Fragments Of Unconnected Conversations

A collection of Lily's and James' One-shots by MorningDawn and shyangell

Summary: Lily. The Marauders. Two separate worlds. Read trough the conversations and a bunch of funny situations as James and Lily come closer and closer.

Pairing: James/Lily

DISCLAIMER: All the fictional characters appearing in this fanfiction story are not mine, they're J.; and they are being used with the only purpose of personal entertaiment.

Stealing glances

Lily Evans was occupying a table in the Library along with two of her closest friends; Alice Dowell and Mary MacDonald. They were working on a potions essay about digestive potions. One very dull dense subject that wasn't particularly of the liking of any of them. Books, class notes and pieces of parchments were strewn upon the wooden surface of the library table.

The three girls where deeply immersed in the work at hand; for the horrible essay was due to next Monday (only two days to go). The minutes passed by, the clock ticked by, and the four foot parchment essays weren't any closer to be finished than when they began.

Mary was already getting tired of working. Study was always hard on her. Specially if she didn't like the subject. She started looking around the library, trying to locate someone to talk and pay a brief visit in the nearby tables. Someone who wouldn't bite her head of for disturbing study time. Then something, or better said, someone, caught her eye. She tapped her friends on their shoulders.

- Look who's here girls - whispered to her friends as she pointed a finger to the table next to theirs. Mary and Alice smirked, but Lily simply sighed. Would she ever be able to get rid of those four?

And her exasperation wasn't due to the fact that she didn't stand them (well, of course she still didn't stand Black; and way back she couldn't even see them) but more to the fact that although very pleasant they were very hard to concentrate around, and that was something she didn't like. They were the most effective way in the world of wasting precious study time.

The Marauders were the four boys Mary had pointed out. They were sitting quietly. That only after Mrs Prince had just come over and threatened the tallest boy with a second detention this week and an official report to Professor McGonagall, their head of house (and as he was on probation disregarding such a threat was not a wise thing to do). They where working for all they were worth, concentrating intently in they different chosen tasks.

Remus was flipping through the pages of a big leather bound dusty old book, looking for something or other on complex vanishing charms; and writing down notes and tips for their next paper on a piece of fresh parchement.

He was sitting next to Sirius, who was elegantly bent over a book too, this one on Arithmantic Systematic Sequences, fidgeting with his quill; his eyes sweeping rapidly over the sentences, complicated concepts running with familiar ease. Familiar enough for him to be able to afford the luxury of not scribbling down the key points of that chapter like mad.

The grey-eyed boy sat across his best friend, James, who contrasting with his friend's elegant manners, stood only a few inches apart from the parchment in front of him, glasses sliding down his nose while scribbling furiously on a paper on venomous magical British plants for Herbology. He held his head with his left hand while he wrote, pausing now and then to think before launching in the ink-vomiting writing pace from before.

Next to him sat the last member of the gang, Peter, who seemed to be struggling with his work, apparently trying to get Sirius to help him, or at least let him copy a parchment that the other one had secured under a pile of heavy volumes and simply wouldn't budge to the chubby boys tugs. Good luck, chap thought Lily for herself, for she knew that Black was not one to help with work, not even his friends very often.

- They are so cute. - sighed Mary. The other two girls rolled their eyes.

- Why don't you just go and say Black you fancy him and stop whining to us Mary? - said Alice. Lily smiled as Mary turned bright red. – The worst he can say is no.

- That's no true… I don't fancy him!

- Oh stop it! - whispered Lily before Mary had the chance to finish her line. - I really want to finish this essay before sunset.

And the three friends went on with the work at hand, trying, mostly unsuccessful efforts, to finish the paper. Something made impossible for Lily to work, she just couldn't concentrate. The lines on her book jumping and twisting over themselves, mocking her.

She rose her sight form the parchment and unconsciously, found herself staring at a certain James Potter. He definitely was a good looking one. She noticed how he bit down on his lower lip when he concentrated hard on something, how he held his head causing his glasses to be slightly askew. She also noticed how his tie was tilted sideways, as usual, and his shirt's neck was rumpled. She smiled at the sight; luckily none of her friends saw her, not for the moment.

And then, he was suddenly looking directly at her. Her skin turned bright scarlet as he smiled to her and mouthed "hi". She blushed even more, but mouthed "hi" back. He smiled broadly, delighted at having her attention, and mouthed to her "Bored?"

She looked down at the paper and then looking back at him she mouthed "No".

"I hate working" mouthed him pointing to the piece of parchment. She couldn't avoid giggling at his statement. But that caused Mary and Alice to look up from their work. Bad luck. Their eyes went from Lily's dreamy face to James' goofy smile and both girls smiled to themselves, but went back to work.

Lily made what was meant to be an apologetic smile. "No problem" mouthed James. And like that, looking at each other, grinning like idiots, remained for a good five minutes. James was so absorbed in looking at the beautiful redhead that he didn't even realise that his friend was talking to him, and pointed ly glaring at the back of his skull.

- Prongs, have you got any spare parchment? - Sirius asked. - Hey mate… - said tapping the table in front of his friend, after finally looking up from his reading. But when he found that was absolutely useless he followed his friend's gaze and smirked when he saw what his friend was looking at so intently. – Prongs! – he said again as he passed a hand in front of his friend's eyes, which actually worked for he seemed to return to reality.

- What do you want Padfoot? – James said, slightly bothered by the fact that he had been caught staring at Lily when he had just sworn by everything holly that he would get over her.

- Just a piece of parchment, I have run out. – he said, and smirked as his friend handed him some, without questioning him or protesting. - Nice way of working, by the way.

James pocked his tongue at him.

- No really. I mean it. - Remus sniggered, his attention finally dragged away from studying, and without even looking up from his paper he already had a slight idea of what his friends were bickering about. Sirius grinned and leaned back on his chair. - I think you should go over there and say something.

- What!!? - asked James.

- I said that I think that you should go over there and talk to her instead of watching her and keep smiling like an idiot.

- But what do I say?

- I don't know, ask her for a walk - they were talking in whispers, just because they were in the library; but somehow Sirius still managed to sound utterly exasperated in a hushed voice. - Ask her for a piece of parchment, a book, anything, just talk to her! - James looked at his friend like he was talking about throwing himself from the top of the Astronomy Tower.

- I don't thing it's a good idea…

- Well, for once, - said Remus, - I think Sirius is right.

- Hey, what do you mean by for once? - asked the tall boy, pretending to be offended.

- Hush Padfoot. - hissed Remus. - What I mean Prongs, is that it would be good to talk to her, be a gentlemen and all that jazz.

- I am never wrong. Well, almost never wrong. – James blatantly ignored the blossoming bickering bout between Padfoot and Moony.

- But now? - asked James, looking a little taken back. - I mean, she's working.

- So what? Just go over there and say something nice. - said Sirius (who apparently was in enough of a good mood as to let go the grudge just this once) as he pushed him off the chair. - Go!

Remus nodded encouragingly and James eyed them suspiciously.

He headed toward the girls table, trying to look nonchalant. It was in moments like this that he wished he could be more like Sirius. The guy was just natural at approaching girls. Focus, just focus he kept repeating himself.

Mary and Alice giggled as they saw him coming.

- Here's your knight in shining armour, Lily. - whispered Alice. The aforementioned girl turned absolutely red and the other two exchanged knowing looks. James stopped right by Lily.

- Uh… hi Lily. - the mentioned girl looked up from her work and smiled sweetly at the sight of him

- Hi James. - he smiled back and opened his mouth like he was about to say something but nthing did come out. Mary and Alice giggled and he suddenly became very interested in his shoes. Behind him, Peter and Remus where chuckling, while Sirius pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. - Did you want something? - that seemed to make him return to earth.

- Uh, yes… you see, I forgot which time are the patrols tonight. And I wondered if you remembered if it was 8 or… 9 pm. Because I just can't tell which hour they started… - Lily smiled.

- Yes, sure I remember, it's 8 o'clock James. - He smiled back.

- Thank you. Now I'll let you go back to work - added with a broad smile. - See you then Lily. - said as he walked off, pretty pleased with himself.

- See you James! - said the redheaded girl at his retreating back, waving her hand, earning herself a loud shush from the librarian.

- See you James. - whispered Mary in a dreamy voice. And then with her normal voice added. - No, you don't like him Lily. - Lily eyed her badly. And Alice nodded.

- Yes sure, you don't like him at all.

- Oh, shut up. Both of you. - said as he went back to work. The other girls looked at each other and shook their heads, those two where meant to be but were far too stubborn for their own good.

Back at the Marauderstable James grinned triumphantly.

- That didn't go bad, did it? – then, Remus and Sirius looked at him with pitying glances, and Peter sniggered. But it was Sirius the one to talk.

- You know? She must be really hung up on you, or else I am incapable of finding any other explanation to the fact that she has actually bought such a lame excuse.

- What do you mean? – Sirius' eyebrows shoot up.

- I've forgotten patrol starts tonight. - mocked Remus.

- That's what I meant. - said Sirius pointing at Remus and talking (and looking) to James as if he was a very stupid kid. James looked like he didn't understand at all. - That's such a fantastic excuse… come on, it's bullshit mate!

He swung his arms around in a vain attempt to smack James. He missed, mostly because though his brains were addled and Lily-focused, he still had quidditch reflexes, and those were always activated by default.

- But, on the other hand, she has obviously bought it, so… either she's absolutely stupid or she's madly in love with you. - James smiled.

- Let's hope it's the second option. - Remus rolled his eyes.

- Keep dreaming James. Will you stop chatting and go back to work boys. – he said irritated now. The other two stopped talking and reluctantly started working.

All but James, for he just couldn't concentrate. She liked him, that much seemed clear. And that thought made him extremely happy. So he spend the evening thinking about his Lily and what would be like having her as a girlfriend. And whatever he had been previously doing was left, as always he started such a current of thought, undone.