Written in QLFC Season 9 Round 7 for the team Falmouth Falcons
Position: Chaser 2
Main prompt: Write about a potion gone wrong
Optional prompts: (object) flower pot, (dialogue) "You're doing it all wrong!", (relationship) rivals
Word count: 1025
O-O-O
"Oi Evans, you are doing it all wrong," James said, looking at Lily's hand which held sliced mandrake root, about to be added to their cauldron.
"Since you can't read even the simplest instructions from the board, I am adding the Mandrake root to the potion," Lily retorted, adding the root to the cauldron.
"The last step says to wait till the erumpment horn is dissolved which could take upto a minute, or it explodes," James replied, ignoring the scathing tone and reading the steps again.
"Dammit, you are useless Potter. Could you have not told me before I added it?" Lily asked frustratingly, looking at James.
"I did but you ignored me, remember?" James asked with sarcasm.
Lily put her hand up, trying to catch professor Slughorn's attention.
"Professor, James added the mandrake root too early. Is there a way to salvage this potion?" Lily asked, ignoring James's spluttering on her lie.
"Yes Miss. Evans, add same amount of mandrake flower from the pot to counteract the effects. That would stabilise the potion," Professor Slughorn replied and turned back around to help the other tables.
"Go fetch the pot of Madrake plant from the ingredients table, will you Potter?" Lily asked, narrowing her eyes, daring James to refuse.
"Yeah, yeah," James replied, walking towards the ingredients table in the front of the potions' classroom. Whipped, said a voice in his head that eerily sounded like Sirius's.
James ignored it, he was over her and he wasn't gonna let imaginary Sirius make him doubt it.
"Here," James said, putting the pot on their table.
"Let me cut it up, you might botch up even this," Lily said, sarcasm getting the best of her.
James looked at her, wondering what he did to make her angry. Although she looked pretty even when flustered, he didn't want her angry at him. Stop thinking like that! James barked at himself internally.
"Evans watch out!" James shouted, yanking Lily away from the cauldron which exploded it's contents all over the table.
James and Lily fell on the floor under their combined weight.
"Mr. Potter, Ms. Evans!" exclaimed Professor Slughorn, vanishing the contents of their cauldron. "Go see Ms. Pompfrey".
"You alright?" James asked, looking at Lily for any sign of pain.
"Yeah, you?" Lily asked, surprising James with her almost caring voice.
James nodded, moving towards the doors, following Lily to the Infirmary.
They were halfway to the infirmary before James spoke up
"Hey, if you don't mind me asking, why were you angry at me?" James tentatively asked Lily, fearing she would get angry at him again.
"Because I don't hate you anymore," Lily said before her eyes went wide. She covered her mouth and looked at James who had a surprised expression on his face.
"What did you say?" James asked Lily.
Lily tried shaking her head but the words flew out of her mouth. "Becasue I don't hate you anymore"
"What is going on?" Lily asked incredulously, trying to ignore the smile on James's face.
"I think the little bit of truth potion that spilled on us is doing this," james said checking his hands for spilled potion as did Lily to her own.
Sure enough they had few drops of potion on their arms.
"Thanks for saving me. It could have been much worse," Lily said sincerely, the truth potion helping her thoughts to come out easily.
"It's alright. You would have done same for me," James said, looking down, feeling a little flustered at the compliment from Lily. She had never done that before, not that he had given much chance for her to do so.
"What changed?" James asked, still not looking at Lily, lest his stare make her not answer his question. Damn it's hard to not look at her, James thought, staring at the floor and the walls, like he had never seen them in his previous 5 years at hogwarts.
"Well you are not a prat anymore, that helps," Lily said sarcasm coloring her voice but a little blush crept up her face.
"Well, yeah. I realised pranks are fun and all but we should never have hurt people's feelings," James said, remorse on his face.
Lily looked at James, perhaps first time seeing him take responsibility for his own actions.
"It's alright. Most of them were non harmful and pretty funny to be honest," Lily said looking straight ahead, avoiding James's eyes.
A big smile broke out on James's face.
"You have never complimented me before," James said, smile plastered on his face.
"First time for everything," Lily replied, a small smile appearing on her face too.
They reached the infirmary, knocking on the door. Madam Pompfrey ushered them to infirmary beds, asking about the incident.
After waving her wand ove them, checking their diagnostics and bringing them blue colored potions.
"That would start working in a few moments," Pompfrey said, sending them out, instructing them to go back to their potions classrom.
"So Evans, would you like to go out this weekend, if you don't mind me asking, ofcourse?" James asked tentatively, fearing she would say no or worse, laugh at him for asking a question this absurd. She had done that a few times before, when he had been asking her before for few years.
The silence between them was excruciating. James was feeling more and more stupid for even asking this question. Of course she would say no, you stupid and it would be the truth. The potion is still working James thought feeling morose.
"Yes, I would go out, but, only this one," Lily said, feeling a little shy at this change between them.
Holy crap! What do I say to her? I didn't rehearse for this James thought, stumbling a step at her answer.
"This weekend. Don't be late," Lily said over her shoulders, entering the classroom, leaving a sappy James in her wake.