One Sweet Day- Page Two

Disclaimer: Characters involved are not mine, except for a few teachers I made up, but they're pretty much unimportant, so you're welcome to take them if you like.
Summary: One Christmas morning, two students find that they're the only students left in the school for the holiday.  They make the best of it, and in the end, they get more out of it than they had ever even dreamed of...
Author's Note: This was inspired by my urge to write a short little ficlet type thing… And of course, reading my favorite stories and feeling insanely jealous of the fantastic authors.  And despite the fact that she probably doesn't want her name connected to this, I'm going to dedicate this to Lavender, fabulous authoress of the Falling Trilogy, which I highly recommend.  (Please hurry with more!)
Pairings: James/Lily
Spoilers: Information was taken from all of the first four books, but you won't know what information was taken, and what was made up if you haven't read them, so feel free to read (and review!) anyway.
Rating: PG, for a little bit of kissing and because Lily and James are sixteen year olds with all those hormones…
Feedback: Please send some! I really want to hear what you think!  Feel free to review by the button, or email me at [email protected]. Thanks!

*         *         *

(Page Two)

James hurried up to his room and pulled out his thickest cloak and gloves. Then he went over to his closet and grabbed his broom, which he stored in his room to keep safe.  Again, he beat Lily down to the common room. She came downstairs and was tying her new scarf around her.

"I don't have a broom," she said, eying his warily.

He shrugged. "S'kay, you can ride with me. Then if you're feeling any better about brooms, we'll go by the broom closet and get you one for yourself."

She shuddered visibly. "Really, wouldn't you rather do something on the ground? Anything?"

"Explore the Forbidden Forest?" he offered sweetly.

She gave him a look. "Are you serious?"

He shook his head. "No, he went home for Christmas. Now come on, let's go. I promise I won't do anything too frightening or dangerous."

She didn't appear to believe him, but he didn't give her much of a choice.

It took about five minutes to get outside, and then another five to coax Lily onto the broom.

But she finally got on behind him. "Just hold on to me," he said. "And relax. I'll take care of the flying part."

She tentatively held on to his sides. Amused by her shyness, he pulled her arms the rest of the way around him. "If you're scared, you're better off that way," he explained, glancing at her. "Double broom riding is a close and personal sport," he added, and watched as her cheeks turned a little bit rosier. He hid a grin. "You ready?"

"No?"

He took off anyway, and felt her holding tighter to him. He didn't go as fast as he could of, but went on a leisurely circle around the castle. She hadn't loosened her grip on him throughout the entire circle, nor had she lost any of her tension, and he was amused. "You're not going to have any fun if you don't relax, Lily."

"When we're this high in the air?" she wondered. "Not bloody likely."

He didn't really mind though. He kind of liked the way she had her hands around him and was holding him so tight.

He was, after all, a sixteen-year-old male alone on a broom with a gorgeous sixteen-year-old girl, no matter what the circumstances were. He dipped the broom a little, and she gasped. He grinned a little more. It had been a long time since he'd flown with a girl on a broom.  Since before he'd had this new broom, even.  And somehow, flying around with Remus or Peter or Sirius was never as fun.  Of course, they all had their own brooms, and that made it different, and even if they hadn't, he wouldn't have let them touch his broom. "Scared?" he wondered, purposely reminding himself that she was there, so he wouldn't go off thinking again.

"Terrified," she said through gritted teeth. "Can we go down yet?"

He slowed down and turned to look at her. "I tell you what. You make a good try at relaxing for a few minutes, and then, if you still don't like it, I'll take you down, all right?"

"Why not take me down right now?" she wondered, glancing down once and then shutting her eyes.

"Not an option," he said cheerfully.

She let out a hiss of breath. "Fine."

"Open your eyes then."

She did, but didn't look too happy.

He flew down lower to the ground. "I'll stay down here," he said. "But you've got to keep your eyes open."

"All right," she agreed hesitantly.

To test her, he flew out towards the lake and over it, and when she yelped a little, he was satisfied.

"Over land!" she ordered, and this time her grip on him was slightly less pleasant, and a bit more painful. He flew to the edge of the lake again.

He circled around the lake, then turned and went down a path he knew of that would take them on a short jaunt through the forest. When she didn't complain, he turned down another path, going a little further to a pretty little waterfall he and the Marauders had found on one of their full moon outings.

"It's so pretty," she sighed, and he could feel her breath on the side of his neck.

"I know where it's prettier," he said, glancing at her. "But you probably won't like how we have to get there."

She hesitated. "Do it anyway."

He grinned and flew upwards, not surprised at all when she gasped. They flew up above the trees, and towards the castle. There was a flat spot on the roof of one of the towers. He'd take her there.

After a few detours, he decided, circling around one of the towers.

As he'd somewhat hoped, she continued to hold him tight for the rest of the trip to the top.

They landed on the second tallest tower of the castle. The tallest tower had a slightly better view, but James had already figured Lily wouldn't like that one- sloped, icy edges just screamed too much danger for her.

They dismounted, and James wiped snow off the edge of the building, leaving them enough space to sit. "Bit cold up here," James said helping her sit- the last thing he wanted was for her to slip and fall off. "But the view's worth it."

She smiled up at him, and procured a little jar from her cloak's pocket. "This'll help with the cold," she said.

James grinned as he recognized the little ball of fire. Remus was always bringing them out on cold days to keep them warm.

She cupped her hands around one for a moment, then passed it to him. He held it in one hand between them.

"It's nice up here," Lily agreed, and he noticed that she did not look directly down.

He grinned. "By chance, are you afraid of heights?"

Her cheeks, which were already rosy from the cold, seemed to grow a little pinker. "When I was younger, we lived in a house with two floors. There was a little balcony, and Pet and I used to play out on it. Well, one day she got a little mad at me." Lily shuddered. "She was older than me, and made me climb over the fence and stand on the very edge. I think I ended up using magic then, because I shouldn't have had enough room to stand, but I did. Then my mum came and started panicking. When she tried to get me back over, I slipped and banged my head pretty hard on the railing before she pulled me over. And then after that, I just couldn't stand being high up in the air."

James was sympathetic, but curious. "You're not panicking right now."

She shrugged, looking out at the landscape. "For a while I thought I was getting over it. We went over to America at the holiday last year, and we went to all the tall buildings in New York. I was okay with it then, as long as my parents were around. If it was just Petty or one of my aunts or uncles, then I started to get sick, but with my parents I was okay. I trusted my parents enough, I guess."

He heard the wistful note in her voice. "Well, you must trust me too, then."

She smiled a little and shrugged, and they sat for another ten minutes or so before the cold got to be too much.

"It's gonna drop pretty steep," James warned her. "But now you know that, so don't scream."

She peered around him, over the edge, and shuddered. Then she slipped her arms around him again and buried her face. "Go," she ordered, her voice muffled by his robe.

He went.

She didn't scream, but he heard her gasp and felt her arms tighten around him. He behaved himself though, and flew to the door of the castle.

She looked a bit unsteady as she dismounted, so he helped her, slipping her arm around his shoulders. "Wanna run to the kitchens?" he offered. "We can get some cocoa to get warmed up with."

She looked interested. "Sounds good."

"You ever been down there before?" James asked as they began walking.

She shook her head as she removed her arm from him. "Not really."

"Remus found it in first year, when he got lost trying to find the Potions room. He saw a few older kids going in."

And then, James remembered fondly, he'd come to class ten minutes late, laden down with muffins for everyone in the class. The Potions master had been so pleased that he'd gotten out of a detention. For that anyway. He'd gotten one later in the hour for melting a cauldron.  A true mischief maker, he was, right from the start.

Lily looked at him curiously. "Have you found other neat places in the castle?"

"A few," he said modestly, thinking of the Marauder's Map and it's detailed guide to the secret passageways. "But I've been sworn to secrecy."

She rolled her eyes.

They reached the painting of the bowl of fruit, and James tickled the pear.

Lily looked quite amused when it swung open, revealing the kitchen.

"Mister James!" a house-elf squeaked, and ran up to them.

Half of the elves in the kitchen rushed over, and James gave them a crooked smile. "Hi," he said. "This is Lily. Lily,

this is Ginny, Pezzy, and Fozzy, and-"

"We's very glad to meet you, miss," one of them said, bobbing its head up and down eagerly.

"We just wanted to get some cocoa and maybe some sweets, if you don't mind." James explained.

"Yes, sir, we's glad to help," the house elf said, and there was a sudden bustle of movement as the elves flew into action.

James glanced at Lily and saw that she looked stunned. "They're house elves," he explained. "They're the ones who do everything around the castle. You know, the laundry, keep the fires running, clean up."

"I didn't know that," she said, sounding amazed.

The house elves returned, carrying, not only the coco, but several handfuls of food.

James grinned. "Hang on a sec," he said, and pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket. The house elves loaded it up with pies and sweets, and Lily took the two mugs.

"Thank you," James said.

"Thanks," Lily agreed.

James got the door for them, and they made their way back to the tower, Lily expressing her shock over the house elves, and the fact that she'd never known they were there.

They settled down in their places on the couch again, spreading out the food between them. Lily handed him his mug, and they sat and ate and talked for a while.

Conversation turned to how James had met Sirius and Remus and Peter, and James explained. "My parents and his are best friends," he said. "So we got our letters together, went to Diagon Alley together, and even came to the train together. He lives in Aberdeen, and I'm from Plymouth, so he ended up flooing to my house the first year. We met up with Remus and Pete on the train, and then when we got in the same house, we just got to be good friends."

"And you've been pranking ever since," Lily finished.

He grinned. "Of course."

They talked about their favorite classes next. Lily's was either Charms or Divination (it amused her, she didn't really believe it), though Transfiguration fascinated her as well.

James grinned at that, and asked her what she'd be if she were an Animagus. "I'd be a stag," he added with certainty that came from knowing that he actually was one.

She shrugged. "I haven't really thought about it. I'm not good enough at it to even consider trying, so..."

"But you've got to have some idea," James insisted.

She shrugged. "I guess I'd be something cool. I'd have said I'd be a doe or something, I guess, but that's too close to yours."

He looked amused. "Nah, it's all right. It's whatever you want."

She shrugged. "Still. I don't know, anyway. Maybe I'd be a bunny."

He allowed himself to imagine a little fuzzy bunny running around with Moony the werewolf, Padfoot the dog, Wormtail the rat, and himself, Prongs the stag, and had to fight a grin. "A bunny, eh?"

She looked a little embarrassed. "I like bunnies. They're cute."

"You'd make a cute bunny," he assured her, but couldn't hide his smile.

She sighed. "Oh, shut up, Potter."

He made a show of pretending to zip his lips shut, and she smiled again.

They went off to the Christmas dinner shortly thereafter.

All of the teachers left at the school, including Professor Trelawney, who usually stayed hidden up in her tower, were in the Hall. Professor Lewis, who taught Divination, was the only one missing.

Trelawney, one who was always big on being dramatic, made a fuss over the fact that there were exactly thirteen people at the table.

But no one else seemed to mind.

The majority of the professors drank a lot, and by the end of the meal, were all a bit red faced and giggly. Professor Dumbledore was trying to lead everyone in carols, but only McGonagall and Flitwick were able to follow along.

Lily and James, finding it all rather funny, sang as well.

The Christmas dinner lasted even longer than a normal meal, and as it drew to its end, Lily and James broke several wizard crackers. James was quite pleased when he ended up with several packets of firecrackers, and a charming green hat. He placed it on his head and, with a crooked grin, offered Lily the bouquet of flowers that came out of the next packet of crackers.

"Up for a snow fight?" James offered, glancing at the ceiling, which showed a light snowfall falling on the castle.

She accepted the challenge, and they rose from the table.

Professor Trelawney put up a fuss about which of them was the first to rise (to which Professor McGonagall snapped "that's what you've said every year since you've been at this school!" and glared at her).

James cast a look back at the Divination teacher, but shoved the thoughts aside. He doubted that he should say anything about her sanity. McGonagall would probably get a little bit upset if he did, even if everyone knew she was completely nutters anyway.

The air outside had grown even cooler by the time Lily and James got out there, having taken a few minutes to go up to the tower to get their cloaks again.

James wasn't about to be the instigator of the fight, as he'd grown up with the idea of never hitting a girl (first, anyway).

So he waited until Lily had playfully thrown a handful of snow at him before he retaliated.

They played outside until it was too cold. The sun had set a while before, and the only light came from the torches that lit up the doorways.

They went through the doorway at the same time, which wasn't long after they'd gone out it.

As they were going in, he only noticed the mistletoe above them out of the corner of his eye.

Mistletoe. The best friend of every guy within a few feet of a pretty girl. Lily noticed he'd stopped and looked at him curiously. He pointed up, and her cheeks flushed a little. "I-I didn't realize-"

He shrugged. "It'll be painless, I swear." She hesitantly faced him, and he figured that he'd have to be the one to do the rest. So he kissed her.

It should have been that simple, a quick kiss between two people who didn't really know each other all that well, but were a little attracted.

But when their lips touched, it was like the magic described in books and stories of True Love. Sparks flew between them, and it was nothing like anything James had ever felt before, even when he'd kissed any girl before.

It was hypnotizing, enthralling, and completely stunning. He couldn't think of anything else except her, and he couldn't feel anything but the way her lips felt against his. He brought his hand up to touch the side of her face, and his other hand slipped around her waist, pulling her closer to him. It was the only thing he could have done to make it even better, to hold her close.

She closed her eyes, and slowly relaxed against him, her hands resting against his chest, gripping his shirt, and pulling him towards her as well.

It was incredible.  The most wonderful flow of emotions he'd ever experienced in all of his sixteen years of-

There was a discreet cough from behind them, and they jumped apart, each of them blushing.

Professor Dumbledore stood in the hallway, his eyes twinkling with merriment. "Lovely night, isn't it?" He smiled at them. "However, it's drawing near to the time you must be off to your Common Room, is it not?"

"Yes, sir," James said, but felt somewhat dazed and confused by the fact that he was no longer kissing Lily. He glanced at her, and found her looking just as stunned as he felt, her cheeks a little red from embarrassment.

Dumbledore smiled at them, and went off down the hall, whistling merrily.

"We should get back," she said, not looking at him as she started down the hall.

He followed her, and they were both quiet until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Mistletoe," Lily said, and led the way into the Common Room.  She'd blushed just saying the word, and he felt somewhat giddy at knowing he was the reason why.

He pulled the portrait closed behind them, and looked at her.

She looked at him.

He finally sighed. "That was..."

"Nice," she finished, a small smile gracing her lips.

He smiled too.  He couldn't help it.  "Yeah.  It was."

Somewhat amused by the fact that he was acting so oddly over a kiss, he took her hand and pulled her over to the couch, taking the seat he'd sat in all day- except moving a little closer.

He was quite pleased to note that she moved closer too.

"I don't think I've had so much fun in a long time," Lily admitted, staring into the fire.

He thought about it for a moment, remembering some of the times he'd spent with his other friends.  But they truly didn't compare.  There was something about Lily that made it true for him, too.  "Me too," he agreed finally. 

"Thank you."

He blinked.  "For what?"

"For making it that way," she said, as if it should have been obvious.

He shook his head a little.  "If anybody should be thanking somebody, it should be me thanking you.  I'd have spent the day locked up in my room and gotten depressed about it.  Else I'd have pulled a few pranks on you," he admitted.  "Just to get my mind off."

She gave him an amused look.  "You won't be doing that now, will you?"

He shook his head. "I don't prank people that I take riding on my broom."  He thought about that for a moment, then grinned.  "And since you're the only one I've taken on my broom..." Well, that one anyway.

She laughed.  "Oh, do I feel special," she teased.

He shrugged, not in the least bit wounded.  "You should."

Actually, he mused, she /really/ should.  The broom had been a Christmas present he'd gotten from his parents the morning they'd died.  He'd never so much as let even Sirius touch it, and never, ever had they been allowed to ride it.  He didn't know really know why he'd changed the rules for her.  Interesting, he decided, studying her.

She looked up suddenly, and their eyes met.  He looked away for a moment, then back at her.  "Give me your feet," he ordered.

She stared at him.  "What?"

He rolled his eyes and pulled her feet up on the couch, then set about removing her shoes. 

She didn't protest, but watched with wary curiosity.  "Exactly what are you up to, James Potter?"

He tugged her socks off, revealing her feet, the toenails of which were neatly painted with a shimmery pink polish.  "Girlish," he said matter-of-factly, and began massaging.

She looked amused.  "Most people would ask first," she said, but did not pull away.  Instead she leaned back, closing her eyes.

He liked her feet.  It was a rather silly thing to like, even sillier thing to think, but it was a fact, and he was just amused enough that he wouldn't deny it.  He liked her ankles too.  Not too bony, not too soft.  They were very nice ankles.

He decided to jump past certain body parts, as he had been raised to be a gentleman, and gentlemen would not comment upon a girl's… body parts. 

Her hands were soft, delicate looking, the nails decorated with the same polish as her toes.  She wore a ring on her right hand that was small and dainty, a diamond surrounded by several smaller diamonds. 

Her wrists were nice too.  Her Hogwarts robes covered her arms, but he made the assumption that her arms were probably very lovely, just because it wouldn't make sense for them to be anything but that.  And the hidden arms connected to hidden shoulders, connected to her neck, which was very attractive.  Graceful looking was what came to mind, but he couldn't imagine why.  He settled for the unoriginal descriptive word instead.  She had a pretty neck, around which she wore a necklace with a tiny diamond pendant that matched the ring on her finger.

And her face...

James decided that she was probably the prettiest girl in Gryffindor, if not the entire school.  Soft red hair fell to frame her face, not tied back with anything, just left to hang freely.  Her ears were small and perfect, her mouth was soft and unpainted, and her eyes were closed. 

As if she could sense him watching her, she opened her eyes, and again, their gazes met.

Staring into her green eyes, James slowly realized that he'd spent an entire day with this girl, and he'd enjoyed it.  Not once had he had to act like someone else, and not once had she made him feel as though she were the one acting, like many of the girls in the school did.  The question that came out of his mouth was unplanned.  "Do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow?"

He asked it in a way so she knew it meant more than just as new 'friends'.  She didn't look away from him.  "That would be nice," she answered.

Her voice was soft and she sounded a little tired.  He ran his thumbs along the arch of her foot, and she shivered, and closed her eyes again.  "You're really good at that, you know?"

He didn't answer, but switched feet. 

"My dad fell in love with my mom when she gave him a foot massage," Lily said suddenly.

He stopped for a moment, looking at her oddly.  "That's weird," he said. 

"Why's that?" she asked, giving him an almost offended look.  "At least it was more exciting than most people's story."

James shook his head a little.  "No, not weird like that.  My mom fell in love with my dad when she was giving /him/ a foot massage."

She pulled her feet away and sat up again, pulling her (pretty) feet under her.  "Well," she said, trying to sound as though that was one of those little unimportant coincidences.  But he could see the way she was looking at him, wondering and worried.  "I won't hold you to it."

Too late, he thought, and then realized what he'd thought.  Too late?  As in, he'd already fallen in love with her? 

She didn't seem to notice his expression, which had darkened a bit as he pondered over his thoughts.  "Your turn," she said, and pulled one of his legs up on the couch.  He automatically pulled the other up, kicking off the shoes, and hoping that his feet weren't really smelly or anything embarrassing like that.  He was rather grateful when she didn't make a face and fall off the couch.  He slipped his socks off, and she smiled at him.  "Lie back," she ordered.  "It'll be more comfortable for you."

Obediently, he did as she said, pulling one of the pillows behind his head and closing his eyes.  Her hands were an interesting combination of light and firm pressure, and it inspired thoughts in him that he knew would be rather frowned upon. 

Something his dad had once told him came to mind.  The summer after fifth year, they'd been talking about life and love, and James had asked him how he'd know when it really was love.  "Son," his father had said, looking very amused.  "You'll know it when you feel it, because you'll suddenly feel like you're the most blessed man in the world.  You'll see things more clearly, you'll find that you'd do everything in the world for that one girl.  You'll be able to picture her next to you in bed, even when she's aged fifty years, and still love her.  And if it's real love, the real, truest kind, you'll finally figure out what real magic is."

James was fairly certain he'd found it.

He pushed those thoughts aside quickly.  Caught in the moment, he decided.  That was all it was.  But he couldn't help but to notice he felt a lot better about things with her around.  "How long had your parents known each other before they got together?"

Lily seemed to hesitate, glancing at him a little bit warily.  "They went to the same schools for a while, but didn't meet until their second to last year."

James gave her a little bit of a startled look.  Her parents had fallen in love over a foot massage, two years before they'd graduated. 

"I won't hold you to it," she said softly, laughter in her voice.  "How did your parents meet?"

"Arranged marriage," he explained.  "But they fell for each other while they were at Hogwarts, so it ended up being okay."

"Wow," Lily said, looking somewhat startled.  "They really have those?"

He shrugged.  "Of course.  They'd met a few times when they were younger, and when they got to Hogwarts, they were both sorted into Gryffindor.  They didn't realize that they were who they were because Mom went by her middle name, Marie, and Dad went by Harry instead of Harold.  Then, one day in their seventh year, my father came in, tired after Quidditch.  Mum was one of his friends, and she offered to give him a massage.  He always says..." he paused.  "He always said that he fell for her then.  And then it progressed a little more, until my mum tried to break up with him.  She told him she had an arranged marriage, and they couldn't go anywhere with their relationship.  Then dad said he had one too, to a girl named Angelina.  My mom told him that her name was Angelina, and she was supposed to marry a Harold, and they finally put two and two together.  They had a pretty big fight about two months before the wedding, and I think they were going to split up for good, and I think that's when they found out about my sister."

"Wow," Lily sighed softly.  "That's so…so… I don't know, it's just so.  It was nothing as dramatic as that for my parents.  My mum was working as a waitress, and she'd made plans to go out with a bunch of friends.  They all met up at her and my aunt's apartment, and she wasn't going to go because she'd changed her mind.  My dad decided to give her a foot massage to change her mind.  It worked, and they just started going out after that."

He grinned at her.  "I won't hold you to it either," he promised.  But he was kind of hoping she would.

They fell into a comfortable silence as she switched feet.

When she'd finished a short while later, she pulled the blanket off the back of the couch.  "You want under?" she offered, unfolding it.

He yawned and sat up.  "Sure," he said.  Especially if it meant he could be closer to her.

Somewhat to his surprise, she threw the blanket over them and got comfortable- leaning against him and fitting rather perfectly in the crook of his arm.

"Is it okay?" she asked, glancing at him.  "I mean, you make a pretty good pillow."

He shrugged.  "Suit yourself."

They talked for another hour about little things, but he noticed that Lily was yawning a little bit.  "Ready for bed?" he teased.

She smiled softly.  "Maybe a little. You?"

"Maybe a little."

Neither moved for a few moments.

"James?"

He shifted so he could see her a little better.  "Yes, Lily?"

"Thank you."  

He smiled softly, somewhat sadly.  "Anytime.  Hey Lily?"

"Yes, James?"

"Thank you."

She smiled back, and echoed his response.  "Anytime."

They sat for a while longer as the fire began to die out.

Finally, Lily sighed and pushed the blanket off of herself.

James pulled himself to his feet after her, and bent down to pick up his socks and shoes.  She'd bent to do the same thing, and as they stood, their heads bumped.  They looked at each other, and James felt drawn into her marvelous eyes once more…

He leaned closer towards her and kissed her again.

Their shoes dropped to the floor, forgotten, and James closed his eyes, wanting nothing more than to feel her lips against his.

She didn't seem to mind either, and he could feel her small hands pressed gently against his chest.  

Time ceased to exist.

There was nothing in the world but he and Lily, and he would have been perfectly content were things to stay that way forever.

But she drew back a little, her eyes wild with a mirage of emotions.  "I need to go to bed," she murmured.  She didn't step back.

"Yeah."  He didn't either.

He stepped forward again, and lowered his mouth to hers for another kiss.

This time it was he who drew away, though he still didn't go far.  "I've never felt like this before," he said, and then felt rather silly.  "I know it sounds trite-"

She shook her head a little.  "It doesn't.  I feel the same."

The stared into each other eyes for a long time.

Lily finally took a step back, bending down to pick up her shoes and socks again.  "I'll see you in the morning," she said.

He nodded, and stayed where he was as she backed away a little, going towards the girls' staircase. 

She paused to give him a small smile. "Good night, James.  And thank you."

"Good night, Lily.  And thank you too."

She turned away and went up the stairs.

James waited until he heard the door click, and then picked up his own shoes and socks.

He made his way up to his room slowly and thoughtfully, and dropped his things on the end of Remus's bed, as his was nearest to the door.

He changed into his pajamas without thinking about it, and crawled in bed, pulling the blanket high over top of him.

He'd just ordered the lights off when there was a knock on the door.  He climbed out of bed and went to the door and opened it.

It was Lily, of course.  She wore a long white nightgown and a worn and soft looking pink robe.  She didn't move past the doorway.  "I… I don't think I want to be alone tonight.  Do you mind if I sleep in here?"

Taken out of context, it would have been any male's dream.  But James knew what she meant, and nodded.  "Come on in," he said kindly.  "Pick a bed."

She took his.  He fought back a grin when she looked at him and asked, ever so innocently, which one was his.  "The one you're in," he said.  He sat on Sirius's.  "It's okay though."

Sirius would never know, anyway.  James waited until she'd climbed in the bed before he climbed in Sirius's.  "Good night," he said again.

"Good night."

Minutes ticked by, and it was not long before she startled him once again.  "James?" she asked, her voice a whisper.  "Do you miss them?"

He stared at the canopy over the bed.  "All the time."

"Do you think it will ever get better?"

He thought about it for a long moment before he answered.  "It will," he said.  "Not at once, but eventually.  Every day it gets a little easier to handle.  It'll never completely go away, but it will get better."

Her voice was suspiciously shaky.  "I miss them a lot."

He closed his eyes tight for a moment.   "Me too."

And then, because he thought she needed it, and because he knew he did, he slipped out of Sirius's bed and went back to his own, slipping under the blankets with her.

There was nothing sexual about it, and she knew it too.  He held her as she cried, and he fought back tears himself. 

Holding each other close, and feeling the pain each other felt, the clocked ticked down the minutes to midnight. 

But with Lily in his arms, and the memory of Christmas, which hadn't been as bad as he'd feared, still fresh in his mind, James closed his eyes and fell asleep before the clock hit the bewitching hour.

And for the first time in a long time, he did not dream of his parents, or their deaths, or the pain and agony which he'd dreamt of for almost an entire year.

But he dreamt of a red haired girl, with sparkling green eyes, and perfect feet and hands.

And he smiled in his dreams.

THE END

Err…. Well, what did you think?  I think this is the shortest HP fic I've ever written, and I'm somewhat shocked with myself because I've actually finished it.  Isn't that grand?!  Well, I hope so.  You'll have to review and let me know.  To do so, just click on the little list thing below, select 'review story', or whatever it says, click 'go', and REVIEW! :o)
Thanks much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! –Zetta ([email protected]).

Oh yeah!  I'm in the process of working on a new fanfic website (http://chalkboard.sphosting.com/), which will feature fanfiction about the MWPP era.  That means I'm looking for any good MWPP era fanfics, no matter which character(s) they're about.  I've got a good list of L/J fics, but I could definitely use some others.  Please send me some! (email addy above.)  Thanks again!