He found her in the Great Hall. She was looking at her plate as if all the hope from the world had gone, her hair tangled and her uniform in disarray. She wasn't even trying to appear any less hung-over than she was, the poor thing.
"Morning!" he greeted her jovially as he took a sit next to her, helping himself to some bacon and eggs.
She mumbled something incoherent and scowled.
"Are you feeling properly ashamed yet?"
"Stop shouting," she said.
"I'm not shouting," he shouted.
Lily wanted to punch him in the face, but reckoned it would be a shame to ruin such a face, so she punched his shoulder instead.
"You're lovely in the mornings," he said. She punched him again. "Stop hitting me!"
She didn't. But she did smile, so it softened the punches slightly. James grinned back, which irritated her. She wanted to wipe it off his face, whether by punching him or kissing him, she wasn't sure.
"My head hurts," Lily wallowed as she poured herself yet another glass of pumpkin juice, imagining it would somehow help her. It didn't.
"That is generally what happens, yes," James grinned.
She looked at him pitifully which compelled him to come closer to her and do something, to somehow make her feel better. He started massaging her temples, half expecting a precise punch. It didn't come, though. Instead, she relaxed and closed her eyes.
James felt quite victorious.
Then she started purring.
"Err. Evans?"
"Yes?"
„You are... purring."
"I'm aware of that." She purred. "I'm a cat now."
He made a disgruntled face. "Why a cat? I don't like cats."
"Why?" She sounded genuinely hurt, moving away from him.
"Nasty devils, the lot of them. They're evil and calculating and they piss on your bed without any reason." He shook his head.
"I wouldn't piss on your bed, though."
"Well, hopefully."
"Besides, don't you like me? Because, see, I am a cat now. So if you like me, you like cats."
"And what if I don't like you?"
She frowned. "That would make me very sad."
"Would it?"
"Well, maybe. Not very. But sufficiently."
"Alright, then. I can make an exception for you."
She purred victoriously and rest her head on his legs. He looked at her half shocked, half amused and entirely confused as to what he was supposed to do now. She wiggled, flailing her hands, searching for his, and then putting them in her hair.
"Cat," she said, pointing to herself. She, then, pointed to him. "Pet."
She moved his hands across her hair and peered at him. He felt very uncomfortable. And strangely comfortable, at the same time. She looked up at him and moved her hands away from her hair. He smiled and began tangling and detangling her locks, gliding across and over and beneath them with his fingers, and she let out a delightful purr before closing her eyes and dozing off for a bit.