Title: Seemingly Unrequited

Summary: "Even the best need some rest." Lily snorts. "How long did it take you to come up with that?" - James and Lily spend a night wandering the castle. Seventh year, pre-dating.

Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling and make no profit from any of what I am posting.

Lily's sleeping on the couch when James walks in after Quidditch practice; quill still in her hand and Charms essay spread out on the coffee table they usually share. She looks more peaceful than she has in over a week and James is glad that she's finally getting a break, even if it isn't intentional.

He summons a blanket from upstairs and tucks her in the way he often does Remus or Sirius, brushing her hair off her face and making sure her toes are covered.

Lily stirs as James pulls the quill out of her hand, eyes flickering open. "Potter?" she asks, squinting at him in the dim light.

"Present."

She rolls her eyes even though she's barely awake. "What's the time?"

"Half past ten. You missed dinner, didn't you?"

Lily shrugs, eyes closing. For a solid five second, she looks like she's fallen asleep again, then her eyes fly open, and she bolts up, the blanket falling off her. "My Charms essay –"

"Can wait," James says patiently. He sits down on the other couch, pulling Evans' essay out of her reach and rolling it up. "Even the best need some rest."

Lily snorts. "How long did it take you to come up with that?"

James presses a palm to his chest, trying to look offended. "It was spontaneous, Lily Evans. You're not the only genius at Hogwarts."

She rolls her eyes, again, but she's smiling this time. "Think you could wake me up tomorrow morning? The essay's already a day late, and I don't want to test Flitwick's patience."

"He wouldn't mind, you know. He loves you."

Lily scowls, pulling the blanket to her chin. Her eyes darken with thought, and James remains silent. He wonders if she'll fall asleep on the couch again or if she'll head back up, though something tells him that Evans won't sleep for a while now.

"You don't happen to have anything to snack on, do you?"

"No," James says slowly. "I could take you to the kitchens though. If you want."

She tilts her head sideways, as though considering the prospect. "We'd be breaking curfew, right?" He nods. "But you know how to avoid getting caught?" James nods again. "Let's go."

They're too close under the cloak. It's never awkward with the Marauders, even when all four of them try to fit under, but with Evans, he's aware of every time his arm brushes against her cheek, or their knees knock against one another.

"So this is how you get around huh?" Lily whispers and he can feel her breath on his hand. It sends a chill down James' spine.

"Yeah. It's been passed down in our family for generations," James says. "I suppose Dad knew exactly what I'd get up to when he passed it over," he adds after a pause. "Bad parenting on his end, if you ask me."

Lily chuckles at that. "Or maybe he trusted you to, I don't know, use it well."

"Sure," James mutters. "Only an idiot would do that." He thinks she might be smiling again and his heart swells with pride at the thought.

He doesn't notice that she's stopped walking until Lily's elbow digs into his stomach, making James whistle in surprise. He spots Filch only a moment too late and instantly regrets getting distracted.

"Well well well," Filch mutters, head cocked to one side and eyes darting across the corridor. "Students out of bed!"

They're on the second floor, James thinks, twisting his neck around so that he can gauge where they are. There's a tapestry of a hunchback in a narrow corridor they've just passed that would take them to the East Wing and another passage by the staircase that could get them to Hufflepuff.

He lowers his hands, stooping down to avoid their feet getting seen, and shuffles to the side till he's directly behind Lily.

If this were any of the Marauder's, they'd have been mulling over the same two passages. There might have even been a vote. Evans, on the other hand, is a different case.

He takes holds of her arms and steers her around, careful not to make a sound. Filch may not have a wand, but he's got a brilliant hearing.

James takes one step forward and, as though on queue, Filch calls out: "Who's there?"

He feels Lily tense and maybe, just maybe, she leans into him. James doesn't get to dwell on the feeling though because, already, Filch is marching right towards them.

He pulls Evans backward, half lifting her with him. They're too loud, but there's a better chance of going unnoticed if they are pressed against a wall. He stops when his back hits the stone, and pulls Evans closer so that they're taking up as little space as possible.

Lily pushes James' arms away at once and drops into a crouch, sticking her wand under the folds of the cloak. Somewhere down the corridor, a door opens.

Filch pivots and limps towards the classroom. He pushes the door open and peers in, head turning from side to side, then steps in. Lily twists her wand again, and the door flies shut behind Filch, the lock clicking in place.

"That was bloody brilliant," James mutters as Filch begins to pound on the door.

Lily stands up, turning around to look at him. She's smiling again. Smiling at him. "Didn't want to get caught and break my perfect record," she murmurs, breath tickling his chin. "Let's go?"

They make it to the kitchens eventually, with no other close calls to speak of. James supposes Filch might still be stuck unless an unlucky Prefect happens upon the same corridor. The thought makes him grin.

"You've impressed me today, Evans," he says.

Lily looks at him, eyebrow raised and lips curved upwards. There's a spark in her eye — the same kind she has after a test that she knows she's aced, and it makes James' heart somersault for reasons he daren't tell her. "Maybe you just don't know me well enough."

"In that case, please tell me more about your rule-breaking self, Madam Head Girl."

She doesn't laugh this time. Her gaze grows distant again, eyes following a house-elf wearing a pale pink towel. "It's been a shite week, you know," Lily says at last. "I don't remember the last time I felt this empty."

James scoots his chair so that they're side by side and places his hand on top of hers. "You know we're all here for you, right? Your friends, the Marauders... Me."

Lily hums in reply, resting her head on his shoulder. "Thanks for getting me out tonight," she mumbles.

"Figured it was about time you lived the Marauder life."

She laughs against him, but no reply follows. She's fallen asleep by the time the elves return with food, arm linked with James' and hair tickling his cheek.

She's barely awake as they make their way up, warm against his side and when they're back in the Head's Dorm, James lays Lily back on the couch and tucks her in again. He brushes her hair off her face again and presses his lips to her forehead and mumbling a quiet "Goodnight."

Lily smiles in her sleep but this time, she doesn't wake up.

Just a short piece for Lily's birthday. Might do a part two on James', haven't really decided yet. It's abrupt and short and random (because I am sleep deprived as hell) but I hope you liked it!

Thanks for reading

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