Disclaimer: HP is JK Rowling's. If you recognize it, it isn't mine.
Year One
In which first impressions last
"What are you doing, Evans?" he exclaims as he grabs her wrist and yanks her back from the seat she was about to take in the dungeons, "Listen, we don't sit with Slytherins. They're the enemy!"
James is trying to be helpful, he really is. He knows that Evans is a Muggle born, so she wouldn't know about those unwritten rules of Hogwarts. Rule Number One is that Gryffindors don't associate with Slytherins. Ever. He's just trying to look out for his housemate, keep her from making a fool of herself and doing something she'll regret. Chivalry and all that. He's not sure what chivalry is, exactly, only that it's got something to do with being nice to girls, and that it's one of the key traits of Gryffindors. Evans is a girl (he supposes), and James is most certainly a Gryffindor. He has to be nice to her. So really, she ought to be falling into his arms in gratitude, rather than glaring at him right now, fire practically shooting out of her eyes as yanks her hand out of his grasp and balls it into a fist.
"The enemy?" she repeats, as if she can't believe the idiocy she is hearing. It's only her first week at Hogwarts, and, as a Muggle-born, Lily has already heard a lot of small-minded and prejudiced thinking, but this might just take the cake, "Are you serious, Potter?"
She's spent the entire week looking forward to Potions, their first class with the Slytherins. A whole three hour block to sit with Sev and catch up, tell him about all the things she's seen in the last seven days, how Hogwarts is as wonderful as he always knew it would be. And Potter has to go and ruin everything. Naturally.
She's furious, and even an eleven-year-old James Potter instinctively knows better than to tangle with a furious Lily Evans. He hesitates, just for a second, and Lily takes the opportunity to attack.
"Don't you dare tell me what to do." she barks at him, planting her fists onto her hips, "If I want to sit next to my best friend, then I jolly well will. You're not the boss of me, so go away."
Severus, who had been sitting quietly, can't fight down a small smile and a warm tingle spreading through his stomach at the emphasis Lily places on the phrase 'best friend.' James only sees the smile, and mistakes the intention. How dare that slimy little Slytherin smirk at him? He makes a note to make Snivellus pay, later, when Slughorn isn't just beginning to putter into the room.
"Fine, Evans," James scowls, "Last time I ever try to help you."
"Who would want your help?" she shoots back, as she plops herself firmly into her seat. That arrogant, idiotic toe-rag, she thinks to herself.
"Ungrateful, idiotic girl," James mutters as he stalks to the back of the dungeon where Sirius, Remus, and Peter have been watching the debacle unfold. They are most decidedly smirking at him, or Sirius is, at least.
"Girls," James says exasperatedly as he takes his seat between Sirius and Peter, "Remind me next time I try to do something nice that chivalry is bloody overrated."
A/N Reviews are much appreciated! :)
