disclaimer: written by Prongsieloveslily

The raindrops trickled down the window, making odd shapes on the glass against which Lily's face was pressed. Her emerald eyes were focused on the whomping willow, which was thrashing its branches, trying to avoid getting wet. The water in the lake was rippling under the grey sky, forming a picturesque view of the Hogwarts grounds on a gloomy day.

It had been a lonely year for Lily. Her parents had recently been killed in a terrible head-on collision with a double-decker, and she did not have the best relationship with her jealous sister. Her best friend had betrayed her two years ago, so Lily was left to dwell in her thoughts. She had no one to depend on, and when a rainy day like this came she took advantage of it. Leaving all responsibility behind, Lily stood up abruptly, abandoning her Charms essay, and walked out of the portrait hole.

Lily had always loved rainy days. The sound of the drops pattering against the roof of the castle had never failed to put her deep into thought, leaving all worries behind her. She was the only one outside, and it was no mystery why. It was storming, windy, and so cold that she was surprised the rain wasn't frozen. Lily wondered why she never thought to bring a coat, but she really could have cared less. Her cheeks were flushed with cold, and she shoved her hands into her pockets to keep them warm.

Lily found a nice tree to sit under, then conjured a blanket and sat on it, letting the rain soak her hair and clothes. She closed her eyes and began to drift away into an endless sea of blissful thought. That is, until she realized that she wasn't alone. Footsteps were splashing toward her, tearing her from her peaceful state. Lily looked up to see over a muscular boy with hazel eyes, standing over six feet tall, holding her coat.

"I thought you might want this. It's rather cold out here. You might get sick," said the boy, running a hand through his already messy black hair.

"Thank you, James," Lily reached out her hand to accept the coat.

"Fancy taking a walk with me?" asked James.

"Well I don't see why not," replied Lily, slightly disappointed that her alone time in the middle of the storm was interrupted. She didn't feel as though she could refuse, because he had been so kind as to bring her coat.

James helped her up, and she put on her coat. He seemed to be leading the way, so Lily followed, having no idea where she was headed. The rain was pouring harder now, pelting Lily's auburn locks and making James's hair even untidier. She looked up, hardly able to see anything through the thick drops of water coming from the heavens. Her feet were getting soaked in the puddles that had formed in the grass, but she didn't care. She loved this feeling, and she didn't know why she enjoyed sharing it with James. Somehow he just seemed to fit in the picture. He made her feel less lonely in a world without companionship.

Lily snapped out of her daze and looked forward into the watery haze. They were walking along the shore of the lake wordlessly, listening to the rain splashing in the lake, forming ripple upon ripple, upsetting the giant squid. They said nothing, each simply enjoying the company of the other.

They continued to walk in silence for a while. Lily wasn't sure how long it had been. It could have been hours, or maybe just a few minutes, but the fact that it was getting dark made the former began to shiver, and James took notice immediately.

"We'd better go inside. You'll get pneumonia."

"Yeah... I guess you're right."

The pair headed toward the castle, keeping a slow pace so as not to shorten their time together. Lily was confused. James had fancied her all the way up through fifth year, but he had shown nothing but indifference toward her since the day she told him that she would rather date the giant squid than him.

Once they reached the large double-doors that led to the entrance hall, James stepped in front of Lily and tried to open the door for her.

"James, can you please open the door?"

"Well, I could if it would open."

"Oh, stop being such a prat. Move, I'll open it myself."

Lily clutched the handle and tugged, but the door wouldn't budge. She pulled out her wand and said, "Alohomora!" but the door still wouldn't open.

"Well, seeing as Professor McGonagall might not be thrilled that we're out on the grounds alone, after curfew, during a thunderstorm, in the middle of a war, and the door is locked, we're going to have to find another way to get into the castle," Lily reasoned. "Shit."

"I'm already on it. Follow me," James began walking across the grounds. "

Lily followed him all the way to the Whomping Willow, where he stopped walking and pulled out his wand.

"Extendio!" James pointed his wand toward the tree, and a metal arm extended from the end of his wand toward a knot in the trunk.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me! You're going to try to conquer this tree with-" Lily stopped. The hand had pressed the knot, and the tree stopped moving immediately. Lily tilted her head to the left, wondering what else James knew about these grounds. Her thoughts were interrupted as James disappeared through a hole at the base of the trunk.

Lily tagged along behind James, wondering where they were going. They were crawling through a small, musty-smelling tunnel. Just as Lily had opened her mouth to question their whereabouts, she saw a light at the end of the narrow passage. She crawled out onto a dusty, slightly fetid, broken down shack.

"Let's warm up for a bit," James suggested, conjuring a jar and filling it with blue flames.

"Okay... So where are we?" she asked, following him into a room with a beaten-up couch. "Scourgify." They sat down on the couch and continued to talk.

"The Shrieking Shack," James answered. "This is where... never mind."

"What, James?"

"Are you okay?" James asked suddenly, probably attempting to change the subject, but Lily followed his lead.

"As well as can be expected," Lily looked up at him. "It's just been a hard year for me, you know?"

"Yeah, I heard about what happened to your parents. I lost my dad in fifth year. It was really tough, but it gets easier to deal with. My friends helped me through it."

"Well, I haven't got any friends, have I?" she said, starting to feel sorry for herself. Stop it, she thought. He's just trying to help.

"Sorry," she added. Her eyes were beginning to feel hot. Lily always willed herself not to cry, because it would mean that she had a weakness, and she needed to be strong.

"It's fine, Lily. I just wanted you to know that I'm here for you, if you ever want to talk about it. I know how you feel."

"Thank you, James," she said with an audible sniffle.

"Are you crying?" he asked.

"No," she lied. "Maybe. Yes."

James stopped and put an arm around her waist, pulling her into a tight hug. Lily slid her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. It felt so good to be comforted, to be cared for again. She let out a series of sobs, muffled by James's coat. They sat there for a while as she cried, letting out all the emotions caused by her parents' death onto the clothing of an almost-stranger.

"Why did you give up on me?" Lily asked suddenly, wishing she were able to think before she spoke. It seemed that her head wasn't quite clear, as it usually was when water poured so heavily from the sky.

"I don't know what you mean."

She lifted her head up to look at James's face and continued, "You haven't bothered me since fifth year."

"Just because I've stopped bothering you doesn't mean I've stopped loving you."

Lily's jaw dropped, and she pulled back from his embrace. "Do what now?"

"I said," James cleared his throat and continued shakily, "That I've never stopped loving you. I've never gotten over you."

"When... When were you... under me?" Lily mumbled.

James cracked a smile, but then put on his stern expression once more. "I've changed, Lily. I'm Head Boy, for goodness sake. I haven't bullied another student since the day we finished O.W.L.'s! I haven't bothered you because I wanted you to want me back."

"Wait a second, just rewind and freeze!" Lily sounded hysterical. "You love me? I thought-"

"That I only wanted what I couldn't have? It's not like that with you, Lily! You're the one for me!"

Lily got up from the couch and paced back and forth in front of James, arms crossed. She stopped and looked at him.

"Where were you this year, then? Where were you when I had no one? I have barely said two words at this school since MARCH, and you haven't even talked to me until now. Is this your idea of a joke? What the hell are you thinking?"

"I was waiting for the right moment to approach you. It just so happens that it didn't come until today," James replied as calmly as possible. "Now, follow me, or we'll never get back to school. Revelio!" he pointed his wand at the door of the shack.

A small screen appeared on the door, revealing the rainy streets in behind the door. No one was crazy outside. James pulled a shimmering, silvery cloak out of his coat and put it around the two of them.

"This is an invisibility cloak!" Lily gasped.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," James sounded annoyed.

"Finite," James pointed his wand at the door, causing the screen to disappear. "Muffliato. Bombarda!"

There was a loud 'bang' as the door in front of them exploded. The two rushed out of the shack, heading toward the heart of Hogsmeade. Lily pointed her wand at the door's remains and whispered, "Reparo!" As the door returned to its original state, James and Lily continued to run, past the Hog's Head and the noise of goats, past Zonko's joke show, and past the Three Broomsticks, until they stopped in front of Honeyduke's.

"Alohomora," James whispered, and the two disappeared into the shop. James led the way into cellar, where he located a trap door and lit his wand. Lily did the same with her wand, and they walked through a damp, cave-like tunnel with an awkward silence in the air.

Lily was burning with curiosity, but before she could talk herself into asking James a question, her foot hit something hard and she tripped. She was sprawled out on the hard dirt, when James seized her hand and helped her up.

"Thanks," Lily said, emerald eyes burning into hazel. Then, abandoning all rational thought, she stood on her toes and brushed her lips against his.

A burning sensation formed in Lily's stomach as she caressed James's lips with her own. She brought her arms around his neck, and he put his hands on her waist and pulled her closer. James ran his tongue across her bottom lip, and Lily willing parted her lips, allowing him to explore every inch of her mouth. She raised her hands to his hair, running them through the soft, untidy mess as she tilted her head back to allow James more access to her mouth. All the fervor that had built up between them over the years, all the hate, all the loathing, all the pain, but most importantly, all the love, was being released as they kissed passionately in that hidden passageway beneath the castle.

After a while the couple unwillingly broke apart, breathing heavily. Lily smiled as James embraced her and kissed her forehead. She had once again found that blissful feeling that only rainy days could bring.

"So, is there any chance you have a date with the giant squid sometime soon? Because I'd really like my turn with you, if he doesn't mind."

Lily stuck her tongue out playfully, and they strolled back toward the common room, hand in hand.