Hey! I was originally writing this for my drabble fiction on the go, but it became something more, so i decided to post it as a separate entity. I hope you enjoy!
It was peacefully quiet for a Tuesday evening in the Gryffindor common room. The remaining years had all but retired for the evening, leaving those students - mainly seventh years - in dire need for extra study time, to their own devices. The dying embers from the fireplace cast a hazy glow upon the common room floor as Lily desperately tried to write the last remaining paragraph of her transfiguration essay so that it flowed and made sense. Sighing with frustration, Lily stretched her arms back over her head and picked up her piece of parchment, rereading some of the work she had done so far.
The process of becoming an Animagus is long and arduous. The final stage of an animagus transformation is the most difficult and dangerous. The caster must have their full attention of the form and structure of the animal they wish transform into or else the effects could be extremely dangerous and potentially fatal. If the initial transformation is preformed correctly, the witch or wizard in question, can transform into the animal at will, with or without a wand or incantation. Many wizarding folk are attracted to the idea of being able to transform themselves into another being, but very few actually achieve the result, according to the Ministry of Magic's official registry...
Lily looked across the table to her sadly lacking notes on the subject of Animagus transformations and saw that she still hadn't included one of the key factors of the transformation, the distinguishing feature on the animal form, but for the life of her, Lily could not concentrate.
She cast her gaze around the now silent common room. She was in the company of only four others. Mary McDonald, a fallow seventh year, was sitting, secluded in the corner, studying, much like Lily. She sat hunched over her own transfiguration essay, the tip of her quill being mindlessly gnawed at as she pondered on what to write next. Away from her, sat Remus Lupin, with his head buried in a Defense Against the Dark Arts text, clearly absorbed in his readings. The only other people in the room were Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew, who unlike the rest of the seventh year students in the room, decided that a game of Exploding Snap seemed like an ideal course of action. They were surprisingly quiet, Lily thought, even though Sirius made a spectacular snap, causing Peter to jump a foot in the air, mere minutes ago.
Lily turned her head to look for the other member of the infamous gang, and her exploration of the common room didn't take all that long, for at that moment, the common room portrait door swung open, and the man himself appeared, carrying a bag filled to the brim with Library books. He plunked himself down on one of the available couches, smiling with the shake of his head, as Peter snapped the pack, causing a billow of smoke to arise.
James, only a couch away from Lily, began to pull out the books from his rucksack. Advanced Potion Making, How To Brew The Perfect Brew, Potion Making, Made Simpler were a few of the titles that Lily could read from over on her couch. She leaned forward to better see James and his struggle with so many books. As she leaned over closer, a text from the table, A Cauldron Of Success, fell from the pile James had accumulated to find a new home on the burgundy coloured carpet. Lily reached down and picked up the book, turning it over in her hands; inspecting it. She smiled as she placed it down on the now finished pile, and glanced at James, who already looked defeated.
"Some bed time reading, there, James?" Lily laughed as James gave her an unenthused look. James and Lily had become some what like friends over the course of the year, being Head Boy and Girl together. They now had conversations that didn't end with the other hoarse from yelling. James looked down again at the pile of text books that were supposed to not only help him pass the NEWT exams, merely weeks away, but to get through this essay that the Potions Master, Horace Slughorn had given them; that was due very soon. His look was that of disarray as he tried to sort through them, trying to find one that would help with his current assignment, Discuss and describe the Draught of Living Death solution and it's main principles. Make sure to include the ingredients that are used and the correct way of brewing the potion. Extra credit for those who can create a perfect sample of the potion. Must be done in free lessons. No in class time is allocated.
James knew the potion; the class had made it the year before. James shook his head, trying to remember the potion and the correct formula, but time had edged away at his memory. James picked up the nearest text, flicking to the index at the back, thinking that it was just like Slughorn to bring up something from the past to test them. James reread the question, looking at the last few sentences. How on earth was he going to brew an advanced potion, in his spare time, when he had Head Boy and Quidditch Caption responsibilities to deal with.
James found the potion easily and flicked to the page number. The Draught of Living Death. James looked up again, and saw that Lily was still looking over at him. He raised an eyebrow in response to her gaze, and she blushed.
"I was just wondering whether you needed any help with that essay?" Lily's question seemed to bug James and he looked at her with his eye lids lowered slightly. Lily, having seen James reaction to her question, started to back pedal.
"I only thought that you might have needed a little support, is all. What with all the potion text books. But i guess you're handling this fine on your own. I won't bother you anymore." James quite nearly rolled his eyes at her comment. After seeing the irritated looked upon his face, Lily made to get up and leave, but James restraining hand on her arm stopped her.
He didn't know how she had turned the encounter around, with her looking like the one being offended, and him the offender. Women, James thought as her led her back down onto her couch.
"Sorry. Look, I guess I overreacted. I don't like the idea of me not knowing what I'm doing. But I would gladly appreciate you help. Potions isn't sticking all that well with me, of late." James sighed as he leaned his head back against the softness of the couch's headrest.
"I feel the same way with Transfiguration." Lily said, also leaned back, turning her head so she was facing him. "It's this essay on Animagi. I swear I've used at least three ink pots, just trying to get some sort of logical explanation on paper. It's a nightmare. What about you? How did you handle it? Have you started it?"
James tried to keep a straight face whilst she was speaking. James had been a practiced Animagus since the fifth year, and found the two thousand word essay a piece of cake. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if he got reprimanded for writing too much; first hand experience, you see. He looked over at Lily, noting her clear dissatisfaction at her incompetence, in much the same way James felt about his own Potions essay.
He leaned forward and turned his whole body towards her. Lily was slightly taken aback by this but remained back in her seat; not wanting to be too close to James. James looked at her and then looked at her parchment sitting untouched for sometime on the table in front of her.
"Yeah, I've started it. It's not too bad. Here -" he paused reaching once more into his rucksack to retrieve some well worn out pieces of parchment.
"You can borrow these if you want. They're just some notes for the essay. Hand written ones, you know. I hope that's all right. They should serve the purpose though." James' hand offered the notes over to Lily, which tingling as her arm brushed his in her attempt at taking the notes. She pulled them to her, skimmed through them briefly.
"Wow, James. These are really detailed and rather in depth, description wise. How did you get some of this information?" She looked across at him from behind the notes. James' heart beat raised slightly, causing him to run his hand through his already messed up hair as a way of fighting off the anxiety.
"Oh, you know. Here and there. McGonagall's an Animagus. Did you know that? I think I asked her a question or two."
James looked over at her again, but she seemed to be inthralled in his notes. James breathed out a sigh. It was then, that James's brain finally caught up with his mouth and actions. Did he leave anything on those notes about him and his friends actions every full moon? Lily wasn't stupid. He was positive that she already knew about Remus' condition. She was a smart witch, after all; but his, Peter's and Sirius' little rendezvous once a month, was an entirely different story. He kept a close watch out for a dramatic change in expression, but nothing seemed to have startled her curiosity. James picked up his potion book once more and began to read.
Lily's sigh made him turn his head back in her direct once again. She was staring down at her own parchment, only a quarter of the way from being finished, and wiped her eyes, clearly exhausted. James put down his book and pulled himself out of his chair. He sat down next to the tired red-head and took the quill from her hand. She looked up at him as he did so.
James smiled, "You're exhausted, Lily. Look, you can borrow those notes for as long as you like. I won't need them. Perhaps you should just leave this all until tomorrow. Look at it with fresh eyes." James took the notes from her other hand and pulled her up from the seat.
"Everyone else has had the sense the get some sleep," James gestured to the now empty common room. "I may go to bed too. It's been a pretty hectic day. Did you know that I caught a couple of fifth years conjuring the shields of armour to move and scare some first years today. It was some pretty nice wand work though, I must say. I was secretly impressed but held firm as I gave them detentions." James grinned at the memory, and turned to back up his untouched potions work and texts. Lily turned back to her own couch and did the same.
Turning back to one another, they both walked towards the dormitories. James, taking a risk, placed his hand on the small of her back. Lily didn't seem to mind, or perhaps she didn't notice, James thought. They stopped at their respective junctions. Lily yawned and stifled it as she turned to James; smiling up at him. He smiled down at her in turn.
"Thanks for the company tonight James." Lily said, walking backwards towards her staircase. James' smile grew wider as he nodded his head. "It was my pleasure. Anytime."
Lily's face seemed to go slightly redder, as she made it to the stairs. "Goodnight, James." Lily turned and began to walk up the stairs but still heard James' deep voice reply, "Sleep well, Lil."
Early, the following morning, as James made his way to breakfast he noticed several pieces of parchment anchored by a water goblet on one of the tables closest to the portrait door. Leaning down, James removed the goblet and picked by the smallest piece of parchment, addressed to him. He opened it.
James,
Thank you for the lend of your notes. They will definitely come in handy. These are for you if you need them, but I'm sure, with all those books you checked out, you won't need them at all.
Thanks again. I'll see you at breakfast.
Lily
P.S. I might just have made some already, for the bonus credit, and would be happy to share it with you.
James picked up the first piece lying under Lily's message and read the heading.
The Draught of Living Death - Practices and Principles
James smiled as he picked up the remaining notes and placed them carefully in his bag and as he made his way to the Great Hall, he couldn't help but think that his nights were now beautifully free of bed-time reading.