Chapter 12: Late Night Parties

            Emia quickly got over her rash, and patted the seat next to her on the couch in front of the fire, indicating that Sirius should sit there.  Remus and James had poured the sweets onto the coffee table, and there was quite a substantial mountain of them to eat through.  Lily looked eagerly at the sweets and sat down on the couch opposite that of Sirius and Emia.  James quickly joined her, and Remus and Avia were left standing.  Remus sat down in a comfy armchair and said to Avie, “You don’t have to stand, you’re quite welcome to sit on me if you want,” he said with a smile.  Avia sat down on Remus’ knee, uncomfortably at first, but then sprawled out over him.  Remus didn’t mind, he always had had a thing for Avia…he loved her beautiful blonde hair, it certainly looked magnificent tonight.  She wasn’t heavy at all, Weightless, Remus thought.

            Sirius and Emia were talking quite animatedly over some Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans and some butterbeer. Emie was smiling furiously, and Sirius had his arm draped over the back of the couch.  Emie started shivering.  “Cold?” Sirius asked, compassionately. Sirius took a blanket off the back of the couch and spread it over their shivering legs.  Then he took his arm from the couch to her shoulder and smiled.  “Better?” he asked.

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            Lily and James rolled their eyes.  Hopefully Sirius knew that Emia was different.  Emia wasn’t just a girl you could make out with and leave in the dust.  She was special.  Everyone knew that, well everyone except possible Sirius.  James and Lily were deeply involved in their own conversation about the week’s events and such.  Lily was having a very difficult time concentrating on what James was saying, he had such an amazing face…and lips…wow….  But this conversation was not going like Lily wanted it to.  She was desperate for some confirmation that tonight’s events were not just a one-time thing, and that James had not used her when she was vulnerable.

            Lily tried to subtlety move her hand over James’.  If only she could get reciprocal affection in front of their friends, then Lily knew everything would be okay.  Lily’s little hand slid over James’ larger one.  James’ hands were always warm to the touch, and Lily with her poor circulation, was quite grateful. James smiled at her when she slid her hand on top of his, but still withdrew his hand.

“Excuse me for a bit, Princess,” said James quietly with a smile.

Lily nodded, but felt crushed that he hadn’t returned her affection.

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As James walked to where the butterbeer was set up, he grabbed two glasses and said to himself, “if you’re going to do this, do it right.” He wanted the whole world to know that he was head over heels for Lily Evans. James filled up the two glasses, and gave one to Lily.

“Here you go, Princess,” he said with a smile.

“Oh you didn’t have to..”

“-my pleasure.” James said.

            After giving her the butterbeer, James made sure all of his friends were watching.  Confident that they were, he took Lily’s hand that had minutes before covered his own, and interlaced his fingers with hers.  Then James took his other arm, and put it around her shoulders. 

Lily was positively ecstatic, but doing her best to hide it.  Everyone around the cute couple smiled and sighed, Lily and James were just so perfect. 

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The Marauders and their dates talked well into the night, and the morning for that matter.  At about dawn, Lily started to doze off with her head on James’ shoulder, and her hands still interlaced with his.   “Lily, you’re so beautiful.” James said, admiring the striking way her hair shined against the light of the dawn.  Lily laughed, “Uh huh…sure…”

“No really…I wish I could just freeze this moment. It’s perfect.”

At this, Lily looked up at him, and traced her delicate finger down his cheek. She looked into his eyes, and smiled.  Did he know what butterflies he was giving her right now?  Those stupid butterflies in her stomach were flying around so fast they were about to give her stomach cramps!

“I wish it could last forever, too.” Lily finally answered.

And with that, James kissed her.  Not the annoying way that people kissed when they were making out.  This was much different. Less theatrical, but still just as powerful.  James seemed to barely graze her lips with his own, being as gentle and delicate with her as he could. 

When they withdrew, they found the other two couples staring.  “Oh, now there’s definitely no doubt in my mind, James Potter,” Remus said quietly. “You’re meant to be with her.”

The affection they all witnessed with one kiss from Lily was more than the chemistry James had ever had with the hordes of girls he had fully made out with.  Lily clutched James close, and realized how cold she really was.  A damp, drafty castle was never very warm at dawn, but Lily was freezing.  She was beginning to chatter.  James drew her very close and took several blankets off the back of the couch.  Once Lily was warm enough, she started to fall asleep in James’ arms. 

“We should really be getting up to the dorm…we can only have so much fun if we want to hang out tomorrow…er-today,” said Emie. “Yeah, we’d better be going…We can clean up the candy wrappers if you boys get the butterbeer and glasses put away,” said a groggy Avia.

“Sure,” said Remus, smiling at her.

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James and Lily sat right where they were while the other four cleaned up.  It wasn’t that they wouldn’t help, but rather because Lily was fast asleep on James’ chest and James didn’t want to risk waking her.  Once the room was clean, everyone groggily went up to their dorms.  James and Lily were left.

“Lil…Princess….” said a familiar voice in Lily’s dream. 

She had been riding her broomstick, playing Quidditch with James. They were talking animatedly and cuddling during the breaks…it was a really nice dream, she decided. 

“Princess!” said James’ voice, jerking her out of her dream. 

“H-huh?!” said Lily, and she sat up quickly. 

“Ah, you’re awake. Well…it’s seven in the morning, and I’m afraid the party’s already gone to sleep.”

Lily sighed, “Damn. It was really fun though.” (She was sitting on his knees at this point.)

James whispered, “So do you really want to do those letters?”

Lily nodded and smiled at him.  James smiled back and put his arms around her waist.

“And as for today’s exploring adventure,” James continued quietly, “consider it a date.”

“Yay!” said Lily, throwing her arms around his neck.  “So, do I get to play with the cloak?” she asked excitedly.  She had admired James’ cloak from the minute she saw it, and was dying to try it again.  “Yes, of course, you can play with the cloak, that is…” James playfully replied.

“Is if I what?” Lily prodded.

“If you give me another kiss, eh?” James asked with a laugh.

Lily gave him a great kiss, tender and sweet, and after that was done James looked a bit dazed. “Wow….Okay you can use the cloak!”

Lily giggled, “I always get my way.”

“Oh, not with me, you don’t!” said James with laughter.  Then he started tickling Lily.  She was extremely ticklish, but so was he.  And she fought back.

Lily was winning the all-out-tickle-brawl when people started to filter down for breakfast.  “I’m tired James…how about this. We say I win and we go get some sleep.”

“You SO did not win.”

“Fine. Once we’ve both had our rest, we can resume until we find a winner.”

Lily didn’t really even think about it, but soon James was carrying her up to her dorm for the second time that night.  He set her in her bed, and arranged her hair like he had done earlier. Then he made sure she was tucked in, and said, “Good night Princess. Sweet dreams.”

“Good night James,” said the muffled voice of Lily, talking into her pillow.

He kissed her lightly, and crept off the boys’ dorms for some sleep.

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