Author's Notes: Written in honour of Lasya's birthday. Happy birthday, Lasya!
It Happened One Morning
"Hey, Evans. Do a bloke a favour?"
The question comes at Lily far too early in the morning for her to have even a modicum of a sense of humour about it. Her eyes are droopy, she hasn't had her caffeine yet, and she's rather certain that she forgot to brush her hair this morning. She's tired, disheveled, and irritable. As such, she shifts instantly from glaring mutinously down at her breakfast to glaring mutinously up at James Potter, but neither is particularly satisfying. Things do not improve when Potter decides to take the seat next to her. Growling is a semi-serious option. She opts for sarcasm instead.
"Let me guess." She sticks a spoonful of porridge into her mouth to delay the inevitable, playing at thinking seriously. "You're lonely. Can't I keep you company? Or have you lost your heart and think I might know where it is? Wait. Better yet, you've lost your bed, and would like my assistance in finding it. Any of these forthcoming?"
Potter chuckles appreciatively, casually grabbing a slice of uneaten toast from her plate and taking a hefty bite. "No, not quite," he answers, still chewing. "Though I reserve the right to revisit these requests at a future date. I'm afraid this one is actually quite dull in comparison."
"Nothing's ever dull with you," Lily mutters, swiping her toast back as he goes to take another bite. But now it's got his saliva on it and so she tosses it purposefully off to the side. Potter doesn't seem to care. In fact, he grins. Lily scowls. "Ask your smarmy question and promptly please shove off then, Potter. It's early, I'm tired, and you are a perpetual headache."
"Quite the little sprig of sunshine, aren't you?" Potter replies, but his tone is more amused than it is irritated and Lily isn't certain why. What's more, he actually does as she asks. "The favour is a legitimate one, actually," he starts. "See, yesterday in Charms—"
He keeps talking—Lily's mind can still absorb the continued deep timbre of his voice—but when he suddenly moves, reaches out to grab a mug and then the heated canteen of fresh coffee resting on the table, Lily doesn't register anything more. Instead, she's strangely distracted by the quick movements of his hands—swift, seamless, somehow mesmerizing movements—as he easily pours the steaming brew into the mug, drops two sugar cubes inside, gives the coffee a quick swirl with a spoon, and then proceeds to top off the mixture with a drab of milk.
Funny, because that's just how she takes her—
He extends the mug out to her.
"So what do you think?" Lily's gaze snaps from his hands to his face for the first time. He's staring questioningly at her. His voice is forming words again. "Can you help?"
"How did you know that?" she blurts out.
Potter's eyebrows pucker further. "Er, what?"
Lily motions to the coffee, which he's still holding out to her. "That. The coffee. How did you know how I take my coffee?"
"Coffee?" Potter glances suddenly down at the mug in his hand as if he'd just realised it was there. His perturbed expression clears quickly, however, replaced by an easy nonchalance. "Oh. Dunno. Just do, I s'ppse. Did I get it wrong?"
"No."
"So what's the problem?"
Lily isn't certain herself, but her stomach is clenching uncomfortably and she doesn't think it's from early morning indigestion. "No one drinks coffee. Everyone has tea," she says.
"There isn't any caffeine in tea," Potter points out, pushing the steaming mug at her again. "You're a grouch enough as is in the mornings. Do us all a favour and keep with the coffee, Lily. Please."
And now he knows she isn't a morning person. And he's called her Lily.
"It's too early for this," she grumbles, finally grabbing the mug from Potter and taking a hefty gulp. The coffee burns as it fills her mouth and slips down her throat, but the sensation is better than the alternative. She nurses the mug diligently.
"Well?" Potter prompts after a few moments. Lily glances briefly at him.
"Well, what?" she asks.
"Charms, Evans."
"What about it?"
Potter shoots her an annoyed look—his first of the morning. "You weren't listening to me at all, were you?"
After a moment's hesitation, Lily shrugs. Potter lets out an exasperated sigh.
"Substantive Charms, Evans. Yesterday's lesson? Recall it?" At Lily's brief nod, he continues. "I haven't the faintest how to get it right. My notes are rubbish, probably because Peter was doodling on them, and Remus was ill and doesn't know the spell. Give a dim fellow a few instructions, would you? Or at least let me copy your notes so I can bumble through it on my own."
His tone is pleading and his expression disarmingly sincere, but for some reason, Lily can't take her eyes off his lips. They're thin, but firm looking. Interesting. She's never noticed that before. He's got a sturdy jaw, as well—long, sharp, but sturdy. He's always had a pleasant face, of course, but she's never really given it much thought before. Especially those lips. And what it might be like to—
"Evans? Lily? All right?"
Lily jumps. In her surprise, she drops the coffee mug and gasps as it clatters noisily onto the table, the burning liquid fortunately spilling in the opposite direction of her lap. She swears loudly and springs from her seat, but Potter is quicker. He's on his feet as well and has already whipped out his wand to clean up the mess. Lily's heart is pounding and she's sputtering helplessly. She swears more in her head.
Merlin, what the bloody hell is wrong with her?
Potter's hand drops onto her arm and Lily flinches. He doesn't move it, though.
"All right?" he asks instead, sounding concerned. "It didn't get you, did it?"
Lily shakes her head numbly, not trusting her mouth. James chuckles somewhat uneasily.
"Right. Good. We can talk about this later, though. I reckon you still need a bit more time to wake up."
"Yeah, reckon so," Lily agrees mutedly, slowly retaking her seat. Potter remains on his feet, but he doesn't immediately move away. Instead, he busies himself with making Lily another mug of coffee. When he's successfully repeated the earlier process, he hands it to her. Lily takes it straight away this time.
"Thanks."
"Just trying to butter you up so that you'll agree to help later," James replies with a jaunty grin, but Lily isn't certain that she believes him. It makes her feel hot and claustrophobic, but someone with such ulterior motives probably wouldn't have announced them so cavalierly. Not when they could've gotten the credit for generosity.
"Careful with that one, yeah?" Potter claps a friendly hand on her shoulder and squeezes gently. Lily doesn't flinch this time, though she considers it. His hand soon drops in order to give her a quick, parting wave. "S'later."
Lily doesn't answer. She stares mutely down at her coffee instead, sensing rather than seeing Potter finally walk off. After a moment, she places her coffee carefully down on the table before lowering her forehead onto the hard surface. She strongly considers a few purposeful bangs.
"Hey, Evans?"
Lily lifts her head instantly, twisting around in her seat. Potter's stopped just a bit farther down the table.
"What?" she calls.
He grins at her.
"I've lost my bed. Mind helping find it?"
