The Potioneers of Damocles ✓ | JILY

Chapter Four

"Are you going to bed?" Hestia asked, leaning on the back of the chair, poised on the tips of her toes like a tightrope walker.

"At some point, probably."

"Sorry, I should rephrase 'Are you going to bed now?" Hestia asked, leaning down to look at Lily's face, who was currently writing rapidly so that her quill barely seemed to be touching the paper.

"I said I'd come up a ten."

"It's quarter past ten," Hestia replied, slumping back onto the chair, "Lily..."

"If it's quarter past," Lily said, not looking up from her parchment, "You should have stopped me fifteen minutes ago!"

"So... does this mean you're coming to bed?"

"Oh, no," Lily replied, finally tearing her gaze from her work, giving Hestia a sheepish smile, "I've just realised what I needed to do for my Defence essay, funny how inspiration always hits at night and never when I actually need it. Still, I have to be productive whilst I still can, go up without me, I won't be long."

"Well, you say that, but you also said... you know what, I'm too tired for this and Sturgis has already sucked all of my arguing out of me," Hestia sighed, "I'm going to head upstairs, I'll see you either today or tomorrow morning depending on what time you come up."

"Sweet dreams," Lily said and Hestia sniggered slightly.

"Sweet dreams?"

"Fine, terrible dreams then," Lily said with a grin as Hestia walked up the stairs, giving a slight wave before disappearing. For the next five minutes, she was able to actually work, the background noise from several groups of third years actually helping her. Thanks to the tranquillity of it all, she could almost forget the fact she'd entered into a partnership with James Potter but she was about to get a sharp reminder.

"And he was here the whole time!" A voice exclaimed from behind her suddenly and she whirled around, gripping the back of the chair so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Behind her, laughing as usual was the annoying face of James Potter, who's head was for some reason suspended in the air with no body attached.

"What in Merlin's name..."

"Is it the lack of body thing?" He asked, gesturing over to one of the third years who's eyes were wide like saucers as he pulled the cloak off him.

"Surprisingly no, it's you, you do weird things all the time," She replied, "You just... crept up on me and scared me, don't do that! If you do that again, I'll... I'll..."

"I'll?..." He prompted.

"Well, I don't know, wait, I've got it! Once I'm in the potioneers, I'll personally veto you from the store cupboard!"

"Don't do that!"

"Well, I will," She replied sternly, "Try turning people into fish men without gillyweed!"

"I could do it with spells..." James replied, cocking his head to the side as he began to consider other alternatives.

"No, Gillyweed would be better," She replied firmly, "But the real question is, why did you sneak up on me?"

"I don't know, it's fun and when you have an..." He took a deep breath before lowering his voice, "Invisibility cloak, you might as well use it."

"You know, I ought to be shocked but this actually explains a lot," She replied, rolling her eyes at him, "So I take it you have ideas for our strictly professional scheme?"

"I might do," He replied, "But first, do you have any?"

"To be honest, I sort of forgot," She replied, looking away awkwardly, "I had a lot of work, okay? And I've remembered now so better late than never."