A/N: Sadly I had to cut and butcher this down so I could squeeze into the word count, and as a result, my beautiful descriptions and sarcastic comments have been removed. The things I do for writing comps :D

Here comes the things.

Hogwarts: Challenges and assignments

Assignment 2: Palaeontology - Mary Anning (Task #3 write about discovering something new, well, in this case, Lily discovers she actually can get along with James, what a surprise)

International Wizarding School Championship

School: Hogwarts

Year: Exchange 2

Theme: Writing school - paragraphing

WC: 998


Lily yawned, slumping down in her chair. She threw down her quill onto the parchment laying innocently before her just begging to be torn into pieces and set on fire. Across her, her fellow head seemed to feel the same. He leant back in his chair and propped his feet up on the table separating them, his shoes coming dangerously close to knocking over his inkwell.

"Merlin," James said, absentmindedly pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I know who to blame when I begin having chronic backache at twenty."

"Propping your feet up on the table isn't going to help matters," Lily quipped. Devising a prefects' schedule that worked with sixteen other schedules was difficult, especially when you had to factor in the possibility of personality clashes that could occur if certain pairings were formed.

They had been working on it for over an hour now, with over sixteen pieces of parchment spread haphazardly between them, and Lily wished for nothing but to escape that classroom for some fresh air or food—anything to clear her head.

James lifted a parchment and squinted at it. "How about Spencer and Marriot? They both have Thursdays free after dinner."

Lily shook her head. "She hates him with a passion. She still hasn't gotten over their breakup, especially after he bludgered her right in the head."

"Maybe they need this. It'll help them get over their problems."

Lily scoffed dubiously. "With Spencer's icy demeanour and Marriot's indifference, I don't think so."

"It's worth a shot," James said. "Sometimes you just need to force two people into a partnership to resolve all their problems."

Lily raised an eyebrow, cheeks flushing red. "Speaking from experience, are we?"

James grinned and threw her a wink. "You bet I am."


As Lily slid into the tunnel of the Humped-Back Witch, she grudgingly praised James and his friends on their commitment in finding all the secret passages in the castle. No matter their arrogance and trouble-making tendencies, the map she was just shown, displayed a high level of magical ability for any sixteen-year-old. She had to give it to James, afterall, he bested most, if not all, in Transfiguration, and could almost best her in Charms

James was stoic as they trekked along the passageway. They went in single file, the light from their wands casting eerie shadows over the walls. A thick layer of dust coated the walls and floor, apart from a large strip that ran the length of the passageway made by the Marauders' footsteps over the years.

"You're particularly quiet," Lily commented, stepping over a dead rat on the floor.

"You hardly ever appreciate anything I have to say. Don't start pretending to be friendly with me now," James grumbled. He ran his left hand through his hair, the habit more triggered from nerves than confidence this time.

She could see from the wand light that his jaw was twitching erratically as he grinded his teeth. She bowed her head. Years of animosity between them made it difficult for her to feel comfortable around him. She peered at the backs of his sneakers peeking out from under his robes as she fidgeted with her wand. She was an exceptional conversationalist, but in that situation, nothing came.

She wasn't often alone with him, however, this time she really had no choice. Claire Benson, Lily's mentee and a member of the Muggle-born rights group, was missing and Lily had no idea what to do. Coincidentally, no one was available to help find her at this hour, except, much to her annoyance, James.

They made it without too much trouble into Hogsmeade. James had whipped out his invisibility cloak. Lily was not impressed with the fact that she would be subjected to brush up against him if she were to walk beneath it.

"Do you want to find Claire or not?"

She clenched her mouth shut at that.

They walked in icy, uncomfortable silence, their wands at the ready and senses alert. James's eyes darted across the streets as he cast the detection charm. Lily was in charge of removing any evidence of their presence, including the footprints.

James quickly got a signal of Claire's whereabouts as they approached a small desolate house. They hadn't even cleared the front gate before spells started flying towards them.

James had nodded at her, his jaw set and eyes blazing, and Lily had accepted in that moment, they could only make it through if they worked together.


Five months later and Lily had grown fond of James.

He was the first to know about her newly appointed Head Girl status and she was quite shocked but pleased to hear that he was Head boy, too. She had asked to meet up a few times during the summer holidays. It was quite evident to them both that the air around them had shifted.

It was a nice shift, she reflected as she gazed at his face from across the desk.

"I need a massage," James whined, rubbing his temples with his thumbs. He slid his glasses from his face, placed them in his lap and closed his eyes.

"I promise I'll give you one later," Lily said airily, biting back a smirk. "But now, how about we grace the kitchens with our presence?"

James sighed with a lazy grin. "Food, and a massage from my girlfriend, what more could I ask for?"

Lily eyed the inkwell teetering on the edge of the desk with a calculating look. She gave a surreptitious flick of her wand and sent it sailing into James's lap.

"I bet it wasn't that." Lily giggled, leaping out of her chair and making a bee-line for the door.

"You evil woman!"

James leapt from his seat and grabbed Lily around the waist before she could make her exit. They fell to the floor in a giggling heap, the prefects' schedules laying forgotten on the desk behind them.

Yes, things had certainly changed.