"You're a bloody idiot, d'you know that?"

"Lily, I keep telling you. I have absolutely no idea what you're on about."

"Right, James." Lily raised her eyebrows. "So you're telling me that you and those mates of yours had nothing to do with every single door to every single girls lavatory vanishing this morning?" As she said it, her mouth began to twitch, betraying humor.

"Well, actually, Remus and Sirius didn't know about it, but Pete and I…" James trailed off, glancing sideways and catching her smile. "But see! You think its funny!" he continued to grin, this time grabbing her hand and entwining their fingers as they continued their patrol. Quite satisfied that he was in no trouble, he continued, "No need to hide it, Evans. I won't tell." He wiggled his eyebrows, somewhat ridiculously.

Chucking, Lily wondered how he could look both so absurd and so charming at the same time. "You know, it baffles me how you seem to get away with everything you do. Is it bribery? Intimidation? Flatter—"

She stopped suddenly as James yanked her to the right, through a door, into an empty classroom.

Turning around, he kissed her hard on the mouth. Lily's back suddenly hit the door and it snapped closed. He wrapped his arms around her waist, one hand moving to the small of her back, the other lingering on her ribs.

"Oi, I was trying to prove a point. You can't just—"

But he was kissing her again, and the hand that had been on her ribs was inching its way under her jumper and over her unexposed hip, moving upwards.

Sighing contentedly, she reached her arms up, one tugging his collar, pulling him closer, the other sifting through the hair at the nape of his neck. Satisfied that there would be no more protesting (even if it was feigned, he thought to himself), his lips moved to her neck, traveling slowly down to her collarbone.

"This is how I do it," he murmured against her neck.

"Do what?" Lily whispered, pulling his mouth back up to hers.

"Get away with everything. Charm. Coercion."

Lily pulled away. Her lips were still brushing his as she spoke. "What? Been handing out snogs to McGonagall and Dumbledore while my back's turned, have you?" she asked, eyes full of laughter.

"Yeah," he breathed, looking entirely serious. "Now you see why Filch is the only one who gives me trouble. Just can't stomach that one."

"Oh yes. Quite understandable, of course."

James let out a loud laugh and kissed her once more, this time more softly. He pulled back and smiled at her. She was looking somewhat pensive, now.

"What?" he asked, half-frowning.

Lily leaned back against the classroom door, crossing her arms. "Oh, nothing. I reckon I'm a bit jealous is all."

"Of?" he asked.

"You and Dumbledore. I've always wondered what that beard felt like."