Different

The rain had come unexpectedly. They’d managed to drag themselves out of bed surprisingly early, and had hiked down the ravine to explore a nearby waterfall when the large, thick droplets began pouring out of the sky. They gathered up all their things, and quickly apparated back to the house. The tall, canopy-like trees had provided some shelter, but by the time they made it back, they were all soaking, and dispersed to their various rooms to change.

Lily peeled off her wet clothing, and swore softly when she realized that she’d neglected to pack anything warm. She pulled on a dry pair of shorts and a t-shirt, her still-damp hair making her shiver slightly. She opened the closet door to see if there was anything there she might borrow, not expecting much, but to her great luck, there was. She picked up the wadded up knit, and held it up. Well, it was a dry, warm jumper, but it had the unfortunate downside of proudly displaying James’ name and quidditch number on the back. She sighed, knowing what the others would think if she came out wearing his jumper, but her chattering teeth made her decision easy. She pulled it on, finding that it fell to just above her knees. It felt comfortable, not only because it was soft, but because it smelled like him. She winced slightly at the realization. She rolled her shoulders and headed downstairs, bracing herself for the teasing that was sure to occur.

Luckily for her, she walked into the large sitting room just off the entrance, where a warm fire was crackling in the hearth (adding even more to the room’s similarities to the Gryffindor common room), Remus was trying to explain to Sirius how to set up a projector. Remus had brought a muggle movie and Mary had provided the projector. All the pure-bloods in the group watched with excitement as the screen flickered on. All but one. James was staring at her, jaw slightly slack as his eyes roamed her up and down. He was staring so intently that Lily could feel her spine tingling even when she turned away to help Remus. They finally got it sorted, the candles went out, and the friends all found seats on the sofas. Lily found herself next to James on a sofa a bit away from the others, and was, for once, not mad about it. They sat back on the sofas, eating sweets from Honeydukes. As the movie progressed, Lily found herself sitting closer and closer to James. He’d placed a hand on her knee and was drawing lazy circles with his fingers. Soon, the movie was forgotten. She shivered with every touch, wanting more. She hated that even now, when she was sober, the thing she most wanted to do at the moment was grab James Potter’s face and kiss him senseless. She settled for leaning against his arm, resting her head on his shoulder. She could feel him watching her, and she sighed internally.

“Fuck it” she whispered, and rose, sitting back down on a very surprised James’ lap. She shifted to get comfortable, and she could feel James take a sharp intake of breath. She settled in, and his arms wrapped around her, tracing idle circles along the inside of her thighs. She almost gasped out loud as she felt his lips brush ever so gently against her jaw. She shivered, lolling her head back to allow him better access. She shifted on his lap, turning her head to face him in the dark.

“James?” she breathed, then bridged the gap between them and connected their lips. It took her brain a second to realize what she’d done, and another moment to realize that she didn’t care. It took James the same amount of time to kiss her back. She could have stopped herself. Could have remembered that this was the boy she’d hated for years. But now, she chose to think about all the good times. His little notes in class telling her she was pretty. Him offering to tutor her in charms. And more recently, him holding her in the kitchen that night, reassuring her. The late night kitchen talks they had shared. His shocked face when they had first kissed, as well as the burning kiss they’d shared the night before. All this flashed through her head as she pulled away gently, staring into his eyes. Maybe this was a bad idea. Or maybe it wasn’t. There was only one way to find out.

“Lily.” he murmured, hand tracing her cheek. “You look fucking amazing in my jumper” he muttered, eyeing her up and down. She smiled at him, and pressed their lips together again. She could feel him smiling as their lips moved in sync. The movie long forgotten, they clung to each other, kisses growing hungrier and hungrier. James ran his tongue along the bottom of Lily’s lip and she opened her mouth, tasting his tongue as she ran her hands along the smooth planes of his stomach. She broke the kiss to plant sloppy kisses down his jaw, and onto his neck. He hummed quietly as she sucked a spot on his neck, just below his ear. She shifted on his lap, and he had to stifle a groan in her shoulder. She could feel him underneath her. Lily wasn’t sure what got into her, but the look on his face had given her a burst of courage. She shifted again, more purposefully this time. He nipped at her neck. She twisted back around on his lap so she was facing the movie once again.

“Focus on the movie, Potter” she breathed, rocking her hips side to side.

He grabbed her by the hand, and dragged her out of the room. Once they were out of earshot of the room, he groaned.

“Fuck Evans, you had me the minute you walked in wearing my jumper.” He said, his stride faintly awkward. Her eyes drifted downward. She had done that.

“Got a little problem there, Potter?” she teased. He smirked.

“Well, I personally wouldn’t say little. Maybe average with a great personality.” he joked, eyes sweeping her up and down. They turned a corner, and into what Lily supposed was another guest bedroom. Lily laughed as James closed the door, and pressed her up against the closed door. Their lips found each other’s easily, and they fell back into rhythm, without having to worry about being quiet. James’ hands were creeping up her shirt, and Lily was attacking his neck with fervour. He reconnected their lips, and she smiled against them. She ran her hands along his stomach and hummed slightly. Gently, he broke the kiss.

“ Hey Lily, can we talk for a sec?” he asked, reaching up to fix his hair. It had gotten a bit too wild, even for his standards, she supposed. Lily nodded, smoothing her (his) jumper.

“Of course.” He lit a candle with his wand, led her to the bed, and sat down, patting the space beside him.

“Okay, this is going to sound weird, but what the actual fuck is going on with us? I’m not complaining, but until very recently, you wouldn’t even talk to me, and now we’re here, making out in the dark.” he chuckled, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. She nodded, smiling a little.

“I don’t know, James.” she whispered. “I don’t know what happened to me, what sort of brain damage I must have gotten,” he chuckled at that, and she continued. “But, I want to be here. With you. I don’t know how this –whatever we are– is going to change once school starts, but I’m willing to figure that out. Are you? I’ll understand if you aren't.” He smiled, putting an arm around her.

“I’d follow you to the ends of the earth, you know that Lily.”

“Yeah, you've mentioned. Several times. A day. Since we were eleven.” She laughed, pressing a kiss to his cheek. ‘Okay. Let's just see where this takes us.” she whispered. They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, then James turned to face her, with a shit-eating grin on his face.

“Listen, Evans, I had been planning a parade for ‘finally getting the girl’, but luckily for you, I’m feeling generous today, and am willing to hold off your humiliation for as long as you need.” Lily groaned, slumping backwards onto the bed.

“I’m never gonna hear the end of it.” she could just see Marlene and Sirius’ grinning faces, with Mary’s knowing smirk. “Yeah, let's just keep us a secret for as long as it takes for me to come up with some story about how you won me over that doesn’t start with me bawling my eyes out onto your shoulder at midnight.”

“I don’t know, it does make me seem pretty chivalrous, don't you think?” he said, elbowing her playfully. She sighed, resting her head on his shoulder.

This hadn’t been what she’d expected to do over her summer break, but she had to admit, this was tons better than spending her summer at home, eating crisps and being ignored by her sister.