“Dance with me.”
Lily looked up, raising an eyebrow at the brown haired boy in front of her.
“No.” she sighed. When would he give it up?
His eyes seemed to rest in a plea, his familiar smile weary. He fidgeted with the hem of his white shirt, which Lily believed was far too formal for a boy so… all over the place. She wondered if maybe he had borrowed it from Sirius. She looked up at his hair, which was usually a bird’s nest- it seemed there had been some attempt to comb it down. Key word- attempt .
He pushed his glasses up his nose, before clearing his throat again. Something wavered in his eyes, which seemed to change colour under the lights of the party.
“If you don’t dance with me, I may as well leave,” he pleaded, and Lily pitied him. She played with the fabric of her green dress, looking around for her friends. Unfortunately, they were much too busy- Mary dancing with some boy she had never seen before, and Marlene swaying on the dancefloor, obviously drunk.
“Fine.” she managed. James said nothing, but beamed at her, his eyes glittering. He held out a hand and- was he trembling? Lily could laugh, but she felt sorry for him. She also felt- well, powerful in a way. James’ relentless courting was annoying, insufferable and overdramatic. She often wondered if she even deserved such… shallow admiration. But at times like this, with James standing pathetically in front of her, waiting.. . She relished in it, this feeling of being wanted. Even if the reasons were most likely superficial.
She let him take her hand. She would have to indulge this one time.
The song changed, and a familiar tune blared through the speakers.
Poor old Johnny Ray… Sounded sad upon the radio
Moved a million hearts in mono
“Sirius loves this one.” James grinned, his hand now at Lily’s waist. She noticed how it seemed to hover, as if he was afraid she might flinch and run away. James Potter was anything but careful, hesitant. He was a firecracker, a force of nature to be reckoned with. But with Lily, he tiptoed and mumbled under his breath. It was quite endearing, and Lily held his other hand, squeezing a little to tell him- it’s okay. For this one dance, it’s okay.
“It sure suits him.” she said, watching James turn a bright red, even in the dim lights.
Our mothers used
To sing along, who'd blame them
They began to sway in an awkward motion, and Lily eyed the duos around them who seemed to be doing the same. As the beats got quicker, they moved faster, twirling across the floor.
Come on Eileen, oh I swear (well he means)
At this moment, you mean everything
Suddenly, the room was spinning far too fast, and James twirled her around, before pulling her in again. There seemed to be no gravity in the room, and Lily could barely catch her breath. She was worried she might trip over her feet, God she really shouldn’t have worn Mary’s heels-
You in that dress, oh my thoughts I confess
Verge on dirty
She tripped, letting out a yelp, before James caught her, hands wrapping around her waist. She looked up at his concerned face, and before he could ask if she was okay, she burst out laughing.
Ah come on Eileen
Come on Eileen
She could not stop laughing, and a few heads turned to look at them. She covered her mouth, leaning forwards, hiding her head in James’ shoulder. She looked up after a while, after the song ended, fading into a slower one. A waltz.
He was watching her, as he always did, but there was a tenderness in his gaze she hadn’t seen before. Or maybe she wasn’t looking properly. Lily felt her face warm.
“Sorry.” she mumbled.
“You’re so…” James started, the apple in his throat shifting as he came up with the words.
“Don’t start.” she warned, and realised she was clenching his shirt.
“Lily,” his voice seemed to crack at the name. “What will it take?”
She laughed softly. “I don’t know, Potter.”
“Please don’t call me that,” he pleaded. His hand reached towards a strand of her hair, tucking it behind her ear. She froze, looking anywhere but up. They stayed like that for a while, and Lily could feel his eyes burning through her, but she stayed concentrated on the fabric of his shirt.
The song ended, and they stood silently. She should go and find her friends, turn tail before anyone saw them, and teased them until death.
To her surprise, it was James who let go of her first, and much to her dismay, Lily felt her heart sink to her soles.
He was a few steps away, and Lily stared at his back, at the curls of his hair, and the paces of his footsteps as they grew quieter and faded into the noise.
Then, an impulse.
She strided after him, grabbing him by his wrist. He turned around, maple eyes widened. Before he opened his mouth, she grabbed his face, and stood on her toes, before planting a kiss on his cheek.
And James Potter stilled like he had been hexed .
Again, Lily felt like laughing at the stunned expression on his face. It was…enamoring. Lily searched for words, but she failed to find them. James seemed to be struggling too, his eyes wide and mouth trembling, as if he wanted to speak but physically couldn’t.
Lily smiled, before stepping away slowly.
“See you later, James .”