Dec. 3: Open Your Eyes: Lily

[James Potter]

☀︎ [IT'S JILY'S FIRST DATE YALL CAN YOU FEEL THE MAGIC IN THE AIR]

Nothing could get James Potter down today.

Nothing.

As he checked permission slip after permission slip, shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the most aggravating prefects he'd ever known, the Head Boy couldn't keep a smile from his face, not even for a moment. Because right across the path was Lily, and whenever he looked up from the slip handed to him he got to see her, sometimes catching her eye and grinning. And after this business was taken care of? The day was theirs. While asking her out hadn't gone as smoothly as he would've wanted, seeing as he'd tripped over his words nearly as badly as he'd tripped over his skates, Lily had agreed. Honestly, truly, only-slightly-hesitantly, agreed. And while the Head Girl had suggested that they find someplace a little more private than The Three Broomsticks to spend their time, rather than letting that puncture his ego, James decided to roll with it.

It was understandable, after all - the whole school congregated within the pub, it seemed, and seeing as they were the Head Students, and seeing as their past was anything but private...It was better for them to start out without everyone's eyes on them, adding to the pressure that she was surely feeling right along with him. James had a few ideas in mind, from exploring the WWN Headquarters to bypassing the village and diverting to the forest or lake instead, but to him, the wheres of today hardly mattered. The important thing, the exciting thing, was that Lily knew this was a date. And she'd still said yes. That hurdle successfully tackled, James felt confident going into their day. Sure, he'd had a minor freak-out of sorts in the dorm last night, but that had gotten almost all of his nerves out, and Sirius had helped him figure out what to wear, which was calming in and of itself. Because, really - the pair had spent nearly full days together before. This term had forced them into companionship, and so the only new addition today was that...he was being honest about how he'd been feeling for years. And while that was frightening, seeing as she could absolutely stomp on his heart if she wanted to - James felt, truly, that she didn't want that. Not anymore.

And so, as the line of students faded, and the prefects started grouping off and heading down towards the village, James strode across the width of the path. Without breaking stride, he swept up Lily's hand in his and began following the prefects at a leisurely pace. "Still think you might like this?" James teased, shooting his grin to the beauty as he nudged her shoulder with his.

[Lily Potter]

"If you thought I wouldn't know that you signed this Travers, well, it makes me question what you've really learned in the last four years." Lily handed the permission slip back, eyeing the boy with a serious glare. Really? Who did he think he was getting over on? Shaking her head as the younger student sulked back into the castle something across the way caught her attention and now, that quick, she was smiling again.

James. She had seen James Potter, and it had made her smile, had caused butterflies to range free in her belly, and in her heart, an uneven beat. If someone had told her a year ago she would agree to go on a date with the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, and actually be excited about it, she would have suggested that someone make a trip to the permanent ward in St. Mongu's. It was amazing how things had changed so drastically this year. She had learned and grown so much. And so had James.

Her attention was pulled back to her task as more students vied for her, wanting to get off to Hogsmead as soon as possible. The Head Girl couldn't be angry with them for that, she herself wanted to get off the school grounds with a speed she never had before. Some of her old fears tried breaking through her anticipation then, thinking of fleeing in a different way, but Lily filed them away with practiced ease. She and Willa had gone over her reservation at length last night, mainly the want to not hurt James. What if she was wrong and they were better just as friends? What if he didn't want to be friends after that? How would they go about working together after that? Stop it! No, she had gone through this, and her mind was made up: they both deserved to give this a shot.

"Hey, you." Lily said, half surprised and half thrilled when James suddenly appeared and took up her hand. "And well, the jury's still out on that Potter." she teased, pointedly swinging their linked fingers up to eye level. "But it's good so far." she added honestly. She glanced around, wanting to take in as much as possible. This was a singular day in her life, after all. They were walking slower than normal -having no meeting to run to, or patrols to do, or, in her case, studying- and so, soon the crowd to Hogsmead had outstripped them, and they were nearly alone. Lily tucked in a little closer to him against the cold. She and her friends often walked closely in this way to protect better against the elements, but this admittedly felt different. She glanced up at James, smiling as she so often did now. "So, what's on the agenda today?"

[James Potter]

"Good - never known you to do something you didn't want to, so I think the jury's leaning our way," James returned confidently with a squeeze to her hand, hoping he wasn't pushing her too fast with jumping into holding her hand right off the bat. But the temptation had been too great for him to resist; he'd only wanted this day, in earnest, since fifth year. And every day after this. Holding himself back before had led to fights between them, as he'd channeled frustrations into bickering, or sometimes tense silences this fall, as he'd bitten his tongue as much as he could about her and Wood. In short - holding him back had led to lack of growth between them. Today, for James, the real test...was if he could just be while around her. Keep swinging her hand playfully, look into her brilliant eyes whenever she turned them his way, say what was on his mind and in his heart, show how happy he really was to be here with her...and Lily still wanting to see him again, even afterwards.

And so as the girl edged closer to him, the pair of them separating further from the pack, James let the little spark in his chest grow and glow. Sure, she was probably just coming closer because the wind was picking up, but still. Get you inside soon, Evans. Or otherwise warmed up. But when she spoke...

"Agenda?" James crinkled his nose as he looked down at her, although his face was shortly transforming into a smile again as he went on to tease her. Their lives during this term had been defined by agendas, from their daily schedules to their nightly meetings, and he was ready for a break. "That's a dirty word today, Evans. No timetables, no required appearances, no meeting notes...all right?" He raised his brows at her, caught between seriousness and jest, before continuing on. "Have some things in mind, but they're adaptable to whatever you'd like to do. Do you really want to know? Or can I surprise you?"

[Lily Potter]

Lily laughed. "I think you're right Potter, the jury may just be leaning your way this time, at long last." She glanced over at him to gauge his reaction to that. It wasn't often anymore she brought up their past when he had fancied her and she had thought him a complete waste. They seemed like completely different people now and it didn't always feel right to bring up, but she felt it was alright now. The Head students appeared to the girl to both be in the perfect mood for light-hearted, teasing conversation.

"Yes agenda." the redhead returned quickly and with a grin. Then she fell silent to listen to what James had to say, pervishly focusing on the fact that he had said "dirty word'. Why was she smiling so stupidly? She looked away to keep from letting him see the change in her eyes as he posed his question. But her smile came easily and she glanced back up at him with an open face. "Alright." she agreed. They both needed this day to just be...students. Teenagers. Two people on a date. She could live without a timetable for one day, and knowing everything too; she didn't need to always be in control, surprises were nice sometimes. "Ummm, I think, for a change, I'd like to be surprised. Show me what you have planned."

Besides, she couldn't for the life of her think of one single thing she wanted to do today. She just wanted to spend the day with the boy -man?- beside her and see if what she thought she was feeling was real. She owed it to herself, and James, to give this an honest shot, and that's all she had in mind. Well, that, and what it would be like if she was wrong. If there was nothing significantly romantic between them. Lily swallowed, slowing her pace until they were at a stop, nearly to Hogmead. She couldn't wait, she couldn't let them go through a whole date and then decide she wanted to just be friends. "James," she began, unsure really of what she was looking for. She looked up into his warm gaze and alas, words tumbled from her lips despite her blank mind. "Today, I um...Are you going to kiss me?" 

[James Potter]

James quirked a brow over to his date at that, unable to stop a surprised laugh from tumbling out of him shortly after. He brought their clasped hands to his chest, glad to say the least that this was something she felt they could joke about now. Wouldn't do that if she wasn't feeling it. Long gone, with any luck, were the days that Lily insisted he was a - what had been her favorite phrase? - arrogant toe-rag. And gone were the days that he'd earned that...endearment. "Merlin's beard, you mean this isn't a dream?" Chuckling, he let their hands fall back between them, admittedly appreciative of her acknowledgement that this was something he'd been wanting for so long. It meant she'd really thought about them, hadn't just accepted this date on a whim. Because she wouldn't put their growth at jeopardy, not when they'd come so far from who they'd been, even from the start of term...

Thankfully, it seemed like Lily was trying to be open to him and what this could be. Their hours together was often spent in regimented work time, spiced up with levity, but always with some sort of overhanging deadline or goal to meet. Today? Today, honestly, James didn't quite care what it was they did. They could explore the shops, the radio station, the forest - where they were wasn't exactly important. Just that they were together, and enjoying the day. So he just grinned back at her as she seemed close to laughing, nodding at her agreement. "Grand! If you get cold just say the word and we'll head inside, okay?" 

The storefronts were peeking into view as they neared the last of the trees separating them from the wizarding village, but instead of progressing into it, James slowed his steps as his partner did, looking over at her curiously. For the first time that day, he felt a flutter of anxiety streak through him as they came to a stop - She's not backing out, is she? - but that turned out to be...wholly unwarranted. He met Lily's eye as she tried to get something out, and nearly laughed in relief when she finally was able to speak. He'd figured he'd wait a little while, make sure she was feeling good about them, before testing the waters even more. But out here at the edge of the woods, snowflakes lazily drifting down around them, the sounds of students in the village muffled...couldn't ask for a more romantic spot. He could almost hear his mates yelling at him to just go for it already - some had been positively put out that he hadn't acted yesterday in the carriage - and he was in absolute agreement. In his gut, James knew that there was a slight pressure on this, their first kiss. For him, it would hopefully be confirmation that he hadn't been mad to be so preoccupied with this girl for years. That their attraction wasn't in his head, that he hadn't been wasting his time and energy getting to this point. For her...couldn't it prove that it wasn't a bad thing for her to let herself fall for him?

"Yeah, Evans," he said quietly, releasing her hand so he could brush her bright hair back from her winter-chilled cheek, "I am." With that, James cupped her face with warm hands and moved in, catching her soft lips earnestly with his. A moment in and he knew: this wasn't like kissing Doe - Did right to drop me, Meadowes, Merlin's sake. -  or one of the other girls he'd dated. However fun that had been, none had ignited something within him like this was. This felt...intuitive, and however trite it sounded, it just felt right. He didn't want it to stop, even though he felt that if he was feeling all of this, surely Lily was too, so there could be more moments for this. And so maybe, in his elation, he let the kisses go on a little longer than needed...Stop me when you're ready, Lily...James pulled back, smile unstoppable, hazel eyes aglow as they met hers, heart thumping approvingly in his chest. He raised his eyebrows at her in a silent question as he gently secured her hat, as it was nearly falling off. Please show me that was as good for you as it was for me?

[Lily Potter]

He made her laugh. Really laugh; that belly clenching, cheek hurting laugh she had been missing since... Anyway, if she telling all her secrets, she would admit that he had always made her laugh. Even in the days that she had despised him for his arrogant, bullying ways, he had amused her sometimes. It was easier now to allow that amusement to flow and she laughed freely, assuring him that it wasn't a dream by the way she held fast to his hand. "It's not a dream, sir. I assure you." she told him solemnly, followed by a quirk of her lips. 

Indeed, she needed the reminding too. If you had told fifteen-year-old Lily Evans that she would, in short order, no longer have her oldest friend and also be excited about holding hands and being alone with James Potter on an actual /date? Well, she did have a mean bat boogy hex in her arsenal you may have found yourself on the other end of. But, it wasn't a dream, it was real. At least, she hoped her feelings were the real thing. It was a little hard to decipher with all the other strange feelings concerning their relationship. Mostly good...all good recently, if she was being honest. "Yea, sure." she said distractedly to his question. "If my fingers start turning blue I'll clue you in." She added lamely, trying to not let herself think too much about what was happening.

Then she was asking James if was going to kiss her of all things! A rather bold thing to ask, for her at least; it took even the redhead by surprise. In fact, James recovered well in time before she did and Lily found herself...quite enthralled. They were kissing, full on lip locked and Lily realized she was an active partner in it. james may have been the one to initiate it but the Head Girl caught on quickly and soon had a hand wrapped around her dates neck, just as invested in their intimate moment as he was. Parts of her...tingled strangely, but familiarly. She had felt this before, but never so acute, and never so concentrated. She felt a thrill of relief as well, this was what she wanted. James Potter was what she wanted.

When James pulled back, an undeniably satisfied look on his face, Lily was certainly disheveled. Her cheeks were pink from the excitement of their first kiss, her breathing a little labored but returning to normal, and her heart was doing uneven, lurching beats in her chest. The Head Boy reached out to adjust her hat and Lily chuckled, adding that to the list of reasons why she was currently off kilt. The thought had never occurred to her that she may be in danger of getting hurt, it did not. But she didn't let it scare her, she filed it away for later and gave James a larger smile, leaning in and giving him another kiss, unable to help herself. It was a shorter kiss but no less full of heat. When she stepped back she was biting her lip. "You know Potter, I think I could get used to this."

[James Potter]

He couldn't be anything but happy as Lily laughed with him, holding his hand more tightly as if to confirm that he wasn't asleep. James had to laugh in turn, looking at her with quizzical amusement, as the lass called him sir. He didn't think he could get away with calling her "milady" or anything of the like, and just grinned along with her. But it wasn't too long before his date started getting in her head about something - Oh come on, not "something," this. - and the slightest worry hit his gut. He'd only asked her out the night before, so theoretically she'd only had the night to really think about today. But...James felt that she'd known this was coming sooner or later. Once she and Tommy were done, and the pair of them had grown so comfortable...are you more worried about this will going well, or that it won't? A successful day meant admitting, on some level, that he'd been right; and James thought he knew how painful of an admission that would be for someone who had once thought dating the Giant Squid was a better option than him. But could Lily be concerned about the day failing and dealing with the aftermath of that? When they still had half a year to spend here together, unavoidably?...

However sincerely the girl had assured him before that this wasn't a dream, James wasn't entirely convinced of that as she essentially asked him to kiss her. And then Lily Evans, the Lily Evans, was kissing him back. Damn sure feels real. Her hand found purchase at the back of his neck and, at the reassurance, his slid from her cheeks down to her hips. Pulling her closer to him, that fire he'd felt for her for years, felt from her for just as long - even when he hadn't known it was romantic, something had fueled their endless competition and banter - was for the first time not just stoked...but let free to burn like wildfire. Altogether too soon, James got a handle on himself and pulled back enough to see her. Flushed and excited, positively flustered, looking at him with eyes he'd never seen before, not this close, not with this look. So it was good for you too, he thought, unabashedly cocky smirk in place as he nearly sang a thousand I told you so's. Instead - James, quite satisfied with the test, and feeling as though she could read him well enough to know what was on his mind, fixed her hat as Lily let out a soft laugh.

He grinned at her, tucking a stray brilliant strand behind her ear before her own smile widened, and suddenly her lips were catching his. Caught off guard - and loving it, mind you - James smiled into the kiss, coming out laughing in relief and joy. You're never going to stop smiling. This is actually happening. It's real. For as much as he thought he'd built this up in his head, this was simply more than he'd ever been able to conjure up. Lily, looking surprised at herself but happy, giving the encouragement he'd hoped for... "I could too," he replied simply. While James didn't think he'd ever truly "get used" to kissing her, holding her hand, looking at her and finding her looking back at him with just as much feeling...he was so ready for that to become his norm. Caught up in it all, damn near feeling like he could fly, words failed the Head Boy and he just smiled before stepping closer and wrapping his arms around her. He needed a moment to just soak this in, and almost hoped she could feel how fast she had his heart beating under his sweater. "What d'you think of sticking by the lake?" James asked quietly, nodding off towards the nearby shore. It was true that they'd just hiked about half of it, and as much as he thought he may've liked the attention of others on them, or the distractions that the shops had to offer, James wasn't finding himself fancying their time being interrupted by anyone else today. 

[Lily Potter]

They shared a smile and bashful looks after their kiss(es), both seemingly in a state of shock and excitement. James, bless him, pulled her out of her own thoughts. All million of them. "No, no, staying by the lake is fine I think." Suddenly, Lily wanted nothing more to be alone -or as alone as they could be- with James Potter. For the more kissing bit, but also just for the longing for peace, something neither of them came across easily nowadays.

She did still have things she wanted to do in the village, shopping that needed completing before the hols, but for the time being... "At least for a little while, let's just walk. Maybe we can double back to the One-Eyed Witch's Pass? Take it into Hogsmead?" Just walking with her fellow Head this way was giving the redhead such a sense of contentment that she could barely think of leaving their solitude for the masses. But she couldn't let this new love potential distract her from the rest of her life. She had to maintain her balance. Even if she wanted to lock away in the common room with James and really get to know one another.

There was a lull then as they found the passage and though it wasn't awkward in the least, Lily felt the want for conversation. Where to start though? There was so much they had never spoken of over the years and so much still that they had. Especially in recent weeks when they had really become friends and partners. She had learned a lot about him then and had even shared some of her own personal life with him, even the parts that just...sucked. He was definitely more interesting than she was, even if no-one knew it. "I still can't believe you're an animagus." Lily shook her head, smiling fondly up at her counterpart. "It should be impossible. Some people, grown witches, and wizards, work years at it and still cannot find their form. And you, a school-aged boy..." she shook her head again, chuckling to herself before wondering out loud. "I wonder what my animagus form would be."

[James Potter]

"Aw hell, listen to you," James bemoaned fondly, smiling down at her. "The One-Eyed Witch's Pass? Do I not have anything left to teach you?" The walk back to and through the castle to the humpbacked statue was a quiet one, James content to just be with her in companionship. But after they slid into the tunnel and lit their wands to guide the winding way to Honeyduke's cellar, breath frosting in the chill of the stale air, he was brought out of his wandering thoughts by the unexpected praise from Lily.

"I rather enjoy doing the impossible." Not too long ago that I thought this may not ever happen. While his neck flushed crimson at her words, James grinned and reached for her hand to hold as they continued down the path, wandlight leading the way as much as his muscle memory. "Don’t get me wrong, it was a bear to get through. So many imperfect transformations and after-effects. Knobby springtime antlers, hooves for hands, a lasting aversion to venison...But when you have a reason to see something like that through, well - it wasn’t like I could just drop it, once the idea was in my head." And me and Pete and Sirius were in it together. I wasn’t alone, and that made all the difference. His date's inquiry about her own animagus form made his smile broaden, heart filling with just as much wonder as that day in class when he'd seen a silvery Prongs and her doe patronus - an undeniable sign that they were meant for something.

"They usually coincide with your patronus, but if you’re really curious, I could teach you. But part of it’s being silent for a month because of the mandrake leaf, and I’d miss talking to you, so maybe I shouldn’t." The Head Boy shot Lily a wink to follow-up his tease, wanting to tell her more. Everything, really. About how he didn’t worry that she’d turn him in for being an unregistered animagus. About the late nights with his best mates when they’d thought the transformations would be impossible. About how Remus reacted that first full moon when the four of them were in the Forest together. The Cloak, the Map, Doe dumping him because she knew his feelings for Lily before he’d accepted them…While they’d been more open with each other in these last few weeks, swapping stories and venting when perfect storms struck, most of James’ secrets weren’t just his. And it was so easy to just be around her these days; that’s how he’d slipped up and revealed Prongs, when that conversation could’ve just stuck to the near disaster involving Snape and Moony years ago. If you’re going to be together, shouldn’t you be able to tell her everything, though? This was a talk he’d need to have with his mates, and soon…

[Lily Potter]

The tunnel was chilled and Lily hugged her coat tighter around herself as she walked along with James, listening to him talk about his experience with finding his animagus. It was fascinating material really and especially from a close source. "Well, wouldn't that be something. A doe and a stag." she chuckled at how strange and amazing that would be and then let him go on uninterrupted, only laughing at the images he brought up of himself as an awkward stag and half transformations.

How had she never seen how good he was? Putting the work into becoming what Lily to believed to be the youngest animagus ever, and all for Remus. Not even himself. She was truly engrossed in him and when he got to the last part, his offer to teach her to become an animagus herself, Lily lite up. "Wow, I couldn't even imagine, it would take ages..." she trailed off, thinking of something else he had just said and something unknown clicked in her brain. 

The redhead stopped, shooting an arm out to bring James to a halt as well, her wand light threw strange shapes on the stone walls as she gestured. "Did you just say a month of silence?" she asked, her mind working fast, bringing up memories of years past. Something, something...something itched at her mind, but...she couldn't place the feeling of having discovered something. What had she discovered? She thought hard for a moment but the feeling got away from her and she shook her head. "Nevermind," she said a little sheepishly, feeling foolish for her sudden outburst and having nothing to back it up. Quickly she searched for a different topic and her once thoughtful face shifted into something else.

Lily had to avert her eyes, trying to hide the sly look in them as she thought about James words before they had slipped into the tunnel. It hardly mattered though, her smile gave it away that she was up to something, she was sure. "And actually," she said as they stood across from one another, James' face all angles in the shadows, and heaved a sigh. "It was you who taught me about the Pass. You just haven't known it until now." she glanced up at James' face, trying to gauge his reaction to that bit of knowledge.

[James Potter]

"A doe and a stag," James repeated, shooting an interested look over to his date as he did his very best to force his heart down from his throat, where it'd lept when Lily made the connection. While he wasn't one for taking Divination seriously, and didn't feel that things were fated to happen one way or another, he couldn't deny that their patronuses being paired felt like more than pure coincidence. Maybe it was the romantic in him wanting to make a sign out of a natural phenomena, but...You've wanted to ask since then... "Have you - er - thought about that? Because, well, when I saw them in class, nearly had a heart attack myself. In a good way," James blundered, wondering when he'd grow accustomed to speaking so openly with her. Have to stop falling over your feet some time, right? The Defense lesson at the start of November had been telling for him, and his mates had nearly thrown him out of the dorm for his inability to stop talking of the event and its implications, especially as Lily and Tommy had split around then and he felt her warming to him and...and now we're here. 

He found himself enjoying watching her reaction to his stories more than the telling of them, loving the sound of her laugh ringing down the earthy tunnel, the focus of her attention on his words - she was so focused on some part of it, evidently, that she brought them to a stop in order to think more clearly. Amused at the arm thrown in front of him to make him halt along with her, James looked Lily over curiously as she brought up what had tripped her up. And as she did, he just grinned, although that nagging worry of not being able to tell her the full story yet was persistent. Because that had been a month to remember, for anyone who was in contact with the marauders - he and Sirius and Peter swearing a vow of silence to cover up the need for it had led to quieter classes and evenings in the common room, even though they'd had creative workarounds to let out their energy, of course. "One of the better months of your Hogwarts years, I'd expect," he teased. "Didn't get bothered by me beating you to answers in class for a full four weeks, lucky you." Hoping that this would serve as enough of a distraction - it wouldn't do for her to remember that it wasn't only him who'd been quiet for so long - he watched as their shifting wandlight picked up a change in her fine features. A trickster's smile flitted to the girl's face, and James' curiosity was hardly sated at her words.

"I did? How's that?" James asked, candidly bemused at this turn, mind whipping through memory as he tried to make sense of her statement. How did Lily's knowledge of the Pass lay with him? He'd never shown her; even though he'd been letting her in on secrets of the castle, there were only so many hours of the day to devote to such exploits, and with the long trek that it was, he hadn't made the time for them to go down this particular tunnel together. She caught you at it? Generally, he and the lads descended into the Pass by stealth, concealed in his Cloak against the watchful eyes of prefects and professors. But as he and the marauders aged, they'd...grown. The Cloak that had once shrouded all four of them in mystery now could only passably hold one or two, with his taller mates having to crouch over so that none of their feet gave them away. And if someone else had been using the Cloak but he still needed to get to Hogsmeade, he would've been diligent about not being followed, although he wasn't his most careful self when he was excited...

"You tailed me!" he accused playfully after a few moments of thought, letting out a loud laugh at the thought of Lily Evans skulking around corners to figure him out. So you have been paying attention to me. The notion warmed him to his bones, that it hadn't only been him who was interested - in some way - before recent months. "I've got to hear all about this," he went on, grinning unabashedly as he leaned against the earthen wall and reached for her hips to draw her closer, perfectly content.

[Lily Potter]

Sometimes she got that regretful feeling. Regret at not having given James a chance sooner, regret over having missed so much and regret that he had been holding so much back because of her behavior. Seeing him now, admitting to feelings at having discovered their patronuses were matched, gave her that regretful feeling. Lily turned away, allowing her long red hair to shield her face, less James knows her thoughts. It was clear his attraction to her was long-standing -something she had been annoyed by in the past but mostly hadn't even honestly believed to be genuine- and the Head Girl felt horrid sometimes that it wasn't that way for her. She had only recently begun to see James in that light. In fact, when it had happened she had been furious without explanation. She found it to be an intrusion of some sort and then she had not thought about it at all. Not wanting to add insult to injury by telling him as much, Lily chose her words carefully. "I hadn't thought about it, but now that I have, do you think... I don't know." She met his eye again, a question on her face and in her voice. "I don't know, do you think it might mean something? For us?" Surely it did. It was too much of a coincidence not to mean something.

With a light punch to James' arm and a playful sticking out of her tongue, Lily laughed. "You wish, Potter." she said. "As if you ever beat me to an answer." she was joking, James had always been a smart boy. He was unruly and careless sometimes but he wasn't an idiot, he could hold his own better than most against her. A thought tried breaking through again and Lily was quick to try and grasp it, try and put the memories together that meant something. But this time it was gone faster than the first and the red-head shook her head. What was it?! It had something to do with this month of silence...she knew it...but... It was gone completely and she was growing frustrated with herself. Deciding dropping that conversation for a bit was a wise course of action, Lily let her counterpart in on one of her little secrets.

As she anticipated, James jumped on the new topic and was all too quick to figure her out. After only a little thought he had called her out on her snooping. Laughing at glancing at how close they were to their exit, Lily stopped, shoving her hands in her coat pockets and giving James a rueful grin. Her grin quickly turned into something more intimate as her date tugged at her hips and their bodies touched. Lily reached out and slid her hands from his chest to around his neck, resting comfortably there. "Don't get too excited," she warned him teasingly. "I was following you because I was determined to find out how you and your friends were giving me the slip. I would see you out and then poof, you lot would be gone. I was trying to get you in trouble. I followed you, I saw you disappear and then the next night I took the Pass myself to see where it lead. As easy and un-exciting as that." She remembered being terrified, going in somewhere unknown on her own, without anyone else knowing where she was, but she couldn't have gone in after James that night, he could have caught her spying. So she had waited and gone in alone at another time, something she recognized now as very dangerous. She did remember thinking she was insane for doing so but being too driven to heed the feeling. She had ended up being glad she had and now her head tilted to the side thoughtfully. "Come to think of it though, I never did report you. Think it has something to do with the fact that I started using the Pass too after that?" There, the real secret. Her secret rule-breaker tendencies she kept hidden from the world. They were nothing compared to what James and his mates got up to, but Lily had her rebellious moments like any other red-blooded witch. It was something she didn't think James knew about her and it was something she suddenly desperately wanted to show him.

[James Potter]

For James, a huge part of today was about being himself with her to find out how he was truly being received, and that meant not holding back - except about things he was sworn to secrecy to, naturally. While there were some murky and awkward waters to wade through as they stepped from where they'd been to where he hoped they'd go, hidden sinkholes along the way that either may fall into with a misunderstood string of words - with hope that the other would be there to pull them back up - he felt in his heart that they could navigate through them together. That they both wanted to see where they could go. Showing Lily that he thought about these things, about how giddy their patronuses aligning made him feel, starting to expose his heart to her - it was new, different, and in fairness, he shouldn’t have been so surprised when she hid her face from him for a moment or two as she thought on it. If memory served, his counterpart hadn't been nearly so pleased at the discovery during class. And, well - if you'd spent years honing your skills in the discipline, weeks working at producing a patronus, and then found it was similar to someone else's? When its reveal was supposed to be a telling moment for you as an individual? He could see how she could've felt cheated by it, even if it'd made him happy. You’re thinking on us in a new light though, so…what do you reckon now? He turned his eye back to her as she spoke up, grateful for the break from the quiet, and although she didn't seem certain one way or the other, he was glad she seemed much more thoughtful than upset about it.

"It could mean nothing, it could be completely random, but to me, that doesn't feel right," James began, shooting her a bit of a grin. "A patronus is a part of you, it's important, so how could this be a coincidence? And the forms aren't static - they can change based on what's going on in the caster's life. Which I know you already know," he said quickly, grin broadening as his ears reddened, "but it's meaningful for my theory, yeah? We'll never know what their forms would've been years ago, if we could've cast them back then. Maybe they would've been what they are now, maybe they would've been different. So I think, if we want to put meaning on it…" Go on, Potter. She asked your opinion, she's not going to throw it away. The thought of his idea being dismissed or worse - laughed off - was what had kept him from bringing this up to her before. But in the effort of remaining true to his goal for the day, he had to speak what he believed, and trust that she'd take it seriously. "It shows us that today, we're ready to be in each other's lives for something significant. Maybe that's being Heads together, maybe that's this," he said with a gesture between them, "and maybe I've just scared you off for good," he worried with a short but nervous laugh, "but that's what I think." James looked to her, heart thundering in his chest, and hoped she'd see how he'd gotten to his theory. While he'd be the last to admit that he'd been an arse in his younger years, he could recognize the growth he'd made from that thoughtless "toe rag" into the bloke she'd ask out. He wouldn't have been a good partner to her then, but now? It's more than just a good feeling that I've got about us, Lily.

They progressed down the dark pass, and while he didn't like not telling her the whole story about becoming an animagus - namely, that he'd done it alongside Peter and Sirius - with any luck he could rectify that before too long. If today continued to go well, surely they'd be officially together soon, and then she'd know more about his past and present than anyone but the marauders did. But for now, he'd content himself with knowing that he'd kept his friends' secrets safe for one more day. He rubbed his terribly injured arm and laughed. "Oh, it's on. We'll see who Ackerman calls on most bright and early on Monday morning." Their Defense teacher was a git, and James wasn't a fan of relying on him for something so vital, but what was their relationship without some friendly competition?

This pause was becoming more fruitful by the moment, for while James really did want to know the full story of how he'd unknowingly shown her the Pass, it was admittedly difficult to keep his focus on that after he'd pulled her close. Because Lily's sheepish sort of grin shifted into a look he absolutely wanted to see more often, and while she told him not to get too excited, didn't she know she was doing that just by letting her hands run over him? He listened, unable to keep a grin of his own from lighting his face, and secured her to him by clasping his hands behind her lower back. "You've been using the Pass alone?" he asked, impressed and a little concerned and more than slightly shocked by the end of Lily's tale. This wasn't one of the more dangerous secret routes that he knew of, but still - something nasty could get in, or an entrance or exit could get blocked, and sure, he'd done it himself, but the guys always knew to come looking if he was gone too long. "Well now, missed your opportunity - I'm going to have to report you," he joked, although his heart was rather bright at knowing she'd let him off the hook back then, and knowing what surely was a secret of hers. "Sneaking off of school grounds, didn't know you were keen on that. What've you been getting up to in Hogsmeade? We're usually just restocking supplies."

[Lily Potter]

“That is exactly what I think.” Lily said, glancing over at James with smiling eyes. She had let him explain himself fully, watching him with new eyes as he spoke. It was surprisingly easy to follow his reasoning, for she had been thinking it had to mean something, them having complimentary patronus’s. She knew all of the facts about the spell and it’s form and that it reflected the caster in some way, but to hear James lay it out for her, it just made sense. Maybe her younger self wasn’t ready to hear it, but the Lily of today saw it for what it was, a sign. “You can’t scare me off now.” she assured him, gently nudging his shoulder with hers. No, if she knew the bad parts of him, had known them first actually and still felt this way, she couldn’t see much else changing her mind. “I was thinking that it has less to do with us ending up being Head students together and more with us being…” This next part was a big step for her, but if she was going to do this, she had to do it completely, with all her mind and heart and soul. Any less was an insult to them both. “Together. Romantically. I think maybe it’s fate.”

Once it was out there, there was no taking it back and Lily felt that she didn’t want to take it back. It felt right. So did their joking and teasing, something she had grown more comfortable with since they had started working together at the beginning of the year. It was a safer territory than confessing feelings. Especially when hers had been so different. Luckily the redhead wasn’t the overly proud sort, or it would have pained her to admit how much her feeling toward James has changed in the last few months. At the beginning of the year, she had been dating Tommy, and thought that that relationship had been comfortable enough to sustain her through her last year -she hadn’t looked beyond graduation with the younger boy, and maybe that was saying something. Now, she was challenging James to a duel of who could garner their Defense professors attention more in classes, walking had in hand with him down the pass, and telling secrets some of her closest friends didn’t know. Things had changed so much, and yet, it felt they should have always been this way. Hadn’t she spend all of Hogwarts being friends with Sirius and Remus? Hanging out with their classmates, playing chess, eating cake, and James had always been there with them. If only he hadn’t been such a little sh*t.

She leaned into him as he secured his arms around her middle, thinking that he was her little sh*t now. He sounded a little impressed with her reveal that she too had the ability to sneak herself out of the castle, he sounded something else too but Lily couldn’t put her finger on it. At his slight disbelief she smiled in tease. "There are so many things I'm keen on you don't know about Potter."  Slowly, she was showing him, and he was showing her, all the things they didn't know about each other. It was glorious and exciting. “Oh you know, the usual.” she said in response to his question. Of course, the boys would use their powers to stock up on candy, she rolled her eyes at the predictability of it. She had no such inclination. “I don’t stay in the village.” she admitted, meeting his gaze. There were gold flecks she wasn't sure she had ever noticed in the brown hues of his eyes. She smiled at the discovery, reaching up to lightly run a finger over his brow. This feeling of always wanting to touch him was new, but unlike the emotion she was still coming to grips with, she didn’t struggle with it in the least. Before she knew it she had closed the space between them and she was kissing him again, reaching out to taste him a little more...

[James Potter]

Fate.

    She actually said fate.

James hadn't ever been happier to be underground, even if he had to steady himself from tripping on the odd root or two in the wake of her words. The passageways were fun for their secrets and the thrill of their winding routes, but was it any surprise he preferred to be out in the open air with the sky overhead? He'd spend the rest of the day here though if it meant having the time with Lily, who agreed that their patronuses meant something, who asserted she couldn't be scared off by him. Even his mother had cautioned him against putting too much stock into their stag and doe, and she was right that there was more to a relationship than this, but - fate, Mum, Lily thinks it's fate! James had hoped his date would understand, at the very least hoped she'd think that he made sense, but that she added onto his ideas with courage of her own was so telling to her heart and her mind. What was the harm in being excited about them now? "I know I can - er - seem like I don't take things seriously? And sometimes that's true, but I've thought on this a lot. Too much, probably," he admitted with a chuckle, looking to her with...fondness and more than a little wonder at his turn of luck. "What I mean is...you have no idea how good it feels to hear you say that."

Talk turned to her previous uses of the pass, and she left him with far more questions than he'd had even moments ago. She had a usual when it came to sneaking into Hogsmeade? Except she didn't stay? Where in the world did she go? Was she secretly trekking into the mountains? Hopping on the odd train? Next time, could he come with? Before James could put his thoughts into words, his back was pressed into the wall, Lily smiling as she looked at him in ways that he'd only dreamed of... "Lily," he said through a laugh as he caught on, although his protest was more for the fun of it than to stop her. "Lily, what d'you mean - "

If this was how she chose to distract him, to pause his eager questions, to enjoy their time together...he could live with it, James happily mused as she moved in to kiss him. Perhaps he'd spoken instead of thought the idea about staying down here all day, but whatever the case - he now knew what it was like to be on a date with Lily Evans when she liked you too, and he wouldn't be the one cutting the moment short.

How soon is too soon to ask for a second date?

    Oh come on, you want more than just another date...