Hello! It's me again! I know I've been gone for a while now and I'm sorry, I know it's really bad. I have just started my final year at university and they've piled on so much work already. I've still got quite a bit to do, but I'm taking a night off to write this for you. It is as a celebration for finishing and handing in the first draft of my dissertation - which took me all summer to write!

When I was "away" I got a few ideas for future stories and one-shots so I wrote them down and hopefully, you'll be getting more from me in the future. Considering I'm a bit swamped, if I manage to upload once a week, I'll be happy :-)

As ever, I have to declare that I do not own JK Rowling's material. I would not have killed as many awesome characters if I was her.

Ps: thought you'd be interested to know about one of my Italian assignments this week - have to write a 300 word story (in Italian) about a pet - I've picked a rat... ;-)

Exams and work

"A Counter-Jinx is a type of counter-spell that ends the effect of a jinx. It differs from an anti-jinx in that an anti-jinx is intended to prevent those effects rather than remove them…"

"You're still working Evans?"

Lily didn't even bother lowering her book. She didn't need to. She would only see very messy black hair, followed by a pair of mischievous hazel eyes, and then the cockiest smirk she could have ever have imagined; and she knew exactly whose they belonged to.

"Go away James. Can't you see she's trying to work?"

She could imagine the picture in her head now. Alice Prewett would have her hands on her hips and be giving a scowl towards a certain James Potter. She only scowled at people when a) she was incredibly stressed and b) the problem was about anything but her. Lily could then imagine Potter giving an almost confused look at Alice.

"Why would she want to do that?"

"Maybe it's because we've got the exam tomorrow?"

Potter let out a low chuckle. Lily could imagine him casually shrugging his shoulders. Like the bloody smug prat he is. But even though she could feel the arrogance coming from him like an aura and wanted so much to give him a whack over the head with her book and wipe that look that she hated so much off his face, she kept her head in her book and refused to acknowledge him.

A Defensive Charm is a spell used to defend the caster from other attacks…"

"So? Come on Evans, lighten up. Come and play Exploding Snap with us."

"Prongs, leave it, she's not listening. Besides, you should be studying too. She's only setting a good example." said Remus Lupin, probably in one of the armchairs the so-called Marauders have taken priority over in the common room, and the floor around him stacked with quills, ink and notes like Lily was only until an hour ago until she had the sense to make it sort-of neat.

Lily let out a small smile and was incredibly close to giggling and giving her game away. She had always admired Remus more so than the other three Marauders put together. Whilst the other three were loud and always getting into trouble, Remus was a lot more quiet and reserved. She could never quite understand though that he was often the mastermind behind the execution of the Marauder's pranks. The two of them often studied together, which was becoming more and more often since Severus was choosing to study with his Slytherin friends. Lily's face fell behind her book. She couldn't lie about the fact she hated his new friends, but there was no way she can let that get in the way of her work…. If this certain arrogant toe-rag didn't get there first that is.

"But Moony!" moaned a certain Sirius Black, likely sprawled out lazily across his armchair. "It's DADA, it's a piece of piss! And it's not like Evans isn't clever enough to know everything any-"

"She has to actually work though to get good grades. We can't all be like you guys and come out with Os without trying." Marlene McKinnon would have a glare to rival Alice's, staring right into Sirius' face.

"But it's DADA doll, it's easy!"

"Not to everyone. You never harass Peter like this when he needs help."

"But Pete's Pete. No offense mate"

Peter Pettigrew stayed quiet, apart from turning over a piece of parchment (probably Remus'). Lily often felt sorry for the poor boy seeing as he had to put up with… those two all day. If she wasn't in the middle of an 'I'm not listening to you Potter' cover, she would happily drop her book, walk over to him and give him a hug for keeping silent; unlike some people. Even her friend's comments were driving her up the edge.

"Prongs, Padfoot, I said leave it! It's not worth it!"

"But if we can do it, surely she can too, she is clever enough even without all the work." Potter plonked himself next to Lily on the sofa. The only sounds apart from his voice were the crackle of the fire and the scratching sound of quills on parchment and the turning of pages.

"Come on Evans, you've been working on that all day! You've been working for your OWLs all bloody year, let alone all month or all week! You look bloody awful too; I know you haven't been getting enough sleep. Take a break, please!" he said, almost sounding… sincere? Caring? Would those even be the right words to use at this moment in time?

He moved closer and closer. He was right at her feet now, almost touching them... She turned the page of her text book.

A counter-spell is a type of spell where the primary effect is to inhibit, remove or negate the effects of another spell

She was again jerked out of her 'revision world' when a hand was put on her shoulder.

"Plus, you'll get to spend more quality time with little old me."

Lily then snapped her book shut, gathered up her things and made her way towards the door.

"Wh-where's she going?" Black all but yelled.

"Library of course" said Marlene. "She's probably going to find Snape while she's at it."

Amazingly, as long as she lived, Lily Evans could never remember hearing any form of protest from the raven haired, hazel eyed, Quidditch playing toe-rag of a boy sitting at her feet on the sofa as she climbed out of the Fat Lady's portrait and headed off to the library. Nor did she remember him trying to stop her.

Hope you enjoyed that. Please feel free to leave a review for me. It only takes two seconds and makes me motivated to write more, which is always good :-)