A/N Hello there! I wrote this a few weeks ago, but I only decided to post it just now. I had some tweaking to do. And I asked my friend EmilyluvsHP to read it over for me. To which she replied, and I quote, "You put that up right this bloody second!" Love her, go check out her L/J fic "The Time of Our Lives."

So... without any further ado...

"Peach Pie With Added Sugar"

It was a rather dreary evening upon a very special spot of Scotland. The sky was a deep charcoal, it's clouds meshed together heavily, ready at any moment to exhale with a torrent of rain. The forest was as alive as the clouds seemed to be; wildlife scooting every which way, ready to take cover before they were stuck in such a downpour.

Next to this lively forest sat a castle. Grand in appearance, even more grand in talent. For this large, stone castle was a school- a home to young wizards and witches. Everything about it appeared to be magical, from it's foundation to it's turrets. This castle was known around the world for the talent and magic it held. Famous, skilled witches and wizards were known to have owed everything they learned from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was a place where they prepared for the future.

It was also a place where they were mischievous and romantic. As it was bound to be, filled to the brim with teenagers.

Because of the horrid weather, many of the school's inhabitants had taken to their dormitories or common rooms. Some played games of chess or exploding snap, handing over coins tucked in their robes or happily taking them away from the friends they had defeated. Others, the romantics, could be found huddled by the fire. The audacious ones, burrowed away in a broom closet of sorts, miles away from a school, even Scotland for that matter.

And then, there were Potter and Evans.

"James Potter, were the bloody hell are you taking me?" the very curious and ruffled red-head asked.

"Shh," he released the sound into her ear from behind her, his hands on the small of her back, guiding her playfully. "All in good time."

"I'm not enjoying this," Lily said matter-of-factly, letting him push her onward.

"Like I said," he chuckled, " all in good time."

She huffed. "All in good time." He tilted his head back and laughed at her mockery. James found this interpretation of him very amusing.

"Is that what I sound like?" he asked, his voice inquisitive.

"Sometimes. I find that you have different tones when you are with different people."

"Oh?" he questioned.

"Yes," she said nodding, "when you're with your mates, you use a rather heavy tone of prat."

He grinned, but then thought of something."So, I use this tone with you?" James quickly prodded.

She was quiet. He felt stiff as he waited for her to reply. Finally she spoke, "On occasion."

James nodded into the crook in her neck as they continued walking on in silence.

The thing about their relationship was in fact that it wasn't a relationship. James was mad about her. He had been for a very, very long time. She knew it too. Ever since they had become mates at the beginning of the school year, their... "relationship" seemed to be getting better and better. She didn't want to hex him every time she spotted him. He didn't feel the urge to publicly propose to her in order to show his affection and pride. His ego had deflated, as had her temper. For they hadn't always been such good mates. They were enemies at a dark, hormone-filled part of their lives. Their fifth year had been known for the show they both put on, fighting and squealing and cursing.

When they both were appointed Heads of the school, they were forced to do their duties together. Of course, she was reluctant, only knowing of his haughty side. He was thrilled at the chance to spend time with her. He was going to prove that he wasn't that same old childish boy, asking her out every day as if it were a common practice. Those long nights of patrolling the corridors allowed them to glimpse the parts of each other that they never saw. The laughing, the chatting, the secret-telling – it all added up to them finally becoming mates. Something they were both very happy with.

See, James Potter knew that now he mates with Miss Evans, he might have a shot at showing her how much he cared for her, something that had grown rapidly over the years. But the minute he realized this, he knew he would have to take his time, being very careful.

He hadn't asked her on a date in months. She clearly noticed, but hadn't said anything about it. Even when the two of them sat together, telling each other things they could hardly tell themselves, they hardly spoke of their past. They hardly ever came to terms with the fact that James fancied her, and she began to fancy him back. They glided past the facts and feelings, not having the courage to come right out and say anything.

Something that both Gryffindors were ashamed of.

Which brought them to this very night- James dragging Lily along, both of them avoiding the fact that James had called her a mate, and she didn't say anything to deny they were potentially more.

Finally, he stopped her in front of a painting.

She cocked an eyebrow that he could practically feel from his spot behind her. It made him want to laugh. "A bowl of fruit. How ridiculously suiting," she said in a drawling voice.

"Are you implying, Evans, that all I think about is food?" At this question, Lily grinned.

"Course not."

"Now, listen here, pet," James said, stepping away from her, "I am showing you valuable, top secret marauder-like things. You shall not go off spluttering this information to anyone."

"Psh. My last name's not McKinnon. My profession is not trouble."

"Hush," he teased, "Marlene is your best mate. How would she feel hearing such things out of the mouth of her dearest comrade?"

"Oh, Marley knows all this. Please. It's a constant topic, she revels in it," Lily expressed dramatically.

"You love her anyway," he said. "Now. Prepare to be amazed."

He casually approached the painting, reaching up and – yes, Lily was seeing it right- tickling a pear. However, that's not all she was seeing. Her head was cocked slightly, looking at her mate with a dazed expression. He turned his head to see her reaction, smirking at what he saw instead. "Enjoying the view?"

"Har, har," she sneered, though turning quite red as she did.

Before James could reply, the portrait seemed to move, and suddenly turned into a door. Lily was looking at it, startled.

"What's this?" she asked. He was thrilled with the fact that she sounded nervous.

"Oh Lily, don't put your guard up. It's not some passage out of the school. We're going to the kitchens."

"The kitchens? I never knew they were that accessible. But we're not allowed in there... are we?"

James shrugged. "The guys and I have been coming here for years. We've never gotten in trouble before. The house elves love us. Dote on us, really. We're regulars."

"Huh," was her only reply, stepping forward and opening the door. "Wow," she said, smelling the scent of the kitchen's abundant amount of food.

"I know," James said simply. They both walked in, seeing the sight before them. Loaves of bread. Baskets of fruit. Ingredients and cooking supplies of every shape and size. There was a large brick fire place, as well as four long tables. The house elves were running around, glimpsing who had joined them.

"Master Potter!" a little elf piped up from a spot next to one of the long tables. "What is it that Mipsy can get for you, sir? Is Master Black coming, too?"

"Not today, Mipsy," James said with a smile. "I do have someone else to introduce- this is my very good friend, Lily Evans. Remember, I've told you about her before." His eyes were very wide as he glared at the elf.

Mipsy turned to look at Lily, something clicking in her head as looked back at James. "Yes," she said slowly. "Of course I remember Miss Evans. Of course. Master Potter has mentioned her many times, hasn't he?"

Lily stood there, staring at James, her face puzzled. They talked about her? What had he said?

Mipsy came up to Lily's feet and bowed. "It is nice meeting you, Miss Evans. Mipsy is very, very happy to meet any friend of Master Potter. He's a- a," she stole a look at James and turned back to Lily, "a very handsome boy isn't he?"

James winced at her wording. Oh, Merlin. He knew Mipsy was just trying to make him happy, but he was nervous how Lily would react. Clearly she would see that they had had conversations about her in the past. He had told Mipsy pretty much everything. She listened to every word he spoke. It was nice having someone listen without any judging whatsoever. He was just apprehensive that Evans would get nervous and run the other way, thinking he had planned some elaborate scheme. Which he hadn't. Sort of.

Lily, however, was laughing. "It's lovely to meet you too," she said kindly. "And yes, I suppose he is," she added with a soft smile. James' pulse seemed to accelerate a lot faster than it was before, hearing her words and her shy tone of voice.

"Does Miss Evans and Master Potter need something from Mipsy? Mipsy can get whatever you is wanting from her."

"Actually," James spoke up, "I was rather hoping you'd let Lily and I borrow a little space in here to do some... baking."

Mipsy's eyes had bulged happily. "Yes, sir, of course! Come with me, Mipsy will show you a spot." The small elf had beckoned the two of them to follow her.

Lily was glowing. "Baking?" she asked.

"Oh yes," he said, nodding. "We are going to be making some rather delicious pie. Or, rather, I will be teaching you how to make it."

"You'll be teaching me?" she laughed, "And how do you know I don't already know how to make pie?"

James shook his head. "No, I'm teaching you to make a special pie. Not just pie in general. Peach pie, actually."

"Alright," she challenged. "I'd like to see just how special this pie is."

He smiled down at her. If only she knew. "We're doing this the proper way. No magic."

"No magic?" Lily asked incredulously, "Are you daft?"

"No, I'm practical," James winked, "we're doing this without wands. I swear, it tastes better that way."

"You're not serious," she said, "it's a pie, it will taste the same."

He shook his head. "Just wait. You'll know." Lily shrugged it off, tutting.

James got out the ingredients with Mipsy's help. "Think you can do an easy task, such as slicing the peaches, Evans?"

Lily grinned. "I am Muggle-Born, I didn't use magic when I was younger, obviously. As a matter of fact, I excel at slicing." She rummaged through the bowl of peaches, picking out the ones she deemed fit.

Meanwhile, he was on the floor, getting a gigantic bag of flour out of a cabinet below them. He looked up to see Lily glancing at him, a smirk etched on her face. "Would you like help?" she asked innocently.

"Really, I'm hurt! I'm a man, I can carry a bag of flour," he said, his voice strained as he lifted it into his arms. He grabbed a hold of it, trying not to show that it was actually very heavy.

And then he saw something that happened so quick, it might not have happened at all. But it had. And as small as it was, it made him drop the ruddy bag onto the floor, flour escaping through the top onto this clothes and face.

Lily Evans had been checking him out.

Only for a second, but it had happened. James knew it when he saw it. She didn't know he was looking. She had run her eyes up and down his figure, and her teeth had clasped her bottom lip gently. James had done it plenty of times before to the person in question. He just couldn't believe he had caught her in the act. The effect it had on him was scary.

"James!" Lily exclaimed, "Look what you've done." She approached him and wiped her hand on his shirt, trying to brush off the flour. She inched up toward his face, sweeping his cheek. He could only stand there frozen. She was too close.

Lily stopped abruptly, seeing his expression, one hand plastered on his chest, the other on his face. Her eyes quickly moved to the side, but his were stones, permanently looking at her.

Could she feel this insane, unexpected zap of electricity going through his body right now? If she could, she'd surely be fried from it by now. They had touched before, her playfully hitting him, their hands brushing, waking up realizing they had fallen asleep on each other in the common room... But this was different.

Lily slowly took a step back, and he jolted back to the present. Readjusting his glasses awkwardly, he grabbed down to get the flour again, setting it on the table, and then proceeding to get the flour off.

She was already working- a knife in her delicate hand, slicing away at the soft peaches. Her dark red hair was in her face, and she kept trying to impatiently blow it away. He watched her silently, taking in her features, watching her prepare the pie that he had decided on.

A towel was in his hand. He was gripping it. Hard. "Lily."

She didn't look up. "Hm?"

He sucked a ragged breath in. "Lily," he said again, "what exactly are we doing?" The minute he said it, he knew he couldn't take it back.

She put the knife down and turned her head to look at him. "Well, we're making a pie, aren't we? Or," she countered, "I'm making a pie, you're covered in flour."

He laughed. "No," here it goes, he thought, "what are we really doing?"

His question dawned on her. "Oh. What are we..."

"...really doing. Yeah." He sat down. She didn't pick back up the knife.

He waited. She said nothing more. She was very red again.

He pursed his lips. "May I say something?"

"You just have."

"Funny," he said, his head tilting to the side, "but no. Really, something you should know."

She was quiet again. Merlin, what was she thinking? He came to terms with the fact that she wasn't going to speak so he started to anyway.

"My mum used to make peach pie every single summer before she died," he began, sneaking a glance at her. She looked puzzled. "I always insisted on helping her. I told her I knew how to make it from all those times I watched her. But she always told me to watch, not to help. I was angry she wouldn't let me. Thought she didn't trust me." He licked his lips. "A few summers ago she was making it, and I called her out on it. She told me something I wasn't expecting." He paused, gingerly, a smile creeping up on his face. "She said she had told me to watch and learn how to make the pie so I knew exactly how it was done. And then, when I met a girl important enough to me, I'd bring her home. And for the very first time, I would make it, but I'd make it for her."

She was frozen, glaring at him. He kneaded his hands. "Of course," he continued, "she never got the chance to see me bring that girl home."

Lily was focusing on something he had said. A girl important enough to me. She felt light-headed. "You-," she began, "you would have brought me home to your mother?"

James chuckled. "Of course I would have. She would have loved you." They stared at one another. "But I'd still like to bring you home, you know. My father... he'd love you too. You've actually got a lot in common."

Were they talking about his father here? Or him? Lily found it hard to find her inner-voice.

"James-" she started. The uneasiness was apparent in her tone.

"No." He stood up from the table and strode to her. "No, you need to hear this."

"What if I can't?" she asked lamely.

"You can," he encouraged. "Please justlisten to me. What are we doing here, Lil? We're dancing around this- this thing that we have. And don't even deny that we have something. We do. I know. You know it. We can both see it, but we're not bloody doing anything about it."

"It's dangerous, that's why," she pleaded. "James, please, I can't talk about this right now."

"We have to!" he shouted, "If we don't do it now, it'll be put off again and again. I'm not going to regret never standing up and facing the facts for the rest of my life, Lily!"

Her face was dark. "Fine. Fine. What is it that you want to talk about?"

"Do you have feelings for me?" he rushed.

"What?"

"You heard me."

"What kind of feelings are we talking about exactly? Feelings of... friendliness?"

He gave her a stone cold stare. "More than a mate, Lil."

"Wha- wait a minute here. Stop shoving this all down my throat at once, James, it's not fair."

"Lily, stop it, dammit! Just answer the question!"

"Yes!" she professed, her voice an octave higher. "Yes, of course I do. You know that."

They were quiet for a minute. Many of the house elves had rushed away to give them space once they heard the shouting. The pair were standing there, looking at each other, confusion wrapped around their heads.

"I fancy you more than you could possibly imagine," he told her finally.

"I can imagine," she quipped.

"But you don't know. I don't think you do."

"James look at this in perspective. You've fancied me for a while, and I didn't exactly like you during that time. And then we became mates, but I started to fancy you. And I thought you were over me. But all my mates, and even your mates, might I add, said you weren't. It gave me hope, but I am too shy, and I never did anything. I just waited to see if you would. You didn't. So I didn't. And I didn't want to face it because I liked the friendship we had without any worries of what might happen."

"Is that what you think this is, Lily? A friendship? It's not a damn friendship. It's two people who like each other pretending they are just mates. But I can't pretend anymore, don't you see?"

"I don't want things to get complicated," she whined. "I can't see things fall apart. I hate feelings. I hate feeling awkward. I feel so immensely awkward right now, you don't even know."

"I know, I feel it too. But we owe it to ourselves to just try and talk."

"Complicated," she muttered under her breathe.

"How?" he asked, spreading his arms apart. "I am mad about you. I just want to know if there's anything here between us, because I can feel it. But I can only feel so much if you don't feel it too."

She looked up. Her eyes were glossy. Her fingers were a jumbled mess. "I can't do this."

"You can," he said firmly. "You're a Gryffindor. You're brave. Think for a minute, alright? What can you possibly lose here?"

"I don't know," she snapped, "maybe our entire friendship. I can't lose that, James. If things don't work out, I can't-" she fought for words, "I can't lose you."

"Is that what this is about? Losing me?" he asked incredulously, grabbing her hand. "Listen here, you are never going to lose me, understand? I never want to lose you. I can't stop thinking about you, dammit. You're always in my head."

"How do you know things won't turn for the worse? There's a bloody war. People are dying. I'm Muggle-Born, you think they won't come after me? What happens then?"

"Shut your mouth, Evans," he seethed, "Nothing is going to happen to you. I will never let that happen."

"You can't promise that," she retorted.

"You're afraid," he replied, shrugging his shoulders, his teeth clenched.

"Of course I am."

"You shouldn't be."

"How do you ruddy know how I should feel?" she yelled, pulling away from him. "Don't you dare think that. Don't even think that for one minute, James Potter."

"Fine then, then tell me how you feel, seeing as I have no right to have an opinion on the matter."

"You're a git, you know that. I can't believe that I have feelings for you," she admitted.

"How am I really supposed to believe you have feelings for me? You won't even talk about it," his nostrils flared in anger.

"Shut up, you pathetic, ignorant swot! Of course I have feelings for you! I can't even look at you without my head going fuzzy and my stomach dropping to the floor and thinking things I'm not supposed to. It's your entire bloody fault. All I want to do on a daily basis is jump on you and- and never let go. Fuck. Bloody fuck. I'm an idiot. I'm- mmmm!"

James had grabbed her, pulled her close to him, practically crushing her as he lifted her onto the table and put his lips to hers. Lily tried to push him off, but he persisted. She felt her grip on reality slowly diminishing, and she knew she wouldn't be able to fight any longer. It was eager. It was rough. It was desperate. She finally just gave in, wrapping her arms around his neck. James took this new action into great account. He kissed her harder. She ran her fingers through his unruly hair. It went on like this for several minutes before it got slower, with more of a rhythm to it. He stroked her hair, and her fingers danced gently on the back of his neck.

She broke apart from him, breathing one breath at a time. His eyes were still closed. Her thinking started becoming more rational by the second, the fuzziness only lingering on the edges of her vision. Something had caught her eye. Out of her peripheral vision there was a figure, standing there with her hands on her hips, grinning ear to ear.

Lily pushed James a little away from her face, turning to see that it was Marlene. The girl popped her gum, looking from boy to girl, before finally speaking.

"Well I don't know how long that went on for. I only just got here, but I have to say... it was about ruddy time."

James turned, taking in Marlene's appearance, looking at her as if she had two-heads.

"Marlene!" Lily screamed, her voice shaky and petrified. "What are you doing here?"

"Sirius told me where you were. I needed to talk to you. Didn't know you were with Potter, here. Seems Black forgot to mention that part..." she trailed off curiously. "Explains how you knew where the kitchen was. I told him you didn't. But he insisted you were here. I bet that little prat set me up," she seemed intrigued at the idea. "But anyway, I think I can wait. Carry on, then," she told them happily, waving her hands in a shooing motion. "Oh, and hello there, Potter, lovely to see you."

"Marley," he said nodding his head in amusement.

"Marlene McKinnon, go the fuck away now!" Lily's voice was daggers. "You don't even understand how angry I am at you! Leave!"

"Course," Marlene said simply, "When you're done, you can find me in our dorm. I want to hear everything. If you take too long, though, I might go off with someone in a broom closet. I hate being bored." She beamed.

"GO!" Lily shouted, furiously pointing toward the door. Her friend happily trotted away, as if her best mate hadn't just screamed bloody murder at her. The door closed, finally, leaving the two of them tangled in silence.

James was positively glowing. He didn't care in the least that Marley had just walked in on them. He couldn't find it in himself to care after taking in the fact that he was just snogging Evans and she was snogging him back.

"Oh my god," Lily moaned, "I can't believe her. This is so embarrassing."

"It's quite funny, really," James commented, chuckling.

"It's not, though," she retorted, though the corners of her mouth were raising up and up by the second. "I can't believe she walked in on that and didn't leave. The nerve." She was silent for a second, but then shot her head up. "OH. Oh. By the way, I'm going to murder your best mate. I swear it. He knew I was with you, and he just went and told Marley without even considering we might be-" she blushed.

"Snogging?" James offered.

She buried her head in his shirt. "Merlin."

"Lil," James started, "I don't mean to intrude your deep, agonizing thoughts or anything, but I was wondering... you liked that as much as I did, right?"

She knew the "it" he was referring to was not Marlene intruding, but the snogging. "Ha," was all she could say, her thoughts jumbled as she remembered what it had felt like.

"Amazing," he mumbled.

"Quite," she agreed, managing to squeak the word out.

"Er, maybe we should do it again," he suggested.

"Ok," she said quickly and grabbed his face once more.

A little while later, after they had both gotten everything out of their systems, they continued with their forgotten pie until it was ready to be cooked.

"Look at this," James said, holding it up, "it's flawless."

"It has to be cooked still," Lily laughed, "after that maybe we can decide."

As they waited, James decided they should talk more.

"Yeah," Lily agreed, "Probably a good idea."

"I'm not sure if you knew this already, but I fancy you," James joked, happy to see Lily burst out laughing at his comment.

"I can tell," she joked back.

"I was just wondering," he began, "maybe you'd like to go to Hogsmeade with me. You know on, like, a date or something." He was shrugging.

She smiled that shy smile that always got his heart thumping. "Er, yeah, that would be nice."

"Brilliant," he said, his face glowing, "Can you say it again, you know, just so I can marvel."

"James, you're a prick," she rolled her eyes, "but it'd be nice to go on a date with you," she finished, giving in.

"How about once more for my sanity?" he asked.

"No!" she laughed, shoving him.

There was a dinging noise, letting them know the pie was ready. James found some mitts and held it carefully, placing it on the table.

"I'm excited to share this perfection of a pie with you," he told her, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"Well I'll be the one to judge that." She sliced a piece onto her plate, blowing on it so it would cool down. She stole a glance at James, "Ready?"

"Go on," he told her eagerly. She forked a piece and brought it to her mouth, chewing. "Well?" he asked.

"Well," she started, "Well..." she trailed off, her face scrunching. "James," she said, "this is awful."

"Come again?" he asked her, scratching his chin.

"It's- well, it's tastes bad. I think you put salt in," she told him, rubbing a napkin on her tongue.

James quickly cut himself a piece and bit into it, realizing what she meant. "Oh," he groaned. "Shit, I think I put salt in instead of sugar. Good thing we got the added sugar in anyway, eh?" He waggled his eyebrows at her.

She swatted him, but laughed all the same, shaking her head in amazement at him. "You really are something."

"So I've been told," he winked.

"You would screw this up, though," she told him, "watching your mum make it all your life wasn't enough, yeah?"

"I think I was a little distracted," he said dazed, "you know, all I could think about was snogging you while I put in whatever it was- salt, I guess."

"Well," she said, pushing the plate aside, "I think your mother would be proud."

"Psh! What are you on about? The pie was awful."

"Not the pie," she said, "how you tried to teach the important girl to make the pie, as awful as it was. You made it the very first time with me, just like she wanted. She would have liked that, right?"

He stood there, looking at her, wondering how on earth he was lucky enough to come by a girl like her. "Yeah," he agreed, "She would have liked that a great deal."

"I like you a great deal," she said with that soft smile.

He rubbed circles on her hands with his thumbs. "Can you say that to me again?"

"Potter!" she laughed. "Hush now." A sneaky grin appeared on her face. "Also, I am very excited for our date."

"Now you're just teasing me with your powerful words. It's too much," he whined.

"Come here," she told him, and she placed her lips delicately on his, smiling into them.

And he wouldn't have traded that day, those hours, these moments for anything.

A/N I hope you liked it! Let me know :)

-Jess