I did this fic for a challenge on another web. Hope you like!
Disclaimer: The line 'this will appear in your N.E.W.Ts' does not belong to me, along with all the characters. They are property of J.K. Rowling.
Studying
"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid!" or "I'd rather disembowel an entire barrel of horned toads than go out with you!" and the other one "The day hell freezes over!" 'That one's a muggle saying, but I'm not quite sure what it means.' He thought. "You wish, Potter, you wish." 'Well, it took her long enough to figure THAT out. I mean, I've been wishing it for the last five years!!' He let out another sigh before staring blankly at the empty parchment he was supposed to turn into a twelve-inch essay about the properties of gemstones in everlasting elixirs.
"I can't concentrate on this." He stated, getting up from his chair and stretching his arms over his head.
"Course you can't mate, it doesn't have Evan's face on it."
"Shut it, Padfoot." He said before moving over to an armchair and sitting not to gracefully. The common room was practically deserted, having the last first year gone to bed over an hour ago, so it was just the three of them that night. "I mean, what do gemstones have to do with potions anyway?"
"They help stabilize asphodel based potions, which is a usual ingredient in an everlasting elixir." A brown haired boy said, not lifting his gaze from his half written parchment. Padfoot scrunched his nose from the other side of the table.
"And what are we supposed to do Moony, copy that sentence fifty times until we get twelve-inches?" came the lazy reply from the armchair.
"Well, maybe you could try to do a little research on the different effects each 'type' of gemstones have on the elixirs of-" his little speech was cut short when he saw Padfoot making little parchment planes and throwing them over the armchair. "PADFOOT!"
"Yes, professor Slughorn?" He asked with a mocking whine. "I mean, Moony."
"Why do you even bother? You know we're going to end up copying you're essay anyway."
"You know Prongs, I think that's you're problem with Evan's. Maybe if you took YOUR studies a bit more seriously, then she might actually take YOU more seriously." He waited a few seconds to let statement sink in. Took them both a total of fifteen seconds to analyze the whole sentence. After that, gaping mouths and shock stricken eyes greeted him. The first thing Moony thought was that they looked exactly like those muggle fishes Padfoot liked to read so much about… well, look at the pictures of them at least, he was starting to doubt that he actually knew how to read with his poor grades. The surprise soon turned to amusement, and the amusement to hysterical laughter.
Moony inwardly sighed. "Sorry, my bad. You're right, I don't know why I even bother."
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"And remember that this will appear in your N.E.W.Ts" Prongs almost thought of chanting it with the teacher. He was completely sure that if someone gave him a knut every time he heard that sentence he would be as rich as Malfoy by now. Heck, even richer!
So when classes ended, and dinnertime came by to say James Potter was glad would be an understatement. And from the look of it, he wasn't the only one this year's exams were affecting. Everyone in fifth or seventh year looked undoubtably miserable. The Great Hall had lost most of its greatness to them, and just thinking about the next few study non-stop months made James almost want to compare it with the dungeons. Of course, that was just because he couldn't count on Moony's essay's getting him though the exams, which made him feel guilty for doing absolutely NOTHING for the last seven months when he knew most people had been studying their butts off. 'There's no way I'm making it out without a single T.' He thought, grabbing a bowl of soup and staring at his reflection.
"Careful mate, or the soup will appear in our N.E.W.Ts as well." Sirius said as he sat down next to him. "Cause I'm pretty sure it's the only thing that still isn't on 'em"
"You do realize that we have done nothing to prepare for them, right?" James asked his friend, taking a spoonful of soup.
"And you do realize that they're going to give us T's just because there's no grade lower, right? And without the grades we won't be able to get good jobs, and without the jobs we won't have money, and without the money we will probably starve to death." James just nodded; he didn't feel like eating anymore. Actually he felt like curling up in a tight ball under the table, and waiting for the exams to finish.
"How did we pass our O.W.Ls again?"
"Remus tutored us for three months, five hours a day including week ends." Came an equally depressed answer.
"Talking 'bout Moony, we've got to meet him in the library."
"Yea, yea, I still can't believe we're going to the library by our own free will." Sirius stated, getting up from the table. "It just feels unnatural."
"Tell me about it." James told his friend with a chuckle.
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"Come on James, tell me what spell you have to use to make something waterproof?" It was the third time he had asked that question, Remus noted mentally.
"Anti-aguamenti?" And it was the third time he had gotten it wrong.
"For the last time, it's Impervius" His voice came out strained. Remus started massaging his scalp with his hand, trying to get all the murder ideas out of his head. It was just so… frustrating!! They had been at it for three hours, and James had absolutely no new information in his head. Even Sirius had memorized this!! But with Prongs he just felt like he was trying to go though a muggle brick wall with un-magical methods.
"No it's not, that's the mind control curse." The statement almost made him lose his hands support and crash head first with the wooden table. They had gone over this… fifteen minutes ago!
"Have you been paying any attention to what I've been explaining?" This time his voice came out as a low growl that made Prong's blood chill.
"I might have been zooning out every once and a while." Came the reply, along with a nervous laugh and a goofy grin plastered on his face. The little control Remus still had over his emotions at eleven thirty pm suddenly broke, and before he knew it his nails were leaving claw marks on the table. He took a deep breath before getting up from his chair.
"If you're not going to take this seriously then I suggest you get another tutor, cause, in case you haven't noticed, I also have exams to prepare and can't keep wasting time playing." His voice was smooth, almost icy, as he made his way towards the door.
"Oh come on!" James started and seeing that his friend didn't turn around he continued. "I didn't mean it Moony, honest!" But Remus was all ready out the door, and from what James could tell, half way up the stairs. The common room didn't feel so friendly anymore, especially when he was the only one left. Sirius had gone to bed over an hour ago and he knew that Remus would be asleep or simply ignore him by the time he went up as well.
He knew he was being unfair, but he couldn't help it when the first thing thought was 'Well, yea! Run away with your tail between your legs, I can take care of this by myself! You'll see! I don't need your help at all! I'll get great grades on my own!' But when he started rereading all the charm notes he had taken in the last seven years he noticed that almost half of it made no sense, and the other half were simply incomprehensible. "I really should change my handwriting," he muttered to himself after half an hour of what he considered, 'de-coding ancient runes.' With one more sigh he finally got up, stretching his numb arms and back and started picking up all the parchments and books he had been 'using'
He was about to go upstairs when the portrait swung open. A red headed seventh year girl climbed in, her long hair in a tight ponytail. Green eyes meet hazel as she scanned the room, a surprise expression on her face when she identified him.
"What evil schema are you plotting now, Potter?" She scolded, her hands on her hips.
"Oi, Evans!! Good to see you!" He exclaimed, another goofy grin on his face. Lily had to use all her self-control to not go right up to him and smack him across the face. He was flirting with her again… He had absolutely no respect for her! She was Head Girl after all. She deserved to be treated with respect, not like all the other idiot girls that were drooling over him. But she was sure that idea couldn't really fit in that small head of his. He just couldn't take 'no' for an answer, could he? "Where're you coming from Lil'? It's pretty late you know." There he was, teasing her again, she acknowledged. She had the urge to just ignore him and go to the girl's dorm directly, avoiding all conversation, but something in her mind told her to stay, to explain exactly what she was doing, to make him see just how hard working she was.
"It's called patrolling, Potter. If you need help with the concept, I'm pretty sure Lupin can explain it to you, he's been a Gryffindor prefect for almost three years now, just so you know." To her surprise he just snorted and started staring at the common room rug. She raised an eyebrow at that. The 'overly confident and arrogant James Potter' was staring at a rug, not even trying to flirt with her. 'Miracles really do exist.' Lily thought.
James let out a sigh and sat down again. "Remus would rather explain it to Snivellus than to me." He used his left arm to support his head.
'Is he pouting?' Lily asked herself. His eyes were staring at some distant point of the table, looking absolutely miserable. 'He IS pouting… why's he pouting?' She could feel the worry in her thoughts, and it took her a few seconds to contradict herself. 'Why do I care?' Her mind was trying to think of a good idea when James just slammed his head against the table.
"Emm, James? Are you okay?" Lily didn't feel too confident in herself. She was used to the almighty, overly confident and arrogant git that was James Potter. Not someone so vulnerable… so human. He mumbled something, not moving from his position. Lily got closer to him, standing just behind him.
"I'm an idiot, a complete and utter moron." James mumbled a few more self-addressed insults. Lily just swallowed uncomfortable. She didn't exactly know what had happened, but something in her mind told her once more that he was feeling miserable, and for some reason, that also made her feel completely broken. Before she knew what she was doing, her hand reached his shoulder, trying to comfort him as much as possible. He lifted his head at the touch and once more hazel eyes locked onto green ones.
She was a little taken aback when their eyes collided. It was the first time they had been that close and Lily hadn't expected to see so much emotion in his eyes. Nor did she expect to be feeling so many emotions herself. It was a bit unnerving.
She was the first to break the eye contact. James must have felt her uncomfort, because he too looked down.
"Sorry, it's just that… I'm an idiot and Remus got tired of me." He explained sloppily. "I really should be paying more attention to him and all, especially since I'm sure he's got tons of other stuff to think about and…" He suddenly stopped. "I was rambling, sorry. I'll make it short, I asked Moony to tutor me, he agreed and I've been paying no attention to his teachings and zoning out. Now he's mad at me." James said in one breath. Lily looked at him, he really did look sorry, although she couldn't see his eyes that were covered with his black hair.
"Why don't you just pay more attention to him?" She asked, her voice much softer than the one she usually used on him.
"Because I can't." He replied.
"Why?"
"My mind's been, somewhere else lately." He mumbled, starting to play with one of his quills. "I can't concentrate on anything anymore."
"Maybe if you explained it to Remus, he'll understan-"
"He knows, and, I'm pretty sure he would say something like 'give up, you've been trying for five years now, there's no way you can get what you want.'" His voice sounded so defeated it made Lily's heart wrench. She had to use all her will power to not stretch her arms and pull him into her embrace. Now she was absolutely sure this was the real James Potter. The one that hides behind the joker attitude. The one that probably only his codename friends ever saw. And Lily couldn't help but let her heart skip a beat when she realized how much emotion his true self was making her feel.
"What do you want?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Somewhere in her mind, she knew what he was going to say. A part of her was prepared to hear it. Her heart was eagerly waiting for it. But that didn't stop her from gasping. Nor did it stop her eyes to widen when he lifted his head and looked straight into her emerald orbs with his piercing hazel eyes. Though the part of her that was prepared pushed her forward, making both their mouths unite, just seconds after he had said "You"
"I want, this you too" She told him, their lips parting for breath.
"You can have any me you want." He whispered in her ear. "Whatever me you want."
&&&&&
"You know, it's taken us five damn years, but we've finally got them together Moony." Sirius commented to his friend.
"It's about time, I was starting to lose faith." Lupin answered. "And to think the only thing we had to do is get James studying."
"Yea." Laughed Sirius. "Who would have thought?"
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Please review and let me know if you like