Matrixaffiliate

"Look, I know you're trying to protect your friend-"

"I'm trying to protect my coffee shop." Lily scoffed. "Marlene is known for throwing things when she's this upset."

Lily had a point, but Sirius wasn't going to back down.

"Then we'll go out to your back patio." Sirius walked around the counter and flashed Lily a smile. "Thanks for understanding, Red."

"Sirius!" Lily yelled, but didn't bother to move from her spot at the cash register. "I forbid you from going back there."

So much for approaching Marlene unannounced.

He turned, glaring. Lily waved a delicate hand at him and grinned.

"Well played."

"Don't make her break anything." She blew him a kiss. "Now go."

Sirius did just that.

He finally found Marlene attempting to scale the fencing that wrapped around the patio seating Lily had set up in this garden space.

"Really, Marls?"

"If my jeans weren't stuck it would have worked." She swore as she tried to free her leg.

"Don't rip them." Sirius reached her in three long strides and gently untangled her jeans from the fence. "Can we talk?"

"What's there to talk about?" Marlene snapped but climbed down from the fence so Sirius took it as a good sign.

"Oh, I don't know." Sirius didn't keep the sarcasm out of his voice. "We could talk about what the Iron Lady is up to, or perhaps Her Majesty's most recent tour, or how about this morning when you knocked me senseless by telling me you loved me and then ran before I could get enough of my brain to function to say it back?"

"You didn't say it back!"

Sirius heard the crack in her voice and tried to pull her into his arms but she backed up against the fence.

"I didn't." He dropped his head. "And I'm sorry. I haven't had anyone say that to me since Mia passed. It…well to be perfectly frank with you, I was completely baffled to feel like you'd managed to fill a hole in my soul and to simultaneously miss Mia so brutally all over again that it scrambled my brain."

Marlene stared at him. Sirius watched the fight drain out of her wide eyes as the reality of his words settled.

"Surely someone…" Marlene trailed off, her jaw slacked and he saw the pain shift to a new anger in her ice blue eyes. "You mean to tell me James didn't have the decency to once tell you he loved you in the last six months! You're his bloody brother! I'm going to ki-"

Sirius didn't let her finish. He took her face in his hands, bringing his lips to her in a gentle kiss, cutting through her anger, healing the hurt he'd caused, and proving the three words he spoke next.

"I love you."

She pulled him back to her lips, devouring him, running her nails against his scalp, pulling him closer. He pressed her against the fence, letting his hands roam, giving into the passion that Marlene always stirred in him.

"Go home!" Lily yelled from the door. "I absolutely refuse to let you shag in my cafe."

"Technically, we're not in your cafe, Red. We're behind it."

Marlene snorted, but Lily pointed towards the cafe's front door.

"Go celebrate at home. I'll close up without Marlene."

"Thanks, love." Marlene blew her a kiss and grabbed Sirius' hand. "I'll come in early the day after tomorrow."

"Because you'll be late tomorrow." Lily laughed. "Get out of here."

Sirius didn't wait for Lily to change her mind. He pulled Marlene out the door, dropping a quick kiss to Lily's cheek as they passed.

"Thanks, Red."

"Oh." Marlene stopped. "Tell James I'd like a word with him at some point."

Lily frowned but nodded. Sirius suspected she saw the same danger in Marlene's smile that he had.

Not willing to let anything more escalate, he pulled Marlene to the curb and his waiting motorcycle.

"Hey." She grabbed his shoulder before he could climb on. "I love you."

Sirius cradled her face again and kissed her in the fading sunlight.

"Black? Why are you kicking rocks at me?" Marlene came out of the shadows, her golden hair and blue eyes looking silver in the moonlight.

"Have to get your attention somehow."

Her blood red lips curved up in a small smile and Sirius smirked as some of the weight lifted from his chest.

"There are better ways to get a girl's attention."

Sirius shrugged. "Usually are but I'm a direct sort of bloke."

"Well your direct approach got my attention, what are you going to do with it?"

"Fancy a walk?"

She bit her bottom lip while he waited for her answer and Sirius wondered if she was deliberately toying with him.

"A walk under the stars? If I didn't know better I'd say you were trying to be romantic." Marlene tilted her head in the direction she'd come from and turned.

Two long strides and Sirius caught up to her.

"Then I wouldn't know you very well, would I?"

"If you know me so well, what would you do?"

The weight that had driven him from the dorms lifted a bit more and Sirius lazily dropped his arm around her shoulders. He wasn't sure when it happened, but Marlene was quickly becoming a safe place to hide from the harder parts of his life. And Sirius wanted to know if maybe he was hers too.

"Give you a place to hide where no one and nothing can find you except me until you're ready to face the world again."

She stopped walking and looked up at him, her eyes wide. He thought he'd screwed up, misjudged what he thought was between them. Then her hands tangled in his leather jacket.

"Would you stay with me in that place?" Her voice was barely louder than the gentle wind around them.

Sirius tightened his hold on her shoulders, pulling her closer. Marlene's eyes were locked on his, and all the humor he'd felt a moment ago had evaporated in the night air. He brought his free hand to brush a curl from her face.

"If one day I decided to leave, would you run away with me? Leave this insanity behind and not look back?"

She stepped closer, bringing her breath to mingle with his.

"You didn't answer my question."

Sirius pulled her against him, caught up in the heady feeling that always accompanied having Marlene this close. He rested his forehead against hers, his lips tilting up at the left when her eyes fluttered close.

"Do you want to hide with me?"

Her tongue darted out, wetting her lips and ensnaring him all the more.

"Would you think I'm weak?"

"I'm not the easiest bloke to get along with, if anything I'd think you crazy."

Marlene tilted her head up, her nose sliding against him as her lips came ever closer to his. Sirius refused to admit how difficult she made it to breathe.

"I'd run away with you." Her lips brushed his as she spoke.

He grinned against her, feeling her smile grow with his. "I'd stay with you."

The sigh that escaped her was cut off as Sirius gave in and brought his lips to Marlene's.

She drifted off for a much needed kip.

At some point, strong arms wrapped around her and she curled into Harry's embrace as he shifted them to share the chair.

"The children decided to go with your parents to see some of the game rooms."

"Good." Ginny yawned. "They can keep Dad out of trouble."

"Who's going to keep us out of trouble?" Harry nuzzled the side of her head.

Ginny tilted her head so that she could look up at him. "We have a suite, love."

"Not that I'm not willing." He brought his lips close enough to speak against her. "But I'm rather happy right here."

He pressed a soft kiss against her lips and Ginny melted into him, into the laziness of his pace, into the smell of sunscreen and chlorine and overpriced fizzy drinks.

"Me too."

"Good."

Harry shifted, bringing his hand to cup her cheek, his green eyes holding hers for a long moment before he leant in again. His lips caressed her, slow, savoring, as if he never wanted it to end. Ginny brought her hands to rest against his bare chest, sliding against his skin until her right hand found the beat of his heart, slow as his kiss. Harry's hand drifted from her cheek, meandering against her skin, tracing her, till coming to rest on her hip.

Their kisses slowed, the sun grew warmer, and before Ginny knew it, they both fell asleep.

Their children managed to find them and get them moving so dinner would not be missed. Showered and changed, children fed and currently raiding the dessert buffet with her parents, Ginny leant into Harry's arm around her shoulders.

"This was a good idea." She smiled up at him.

"I think the good idea was bringing both our children and your parents. I'd be far too tense to bring your parents on a Muggle cruise with only the two of us. And letting the kids run loose on their own isn't a good idea just yet. But having the five of them stick together lets me relax."

Ginny nodded, letting her eyes linger on the way his hair was getting a little long, the crinkle of skin around his eye as he smiled down at her, his green eyes shining behind his black rimmed glasses.

She leant into him, her kiss brushing his lips, her eyes fluttering close. Harry pressed forward, deepening the kiss, but not increasing the slow pace that had followed them from the poolside.

"I like you relaxed." She said, speaking each word between the brush of lips and teasing slides of tongue.

"I like you relaxed." His arm around her shoulder pulled closer.

"Ew! Mum! Dad! Gross!"

Ginny sighed and looked over to see their kids returning from the dessert buffet.

"Jamie, it's only kissing." She gave him the glare she'd learned from her mother.

"Doesn't mean you have to do it where I can see it." Jamie huffed and sat down in his seat.

"Where you can see what?" Arthur sat down next to him.

"Mum and Dad being gross." Jamie said around a mouthful of dessert.

"I was kissing my husband." Ginny rolled her eyes at her dad.

Arthur chuckled and winked at her.

"Well, I think I can help with that." He stood and pulled out Molly's chair for her as she helped Al and Lily with their plates. Once the two youngest were settled, Arthur pulled Molly into him and kissed her soundly.

"No!" Jamie cried and covered his eyes. "Not you too, Grandpa!"

"Is he going on about kissing again?" Molly laughed when Arthur released her.

"Seems to think we're scarring him." Ginny nodded.

Molly ruffled Jamie's hair. "One day when you're all grown, you won't mind kissing."

"I wish Teddy had come." Jamie looked back down at his plate, face nearly as red as Ginny's hair.

Ginny laughed, Teddy had already promised Vic he'd spend the Easter hols with her when the Potter's invited him on this cruise, and if things went the way Ginny thought, it would only take a year or so more before Teddy would be kissing a specific blonde haired, blue eyed niece of hers.

"We'll hold off for the sake of your sanity." Harry chuckled and squeezed Ginny's shoulder.

She turned to give him a bit of a pout. She had no intentions of stopping.

Harry kissed her nose.

"You reminded me earlier that we have a suite."

Ginny laughed and rested her forehead against his.

"Yes, I suppose we do."

They entertained their family for a few hours more before leading the children to bed and sending Arthur and Molly to watch the musical playing that evening.

Finally shut in their room, Ginny crossed the massive expanse of their bed to curl around her husband.

"Well, hello." He smiled down at her.

"You owe me kisses, Mr. Potter." She pouted.

Harry laughed. "Really? And how many kisses do I owe you, Mrs. Potter?"

"Well, you fell asleep by the pool."

"After you had already fallen asleep."

"And then you put off kissing me to appease our son."

"Which made the rest of the evening significantly more enjoyable for everyone."

"And the whole time we've been all alone in our room-"

"All five minutes."

"You've yet to resume kissing me."

Harry moved so fast, Ginny didn't see it coming. One minute, she was on her side wrapped around Harry, the next she was on her back with Harry looming above her.

"I don't care for debts." He smirked and slowly brought his lips within a breath of hers. "I think I'll pay you in full, plus a good amount extra."

"Then I'd be in debt to you." Ginny slipped her hands beneath his shirt and slid them along his chest.

"I'll be happy to have you pay me back when I'm done."

"But?" Lily pressed when James fell silent.

"It's nothing." He turned back to the stove.

Lily hopped off the counter and turned off the burner.

"What's wrong? I didn't think using a different brand of raspberry jam would be a big deal."

James shook his head and moved to the kitchen sink.

"I'm being ridiculous, Lils. Honestly, just ignore me."

Lily's blood boiled.

"I will do no such thing, you over dramatic lump! Now look at me and tell me what in the world is going on."

James stared down at the drain. His shoulders tensed and his hands gripped the counter on either side of the sink.

"James?" Lily moved to his side, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Evans-"

"It's Potter." She cut him off. "Has been for a few months now."

James chuckled. "I still have a hard time believing that sometimes."

"Don't change the subject. Why are you so upset about me buying a different brand of jam?"

"It doesn't matter, love."

"It matters to me; now tell me what's going on."

"It's not the raspberry jam Dad always bought." James' head dropped.

Lily's heart broke.

"Oh, James."

"I know, I know, it doesn't matter-"

"Come on." Lily pulled James away from the counter. "The market isn't closed, and we still have a few hours before Sirius and Marlene will be here."

"No, no I need to let it go."

"James, I will drag you out of this house by your shirt collar if you don't come willingly."

"But dinner-"

"Will still be here for us to make when we get back. Right now you need to show me what brand of jam your dad preferred."

James looked back at the ingredients he'd already pulled out. He started to shake his head 'no' but Lily cut him off again.

"No arguments, love."

She pulled his face between her hands and brought her lips to his. The ache in his heart pushed through in the details of his kiss. It was always the details with James. He took notice of every detail he could. He connected with people using details. He argued with people over details. He loved people in detail.

And when it came to missing his dead parents, James missed them in the details.

Like the right brand of raspberry jam.

"Dad bought Wilkin & Sons when he bought raspberry jam." James pulled back. "I'm sorry, I should have said before you went to the market."

Lily pressed up for another kiss, trying to pull some sadness from him.

"Come with me to buy it. It'll help."

James slid his hand along her waist. "You think so?"

"I know so." Lily stepped into him. "And if we hurry, we might even have time for other things before Sirius and Marlene get here."

A flicker of light hit James' eyes and Lily smirked up at him.

"It wouldn't hurt to try, I suppose." His smile still held a sadness to it, but he was smiling, a detail Lily didn't miss.

She didn't let him think twice. Lily had them out the door in under a minute and back at the market. The right brand in hand, James' smile lacked the sadness it had in their flat. Nostalgia painted his face as he rubbed his fingers over the label. His eyes told stories of this raspberry jam over hot scones and when it was made into a sauce for decadent puddings.

"Thank you." He murmured as they waited to pay.

Lily squeezed his arm. "Of course."

James looked around at the few people near them and leant close to her ear.

"Do you think there's still time for-" He kissed the shell of her ear. "Those other things you mentioned?"

"Keep that sort of thing up and we'll make time." Lily breathed and tried not to melt into a puddle on the floor in the market.

"I'll do just that then." He whispered as his fingers teased along the hem of her shirt.

Lily was shocked they made it back home before they made time for those other things.

It was all in the details with James. The light calluses on his fingers brushing against her skin, teasing, caressing, holding, gripping. The touch of his lips, tasting, savoring, feasting on the delicacy he found her to be. The rumble of his voice in his chest, her name it's continual reprise.

"We need to get dinner started." James nuzzled her neck.

"Do we have to?" Lily tangled her fingers deeper into his hair.

"Unless you want to listen to Sirius whine about how hungry he is when he gets here, yes."

"Alright." Lily groaned and pulled her hands from his hair.

"Hey." James kissed her again, a gentle and slow slide that pulled every ounce of breath out of her. "Thank you for helping me."

Lily pulled him back down to her, taking his breath to fill her lungs.

"You're welcome." She whispered.

Jamie’s shoulders slumped forward.

“What about you, Al?” 

Al’s head popped out of the clothes in the closet. “Nothing.”

“Maybe they didn’t get us anything.” Jamie sighed.

“Don’t be silly.” Teddy laughed. “They’re your parents. They got you something. And even if they didn’t, you haven’t been so bad that Father Christmas would forget you entirely.” 

“But last year we found them, and the year before that too.” 

“Then they probably hid them really well this year. Come on, let’s go back downstairs.”

Teddy chuckled as all the kids filed out of the Potter’s bedroom. He remembered when he used to act that way, snooping around for presents at Christmas time. He was more mature than that now. Now he’s trusted to help set out presents at the appointed time; and he knows that his family loves him enough to find presents he’ll like.

Jamie’s head was nearly down by his shoes as he slumped down the stairs and his older brother took pity on the poor lad.

“How about I get out the biscuits and what’s left of the wassail from yesterday and we can play a game till your parents get home?”

“Alright,” Jamie said with a little shrug of his slumped shoulders.

The game and sugar worked wonders and by the time Harry and Ginny were home, Jamie had forgotten all about snooping for presents.

“Thank you for watching them for us.” Ginny hugged him. “I’m sure there were better things to be doing than watching your god-siblings.”

“I don’t mind.” Teddy placed their mugs in the sink. “Oh, and you should know Jamie had them snooping in your room for presents.”

Harry chuckled. “He won’t find them there.”

“I didn’t think he would.” Teddy nodded. “But I thought I’d give you a heads up.”

“Have you done all your shopping?” Ginny put her hand on his shoulder. “I could take you tomorrow.”

“I got everything with Gran when the train came in. She said we were already in London and might as well take advantage of it.”

“Smart woman, your Gran.” Harry smiled. “Now why don’t you run on up to bed and we’ll get you back home in the morning.”

Teddy wished them both goodnight and headed for the stairs.

“You know.” Ginny’s voice was quiet. “I’m going to take a lot of joy one day in telling Jamie that all the presents were right in front of him the whole time.” 

Teddy paused, curious if she’d reveal the hiding place.

After all, he should know so as to steer Jamie in the wrong direction.

“That spot only works for as long as I don’t need my cloak for work.” Harry’s voice was almost too quiet to be heard.

“I’ll be sure to ask Father Christmas to keep all the baddies away until Christmas.”

“You’ll need to ask him to keep the kids off the ceilings as well, then.”

Teddy’s jaw dropped, and he looked above him. 

His godparents had hid the presents on the ceiling and then covered them with Harry’s invisibility cloak? Jamie would never even think to check the ceiling! Teddy wasn’t even supposed to know Harry had the cloak, but he’d eves dropped from this same spot before and heard about it then. 

Satisfied that Jamie wouldn’t be able to ruin his Christmas surprises, Teddy walked up the stairs to his room.

“He’s in his room.” Harry wrapped his arms around Ginny’s waist and kissed her neck.

“Do you think he believed us?” 

“Of course he did, or he wouldn’t have gone upstairs.” Harry kissed her again, ready to move their conversation on to other things.

“Hold that thought.” 

Ginny slipped from his arms and laughed at the pout Harry gave her for that. She picked up her wand and brought the box of old mugs down from atop the refrigerator. Then pulled the last of the Christmas gifts from the bags and shrunk them down to fit inside the mugs. She placed the box back on top of the refrigerator.

“There.” She slid up against him. “Now, where were we?”

Harry pulled her close and spoke low against her ear. “Somewhere along these lines.”

Ginny’s response was a quiet moan as she melted into him.

“Take me to bed, Mr. Potter.”

“With pleasure, Mrs. Potter.”

Harry swept her into his arms and up the stairs to their room. No one was going to be finding their presents early, not even Ginny.

"You'll get used to it. You just haven't had the training ground the lads and I have for the last few years. After a while you won't even notice them doing it anymore."

"Merlin, I hate them." She blew her fringe from her eyes. "Driving me mad for no good reason."

"You're possibly the worst liar on Earth, you know that right?" Sirius relented and sat down on the floor next to her. "You love Lily too much to hate her, and James is almost as much your brother as he is mine."

"Don't ruin this with facts. They won't snog and have it done with only to make me hate them. It's all a plan to send me to an early grave."

"Marly, Marly, Marly." Sirius bright his lips back to her neck. "Let them be idiots while you enjoy that you're ten times as bright because you don't deny yourself the simple pleasures of life." 

She arched into him and Sirius grinned. 

"See, no need to let them upset you."

"I'm going to make them get together." Marlene pulled the tie from his hair and drug her nails against his scalp. It felt so good her words almost didn't register. 

Almost.

"Marlene." Sirius pulled back.

"No, Sirius, we're doing this now." She brought her lips to his, and as much as Sirius wanted to ignore the obvious problem for the gorgeous woman in front of him, Sirius only kissed her for a minute longer before pulling back.

"We can't make them be together."

"Of course I can. They just have to believe it was their idea and not mine."

"Awfully confident aren't you?"

She moved to straddle him. "I mean, history says I kind of have the right to be."

Sirius took a long moment to enjoy the view, really considering if it was worth pushing back.

"Marlene."

She placed a black nailed finger against his lips before bringing her mouth to his. 

"Trust me."

"I'm going to regret this, aren't I?" He gripped her hips.

"No, one day soon, you're going to thank me."

"I'm always polite, Marls."

He felt her chuckle more than he heard it. "And I appreciate it, but one day soon, you'll thank me for removing a problem from all of our lives."

"And how soon before I can thank you for other things?" He drug his lips along her chin. 

She let him kiss her skin for several moments before turning to capture his lips with hers. "That depends entirely on you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

James swung his broom over his shoulder and walked back from the Quidditch pitch as the sun was just cresting the trees. He enjoyed these early morning flying sessions. At first he resented that being Head Boy made early morning the only time he could get a good session in, but after the first few weeks he had come to enjoy these quiet hours of solitude.

But his solitude was suddenly interrupted as he looked towards the Black Lake.

"Lily?"

She didn't hear him as she sat a hundred yards or so from the shore, watching the sun climb the horizon.

He almost left her to her thoughts. He almost walked right back into the castle. 

Almost.

"Wouldn't have thought you're the type to sit alone and watch the sunrise." James sat down on Lily's blanket with her.

"I wasn't supposed to be alone."

James nearly had a panic attack. Was Lily meant to be on a date right now?

"Marlene made a whole todo about wanting to see the sunrise with me this morning. When I woke up, she wasn't in her bed and I figured she was already out here."

James let out an explosive breath. "Marlene is in Sirius' bed."

"I should have known." Lily shook her head. "She went to sleep in her bed last night."

James chuckled. "She came into our dorm around one or so in the morning."

"Well, at least I got to see the sunrise."

"A much better view than Sirius in the morning." 

Lily laughed, a clear and joyous sound that made James' chest ache.

"I'm glad you happened to be out flying. I don't feel as put out now that I'm not on my own."

"You know, I fly every morning." James pushed his hand into his hair. "Anytime you want someone to watch the sunrise with, I'm your man."

Lily smiled up at him. "Maybe I'll make an effort to watch a few more sunrises then."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

James glared at Sirius as he sat down on James' textbook in the library.

"What, Sirius?"

"McGonagall's looking for you?" 

James frowned. He'd met with Lily and Minnie not two hours ago. What could she possibly want from him now."

"She said she'd be in the Head's Office."

Aggravated at the interruption, James gave Sirius a shove to free the textbook. 

"Honestly, Potter, a simple please does wonders."

"So does not sitting on other people's property." James shoved the book into his bag. Potions were boring, hopefully Minnie needed some transfiguration help. "Thanks for letting me know she was looking for me."

"Enjoy!" Sirius called after him, getting a harsh shush from Madam Pince.

James made his way to the Head's Office but when he opened the door he froze. Lily was sitting at her desk, face down in a textbook, passed out cold.

"Lily?" 

She didn't respond and James briefly considered waiting for Minnie outside the office. She must be exhausted to fall asleep in such an uncomfortable position, especially when a couch sat not five feet away from her. 

Her neck and shoulders were going to kill her when she woke up. He wouldn't be surprised if her legs were already asleep. 

James looked at the couch and then looked back at Lily.

But if he moved her to the couch…

It was a bad idea. He had worked hard this first month of school to be sure that he never made her feel like he was looking at her with anything other than respect and friendship. He had pushed away every desire for something more, locking how much he wished she wanted him the way he wanted her behind iron walls.

But he couldn't leave her asleep like that.

James set his bag on the floor and against his better judgment, moved to where Lily slept. She fit perfectly in his arms as he shifted her gently out of her chair, her head coming to rest against his shoulder. 

"What?"

"Shh. We're just getting you to the couch."

"James?"

"It's me." Reluctant to set her down, James waited for her answer.

But she didn't respond, having fallen back asleep against his shoulder. 

He should have put her down and walked out of the room. 

He should have waited for Minnie outside.

He shouldn't have turned and sat down on the couch with her pressed against him as he cradled her in his arms.

He shouldn’t have brushed his lips across her hairline.

And when Lily woke up, he shouldn’t have told her it wasn’t a big deal that he’d let her sleep on him for the better part of an hour. 

He completely forgot about Minnie.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Took you long enough, I’ve been waiting.” 

Lily looked over at Marlene from the portrait hole. “For what?”

“For you. I need your help.” Marlene pushed off from the armchair she was lounging in. She picked up a jumper from the floor and tossed it to her. “Get this back to James for me, would you?”

Lily felt her blood run cold. Marlene only had a bloke’s jumper for one reason. 

“For Merlin’s sake! Your face!” Marlene laughed. “I grabbed it by accident last night thinking it was Sirius’!” 

Lily gasped as she felt like she could breathe again. 

“Don’t worry, Sirius keeps me plenty entertained. I don’t need to go bed hopping in that dorm.”

“Wait, why don’t you just give it back to Sirius?” She ran her hand along the soft knitting of James’ jumper. 

Maybe she could just keep it?

“Because Sirius doesn’t know I grabbed the wrong jumper and I would much rather not give him the satisfaction of knowing that I did.” Marlene blew her a kiss and then slipped out of the Common Room before Lily could argue with her.

Lily stared at the closed portrait door, her fingers still sliding along the jumper. 

What had just happened?

After getting knocked by a student entering the Common Room, Lily decided to go hide in the Head’s Office. 

Not hiding; she was waiting for James. Not that he usually returned to the Head’s Office after they’d finished planning rounds. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t wait for him there. He’d end up in the Head’s Office. Eventually. 

This was all Marlene’s fault. The day Lily had passed out at her desk, Marlene had kept her up till half four with questions about the Muggle world. It was Marlene’s fault she’d fallen asleep. It was Marlene’s fault Lily had woken up not only in James’ arms but on his lap. If it hadn’t been for that, everything would have been fine. But now, she could barely look him in the eye, let alone hand him back his jumper. 

It was so soft. 

Maybe she’d try it on. James wouldn’t have reason to come back to the Head’s Office. He’d never know…

Before she could realize how bad an idea that was, Lily pulled James’ jumper over her head. 

It was unbelievably soft. How did James focus on anything with jumpers this soft?

“Is that my jumper?”

Lily screamed and spun from where she sat on the couch to face the door.

“James.”

His eyes were locked on his jumper and Lily struggled to find a plausible reason that not only did she have his jumper but that she was currently wearing it. 

“I-” Words failed her. 

She shouldn’t have put the jumper on. If she’d left it off she could have just smiled at James, mentioned Marlene’s predicament, and they could have laughed it off. Now she’d made a fool of herself by putting it on. 

“It, it looks good on you.” His voice was graveled and Lily thought his eyes looked wider. 

“At least it’s not orange.” 

Lily blinked as she realized those words had come out of her mouth. 

James smirked. “I don’t know, I think you’d look great in orange.”

The laughter bubbled out of her and James quickly followed. 

“Here.” She started to pull the jumper off, but James shook his head. 

“Don’t. You should probably just keep it.” He picked up a folded up piece of parchment from his desk. “I’ll see you later.”

Lily watched the door close behind him, not able to keep the smile off her face. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lily laughed as she walked through Hogsmeade with James. Their friends had been with them, but at some point there was confusion about where they were going and James and Lily had ended up on their own.

"This is nice." She smiled up at him. "I love our friends, but sometimes they're a bit wild, except Remus."

"Remus is going to be so smug when I tell him you singled him out as the sane one." 

Lily shivered as she laughed. 

"Here." James wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. "I'll help keep you warm."

"I should have worn your jumper." 

"Yes, you definitely should have." James teased her. "Why didn't you?"

Lily was distracted by a group of third years running down the street, playing tag by the looks of it.

"Lils?"

"I wear it to sleep in." She moved towards the third-years, set on reminding them to behave themselves, when her words registered in her own ears. 

Lily froze.

"I can't believe I just told you that."

James didn't answer, and Lily couldn't bring herself to look at him. They stood there in silence, his arm still partially wrapped around her shoulders, her body turned to where the third-years had been but were no longer.

And then that strong arm was guiding her back around to look at him.

"Do you really?"

"I-" Lily bit her lip and tried to turn away but James held fast.

"Lily."

"James."

"Do you really wear my jumper to sleep in?"

She shouldn't have said anything. She shouldn't have told him. She shouldn't have spent the last two weeks with his jumper under her pillow, pulling it on after she'd drawn the curtains every night.

"Er, yes." She closed her eyes waiting for the teasing she was sure to endure along with James' laughter.

Instead of teasing and laughter, two gentle hands cupped her face and guided her eyes up to his.

"That kind of information gives a bloke ideas about how you might feel for him." 

"It doesn't give a woman any ideas about how he feels about her though." Lily brought her hands up to tangle in his cloak.

"Knowing you sleep in my jumper makes playing the long game immensely harder."

"You're playing the long game?"

There was the slightest hesitation in his response.

"For you, Evans, I'm playing for keeps." He brought his forehead to rest against hers. "Is that enough of an idea for you?"

Lily could barely pull a full breath as she stared into James' eyes, and her answer came out in a whisper.

"I think so."

James tilted their heads until he was close enough to speak against her lips. "And do you think you'd be alright with this?"

"I don't think I'd be alright without it."

She felt James smirk against her.

"Good, because I can't wait any longer." And then he brought his lips to hers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Now you may thank me." Marlene pushed Sirius back against the wall in the Three Broomsticks while they waited for a place at the bar. 

Marlene sighed into him as Sirius moved his hands beneath her leather jacket. 

“Am I thanking you for snogging me in public now?”

“If you want to, I won’t argue.” Marlene ran her nails along his scalp. “But I’m talking specifically about that problem I told you I was removing from our lives.”

“All they needed was to be left alone in Hogsmeade, eh?” 

“And everything we’ve done leading up to this.” 

SIrius kissed her neck before biting down on her pulse point and Marlene gripped his hair as she pulled closer to him. 

“Not that I don’t believe you, but how do you know they’ve sorted themselves out?”

Marlene chuckled and pulled back just enough to gesture out the window. “James’ tongue down Lily’s throat enough evidence for you?”

Sirius’ smile went soft as he watched their friends snog in the street. It caught Marlene off guard and her heart melted as she watched his face. 

“You’re amazing, you know that?” Sirius looked back at her, his gaze intense as his gray eyes held hers. 

“A woman always likes to be told.” Marlene tried to keep her tone light, but her words came out breathless. 

“How badly do you want this drink?” He rested his forehead against hers. 

“Can you make it back to the castle?”

“Don’t worry, I know a shortcut.”

With one more searing kiss, Sirius pulled her out the door, past their still snogging friends, and down the secret passage back to the castle, where he made sure she knew exactly how grateful he was that she’d pushed James and Lily together.