Chapter Text
(Several months later)
Lily let out an enormous laugh, most likely due to her being tipsy. “Stop it,” she giggled, clutching her stomach. But James did not comply, and continued with the drunken activity he was pursuing. He eventually did manage to squeeze next to Lily on the miniature seat. When both were settled, James turned to Lily with a serious face, one that didn’t seem quite so drunk anymore. Lily stopped laughing.
“What’s your greatest fear?”
Lily started. “What?”
“Tell me. We’re not strangers,” James convinced, referring to the way they met a few months ago. Lily chuckled in her tipsy state.
“Fine. My greatest fear…” James gazed into her eyes with expected deep interest. “Would probably be… er… my sister never speaking to me ever again.”
James nodded insightfully. “Actually me too, but with my friends.”
“Moony, Wormtail, and Padfoot, I presume?”
“Yeah. And you, of course.”
Lily was surprised. “You would care if I never talked to you again?”
“Well of course. What would I do without my best gal pal?”
Lily snorted. “Gal pal?”
James nodded. “You’re a friend. Friend is the same thing as pal. You are also a girl--”
“An interesting observation,” Lily interrupted.
“--Which automatically makes you a gal. And,” James finished, “that makes you my gal pal.”
He took a grand bow in the position he was seated in and Lily clapped enthusiastically.
“Bravo,” she said. “truly a remarkable job. I don’t see how anyone else could have done it.”
“Thank you. Thank you very much.”
“You’re most welcome.”
James grinned at Lily, but Lily shifted. “Tell me something that you’ve never told anyone before.”
“I carry no secrets.” James spread his arms wide to emphasize this fact. “I’m an open book.”
“You just have something. Everyone has a guilty pleasure that they’ve never told anyone.”
“Nope, sorry. Moony, Wormtail, and Padfoot know every single fact about me.” James shrugged. “Sorry.”
“They even know that you’ve fallen in love with me?”
James shook his head. “What?”
“I said,” Lily repeated in reality, “They’ve seen your baby pictures? Everyone has embarrassing baby photos that they’d never show anyone.”
“Oh.” James swept a hand through his hair. “I mean, what’s to hide? Why wouldn’t I want anyone to see cute little ol’ me? What about you?”
Lily chuckled. “There’s this picture of Petunia and me naked in the sink as babies… posing in a really bad way… I wouldn’t want anyone to see that, especially Sev, and I’m sure she wouldn’t either.”
“Like this?” James change his position to a very crude one, forcing Lily to gasp in shock and cover her eyes.
“Stop that!” she shrieked, laughing. “But yes, it was very much like that.”
James smirked. “Who’s Sev?”
Instantly, Lily grimaced. “Oh, sorry. Severus used to be my best friend. Sometimes my brain just slips him into conversation and I don’t notice.”
“Why aren't you friends anymore?” James asked, extremely interested.
“He… I mean, we did everything together when we were little, he introduced me to life, practically, and oh, I don’t know. We grew apart I suppose, as friends occasionally do.”
James sensed he wasn’t getting the full story, but thankfully for Lily, he decided not to press.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.
“It’s alright. What can you do?”
“I’m really glad you decided to call me.”
“Me too.”
“Sorry for the way I treated you in the bookstore. I never really apologize.”
“It’s ok.” Lily unconsciously shifted closer, however James noticed, and finally made a decision.
“You finish Dickens yet?” He wondered, changing the topic, very nervous indeed, internally wondering if he could pull this next part off as well as girls claimed.
Lily rolled her eyes. “Ages ago. I read very quickly.”
“Well, can you read this?”
And suddenly, James was kissing her, and she was kissing back, and oh they’d been friends for way too long and nothing else in the world mattered. He cupped her face with his hands and she wrapped her around his neck, and it felt so right to both, that none wanted to stop. It was only when a car honked outside that Lily fully came to her senses and pulled away.
“We’re drunk.”
“I don’t feel very drunk right now. Do you?”
“I-- not really, but I think it’s better if we stay friends.”
“I don’t want to be friends. Do you?”
“It’s more practical, and--”
“Do you want to stay friends, though?”
“No,” Lily admitted quietly. “But I’m not one to act on drunken irrationality.”
James sighed and looked down. “Maybe I should go.”
“No-- James-- wait!”
James had stood up by the time Lily said this. He took to the stairs, about to head down, but Lily caught up with him.
“James!” the called boy turned, and Lily grabbed and kissed it, and the other did so back.
“I don’t feel very drunk right now,” she whispered against his lips when they broke apart. “Do you?”
James shook his head. “No. Kiss me again.”
Lily complied, and neither left each other’s arms again.
(A/N: Sorry I didn’t really know how to end it, but I’ll probably change it later. Until then. Xoxo)