"

"Rather be what?" Marlene asked when Lily cut off.

But Lily couldn't respond; James had appeared at the end of the corridor opposite of them, his expression determined. His eyes widened when they met hers.

Oh, Jesus . He wanted to give her a pity apology, she just knew it.

Followed by a pity turndown. A 'we should remain professional as Co-Heads ' speech.

"I've got to go to the loo," Lily blurted, turning on the ball of her foot to take off in the opposite way.

"What -"

Lily didn't wait for Marlene to complete her question, nor to check to see if she was following. The nearest girls' toilets were a floor down - and Lily knew the most efficient path there.

"Merlin, are you going to spew?" Marlene huffed, following closely behind.

"Maybe," she muttered, too afraid to glance over her shoulder to see if James were following as well.

Regardless; a short near-sprint later, Lily burst into the girls' loo, wincing as the door slammed against the wall with a crack . Marlene followed in closely behind her, shutting the door with a concerned look.

Two witches at the taps turned, unimpressed.

Lily winced, again.

Lucinda Talkalot's brow rose elegantly, nearly disappearing beneath her bright blonde fringe. "Didn't realize we allowed undignified behaviour."

Lily ignored the 7th Year Slytherin's remark, walking with as much dignity as she could to a free tap.

Marlene, on the other hand, snorted. "If that were the case, I'm not sure why they let you in, Talkalot."

Lucinda shook her hands free of water, using the excess to smooth down her hair. "The same could be said for you, McKinnon."

Catlike, Marlene ambled forward. "I suppose we might have different definitions of undignified . How's Vanity's boyfriend? Heard you were found to be quite close in the library the other night. I wouldn't think that Vanity would appreciate that."

"Shut up, Blood Traitor," Therese Rowle spat.

"Better a Blood Traitor than a slut," Marlene quipped back, unfazed.

"More like a blood whor-"

"Alright, enough!" Lily snapped.

"Oh, right," Lucinda sighed with bashfulness. "Can't have the mudblood Head Girl catch us late to class."

Marlene pushed herself off of the stall she'd been leaning against. "Talkalot -"

"Out," Lily ordered in the next breath.

The two Slytherin's glared at her, but did as commanded, picking up their bags and exiting the loo with their noses raised.

"I bloody hate those two."

Lily met Marlene's gaze through the mirror. "Can't say I disagree…"

"Why didn't you take points?" Marlene demanded.

She sighed, turning on the tap to run her hands under the cold water. "You know why, Mar."

"You can't let them walk over you for always." Marlene joined Lily by her side. "They'll continue with the verbal assaults and all the other shite they get away with."

"It's only for a little longer," Lily murmured, using her damp hands to reach out and twist her hair back into a makeshift ponytail.

"And then?"

Lily didn't answer her immediately, meeting her own gaze in the mirror before her, finding herself with flushed cheeks. "And then… we'll have to wait and see."

Marlene harrumphed, looking unhappy with her lack of response - but Lily wasn't sure she could give more of one.

Later, after care and some thought, she'd leave a note, she decided. She could sneak down to the small Head office and leave a note that would read she needed to postpone. She didn't have to give a reason - she could worry about that later.

Lily just needed more time to… process everything.

Why, oh why had she kissed him?

The question blared at the front of her brain like an awful bug, insistent and annoying.

But Merlin, she knew why.

Her body knew why she had kissed him.

Which is exactly why she was sneaking down to the ground floor - with plenty of time before the end of Quidditch practice - so that she could leave a note on the desk in their small shared office, letting James know that she couldn't make it for their meeting and they'd have to reschedule.

For when? Lily wasn't sure. Indefinitely. Never, preferably.

She'd add it to the list of things she'd worry about later.

The room, just as she hoped, was empty when she pushed open the door. She considered the messy desk for a moment before deciding on the most opportune spot to place her note - right at the corner where there was a clear space.

"There," she said, exhaling a deep breath. "Done."

"What's done?"

The sound Lily made was inhumane; the embarrassment of it solidifying as she caught sight of James's amused expression when she whirled to face him.

"Oh, uh -"

"What's that?" he asked next, pointing at the folded parchment she'd just set down. He stood in the doorway, not yet entering the room.

Just as Lily expected, he was freshly showered, his hair still wet with droplets that seeped into the collar of his white shirt.

"Well, that's -" Inexplicably, she reached back out and grabbed it, tucking into her robe's pocket. "I just - needed to reschedule," she said lamely. "Our meeting. Tonight."

He was watching her with a closed expression. "Why?"

"Aren't you supposed to be at practice?" she deflected, doing her best to keep her tone even and not accusatory.

"Derwent got hit by a bludger, I decided it might be better to call it quits before it got worse," he said, tucking his hands into his trouser pockets as he stepped further into the room. He jutted his chin towards her, his gaze at the place where her hand clung to the note. "Why were you going to cancel the meeting tonight?"

Lily couldn't look at him; at his sincere, curious look. She couldn't look at his face, or his lips, where she'd been imagining them settled against her jaw or neck. Or lower. "I - I'm not feeling that well."

"Are you avoiding me?"

She huffed in a nonchalant manner. "No, not at all. I just… am not feeling well."

"I don't believe you."

The candor in his tone forced her to look at him with a glare. "That's not on me, then."

He met her gaze unrepentantly. "So you're telling me you haven't avoided me today - practically ran away from me in the corridor early, skipped lunch and dinner?"

Lily couldn't prevent the defensive, angry feeling that arose in her. "I told you - I'm -"

"Not feeling well," he cut in. "So you've said ."

"Yes," she glowered, crossing her arms over her chest as she took a step closer to the door; inadvertently closer to him. "I've got to go," she muttered, throwing the words he'd said to her the night before back at him. She wondered if he noticed.

"Do you regret kissing me?" he said plainly.

The wind was knocked from her lungs at the bluntness of the question. "What - "

James took another step closer to her - now an arm's length away. "Do you regret it, last night?"

She took in a stuttering breath.

"Because I don't," he said, his voice deep, honest. "I really don't." His next step forward was countered by a step back of her own, until the edge of the table bit into the muscles of her arse, preventing her from moving further back.

"You -"

"Can I kiss you?"

Lily's mouth dropped open, noticing how his eyes followed the movement; the feeling of his gaze felt like a physical burn. She didn't respond immediately, but he shifted closer until the space between them was nearly nonexistent, the warmth of him seeping into the front of her.

Her eyes fluttered shut for a brief moment, recalling the warmth of him from last night - how his body felt against hers, strong and unyielding.

Her mouth closed as she reopened her eyes, nodding her head in consent, her voice - let alone breath - stuck in her chest.

"Please say it," he murmured, raising his hand to brush his knuckles against her jaw. "Please."

She swallowed, hard. "Yes. Kiss me. "

Her permission spoken aloud was an unexpected trigger; both of his hands immediately raised to thread fingers into the hair at the base of her skull, pulling her face towards him as he pressed a solid, searing kiss to her lips.

Lily returned his ardor in kind, bringing her hands to his elbows, sliding them up his arms to feel the muscles beneath the shirt there - and then, just to hold on as he continued to kiss her, nearly consuming her.

This was not what she had experienced previously with John from Cokesworth - this was something new; it sparked a fire within her chest, blooming downward as his careful urgency fed into it. She wasn't sure how, but he managed to coax moan after moan out of her, pressing his body into hers as he glided a hand down her side, tracing the line down her throat, from her collarbone, down her ribs (teasingly avoiding the side of her breast) until it settled over her hip beneath her robes, squeezing the curve there between his thumb and fingers.

She took a great gasp of air when he broke the kiss, her eyes falling shut as his mouth moved along her jaw, to the space just below her ear where he pressed his teeth into the sensitive flesh there.

"Oh, Christ," she whispered, letting her head fall away to the side to grant him better access.

His breath of laughter against her neck sent a shudder through her that she knew he felt. "Is this okay?"

"Yes," she hissed, sliding her hand into the hair at the back of his own head. She fisted her fingers, gripping onto his hair to press his face closer to her throat.

He groaned, placing a series of hot, open-mouthed kisses along her pulse point, forcing her to tilt her head back further as he traveled across to the other side.

"Please," she said, the word beseeching. She should've been embarrassed by the keening sound of it, but she couldn't bring herself to care - not when his hand contracted at her hip.

"Fuck," he hissed against her skin, retrieving the hand buried her hair to grip her other hip, lifting her until she sat on the table, knees falling open so that he could step between them.

A simple, "Oh," was drawn from her throat as he pressed his hips against her, now properly aligned so that a delicious pressure caused friction in the right spot. It sent a frisson of heat through her, settling into her belly with a telltale swoop. "God," she hissed, tightening the grip her thighs had on his hips to try and pull him closer.

His mouth returned to hers, the intensity of his next kiss nearly bowing her back as she fought to meet him at the same passion, attention diverted when his hips pushed forward, and Lily knew it was him pressing against her.

"Do that again," she hissed, the words pressed into his lips. "Please."

"Yeah?" he breathed, his tone filled with awe, shock.

Drawn by emotion in his voice, Lily forced her eyes open to look at him, finding his eyes bright and cheeks flushed. The intensity in which he watched her reactions sent another swoop through her middle, then lower.

She groaned, her eyes falling back closed as his hips rocked forward again, the sensation searing.

He dropped his mouth back onto the exposed skin of her throat as she let her head roll back. "Fuck, you're beautiful," he murmured at the next rock of his hips.

"James," she said, the warning mixed in both warning and chastisement.

He moaned into her skin, his breath curling over her collarbone. Enthralled, she grabbed the hand at her hip and pulled it upward, molding her hand over his as she pressed it over her breast, forcing his fingers to knead the flesh there beneath the fabric.

"Fuck," he said again, rolling his hips against her in a slow, measured manner. "You are -"

"Keep going," she murmured, "harder. Please. "

James did as requested without further demand.

Restless, hot, Lily reached down to pull at her skirt so that it settled around her hips, no longer a hindrance at the layers of fabric between them. Without the extra layer of wool, she could better feel the press of him against her, each roll of his hips driving more and more waves of intensity over her.

James moaned, pressing his forehead to her neck, where she knew that the vantage point allowed him to watch the meeting of their hips, where he rocked into her.

The thought of that; of his keen gaze studying her body's reaction, pushed her closer. "I - I -"

"Tell me what you need," he pleaded, his tone urgent as he pressed another open-mouthed kiss against her exposed collarbone, teeth scraping the sensitive skin.

"Kiss me," she gasped.

His lips were against hers in the next instant, devouring her moans as his hips kept their steady, punishing pace.

It rushed over her then, her orgasm radiating from where his cock pressed against her center and upwards; a warm, lush feeling unfurling over her. Surrendering to the sensation, she fell away from the kiss, mouth dropping open as her orgasm spread - she rolled her hips against him to elongate the feeling

James pulled back, watching her as she arched and rocked forward. "Jesus, Evans," he whispered, the tone reverent.

"Keep going," she moaned, unable to control her words; the deep dulcet tones of his next moan rolling over her as she gripped his hip with a free hand and pulled him closer. "Please, I want it."

He ducked his head again, his face pressing into her throat as she wove her hands into his hair, tugging hard as he resumed his pace against her, sending shocks of pleasure through her, almost painful in their nature.

Lily moaned, her lips pressed to his ear. "Come, please."

James's answering moan was beatific, his hips stuttering against her. She could feel the pulse of him against her, an intensively gratifying feeling.

"Holy shit," he murmured against the skin below her ear.

She stuttered a laugh; shock - but no regret - seeping into her brain.

James retrieved his wand from his back pocket (how the hell it managed not to fall out was beyond her guess), casting a silent cleaning charm at the front of his trousers, his eyes quickly rising to study her expression.

Lily could only imagine what he saw; red cheeks, bright eyes. Her lips felt bruised, particularly when she pulled her lower lip in to bite it.

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly, still standing between her knees. "Was that okay?"

Another laugh escaped her, a bit breathless as she considered his questions. "Yes," she said after a moment, meaning it.

He helped her slide off of the table, his hands settling at her sides as he pressed against her. "I suppose we still need to have that meeting, yeah?"

Lily huffed a laugh, reaching out to shove at his chest. "Shut up."

He barely shifted beneath her push, reaching up to grab at her hand where it remained against his chest. Instead, he grinned at her, his expression a wide array of awe, disbelief, and contentment.

Her heart gave a stutter.