After breakfast in the Great Hall, all the students shuffled to Potions class to take their final exam of the year. James, Remus, and Peter all walked ahead while Sirius was hitting on Marlene behind them.

"Come on, Marls! It's me, Sirius! You know me! Just one date!" he said, putting his arm around her.

She shook it off, "Sirius, no! Why don't you go join your friends and leave me alone? They look completely lost without you!"

"You don't like me? Not even a little?"

"I really don't"

"Of course you do! I'm Sirius!" he stood up on a bench and flexed his muscles. This made all the girls giggle. James sighed and pulled him down,

"Why don't you just let her go? She'll never go for you!" he mocked.

"Oi! That's different! I'm not completely obsessed with her!" James rolled his eyes before turning and walking with Remus and Peter again.

They finally reached the Potions class together. Lily put her things down on the long desk. She was going to ace the exam and relax in the common room for the rest of the day. She felt happy. That is, until James Potter set his things down right next to her.

"Evans," he smiled.

"Potter," she spat back as she sat down. Why does he find a way to ruin everything? No, he would not ruin today! She tried to ignore him and sat down, getting out her things for the exam. James sat down next to her, ready to put on the charm. Of course he knew it didn't work, but he loved the look in her eyes when she yelled at him. He leaned over as Slughorn began talking,

"So, Evans. Come on. Just date me and I'll never take your stuff again," he smiled.

"No, Potter. For the last time! I will not date you! Now if you would kindly stop talking to me, we're about to start the exam!" she whispered angrily.

"All right students, quiet! For your exam you will have a choice to brew either Amortentia or The Draught of Living Death. They are both complicated potions, but I trust that you will all do well. You have half an hour! Begin!" he smiled before turning and sitting down at his desk.

Lily decided to brew The Draught of Living Death. She felt it would be a bit more challenging and she loved a good challenge.

James looked pale and nervous. Everyone else was started on their potions and he hadn't even decided which one he would brew. He was horrible at Potions and always had been. He knew that Slughorn hated him because he wasn't a star pupil. There were beans jumping around the room and barely missing others heads. But they didn't even notice because they were too focused on their own potion.

He was starting to get worked up. He definitely wanted to brew the easier of the two but didn't know which one that was.

Five minutes had passed already. 'Calm down James. Just do the Draught of Living Death. You'll be alright.' With shaky hands, he opened the book to the page. Lily whispered to him,

"I'd start soon if I were you, James."

"Yeah," he whispered back.

'Cut the Sophophorus bean.' he read quietly. He got out his knife and began slowly cutting the bean. 'This will be easy!' he thought. Then the bean went flying across the room. He knew he was going to fail the class. He knew he couldn't do it. He stopped what he was doing and just stared at his book. He was hopeless. He would never be able to become an auror and he had to face that. Lily glanced over from her potion and noticed James hadn't even completed the first step. Despite the fact that she hated him, she didn't want to see him fail. She wrote him a note, passing it under the table. He noticed something in his lap and unfolded it,

James,

Are you okay? It's been 10 minutes and you haven't even started! Do you need help?

L. E

He found a quill and wrote back,

Lily,

I'm hopeless! I'll never be good in Potions. Let's face it. I'm destined to fail

James

He passed it back to her. He knew Slughorn would never catch him. James had done this enough and he'd never been caught.

Lily sat there for a moment, not knowing what to do. She had to do her own Potion but she felt horrible for James. He has grown up some. He's not a complete jerk still. She decided to help him. Besides, it would be horrible for someone to fail their exam when she could have helped. She wrote back,

James,

Crush the bean. Don't cut it. Don't ask how I know.

L.E

James could feel his heart explode when he read the letter with her advice. He knew that she liked him even just a little bit. So, he decided to try it. Slowly, he grabbed his knife and crushed the bean. It worked! He didn't know how to thank Lily enough. He looked over and gave her a smile to show his gratitude.

He followed the rest of the steps and it turned out okay. When he finished the Potion, it was a sort of pink color. Close enough. Lily's was the perfect shade of pink, meaning she brewed it perfectly. Slughorn walked around, checking all the students Potions. Remus' had been about the same color and Sirius' resembled a dark purple. Most of the girls chose to brew the love potion and only three brewed it absolutely perfect. Slughorn finally reached James, and put a leaf in the potion,

"Well done Mr. Potter! You've improved greatly." he smiled before moving on to Lily. He repeated putting the leaf in the potion. It completely disintegrated.

"Miss Evans! Perfect as usual," he winked.

"Thank you Professor," she smiled. She knew she would accomplish it perfectly.

After class, James caught up to Lily,

"Lily! I really can't thank you enough. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you." All of Lily's friends gave her a confused look.

"Erm, You're welcome Potter." She knew she'd hear about this later. James ran away to be with the other Marauders. He smiled to himself before heading back to the common room to relax for the rest of the day.