Lily woke up, having dreamed about sitting in James Potter´s lap with his strong arms around her, resting her head against his muscular chest and his lips at her throat...
She shook her head to clear it of the hazy fantasies and rolled out of bed. She got ready slowly, taking extra time with her hair. When she was satisfied with her appearance, she walked through the door and onto the spiral staircase. From the common room she heard a familiar voice:
"What do you reckon, Moony?"
It was James. Her heart jumped and she felt a big smile spread across her face. Underneath her feet, the staircase gave way and she slid down the slide headfirst and ended up on top of James, who had apparently tried to get up the stairs.
" Evans? What happened to the stairs?" he said, ignoring the laughter of Sirius and Remus.
"Boys aren't allowed in our dormitory, Potter" she answered, getting up quickly "Why did you want to come up anyway?"
"I wanted to...um...talk to you" he stuttered, blushing
"And?..." her heart was beating so fast it felt as if she couldn't breathe.
"Well, um...the next Hogsmeade weekend is coming up and, well, I...um..."
"He wanted to ask you to come with him for a drink" supplied Remus, earning himself a grateful look from James.
All through this conversation, Sirius had been rolling around on the floor, laughing hysterically. James pointed his wand at him and murmured "Silencio", at the same time as Lily murmured "Petrificus totalus" and Sirius lost his ability to make a sound and to move.
"Well, um...what about it, Eva...Lily?" asked James hopefully
"I can't" she lied "um...prefects meeting" she improvised with a significant look at Remus who had opened his mouth to contradict her.
"You didn't tell me that, Moony" said James, in a hurt tone
"I forgot" he replied casually "sorry, Prongs"
At that moment, Lily looked at the common room clock and shrieked. They had two minutes to get to class.
"What's up, Lils?" asked James
"We've got to get to class!"
"Which classroom?"
"DADA, with the Slytherins"
They all started running towards the door, James having a wrestling match with Sirius to let Lily pass first. They made it to class just as the bell rang and sank into their seats, panting.
"Well" said the teacher, clearing his throat, "now that you five have been kind enough to join us" he paused to glare at them, earning a chuckle from the Slytherins and making Lily and Remus blush while Sirius and James leaned back in their chairs, completely at ease, and Peter cowered under his desk "we can begin the Patronus charm!"
A whisper went around the classroom, "Patronuses?".
"Now, repeat after me expecto patronum"
"Expecto patronum!" chorused the class
"Very good, but remember that to cast the spell you have to concentrate on a happy memory" said the teacher "the happier the memory, the stronger the patronus. Now, line up in front of the blackboard"
After a scuffle and a scraping of desks and chairs, the class was lined up in front of the blackboard.
"You" said the teacher, pointing at James "let's see what you can do"
James stepped forward, grinning.
"Now a corporeal patronus, that which has a true form, is very difficult and requires several months of study..."
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" interrupted James and a silvery stag erupted from his wand, cantered around the room, came to stop in front of its master, who patted it, and disappeared. The Gryffindors applauded and the Slytherins hissed. James grinned and his eyes darted to Lily, who was applauding too. The teacher looked astonished but soon recovered.
"Very impressive, Mr Potter, but I'd prefer if you didn't interrupt me. Five points to Gryffindor!" he said, smiling "now, Mr Malfoy!"
Lucius walked forward and said, with little conviction "expecto patronum". A silvery wisp came out of his wand and then faded away. Some Gryffindors chuckled, earning themselves a glare from the slytherins. Lucius blushed and strode back to his place with his nose in the air.
"You'll need a happier memory than that, Mr Malfoy, but that was good for a first try." said the teacher "Mr Pettigrew?"
Peter stepped forward and murmured " 'specto 'tronum"
There was a collective gasp from the Gryffindors and a burst of laughter from the slytherins as Peter's hair turned green and let off an odour like rotting eggs.
"Not to worry" called the teacher as he hurried forwards and set Peter right with a wave of his wand "But you should all be very careful with your spell pronounciation. Now, Miss Evans?"
Lily stepped forward, looking very nervous an said very clearly "Expecto patronum!" causing a silvery mass to burst from her wand. The silvery mass then formed an unmistakable shape: a doe.
"Very good, Miss Evans, but tell me, why a doe?"
Lily was blushing furiously and didn't answer his question but he saw her glance towards James Potter, who was watching her openmouthed. The teacher nodded, he understood.
"Well, Miss Evans, would you mind staying with me for a few minutes after the bell rings?"
"Um...OK..." she whispered
"Now, Mr Snape?"
Severus stepped forward, his greasy hair covering his eyes. He looked at Lily as she passed him and she saw the pain in his eyes. The pain she was causing. For a moment, she was lost in memories of her first few years at Hogwarts: him helping her across the rocks at the riverside, the feel of his hand in her hair, his lips upon hers... But then she remembered more recent memories: him calling her a mudblood, him begging her for forgiveness outside the portrait hole, the look in his eyes when she refused to forgive him...
"Miss Evans, could you return to your place, please?"
Lily was pulled back into reality by the teacher's voice. Severus blinked and looked away from her. She hurried back to her place, where James was waiting for her.
"What was THAT, Ev... Lily?" he asked
"What was what?" she asked, feigning dumbness "Shh, Potter, I want to concentrate on this class."
"Well, go on, Mr Snape" urged the teacher
"Expecto patronum" muttered Severus, already knowing what would happen.
A silvery doe burst from his wand. He vanished it quickly and strode back to his place.
"Mr Snape, I'll be needing a word with you too, after class" said the teacher, slightly confused
"Yes, sir" he muttered, ignoring the curious looks from his classmates.