Every Little Thing, James Potter.

16. Saint Valentine

James Potter was perhaps the best shag in the entire world.

Gwen had decided within three days. And at the three week mark of their initial shagging session, James brought up the idea of a Hogsmeade date to celebrate the upcoming Valentine's Day weekend.

     "It's a brilliant idea, really," she mused, tangled in his arms at the shore of the Black Lake, "but I really don't think it'd do any good for us to be seen together, James. Especially on Valentine's Day."

     "You're right." He sat with this for a moment, brow furrowed as he scoured his mind for a loophole. When he found it, his face lit up, and he spun her around in his arms to be facing him. "What if I used the Cloak?"

     Gwen looked unimpressed. "Your Invisibility Cloak? Why?"

     "Why else?" James grinned. "To be invisible! It's ingenious, Gwen, really."

     Initially, Gwen had chewed on this, leaning mostly toward denial. But then she thought about how much she really did want to go out with James, on a real date—even if it meant he'd have to be invisible almost the entire time. She lifted her shoulders.

     "Alright," laughed Gwen, throwing her hands in the air. "I'd love to go on a date with you, then." Her smile, though, slowly fell, and she shifted uncomfortably, twisting her lips off to the side. "And I really am sorry, you know, James."

     He frowned. "Of what?"

     "That..." She sighed, shifting around so she wasn't in his arms anymore. "That we can't be seen together. I just know how complicated it would make things, and—"

     "Gwen." James was smiling again, and he put his hands on her cheeks. "I don't need to be seen with you. I've already told you it doesn't matter to me. Fact is, private relationship or not, I'll still feel the same about you: Bloody mad. Alright?"

     She melted into a smile, pulling her face bashfully out of his hands. "You must really fancy me."

     "Mhm," hummed James contentedly, and he leaned in for a short kiss. "I really do. And anyway, maybe it'll get around that you've got a date for Valentine's and Danny Bell'll quit making bonny-eyes at you from across the Great Hall."

"Danny Bell?" laughed Gwen, a disbelieving look of amusement flickering across her face. She shook her head decisively. Then she narrowed her eyes at James, puckering her lips slightly. "Danny Bell? Really?"

James pushed her in the shoulder, jaw hanging slack. "Oi!"

     She let out a loud laugh at his offense, putting a stabilizing hand on his shoulder so she didn't fall straight over. "James, Merlin! I'm only joking. I've just told you I'll go on a date with you, haven't I?"

"Oh, you vain bum," he groaned. "I ought never to talk to you ever again!"

Gwen threw her head back and laughed again. "You could, but I'd miss you loads. I couldn't bear it. I'd be sad forever and ever, James."

"Sure," James said, "but nothing Danny Bell couldn't fix."

He feigned stabbing a knife into his heart and rolled back, somersaulting all around the snowy grass of the lake's shore. He hadn't a care about the cold fluff sticking to his hair or piling up along his coat, and when he sat back up, he was practically covered in the stuff.

"Oh," she said, and she took a moment to stifle her laughter and stimulate a serious moment. "You've got a bit of..."

"Do I?" James mused, wiping at the corner of his mouth. "Did I get it?"