Written for the I've Never Challenge (Week Four: Severus and Lily in a platonic fashion), Disney Characters Challenge (Archimedes: Write about a person who teaches someone something), Variety of Prompts Challenge (Word 7. Wand)
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"Why can't I get it?" Lily growled. The eleven year old wacked her wand against the table, growling in the process. Her eyes were locked onto the broken candle stick that sat on the table. She ran her finger over her charms book, rereading the chapter for what felt like the thousandth time. Frustration built inside her as she attempted to throttle the book with her wand.
"Need some help?"
The voice was one Lily knew so well. She forgot all about the charms assignment she had yet to complete. A smile spread over her face as she caught sight of the boy come to help. Severus smiled at her as he pulled up the chair next to her. His charcoal eyes skimmed over the textbook she had been battering a moment prior.
"You know," Sev continued to smirk at her, "destroying the textbook won't help you much."
"I know." Lily pouted, letting her wand drop onto the pages. The library around them was quiet as the ginger let a defeated sigh escape her lips. "I just can't get this spell to work. It's frustrating. Everyone else has gotten it."
"I'm sure you're not the only one." Sev offered, hoping to provide some form of comfort.
"I am." Lily pouted. "James even got it before me."
Severus frowned at the name. "Potter?"
"Yes." Lily answered. "He's been breaking and fixing things all morning long. It's quite frustrating. Especially since I can't even fix my stupid candle."
Lily jabbed her finger into the wax candle on the table. The first year class had been assigned the Mending (AKA Repairing) Charm. It was basic enough, just at the level that they would be at. But Lily just couldn't seem to get the grasp of this one spell and it was grating on her nerves. This was her first falter since starting at Hogwarts, her first glitch in her education, and she just couldn't get passed it. She hoped that with her best friend there that he's find a way to solve her problem.
"I think I can help." Sev spoke, his words music to her ears. He scooted closer to her with his chair, and disposed of his school satchel onto the table. "Try doing the spell."
"Okay." Lily picked up her wand. She placed the tip just above the broken candle, breathing in deeply before making a quick movement with her wand. "Reparo." The candle remained broken, causing Lily to huff in retaliation.
"I see what your problem is."
"You do?" Lily asked hopeful.
"Ya." Sev withdrew his own wand. "You're not moving your wand right."
"Yes I am." Lily countered. She jabbed her finger onto a page in the textbook. "I'm doing it like it shows."
"You're too soft on the turns." Severus raised his wand in front of him in demonstration. "When you do it, try making sharer turns." He started with a quick swipe to the left, before taking his wand down in a diagonal line after a sharp turn. From there, he arched it back up at a contrasting slant. About at the half way point front where he had starter, he took his wand a sharp ways to the left. "Like that. And whenever saying the incantation, try holding out the middle section a bit. The PA part."
"Alright." Lily said. She straightened up, pointing her wand back at the candle. Following the movement Severus had shown her (making a point to sharpen her changes in direction) she pronounced the spell; "Reparo."
To her delight, the candle snapped together in one piece. Excitement coursed through her as she unleashed an enthusiastic squeal. Throwing her arms around Severus, she embraced him tightly. "Thanks Sev."
"No problem." Severus smiled as the pulled apart. "You would have gotten on your own anyways."
"Thank you." Lily repeated. Picking up her candle, she smiled at him. "So, you need any help with homework."
"Actually ya." Severus answered, a sheepish smile on his lips. "I have no idea what's going on in DADA at the moment."
"I'll help." Lily said.
"Thanks." Severus moved to pull his textbook from his bag while Lily did the same with her own Defense Against the Dark Arts book. Around them, the library continued to exist in quiet as the two first years went away at their homework.