A/N: This is my first time posting anything on here, and I would very much appreciate reviews! (winkwink!)
Please be honest, and if that means flaming me, by all means, please do! Also, thanks very much to my lovely beta reader whose help this would completely suck without. I baked her a cake.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the three pennies and the bent paperclip in my pocket.
As he absently flipped through the pages in his History of Magic textbook, seventeen-year-old James Potter looked over across the table at Lily Evans. She yawned widely and ruffled her bangs with her quill. They had been studying together in the library in silence for about two hours, silently scribbling random facts and dates down. Tapping his feet against the floor mindlessly, he glanced at the desk to his right, where Remus Lupin was slouched in his chair. He was mumbling a spell under his breath with his nose in his Charms book. His eyes flickered up to stare at James.
"What?" he mouthed.
"Eh, nothing, Moony." James whispered.
Dragging his eyes back to his book, he blinked and tried hard to focus. As he stared at the meaningless words, his vision went blurry. He shook his head hard and let out a yawn. Suddenly, he saw a skinny, hawk-faced woman carrying a stack of battered books poke her head out of the aisle near their table.
"No yawning in my library!" the woman exclaimed, causing Lily to jump in surprise. She shot an annoyed look at James, causing him to grin.
The old librarian promptly disappeared behind a bookcase.
"No happiness allowed, Mr. Potter!" James whispered to himself, as she disappeared behind a bookcase.
Smirking, James shifted in his seat to look at the table right behind him where his other friends Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew were sitting. Sirius looked up from a game of hangman that he and Peter were playing in his Astronomy book, shooting him a quick thumbs-up and a wink.
James hated the forced silence in the library. If you coughed, sneezed, or ate anything in here, you were practically clubbed to death by Madame Pince.
And God forbid you touch one of her precious books in her precious library.
Then quite suddenly, James heard the Hogwarts clock tower loudly bong ten times, signaling it was ten o'clock, and much too late to be studying. Remus stretched his arms and straightened his sweater vest, slowly standing up and putting a few textbooks back in his bag. James glanced over at Lily, who was sipping the last dregs of tea she had sneaked in under Madam Pince's long and obtrusive nose. She stood up and sleepily began gathering up her notes and worn-down quills. James quickly tossed what he had of half-finished History of Magic notes and his old quill into his bag and heaved it on his shoulder. As Lily wearily lifted her bag off the desk, James came over and took the heavy bag from her hands.
"Come on, you look like you're about to crash." He muttered softly to her.
The corners of her mouth curled upwards in a half-smile as she looked up at him. He smiled and stared at her, causing her to look down at her shoes.
"Come on," he repeated.
They started to walk out of the library, with Madam Pince on their heels. As they crossed to the hallway opposite of the library's entrance, she let out a 'humph!' and slammed the double-doors in their faces.
"Batty old codger..." he whispered, more to himself than to Lily.
She let out a giggle, and he looked down at her and grinned. As they walked slowly down the many long hallways on their way back to Gryffindor Tower, he kept her awake by reliving the pranks he pulled and adventures he had been on with the Marauders and the detentions that usually followed.
After climbing four flights of stairs, the pair finally reached the seventh floor corridor. Lily was dragging her feet, and as James watched her, her eyelids fluttered open and shut a few times, and she let out a wide yawn. They had arrived at last at the tower portrait. The Fat Lady was fast asleep with her head drooping against the edge of her frame, with an empty box of Rosmerta's Finest Fire Whiskey chocolates at her feet.
"Ehem." James cleared his throat.
"Excuse me, Fat Lady!" A line of drool was trailing out of the edge of her mouth now.
"FAT LADY, WAKE UP!"
With a jolt, the Fat Lady straightened up in her chair to see two very tired, very annoyed teenagers standing in front of her portrait.
"Well, excuse me, young man, it's quite late, you know, I was sleeping!" she said, with a stern glare.
James rolled his eyes and sighed.
"Newt tails."
"Yes, yes, alright!"
She reluctantly swung forward, permitting them to enter the portrait hole. Lily took a step forward, and James offered his hand to her with a "May I, Mademoiselle?" With a quick smile, she took it and allowed James to help her through. He followed close behind, and they walked together, hand in hand, to the edge of the girls' staircase.
"I'm pretty sure this is as far as I'm allowed," he smiled, looking down at her. "This is yours, I believe?" he said, handing Lily her bag.
Lily looked up at James with a strange expression.
"Thanks, James...for being such a gentleman."
She bit her lip, and quickly rose up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. She pulled back slowly, and looked him hesitantly in the eyes. James slowly lifted his hand up to touch his cheek where her lips had touched him.
Suddenly, he grinned and a reckless spark ignited his hazel eyes. James swooped downward and placed his hands on either side of Lily's face, and pressed his lips softly against hers. After a second, she smiled against his lips and reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. After what seemed like hours, James pulled away slightly, and slowly leaned forward and whispered in her ear,
"You are oh-so very welcome, Lily Evans."