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“Look, here they come,” said Remus, looking up from the chess game he was playing with Peter, pointing at three figures clad in scarlet walking towards them in the distance.
The quidditch hoops stood tall behind them in the bright blue sky, as the warm sun shone down on the Hogwarts Grounds.
“Finally,” sighed Lily, before resuming her conversation with Dorcas.
They had been waiting for nearly an hour already, for James, Sirius, and Marlene to finish quidditch practise and join them under the shadows of the old oak tree next to the Black Lake. It was a beautiful, sunny summer day, one of their last ones at the school, before the summer holidays. The Black Lake glistened golden, and mysterious shadows lurked beneath it. Occasionally, the Giant Squid would show himself, a twisting purple tentacle peeking from between the small waves. The air was calm and quiet, save for the cricking of insects or the occasional chirp of a bird. From time to time, a small, sweet-smelling breeze would rush through the tall turf, rustling the grass blades and making the delicate daisies’ petals tremble.
“Hey, loves!” Exclaimed Marlene cheerily when they reached them, bending down to kiss Dorcas.
“Shh,” replied Remus, irritatedly as he furrowed his brows in concentration, staring intensely at the chessboard.
Peter bore a smug, confident grin, a rather unusual sight unless he was playing chess.
“Merlin, Remus,” laughed Sirius, plopping down on the red and white chequered blanket next to him. “You are such a nerd at times.”
His boyfriend flipped him off, glaring, before huffing in frustration.
Suddenly, Lily felt a heavy hand on her shoulder, and James’ low whisper in her ear:
“What are you doing, Evans?”
He drawled out her name, emphasising the s, something he knew she hated.
“Potter,” she growled warningly, facing him, about to chastise him, but stopped dead in her tracks as she caught full sight of him.
The familiar lurch behind her navel was back, and her words remained trapped in her throat, as she just stared at him. She had always had a soft spot for James, even though she might not have admitted it or realised it at first, hiding behind a facade of arguing and hate. And yes, he had been truly odious at times when they were children. But since then, he had grown, and become someone completely different, someone, who indulged in different interests, who was curious and open-minded, who was teasing and downright rude at times, but still kind and compassionate. Someone loving and caring, who would do anything for his friends and loved ones, who stood by his morals and helped those in need. Lily feared to admit it, but deep down she knew she had fallen for James Potter, and she had fallen hard. And Merlin did the bloke look charming in his quidditch robes, with golden sunlight falling gently over him and setting his dark brown hair ablaze.
“Evans? EVANS!”
His loud voice jolted her out of her daydreaming.
“Merlin’s pants, I thought you had been bewitched or Confunded, is everything alright?”
James appeared concerned, but she still saw that cheeky, laughing glint in his eye, so characteristic of him, mocking and teasing her.
“I am perfectly fine,” she answered shortly, feeling an intense blush creep up her cheeks, warming her face. “Why wouldn’t I be anything other than alright?”
“Well, you seemed a bit…lost. As if you were daydreaming about something, or rather someone.”
He grinned maliciously before turning away, leaving her there, choking on her words, almost as red as her hair. She felt a sharp poke in the ribs, and looked over, to see Marlene grinning at her diabolically and appearing immensely satisfied.
“So, Lily, it appears you are utterly smitten with James Potter, I can’t say I did not see this coming,” she laughed.
“It was about time you accepted your feelings for him,” chimed in Dorcas.
With a deep, defeated sigh, she laid down on the blanket, feeling the soft ground under her back tiny stones digging into her shoulder blade. She closed her eyes, letting the realisation sink in slowly. She liked James Fleamont Potter.
“I have a crush on James Potter,” she repeated slowly in her mind. “Oh fuck.”
“Oi, Lily! I think you might want to see this!” Called out Remus, shaking her lightly.
“What?” She grumbled, sitting up and squinting against the setting sun.
“Mhm, just observe,” replied the curly-haired boy, handing her a lemonade.
Not far from them, below next to the calm waters of the Lake, stood Sirius and James, observing something in the clear waters of a small creek. The long, thin branches of a weeping willow, covered in tiny, silvery-green leaves, fluttered lightly in the zephyr, casting their shadows on them. Suddenly, James started unclasping his robes, shrugging them off, and took off his shirt, leaving him standing only in his trousers.
Lily gasped, choking on her lemonade, her body shaken by a coughing fit. Golden sunbeams poured over James’ tanned, taut, muscular body, making him glow softly, appearing almost ethereal.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she muttered. “I am not ready for this.”
She stood up, looking flustered.
“Lils, are you okay?” Asked Marlene, half-smiling.
“I…I’m just not feeling very well,” she stuttered, and turned away, walking briskly towards the castle.
“Hey! Lily! Come back!” Shouted Remus after her.
***
James couldn’t sleep. He had been tossing and turning in bed for a few hours now, unable to rest. Sighing, he stood up, trying to avoid making any noises, and crept out of the dormitory. The logs could be heard still crackling in the fireplace down in the Common Room. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he saw a lone, long-haired figure, standing in the shadows, looking out of the window. Unable to recognise them in the semi-darkness, he walked up to them.
“Hey, I-“
The unknown person swiftly turned around, a bright green eyes met his warm brown ones.
“Lily-“
“James-“
“You go first,” he laughed.
“Oh no, I…I have nothing to say, I just couldn’t sleep she mumbled. “Anyways, why…”
But he wasn’t listening anymore, as he just looked at her, taking in every wispy strand of dark red hair, every tiny freckle on her pale face, every emerald flake dancing in her wide-open eyes. She looked gorgeous, even in her oversized old red shirt. She always did, and James knew that. He had loved her ever since his second year. Well, maybe love was a strong word, but it was then that he had grown aware of his attraction towards her. Something about her sharp, witty replies to his comments, her no-nonsense attitude, and her kindness appealed to him, and immensely so. At first, she had hated him, and it hadn’t bothered him either, as he had seen her more as a challenge than anything else. But then he had started to realise that his feelings for her went much deeper than he had originally thought. And he had hidden it all, behind a facade made up of ridiculousness, jokes, and trouble.
“Potter? James?”
“You are beautiful,” he declared, tucking in a strand of her hair gently behind her ear. Her lips looked so enticing in the soft lighting,
“Oh…,” she said softly. “I…thank you.”
They were now standing very close, staring at each other. Blushing, she lowered her eyes.
“Don’t,” he whispered. “Please, look at me.”
And just like that, her lips were on his. Their mouths met in a soft, lingering, sweet kiss, as she threw her arms around his neck, and he wrapped him around her waist, pulling her flush against him. She tasted like strawberries and lemon tarts. Suddenly, she pulled away and looked at him, grinning. Her lips were red and swollen, and her cheeks were dusted with pink, as her darkened eyes sparkled with excitement.
“You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to do this,” she said, shaking her head slowly.
And she kissed him again. This time it was a hungry, possessive kiss, demanding more and more of him. Lily buried her hands in his hair, tugging lightly at his locks, backing them up until the back of James’ knees hit the hard armrest of a sofa. They toppled down on it, still kissing, their lips not parting for a second.
“Merlin,” she moaned as his lips travelled down her jawline, dropping small kisses along her neck until they reached her collarbone. He looked up at her for a second, as she lay there, long silky red hair splayed on the sofa, soft pale skin pink and flushed, her lips parted, before sinking his teeth into that one precise spot, sucking lightly.
“Fuck,” she panted, her hands raking up his back.
The flames flickered in the fireplace, warmth licking their backs.
Pushing him off of her, she straddled his hips, kissing him right below his ear, before whispering:
“We’re going to have a long night, Potter.”