A/N: Hello there! Just a light-hearted piece which will have more chapters coming up. I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter world and characters belong to the might J.K. Rowling. I'm just having fun with them.

Lily Evans had never had so much trouble revising before. In fact, she was one of those rare specimens who actually enjoyed it.

Extremely organised and thorough, she loved to map out her revision with timetables and endless lists. In her mind, there was nothing more satisfying than making a plan and sticking to it.

This time, however, it just wasn't working.

At first she had thought that a change of location might help - boy, was she wrong.

She had tried everywhere. From the dungeons to the astronomy tower; abandoned classrooms to the library. Then there were the more unconventional places she had tried in moments of sheer desperation. Secret passageways, under her desk, on top of her desk, the Quidditch pitch, and even the Forbidden Forest. The last hadn't worked out so well - being unceremoniously chased down by an angry centaur.

How was she supposed to know that she was revising in their sacred clearing?

The only silver lining she could think of in this dismal situation, was that it was only the practice exams coming up. She could afford a couple of flukes.

Yet, revising would be a welcome distraction from her other distraction…

She looked across the table at James Potter, who was happily engrossed in his Defence against the Dark Arts textbook. He had that annoying-as-hell ability to fully absorb himself into whatever he was doing.

Nice for some, Lily thought begrudgingly, feeling a strong urge to kick him.

James Potter was one of her best friends and had been since third year. Before that, well, their relationship had been rather tricky. He had loved to tease her, she had a temper; he was the class clown, she actually wanted to hear what the teacher was saying; he thought that rules were there to be broken; she enforced the rules.

It was easy to see why they hadn't got along.

That had all changed, however, when Lily discovered that their mutual friend, Remus Lupin, was a werewolf in their third year. Since that discovery, she had become a part of their group and hadn't looked back since.

Strange how things turn out.

Lily sighed, resting her chin in her hands. She absently scratched into the wooden table with her nails, feeling at odds with herself. Why couldn't she concentrate?

Silly question – she knew precisely why.

Blushing, she scratched out the JP initials she had just etched.

"I never knew you were a vandal."

Lily jumped in her seat guiltily, her head snapping up to find James staring at her. His eyes, those stupid smouldering eyes, widened at her dramatic response. Then he laughed.

"You scared me!" she accused, glaring at him.

James smirked mischievously, making Lily's stomach flutter. His brown eyes crinkled at the edges and dimples formed on his cheeks.

"By talking? Sorry - I'll be more considerate next time," he said sarcastically.

He got up out of his seat and stretched, reaching his arms up into the air, his fingers brushing the ceiling. Lily tried desperately not to gawp or blush at the sight of his shirt lifting up, but failed spectacularly. Luckily, James had his eyes closed in some kind of stretch heaven only accessible to athletes.

Then he opened his eyes, smiling with lazy satisfaction from his stretch, and started to walk around the edge of the table towards her.

Lily stiffened.

Oh no.

Not again.

He stopped behind her seat and leaned over, wrapping her into a hug. She automatically scrunched up her shoulders, feeling uncomfortable. It took all of her willpower not to squirm out of his arms.

"What were you huffing and puffing about anyway?" he mumbled into her shoulder.

She could feel his lips moving against her as he spoke. There was a t-shirt between them, but she still had to suppress the shiver that attacked her.

"Huh?" she asked breathily.

Lily was having a hard time breathing, never mind understanding.

"You've been making melancholy noises on and off for the last hour."

This, right here, was why she hadn't been able to concentrate for the past month. James Potter had always been a 'huggy' person – he would hug anyone short of a death eater. Since his dad's death, however, he had become even more tactile to say the least.

At first, Lily hadn't minded. She knew that it was just a comfort thing for James, and had been happy to let him snuggle her, stroke her hair, hold her hand and whatnot.

It was all well and fine, until Mr Potter's tactile ways started making her feel more-than-friendly feelings. She wasn't sure when it began, but one moment she was completely comfortable with it, and the next she was tingling every time he so much as looked her way.

And now she was in this unfortunate position of having to pretend that his blasted hands, which were currently stroking up and down her waist, didn't make her heart do the tango.

Lily bit down hard on her lip, willing herself to focus on forming coherent sentences.

"I can't concentrate," she finally managed to gasp.

"On what?" he asked, now nestling into her neck.

Of all things.

He started to graze his nose back and forth along her skin. Lily closed her eyes, leaning her head away from his so that he had more access. She supposed he was trying to sooth her, but he was doing the exact opposite. The more he touched her, the more worked up she was getting.

When his breath started to gently tickle her skin, she moaned softly.

Lily's eyes flew open.

She pushed his arms away from her and half scrambled onto the table to create some space.

"You need to stop!" she demanded, sounding embarrassingly out of breath.

James straightened up, his eyebrow cocking upwards quizzically. He ran a hand through his messy, dark hair, something he always did when he was startled. Hesitantly, he began to walk forward but she stopped him, holding her hand out firmly.

James froze, regarding her outstretched hand in confusion. Then he gently moved it aside so that he could perch on the table next to her.

"Stop what?" he asked.

The side of his body was flush against hers, all concept of personal space scattered to the wind. It was times like these when Lily wished that James was more socially aware. Most people understood, without a step-by-step explanation, why this kind of touchy-feely behaviour might be inappropriate.

Not James.

In many ways, he was completely innocent in the sense that he couldn't read Lily's reactions to him – something she was both grateful and ungrateful for.

Lily scooted to the edge of the table, feeling rather frantic.

"T - touching me all the time," she replied querulously.

"You're always doing it – and I – it's – it's hard to concentrate!"

James blinked in surprise at her outburst. He kept opening his mouth to say something, then snapping it shut. Finally, he settled on a response.

"You want me to stop touching you?"

"Yes," she said, avoiding eye contact.

"I'm just not a very touchy-feely person."

She peeked a glance at him and saw that he was frowning, his arms crossed tightly against his chest.

"You've never minded before," he said suspiciously.

It was true. She hadn't minded before, but things change when one's hormones decide to get inconveniently rebellious.

James touching her that way, not knowing how it made her feel, was no longer okay.

But she couldn't tell him that.

"Look – I'm just stressed about the exams," she explained (lied through her teeth).

"I guess I don't like being touched when I'm stressed."

Lily looked at him apologetically as she gave her made-up excuse, hoping that she sounded convincing. She didn't want to upset him, but she really needed him to stop with all the handsy business.

He was looking at her with furrowed brows, digesting her explanation, chewing it over.

Then he sighed, getting up off the table and walking back around to his seat.

"Fair enough," he muttered, pulling his textbook back towards him.

Lily's stomach tugged guiltily. He sounded a mixture of disappointed and offended. If he knew the truth, he wouldn't be feeling either of those things, but knowing the truth might ruin their friendship. She couldn't risk it.

She shakily returned to her own seat, her body tingling from shock. Had she really just blurted that out so tactlessly?

And just when she thought they were destined to be spending the night in awkward silence, James looked up at her with a hopeful smile.

"Just let me know when I can touch you again."

Lily's face flushed pink at the very idea of asking such a thing.