A/N: Thank you for reading. Please review as they are very welcomed. A
special thanks goes to my beta, snapeaholic.
Chapter Four: Last Study Session
It was the weekend before the O.W.L.s, and though it was a Hogsmeade weekend, most of the fifth years and all of the seventh years had stayed at Hogwarts to study for their exams. Lily was stressing in the library over all the information there was to learn and memorize. She sighed heavily, placing her head on the desk. "I'm never going to be able to remember all of this," she lamented softly before sitting back up to go over her notes for Ancient Runes.
She and Severus had spent a lot of time studying the last few weeks, but they would end up talking instead of actually studying. She enjoyed his quiet company, especially once she got past the occasional snide remarks. She had been a little disappointed that she had not found out too much about his home life. He spoke very little about it, and their conversations had become fairly one-sided. He seemed very interested in her life, asking about various things concerning Muggles. She had even invited him to send her an owl over the summer or to stop by. He seemed completely surprised by the invitation, but unfortunately, he had gracefully turned her down. She felt like she had to work on him about it. They were friends. She didn't see why they couldn't write each other during the summer or perhaps even visit.
She closed her Ancient Runes notes with a soft sigh and looked at the time. She had an hour before she was supposed to meet Severus. They were going to get in one last study session before the O.W.L.s started tomorrow.
She desperately needed a short break, so she packed her notes into her bag and slung it over her shoulder. She hoped that she could have a snack a little down time, especially since she had skipped lunch.
She had barely taken two steps away from the library when she was confronted by James.
"Hi, Evans," he said, blocking her path. He was alone at the moment.
"Potter," she said as politely as she could and tried to move past him. "I don't have time for this. I have things to do. The O.W.L.s are coming, in case you've forgotten." She tried to brush past him, but he caught her arm.
"Lily, come on. Why won't you at least talk with me? I'm not that bad. I mean it," James said, almost pleading with her.
She sighed slightly and looked at him. "What do you want, James?"
He bit back the comment that he wanted her. He had liked her all year, and she wouldn't even give him the time of the day. She was the only one who wouldn't. Any girl would feel lucky to have him, although it seemed like she wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. "Actually, I was wondering if you could help me. You are the best in our Charms class, and I've been having a little trouble with Cheering Charms. I used to be able to do them back in third year, but I've forgotten, and when I do the spell, they just don't work right."
She blinked slowly, completely surprised that he wanted her to help him with a charm. She pursed her lips, thinking whether or not she should help him. Cheering Charms were going to be on the O.W.L.s, so she knew that if he couldn't do them then he would fail that portion of the test. With a sigh, she tucked a strand of her red hair behind her ear. "Fine. I'll help you. Let's go to one of the empty classrooms to practice."
She motioned for him to follow her as she walked to the Charms classroom. Professor Flitwick had lent the classroom to her before, so she knew he wouldn't mind if they used it. Besides, she was supposed to meet Severus there in about forty-five minutes, so it would work out to already be there waiting. She was completely lost in her thoughts that she failed to notice the arrogant grin that James was sporting.
They arrived at the classroom, and she pulled out her wand. "The Cheering Charms are quite simple if you swish and flick correctly." She demonstrated it without saying the words. "Now..." She noticed that he didn't seem to be paying any attention to what she was actually saying. She put her hand under his chin to have him look at her. "If you want to learn this, then pay attention."
James looked at her, noticing how she had touched his chin. He could feel his heart palpitating at her touch. He nodded and took out his wand. "Like this," he said, purposely doing it the wrong way.
She sighed. "No, that's not right." She moved closer to him and took his wand hand then, moving it slowly in the correct way.
"Oh, like this," he said, doing a little better. He liked Lily holding his hand. It just felt right.
"Well, that's a little better." She grabbed his hand, showing him a few more times. "Now, for a demonstration." She pointed her wand at him. "Hilaritas," she said, swishing and flicking her wand. James' face broke out in a wide grin, and he did feel more cheerful than before. She was obviously good at Charms. "Your turn now," she told him.
He pointed his wand at her. "Hilaritas." The charm didn't work because he had purposely botched it again. He just had to give her more time to get to know him. He wasn't that bad, and he really liked her.
"Not quite," she said with a sigh. She stepped closer to him, showing him the wand movements again. "Try again," she said, still close to him.
"Hilaritas," he said, performing the spell correctly this time.
A grin played on her lips, and her green eyes brightened a bit. "You did it!"
"Yes, I did," James said, moving in to kiss her suddenly.
"What's going on here?" a cold voice drawled out, causing both of them to jump slightly.
Lily turned her head, starting to push James away as he tried to kiss her. Then she saw Severus. "It's not what you think, Severus," she said desperately, the grin still on her face from the Cheering Charm.
"Yeah, right," he said sarcastically. "I think it is exactly what I think." He then turned and stormed off.
She went to go after him, but James grabbed her arm. "You don't need to go after Snivellus. Stay here with me," James told her.
She wrenched her arm away from him. "Leave me alone, James Potter!" She grabbed her things and took off in a run, trying to find Severus. She finally spotted him ahead of her. "Severus! Wait! Let me explain," she called out.
Severus turned sharply on her. "What do you want from me?" he hissed, glaring at her angrily. He had been extremely hurt to find her so close to James. "You two seemed to be having an awfully good time."
She was running after him so quickly that she almost smacked into him when he turned around. She straightened herself. "Potter asked me to help him with Cheering Charms. That's all. I was mainly just waiting for you to come." She reached out to grab his hand, but he jerked it away from her as if she would burn him. "Please, Severus. You are my friend. Let's just have our study session like we had planned. Please." She looked up at him pleadingly with her emerald green eyes.
Severus wanted to be angry at her, but as his dark eyes looked into her green ones, he knew he couldn't be. "Okay," he said reluctantly. "Let's go and study." He brushed past her and went back to the Charms classroom, hoping that Potter had already left. He didn't even bother to wait on Lily, and she had to hurry to catch up with his long strides. He was pleased to find Potter already gone, and he quietly took a seat. "What shall we study first?"
She was slightly out of breath as she entered the Charms classroom after him and took a seat beside his. "I'm having a lot of trouble keeping the ingredients straight for the Sleeping Potion and the Draught of the Living Death. How do you ever remember them all?"
"The main difference between the two is that the Draught of the Living Death has asphodel in an infusion of wormwood. Otherwise the two potions are very similar," he stated in an almost bored tone. "I tend to remember it because it is the longest ingredient in the two potions and Draught of the Living Death is a longer name for a potion."
She smiled brightly. "That's brilliant! I'm sure I'll remember that now."
He gave her a small hint of a smile.
"Are you having any more troubles with a particular charm? You've been doing extremely well lately," she asked him, wanting to help out in any way she could.
"I think I have them all down actually," he said after a few moments of thought. He was tired of studying for the O.W.L.s, although he had kept it up, going over and over things again and again.
Her face fell. She had wanted to help him some more, and she didn't want him to go just yet. She was trying to think of something else potions- related that she could ask him or even DADA-related, but she was coming up with nothing.
"Are you excited about going back home for the summer?" he drawled as he looked at his book.
She smiled warmly. "Yes, I am. I haven't seen my parents since Christmas." She had decided to go home during Christmas to spend time with them. "I could take or leave Petunia actually. I think she's jealous of my being a witch." She shrugged. "I try talking to her, but she goes on and calls me a freak and gets her snobby friends to as well." She sighed. "The last I heard about her was from my mum. She told me that Petunia has a boyfriend. He's supposedly some well-to-do fellow who is a couple of years older than her by the name of Vernon Dursley. He sounds dreadfully boring actually, and I know that if it is serious, then I'll be expected to meet him, which will probably frighten my sister." She laughed lightly at that thought and realized that she had gone on talking again. "What about you, Severus?"
Severus flipped through a page of the book, not looking at her. "I wouldn't mind seeing my mother."
"What about your father?"
He shrugged. "I could care less either way if I saw him or not," he admitted.
"Oh." This was about the most she had ever gotten out of him about his parents. "Is there anything you would like to talk about? I hear that I'm a fairly good listener." She gave him a warm and inviting smile.
His dark eyes fell onto her frame. "No," he said, realizing that he had probably said too much. "I probably should go. Thank you for all of your assistance in Charms." He stood up and grabbed his book to go.
She didn't want him to go. "You're welcome. Thank you for your help in Potions." She hurriedly stood up as well, knocking her book off the desk. "Oops." They both bent down to retrieve the book at the same time and knocked their heads together. "Ow! Sorry!" she said, rubbing her head a bit as she stood back up.
"Yeah," he said, standing up as well. He offered the book to her.
She looked up at him, noticing how they were very close together. She let her hand fall to the book as he held it, letting her fingers brush against his. She didn't understand what she was feeling for him, but she decided to react. She bounced up on her toes and kissed him softly on his lips. She kept them there, pressing them against his as she felt his move slightly against hers before he backed away. She didn't realize she had closed her eyes until she opened them and looked at him. He looked completely stunned, and she blushed profusely. "I'm sorry. I should go," she said, taking her book from him and leaving quickly, thinking that she had crossed a boundary that she shouldn't have.
He stood there long after she had left, his fingertips brushing against his lips. They tingled where hers had touched, and he permitted his tongue to dart out and lick them as if he could taste her essence on his lips. His eyes slipped closed as he wanted to remember his first kiss. It had been sweet and gentle, and he already couldn't wait to see her again.
Chapter Four: Last Study Session
It was the weekend before the O.W.L.s, and though it was a Hogsmeade weekend, most of the fifth years and all of the seventh years had stayed at Hogwarts to study for their exams. Lily was stressing in the library over all the information there was to learn and memorize. She sighed heavily, placing her head on the desk. "I'm never going to be able to remember all of this," she lamented softly before sitting back up to go over her notes for Ancient Runes.
She and Severus had spent a lot of time studying the last few weeks, but they would end up talking instead of actually studying. She enjoyed his quiet company, especially once she got past the occasional snide remarks. She had been a little disappointed that she had not found out too much about his home life. He spoke very little about it, and their conversations had become fairly one-sided. He seemed very interested in her life, asking about various things concerning Muggles. She had even invited him to send her an owl over the summer or to stop by. He seemed completely surprised by the invitation, but unfortunately, he had gracefully turned her down. She felt like she had to work on him about it. They were friends. She didn't see why they couldn't write each other during the summer or perhaps even visit.
She closed her Ancient Runes notes with a soft sigh and looked at the time. She had an hour before she was supposed to meet Severus. They were going to get in one last study session before the O.W.L.s started tomorrow.
She desperately needed a short break, so she packed her notes into her bag and slung it over her shoulder. She hoped that she could have a snack a little down time, especially since she had skipped lunch.
She had barely taken two steps away from the library when she was confronted by James.
"Hi, Evans," he said, blocking her path. He was alone at the moment.
"Potter," she said as politely as she could and tried to move past him. "I don't have time for this. I have things to do. The O.W.L.s are coming, in case you've forgotten." She tried to brush past him, but he caught her arm.
"Lily, come on. Why won't you at least talk with me? I'm not that bad. I mean it," James said, almost pleading with her.
She sighed slightly and looked at him. "What do you want, James?"
He bit back the comment that he wanted her. He had liked her all year, and she wouldn't even give him the time of the day. She was the only one who wouldn't. Any girl would feel lucky to have him, although it seemed like she wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. "Actually, I was wondering if you could help me. You are the best in our Charms class, and I've been having a little trouble with Cheering Charms. I used to be able to do them back in third year, but I've forgotten, and when I do the spell, they just don't work right."
She blinked slowly, completely surprised that he wanted her to help him with a charm. She pursed her lips, thinking whether or not she should help him. Cheering Charms were going to be on the O.W.L.s, so she knew that if he couldn't do them then he would fail that portion of the test. With a sigh, she tucked a strand of her red hair behind her ear. "Fine. I'll help you. Let's go to one of the empty classrooms to practice."
She motioned for him to follow her as she walked to the Charms classroom. Professor Flitwick had lent the classroom to her before, so she knew he wouldn't mind if they used it. Besides, she was supposed to meet Severus there in about forty-five minutes, so it would work out to already be there waiting. She was completely lost in her thoughts that she failed to notice the arrogant grin that James was sporting.
They arrived at the classroom, and she pulled out her wand. "The Cheering Charms are quite simple if you swish and flick correctly." She demonstrated it without saying the words. "Now..." She noticed that he didn't seem to be paying any attention to what she was actually saying. She put her hand under his chin to have him look at her. "If you want to learn this, then pay attention."
James looked at her, noticing how she had touched his chin. He could feel his heart palpitating at her touch. He nodded and took out his wand. "Like this," he said, purposely doing it the wrong way.
She sighed. "No, that's not right." She moved closer to him and took his wand hand then, moving it slowly in the correct way.
"Oh, like this," he said, doing a little better. He liked Lily holding his hand. It just felt right.
"Well, that's a little better." She grabbed his hand, showing him a few more times. "Now, for a demonstration." She pointed her wand at him. "Hilaritas," she said, swishing and flicking her wand. James' face broke out in a wide grin, and he did feel more cheerful than before. She was obviously good at Charms. "Your turn now," she told him.
He pointed his wand at her. "Hilaritas." The charm didn't work because he had purposely botched it again. He just had to give her more time to get to know him. He wasn't that bad, and he really liked her.
"Not quite," she said with a sigh. She stepped closer to him, showing him the wand movements again. "Try again," she said, still close to him.
"Hilaritas," he said, performing the spell correctly this time.
A grin played on her lips, and her green eyes brightened a bit. "You did it!"
"Yes, I did," James said, moving in to kiss her suddenly.
"What's going on here?" a cold voice drawled out, causing both of them to jump slightly.
Lily turned her head, starting to push James away as he tried to kiss her. Then she saw Severus. "It's not what you think, Severus," she said desperately, the grin still on her face from the Cheering Charm.
"Yeah, right," he said sarcastically. "I think it is exactly what I think." He then turned and stormed off.
She went to go after him, but James grabbed her arm. "You don't need to go after Snivellus. Stay here with me," James told her.
She wrenched her arm away from him. "Leave me alone, James Potter!" She grabbed her things and took off in a run, trying to find Severus. She finally spotted him ahead of her. "Severus! Wait! Let me explain," she called out.
Severus turned sharply on her. "What do you want from me?" he hissed, glaring at her angrily. He had been extremely hurt to find her so close to James. "You two seemed to be having an awfully good time."
She was running after him so quickly that she almost smacked into him when he turned around. She straightened herself. "Potter asked me to help him with Cheering Charms. That's all. I was mainly just waiting for you to come." She reached out to grab his hand, but he jerked it away from her as if she would burn him. "Please, Severus. You are my friend. Let's just have our study session like we had planned. Please." She looked up at him pleadingly with her emerald green eyes.
Severus wanted to be angry at her, but as his dark eyes looked into her green ones, he knew he couldn't be. "Okay," he said reluctantly. "Let's go and study." He brushed past her and went back to the Charms classroom, hoping that Potter had already left. He didn't even bother to wait on Lily, and she had to hurry to catch up with his long strides. He was pleased to find Potter already gone, and he quietly took a seat. "What shall we study first?"
She was slightly out of breath as she entered the Charms classroom after him and took a seat beside his. "I'm having a lot of trouble keeping the ingredients straight for the Sleeping Potion and the Draught of the Living Death. How do you ever remember them all?"
"The main difference between the two is that the Draught of the Living Death has asphodel in an infusion of wormwood. Otherwise the two potions are very similar," he stated in an almost bored tone. "I tend to remember it because it is the longest ingredient in the two potions and Draught of the Living Death is a longer name for a potion."
She smiled brightly. "That's brilliant! I'm sure I'll remember that now."
He gave her a small hint of a smile.
"Are you having any more troubles with a particular charm? You've been doing extremely well lately," she asked him, wanting to help out in any way she could.
"I think I have them all down actually," he said after a few moments of thought. He was tired of studying for the O.W.L.s, although he had kept it up, going over and over things again and again.
Her face fell. She had wanted to help him some more, and she didn't want him to go just yet. She was trying to think of something else potions- related that she could ask him or even DADA-related, but she was coming up with nothing.
"Are you excited about going back home for the summer?" he drawled as he looked at his book.
She smiled warmly. "Yes, I am. I haven't seen my parents since Christmas." She had decided to go home during Christmas to spend time with them. "I could take or leave Petunia actually. I think she's jealous of my being a witch." She shrugged. "I try talking to her, but she goes on and calls me a freak and gets her snobby friends to as well." She sighed. "The last I heard about her was from my mum. She told me that Petunia has a boyfriend. He's supposedly some well-to-do fellow who is a couple of years older than her by the name of Vernon Dursley. He sounds dreadfully boring actually, and I know that if it is serious, then I'll be expected to meet him, which will probably frighten my sister." She laughed lightly at that thought and realized that she had gone on talking again. "What about you, Severus?"
Severus flipped through a page of the book, not looking at her. "I wouldn't mind seeing my mother."
"What about your father?"
He shrugged. "I could care less either way if I saw him or not," he admitted.
"Oh." This was about the most she had ever gotten out of him about his parents. "Is there anything you would like to talk about? I hear that I'm a fairly good listener." She gave him a warm and inviting smile.
His dark eyes fell onto her frame. "No," he said, realizing that he had probably said too much. "I probably should go. Thank you for all of your assistance in Charms." He stood up and grabbed his book to go.
She didn't want him to go. "You're welcome. Thank you for your help in Potions." She hurriedly stood up as well, knocking her book off the desk. "Oops." They both bent down to retrieve the book at the same time and knocked their heads together. "Ow! Sorry!" she said, rubbing her head a bit as she stood back up.
"Yeah," he said, standing up as well. He offered the book to her.
She looked up at him, noticing how they were very close together. She let her hand fall to the book as he held it, letting her fingers brush against his. She didn't understand what she was feeling for him, but she decided to react. She bounced up on her toes and kissed him softly on his lips. She kept them there, pressing them against his as she felt his move slightly against hers before he backed away. She didn't realize she had closed her eyes until she opened them and looked at him. He looked completely stunned, and she blushed profusely. "I'm sorry. I should go," she said, taking her book from him and leaving quickly, thinking that she had crossed a boundary that she shouldn't have.
He stood there long after she had left, his fingertips brushing against his lips. They tingled where hers had touched, and he permitted his tongue to dart out and lick them as if he could taste her essence on his lips. His eyes slipped closed as he wanted to remember his first kiss. It had been sweet and gentle, and he already couldn't wait to see her again.
