Truth or dare- requested

Oh, Lily was regretting this stupid game of Truth or Dare already.

And it hadn't even started yet.

They were sitting in the Gryffindor common room, in a circle around the fire. Sirius Black was drinking Firewhiskey, though Merlin only knew where he'd gotten it from. He had the best seat, right by the fire.

Next to him was James Potter. Lily's eyes skipped over him quickly. She still didn't know how to look at him.

Two weeks ago, Lily had kissed James. She didn't know why. It had just happened.

He'd been talking about some Head Boy duties, and running his hand through his hair. Lily hated that habit. Hated it, because it always made her want to kiss him.

So that time... that one time... She'd done it. She, Lily Evans, had kissed James Potter.

It had been long and passionate and wild, her hands in his hair, his hands on her waist, and she had tasted mint and Firewhisky and smelt his aftershave, and then she'd remembered exactly where she was, and who she was with...

And like a coward, she'd run away.

Lily stopped looking around at the people in the circle and started at her hands, knotted in her lap. She could feel James' eyes on her, like physical weights.

'Okay!' Marlene, who was sitting just a little too close to Sirius, clapped her hands. 'Let's start, people. I know Truth or Dare can be a game for thirteen year olds-'

'Hear, hear!' Gideon Prewitt cried, and everyone laughed. They all knew about Gideon and the time in third year where he'd been dared to drink an entire bottle of Firewhiskey. He'd done it, and thrown up in the bushes afterwards.

It was no surprise that James and Sirius had been the ones to dare him.

'But this is our last year at Hogwarts, so I think we deserve a little childish fun. You all know the rules... I'll go first.'

Lily shuddered a little. Marlene was ruthless with dates- or at least, had been when they were thirteen.

Her eyes scanned the room, mercifully passing over Lily and landing on Frank Longbottom. 'Frank,' Marlene smiled.

Frank gulped.

'I dare you, my dearest Frank-'

Frank looked like he was going to throw up.

'To kiss the girl you have a crush on.' Marlene smiled.

Cliché, but it had been a real favourite when they were younger. Lily guessed Marlene was really going all out with her nostalgia thing.

There was a pause, and then Frank sighed, leant across the circle, and kissed Alice Prewitt firmly on the mouth, before leaning back to his place in the circle.

Alice looked about as shocked as her brother, Gideon.

Everyone else just looked happy. Everyone knew Frank had been in love with Alice since fourth year... apart from Alice and Gideon, apparently.

'You ever kiss my sister in front of me again,' Gideon growled at Frank, and Marlene slapped him lightly.

'Hush, Gideon! This is supposed to be fun. Come on, Frank, pick someone.'

Frank picked Peter, and on and on it went until it was James' turn. Lily, who had been relived she hadn't been picked so far, felt dread tingle her insides.

He's going to ask me why I kissed him, she thought, panicked. He's going to do it in front of all these people-

'Sirius,' James said, and she breathed a sigh of relief. After Sirius chugged his Firewhiskey, he scanned the room.

'Lily,' Sirius slurred.

She knew she was in trouble. Drunk Sirius wasn't pleasant.

'Truth or dare?'

She opened her mouth, but didn't get far into 'Dare' before he smiled. 'Truth, good.'

'Um-'

James was starting to look slightly scared. 'Padfoot, mate, maybe you should go to bed.'

'Why did you kiss James that night a couple of weeks ago?'

Dead silence.

Lily felt her cheeks burning.

'Padfoot,' James said furiously, and she was relieved to see his cheeks were just as red as hers. 'Okay, enough, everyone, let's go to bed. Come on, Padfoot.'

'A truth's a truth,' Sirius insisted, but James was already hauling him away. As soon as they were gone, Marlene rounded on Lily.

'You kissed James?'

'Marlene,' Lily mumbled. 'I don't want to talk about it.'

'A few weeks ago?' Marlene said. 'And you're only telling us now?'

'I wasn't going to tell you,' Lily snapped, and everyone in the circle froze. She'd almost forgotten they were there. 'It- I don't know, Marlene. I didn't want to say anything.'

She scowled, and James came back downstairs, his hair rumpled and eyes tired. Lily had to lock her hands together to stop herself from smoothing his hair down for him, not that it would ever lie flat.

From the look in James and Lily's eyes, everyone knew to leave the room. Lily took a step towards James, her hands still tightly clasped together.

'I'm sorry,' James said quietly. 'For what Sirius said. He's drunk. He'll be so sorry tomorrow.'

'It doesn't matter,' Lily said, her hands now shaking. 'Look, James, I wanted to talk to you-'

His lips pressed together, and she understood the message in his eyes. Well, you've been avoiding me for the last two weeks, so you clearly didn't want to talk to me that much.

'James,' Lily tried again. 'I- I'm sorry.'

'For the kiss, or for walking away afterwards?' James asked, and he ran his hands through his hair again.

Please stop doing that, oh God.

'For... For walking away.' She'd more ran, actually. 'James, I should have said something afterwards.'

'I understand.' He smiled sadly. 'I get you don't like me like that, Lily. We were both tired.'

That's not what I meant.

'No- that's not what I mean, James. I do-' the words stuck in her throat, and he wasn't listening anyway.

His attention was on a tiny lock of her hair that had escaped the ponytail she'd put it in.

'James,' she tried, and he looked up to her eyes a little, and she tried to communicate what she couldn't in words-

I love you.

I care about you.

I don't regret the kiss. I would do it again if I had the chance.

He breathed in, a short, sharp, burst. 'Lily,' was a breath out, not even a word.

Somehow, she was very very close to him, suddenly, his arms pulling her closer still. 'I don't regret kissing you,' she whispered, and he smiled, a soft, loving smile.

'I don't either,' he replied, and leant down to kiss her.

Word count- 1096.