"Ah ha!" Lily snatched a piece of chocolate as it flew through the air and popped it in her mouth.

"Lily!" Alice exclaimed indignantly. "I totally had that one!"

Emmeline rolled her eyes. "Yeah, like you had the last four pieces, too, right?" She pointedly looked at the piece that had just fallen on the floor a moment ago.

Hanging half off the bed, Marlene reached down and plucked it off the rug.

"Don't!" Emmeline warned.

"What?" Marlene blew on it. "It's a total waste of chocolate!"

"Do it," Alice goaded, grinning, hyped up on chocolate and warm butterbeer. They were all hanging around in the dormitories, a bona fide girls' night, relishing the high of a good Friday night. Essays and reading and prefect duties could wait until tomorrow.

"Lily, help me here!" Emmeline took hold of Marlene's wrist, trying to stop the girl. "That is so gross!"

"Don't be such a germaphobe," Marlene taunted. She waved the germy chocolate in Em's face.

"I agree," Lily seconded. "It's a waste of perfectly good chocolate. If she doesn't eat it, I will."

"You're both disgusting." Em shook her head, Marlene ate the chocolate, Alice and Lily cheered.

"Okay, whose turn is it?" Marlene pulled herself to sit up, smacking her lips together, and they all shuffled around to squeeze onto Alice's bed. "Em?"

"Truth."

"Boring." Lily booed.

Emmeline shrugged, unabashed.

"Alright." Marlene sighed dramatically. "If you had to shag a professor...?"

Em turned bright red. "No way!" she cried.

"Truth, truth, truth," they chanted.

"Okay! Okay! Professor Pendleton!" she blurted.

The girls dissolved into giggles.

"He's so old!"

"They're all old!"

"Pendleton?"

"He's kind of charming...'s got nice hands..."

"Emme!"

"You made me!"

"He's so old!"

"Yes, we've covered that," Em snapped, quick to change the subject. "Okay. Lily. Truth or dare?"

Lily sobered up. "Dare."

"Not fair," Alice accused. "Emme's dares are the easiest. That is a cop-out."

Shrugging, Lily downed the last of her butterbeer. "That's not my fault."

Her friend's eyes narrowed at her for a moment before Alice leaned over and whispered something to Marlene.

"I love it." She passed it along to Emmeline.

"Are you sure?" Em asked. "Isn't that kind of..."

"Em-e-line," they complained. "How're we supposed to have any fun if you never—"

The girl threw up her hands. "Fine!" she exclaimed. "Whatever. I am not responsible for this."

"So?" Lily asked expectantly. She licked the sweet foam from her lips. "What is it then?"

"I dare you to find out if James Potter is a virgin," Em said, a note of apology in her sweet voice.

"Easy," Lily said simply. "He isn't."

Marlene looked doubtful. "How do you know?" she challenged.

"Because Stacy told me that he shagged Olivia."

"No way!" Em said.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Yes way."

"I don't believe it." Alice eyed her suspiciously. "I say you have to get it from the horse's mouth."

Marlene paused, a square of chocolate halfway to her mouth. "What?"

"Muggle saying," Alice dismissed. "She has to ask Potter himself."

"But—"

"Ha! Finally! A dare Lily Evans won't take!"

Lily sat up defiantly. "I didn't say no," she told them. "I was only going to say that...I don't know where he is."

"He's in the transfiguration room," Marlene reported with a smirk. "He and Black got detention."

"Great!" Lily jumped up, nearly falling off of the bed in the process. She stacked a few chocolates for the trip. "Then I'm off."

"Wait, wait, wait." Alice held up a hand. "How do we know she actually asks him?"

Emmeline's mouth twisted in thought before her eyes lit up. "Get it in writing!"

"What?"

"Get him to sign to it," Em ordered, looking quite pleased with herself.

Lily looked to Alice and Marlene for help, but they just shrugged.

"I like it," Alice declared. "Go forth, Lily, and do not return without proof!"

Sirius hopped onto the desk James had just cleaned. "What about this: me or Remus, if you don't kiss one of us, Pete dies. What do you do?"

James laughed. "Mate, are you trying to tell me something? Because you know I'll love you no matter what—but not like that."

"Come on," Sirius said. "You'd pick me, right? Say you'd pick me."

"Pads, you're basically my brother, gross." He threw a rag at his friend. "Would you help me, princess?"

Sirius ignored the latter and swatted the rag aside. "Are you saying you'd pick Remus?" he demanded, scandalized.

"Yeah, I'd pick Remus," James confirmed.

"Probably for the best," Sirius conceded. "Once you kiss Black, you never go back."

"Is that right?"

Both boys turned to see Lily Evans entering the room, a wry smile on her lips.

"I could prove it to you, if you like." Sirius winked.

Lily rolled her eyes. "As tempting as that is, Black, I'm actually here in regard to Potter's expertise, not yours."

James' eyebrows shot up.

"Trust me, Evans, anything he can do, I can do better." Sirius pushed back his dark locks and gave the girl an obvious once-over. His confidence practically oozed off of him.

Lily scoffed.

James' eyebrows were still lost in his hair. "Uh, what—I mean, my expert—my expertise," his voice cracked. He cleared his throat hastily and, at a noticeably lower pitch, added, "on what exactly?"

"Um." Lily looked around, suddenly not as confident. "Are you two almost done here?" she asked casually.

James surveyed the three rows of desks he'd already cleaned. "Just about," he replied. "It'd go a lot faster if Sirius would get off his arse and do something."

"Never undervalue entertainment," Sirius declared, self-righteous finger aloft. "You may be cleaning desks, but I am making time fly."

"You know, Pads, I think you can handle the rest," James decided. "Lily? Walk back to the tower or…?"

"Yeah," she said, "sure, great."

Walking down the corridors, Lily couldn't bring herself to ask. It just seemed all wrong. No way to bring it up organically. She'd try to form the words, and then feel awkward, and then start blushing. It was proving far more difficult a dare than she anticipated.

They had made it all the way back to Gryffindor Tower on small talk when James finally raised an eyebrow. "Lily, did you have something you wanted talk to me about or ask or…?"

"Right. Yes. Um."

He gave the password and allowed her through the portrait hole first.

"Are you virgin?" she asked.

His hazel eyes went wide behind his spectacles, blinking in surprise. He swallowed. "Maybe…maybe we could not talk about this in the common room?" he said lowly.

She felt rather guilty at the flush in his cheeks. She covered her own face. "Sorry. That was horrible of me. You know what, forget it. I should—"

"Come on."

He pulled a hand away from her face and led her across the common room and up the boys' staircase. Next thing she knew, she was in the sixth year boys' dormitory.

Remus and Peter were playing a game of exploding snap on the floor near the stove, keeping warm. James coughed as he entered with Lily.

Grinning jovially, Remus waved. "Hey, Lily."

James nodded at the door uncomfortably.

"Yeah. Pete, let's take the game to the common room," Remus suggested. "See if we can rope a couple of firsties in for a laugh."

Lily shook her head with a smile, stepping aside to let them have their harmless fun.

James shut the door behind them. "So, uh, can I—I mean, why do you ask?"

His rapid blinking was a little adorable as he sat on the edge of his bed and looked up at her.

She debated how honest to be in her answer. "Well, um, I was just…wondering," she said.

"Wondering," he repeated skeptically.

Her nose scrunched up. "Okay, it was a dare," she admitted quickly. "I need a signature saying you've done the deed."

The tips of his ears went red.

"Oh, come on," she coaxed. "I know for a fact that I've been an innocent in countless marauder dares. Help me out just this once?" She gave him her best smile. "Please?"

His lips pursed thoughtfully. "Quid pro quo," he said finally.

"What?"

"You tell me, I'll tell you. Fair's fair." He crossed his arms decidedly.

"Fine," she agreed. "You first."

His warm eyes narrowed at her.

She sighed. "I give you my word," she vowed.

"No judgement."

"No judgement," she agreed, slightly confused.

"All right." He rubbed his palms on his trousers. "I've never done it."

"...Oh."

"What?" he asked. "It's no big deal. I've done stuff. Just haven't had sex yet."

There was something in his expression that read as nervous to her. She suspected that maybe he thought it was a big deal.

"Okay," he said quickly. "Your turn."

"Right." She nodded. "I…have, actually."

"What?" The shock on his face was undeniable.

"Hey! No judgement," she reminded.

"I—I'm sorry." James rushed out. "I didn't mean that…of course you would—I mean, no! Not of course. Just…right. You have. Okay."

She smiled awkwardly.

"When?" he blurted.

She tucked her fiery hair back, blushing. "Over the Christmas hols," she said honestly. "I was at this party with an old friend, and I didn't know the eggnog had quite so much spike in it. And there was this guy, and I wasn't thinking straight, and…it happened. That's all."

"Wait," James said, standing suddenly. "You were sloshed and some bastard took advantage of you and—"

Lily sighed, nose crinkling at the fuzzy memories. "It's fine. I was kind of all over him. And, um, into it, at the time. So."

"Still." James' frown was kept in place. "Even Sirius wouldn't take a girl to bed if she was plastered. At least, not unless he knew she'd do it sober just as much as she'd do it tipsy. Especially not if it was, you know, her first time and all."

"Well, he didn't know that. At least, I assume he didn't from the way he—" She stopped herself mid-mutter. "Anyway." She smiled slightly at his expression. "It's fine."

"No," he said. "It's not. Merlin, what I wouldn't give to—" He shut his mouth decidedly.

"To what?" she asked. "What you wouldn't give to what?"

He raked a hand through his hair. "Nothing," he said. "Just…you deserve better than that."

For a moment, she was at a loss. "Why haven't you?" she asked, spinning the conversation back round to him.

"Why haven't I—oh. Uh." He shrugged.

"A lack of willing girls isn't an issue," she said with a blush.

A half-smile lifted the left corner of his mouth. "Really? You know anyone then?" She didn't miss the impish look in his eyes.

"Okay," she said dryly, "never mind."

He sucked in a deep breath. "Just never felt right," he told her slowly. "I want to do it right."

Her expression softened at his admission, at the vulnerability he showed. "Right," she repeated. "And what does that mean?"

James smiled, his blush endearing. "Well, uh, I'd want to take my time with her, you know? We'd both be sober." She didn't miss the slight edge in his voice.

"And?" she prompted.

"And she'd be something...special."

She grinned. "You sap."

He advanced, the distance between them shrinking. "I would learn every fucking inch of her," he said. Her grin was wiped clean from her face. "And then," he went on, "when we'd finally get around to it," he licked his lips, eyes trained on hers, "it would be," her breath hitched, one big breath would bring them chest to chest, "indescribable," he murmured.

"Yeah?"

"Gods, yeah." She could feel the heat off his palm, not quite touching her waist. "I'd have my hands in her hair, and my lips on her neck, and your legs wrapped round my waist."

"My legs?" she echoed. Green eyes wide beneath her lashes. "Your waist?"

"If you want them there." His voice was a low husk.

She was saying the words before she could even finish thinking them. "I want."

And then his lips came down upon hers, tasting the sweet of chocolate on her tongue, hands plunged into her hair, tilting her head back so he didn't have to bend quite so much.

She was on her toes, arms thrown around his neck, pulling herself flush up against him. One of his hands slipped down to her waist, tugging her impossibly closer.

She tripped, and they went tumbling back onto his bed, limbs tangling all the way.

She laughed, warm breath across his neck; he rolled to hold himself above her, strawberry shampoo filling his senses.

Her hands slipped under his untucked shirt, mapping his torso from navel to shoulder blades, and he was blazing kisses down her neck, stopping only when his lips met the collar of her shirt.

She pushed at his chest, and he sat up quickly, breathlessly. "Sorry," he said. "I'm sorry, I—"

"Shut up." The apologies dissolved on his tongue as she loosened her tie, yanking it over her head before making quick work of her shirt buttons. As the fabric slipped from her shoulders, his jaw slackened.

"Well?" she asked. "Stand there and stare or come here and touch me?"

"The second," he said, pulling his shoes off hastily, hopping around on one foot, then the other, then crawling after her as she scooted to the head of the bed, "definitely the second."

His hands were roaming her in an instant. "You. Are. Gorgeous." He punctuated each word with a kiss to the swell of her breasts and a final, open-mouthed press to the soft dip in between.

She buried her hands in his dark mess of hair, his own skimming up and down her side. She squirmed beneath him, his touch tickling.

"Fuck," he swore, gripping her hip, his grasp firm and sudden. "Don't do that. You're gonna kill me."

She laughed. "Shirt off," she ordered.

"Yeah." He stood, pulling his button-up over his head. After a brief pause, he walked over to Sirius' nightstand and rooted through the drawer. He got ahold of the little vial and uncorked it, downing the purple potion quickly.

"Wha—?"

James flicked his wand at the door. "Contraceptive," he explained, "locking charm." He paused. "Was that presumptuous?"

She shook her head at his sheepishness. "Good thinking." She grinned. "While you're at it, drop trou."

"All right. Fair's fair, Lilyflower," he returned, fumbling with his belt. "Lose the skirt."

They were down to their knickers when he crawled back atop her, and then she hooked a leg on his hip and rolled him to his back.

Straddling him, she leaned down and began dropping kisses across his warm chest, hands sliding up his toned abdomen. He groaned as her hips settled over his.

He reached behind her and deftly undid her bra clasp, tossing it aside mindlessly.

James pulled her down to kiss her once more.

He tasted like blueberries. She was surprised a contraceptive potion would taste so good.

When he tugged her bottom lip between his teeth, she couldn't help her moan. Her hips rolled over his as he cupped her breasts and squeezed gently, his thumbs brushing her nipples to taut peaks.

She ground against him deliberately, revelling in the friction, the feel of him hard against her.

"All right." He effortlessly lifted her and placed her aside. "Lie down," he breathed. "Arms up."

"Potter, if you don't touch me soon, I swear—" He sealed his lips over hers, shut her up, and then moved up to kiss her wrists above her head. "Potter—"

"James," he murmured, lips against her pulse.

"James," she sighed.

"Mhm. That's better." He hummed, and then his lips were trailing down the length of her slender arm, leaving tingles in their wake, his fingers mirroring every touch down her left side.

He made his way along her shoulder, across her chest, travelling south down the expanse of her tummy.

She whimpered pathetically, putty under his hands.

He nipped gently at her hipbones, planted a kiss on her bellybutton, hooked his fingers in the elastic of her pretty purple knickers, and then drew them down her smooth, shapely legs. He followed after them with hot kisses that left her breathless.

"James, please."

The scent of her arousal was intoxicating. As she kicked the last of her clothing away, letting it fly from her ankle without a care, he drew a single finger through her wet folds.

Her hips jerked. "Either get inside me or get me off. Now," she panted.

"Wow," he said. "Impatient, aren't we?"

"Very," she agreed. "Now which is it?"

He chuckled, nose skimming up her thigh. "Hold these." He handed her his glasses, and she placed them atop her own head with a soft laugh.

"What are you up to?" she queried.

A single finger pressed to his lips, "Shh," he hushed, "I'm not done with you yet," and then that finger had slipped inside her, and those lips were on her clit.

She let out a heavy, shuddery breath. "Fucking hell."

"My, Miss Evans," he looked up at her with a smug, sexy grin, "language."

"My apologies," she growled. "Would you get back to what you were doing?"

"Gladly." And right back he went.

Lily was writhing under him. Heat pooling low in her belly, a coiling inside her waiting to spring. "James, please," she whimpered.

His hand rubbed up and down her thigh, soothing her. "I've got you." Then he sucked, just hard enough, fingers curling inside her, and she came apart like he'd tugged a loose thread.

He grinned, licked his fingers clean, and then propped himself up beside her. "I'll take these back now." He gently lifted his glasses from her hair and slid them back into place on his face. "I want to see this next part. Crystal clear. Whenever you're ready."

Lily took a deep breath, rolled over to face him, and kissed his nose affectionately. "Pants?"

He shed them without a word, and she stroked his rather impressive length with a soft hand.

"Nervous?" she asked, looking at his expression curiously. His cheeks were pink, his hair a mess from her hands, and a thin sheen of sweat covered him. His hips jerked into her hand.

"Will you lie back for me?" he asked.

She nodded, doing as he asked, knees parting for him to settle between. He rocked against her for a moment, then lined himself up, and began to press his way in.

"You okay?" he asked.

She smiled at him, her hand coming up to touch his cheek. She caught herself, startled by the intimacy of it.

"What?" he asked, withdrawing slightly.

"No," she said. "No, come back," she wrapped her arms around his upper back, "I'm fine. Come back."

He kissed her, thoroughly, and she could taste herself on his lips as he pushed forward steadily. Her hips rose smoothly to meet his.

"Holy. Shit."

She laughed. "You going to move, or what?" she teased.

He groaned. "I think it might kill me."

Lily hooked her ankles at his lower back, pulling him in deep.

"You feel," he pumped his hips languidly, "incredible. Seriously. Fucking amazing."

She blushed. "My, Mr. Potter, language."

"Shut up." His lips landed on hers in something messy and hungry and lacking the finesse he had shown her over the last, what was is it now? Twenty? Thirty minutes? Squeezing her thigh, he hitched it higher on waist, picking up to a steady rhythm.

She let him go on like that for a while, feeding off of his groans, curses, and sweet murmurings into her shoulder.

And then his hips tilted just right, and Lily hummed, head tipping back with abandon. "A little faster," she urged.

He shook his head in warning. "I'm not gonna last."

"Don't care," she replied. "Touch me. And faster."

He let go of the little self-control he was holding onto, reaching between them to rub circles around her oversensitive bud. He felt her flutter around him, the most delicious pulse he'd ever felt. Once, twice, and then she was tighter than ever, and all the air had left his lungs.

James' hips stuttered against hers, and then he was spilling inside her, mustering the strength to roll aside lest he crush her beneath his dead weight.

Not a second later he reached over and pulled her in against his sweaty side.

She tensed. "Come on, relax," he mumbled. "Let me hold you. It's a part of the fantasy."

"Fantasy?" she echoed warily, her body growing comfortable against him, too exhausted to stay tense.

"Of, you know, losing it," he told her, an awkward laugh escaping him.

"Oh." She nodded against his chest. "Right. Fantasy."

James looked down at her. "Something wrong? Did I—"

"Um. No. Nothing." She closed her eyes. "So, how was it then?"

His arm tightened around her. "Better than I ever imagined," he told her. "Even better than all the times when, if I'm being honest, I imagined it was you."

Her mouth fell open, breath catching. A slow smile spread across her glowing face. "So, you're telling me I outdid myself?" she asked.

She heard his breath of relief. "Oh, yeah," he said. "No contest."

She pressed a kiss to his chest. "James Potter, you make me surprise myself."

He tangled his fingers in her hair, sliding the silky curls between his fingers. "Never heard that before."

"So, I guess you've had a couple of firsts today," she teased.

"Yeah." He laughed, kissing the top of her hair. He couldn't get enough of touching her. "So what now?" he asked.

She splayed a hand across his abdomen, thumb rubbing back and forth. "Now," she said, "I have to get back to my friends, and you have to let yours back into their dormitory, and...tomorrow..." She trailed off unsurely.

"I'll walk you to breakfast, and you'll meet me after dinner, and I'll take you down to the kitchens, and we'll see where it goes?" he finished.

"Okay." Lily grinned, sitting up and kissing him squarely on the mouth. "Sounds good to me."

"Great."

She went to stand, but he held her tightly and pulled her back down. "In a few minutes," he added. "All that can start in a few minutes."

"Where have you been?" Alice whispered. The box of chocolates was empty, and Emmeline was asleep in her bed, curtains drawn.

Lily prayed the room was dark enough to mask her blushing. "Where you sent me," she replied. "Talking to James."

"It took that long to get an answer from James, is it?" Alice questioned.

"Turns out it was a...touchy subject." Lily busied herself trying to find her pyjamas.

"Oh, really." Marlene put her romance novel aside. "And what was the answer then? Does Potter have his flower?"

Lilyflower.

She hid a smile as she began plaiting her hair. "Um, no. I was right. He does not."

Alice held out a hand. "Proof, please."

Lily froze. "Shite."

She could hear Marlene's smirk. "Forgot something, did we, Lily? You had one job."

Lily cursed quietly. "Trust me," she assured, "he's not a virgin."

Marlene and Alice shared a knowing look. "Hm," Marlene said. "I guess you'd know...you certainly spent enough time with him."

"I had a little trouble finding him and Black," Lily fabricated, finally finding her flannel pyjamas.

"That's funny," Alice commented, "because Marlene popped down to the common room while you were gone."

"And Black was with Remus and Peter. Said he'd been back from detention for a while," Marlene said.

"So, what exactly happened, Lily?" Alice looked much too satisfied.

"I talked to Ja—Potter. Got an answer from him. That's it."

"And he's not a virgin?" Marlene clarified.

"No, he's not," Lily confirmed.

"What do you think, Alice?" Marlene asked. "Do we believe her?"

Smiling slyly, Alice lifted a shoulder. "I think we ought to," she said. "She's got proof, after all."

"I do?" Lily paused in unbuttoning her shirt, confused.

Alice laughed. "Lily, babe," she rolled her eyes, "your tie's missing."