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Lily Evans was on fire. Every spot of Lily’s body that came into contact with Jamie Potter was burning strong like an ember. The length of her arm. The side of her thigh. Her temple. The heat flared out, making her heart squeeze pleasantly and her brain steam up like a mirror during a hot shower.
Jamie’s soft alto tone filled the small space between the curtains of Lily’s bed, and Lily was lulled into an almost trance-like state; her eyes watching the beautiful design of stars floating out the tip of Jamie’s wand. It was electrifying; the joy in Jamie’s tone, the elegant lines she conjured that formed a perfect replica of Aquila, and the smell of her honey-scented shampoo washed over Lily like a bucket of water; leaving goosebumps in its wake. “What about you? Who was your first crush?” Jamie questioned.
“I mean, my first crush was no Helen Hodgkins—”
“Hey, she was older! And super nice. She gave me chocolate once when I was upset,” Jamie playfully added. That was possibly the most adorable explanation of a crush Lily had ever heard. With a flick of Jamie’s left hand, the constellation disappeared.
“And how many times did you replay that scene in your head?” Lily teased.
“If I remember correctly, Evans, you are the one who is supposed to be answering a question. I didn’t realize you asked to talk so you could listen to me endlessly chat about myself.” Well , Lily reasoned, it wasn’t the main intention, but I certainly wouldn’t complain. “I actually wanted to learn about you too.” Jamie finished quietly.
Lily couldn’t remember a time she smiled so wide.
“My first crush. Hmm .” Lily was on the fence about admitting the real answer. The answer she told most people who asked was: ‘Marlene McKinnon, I mean look at her she’s stunning. Then I talked to her for five minutes and realized…..’ Which wasn’t a total lie. Marley was cute, but as their friendship grew, Lily realized it wasn’t a crush anymore. Especially when compared to her first actual crush.
Which was the exact girl asking her the question now. Coincidentally, it was also the girl she tried to bury her feelings for by channeling it into a competitive and borderline antagonistic relationship. Because that’s productive. Though unlike with Marlene, rather than fade once she finally gave Jamie a chance and agreed to be her friend, the crush only grew. To the point that Lily thought it was nearly a four letter word, that she would not explore further, because it doesn’t matter. She and Jamie were friends. Best friends. And that was more than enough. Right?
A finger gently ran up and down the back of Lily’s hand, setting sparks off that seemed to power her confidence. “Eva—”
“You.” The word was past Lily’s lips before she could talk herself out of it.
A beat.
“Oh,” Jamie muttered and fell silent. As the quiet stretched, Lily felt twitchy, waiting for a response—good or bad. Anything but the waiting. She fiddled with her wand before extending it forward and beginning to form the Pleiades in the air above them. She forced her attention into getting the points correct, and not on Jamie. Which was really hard when she was so close. Couldn’t she just say something?
Once Lily was sick of waiting, and the Pleiades began to fade, she turned her head to look at the girl beside her. “Who was your first kiss?” Lily asked. If Jamie wasn’t going to comment on her answer she wasn’t going to sit in the awkwardness of it. It was beginning to make her skin crawl.
Jamie pursed her full lips, Lily’s eyes drawn to the motion before she scolded herself. Her gaze flicked back to Jamie’s eyes. Jamie mumbled something that sounded like ‘I rabbit’ which didn’t seem an appropriate response to the question. Unless Jamie made a habit of kissing hares, which would be a completely different situation entirely.
Oh.
Lily’s brain pieced together what the other girl indeed mumbled. She sat up, turning to look at Jamie who met her in an upright position. They sat face to face, Jamie’s knees only millimeters from her own crossed pair. Lily was cold without the heat Jamie radiated, she noticed.
“You’ve never been kissed?” Lily asked sincerely, as she desperately tried to glean any thought that may float across Jamie’s features. Instead, Jamie’s eyes were cast downward, a curl falling to obscure one of her eyes. Without thinking, Lily tucked it back behind her ear. When Jamie stiffened at the contact, Lily pulled her hand back and dropped it uselessly into her lap. Finally, Jamie shook her head.
“Oh,” Lily took a deep breath, her tongue darting out to wet her lips, before she pressed on, “Would you want to be?”
Jamie’s gaze shot to hers, eyes wide and searching before they settled on Lily’s lips. “Kissed, I mean. By me,” Lily added awkwardly. She wrapped the bottom of her skirt around her pointer finger, before unwrapping and repeating in an effort to keep from tugging on her own loose waves.
When Jamie met Lily’s eyes and nodded, Lily felt like she’d been hit with an Ebublio jinx, air rushing out of her in relief. A mix of adrenaline and anxiety caused a thrill to shoot through her system like an electric shock, a pleasant buzz beneath her skin at the anticipation of what was about to happen.
Lily moved slowly, first scooting forward till their knees touched. Jamie’s hand flexed at her side, and Lily reached out to take it in her own. She laced their fingers together, squeezing Jamie’s hand in what she hoped was a reassuring gesture. When Jamie returned the sentiment, Lily leaned forward. Her free hand came up to rest on Jamie’s cheek.
After searching Jamie’s face one last time, Lily took a deep breath. Then her eyes slid closed and she pressed a featherlight kiss to the other girl’s lips.
The brief contact had colors exploding behind her eyelids, and when Lily broke the contact she noticed her lips were already in a smile. Before she could move too far, Jamie leaned forward and reconnected their lips for another chaste exchange. When they pulled apart Lily tilted her head, resting her forehead against the other girl’s. Jamie’s free hand moved to rest on Lily’s waist, trailing up and down the same two inches of her side. Each brush of her fingers left behind arcing electricity, and Lily had to suppress a shudder at the current.
“Well, Evans.” Lily’s eyes opened at the sound of Jamie’s voice. Deep, warm caramel chased moss greens across Jamie’s irises, with speckled yellow highlights peppered throughout; Lily could get lost in colors within them. “I’ve imagined that about a hundred times, and I have to say, way better than I thought it’d be. And let me tell you, that’s saying something.” Jamie winked to punctuate the sentence, drawing a giggle from Lily.
“Glad it was acceptable.”
“I’d say it Exceeds Expectations,” Jamie replied primly. Lily tried and failed to suppress a smile at the joke.
“You’re such a dork,” she responded fondly. The answering smile sent her way was blinding, and Lily had to look away before she ended up without her vision. It’d be a shame to not get to look at Jamie anymore.
“You like it.” Jamie teased back.
“Does it count if I hate that I like it?” Lily asked in mock displeasure.
“Still counts!” Jamie’s bright tone chirped back. She ghosted her lips across Lily’s temple, before she leaned forward and caught Lily’s lips once more in an impossibly tender kiss that had Lily’s toes curling.
“Guess there’s worse things.” Their lips brushed gently with each word. “I could still be laying next to you wishing I could kiss you.”
The hand on her side tightened ever so slightly. “Well don’t leave a girl hanging, Evans, was it worth the wait?” Jamie asked cheekily. Lily rolled her eyes and sat up straight once more.
“I don’t have to answer that.” Though the heat in her cheeks may have given her away anyhow.
“You’re right. I already know it was. Who knew my natural-born talent extended beyond the quidditch pitch and classroom. You’re a lucky girl, Evans.”
“Careful Potter, if your head grows any bigger it may pop,” Lily quipped.
“Then you’d finally be top of the class!” Jamie’s faux cheery voice tickled at her in a way that had her suppressing another laugh.
“I am top of the class,” Lily countered, eyebrow raised in a challenge.
“Even transfig?” Jamie’s voice led on in a knowing way.
“Shut up.” It was as if the pair of words were equal to ‘you win’ with the smug look Jamie adopted. Lily rolled her eyes, which was apparently all Jamie needed before laying back against the pillows. Jamie patted the spot beside her, and Lily moved back to the head of the bed, settling on the pillow next to Jamie. The other girl entwined their fingers once more, before picking her wand back up and shooting more stars from the tip of her wand, this time in the shape of Cassiopeia.
And once again, Lily was laser focused on the warmth blooming from every point they touched, a new excitement for what was to come fanning those flames. Lily couldn’t help but be thankful for that Gryffindor courage, pushing her to take the leap with the girl beside her. Her first crush. Jamie Potter. And if Lily was honest with herself, Jamie was right. Kissing Jamie exceeded any expectations she had before.