Amos had been glad his father pushed him so hard to become a prefect. No, really. As much as he hated walking around the corridor at night with the intention of punishing students, he was glad that he got to meet so many people, and help them ââ he even often let them go with a warning and escorted them to their common rooms safely. After all, the castle was large, and hard to navigate after nightfall, especially for the younger students he caught out at night, often having lost their way. Besides that, it certainly came with its benefits: professors treated him a little nicer, the authority was pleasant when he needed it, and, best of all, he got to relax in a beautiful, private bathroom.
There he sat in the large pool of a bathtub, filled to the brim with warm water and bubbles, the air filled with steam and the scent of lavender, chamomile, and rose; it was a blend of essential oils his mother had used when she bathed him as a child, and he continued to use to this day to bring a small bit of home and comfort into his life. He was completely relaxed, all but his face within the warm water, as he felt his entire body at ease from the heat, and his head cleared by the aroma surrounding him.Â
It was when he heard wet footsteps that his feeling of relaxation was broken, as he knew he was no longer alone. Well, he didnât mind sharing a bath with another one of the prefect boys ââ it wasnât like they hadnât before, and the bath was certainly big enough for multiple people to have their own time of relaxation. He pushed himself up to sit on the edge, his head of damp hair, his face beaded with sweat, and the upper half of his torso slowly coming out from beneath the bubbles as he looked to see who had joined him. Eyes widened at the sight of long, red hair, alerting him that it was not another boy who had come to join him.Â
His face felt warm and his cheeks turned red, even more so at the eye contact that had then been made between the two. At the sight of a startled, blushing Lily Evans arms splashed from the water to grab his towel and cover his bare chest, as if he had anything to hide, and he, too, looked away, up into the designs of the glass windows, or the vaulted ceilings, or really anywhere but the girl he caught in the middle of disrobing.Â
âOh, no no no, itâs quite alright!â he insisted loud enough to hear his voice echo from the walls, before he used his hands against the edge of the bath to bring himself to the farthest side of the bath from her, staring into the direction he was moving and definitely not at her. Placing his towel back on the ledge and being sure he was sitting so that anything below his bellybutton was hidden under a nice, opaque layer of bubbles. It was for her sake, more than his; he didnât really have any qualms about being seen half naked, and didnât really buy into any sense of modesty when it came to that sort of thing, but he certainly understood that others may not be so comfortable with that and didnât wish to weird her out. He quickly added, a little quieter this time, âItâs no worries! Tons of the other prefects come in during my baths all the time. And donât worry, Iâm not looking!â
âI can leave, if youâd like! I can take a bath later,â he insisted, glancing at her face and her face only for a second before averting his gaze back up to the ceiling, pretending to admire the architecture. He laughed and grinned, as a reaction for when he had no idea how else to react to the situation. âItâs no problem, I promise. Iâll go if you want!â
Two blushing fools in a bathroom, and all Lily could do, really, was laugh. This was beyond awkward, and Lily certainly felt foolish, but after the last several months of insanity she had endured (and put herself through) it felt pretty good to laugh. She wasnât looking at Amos, and Amos wasnât looking at her. Heâd covered himself, and moved, then uncovered himself, and Lily definitely was not looking at him through the corner of her eye as she shifted her weight, trying to figure out her next move.Â
She could turn and bolt, certainly, and she didnât think Amos would fault her for that. She could get in the bath like sheâd intended all along, and heâd said himself that he wouldnât mind if she did, silly as that seemed to her. Where was the bold Lily from a few months back who had found the courage to say what she wanted and go after it? Where was she? That girl had gotten naked, or nearly so, with James Potter several times, and not once had she felt shy about it. That girl had also let herself believe that a secret relationship was the best move, though, and look at how that had turned out. This was just a bath, a huge bath at that.Â
âYou were here, first,â she pointed out, dipping her head as she laughed softly once more. âIâm the one who barged in.â When she looked (no, glanced, because she definitely wasnât looking) towards Amos again, she found him with his head high, staring at the ceiling, and she shook her head at herself, both for being silly, and for the Marlene-style move she knew was coming. With Amosâ attention technically elsewhere, Lily loosened her hold on the robe, and let it slip off of her, stepping into the bath in the seconds that followed. She quickly found the nearest ledge to plant herself on, pulling what bubbles she could towards her person to help keep herself modest. âYou donât have to leave, Amos, donât be silly. Besides, now that Iâve joined you, you almost have to stay to avoid hurting my feelings,â she added teasingly.
The water was just as relaxing as sheâd been hoping for before intruding on Amos, and Lily leaned back against the edge of the bath, grateful, not for the first time, that her smaller stature was lending a hand in keeping her less visible beneath the water even as the bubbles dissipated some. âI canât say that Iâve ever shared a bath with anyone before, though.â This time, she did look over at Amos, giving him a bright, teasing smile. âI usually lock the door from the inside so that no one will barge in on me, even when they have the password.â She raised an eyebrow, her grin slowly turning more smirk-like. âBut I suppose a fit Quidditch star like yourself doesnât have any reason to shy away from admirers hoping to sneak a peek, eh?â