Disclaimer: The characters you can recognize are JK Rowling's and the characters you can't recognize are mine. There. A short and sweet disclaimer.

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Lily growled in frustration as she failed to turn her matchbox into a cushion.

Naomi eyed her warily and asked meekly, "Lils, you're sure you don't need help with that?"

"No, no. Just let me concentrate properly," Lily snapped.

Naomi was a little taken aback at Lily's bad temper, but she soon found it in her heart to forgive her- after all, Transfiguration was Lily's worse subject. Lily never seemed to be able to properly transfigure anything and she barely made it through her Transfiguration exams in the past few years, passing by only a few marks.

Naomi, on the other hand, could at least turn a needle into a quill without mutilating it and managed to score quite well in her Transfiguration exams. However, whenever she tried to help Lily in the subject, Lily would reject her offers saying that she would be able to do it if she just concentrated harder.

Naomi's eyes scanned the room with interest, taking in who had already transfigured their matchboxes into cushions and who had been failing miserably like Lily. Remus had turned his matchbox into a plump cushion on his fourth attempt and was now trying to turn it back into a matchbox again. Peter was glaring at his matchbox because it refused to transfigure itself into a cushion, an act which Naomi doubted would help much with his transfiguration.

Sirius had a nice soft cushion on his desk, but he was concentrating more on the blonde-haired girl sitting next to him. James, on the other hand, was looked very bored with his cushion. He kept transfiguring it into a matchbox and then back to a cushion again with simple flicks of his wand. Naomi noticed Lily staring at his cushion enviously.

"Ms. Evans, you seem to have some trouble with your matchbox. Mr. Potter, would you mind helping her with it?" Professor McGonagall's crisp voice rang out.

James stared blankly at his cushion for a moment, McGonagall's word just beginning to register in his mind. When he finally understood what McGonagall had asked him to do, he sighed and headed to Lily's desk, where she was desperately making a last-minute attempt to transfigure her matchbox (She obviously doesn't want James to teach her).

"Your wrist-work is all wrong, Evans," James observed as Lily failed at her last attempt at transfiguring.

"You have to do it like so," James flicked his wand neatly and Lily's matchbox turned into a cushion. He transfigured it back into a matchbox and gestured for Lily to try again.

Lily tried again, this time flicking her wand a little bit more. This resulted in a cushion the size of a matchbox.

James was amused, but he hid it well, turning the pint-sized cushion back into a matchbox.

"Better. But you still need to flick your wrist more." James placed his hand on Lily's wrist and swished it sharply. "Something like that."

Lily blushed. "Err… James, you can let go now."

James was staring down at her wrist with an almost indecent curiosity. He now released her wrist somewhat reluctantly.

"Erm… yeah… why don't you practice the hand movement now?" James asked after a few minutes of awkward silence.

"Okay." Lily swished her wand and murmured the incantation.

To her utmost surprise, Lily's matchbox turned swiftly into a soft, cushy cushion.

"Oh. My. God." Lily stared at her cushion in disbelief. She slowly turned to face James with every sign of delight and astonishment written on her face.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Lily literally flung herself on James. James didn't know what hit him. When he finally realized Lily was hugging him though, he almost fainted from sheer happiness.

"Ms. Evans, Mr. Potter! I should think the broom closet would be a better place for such displays of affection." McGonagall was towering over the duo.

Lily blushed furiously and immediately released James from the hug. James looked somewhat disappointed, but he could have sworn he saw McGonagall's mouth twitch into a rare smile for a second.

"Ah, Ms. Evans, I see you have successfully transfigured your matchbox into a cushion. Very good." McGonagall bestowed a smile on Lily and James. "You should get Mr. Potter to tutor you in Transfiguration more often."

McGonagall then shooed James back to his seat before rushing to Frank Longbottom to correct him on the incantation he was using.

"Lils! Did my eyes deceive me or did you really just give James Potter a hug?" Naomi asked Lily, grinning impishly.

"Aw, put a sock in it, Nom." Lily gave Naomi a playful punch.

Naomi, who recognized the thoughtful expression on Lily's face, said nothing more about the matter to her. She knew that Lily did not like to be disturbed when she was in a thoughtful mood.

James Potter. Lily, you just hugged James Potter. What do you have to say for yourself as a defense?

It felt nice.

Lily Evans! Get a grip on yourself! We're talking about James Potter. The same James Potter you've hated since first year!

Not hated. Disliked.

Whatever. And now, out of the blue, you've decided to like him!

No… it's just… he is kind of cute…

Lily!

He really is cute! Those chocolate brown eyes…

No! Lily! No!

Lily shook her head to clear her thoughts. She needed something to distract her from James.

Without even meaning to, she slid the crossword puzzle out of her bag.

'A state of uncertainty'. Nine letters.

This is a no-brainer, Lily thought. The answer is obviously 'confusion'.

She wrote the word down in neat letters before she glanced at her watch, grimaced and slid the crossword puzzle back in her bag.

The Transfiguration lesson was over. It was Potions next.

Confusion. A state of uncertainty. Well, that was definitely what Lily was in now.

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Hehe. Don't I just love torturing Lily? My writer's block has bid me farewell for some period of time and I've had heaps of fun writing this chapter, especially since my friend was assisting me. I never knew she was such a romantic. Anyway, this chapter is my favorite so far. I am going to give a warning to readers out there: I'm pouring on the fluff now.

Oh, and to those who observed that James called Lily "Evans" when he helped her and wonder why (First give yourself a pat on the back for being so observant), it's because James still feels a little ticked off at having to apologize to Lily earlier on. Well, now that I've cleared that little point up…

It's time to bug you readers to REVIEW!!! I'm not stooping to bribery and threats again (I'm saving what little dignity I have left), but please, please, please review? Pretty pretty please with extra cherries and whipped cream on top?

Now, to thank those who reviewed! Yay! Thanks for reviewing and I promise to write more chapters fast for your sake. And thank you to my friend once again, who helped me when I just couldn't find the right words to describe some scenes. Thank you, all reviewers and Odd (That's my friend's nickname)!