H is for HURT
When the holidays were over, Lily found herself spending more and more time with, of all people, James Potter.
Or rather, she was spending time with Remus Lupin, and James Potter just kept popping up everywhere they went.
"I don't really understand this one," Lily said, pointing to a passage in her Transfiguration book. She and Remus were in the library, studying for a Transfiguration quiz, and James was lurking around the corner throwing books at the heads of random passersby. "I know it's possible to change living creatures into objects, but how can you change an object into a living creature? Would the creature not have a soul? Or does the spell create a soul? And then when you transfigure it back, does the soul die and go to Heaven like normal souls, or does it just continue to reside in the object, or - "
"Calm down, Evans," James drawled from the other side of the bookshelf, tossing a particularly flimsy novel at a second-year. It collided with the back of his head and made him yelp. James retracted his head and pretended to be extremely busy studying Ancient Runes.
"That's a poor disguise, Potter," Lily snapped. "Seeing as you don't even take Ancient Runes."
He closed the book and moved around to the study table. "I happen to be fascinated by Ancient Runes, Miss Know-It-All," he said, but he was smiling. Lily rolled her eyes. "And to answer your question, no, the living creatures do not have souls. They're held together by magic, and if you leave them alone long enough they turn back into objects."
"I don't recall asking you."
"You didn't address anyone specifically, and I thought I'd help you out. Remus obviously didn't know."
Remus, who had his nose buried in the textbook, looked up at his name. "What?"
James smirked. "Are you lot coming to lunch?"
Lily shook her head. "I've got to keep studying. Remus, you can go if you want. I think Sev was going to meet me so we could work on Potions anyway."
"Oh, you'd better leave, Remus," James said. "Wouldn't want to be the third wheel on Lily's date with Snivellus."
She rolled her eyes. "Potter, you should know that the only reason I haven't hexed you into oblivion is that if anything happened to you, Remus would never study with me again."
"Au contraire," Remus said, grinning. "By all means, hex him. You'd be doing everyone a favor."
"No need to be rude," James said, feigning hurt feelings, but he left her alone.
She was only alone for a few minutes before Sev arrived. "Perfect timing," Lily said, closing her Transfiguration book and pulling out her Potions notes. "I was thinking we'd start with - "
"Settle down, I haven't even had a chance to sit down yet," Sev said, setting his bag on the table.
"I just want to do this quickly, so I have time for lunch!"
"All right, all right." He sat next to her and bent over her notes. "You study far too much, you know? More than the fifth-years, even, and they've got OWLs coming up."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm trying to cut down," she said sarcastically.
"Honestly, though, I've never seen anyone else use the library as often as you do."
She shrugged. "I have a lot of catching up to do. Everyone else has had eleven years to come to terms with magic, and I'm just getting started."
"Well, relax. You're already better than most of them - better than I am at Potions."
"Thanks." She grinned.
"So how about we skip the studying for once and just go have lunch?"
"Okay." She packed up her things, still smiling. "That's why I love you, Sev. You're so good at making me feel confident in myself."
"Ah, well." He shrugged. "Just doing my best, I suppose."
As they were walking out of the library, a book sailed out from nowhere and collided with Sev's nose.
"OI!" he shouted, clamping his hands over his face. His eyes watered with pain. "What the hell was that?"
Lily's eyes narrowed. "James Potter, come out right now."
James emerged from behind the bookcase, grinning sheepishly. "Hullo."
"What the hell's wrong with you?"
"Oh, you know, just wanted to make sure you and Snivelly were really studying the books."
"Oh, so hanging around when Remus is here isn't enough anymore? You have to spy on me?"
"I just - "
"No, Potter, you know what? Just stay away from me. Don't ever come near me again."
"Woah, Evans, calm down, I just - "
"I will hurt you if you ever talk to me again." She put her arm around Severus. "Come on, Sev, let's go to lunch."
As soon as they were out of the library, Sev dropped his hands from his nose. "Thanks for that," he said stiffly, "but I don't need you to fight my battles for me."
She blinked. "I know," she said, but her face was slightly red. "I was just putting Potter in his place. It was for me, not for you."
(But that wasn't the truth at all, and she didn't quite know how to talk to Sev after that day.)
[100 Prompts challenge: Hit by an object (bonus points if deliberate); "I will hurt you if you ever talk to me again!"; "Just stay away from me. Don't ever come near me again."; "I'm trying to cut down."; "I saw them in the library. They weren't studying the books."]
[So You Think You Know Your Character: Lily Evans - who are your friends, and why?]
[Fiddler on the Roof Character Challenge: Avram: Write about Flourish and Blotts. Alternatively, write about about the Hogwarts Library.]