Jily Oneshots (pt2)

Your Blood is No Purer

'Nurse?'

'Muggle Healer.'

'Ah,' she said and the sigh that followed was filled with unexplainable emotion. 'What's it like, your parents being Muggles?'

'I don't have anything else to compare it to. I mean, they love me and are still a bit shocked that I'm a wizard even after seven years. But they love it. They get a kick out of the things that are different,' he paused and bit his lip. 'What's it like living with wizard parents?'

The unspoken second half of that question hung in the air between them. What's it like living with wizard parents intent on blood purity?

Lily glanced down and pretended to adjust her bag. 'I don't want to talk about them,' she said, pulling a face. He nodded once and pulled her into a side-hug. She stiffened in his arms—he mentally cursed himself for the awkward embrace—but soon warmed to it. Hesitantly wrapping her arms around his waist, she returned the hug.

He looked down at her and marveled at how close they stood. With a surge of that infamous Gryffindor courage in his veins, he leaned down and kissed her.

She froze with shock and he quickly pulled away.

'I'm sorry,' he muttered and ran a hand through his hair. 'That was inappropriate of me. It was an accident and I promise it won't happen again. Sorry, Lily,' he said before he turned and fled.

His feet wandered the halls he reached the Prefect office. He had no watch on his person, but he guessed it was around midnight or so. Even with the late hour, he wasn't surprised that she was still up, sitting in the comfiest chair in the Prefect office and staring at a blank wall. She always was the last one to leave the room.

'Sorry. I forgot my bag—' he mumbled, deliberately not looking at her.

'James,' she whispered and something in her voice made him look up. She was staring at him with fierceness and sadness all rolled into one. 'Would you kiss me again if I asked you?'

'No.'

'Are you sure?'

'No.'

She frowned. 'I wouldn't have if I didn't want you to.'

That was all he needed. He walked forward and tugged her up from the chair. She stumbled a bit and fell into his chest, but his lips were on hers and oh Merlin he couldn't think, let alone breathe. She reached up to wrap her arms around his neck, tugging him closer, and his hands tightened on her waist.

A moment, or maybe an eternity later, they broke apart. James could feel himself shaking and Lily's fingers were trembling as she fixed her hair.

'I'd better go…' she muttered, all but running out the door. He sat down in the chair with a thump as soon as she was out of sight and dropped his face into his hands.

'Merlin, what have I done?'

When he slunk into the dormitory later, Sirius smirked at his disheveled appearance and the lip gloss marks on his cheek, but he said nothing. Grateful, James tumbled into bed.

He didn't get the chance to speak to Lily again until the next Prefect meeting. He had to admit, she looked stunning up at the front of the room, confidently giving orders to the students younger than her. He was content to let her be in charge as he leaned against the wall and simply watched her.

'Why 'Evans'?' he asked her afterwards as they were packing up their belongings. 'I mean, even Sirius kept his family name. Why'd you change yours?'

'Sirius had his rebellion,' she said, snapping her bag closed, 'I had to have mine too.'