Disclaimer: If you recognize it it belongs to JKR
2nd May 1973
"Hey Evans, stop being such a bore and join us."
Lily raised her eyes slowly from A History of Magic to glare at Potter. He and his gang had been sitting in the middle of the Common Room all night, playing boisterous games of exploding snap despite the nasty looks that stressed older students were shooting them. Somewhere in the 17th century witch trials they had been joined by Alice, Jennifer and even Mary, who were giggling together as they shuffled in an extra deck.
"Come on Lils," Mary grinned at her. "If we have even numbers, we can play pairs."
Lily hesitated, not wanting to interrupt anyone studying, but the room had emptied out since the last time she looked. Probably to the Library to get away from the explosions, she thought wryly, as she folded down the corner.
Black gave her a mock cheer as she dropped to the floor between him and Mary. Across the circle, Potter grinned at her while Pettigrew dealt out the partially singed and smoking deck.
"Pairs across the circle?" Jenny suggested, smiling at Black, who was opposite her.
"Fine by me," replied Pettigrew and Mary, grinning at their opposite.
Alice had proven to be the best at the game over their two years at Hogwarts, Remus only slightly less skilled.
Lily sighed as Potter waggled his eyebrows above his glasses. "Looks like it's you and me Evans."
Two hours later, Pettigrew and Jenny were laughing over singed eyebrows, Remus and Alice had started a personal rematch with a new deck, stemming from an explosion which had put both of their pairs out of the running, and Potter needled the sulking Black as he separated out the two decks that he and
Lily had eventually accumulated. "We make a good team, Evans," he informed her as he handed Pettigrew and Mary their cards back.
"I guess," she replied hesitantly. They had made a good team, and for some reason that bothered her.