Lily wasn't entirely awake when she walked down the stairs to the Gryffindor common room, so she assumed she was imagining the voice cursing Fleetwood's High-Finish Handle Polish. This made her all the more surprised when she descended the last few steps and she say James Potter hissing under his breath.

"Bloody Merlin and Agrippa on a stick," he said, knocking over a vile of Shrivelfigs. "Sodding High-Finish with sodding Ashwinder eggs and-"

"James?"

He whipped around, spilling his cauldron. "Shit-sorry, Lily," he said. "I meant-shit." The entirety of James' cauldron spilled out onto the floor. Lily hurried over towards him, holding out her wand.

"What happened to your hands?" she asked him, horrified. She sat down next to him and held them. They were a horrible, swollen pink. They much resembled Drooble's Best Chewing Gum.

"I, erm," he said, blushing a bit. "I'm, fine. Just, ah, slightly sensitive to Fleetwood's."

"Slightly sensitive?" repeated Lily. "James, this is the worst allergic reaction I have ever seen."

"It's not that bad," he said.

"Does it hurt?"

"Dunno," James said. "Can't feel it."

"James," said Lily, shaking her head, but smiling just a little bit. "How did this even happen?"

"Funny story," he said, clearly not amused. "You remember my ex-mate, Sirius Black? Yeah, well, he switched out my Broomshine with his Fleetwood, and I used it. He thought it was hysterical."

"Oh," said Lily, suppressing a grin.

"Think it's funny too, do you? You disgust me. You non-sensitive people are always poking fun at us allergics. Well, we'll see who gets the last laugh... when we take over the world and make glasses mandatory and outlaw wool."

"You certainly can't take over the world now," Lily said. "The pollen count's much too high."

"Oh, ha-ha, Lily Evans. You're so funny. I'll be sure to laugh in just a minute. Honestly, you and Sirius should start a club," he said disgustedly.

"Price of admission: eat a whole peanut."

"You're just jealous."

"Of what? The inability to drink a glass of milk?"

"I'm not lactose intolerant, Evans. I drink plenty of milk. That's why I'm so strong."

'Not strong enough to clean your broom with proper polish."

"I'm strong enough to hex into next Tuesday."

"With what? You can't even hold your wand!"

"All right," James said in mock anger. "I know when I'm not wanted." He got up to leave, but Lily pulled him back down.

"Let me help you," she said. "What were you trying to make? Itching Antidote?"

"Yeah," he said. "I know how, but I can't hold anything..."

"Here," Lily said. She righted the cauldron and started mixing in the ingredients one by one. She had always been good with Potions.

"Why didn't you call me?" Lily asked James.

"Call you?" he said blankly.

"Yeah," she said. "Like, send your owl. I would've found you and helped you make the antidote."

"Right," said James.

Lily looked at him funny. "Right, James," she said. "We're mates, remember."

"Yeah," he said, smiling. "Mates."

"And since Sirius nearly killed you," continued Lily, "and Remus and Peter did not help, we're sort of best mates."

"Definitely," James said, feeling a very stupid grin appear on his face. "Best mates."

Lily caught his eye and winked. "Here you go, best mate," she said, rubbing the antidote on his hands. He felt them shrink, but the balloon in his stomach grew bigger and bigger.

"Good night," Lily said cheerfully.

"Night," James said, slightly dazed. He walked back up to his dorm room and lay down on his bed.

"Where you been?" asked Sirius, looking up from a Muggle magazine. "What took you so long?"

"Stopped for a chat with my best mate," he answered, staring up at the ceiling.

"Madam Pomfrey's your best mate?" said Sirius blankly. "Because I switched out your Broomshine?"

"No," James said, but didn't bother explaining. There would be plenty of time for everyone to see how his friendship with Lily was blossoming.