Seven Offenses

The food disappeared, slowly, from Lily's plate. She ran her hand through her dark, red hair absently, her eyes skimming the table for any sign of James. He simply wasn't there.

…Which was fine. Lily was only curious, as she had been repeatedly telling herself since his absence on the train. But, the other side of her mind argued, curiosity wasn't usually accompanied with a desperate, sinking feeling radiating from the pit of one's stomach. She hoped it was only the chowder.

Students were filing from the crowded hall, where Lily sat, one of the only Gryffindors left. Alice motioned impatiently for her to follow; because she couldn't see James anywhere, Lily got up and followed.

They were halfway to the common room when Filch's voice rang out from a deserted corridor.

"- and on the first day of school, oh pity, you will have to serve detention," the deep, squeaky voice continued, sounding delighted, "and Potter, as Head Boy. Oh, the Headmaster wont be pleased."

Lily nearly choked. James Potter, Head Boy. Alice and Lily peered into the narrow hallway; if she had even been nervous before, it was nothing to how she felt now. Sirius and James where backed against the wall, with Filch's wand pointed in their general direction, his face enchanted.

"Let's go," Alice whispered urgently, and Lily couldn't hear the boys' answer.

"You go," Lily said, "I wanna see what happens."

Alice shrugged and with a brief glace over Lily's shoulder, walked off toward the common room.

Lily perched at the very corner of the corridor so her head was the only thing visible if they happened to look this way. She squinted in the dark, trying to make out the figures and what they were saying.

Something about a dungbomb, about how Dumbledore wouldn't allow the Head Boy and his mate detention so early in the year, and Filch growling a batch in response.

A few minutes later, Filch spoke louder, and Lily could hear again.

"Fine," he snarled, "but you'll both still be servin' a detention in my office tomorrow."

Sirius groaned and James let out a puff of breath.

"Oi! 'ere I am, lettin' you off bad as it could've been. Get on to your common room before you can get yourselves into more trouble," he said, looking gleeful at the thought of catching them twice in a night.

Sirius and James had scurried away the second Filch said 'get on'. Lily only had a few seconds to comprehend this before James knocked right into her, sending them both to the ground.

Lily stared up at James, who was smiling, embarrassed. Both their cheeks were red as they gazed into each other's eyes.

Sirius interrupted the short-lived 'moment' by waving his hand between their faces.

"Lily, is that your friend Alice I see walking off?"

Lily blinked a couple times, but nodded to Sirius.

He winked and ran after Alice – Lily noticed a second to late what was happening.

"She's dating Frank!" Lily shouted after Sirius, hoping to take care of the first problem. James, still on top of her, laughed. Which reminded her of the second.

Alone with James, yet again.

He looked down at her, a smile still playing his features, and Lily summed up the nonexistent revulsion enough to raise her eyebrow in a manner McGonagall could have rivaled. There was a mix of features playing across James's face before comprehension finally ruled out.

He stood up and held out a hand to help Lily up. Lily, still confused beyond relief at the sudden temptation she'd had, took his hand and let James pull her up. Lily brushed off her robes and smiled thanks at James. He kept his eyes on her until Lily had to look away.

"So what was that about?" asked Lily as they started walking toward the common room.

"See," James started – he looked warily at Lily before nodding to himself and continuing -, "Sirius and I…. There are things that have to be done, that only really matter on a first day, before you leave Hogwarts. Dungbomb in the kitchen in one of them."

Lily gaped, but quickly recomposed her features to a façade she hoped looked casual. "Hmm. Well, what are some of the other things one has to do before they leave?" she asked innocently.

James looked at Lily pointedly, took her hand, and said, "There are lots of… tasks. It's just things I need to do to feel that my work at Hogwarts is complete. Like you…"

His work at Hogwarts. So that's what she was. All she was.

Lily brushed it off and rolled her eyes.

"Personally, I think you've done enough in the 'Lily' department. Seven years, seven offenses."

James looked confused, so Lily sighed and started rolling off the list. "First year, staring at me all during dinner. Stalking me for the rest of the year. Second year, waiting behind to share a carriage with me, and still having your hopes up when the answer was obviously no. Very annoying. Third year: admitting you aren't ever going to give up, assuring me that I want you, repeatedly trying to tell me something I'm sure I don't want to know, not letting Alice tell me about her date with Frank, and exposing me to your germs. Fourth year you asked me out Merlin knows how many times, implied I couldn't buy my own candy –"

"I-," James started but Lily held up a hand and kept talking.

"- tempted me by saying you may die, offered to take off my robes, told me you had a dream about said robes, and accused me of leading you on – which I still don't, by the way. In fifth year you almost told me I couldn't sit where I liked, bragged about some stupid prank that made that poor old man quit, bribed someone into letting you become a Prefect so you could spend more time with me, telling an innocent first year we were dating – way to make someone choke -, assuming I'd say yes this time, and insulting the password I made up – yes I made it up. Sixth year, following me around the castle, when I obviously only took that route to be rid of you; telling me you could have anyone, assaulting me when I insulted you, and saying… saying that I was in lo-love with you. Now, this year, you tell me it was all for nothing – all just something you needed to get done before you left. I was a trophy, a 'task', a feat. Well guess what, James?" Lily said, her shout dropping to a whisper. "You can't have me."

"Lily, it isn't like that. I swear. I'm in l-"

Lily put her hands over her ears and started walking more quickly, her rant had led them almost all the way to the common room. If she ran, Lily could make it there before James had another word.

"Lily-"

"I'm not listening," Lily said, childishly, in a sing-song voice. She quickened her pace until she was at the portrait hole.

"Lily."

Fed up, Lily spun around, intending to shout 'what?', but instead finding her face inches from James'.

She wasn't sure who leaned in or who moved first, but the next second she was kissing James, and it was like nothing else. Lily swung her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss, anger still pulsing through her, her heart still beating loudly – and growing more loud by the moment. James snaked his arms tightly around Lily's waist, binding them together. Lily felt James's tongue on her bottom lip, and she opened her mouth, gasping for air. James held Lily closer, so her feet were off the ground, and spun her in a circle.

Lily would have kept kissing him forever; leave behind all reason, and just snog James for the rest of her life. Only it was more than just snogging, it was kissing – yes, there was a difference. Lily would have, carelessly, stood there all night if not for a pointed cough from the Fat Lady, which seemed to bring reality back in with it.

James pulled back first, looking down at Lily in amazement. His eyes were glazed behind his glasses – Lily could feel the spot where their rim had molded against her nose.

Before she could realize that she should say something witty, and before she realized she didn't want to, James spoke, his voice scratchy and thus a tiny bit pathetic.

"Lily, I love you."

Of course it wasn't the first time he'd said it. But it was different this time. There was meaning to it – so many unsaid words, all there. He wasn't saying it in front of everyone, trying to sound like a hopeless romantic – it wasn't for his ego. It didn't sound like he even wanted an answer, just as if he wanted her to know. Needed her to; there was urgency in his voice. He wasn't expecting anything in return. It wasn't like he was trying to prove something. It was like he meant it.

And that's why she said it back.

"I love you, James."

Lily whispered it, tasting the words.

She liked them, maybe loved them. James grinned, beaming. His smile was so beautiful, so tempting, that Lily had to smile back too. They were still intertwined, and Lily lay her forehead against James's nose.

"I love you, I love you, God, I love you," she whispered over and over. James laughed quietly and moved one of his hands from her waist to under her chin. Lily lifted her face level with his, and looked into James's eyes. Then it all made sense.

James opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a small voice coming from somewhere around his elbow.

"I thought you two weren't dating…" the little voice was confused and accusing – it was coming from the curly red-haired, blue-eyed first – now second – year. Lily and James laughed, looking down at her.

"We weren't," Lily said, glancing back up at James with another smile.

A/N: Agh, I'm pretty sure it's over. (checks title) Yeah, over... Well, thank you all of you for all the lovely reviews and alerts and favorites, and for sticking with me. They really kept me going. I hope you all liked this, personally I think it turned out really well. Have a great day,

Chloe.