Saturday, 5 February 1977, OOM-but-not

[lilium_evansiae]

It's amazing, sometimes, how little time it takes to feel like you've always been doing something.

Case in point: dating James Potter.

Related case in point: staying up all night when the moon is full, until James and the others cross back across the grounds and all is well.

And further related case in point: slipping off to the end of the universe to get a nap after staying up all night when the moon is full.

Which is why, a yawning Lily makes her way back down the stairs that lead up to the rooms above the main bar, sidesteps two waitrats, and heads over to Bar to return her room key.

Comments

[alotofgood]

"Hello, Lily." He rests his hands on her arms and offers her a smile — albeit a tired one. "All right?"

[lilium_evansiae]

Lily nods. "All right."

She offers him a smile back.

"D'you want to sit down?"

Only he looks rather tired.

[alotofgood]

"I wouldn't mind a sit-down," James responds, one hand sliding down the length of her arm to catch her hand.

[lilium_evansiae]

Lily looks quicks around the bar, and then nods towards an empty sofa not far from the fireplace.

"Over there?" she asks, squeezing his hand.

"How did it go last night?"

[alotofgood]

"Well," James says, as the two of them head for said empty sofa. "Or as well as it could go, really, considering."

And ... even if it didn't, he's not likely to share such dismal details with Lily.

"I came in for a cup of coffee. I didn't expect to see you here today."

[lilium_evansiae]

"Good," she says, settling onto the couch.

Green eyes search his face for a moment.

"I wasn't really expecting to see you here today, either."

And certainly not what is essentially first thing in the morning.

[alotofgood]

James leans back a little, every muscle in his body feeling vaguely sluggish, as is the usual case after a night of all running and no sleep.

"Lily," he starts, "have you been here for a while?"

[lilium_evansiae]

There's a split second's hesitation, and then Lily nods.

"Yeah, a few hours."

Another pause, and then she adds, "Long enough to take a nap."

[alotofgood]

James nods, turning to examine her face.

He notes the slight tiredness in her eyes, still there despite the nap.

He gently strokes her cheek.

"And why would you need to have a nap, Lily?"

[lilium_evansiae]

Lily smiles at him a little.

"You don't really think I just ... curl up and go to bed, do you, James? The nights I know you're out? I mean, even if I tried, do you think I'd actually sleep?"

[alotofgood]

"Yes," James says.

(He doesn't exactly mean it, though.)

"You should, anyway." He lets out a little breath, shaking his head. "There's no reason to worry. I've told you that before."

[lilium_evansiae]

"My boyfriend, who is an unregistered animagus, is out with two other animagi and a werewolf, and you don't think that's a reason to worry?"

Lily reaches over and takes his hand.

"Look, it's not that I don't think you're careful and it's not that I don't think you're capable, but ... you're my boyfriend.

"I get to worry."

[alotofgood]

"Lily."

James can't help but smile, though it's a subtle, quiet one.

(It's hard not to feel like the luckiest bloke alive. Because she worries. About him.)

"I don't want you to lose any sleep over this, I really don't. You're a prefect. All those rambunctious first and second years need you to be perfectly alert and well-rested so they can properly lose house points."

[lilium_evansiae]

Lily shrugs.

"I guess they'll just have to get away with things one day a month," she says, easily enough.

"Besides, I can always slip in here for a nap."

It's the advantage to having the end of the universe at the bottom of your school trunk.

[alotofgood]

"A nap isn't the same as a full night's sleep — taken during a full night," James adds.

As though he can hear her thoughts.

"What do you even do all night?"

Please don't say you stare out the window for hours on end in the dark.

[lilium_evansiae]

"Same thing you do, really," Lily says.

"Wait for morning."

[alotofgood]

"Lily, I really wish you wouldn't," James says again.

He looks at her for a moment.

Not assessing, really; it's more like he simply would rather look at her than anything else in the world.

Then he opens his arms a little, an invite or - more like - a request to hold her.

"But nothing I say is going to change your mind, is it?"

[lilium_evansiae]

"Not a thing," Lily says, settling in against him.

He might as well get used to it.

[alotofgood]

James wraps his arms around her and relishes in the warmth and comfort she brings.

He lets his eyes close for just a moment.

"Do your roommates know?"

[lilium_evansiae]

Lily shakes her head.

"It's a secret, isn't it?"

And not her secret.

[alotofgood]

"It is a secret," James affirms, nodding.

But it's a secret he's glad Lily knows.

[lilium_evansiae]

"Right."

Lily shifts slightly to look up at him.

"So, no, they don't know."

[alotofgood]

"Thank you," he says.

He resists the urge to yawn, now.

But this — and Lily — is so comfortable.

[lilium_evansiae]

"You're welcome," Lily says.

It is very comfortable.

And James looks a bit like he could drift off.

Which, really, would not be an all bad idea, given that he's been out running about all night.

Not that Lily expects James to agree, if she points that out.

So she doesn't say anything, just shifts ever so slightly closer to him.

[alotofgood]

Right now, James feels like his brain is a little mushy, covered in fog or mist.

He shifts a little too, when Lily does; the better to make them both comfortable.

And his eyes, oh yes — his eyes feel incredibly heavier than previously.

"Mm."

[lilium_evansiae]

And it's perfectly, brilliantly comfortable, isn't it?

In fact, it's so perfectly, brilliantly confortable that Lily isn't about to move or do anything or say anything that would interrupt it.