Yes, thought Lily Evans as she pulled her slender, white hands through her dark red curls in frustration, Transfiguration should most definitely die a long and painful death.
You see, although the sixteen-year-old redhead was good at literally everything else—flying, Herbology, Charms, writing, reading, you name it, she could do it—she simply couldn't do Transfiguration. The only reason she had gotten this far without failing was that James Potter was the best in the class and James Potter just happened to be her best friend. Yes, little young 'uns, the James Potter. You know him. Eternally messy black hair, laughing brown eyes, really nice smile, tall, a dimple in his left cheek—
But that's not the point. The point is that Lily Evans could not do Transfiguration, and that her final exam was coming up in two weeks and, now that James had switched his Transfiguration class to the afternoon, she had no one to cheat off of.
Life really sucked sometimes, reflected Lily as she ran her hands through her thick curls again and groaning as she returned to her reading.
Due to unprecedented results in the area of the transformation of a bench to a cow in the late 1880s, it has been discovered that the gender of the cow that will result depends on the type of wood used for the bench. Oak wood, for instance, will produce a bull, while maple tends to produce a doe. Cherry yields both genders, and willow most commonly results in a female. However, the gender can also be controlled by an alteration of the Genesis Spell, which has proven successful many times in the past…
"Aigh!" squeaked Lily, who began to bang her head repeatedly on the thick book in front of her. The librarian's reprimands were unheard, and she was at it for a good few minutes before her head started to hurt and a familiar voice interrupted her:
"Well, that's no way to drill it into your head, Lils. Bruises don't enhance memory, you know."
Turning with a moan, Lily cast a dark look at a very amused James Potter as the aforementioned best friend slid into the seat next to her.
"Stupid Transfiguration whiz," she muttered with a scowl. Her comment was greeted with a chortle on the part of the star Chaser.
"Stupid Charms whiz," he retaliated. "Now, what's this you're looking at?… The bench-cow transformation? Honestly, Lily, didn't you pay any attention in fourth year?"
"No," Lily retorted, crossing her arms stubbornly. "I had you to cheat off of. I can't do it—it's not my fault. Some things are genetical," she said superiorly.
"Like what? Your obstinacy?"
"You, Mister Potter, should shut your hypocritical mouth." Lily poked him hard in his chest to emphasize the point. He shook his head with a grin. "What?" shrieked Lily. "Are you laughing at me?"
"'Course not, Lils. Now, shush, Pince's looking at us…"
"Since when do you care?" inquired Lily rebelliously. James flashed her another smile.
"Since always, m'dear."
"My arse."
"Lily dearest! Don't swear!" James teased. Lily stuck her tongue out childishly.
"Anyway, I don't understand this cow-bench thing…" she said, returning to the matter at hand. James looked at the textbook. Then he looked at her. Then he looked at the textbook. Then he looked at her. Then he looked at the textbook. Then he looked at her… well, you get the idea.
"Fair Lils, let's get out of here," he suggested, getting out of his seat and pulling her with him.
"James! I have studying to do!" wailed Lily. James shrugged.
"I'll lend you my notes from fourth year. You can study later."
"But James—"
"No buts about it! Up, now, if you're going to argue!" said James decidedly. Lily furrowed her brow.
"Up? Up wher—aagh! James Potter! Put me down right this instant!" she insisted as he picked her up and swung her over his shoulder. "James Potter! You will pay for this! James…!"
James sighed and shook his head, shooting a disarming smile towards Madam Pince.
"Forgive her, Betty," he said apologetically, "she's not always quite right in the mind."
Madam Pince raised an eyebrow and scowled at him. "Begone, you! Shoo!"
And James shooed. With Lily over his shoulder.
"JAMES TRISTAN FUCKING POTTER! YOU PUT MY FUCKING BEHIND DOWN RIGHT THIS INSTANT OR I WILL HEX YOU INTO FUCKING OBLIVION!"
"Lily?"
"What?"
"Shut up."
"I RESENT THAT! PUT ME DOWN! PUT ME DOWN RIGHT THIS MINUTE OR I WI—aip!" Lily emitted a small squeak as he swung her off his shoulder into his arms.
"Better, O fair maiden?"
"No… SET ME DOWN RIGHT NOW OR I'LL CURSE YOU DOWN FROM INFINITY…"
James rolled his eyes and ignored her, instead writing sonnets to her and reciting them out loud.
Which would have been fine… if James knew what a sonnet was.
"O fair maiden/ handest me thy… er, hand/ and I will sacrifice myself/ for the… er… eyebrows of… thou/ and I… er… will strew daisies through your… er… hair/ and I will… er… pledge eternal love to… um, you, I think/ and I will write better sonnets to, uh, you/ than Shakespeare did—could/ and… um… your eyes are really pretty?"
What with James' failure at verse and Lily's shrieks, the pair of them drew quite a lot of attention as they sailed through the hallways. Eventually, though, Lily ran out of breath, and James gave up on sonnets and started telling Lily that "I love you, with all my heart and soul, O fair maiden Lilsie, O sweet fair flower strewn through the fields Lily Evans, O beautiful sunray…" in a very exaggerated voice. This went on for quite some time, because the Gryffindor tower was quite a ways away from the library.
Finally, however, they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, with some tribulation. Lily fell over with giggles when James droppe—er, set her down—and James tried to hide a smile.
"You're ever so good at sweeping girls off their feet," Lily snorted in between gales of laughter.
"Especially you, Lillian," agreed James with much mock-solemnity.
"For the last time, my name is not Lillian!"
"Apologies, fair Lillian," he nodded, helping her to her feet.
"My arse."
"Didn't I tell you not to swear, Lily dearest!"
"Fudge-cake off."
"That's better," said James, satisfied. He ignored the fact that he swore thrice as much as Lily did most of the time.
"Yeah…"
"Yeah."
Surprised at the silence—James was never quiet!—Lily angled her head up towards her lanky best friend and favored him with a half-smile, surprised to see him without a grin on his face.
"Hey… you okay?" she asked quietly, reaching up to touch his cheek.
"Yeah. Fine." James swallowed hard as her fingers brushed his skin, caught looking into her pine-green eyes.
"'Cause, you know, if something's wrong, you should really talk to me about it, ya know, 'cause I'm supposed to be your best friend an' all…"
"Lils?" he asked quietly, cupping her face in his hands. Her eyes widened.
"Yeah?"
"Do me a favor?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't fight this."
"Don't fight what?"
"This."
With that, James leaned down and brushed her lips gently with his. Pulling away slightly, hesitantly, he saw her suck in her breath.
"What the hell was that?" she breathed.
"No… don't fight it. Be quiet. Don't ask questions. This might be the only chance I ever get to do this…" James trailed off, pressing his mouth more insistently to hers. He felt her stiffen with shock, but he kept his mouth there, feeling her grow more and more responsive as she melted in his arms. Her hands found their way around his neck, pulling him down, into the kiss, kneading his skin like dough. His hands fell from her jaw to her waist, pressing her into him, wanting the thrill she gave him, wanting the love he found in her. From her exterior as a best friend came an inner soul as a girlfriend, as a soulmate, as a lover… as who-knows-what, but he loved it all the same.
Then it was over, and it felt like it had only just begun. They stood, blinking at each other, and Lily opened her mouth to speak, but James silenced her with his fingertips to her mouth.
"I'm not going to force you into anything," he said softly, simply, "and I don't want you to answer right now. I want you to think long and hard about what this does to our relationship with each other. I want you to know the consequences. And when you do decide… when you decide, whether you want this, or whether you want something else, then I'll be here, and I'll listen, and I won't judge you, and I won't hate you, and if the answer is something else, then I swear to the great wizards that we can keep on going as best friends and I won't do anything ever again to stop that unless you tell me you want it. All right?"
"I—" began Lily, but she was cut off again.
"No… think about it. Please. I don't want to force you into anything…"
And with that, James pressed his mouth to hers a final time in a dizzying kiss and gave the password to the Fat Lady, who looked very content with the display of affection that had just taken place, and entered the common room, leaving Lily alone with her thoughts.
She pressed her fingers to her lips soundlessly, and slid to the floor, and meanwhile, all that was running through her head was:
Maybe Transfiguration isn't so bad after all…
*
Well, that's that. I'm sorry, I had to get that out of me. I'll probably edit it and post it again in a while, when I'm feeling the need to edit something… well, please review. I'd prefer no flames, but if the story was that bad, I probably deserve them… *shrugs* although constructive criticism will be the most helpful to me, ya know…
--Ivy