"God, you are my best friend ever," she said. "Seriously, you're a live saver."
"Didn't take me any effort," he said, watching her bright green eyes go from one parchment to another, reading and copying the essay he'd so easily written so many nights before. Finishing her last paragraph, she stuffed her parchment and quill into her schoolbag and threw her arms around him in a relieved slump.
"I love you so much right now, Severus," she laughed.
"Aww, there's someone else?" sniggered that voice.
"What do you want, Potter?" Lily groaned, clearly just as annoyed as Severus was at their interruption.
"You probably know," said James, running a hand through his already unruly hair, making it stand up even more. "There's a Hogsmeade trip this Saturday after exams. How 'bout you and me grab a firewhiskey at the Three Broomsticks? And afterwards we can make our way to Madam Puddifoot's…"
"You know as well as I do that I'd sooner go to Puddifoot's with a troll than with you, James," said Lily, aggravated.
James sighed. "So unfair to the troll, Evans," he grinned, "he's so ugly already, why put your face there and make him look so much worse?"
Severus sneered at the pure smoothness of Potter's remark, then mumbled, "Just leave her alone, Potter, she said no."
James snorted and said to Severus, "Look who's being noble now! I believe this is between me and Evans, Snivellus." Severus fought to ignore the raging fire of fury that now erupted in his chest; it helped that he felt his face turn a bright shade of red.
"Whaddya say, Evans?" James continued.
"I say I have no reason to go anywhere with you, Potter."
"You want reasons?" said James. "I can give you a reason a day until Hogsmeade. If I start with today, that's seven reasons. C'mon, seven reasons, one date; I'd say that's a more than fair trade."
"No," said Lily shortly.
"I'll take that as an 'I'll think about it!' Bye, Evans. See you in Potions, Snivelly…"
Lily scoffed. "What a jerk!"
Severus shook his head. "Seven reasons… I can give you about a million reasons why he's a scumbag right now… arrogant little Gryffindor prat…"
"… What's wrong with Gryffindor?" said Lily.
"What?" Severus replied. "Nothing, nothing… It's just… he thinks he's really so noble and smooth and he's really just a prat…"
"So… by being noble, we're just prats!?" She sounded very offended.
"No! No! It's just Potter, and him, and — "
"I have to finish my Potions essay," Lily said, turning away.
"But you just…" Severus called after her, "… copied… mine…" Severus shut up as he watched his best friend run up the stairs to wherever the Gryffindor common room was.
Tap, tap, tap.
Lily lifted her pillow. Was her Sneakoscope going off? She heard the annoying noise once more while looking under her four-poster; she then realized the window was being tapped.
Walking up to the window, she made out what it was in the sunset; a tiny paper airplane, gently tapping at Lily's dormitory window. Confused, she opened the window, caught the note, and looked out into the dim light, but saw nothing. Shaking it off, she read the little piece of paper.
It's the Slytherins who are prats. Gryffindor has the nicest,
prettiest girls at Hogwarts. And reason one is that you're the prettiest.
"Gross, Potter," said Lily to the silence. "… And that conversation was private, jerk." She stuffed James's note in the trash and went back to studying, though she wasn't happy that the note was causing her to lose concentration now. James was such a jerk.
"Essays on Veritaserum, please." Professor Slughorn waved his wand and dozens of rolled-up pieces of parchment floated to his desk. He nicked one from the top and skimmed it over with a broad grin on his face. "Lily Evans, well done, yet again! What a fine student you are, Evans…"
"Thanks, Professor," Lily mumbled, feeling her face turn red as her hair. Severus turned around in his seat and caught Lily's green eye. He raised his eyebrows and Lily mouthed the words "thank you."
"Look at her," said James. "Look, Sirius, look at her. Isn't she -"
"Aren't you so stupid?" Sirius Black interrupted James's personal love fest. "The prettiest girl at Hogwarts… Merlin, James! She knows that! Besides, flattery isn't going to get her! So tell her why you two should be together! Be loud! Be proud!"
"So," said James. "You're saying I should just come right out and say, 'Hey, I like you!'?"
"No!" exclaimed Sirius. "James! You never tell a girl you like her! It makes you look like an idiot!"
"So… loud, huh…" said James, staring at the back of Lily's head in the front of the room.
"Look! Evening post is huge tonight!" Lily heard a fellow Gryffindor call out at dinner. Lily looked up through the Evening Prophets and the white envelopes; she saw a gleam of red.
"Who's getting a Howler?" Lily said, feeling almost pity for the victim of the soon-to-be raging letter.
"Lily," said a girl. "It's heading… for us…"
Fear and worry replaced the pity in Lily's stomach. Her parents were Muggles; they couldn't send Howlers… they couldn't use magic… Whose was this? To Lily's horror, the red envelope landed right in front of her. Her mind racing, she didn't know what to do. All she knew about Howlers was that once, a girl in her dormitory had ignored one; it ended with Lily and her roommate in the hospital wing for a week. Full of apprehensive fear, she ripped open the Howler and ducked beneath the Gryffindor dinner table.
"Evans!" called a familiar, magically projected voice. "I owe you another reason! Reason number two… I'd say we belong together! It's just that simple, Evans! A guy like me, a sweet girl like you… head boy, head girl… Come on, Evans! We're bound to be together in the end, so stop putting it off and go out with me already!"
As the magic letter tore itself to pieces, Lily ascended from beneath the table, her eyes shooting fire down the Gryffindor table at the waving Sirius Black and the hair-ruffling James Potter.
"YOU THINK THOSE ARE REASONS POTTER!?" Lily shouted at him after in the common room. "I'm pretty and we belong together!? You sicken me!"
"So you're considering me," said James, running his fingers through his hair once more.
"I'd still take the troll," she replied coldly, drawing her wand from her robe pocket. "A Howler, James!? You're such a -"
"Come on now, no need for magic, Evans," said James. "I'd never hex such a fine lady like you."
"Then all the benefit for me," said Lily, as she pointed her weapon at James and thought with a wave "Levicorpus." "Take that you prat." She left James to be helped by his friends, dangling in the air by one ankle.
"James, wha'd you do?" said Remus Lupin, not surprised at what he had just seen.
"Asked Lily out," said the upside-down wizard. "She said she wanted a reason to go, so I'm giving her some until Saturday. Sirius… could you…?"
"Okay, James," said Remus while Sirius took his wand from his pocket. "You gotta give Lily what she wants with these reasons." With a flick of his wand, Remus released his still-floating friend.
"Ow," said James, landing with a thump on the floor. "But I've done nothing but flatter her all week, Remus."
"I didn't say she wanted flattery or compliments," explained Remus. "Maybe she wants… honesty."
Even though he wasn't about to admit it, James knew exactly what Remus meant.
"Concentrate, children. Veritaserum is a very difficult potion to brew. I doubt anyone will get it on their first try… Except for Snape… or Evans, of course."
A dull roar of chatter broke out as everyone tried fervently to mix a passing truth potion. Lily read the instructions to Severus, who quickly mixed and poured them into his cauldron.
"Incendio," muttered Severus, and out of his wand sparked a small fire under the cauldron, in which now water-like contents began to simmer.
James, meanwhile, was finishing off an Animation Charm while Remus diced some roots and threw them into the potion. The paper frog James had just created began to hop, and with another tap of his wand, James sent the frog toward the front of the room.
Splash.
"Lily, why is there a frog in our potion?" Severus said, fishing the origami from his cauldron. Lily took the folded frog from Severus's hand and put the squirming frog in her pocket, thinking it best not to read it with Severus behind her. James seemed to get this message and with a wave of his wand, the frog was just parchment once more.
The bell rang, and Severus took the liberty to take the vial of their Veritaserum to Professor Slughorn's desk. Lily set off for dinner alone, taking the frog from her robe pocket and unfolding the parchment.
You're right, Evans. I've been a prat, I won't deny it.
So reason number three is that I want to know you better.
Something about your independence draws me in.
I can't take my mind off you, Evans.
The troll now seemed less appealing as Lily put the parchment back in her pocket. Potter was really messing with her concentration this week; if she failed her O.W.L.s, James would get it.
It was a nice, sunny day and Severus was helping Lily study for her Potions exam.
"And remember," said Severus, "when you're cutting the beans for Draught of Living Death," use the dull side of a diamond knife. It gets the juice out better."
"Dull side, diamond knife," repeated Lily. "Got it. Thanks for helping me study, Sev. Means a lot."
There was a dull, gentle thump on the back of Lily's head. "What the…?" she mumbled, turning around. A small Golden Snitch thumped her again in the temple. Almost amused, she closed her fingers on the obviously enchanted slow-moving Quidditch ball, and noticed there was a rolled-up corner of parchment tied to the wing. Curiosity got the best of her and she opened the note, the snitch flying away so fast she couldn't see it move.
"What's that?" asked Severus, indicating the parchment.
"Just a… note," answered Lily. "From another Gryffindor…" Severus read the note over Lily's shoulder.
I'm no good at this "romance" stuff. But I thought I'd at least try…
Reason number four:
Your eyes remind me of lily pads; the shade of green that they are.
At the same time they sparkle like the lake in the sun. Kind of like today.
I wish I could look at your eyes all the time, but now, I can't…
See you around, Lily pad.
"…Aww…" Lily said under her breath as she finished reading the last sentence.
"He just wants to snog," muttered Severus skeptically. Lily scoffed.
"Severus! That note is adorable! How -"
"So now he's noble and adorable, is he!? Four days ago, he was a jerk and a prat!"
Lily considered Severus for a moment. "But…" she said. "Maybe James… had a change of heart…"
"Potter has NOT changed!" Severus yelled. "He's an arrogant prat with disregard for anyone but himself and those stupid friends of his -"
"JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE JEALOUS OF HIM, DOESN'T MAKE HIM A PRAT, SEVERUS!" Lily yelled, angry tears in her eyes. She turned away in fury and headed for who knows where.
Severus watched; Lily a blur though the tears he'd been fighting so hard to prevent. He quickly wiped his eyes on his robe sleeves and glance around only to see, to his dismay, James Potter watching wide-eyed from behind a tree, with a Golden Snitch in his hand, too stunned to kick Severus while he was down.
"Evans, Snape; wonderful job on the Veritaserum, no surprises there." Professor Slughorn announced to the class of Slytherins and Gryffindors. "Such wonderful students…"
James looked up from his table to look at Lily, but she was not sitting next to the lanky, greasy-haired Slytherin today. She was, in fact, glaring in Severus's very direction. James couldn't help but feel a tinge of joy at the sight of Snivelly Snape alone at his table.
"Now," said Slughorn, "This might be a bit complex for fifth years, but it's all in preparation for your O.W.L. exam." Slughorn indicated a spiral-steamed, sweet smelling potion on his desk. "What is this?"
"Amortentia, sir," mumbled Severus in the front. "That's… the most powerful love potion in the world…"
James's eyes perked to the cauldron on the desk, then James ripped a corner of parchment off some spare he had. He scratched a few words onto it and raised his hand.
"Yes, Potter?" said Slughorn.
"Sir," said James. "I'm out of ink, could I use some from your desk?"
"Of course, m'boy, of course…"
As James passed the desk Lily was sitting at, he subtlety pointed his wand at the note he had just written. "Accio," he said, too softly for Slughorn or the class to hear.
Lily felt something hit her shoulder gently. She turned around and to her surprise, found another note. Knowing who it was from, she glanced up at Slughorn's desk at James's brown eyes, which did not meet hers, but a broad smile laid on his face as he took several whiffs of the Amortentia in front of him. She didn't blame him for staying up there so long; the potion smelled absolutely amazing. She could hardly listen to Professor Slughorn with the distracting beauty of the love potion's scent and the curiosity that had erupted in her now that James had given her reason number five, which read:
This potion can't compare to how you make me feel.
Butterflies in her stomach, Lily looked back up to the world's most powerful love potion, but James had gone back to his seat. She grinned, feeling her face turn red.
"So, Evans," said James, catching up with Lily after class. "Ready for Hogsmeade Saturday?"
Lily was a bit taken aback. This James seemed so much different than the James in the notes. "Wow, Potter," she said. "You sure do sound different on parchment."
"Hey, I'm still the same guy," said James, messing with his already untidy dark hair. "So?"
"Seven reasons," Lily almost snapped. "Then we'll talk."
Severus, walking not far behind them, heard James laugh and Lily scoff. It wasn't the usual "what-a-prat" scoff Severus had heard Lily do so much when the subject of Potter came up; but a cute scoff, a borderline laugh. She jokingly punched James's arm, who pretended it hurt. Looking at nothing in particular, Severus's eye caught James's hand, trying to get ahold of a squirming Lily's. A ghost of a smile appeared on Severus's face as they went separate ways for dinner. He was relieved to see that she hadn't fallen for him yet.
Regret knocked on the door as Lily looked at her Potions book. Severus was always there to help her with studying for Potions tests; and now that they weren't talking, she was going to fail her final exam. Their study tree on grounds meant nothing if the prince of Potions wasn't there. Lily buried her face in her hands, ready to give up completely, when she heard a dog bark.
"Hello," she said to the black dog, which was happy to see her. She reached out and petted him, and he raised his paw to shake her hand. It was then that she noticed another note tied to the black dog's front foot. "James," she giggled, wondering how on earth he tied the note to a dog's paw. She untied the note and the dog stayed to have his ears scratched.
My feelings for you burn brighter than anything.
(hint: throw this note into the air)
Lily obeyed and tossed the tiny piece of parchment into the air above her and watched it combust into a tiny white fire above her head, sparking mini-fireworks every now and then until dying out. Smiling, she stroked the dog's back once more. The dog nudged her cheek with his wet nose and licked her face. Just as fast as he had appeared, the black dog was gone.
Sirius Black emerged on all fours from a bush, greeting James's narrow, glaring eyes with a smug smile.
"I think I saw some tongue there," joked Sirius, raising his eyebrows.
"You son of a bitch." James shook his head at his best friend.
Sirius shrugged, the smile still on his face. "I can't deny the truth, James."
James's eyes narrowed once more, and then his expression softened. "Whatever. Come on, let's find Remus; I have to study for my exams."
Lily stepped out into the sun; she thought exams would never be over. But they were. She was free. Until next year, of course, but that was a whole summer away. She ran down to the lake to her fellow Gryffindors and relaxed, a huge weight lifted from her shoulders. It wasn't long after, though, that Lily heard a commotion near where she sat on the lake.
"Expelliarmus!" Lily heard James shout. She turned around to see Severus taking a dive for his flying wand. James hexed him again while he was in midair. Still angry at him, Lily watched for a moment.
Severus lay panting on the grass. James and his friend Sirius were now advancing on him, wands at the ready. Lily caught sight of James looking back at her constantly for mere seconds at a time.
"How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" James said.
"I was watching him," commented Sirius. "His nose was touching the parchment. There'll be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word."
Some people around Lily laughed at that; she however, felt a little offended for Severus, who was struggling to move, still under the jinx.
"You – wait," Severus breathed, his eyes shooting fire at James. "You – wait…"
"Wait for what?" laughed Sirius. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"
Severus let out a stream of swears and hexes, but still wandless, nothing happened.
"Wash out your mouth," said James coldly. "Scourgify!" Pink soap bubbles began to froth from Severus's mouth, gagging him, choking him…
Lily had had enough of this. Severus was right all along. Potter was nothing but an arrogant prat.
"Leave him ALONE!" she shouted, finally getting up and standing up to Potter, who began to ruffle his hair again.
"All right, Evans?" said Potter in a different voice he had used just the other day, deeper than a second before. More mature.
"Leave him alone," Lily said once more, every amount of what was almost attraction now replaced with loathing and disgust on her face. "What's he done to you?"
The same old Potter shrugged coolly. "Well, it's more of the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean–"
Many of the spectators laughed, but Lily did not. "You think you're funny," she narrowed her eyes at him. "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone."
"I will if you go out with me, Evans," James retaliated. "Go on… Go out with me and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."
Behind James, Lily saw that the Impediment Jinx James had cast on Severus was finally wearing off, and Severus began to inch for his wand, still spitting suds.
"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," Lily spat, indicating the lake where the squid resided.
"Bad luck, Prongs," said Sirius, noticing Severus. "OY!"
Severus was faster; he has already silently cast a hex on James, causing a gash to appear on the side of James's face, splattering his robes with blood. James spun around, and quickly hung Severus upside-down in midair, revealing a pair of skinny, pale legs and a pair of gray underpants.
Lily couldn't help but think of how angry Potter had made her before and she had used the same hex; her expression involuntarily twitched, and she was glad Severus couldn't see it. "Let him down!"
"Certainly." James flicked his wand upward and Severus landed in a heap under his tangled robes. Getting to his feet once more, Severus had his wand at the ready. Before he could so much as think of a hex to cast, however, Sirius had already cast a full body-bind hex, and Severus was once again lying on the ground, rigid as a board.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily drew her wand, ready to hex James for more than just picking on her best friend.
"Ah, Evans," said James coolly. "Don't make me hex you."
"Take the curse off then!"
With a heavy sigh, James kneeled and muttered the countercurse. "There you go," he said. "You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus –"
"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!" shouted Severus.
The words hit Lily like a dozen Stunning Spells squarely in the chest. Potter had not had a change of heart, but it appeared Severus did. So was that what she meant to Severus now? Muggle-born, deserved not to have magic… filthy-blooded…
Lily blinked back the tears. "Fine," she said smoothly. "I won't bother in the future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus."
"Apologize to Evans!" James shouted, his wand at the ready once again.
"I don't want you to make him apologize," snapped Lily, rounding on Potter. "You're as bad as he is…"
"What?" shouted James, taken aback. "I'd NEVER call you a – you-know-what!"
"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you'd just gotten off the Quidditch pitch, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can – I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me sick."
Lily turned on her heel and hurried away, burying her now teary-eyed face in her hands. She could hear Potter calling after her, but she refused to look back at the boys she had once thought she knew.
Several minutes later, James appeared next to her at the edge of the far end of the lake.
"Hey," he said gently.
"Go away," Lily sniffled.
"I owe you an apology, Evans. To be honest, I had help with some of those letters…"
"I can tell, jerk."
"But I still owe you the last reason," continued James.
"I'm never going to Hogsmeade with you, Potter," said Lily.
"I know that," James nodded. "And I also wanted to prove to you that I didn't have help with some of those letters. So I thought I'd deliver this one in person." He took a deep breath. "Reason number seven… I might have… quite possibly… maybe… may or may not… have been in love with you since I saw you under the Sorting Hat when we were eleven."
He hardly left a beat pause before getting back up.
"Well, I screwed that up for myself, I guess. Hope everything ends happily ever after for you, Evans. Because I've got detention…"
Fresh tears were born in Lily's green eyes as James walked away from her.