a/n: to clarify, I have three chapters left to write but seven left to post (after this one), so there will be 50. Sorry if that was confusing!
forty-two - queasy
The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5 is spread out on the table before her, red hair splayed out over the pages, hand scribbling as her quill works over her parchment. James makes his way over, running his fingers down the spines of various books that are closer and closer to her, finally pulling out a tome from the shelf opposite her.
With a glance around the library to make sure no-one's watching, he places it on the table and flicks through it.
Taking a breath, he says, "Alright, Evans?"
Lily looks up at him for a moment before returning to her book, a crease forming between her eyebrows.
She bites her lip and says, "I know Charms isn't your best, but I don't suppose you understand this, do you?", just as James licks his lips to speak.
"Look, Evans, I was wondering if - what?"
"Substansive Charms," she clarifies, and then blinks. "Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. What were you saying?"
"I - um - no, it's fine." He gestures at the book and sits down. "Can I have a look?"
Lily pushes it over to him and her fingers brush his as she does, and she can't help but notice the bloom of pink tingeing in his cheeks. It surprises her: she's not used to seeing this side of him. Usually he's cocky, striding down the corridor with a grin on his face and Sirius at his side, casually slinging hexes at her best friend and the other Slytherins when tensions rise (but mostly when they don't).
"You see those notes in the margin? They make the main text clearer." He shrugs. "At least, they make it clearer if it means what I think it means."
"Oh," she says. "Right." She scribbles a few notes and then places down her quill. "So, Potter. What did you come over for?"
James swallows and shuts his book to busy himself. He's feeling a little queasy. "I was just - well, I was just wondering if you wanted to go out some time."
"Go out?" she says.
"Yeah." He runs a shaky hand through his hair. "We could go to the Three Broomsticks, maybe."
"As a date?"
He frowns at her. "Yeah."
She lets out a breath and turns to him, eyebrow raised. "I don't understand." He's never really talked to her before now, not properly anyway, or outside of lessons, so she says, "Why do you want to go on a date with me?"
"I - Merlin, Evans. I think you're nice. Pretty. Up for a laugh. It'd be fun, that's all." He clears his throat, looking away, standing up, pushing her papers around the table. She watches him. He thinks she's nice. And pretty, and good for a laugh.
Although it's not much, and although she spends her time with much more delightful people, there's a tug in her chest at his words.
"Don't worry about it," he says suddenly. "It's not important." He's still shuffling the papers. "I can ask some one else. I'm sure Shannon'll say yes, eh?"
James shoots her the cocky smirk she's so used to and she rolls her eyes. He returns his book to the shelf and walks back to the table he was sharing with Sirius.
"So, what did she say?" he asks, nudging his friend with a barking laugh.
James shrugs. "Her loss."
"Yeah," Sirius says, catching on to his friend's mood. "She doesn't know what she's missing."
James lets out a laugh, but his smile doesn't quite reach his eyes.