AN: So, this is my first attempt at a one-shot. It's a little silly, and James is more the 'strong and silent' type than usual, but hey, just go with it :) This is partially based on an extra scene from a manga volume I once read.

It was early January, and the very pretty (but also very disgruntled) Head Girl was making her way back to the castle after Herbology.

It would rain now, wouldn't it? Merlin, give me a break! Lily thought to herself. Her umbrella-wielding best friend, Marlene McKinnon, had immediately sprinted off after class due to an 'urgent appointment' (read: snog session).

"Sorry Lily, I've got to dash, but you always bring an umbrella, so you'll be fine, right?" Marlene had yelled after her, blonde hair streaming behind her as she ran up to the castle.

However, due to circumstances out of her control, Lily did not have an umbrella. So, she had been abandoned to brave the worst of the Scottish weather by herself. Without an umbrella. Dammit, Marlene!

But that wasn't even the worst part of it. No, the worst part was that she had left her wand in Greenhouse number 2, leaving her unable to even cast a Warming or Impervious Charm, and walking back to the Greenhouses now would only get her doubly wet.

In the end, what it came down to was that all of the umbrellas had been hidden in the Heads' Tower that morning, and there was not a doubt in her mind who was responsible for this.

James Potter. The name sent shivers down her spine that she was sure had nothing to do with the heavy downpour. This year, things were different. After 6 years of endless fights, she could avoid him no longer, and they were friends. Good friends. They were always meant to be friends, but she had stubbornly resisted, and now, she could see that they just…fit.

But now and again, he threatened to ruin this newfound friendship by betraying his deeper feelings for her. She wasn't proud of it, but she would often ignore him for days afterwards, and James, smart boy that he was, learned quickly not to slip up.

Silently, the handsome Head Boy fell into step beside her, an umbrella shielding the both of them from the rain. His breath caught in his throat. The way her wet shirt clung to her body, and her wine-coloured hair had curled slightly in the rain, made his eyes darken and those familiar feelings resurface.

She turned to glare at him, hiding her shock at just how close he was, and stepped out of the umbrella, storming away from him. He followed her, and held the umbrella over their heads once more. He knew her well enough to know that this was not the end of the matter, and waited silently for the explosion.

She turned on him suddenly. "It could only have been you who hid all the umbrellas this morning, knowing it would rain, right, James? " Her eyes, a riot of blazing green fire, were breath-taking in their fury. "You have a free period now, so why don't you just stay in bed like a normal person would? Why are you still… stop following me!"

He only smiled his lopsided, charming, smile at her and continued to walk beside her.

She sighed deeply. "You're the worst, you…you… depraved jerk!"

Infuriatingly, he merely looked amused, and grinned wolfishly at her. She was suddenly aware that their hands were brushing; leaving red hot trails where they touched. Trying to ignore the rosy blush she felt paint her cheeks, she continued berating him.

"Did you by any chance think that if you managed to create a reason to pick me up after class, I wouldn't be angry? Well, too bad, you're WRONG. Just when I thought you were past your infatuation, you do this. I thought we could properly be friends now, but no –" she said, elongating the word purposely, "you just have to keep coming to my classes to carry my books and be all boyfriend-y. It's like you're glued to me! I can't just go and spend time with my other friends when you're like this, and I'm still angry with you for scaring Mark MacDonald away and…" Lily paused to breathe, and realised that he hadn't said a word, and was still just walking next to her, smiling.

"Hey, why don't you even fight back? Lord knows we do it well! Ugh, it's just so annoying how –" She cut herself off again, this time distracted by James, who had folded the umbrella back up; the rain had stopped. Noticing her gaze, her looked down at her and smiled, mockingly it seemed to her clouded senses.

"Again with all the smiling – no, the smirking! Don't you have any other facial expression? Oh you really, really piss me off! You're always like this, looking so gentle, but you're ready to do anything to get me to try and give in to you…and…and that's why I hate you! "

James was no longer smiling, but only looked at her, silent and impassive.

She immediately regretted her words. He was still as passionate as she was, but he was more withdrawn this year after the death of his father, and just because he didn't say it didn't mean that he wasn't hurt by her words.

"So… it's ok for you to talk to me. If there's something you want to say, just open your mouth and speak already. That would be much better than all of those warped proofs of love you give me, I mean, hiding all of the umbrellas, seriously?" She muttered under her breath, still feeling slightly guilty.

Reaching the doors to the entrance hall before Lily, James stopped walking and turned to face her. He stared at her for a while before speaking to her for the first time that day.

"I did it, because I wanted to share an umbrella with you." He said simply, his gaze earnest, and walked away towards the common room.

She stood there, transfixed, recalling the way his hazel eyes had glowed so brightly, and in that moment she felt something inside her melt.

Looking back, Lily would always say that was when she had finally let herself fall for him, and when she became Lily Potter in a big, outdoor wedding, she didn't regret the rain, like any other bride would have.

Because it meant that she could finally share an umbrella with him.

AN: So, that was it. The ending was a little cheesy, but any feedback would be appreciated! Elena :)