“This project will be a third of your grade in Charms for the first half of the year. You will be expected to work on it outside of class with your partner. I know it would be nice to work on it in class; however, we have other information to cover this year ” your last year in Charms ” and you will therefore be asked to work on this project independently. Hopefully by this time you are all equipped to properly manage your time.”
Cassie continued to chew on the end of her Quill, only half listening to the professor. She hated projects. What good were they anyway? She knew some people loved projects; her friend Lily was one such student. Lily always did well on projects. She finished them early and with utter perfection. Even now, Lily was writing down everything that spilled from the professor’s mouth, listening attentively to the assignment.
“You will work with a partner and the two of you will be expected to thoroughly research a famous wizard or witch who has made major contributions to the field of Charms. You will be expected to write five feet of parchment on his or her personal history, as well as five feet of parchment on the subject of his or her contribution to the field. You will give a presentation to the class, in which you will also go over five charms for which he or she is known and will teach at least two to the class if they are not already known.”
Cassie was listening now. Ten feet of parchment total was utterly ridiculous! This wasn’t just another project she was apathetic to doing; this was the sort of project she detested and on which she did absolutely horrible! “Lily, can I be your partner?” she whispered hurriedly to the studious girl beside her. That would surely help her do better.
“Sure, Cas,” Lily replied without looking up.
“I’ll be picking your partners,” the professor announced. Cassie gave a small groan.
“Guess not,” Lily gave her a quick, sheepish smile. “Sorry.”
“A year from now you all will be out in the real world, and it is a life skill to be able to work with anyone and everyone, not just your friends. Therefore I’ve a hat of boys’ names and a hat of girls’ names, and I’ll be picking partners from there.” Cassie immediately scanned the boys in the rooms, and her eyes stopped on Remus Lupin. Yes, she’d take him. She crossed her fingers and sent up a prayer that her name was picked with his.
“Alright, then. Here we go ” first girl,” he pulled a name out of the shabby brown hat and read aloud, “Lily Evans.” Lily stopped writing whatever it was she was still furiously scribbling and began mumbling something over and over again to herself. Cassie strained to hear what it was.
“And now, for your partner, Ms. Evans,” the professor smiled at her and picked a slip of paper out of the small blue hat.
“Please don’t . . .” mumbled Lily. Cassie leaned slightly to her right and caught the words, “Please don’t let it be . . .”
“James Potter,” the professor announced.
“I-I-I object!” shouted Lily, raising her hand and wildly flailing it in the air, to what purpose Cassie didn’t know. Murmurs, entwined with a few laughs, ran through the classroom.
“You can’t ob-object, Ms. Evans,” the professor frowned.
“Well, I do!” she argued back, and looking horrified, she glanced at a broadly grinning James Potter. “I refuse to work with him!”
“I’m afraid you don’t really have a say in the matter, Ms. Evans. As I explained earlier, I think it best that you all learn to work with. . . .”
Cassie would bet her life that Lily had been murmuring, “Please don’t let it be James Potter.” This project was a third of their grade. It would require hours of work outside of class. It would require extensive time and work with their partners. And Lily’s partner was James Potter.
“This is going to be very interesting,” Cassie gave a low whistle.
“Good Morning, Evans. Your cheeks are very ruddy today. It’s extremely attractive.”
“Shut-up, Potter,” Lily replied snappily, dropping her book bag on the ground and slumping into her seat. James Potter, in all his despicableness, was sitting across from her at the library table, for the first of many ” she dreaded to think it ” many times.
“Yes, ma’am . . . but how will we work on our project?”
“I’ll take the reins,” replied Lily, already pulling out books of rather intimidating sizes from her bag and stacking them between her and James, as if to block him from her view.
“You’re going to do all the work?”
Lily shoved the books aside to better glare at him. “I certainly am not! Don’t you dare try and put all the weight of this project on me, James Potter. I expect you to do your fair share!”
“I wouldn’t dream of anything else, Lily, my darling.” Her nostrils flared oddly.
“Good, then. Now, we’ve been assigned Sir Oscar O’Reilly, and I don’t know all that much about him, so we have a lot of research ahead of us. I already came to the library yesterday and checked out a few books; we can start looking at them now.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Don’t call me ma’am.”
“Yes ” Lily.”
“Don’t call me Lily.”
“What should I call you then?”
“Nothing.”
“Yes, nothing.”
“You have the mentality of a two-year-old!” she snapped, irritated.
“Thank you,” he grinned happily in reply. “I’ll start with that large blue book.” And he cheerfully held his hand out for it. She shoved it at him, gave him another nasty glare, and then buried her nose in a small red volume with peeling gold lettering.
Five minutes later, Lily wanted to pound her head against a wall. James had apparently grown rather bored and was tapping his fingers against the table. She ignored it. When he finally stopped tapping, it was to start talking. “Lily, ma’am, nothing, whoever you are, I have an idea.” She only gave a soft grunting sound in response. “Don’t you want to hear my idea?”
“Not particularly, no,” she answered curtly, not bothering to glance at him.
“It’ll make doing this research twice a week for the next few months much easier,” he offered, knowing it would entice her. She looked up at him with her lips an amazingly thin line.
“I’m listening.”
“Good ” I think we should try and create a friendlier environment between us and therefore be able to work more efficiently and with more enjoyment.”
“I’m not going to go on a date with you, Potter.”
“I’m not asking!” he defended. “I’m simply suggesting that we each tell each other three facts about ourselves that the other one didn’t know. See, I’ll start: first, I absolutely hate pumpkin food products ” pumpkin juice, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies. Second, my favorite colour is green, because you have green eyes, obviously. And third, I have a dog named Whimsy who I only get to see during the Summer and Christmas break, but I adore her more than anyone in the world, with the exception of my mother, myself, and you, naturally.”
“Potter?”
“Yes?”
“Go back to your research and do not try and mess with my mind again.”
“Come on, Evans! Just tell me three things about yourself that I don’t know. It’s really easy, I promise.”
“Why?” she demanded. “Why should I?” She was staring him down with a trade-mark Evans glare. “And don’t you give me more crap about a more enjoyable work environment.” He considered for a moment.
“Because if you agree to do this with me at the start of every study meeting, then I’ll stop asking you out ” deal?” This time it was Lily who took a moment to consider. Finally, sighing, she laid down her Quill.
“I have a sister named Petunia; she’s horrid and looks like an especially ugly horse.”
James grinned. “Excellent, then! Alright, that’s one thing. What are your other two for today?”
“That was three, actually,” Lily told him airily, already picking up her Quill and continuing her notes and research.
“Fair enough,” James conceded, still smiling. “I do believe this is the beginning of something beautiful, Lily.”
“Don’t call me Lily.”
“It’s a beautiful Wednesday, isn’t it, Evans?”
“Let’s just get this hour over with, Potter. Try and take a little more notes than the two lines you wrote last time.” She tossed a book at him. When he made no move to open it or take out a Quill, she gave an almighty groan and asked testily, “What now?”
“Our three facts exchange,” he answered, “Do you want to go first or should I?”
She learned back in her chair in annoyance, crossing her arms over her chest and staring off at nothing haughtily before turning her gaze wearily back to him. “Go first and don’t make a big deal of it,” she commanded.
“Alright, first: my mother and father both work for the Department of Mysteries, which basically means I have no idea what they do all day long. Second, they were Hogwarts sweethearts and tried for years after they got married to have kids, and they were nearly out of hope when, years after they had given up, they were blessed with me.” He grinned broadly, before opening his mouth to continue, when ”
“That’s very nice,” Lily cut in. “My turn, then?”
“But I haven’t told you a third one, yet!” he protested.
“Yes, you did ” you told me your parents’ jobs, that they’re Hogwarts sweethearts, and that they were cursed with only you for spawn.” They stared at one another for a moment, and finally James caved.
“Oh, alright. What are your three?”
She gave another tiresome sigh. “I love mashed potatoes, watching old black and white Muggle detective movies, and thunderstorms. And don’t even try and argue that I need to give you two more things; I just gave you three things I really like. That should suffice. Now focus on our research.”
He waited a whole ten minutes before, “I can make homemade mashed potatoes, you know.”
“It was raining this morning, darling. Did you enjoy the storm?”
“Call me darling again and I’ll dismember your parts.”
“Ah, well, then, I guess we ought to get started, eh? Would you like to start today?”
“No.”
“Okay, I’d love to start. “My favorite animal is a Stag, I love the smell of eggs but hate the taste, and I can sing the words to every song in the Muggle musical Sound of Music.”
She frowned. “Really?”
“Oh, yes, my mother has a fetish for that sort of thing. My particular favorite is ‘A Few of My Favorite Things.’ I can whistle it, too.”
She snorted, faintly amused. When he looked ready to demonstrate, she was quick to stop him, however. “Here’s my three: I don’t have a favorite animal, but for some reason I’ve always had an affection for ladybugs. I can’t use a hula-hoop; never have been able to do it. And, lastly . . . I hate all seafood. Now: research.”
Two minutes later, Lily was forced to acknowledge that James was calmly waving his hand in the air, waiting for her attention. “What, Potter?” she sighed, not looking up from her book.
“What’s a hula-hoop?”
“Good evening, Evans, you’re as gorgeous as always today.”
“You’ve already used that line three hundred and seventy seven times.”
“You’re counting?”
“No. Do your stupid three facts; I’ll do mine; and then I think we need to start looking over one another’s notes and see what common facts we’ve found.”
“Sounds like a plan! First: I’m terrible at ice-skating and have some rather scarring childhood memories to that effect. Second: when I was really little I aspired to be a tap-dancer.” She let out a reluctant chuckle, and when she didn’t even bother to hide it, he couldn’t help but grin widely.
“Go on,” she told him with a vaguely threatening tone to her voice.
“Third: I can remember every tiny, minute detail of the day I got my letter from Hogwarts. I’d been getting up at the crack of dawn every day to go downstairs and wait in the kitchen in case it would be the day the letter would finally come. When that day arrived, my mom had only just gotten up and was blundering around in her night dress mumbling to herself and making tea, and all of the sudden a big puffy owl swooped in through the window and I had that letter torn up in three seconds flat. I’ve loved the smell of mint tea ever since then.”
“It was raining when I got mine,” Lily said. “Pouring buckets, I should say, and I’d just gotten back from getting ice cream with my father and my sister. My shoes were really muddy, and I remember my mother wrapping me up in a towel in a very mother-hen manner and telling me not to track mud all over the carpet and the mail that the mailman had just slipped through the door. I didn’t listen and managed to get a huge muddy footprint on one of the letters. I bet you can guess which one it was.” She smiled softly, and he returned it tenfold.
“It’s funny how monumental moments like that stick out in your head, isn’t it? The way you know you’re going to remember them for years afterwards, when other moments just fade away?”
“Yeah, I guess,” she looked away from him, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. “Anyway, here are my other two: I hate the colour grey and I love the smell of ink.”
“Really?”
“Really, really,” she affirmed. He rummaged around his bag for a moment and finally presented her with a small black ink bottle, the seal not yet broken.
“Only for you, pretty girl.”
“Afternoon, Potter.”
“Hello, Evans. I like your sweater. That’s a striking colour of yellow.”
“I like colours that clash with my hair. It throws people off and therefore announces my presence to the room.”
“I’m the same way,” he nodded.
“What?” One ginger eyebrow rose on her forehead. “Nothing clashes with black, Potter.”
“Ah, I beg to differ! Have you ever seen what my black hair looks like next to an oak brown shirt? Can you say fashion clash ’77?” Lily couldn’t help herself: she shook her head, laughing softly at him and the expression on his face.
“Not as bad as fashion clash ’75, though,” he carried on, “I don’t know what Bellatrix Black was thinking with those red high-heels!” he took on a high pitched voice, that of the gossip girls of the school.
She stared at him for a moment, oddly, her eyes searching his but for what he couldn’t even begin to guess, and then ” “I’ll go first this time: I can’t swim to save my life; my singing has been known to break glass; and when I try and paint my fingernails I get the paint everywhere but my nails. Your turn. Go.”
“In a hurry, are we?”
“Potter, we’ve wasted enough time as it is. Are you going to go or are we going to skip your turn this time?”
“Whoa, whoa, I’m going, I’m going!” he held up his hands defensively. “I’ve always wanted to go on a road trip, but to where I have absolutely no idea. I wish I had musical talent of any shape or form, but unfortunately, I’m musically retarded. And third ” I’m allergic to rabbits.”
“You are? I am, too!”
“See how much we have in common, Lil ”?”
“Start your research with this book. The talking portion of today is over.”
“Your curls are very bouncy today.”
“Your hair looks like a wild animal today.”
“Thank you!”
“Three facts, please? We have a lot to do today.”
“Alright, I’ve got three good ones for you: my father has three older sisters, none of whom ever got married and instead live together as three, batty old ladies who like to knit and skinny dip. Second, my middle name is William; and third, before I started liking you, I was envious of you.”
“Here are mine then,” Lily began, “I like to shower right before bed instead of first thing in the morning, although why I’m telling you my shower habits I can’t even begin to fathom, but ”” She gave a frown, stopping mid-sentence. “Did you just say you were envious of me?” He nodded sheepishly. “Why?”
“Well, by fourth year, I thought I was the best thing this school ever saw. And then I saw a bunch of Slytherins picking on a little first year Ravenclaw. I went to tell them off ” I thought I’d make a good show of it and impress some girls. I didn’t get the chance. This five foot little sprite beat me to it. I was kind of awestruck watching you chew out those boys. It was more courageous than I’d ever marked you as being.
“And after that I started to listen when people brought you up in conversation, and I realized you were really popular here ” that people thought really highly of how friendly and confident you were. And it made me envious, because I worked so hard to be popular, and it just came naturally to you.”
“I’m not really that popular, you know. I’m painfully shy, in fact.”
“Being shy doesn’t matter. You’re not shy when being not shy is important. And that’s all that matters, right?”
“I guess.” She was staring oddly at him again. “So, er, my other two things: I hate gardening and I can’t snap.”
“I’ll teach you if you want.”
“No, no, we need to get to work.”
“Well, think on it. There isn’t anyone in this school as snap-happy as me,” he bragged.
“Oh, the things I could do with that. . . .”
“I think Fridays might be my favorite day of the week, you know? They just have a feel to ‘em. You wake up, and you’re like, ‘Wow, I feel great ” it must be a Friday!’ You know?”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
“That’s enough for me. So, my three things for this lovely Friday: I can’t stand people who snort while they laugh, my first word was ‘no’, and I think McGonagall is secretly madly in love with Dumbledore.”
“Is that so?” asked Lily, as if indulging a child.
“Try and deny it, but you and I both know there’s chemistry between them ” stop laughing; I’m completely serious!”
“I’m very sorry, really. My three things for today: my favorite bird is a sparrow, I love to write, and I have absolutely no idea what I want to do with my life after I leave Hogwarts.”
“Maybe you could be a writer,” James suggested.
Lily shook her head. “And what, bide my time as an ‘aspiring’ writer? I don’t have the personality for that. I need to be doing something certain and productive with my time. Exactly what that is, however, I’ve yet to figure out. I mean, do you know what you want to do?”
James looked ready to make a clever witty quip only to hesitate. He then looked away from her for the first time in as long as she could remember. “Summer before sixth year, my mother’s brother and his wife were both killed by Death Eaters.” He looked back at her. “Ever since then I’ve wanted to fight Death Eaters; I’ve wanted to stop Voldemort, to keep him from destroying any more families.”
She had never seen him so serious. She had never seen that fire in his eyes; she’d never heard that tone of his voice. It was as if suddenly he had aged ten years, and he had an air of wisdom and power about him. “Oh,” was all she could think to reply. He only nodded.
“I guess we should get started, huh?” and he grabbed a book and put his attention to it.
“I want to go first today, if you don’t mind.”
He was confused by her serious and even somewhat nervous tone, but he smiled and nodded for her to go on, situating himself comfortable in the seat across from her.
“First: I can speak German; second: I hate toads; and third: I wanted you to know that ”” she looked down at her fingers bashfully for a moment, speaking to them when she went on, “” that I really think it’s admirable that you want to fight Voldemort when you get out of Hogwarts. We need people as brave and powerful as you to fight for us.” She looked up and gave him a timid smile.
“Thanks, Lily.” He could think of nothing else to say.
“I would fight, too, I think, but I don’t know if I’m exactly the candidate they’re looking for,” she admitted, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and starting to take out some parchment and her Quill.
“What do you mean?” James frowned. “You’d be a great fighter. You’re the most naturally intelligent person I know, not to mention immensely powerful. You’d do a lot of good.”
“But I mean, I’m Muggle-born, and ””
“Lily,” James cut her off. “I think you’re getting something confused. It’s the bad guys who hate Muggle-borns. They’re the ones who are stupid enough to think there’s anything different with people because of who their parents were. The good side, our side, the side under Dumbledore, the side I want to fight for ” we know you could put us all to shame, Muggle-born or not.”
“Glad you cleared that up,” Lily said, giving a soft smile.
“Anytime! Consider it one of my three, in addition to having a desperate dream to ride a dragon and hating apricots.”
“I’ll see what I can do about that dragon.”
“If you can, I’ll love you forever. No . . . wait . . . I already love you. Oh, well, I’ll love you even more.”
“Shut-up and start your research, Potter.”
“Did you seriously just tell me you wanted to be a tap-dancer ” Lily, we could tap-dance together! We’d be famous! Everyone would know about the great James and Lily Potter ” the tap dancing duo!”
“That’s a perfect plan, Potter, except for the fact that we’d have to be married and actually have some measure of tap-dancing ability. I said I was seven when I wanted to be a tap-dancer. I believe when you told me your ambition to be a tap-dancer you too used past tense.”
“Lily, Lily, Lily, do you honestly still think we won’t get married? Sometimes I wonder about you: you’re so silly.”
“I absolutely hate Tuesdays. Some people say Monday is the worst day of the week, but me, I disagree. Tuesday takes the cake for being the absolute worst.”
“You certainly have a number of opinions on days of the week.”
“I find being an opinionated person allows me to converse with more people.”
“How do you figure that?”
“More people want to hear my opinions, but they can’t if I don’t have an opinion so ””
“You know what? Just stop now. I’ll take your word for it.”
“You really like my word, don’t you?” He winked. She kicked him under the table. “I suppose I should go on and give my three for today: first, I love pie of every flavor. Do pies have flavors?”
“No, there are different kinds of pies, but I wouldn’t call them flavors.”
“Oh, well, anyway, second: when I was six my mother tried to teach me how to play the harp. As I stated earlier, I have no musical talent whatsoever. Therefore, the harp plan was not a good one. Third: my hair grows faster than anything in the world, seriously. My mother used to try and cut it to a manageable length when I was little, but she finally realized she was fighting a losing battle, you see ” I have a legitimate excuse!”
“Sure, sure,” she dismissed. “Here are my three ” my favorite book is Pride and Prejudice. I can quote the first line: ‘It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.’ And second, hmm, my middle name is Lenore. My mum’s big on alliteration. Petunia Prudence and Lily Lenore she named us. Third ””
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but I feel I ought to point out that I myself happen to be a single man in possession of a good fortune. And, understandably, I’m in want of a ””
“Where ever you planned on going with that ” don’t,” Lily cut in. “Now, third, er, my favorite song is by a crazy American Muggle my mum likes, Frankie Valli. You’ve probably never heard of it. It’s called Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”
“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You?” repeated James. Lily nodded confirmation. “And would you say that you’re ” how do I ask this ” turned on by this song?” He posed a curious face for her.
“What would you do if I said I was? Look up the lyrics and sing it to me?”
“Lily, my beautiful bumblebee, I don’t need to look up the lyrics.” He stood up. Lily’s eyes went wide. “Ahem: ‘You're just too good to be true, can't take my eyes off of you, you'd be like heaven to touch, I wanna hold you so much, at long last love has arrived, and I thank God I'm alive, you're just too good to be true ” can't take my eyes off of you.’” He was walking around the table towards her, and people were starting to look at them. And then suddenly ”
“I LOVE YOU, BABY, AND IF IT’S QUITE ALL RIGHT, I NEED YOU, BABY, TO WARM THE LONELY NIGHT!” When James had said he had no musical talent, he hadn’t been kidding.
“James Potter, stop that horrific noise right this instant!” shrieked Madame Prince, already stalking towards them from the other end of the library.
“TRUST IN ME WHEN I SAY: OK, OH, PRETTY BABY, DON’T BRING ME DOWN, I PRAY, OH, PRETTY BABY, DON’T BRING ME DOWN, I PRAY””
“Potter, singing is not allowed in the library! Stop this tom-foolery right away!” Madame Pince’s eyes were popping as she waved her wand at James and sent an ink bottle flying at his head even as she grabbed for him. He only swirled out of her reach and went on shrieking off key to Lily.
“OH, PRETTY BABY, NOW THAT I FOUND YOU, STAY, AND LET ME LOVE YOU, OH BABY LET ME LOVE YOU ” ‘CAUSE I’M SINGING TO YOU AND MADAME PINCE IS GOING TO KILL ME ””
“POTTER!”
“And my third for today, well, this is going to be a bit shocking, Lily, but I think you ought to know. Now, I’ve fooled around with a fair share of girls in my day, but I’ve never actually had sex.”
“Seriously?” she looked at him skeptically.
“I’ve been saving myself for that special someone. Namely, you. So whenever you’re ready, just say the word, and ””
“And now it’s time for my three! On the current topic, first: I’ve never had sex either.”
“Doesn’t count.”
“What?” she frowned.
“That doesn’t count as one of your three facts. It has to be something I don’t know about you, and Lily, I know you haven’t had sex. So, doesn’t count.” Lily rolled her eyes.
“Fine: I’ve never, what did you say ” ‘fooled around’ with anyone.”
“Doesn’t count.”
“What?”
“I already knew that.”
“Fine,” a defiant smirk bloomed on her face. “I’ve never had sex with or fooled around with a boy before, but what you don’t know is that I have made out with a boy.”
“WHAT? WHO? WHEN? WHERE? WHY?”
“Mr. Potter sit down this instant! There is no shouting in the library!”
“Tell me.”
“No.”
“Tell me.”
“No.”
“Please?”
“No.”
“I promise not to beat him up ” only punch him.”
“Do your work.”
“Pretty please?”
“No.”
“Don’t look at me like that! I’m going to behave today. Here are my three things ” first, I once saw a game of Muggle football and actually found it faintly entertaining. But only faintly, mind you. Second, I don’t think I’m the most attractive person ever. I think you are. Third, I really, really want to know who you kissed. Please tell me?”
“Doesn’t count.”
“What?”
“I already know you want to know ” and I’m not going to tell you. You need another third thing.”
“Please tell me?”
“I have the strange feeling we’ve had this conversation before now. Let me see if I can remember my answer from before . . . oh, that’s right: no. Now, what’s your real third thing, or should I go ahead and give mine?”
“How about we make a deal?” The boy did not give up. “The last fact you tell me on our last day working on the project will be his name and the facts of the matter. And I promise not to pester you until then. Otherwise, get used to my pestering, Evans, because you’re never going to hear the end of it.”
He earned himself another eye roll. “All right, I’ll tell you for my last fact.”
“Let’s shake on it. . . . You have a very soft hand, Lily. I bet all your skin is that ””
“Once more: don’t even go there, Potter. You’re digging your own grave.”
“Good afternoon, Lily. You smell very nice today.”
“Thanks, I’m trying a new shampoo.”
“Very lemony. I approve.”
“Since I needed your approval, of course.”
“Exactly! I’m glad you’re cottoning on, darling.”
She sighed. “Here’s mine for today: I find slugs creepy, my bedroom is painted orange, and I want to have at least three or four children.”
“Lily, Lily, Lily,” he shook his head. “You make it too easy for me. I want to have at least three or four children, too! Match. Made. In. Heaven. I’m telling you!”
“Give your other two facts, Potter,” Lily replied breezily, apparently unaffected.
“Don’t be so hasty, beautiful, you’ll hurt my feelings. Now, then, number two for today: I have a soft spot for ballads. Some people love the rock music, but me? I’m a fan of the sappy ballads. What can I say? They hit the spot.”
“Any particular musician?” asked Lily.
“The Beatles are my favorite.”
“You like a Muggle band?”
“The Beatles are wizards, Lily.”
“What? Are you kidding? Seriously? How come no one has told me that in the last seven years?”
He only smiled. “Well, now you know. Do you like them ” the Beatles, I mean?”
“I love them, actually.”
“You love them do you? So let me get this straight: I love them and you love them and ””
“Third fact please, Potter.”
“I desperately wish you’d call me James.”
“Let’s start in on the second draft of the paper, shall we?”
“Happy Thursday, ladybug.”
“Did you just call me ladybug?”
“Yes, I did. It’s my new nickname for you. There’s my first fact for today: I love giving people nicknames. And besides, you have an affinity for ladybugs, as I recall.”
“Do not call me ladybug, James.”
He grinned so widely she was sure it had to have hurt his cheeks. “Whatever you say, Lily, whatever you say.”
“So . . . do you want to go first or shall I?” he asked.
“I’ve written a list of facts you need to check, and while you do that I’ll polish off our conclusion. There’s no need for us to talk,” she told him sharply, not looking at him.
“Aw, come on, Lily, I didn’t mean to ””
“Don’t call me Lily, Potter. It’s Evans to you. Always has been and always will be. Now if you will please stop goofing around and check those facts, I would be very grateful. The sooner we get this done, the sooner I can stop associating with you.” She began flipping through a book, her nose half a foot from it and her lips tightly pursed.
“I’m sorry, Lily,” he said softly, his voice pleading.
“I don’t care,” she replied, still not sparing him the slightest of glances. There was silence for a few minutes.
“You can ignore me if you want,” James finally tried again, a slight strain in his voice, “But you still have to give me your three facts. It’s what we agreed. Mine are that I have grown up since we first came to Hogwarts,” there was a growing desperation in his voice, a desperation to get through to her, to make her understand, “and I’m not the immature bugger I was in years past, and I’m really working on being better and ””
“That’s three, Potter,” Lily cut in tersely. “Here are mine: first, I’m only still doing this inane game with you because I said I would and I never back out on the things I say; second, my good opinion lost once is lost forever; and third, I despise you.”
He didn’t reply right away, and when he finally did, she was surprised at how deeply it affected her.
“That doesn’t count,” he told her sadly. “I already knew that.”
When he sat down across from her, she had already been at their usual table for nearly ten minutes. He was late ” of course he was, she thought angrily. He was James Potter. She shouldn’t expect anything less. At least they were almost done with this stupid project; Christmas break was fast approaching and the semester would be over soon.
She flipped open a book and waited for him to say something, to initiate the three facts game. But he didn’t. She waited and waited and waited . . . and nothing. She glanced at her watch. He’d been there for four minutes without saying a word. She peeked away from her book and across the table at him. He was furiously scribbling away on his paper, studiously working.
She bit her lip and said nothing, forcing her attention back on her book. But she couldn’t help herself. She said her three facts silently in her head. First, I lied when I said my good opinion lost once is lost forever. Second, this isn’t the first time I’ve been wrong about you. And third, I hate to cry in public.
But he didn’t know what she was thinking.
He was already at the table when she arrived, which made sense, considering she was the one who was late today. She slipped into her seat, aware that her heart rate had just sped up dramatically. She was going to do this. She had steeled herself for this all morning long; she had spent all night tossing and turning over this.
She was going to do this.
“Hi, James,” she greeted timidly.
“Afternoon, Evans,” he replied tiredly, not glancing away from his book to look at her.
And just like that, her temper flared to life. “Damn it, Potter, look at me!” she demanded. His head snapped up in surprise. “I’m sick of you ignoring me. I’m not going to go through a third meeting of not saying a single word. So . . . talk.”
He seemed to consider her, and for those few moments, she wished desperately she could read the expression in his hazel eyes. Finally, he spoke. “What would you like me to talk about?” he asked. There was wariness in his voice.
“I don’t know. Something. Anything. Just, please, stop treating me like this!” she didn’t realize there was a plea in her voice this time. Once again, he stared at her for a moment before answering.
“Treat you like this?” he repeated slowly, his voice low. “You mean the way you’ve treated me for our entire lives? Gee, Evans, I can’t imagine how you must be feeling right now.” He slammed his book down. “It sucks, doesn’t it?” he snapped. “It hurts, doesn’t it? When you feel like you did nothing wrong, when you feel like you’d do anything to make someone understand how sorry you are, when you feel like you’d do anything to make that someone understand how much you mean to them, and they still won’t give you the time of day?”
She wanted to say something, she really did, but she couldn’t think of anything.
“Wait, no! That was how I’ve spent the last few years feeling. That can’t possibly be the way you’re feeling. After all, that would mean that you were sorry, and Lily Evans is never sorry. Being sorry would mean you made a mistake. Lily Evans doesn’t make mistakes.”
He stood up to leave. She opened her mouth to stop him. She closed it again. He left.
She wasn’t sure if he’d come to their next ” and second to last ” meeting, but he did. They were alone in the library as it was a Sunday night and only an hour short of curfew.
“Hello, Evans,” he said gruffly, sitting down. “What’ve we got to do today?” She stared at him, swallowing nervously. “Evans?” he raised his eyebrows at her. Instead of answering him, she unfolded the piece of parchment she had brought with her.
She knew she’d never be able to simply say it all to him. So she’d written it down. Now all she had to do was read it. “I’m sorry, James,” she read, taking a nervous breath and staring at the words she already knew by heart. She didn’t need the paper. But it gave her something to look at that wasn’t him.
“I’m sorry that I treated you so badly for so long. I’m sorry that when I came across you and Snape in that corridor, I assumed it was you who had started the fight. I’m sorry I didn’t think to consider that it was Severus who started it, even though I know that starting fights is exactly the sort of thing he does these days, even though I know he’s turned to them and that you ” you’re one of the good guys.”
“Lily,” James started in, but she didn’t let them. She had to finish this.
“I’m sorry for all of it, James. I’m sorry for refusing to listen to your explanations and apologies. I’m sorry that I’m so stubborn and proud that I can’t always admit the truth when it means hurting my pride. And the truth is that I was wrong about you, James. The truth is that you’re one of my best friends now, and I miss you.”
At long last she looked up from her paper. There were tears pricking her eyes. “My first fact for today,” she told him. “I miss you, James. I really, really miss you.” He was staring at her, and there was a look on his face that she had never seen before now. She felt her nerves heighten. Worry and mortification threatened to flood her veins. “Okay,” she gave a nervous chuckle. “That’s all I wanted to say. You can talk now.”
He smiled. “I missed you, too, Lily. There’s my first fact. And my second is that I forgive you for everything. And my third is that you weren’t always wrong. Once upon a time I was an ass ” a really, really big ass. But I’ve grown up.” He paused. “I’ve grown up for you.”
She scoffed but was unable to hide her soft smile. “That’s corny.”
“Doesn’t mean it’s not the truth.”
“Ready for our final meeting? This is the end of the long haul, Evans!” he declared, slipping into his seat across from her.
“I’m ready. You better be, too, considering that we’re presenting everything tomorrow,” she responded, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.
“Why don’t you go first today,” James suggested, grinning as he carried on, “Your three facts, please? Oh, and you do realize what the third one has to be as per our earlier agreement?” The look on his face was one of boyish eagerness.
She rolled her eyes, attempting to maintain her usual cool despite the fact that her insides were going crazy, that her heart was pumping wildly and that her mind was spiraling away with thoughts with which it should never be so concerned. “I remember what number three has to be,” she told him. “And I’ve already thought of number one: I’ve decided I want to help fight against Voldemort. That’s what I’m going to do when I graduate.”
James smiled, nodding his head. “Good. You’re probably going to end up saving my ass a time or two.” Lily smiled too, and it seemed as if they were sharing some kind of moment. Whatever it was, Lily broke it. “But do you have any requests for number two?” she asked lightly.
“You do realize I already forgave you, right? You don’t have to suck up to me anymore?”
“Don’t make me slap you, Potter.”
“Warning taken into consideration,” he assured. “Alright, if you’d be so kind . . . could you tell me ”” he stopped all of sudden, seemingly hesitating over whether or not he really wanted to ask the question.
“What?” she encouraged.
“If it’s not too much to ask, can you tell me the story with Snape? I mean, what happened with you two? Wait, wait,” his eyes bulged, “Snape wasn’t the one you made out with, was he?”
Lily couldn’t help herself: she laughed. “No, Snape isn’t the one I snogged, James. Snape and I were only ever friends. And . . . it’s not too much to ask. Snape only lives a few blocks from me, and I met him before I came to Hogwarts. He was the one who told me about magic ” who told me I was a witch.
“He wasn’t very nice to my sister; in fact, he didn’t seem to be very nice to anybody. But he was nice to me, and he was the first person who was like me . . . he was proof that I wasn’t a freak.”
James listened eagerly, apparently drinking in every word. How long had he wondered about this? “I remember when we got to Hogwarts he was so disappointed when I got put in Gryffindor. We stayed friends, and even though he hated all of my friends and he was so mean to all of them ” he was always so nice to me. He was sweet, and he was really smart . . . and just the way he treated me ” it’s nice to have someone treat you like that.” She blushed.
“But we were really different, and we had completely different circles of friends, and completely different interests, and I stayed friends with him, of course, but sometimes the things he would do . . . and say . . . they just . . . worried me sometimes. And he was always calling me his best friend, and he was always trying to please me, and part of me will always kind of think of him as a brother, will love him like a brother, but. . . .”
“Ah, Lily, I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but Snape doesn’t exactly think of you like a sister.” She swatted his arm. “I’m just making sure you know!” he defended.
“I know,” she blushed again. “But anyway, things kind of fell apart are the end of fifth year and the start of sixth year right after that whole scene right after the Defense O.W.L. Do you remember?”
His face darkened. “I remember.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t like the things he was doing, the people he was spending his time with, and he didn’t try to deny anything, and finally during Christmas break of our sixth year we had this huge falling out. He tried to apologize afterwards but . . . I just couldn’t get past it. I was kind of a bitch, I know, but . . . yeah. That’s it. That’s the story.”
James was silent for a moment, before, “Thanks for telling me.”
“Of course,” she answered, smiling shyly. “So, number three, then?”
James grinned again, rubbing his hands together excitedly. “Number three,” he repeated. “Tell me everything.”
“His name was Clark,” Lily said. “Clark ””
“You snogged Clark Tomlinson?” James exclaimed, standing up in outrage. “He was in the year above us! And he was in Ravenclaw! Ravenclaw! And he was blonde. Blonde, Lily. And he was short and rutty-looking! Didn’t you think so? And Merlin’s toe, the boy had halitosis, I swear!” he blustered. “Lily, how could you?”
Lily only laughed.
Cassie bit down on her quill, aware that most people in the class probably thought it was a Sugar Quill. It wasn’t, but she couldn’t help herself. Charms was a dreary class, and she needed some mindless task. Kate Hugh and Grant Stevens were finishing presenting their project on The Lord Marvin of Kent, and she was horrifically bored.
She glanced over at Lily, expecting to see her taking notes. After all, they were going to have a test on all of the information everyone presented next class. But to her astonishment, Lily was glancing out the window, her chin in her hand. “Lily!” whispered Cassie, elbowing her friend.
“What?” asked Lily, looking surprised. She’d spoke louder than intended, and the professor glared at them from across the room. “What?” Lily whispered a moment later to Cassie.
“Why aren’t you paying attention?” Cassie asked.
Lily scoffed. “It’s Marvin of Kent, Cas, I already know all about him. Besides, James and I are going next. I’m a little too nervous to be paying attention.” Cassie gave her a skeptical look. She certainly didn’t seem nervous.
Suddenly everyone was clapping, and Cassie joined in as if she had been paying attention. “Thank you, Miss Hugh, Mr. Stevens,” the professor nodded at the two students as they sat down again. “Now, then, next we’ll hear from,” he glanced down at the paper in his hand, “Lily Evans and James Potter on Sir Oscar O’Reilly. Lily, James, are you ready?”
Lily slipped out of her seat as James did the same across the room, and the two came to stand in front of everyone. James handed their ten foot parchment to the Professor and then turned to face the class with a self-satisfied smirk.
“Sir Oscar O’Reilly was born in 1328,” Lily began, “as the only son of Lord Thomas O’Reilly and Lady Catherine O’Reilly in Bristol, England.” She looked over at James. Apparently they had planned it all out.
“First and foremost, we’d like to tell you about Sir Oscar O’Reilly’s greatest accomplishment to date,” James grinned. Lily frowned. Cassie was confused. They might have had it all planned out, but it looked like James had already left the script.
“Which is?” the professor prompted when James only stared at Lily and Lily only glared back at him.
“This,” James answered, and before anyone had time to react, he grabbed Lily and dragged her to him, pressing his lips to hers. The whole class broke out into murmurs and exclamations. The professor looked too shocked to do anything. Lily tore herself away from James, shoving at his chest. No, Cassie thought with a smirk, Lily had not been planning on that. Lily looked up at James with eyes wide as saucers.
And then she slapped him. “James William Potter!” she screamed indignantly.
“Lily Lenore Evans!” he shouted right back.
The professor stood up and started towards them, sighing. “Miss Evans, Mr. Potter, now is not the time to ”” But he stopped mid-sentence when Lily reached forward and grabbed James’s tie, yanking him down towards her and slamming her mouth to his.
Cassie could only smile and shake her head in disbelief as the two began to snog in front of the entire class, as James literally lifted Lily off her feet and up into his arms, as Lily buried her hands in James’s hair and curled her fingers around fistfuls of it, as the two completely ignored the stuttering of the professor and the wolf-whistles of their classmates.
When James slipped his tongue into Lily’s mouth, Cassie decided Charms wasn’t nearly as boring as she’d previously believed.
Fin.
A/N: What'd you think? It's certainly different than my usual, in both subject matter and formatting. Thanks for reading! And now . . . how about a nice review? :)
Sir Oscar O'Reilly by MagEd
Chapter Notes: A bit of fluff that got stuck in my head and refused to leave me alone until I'd written it. As always, everything Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, and no infringement is intended. The passage when James sings to Lily is my adaption of a scene from one of my all time favorite movies, Ten Things I Hate About You. I give it all due credit!