James was not a morning person and liked to take his time waking up, however for the last 30 days he had had to wake up with the bitter taste of the mandrake leaf in his mouth. He forced himself up and looked across the room to his friend Remus sitting in the window watching the moon descend. It was for Remus that he and their other two roommates were secretly going through the Animagus process. Peter and Sirius slept on but James was anxious to finish his last day licking mandrake leafs so he for once got himself dressed and ready to actually start his day of classes. Nothing really got rid of the taste of mandrake but he figured tea couldn't hurt, it was just more leaves anyway he reasoned with himself as he headed down to the great hall for an early breakfast and maybe do some more fiddling with the map he and his mates were making together. As he opened the door to the great hall however he noticed only one other Gryffindor at their table, the one and only Lily Evans.
James grumbled under his breath, but continued on up the dining table to take the seat across from her, poured himself a tea, grabbed a jam biscuit, and pulled out his homework from the night before and his map. Through all of this Lily stared at him over her book, well she glared at him anyway. "Morning Lily" he said running his had through his hair and flashing her a smile.
If possible her glare turned into a death stare as she sighed and responded with a good morning that was more a question than a well wishing. "where's your slimy love puppy" he teased her nodding towards the Slytherin table where Severus was still not present. Lily slammed her book shut and stood up to leave but he grabbed her wrist and she fell back over the table. "I'm sorry," he said leaning towards her "that was out of line" he finished.
Lily's face turned sour "James your breath stinks" she teased as she tried to cover her nose with her hands, "what in Merlin's beard did you eat?"
James just responded by blowing more mandrake breath in her face. "Whats that Lily?" he leaned closer over the table as she tried to squirm away but he held her arms to the table. Just then Severus walked into the great hall and upon noticing James being so close to Lily he rushed over to them.
"Hands off her, Potter" he warned. James merely lifted his hands from Lily and made a shooing motion at him.
"Get lost, this is between me and miss Lily here " he said winking at her Lily scoffed but Severus got red in the face and went to say something insulting when she stopped him grabbing his arm and pulling him with her as she got up to leave for the second time that morning.
"Later Lily" he called after her, before sighing and looking down at his map. He opened the folds of Parchment and spoke the words to activate it and watched as Lily and Severus' marks on his map moved out of the great hall and to the stairs where they stayed beside each other for a moment until Lily retreated up the stairs back to the Gryffindor common room and Severus returned to the great hall flanked by his equally slimy friends Avery and Mulciber and made their way to their own house's table. James waited for his friends to join him and watched for Lily on the map for the rest of the morning, and he wasn't even bothered by he mandrake leaf spoiling his breath.
