Happy Ever Never (Jily)

Chp Nine

I wake up in an empty room on Christmas morning. James, who I assumed would be sad during the holiday season without his parents, is getting better and better each day. Sirius, who usually stays with James over the holidays, stayed too. But, as I learned quickly, with nothing to do he usually wakes up in the afternoon. 

I sit up in bed and take a deep breath. Honestly, right now all I want is a hug.  I want someone to look at me and say, 'Hey, Lily, I appreciate all you have done for me.' 

I stumble down the stairs. My sleepy eyes are blurry until, "Happy Christmas Lily." I turn around to find James looking at me. He is standing in front of a flickering fire and festive tree. I smile at him. And exclaim, "Merry Christmas!" 

We stand there for a moment. I said James was better but I didn't say he wasn't guarded. "Wanna go to breakfast?" He nods. We walk through the empty halls. The heat has decreased by sixty percent in the castle. I shiver, wishing I had had the insight to put on  jacket. 

James offers, "Want my jacket?" The question  hangs in the air. Without the background noise of the students there is a lot of tension. I nod. He takes it of and puts it around me. I can still feel his body heat. His hands are firm and I wish they would stay wrapped around me. 

I blush at the thought and scold myself. 

After breakfast I walk up to one of the twenty foot trees on take a handful of snow. The teachers all had eaten and gone, we are alone again. I turn around and chuck the snowball at the back of James' head.

Without a thought he sprints to the other tree, dodging all of the others. We battle it out until we are drenched and breathing heavily. We sit in front of the warm fire, so I don't die of frostbite.  James sits next to me. 

Is it bad that all I want to do is snuggle with him? I ask, "Do you want your present now?" He nods greedily. I laugh as I hand him a poorly wrapped book. I got him a book on pranking and potions that can turn people different colors. He smiles at me at laughs.

"Ya' know my Dad used to play tricks on my Mum when I was young. When I started doing them he called me a true Potter. He laughed and hugged me. He said, after I made the bug attract beans, that he taught me well," James smiled, then started to cry.  

"They died suddenly. No one expected it, they should've had  so many more years." He turns to me, with a begging look in his eye, my heart breaking, "I never even got to say goodbye," He sobs into my shoulder. 

All I can do is hug him. He cries and cries. He hiccups and heaves. After the crying stills into quiet tear I lift him off me and put my hand on his cheek. I look him in his red eyes. I rub a tear from his cheek. I kiss his cheek, a tear staining my lips, I look at him one last time and start to stand-. 

James has grabbed my face and is kissing me. Kissing me so passionately that I fall under its spell. Every pore in my body wants this, except my brain that is screaming. I become warm when he wraps his arms around me. 

I may not seem like it but on the inside I am doing back flips and jumping jacks. For one, he opened up to me. Two: he is letting out all of the feelings he has bottled up. And three: he is kissing me! 

I break the kiss, my brain is happy to hear, I smile slightly and James smirks. We both just look at the fire. James puts his arms around my shoulders and I put my head on his shoulder. 

Oh god, I think I love him.