James entered the Heads' Common Room to find Lily Evans, sobbing on a couch. In her hands was a Muggle book. She was holding it tightly against her chest. James knew she was a bookworm, but to cry over one?
He slowly edged over to where she was sitting. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"Th-this book," she sobbed.
"It's enchanted?"
"N-no, it's just s-so sad," she said, crying even harder.
James decided to try his luck. He sat next to her and pulled her into a hug. For once, she didn't start screaming or firing hexes. She just leaned into him and soaked his shirt. Not that he minded.
"What's so sad?"
"Th-the main character dies, a-and her biggest regret was not to give him a chance! And n-now he's dead!"
James nodded, pretending to very much understand her distress. Lily hiccuped and seemed to calm down. He sighed and let her go. Lily looked at James with her tear-stained green eyes.
He had tried so hard, and she'd never even given him a chance, even when he'd changed so much. And now with the war, she didn't know how long she was going to live, if she did decide to fight Voldemort.
She remembered a line from her book. Life's short, might as well live it now.
James stood up and made his way to his bedroom. "James!" she said, surprising herself by calling him by his first name. She took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry," she said. "Want to go to Hogsmeade?"
James's eyes went wide and he seemed not to understand. Lily hoped he would answer already, before she got her sanity back.
A smile lit up his face. "Sure, Lily."
He walked up calmly and then silently celebrated, jumping up and down and whisper-screaming "Yes!"
He ran to his trunk to fish out his mirror. "Sirius," he said.
Padfoot's face appeared. "Hey, mate."
"You will not believe what just happened. I can't believe I'm saying this, but thank Merlin for books."