Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition Round 13: Real Randomness

Position: Beater 2 for the Harpies

Prompts: "it was...utterly revolting"; Hogwarts library setting; "collection"

WC: 1,466

After four months at Hogwarts, Lily had found a favorite place: the library. The tall shelves, the soft bindings, the musty smell when she opened each new book... to her, it was heaven. It was the perfect combination of her old home, which had been filled with a large collection of books as well, and her new.

Even more perfect, however, was the fact that of all the students at Hogwarts, there was one person who never seemed to set foot in her sacred space. That person was James Potter.

Oddly enough, the annoying prat still managed to get grades that rivaled her own. Without even seeming to try, James Potter breezed through his studies as easily as if he were flying on a broomstick. Though he was constantly being handed detentions for various pranks or notes passed in class, he managed to ace exams and pop quizzes alike.

She was studying for an upcoming exam in Charms when she felt the table shift as someone sat down across from her.

"Lily, I need your help," a voice said, and she glanced up in surprise. James Potter was sitting across from her, fidgeting with his hair as he refused to meet her eyes.

"You need my help? For what?"

"Charms?" he said weakly, and she frowned.

"You're the only one who is just as good as I am at Charms, Potter. What's the real reason you're here?"

He sighed, glancing around as if to check that no one was listening. "Alright. I... Well, I'm sure you heard about the run in my mates and I had with Sniv— I mean, Severus, the other day."

"I did," she said, her voice cold. "I didn't approve."

"I know, I know you didn't. I was hoping that maybe you could help me speak to him. Snape, I mean. Privately."

Lily narrowed her eyes. James was practically squirming in his seat now, running his hands through his hair every few seconds and picking up her various materials before placing them down again.

"Potter, why are you so nervous? Stop that! Why do you want to speak to Sev in private?"

"I want to apologize."

Lily felt her mouth drop open. James Potter wanted to apologize to someone? Not even someone, Severus Snape. This was unheard of. "I don't believe you. You never apologize to anyone! Especially Sev. You hate him!"

"I don't hate him. Well, I do. Sort of. But I think we got off on the wrong foot at the beginning of the year."

"You bullied him for wanting to be in Slytherin," she said drily.

"Ah, well, nobody's perfect. Besides, he seems to be a somewhat decent chap. Not particularly happy, but he's not as trollish as other Slytherins. And for some reason, you like him, which is a point in his favor." James grinned at her, one side of his mouth quirking up slightly higher than the other in a mischievous smirk.

"Is this about you wanting to be my friend? I can't believe you, Potter!"

"What? It's partially that, yes, but I also feel like a rotten bloke. I haven't been nice to the chap. My mum and dad raised me to be more respectable than that, and I'd like to apologize for my behavior. Is that so hard to understand, Lils?" He grabbed one of her hands, but she yanked it back with a grimace.

"Yes. Yes, it's very hard to understand. And don't call me 'Lils'."

"Lily. Please," he begged, and she bit her lip before sighing.

"Fine. Meet me here tomorrow at 4. Sev and I were going to study for Potions then. You get five minutes, and you meet us in the library. No hidden corners where you can pull some awful prank and get away with it." She folded her arms as he opened his mouth to argue, and he shut it.

"Fine. But could we meet at one of the back tables? I do have a reputation to uphold. I can't just turn around and start being chums with Severus Snape days after pranking him."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine. Just don't be late!"

"Do I have to?" Severus whined as he and Lily walked towards the library.

"Yes, Sev, he's just apologizing."

"How can you be so sure?" Severus paused outside the doors, and she groaned, shoving him inside the library.

"Because he came into the library, Sev. He came to the library, a place he has never once frequented in his four months here, and begged me. How could I say no to that? You know I believe in second chances," she added, and Sev sighed.

"Fine. I'll accept his apology and be civil to him if it will make you happy. After this, can I go back to ignoring him, though?"

Lily grinned. "Of course. It's what I plan to do as well!"

They were just stepping inside the library, glancing around for James Potter, when all hell broke loose. Lily, who was two steps ahead of Severus, glanced back when she heard his surprised yelp.

"Sev? What happened?!" she said, turning to find her best friend covered in some sort of red, sticky substance. Before he could move, though, a blast of cold wind rushed through the doors, hardening the substance pooled at his feet and causing Severus to freeze in his tracks.

"Lily, I can't move!"

"GET HIM!" someone yelled, and Lily was shoved out of the way as three boys jumped on her friend, showering him with an array of glitter and female clothing.

"What is going on here?!" Madam Pince screeched, pulling out her wand and throwing up a shield around Severus. Lily's heart ached at the sight of her friend. There was a bra pinned to his head, garish streaks of glittery makeup on his cheeks, and someone had shoved a skin tight dress over his arms and torso.

Madam Pince took one look at Severus and rounded on the three culprits. "Potter! Black! Pettigrew! What is the meaning of this?"

"We were just giving him a makeover, ma'am. See, he looks like a girl and he hangs out with girls, so we figured he must be a girl. We were hoping if we made him prettier, some of the blokes around here would actually like him," Sirius Black said, grinning easily at the librarian.

"Get. Out." Madam Pince pointed a finger at the door, too mad to even say anything else. "And I will be speaking to the Headmaster about this!" she shrieked as the three boys scampered out.

"That's it?" Lily cried, angrily turning to the librarian. "Those prats bully my best friend and all you're going to do is kick them out of the library? They don't like the library! They probably planned to be kicked out so they would have an excuse not to come here!" Ignoring the shock written across the librarian's face, she raced out of the library after the three boys.

"JAMES POTTER!" she yelled, running down the corridor to where the three boys were high-fiving and laughing. They stopped to watch as Lily barreled up to them.

"I cannot believe you, Potter!"

"What, you didn't like my prank, Lils?"

"Like it? It was... utterly revolting! You're a despicable human being!"

James shrugged. "Look, Lily, Snape's a jerk. I don't understand why you hang out with the likes of him."

"Severus Snape is ten times the friend you could ever be!"

Sirius Black laughed as James clenched his fists. "That's gotta hurt, mate!"

"Come on, Lils. Can't you see that one day, he's going to realize being friends with you isn't beneficial anymore? When that day comes, you're going to need a shoulder to cry on."

"I said, don't call me Lils!" she hissed as she drew back her fist. There was a resounding crack as her knuckles connected with James Potter's nose, then dead silence.

"You...You just punched me." His voice was thick from the blood gushing out of his nose, but she could still detect the awe in his voice that she'd actually hit him.

"I'll do it again if you don't stop messing with Severus," she said. She turned on her heel and stalked back towards the library to check on her friend.

She didn't catch the grin that came over James' face as he watched her leave.

"Mate, you alright?" Sirius asked as his friend kept standing there, grinning sappily.

"Sirius, I think I'm in love."