A/N This story is for my amazing friend Nina, for just being general awesome and for being a crazy James fan with me. I don't know what I would do with out you girl!
James Potter in the library it self was a rare occurrence. James Potter in the library working on a potions essay that wasn't due for a week was an even rare one. He did have a good excuse though. There was a Quidditch match the upcoming weekend against Ravenclaw that he still had to plan, so he was simply getting all his other work out of the way first. Or that what he was telling people anyway. His real reason for being the library at seven o'clock on a Tuesday night had nothing to do with homework or Quidditch, though it wasn't hurting them ether. Despite his best intentions he didn't notice when she entered the library. He had become engrossed in his essay and had forgotten to keep an eye on the door.
Lily Evens entered the library at 7:10, just like she did every Tuesday night after dinner and made her way over to her normal table. But when she entered the potion section she knew something was off. There was a table full a giggling third year Ravenclaw girl sitting at a table just one over from where her table sat. She was just thinking that she might have to find a different table when she discovered the reason that the girl was sitting near her table.
James was looking at some of the notes he had taken last year on moonstones that he had apparently lent to Peter because his cramped squiggle were now covering his neat handwriting making it almost impossible to read.
"Don't hurt yourself Potter" Lily said coming up behind him. "You have a match to win us this weekend." He jumped slightly at the sound of her voice but he didn't miss a beat.
"Well its Wormtail fault if I do. Just look what he's done to my notes." He held the notes out to her and she flipped through them as she dropped her bag on the ground and hoped up onto the end of the table.
"This can't be his real hand writing, its just scribbles!"
"That's Peter for you." James said taking the notes back from her and throwing them down onto the table.
"What are you working on anyway?" Lily asked crossing her legs and leaning over so she could read what he had been writing.
"The veritaserum essay for Slughorn" James said twirling his quill between his fingers so the tip just brushed against the bit of her leg just above her knee that had been revealed when she had crossed her legs.
"But that's not due for a week. I really must be rubbing off on you Potter." Lily said smiling; the end of his quill was tickling her leg.
"Or its that I still have a whole Quidditch match to plan out for this Saturday" He had been watching the end of his quill but his eyes flicked up to her face when he said "but I think it's the former."
She caught his eye and the two stared at each other for a long moment before he broke it. "Well are you going to let me get back to my work Lily or am I going to have to take action?"
"Well it might be more fun to see you 'take action'" She said hoping off the table. "But I have a better idea. I'll help you with your essay if you help me with my Transfiguration questions we have due tomorrow."
"Putting off homework until the last minute? I guess a bit of me must have rubbed off on you as well." He said leaning back in his chair, Lily laughed.
"Yeah I guess so. Do we have a deal Potter?"
His answer was to push out the chair across from him with his foot. She slide into the seat and started pulling books out of her bag.
"Hey Lily, can you do something for me?" she paused her copy of Guide to Advanced Transfiguration in her hand.
"Sure, what?"
"Call me James"
Lily smiled as she set down her book.
"Alright James."