Disclaimer: All I own is the plot; the rest is the creation of the great J.K. Rowling. Bow down to her. :D

A/N: Took me the better part of 3 months to write this, but it's done. Enjoy … and don't say anything about Bittersweet Irony. I promise the next chapter is coming along – slowly, but it's coming along. :D

Checkmate

A hand went up to cover her mouth as she yawned widely. Glancing briefly at the clock, she turned back to the parchment in front of her, idly twirling the phoenix feather quill between her fingers. In a moment of inspiration, she dipped the tip of the quill into the small pot of ink on the table and added the last full stop to her essay with a flourish.

Smiling in satisfaction, she blew softly over the parchment to dry the ink still glistening in the firelight. She sat back and stretched with cat-like grace, the red hair that had been pushed back in a messy bun falling out of its hold. Her green eyes twinkled as they darted back to the grandfather clock by the fireplace.

He was five minutes late.

A year ago, Lily would have been furious and irritated at this seemingly irresponsible display of attitude, especially considering it was a meeting significant to the Head students. The prospect of deciding on meeting times for the Prefects Meetings among other things was rather unappealing to both of them, but Dumbledore had trusted them to be responsible this time and not avoid it, much like the past three times they had attempted to hold this meeting.

The Headmaster had smiled at both of them, saying, "I do believe it is high time the two of you decided on some important matters, do you agree?"

It hadn't come as a surprise to the Head students that he already knew of their procrastination regarding this fairly overdue meeting; it was just a matter of shame that they hadn't bothered to crack down and get it over and done with. After all, it wouldn't take long to decide on days and times, and the nuisance of having to do everything impromptu was increasing. However, tonight was going to be different, because Lily was determined not to have this hanging over her head any more.

Now, if only James Potter would turn up.

Not that there was any annoyance directed towards him because he was late – any ill feelings Lily had previously held for James were now the mere memory of years gone by. She blamed him for this, as she had spent so much time with him in the past couple of months, it was evident that she had become used to his habits. In fact, it had reached the point where Lily could predict his actions and she didn't mind it one bit.

A cold draught blew around her, causing tiny goosebumps to appear on her lower arms, and Lily glanced towards the open window. It was half open, welcoming the soft snowflakes into the warmth of the Head's Common Room. She padded across the room, pulling her robe over her shoulders, and stood by the window, admiring the vast whiteness that stretched across the castle grounds. With a slight shiver, she reached out tentatively with one hand and smiled in delight as the cold flakes came into contact with her skin and twirled her fingers about in the air.

Giving one last giggle, Lily withdrew her hand and made to close the window when she caught sight of an owl flying towards her. She pushed the window open and stood to the side, letting her black and grey owl fly in and drop an envelope into her outstretched hand. Letting her stroke its head in thanks the bird perched comfortably on the window sill, its eyes closed in contentment as Lily gently scratched its head.

She hummed quietly to herself as Isis nipped her finger affectionately and took off towards the Owlery. Shivering again, Lily closed the window with a soft sigh and made her way to the sofa in front of the fire, intent on warming up her toes.

Lily hadn't yet changed out of her uniform – she had been so caught up in finishing the essay after dinner, that all she had done was to take off her jumper and tie, and undo the top button of her blouse. Her shoes had been unceremoniously kicked off as soon as she had walked into the warm Common Room, hours earlier, and she had proceeded to heat her toes in front of the blazing fire. The sleeves of Lily's blouse had been rolled up to her elbows, exposing her lower arms to the surrounding cold air, and now she had pulled off her robe, too.

Throwing herself on the sofa, her legs stretched out towards the fire, Lily snuggled deeper into the comfortable plush cushions and opened the envelope. Recognising the handwriting as her mother's, she smiled and read the letter.

Dearest Lily,

You like him, you like him, you really really like him.

Sorry, momentarily transported back to my early teen years, there. But it's true, you have to admit. You like him. You like him. (This is the part where I say, "I told you so.")

I told you so.

Yes, I am laughing while writing this. It would most probably be the reason why my hand is shaking and the letter is illegible by now.

I don't quite understand why you were so reluctant about this, Lily. Because he really is a nice boy and your father is quite impressed, too (a feat for which I must admire and congratulate James – it takes a lot to convince your father). And it's obvious that he likes you; even though he hasn't been as persistent in his attempts to win you over these past few months, I do believe that it's difficult to forget one's feelings that quickly.

I understand that he is just an 18 year old boy and, yes, I can hear your voice in my head telling me how teenage boys don't (or, in fact, can't) concentrate on one thing for too long. But James is different, dear. I think he's serious about you. So what if he hasn't asked you to Hogsmeade in a while - it could be that he's afraid of rejection, again.

You've got to make the first move here, Lily, because I think he's worn himself out. Spend some time with him, see how you feel – one date can't hurt, can it? Worst comes to worst, the two of you will find that you're completely and utterly incompatible and you'll go your separate ways.

Or are you afraid that you'll fall in love with him? Lily, from what I've seen, he adores you, thrives on your attention. And falling in love isn't a bad thing, least of all falling in love with James. I would love to be in your position if it meant I had the chance to go out with someone as handsome and charming as James. Or even James himself, for that matter.

Yes, I am well aware that I have probably supplied you with terrible mental images but, to be frank, I don't really care. If you don't give him a chance, I'm leaving your father and marrying James. And then you'll be lovesick all your life, thinking to yourself, "Oh, why didn't I go out with James when I had the chance?"

Think about it, love. One date won't do any harm,

I'll write to you again later this week – your father's demanding food again. Honestly, men are such pigs. Dad sends his love and says he wishes you were here for Christmas. Don't fall for the emotional blackmail, Lily; we know you're needed as Head Girl, and of course James will be there so the two of you have plenty of time together. Just make sure you think about what I've said.

I love you, and hope to see you soon.

Mum

Xxx

Lily rolled her eyes as she folded up the letter and placed it on the table. Her mum really was quite the character – loving and caring, just as every mother should be, but slightly insane at times, too.

Thinking back over the contents of the letter, Lily considered her mother's advice. It seemed a plausible explanation for her current muddle of feelings – she herself couldn't think of an alternative reason for why everything James did was suddenly so wonderful. She grimaced and scolded herself for sounding like such a … girl.

Of course, there was nothing wrong with liking him; he was a very likeable person, after all. But she didn't want to admit that she was falling for him because she would end up sounding like the rest of the dithering idiots who fancied him. No, she couldn't stoop to that level.

And what if he didn't like her anymore? Two years ago, he had made his feelings public when he asked her out for the first time (at which Lily had given James the dirtiest look she could muster), but she never considered him serious. He had that consistent joking demeanour about him whenever he asked – that idiotic grin, which now caused the butterflies in her stomach to flap their wings violently; that teasing look in his eyes, which now made her giddy in anticipation over what he was thinking; that nonchalant shrug, which she now found unbelievably sexy …

Lily groaned and dropped her head into her hands. "I have turned into a dithering idiot," she stated to the empty room, cursing her mother for making her think so hard about this.

She looked up at the sound of the portrait hole opening and sat up straight as she saw James walk in, his broom hoisted on his shoulder. He grinned at her, giving her a wave and causing her stomach to flip flop, then suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Ah, bugger," he whispered, the grin slipping off his face.

James' expression changed in a split second, dropping his broom and jumping over the sofa that separated him from Lily. A truly terrified look on his face, he knelt down before her, with his hands clasped and held up in front of him, and squeezed his eyes shut.

"I'm so, so, so, so, so sorry! I can't believe I forgot, and I wouldn't have done if I hadn't gone outside for a bit of flying, you know, to clear my mind, but it slipped my mind completely and I feel so bad, you have no idea how truly and sincerely awful I feel, but I'll make it up to you, just please don't kill me!"

Upon hearing no response, James warily opened an eye to see Lily shaking with laughter on the sofa in front of him. Although her hands were covering the lower half of her face, her eyes were dancing with laughter and gave her away. He felt himself grinning and unclasped his hands, beginning to stand up slowly but stopped as he saw Lily shaking her head. Removing one hand from her face, she motioned for him to get back down on his knees and tried rather unsuccessfully to compose herself.

It took her a few minutes, but finally Lily sat up straight and looked at James, who was staring back at her with a rather confused expression on his face. Suppressing her insane desire to – No! she thought to herself. I do not want to snog him senseless! I don't! – she cleared her throat.

"Continue."

James raised an eyebrow, asking, "With what?"

"Your grovelling. I was rather enjoying it, as it's the first time this year I've had to berate you for shirking your responsibilities," Lily explained slowly, as if telling a three-year-old that two plus two must equal four. A smile threatened to break out on her face and she worked furiously to maintain her expression.

James, on the other hand, flashed a grin at her and then sighed rather dramatically. Latching his arms around Lily's legs, catching her by surprise, he began wailing at the top of his voice.

"Oh, your Highness!" he exclaimed enthusiastically, thoroughly enjoying himself. "Oh, esteemed Head Girl of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! I come to you, begging for forgiveness! I grovel at your feet, O High and Mighty One! I am but the Head Boy, your minion to order as you wish, and I was late by" – here, he spun around to check the time, then grabbed Lily's legs again – "only half an hour. Please don't behead me, your Highness! Don't even contemplate the idea! I beg you!"

Lily was in hysterics to the extent that breathing was almost a difficulty, and James took advantage of her inattention. Jumping up from the floor, he drew his wand and brandished it playfully in her face.

"We shall have to fight for my freedom, fair Lily! Prepare to perish!" And he threw his wand to the table, where it clattered loudly as it fell, and attacked Lily with his hands.

Lily shrieked and braced herself with her arms in front of her face as James began mercilessly tickling her sides. What was left of her breath was robbed completely, half due to the tickling, half due to the fact that James' face was mere inches from her own.

Using all the strength she could, Lily shoved him off her and he tumbled backwards off the couch, hitting his head on the table. He looked up at her with complete indignance and she shrugged.

"Don't make me change my mind about forgiving you, James," she warned teasingly, wagging her finger at him. "It was your own fault for being late." Standing up, Lily held out her hand and James accepted, pulling himself up.

As he gingerly touched the back of his head for a bump, she rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, sitting him down on the floor in front of the sofa. She repositioned herself behind him, her fingers going to his scalp. Inspecting his head for a bump, Lily took the opportunity to give James a quick once-over.

His cheeks had been slightly flushed, no doubt from racing about in the cold weather on his broom, and his hair had an even more dishevelled look than usual. How many girls could honestly say that they had had the chance to run their hands through James Potter's hair? Not many, she thought wryly to herself.

Lily had been surprised to find that James detested the idea of anyone, apart from himself, run their hands through his hair. He had reluctantly agreed to let Lily do it once a few weeks previously – she had been immensely curious to find out what joy he possessed in ruffling it up, and had been surprised (again) to find that she didn't mind it.

After all, it was deliciously soft.

And deliciously addictive.

Shaking herself out of her reverie, Lily stopped and poked James in the shoulder.

"There's nothing there, you big baby," she stated, now nudging him to move with her foot.

Tentatively rubbing his shoulder, James pouted and Lily felt her stomach do an odd flip flop again. Shrugging it off, she patted him on the head and stood up. She stretched out once more, emitting a loud yawn, and looked around the room with her hands on her hips.

Her eyes caught the window, outside of which snowflakes swirled in the air, dancing their way down to the ground. Grinning, she dashed upstairs, leaving James startled at her sudden disappearance, to find her cloak, hat, gloves and snow boots. She rummaged through her cupboard, searching for an extra thick cloak which, once found, was thrown across her shoulders in a haphazard kind of way, and she ran down the stairs to the common room, pulling her boots on.

James' face was the picture of bewilderment. Having witnessed Lily rush to her room without any explanation, he began to fear for her sanity. As soon as he saw her attempting to put her boots on while preventing herself from falling face first down the stairs, comprehension dawned on him. He watched as Lily approached him with an excited smile and he shook his head, taking a step back.

"James! Don't be like this now!" Lily exclaimed exasperatedly, her smile abruptly turning to a frown.

He fixed her with a sharp look. "Don't be like what?" he said. "Responsible? Lily, you were the one who told me to start taking my responsibilities seriously, or do you not remember the discussion we had at the end of last year?"

The mood in the room shifted all of a sudden; any traces of comfort between the two had been dispelled with a rush of anger on James' part and shame on Lily's. Neither had mentioned the incident of last year, where Lily and James had finally let out their steam. The Gryffindor Common Room hadn't been a very comfortable place that night, as James had accused Lily of being a stuck up prude. Lily had retaliated by yelling at him to take his responsibilities and his life more seriously.

It wasn't the best memory the two had together, and they had come to an unspoken agreement at the beginning of Seventh Year not to mention it. The memory pricked at Lily and she felt her eyes sting with unshed tears at his harsh tone and words. She knew she deserved it.

She lowered her gaze, but not before James saw the hurt and shame flash across her face. Her shoulders slumped and she turned away, intending to go to her room, but James held her back.

A shiver travelled up her arm where his hand touched her.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice deep and full of regret. "I shouldn't have said that. It was low."

Lily shook her head, saying, "No, you're right. It's irresponsible." She made to take her cloak off but froze as she felt James' hands travel from her arm up to her shoulders. Looking up at him with inquisitive eyes, she fought to keep her breathing regular at his proximity.

"Come on," he said. "The snow's waiting for us." And with a grin, he grabbed her hand and entwined their fingers together, pulling her out of their Common Room.

She had expected him to let go of her hand once he was sure she wasn't going to run away and hide in shame, but he didn't. He kept a firm grip, squeezing her hand every now and then as they walked down the corridors.

"Funny weather we're having, isn't it?"

Lily's eyes went to James, walking beside her, and fixed him with a look of slight exasperation. Her eyebrows were raised, and there was a small smile on her face.

"James," she said with a laugh, "It's Christmas!"

James looked indignant. "I'm trying to make conversation," he said defensively. "But if you'd rather we walk in silence, that's perfectly fine by me."

He huffed and turned his head away from her and Lily bit back a smile at his childish behaviour. She knew full well that he was grinning, too, but she resolutely ignored him and looked straight ahead. Noticing that their hands were still attached, she made to pull hers from his.

James tightened his grip on her fingers but didn't turn her way. She let the warmth run up her arm and sighed contently, only realising once the sound had left her mouth how suggestive it must have sounded. Lily closed her eyes in horror, then opened one and chanced a glance up at James. He was still facing the other direction, not giving any indication that he had heard her.

She let out a quick breath of relief. Stop being so obvious, Lily, she scolded herself.

They continued through the corridors in silence, either too stubborn to be the first to break it. Their eyes met a couple of times but they would turn their heads away a split second later, smiling at the tingle they both felt.

"Moon River, wider than a mile …"

James looked over at Lily in surprise, watching as she sang quietly to herself.

"I'm crossin' you in style … some day …"

She had a nice voice; soft, low and utterly captivating. The notes ran into one another with grace and beauty, lilting up and down with ease.

"Old dream-maker, you heart breaker … wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way …"

He stared at her, almost tripping over the steps as they walked down the staircase to the third floor, catching her attention. She blushed furiously and grabbed James' arm to prevent him from falling face first down the stone steps. Once he had regained his balance, he stood up straight and fixed Lily with an accusing look.

"You," he said, pointing at her, "never told me you sang so well!"

She blushed again, this time deeper, and looked at him incredulously. "It's not something that comes up in an everyday conversation, James."

"But still!" he exclaimed, thoroughly put out that she had kept this from him. "You should have said something!"

"Like what? Oh, good morning, James, did you sleep well? By the by, I have a fabulous singing voice, did you know? Yeah, that sounds just about right." Lily rolled her eyes at him and kept walking.

His gaze remained on the back of her head, watching her hair swing from side to side as she went down the stairs, and he hurried to catch up with her. Playfully tugging on a lock of red hair, he grinned cheekily as she pulled a face at him, and settled an arm around her shoulders.

"It's true, though," James commented idly, his fingers drumming on her right shoulder. He looked down at her in appraisal and she met his eyes. "You've got a beautiful voice."

Lily opened her mouth to answer, the corners of her mouth turned up in a slight smile. "Than-"

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED! STUDENTS OUT OF BED!"

Peeves swooped down on them, cackling loudly as he did so. He did a back flip in the air and leered at them rather nastily.

"My my my, this won't do! Head Boy and Girl, too! Out of bed after hours! Who should I tell first?" He laughed horribly again and prepared to yell again but James cut in.

"Peeves … how have you been?" he said, grinning up at the poltergeist hovering in the air above him. "Forgotten our deal so quickly, have you?"

Lily raised her eyebrows inquiringly at James, intrigued as to what this was about. He looked down at her and winked surreptitiously before turning back to Peeves. Removing his arm from her shoulder, he held his hands out in front of him and looked up expectantly.

"Come on, Peeves … You promised not to snitch if you caught me as long as you had my Marauder's honour I wouldn't say anything about you and the Fat-"

"Alright! Alright!" Peeves was now glaring at the satisfied looking Head Boy with a somewhat distasteful look. "Keep your mouth shut, little Marauder, or Peeves will be having some fun with you!"

And with one last blow of a raspberry, he flew off in the opposite direction, throwing Lily and James fearful glances over his shoulder until he was out of sight. James simply smiled and waved jovially at him before turning around and pulling Lily towards the Entrance Hall. She let herself be tugged once again down the deserted corridors, looking at the boy holding her hand.

That's all he was, really. Just a boy. His attitude, his personality, his appearance … everything was just so boyish. It never failed to amaze her how he could act so young and carefree; he had often told her, "This is the time to act like a child, Lily, because once we're out of Hogwarts, that's it. It'll be us against the big wide world."

Once we're out of Hogwarts … it seemed so far, yet so close. Only 6 more months in the castle and she'd be on her own. Of course, she'd have her parents to support her but she'd have to start fending for herself, and then there was Auror training to look forward to. Sometimes, growing up seemed such an alien concept, as if it wasn't what they had been doing for the past couple of years.

Lily wondered where she would be in 2 years' time, what she'd be like, who she'd be with. Would James still be in her life? For the past couple of weeks it seemed that he alone was a constant in her life, always there whenever she needed him, always there when she didn't. And she had become used to it. It became part of her daily routine to have James come and pull the covers off her sleeping body in the mornings to wake her up. Would she be able to live without that? She couldn't imagine not bantering playfully with him every day on the way to lessons, sitting next to him, poking him in the side every time his eyelids drooped. Would she be able to live without that? Would she be able to live without James in her life?

A finger came into contact with her nose and Lily started, blinking her tears away furiously. She looked up to see James watching her with concern and she scrunched up her nose.

"Sorry," she said, biting her lip apologetically. "Lost in my thoughts."

His gaze fixed on her lips for a couple of seconds, then flicked back to her eyes. He grinned, wiggling his eyebrows, and said, "Thinking about that special someone, are we?"

Lily smiled sadly. Does he feel the same? "Yeah," she replied with a sigh.

James faltered, his face dropping slightly. Then, as quickly as it came, his expression was replaced by one of mocking gravity. "Well, Miss Evans, I hate to break it to you, but Peeves is rather taken by someone else."

He winked at her. The butterflies in her stomach flapped their wings violently.

Leaning forward conspiratorially, James whispered in her ear, "Our resident poltergeist seems to have developed a fancy for the Fat Lady."

Lily burst into a fit of giggles as James leaned back, grinning widely. "You've – got to be kidding me! The Fat – Lady!" she gasped out, between giggles.

"Mhm," he hummed in accordance. "Unfortunately for Peeves, the Fat Lady is engaging in a rather sordid love affair with Sir Cadogan. He walked – or should I say, floated – in on them going at it like rabbits in one of the more inconspicuous portraits at the beginning of term and was pretty peeved, excuse the pun."

She looked at him, her eyes wide and a disbelieving look on her face before breaking into fresh peals of laughter. "How do you know this?" she asked, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes.

"I was on my way to the kitchens and overheard Peeves mumbling to himself. He saw me and took my word that I'd never tell anyone. Of course, I had to use it to my advantage, too. Couldn't let Peeves be the only one to benefit from it, could I?"

Lily shook her head at him, trying to fix him with a disapproving look but failing miserably. She settled for rolling her eyes again and hit him lightly on the arm. He merely smirked and pushed the front doors open, ushering Lily outside.

"Lily, m'dear … your snow."

Her mouth dropped open at the sheer beauty of the grounds. White as a winter wonderland, the snow glittered under her gaze, slowly building as a flurry of more flakes fell. She had seen it a countless number of times before, both at Hogwarts and elsewhere, but it never failed to awe her.

She squealed in excitement and promptly ran out into the snow, kicking it into the air as she went. Twirling around among the snowflakes, she looked up at the sky spinning above her and opened her mouth wide, catching the flakes on her tongue. A genuine smile on her face and eyes twinkling, Lily spread her arms out and spun around.

James stood at the top of the steps leading down to the courtyard, his eyes fixed on the girl out in the snow. Never before had he seen her so happy and relaxed. It was as if the snow brought out a new person in her completely; this Lily was free and uncontrollable.

"James!" he heard her shout from below. She beckoned him excitedly. "Come on!"

Tilting his head to the left, contemplating the pros and cons of joining her, he spotted a snowflake on the lens of his glasses. He glanced up at the torrent of white flowing down from the sky, then looked back at Lily. She was watching him, eyebrows raised and hands on her hips. He shrugged and jumped the last few steps onto the grounds.

Placing his hands in his pockets to shield them from the cold, James squinted up again at the clouds above them. "It looks like a swarm of midgies," he commented. "All white and too many of them to make anything out clearly. I used to be terrified of the sn- Oof!"

He turned around to see Lily bent double, breathless with hysterical laughter, just a few feet away. She struggled for breath and looked up at him, only to collapse into another fit of giggles at the incredulous look on his face.

James' hand rose to the back of his head, rubbing it gingerly where Lily's snowball had hit him soundly. His coal black hair was now dusted with flecks of white, making him look as if he'd aged 30 years in a split second; he brushed the snow out and watched as Lily fought to keep a straight face.

"Tut tut, James," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She walked right up to him, leaving inches between their faces. "I'd be a bit more attentive next time, if I were you," she whispered.

And proceeded to smash another snowball in his face before laughing and running from him.

He stood transfixed for a while, staring after her. Then, a smirk flashed across his face and he took off after Lily, his long legs catching up with her in a matter of seconds. She shrieked into the air as he grabbed her by the waist and tackled her to the ground, tickling her mercilessly underneath him.

"Think you're the only one who can act smart, eh Lily?" James grinned down at her. "Think again, love."

"S-stop!" she gasped. "I'm s-sorry! No – no more tickling!"

"Ah ah ah, you're not getting off that easily. Say 'James is the best'."

"J-James is the be-st!"

"Can't hear you!"

"James is-is the best!" Lily choked out, completely short of breath. Laughing, James gave her one last tickle and rolled off her, lying down on the snow next to her as she regained her breath.

Shooting him a glare, she stretched her arms up above her and yawned widely. The two of them lay there in a comfortable silence, the snowflakes falling delicately upon them. Lily shivered.

James looked over at her, eyeing her tights-clad legs with scepticism. "How can you not feel cold in those?" he asked, gesturing to her tights and skirt.

"I don't know, to tell the truth," she replied, rolling onto her side to rest her head on her hand. "I suppose it's one of those things about us girls; we can handle any sort of weather in any sort of clothing."

He snorted.

Lily narrowed her eyes at him. "I bet you wouldn't be able to wear a skirt without spontaneously combusting for more than a couple of seconds," she challenged.

"Erm, I'd rather not try one of those, thanks." He stared up at the sky, seemingly lost in thought, before adding, "They look bloody uncomfortable."

"Your ties look uncomfortable," she retaliated, tugging at the red and gold striped tie hanging loose around James' neck. "What are you doing with it still on?"

James glanced down at his front idly and shrugged. "Suppose I forgot to take it off."

Lily frowned. "Don't you feel like it's some sort of noose around your neck? Like it's been designed to leave you in discomfort for the rest of your working days?"

He shrugged again. "I reckon women designed it. Can't think of any other reason why it's so horrible to wear." He grinned at her and leaned away as she swatted him.

"To keep gits like you in line!" Lily laughed, as she sat up. Drawing her knees to her chest, she drew patterns in the snow beside her, aware of James' eyes on her. His stare was beginning to disconcert her and she found herself wishing he would look away.

"Is it helping?"

Her brow creased as she turned her head to face him once again. "What?" she questioned quietly, thrown by his serious tone.

James sat up next to her, very little space between them, and looked right into her eyes. "Is the tie helping you keep gits like me in line?" he asked, his eyes holding a slight bitterness in them.

Lily looked away, knowing full well what he meant. He was still sore about their disagreement. She never knew he had taken her words that much heart, or she would have never said them. Their friendship had already been shaky at that point, having only just found common ground, and the argument just shattered everything they had worked to achieve between them.

She sighed heavily, knowing that this was going to be a serious hurdle in their relationship unless they spoke about it properly. "Listen, James, I-"

She was silenced by a handful of snow being stuffed into her mouth. James sat and laughed at her, saying something about revenge, and Lily just watched him with wide eyes. The facts registered in her mind and she spat the snow out, coughing from the icy sensation running down her throat. Grabbing as much snow as she could in her right hand, she threw it at his stupid grinning face and leapt up, ready to fight.

Thus it began. The next few minutes punctuated the air with shrieks and yells of laughter, and snowballs flew about the place, bombarding both teenagers with their cold softness.

"Potter! Evans! What in Merlin's name are the two of you doing!"

The scene paused. James and Lily stood 10 feet apart, each holding a snowball in one hand and using the other as a shield. A stray snowball, having been launched just before the interruption, landed 2 feet short of Lily and fell apart as it hit the ground. Looking like soldiers in combat, the Head Boy and Girl froze at the sound of the voice of the Head of Gryffindor House.

Professor McGonagall surveyed the scene before her with pursed lips. "Honestly, Head Boy and Girl, out after curfew, on the grounds in the freezing cold no less, without sufficient clothing … what do the two of you have to say for yourself?"

"Er, Professor, we … er-"

"-Just having a bit of fun-"

"-Didn't mean it-"

"-It's Christmas!" exclaimed James, flashing a charming smile at the professor.

She sighed, saying in a softer tone, "Inside, both of you. I'll not be the reason for the two of you getting the flu." James and Lily grinned at each other as they raced back through the large oak doors into the Entrance Hall. "Back to the Head's Tower!"

Professor McGonagall's voice reverberated through the hall, holding a warning that she would not be so lenient again should they choose to ignore her orders. The two of them simply bid her good night and ran up the stairs, taking a left towards the Head's Tower.

Once they were out of sight, James grabbed Lily's hand and with a slight inclination of his head, pulled her through a hidden tapestry to the kitchens.

This, thought Lily with a sigh, is life. An exhilarating shiver ran up her spine as she allowed herself to be led.

…checkmate…

Lily leaned comfortably back into the soft cushions on the sofa, mug of hot chocolate in her hands, and closed her eyes. Basking in the warmth of the fire in front of her and the warmth she was getting from James next to her, she was ready to fall asleep right there and then.

She squirmed as James poked her in the side and turned her head to face him. His glasses glinted in the firelight, giving his face an unnatural glow but undoubtedly making him look more handsome. Her eyes ran over his face, memorising each and every little detail as closely as she could. The dimple danced in and out of his left cheek as he sat there with a half smile; the dark shadow of stubble on his chin was accentuated in the low light. His nose was slightly longer than average, but it fit just right with the cut of his face. The hazel eyes trained on the fire were the window to his soul, his messily perfect hair begging her hands to run their fingers through the black locks.

Lily reached up to touch them, but her hand fell short as James leaned forward to grab a biscuit from the plate on the table. Placing her hand back around her steaming mug, she asked, "Why are you so fussy about people running their hands through your hair?"

James looked over at her, the biscuit halfway to his mouth. "Hmmm," he replied. "Good question."

She watched him expectantly as he lowered the hand holding his biscuit, waiting for his answer. She was genuinely curious as to why he refused anyone permission to touch his hair, apart from her. Not even Sirius had been granted that privilege.

"I just don't like it," he finally answered. "It's my hair and I don't like the idea of anyone fiddling about with it, you know what I mean? Mum says I'm like a girl when it comes to my hair – can't stand the idea of anyone messing with it," he finished with a chuckle.

Lily laughed with him, then, before she could stop herself, the words tumbled out of her mouth. "But you let me."

James turned his head slowly to look at her and nodded imperceptibly. "Yeah, I do."

"Why?" she asked, burning with a desire to know.

She saw his eyes look over her, taking in her appearance. Warm and dry after their escapade in the snow, Lily was still looking thoroughly dishevelled – her shirt and skirt were crumpled, her hair had fallen out of it's bun and was lying in untidy curls around her shoulders, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes shining.

"You're different, Lily."

She looked into his eyes, startled by his honest answer.

"With you, everything's different. Getting to know you is like a game of chess. You have to master the technique and use it to its greatest potential or you won't get anywhere. You have to get rid of the guards that are put up around you before moving forwards. I thought we were caught in a stalemate at the end of last year, thought that maybe we'd never be friends. But then this year …"

James trailed off, staring straight into Lily's eyes.

They sat like that; the only sound was that of the fire crackling as its embers began to fizzle and die. The first chime of midnight brought them back to the present, and abandoning the mugs and plate of biscuits on the table, James and Lily headed up the stairs to their bedrooms.

Lily's hand rested on the door handle, ready to turn it, just as James called her name. She turned to see him avoiding her eyes and scratching the back of his head, a tell tale sign that he was nervous. The butterflies in her own stomach acted up as he opened his mouth and met her eyes.

"I was wondering," he muttered. "Just for old times' sake … if you'd" – here, he swallowed – "come to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow night."

Inside, she was screaming YES!, but on the outside she kept a passive expression as she regarded him. "Somehow, you don't sound sincere," Lily said, looking at him in a slightly sceptical manner.

James gaped at her.

She grinned to herself. Throwing a caution to the winds, Lily stepped forward until she was inches away from his face. She looked him up and down, then proceeded to undo his tie. Fixing it so that it hung undone from his neck, she then reached up to his hair and thoroughly ruffled it up so that it was sticking out at every angle imaginable. Bringing her hands down a little, she tilted his glasses so that they were slightly crooked, and stepped back to admire her handiwork.

"Now ask me," she said.

James simply continued to stare at her. She grinned at him.

"I'd love to."

And with those three words and one last look, Lily went into her room and closed the door, leaving a gob smacked James still standing on the landing. She twirled around her room in a girly moment, and tried to bite back the huge smile threatening to break out on her face.

Mum, she thought to herself. Grabbing a quill and scroll of parchment from her desk, Lily settled herself on her bed, wondering how to begin the letter. The butterflies were flapping hysterically with happiness in her stomach as she ran over the past minute in her mind, and she could barely hold the quill properly – her hand was shaking. She laughed.

Dear Mum, she wrote when she was interrupted.

James came resolutely into the room, not caring that he could have caught her while she was changing, and walked towards her briskly. His face didn't betray any expression and she looked up in bewilderment as he grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. Without a moment's hesitation, James kissed her, murmuring against her lips.

"Checkmate, Lily Evans."

AN: Moon River is from the soundtrack to Breakfast at Tiffany's. Just thought I should disclaim that, too.