Jily one shots

Yeah, okay

Disclaimer: written by @cokebotttleK

Mind if I sit here?"

Lily looked up from unpacking her schoolbag, blinking a bit in surprise when her eyes fell on James Potter. He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot when she didn't say anything and said, "It's just... everywhere else is full, so..."

Lily's eyes glanced around the classroom to see that James Potter was quite right - the seat next to her was the only one available. His friends sat at the table behind her, joking and laughing amongst themselves while James waited for her permission to sit down. She didn't particularly like him; he was mean to Severus, had been since that first train ride to Hogwarts just a week ago.

But Lily Evans wasn't mean, no matter how much someone might deserve it, so she moved her Standard Book of Spells: Grade 1 out of his way and said, "Yeah, sure you can sit here."

James offered her a tentative smile. He wondered vaguely if she really wanted him there but it didn't bother him that much, really, so he took the seat with a "Thanks" and turned around to talk to his friends.

When Professor McGonagall walked in and instructed them to take out quill and parchment for that morning's lecture, James turned back around in his seat, rifled through his bag, and muttered, "Bugger." In his haste to get to breakfast, he hadn't packed his bag properly and he'd left his quill behind.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lily saw James digging uselessly through his bag. His parchment was already flattened out on the table in front of him, so she supposed he was short a quill. She took an extra one from her bag and slid it across the wooden surface of the desk until it sat at his elbow. He looked around at her, blinking much as she had when he'd asked if he could sit there, then looked down at the quill. He picked it up with another muttered "Thanks," feeling a little embarrassed that she'd seen through his distress so easily.

Lily nodded. "Yeah, no problem," she said, and she dipped her own quill into a bottle of ink and prepared to take notes.

Second Year: The Reluctant Essay

James wandered around the library, pitiful Charms essay in hand, looking for Lily. He knew they didn't get along terribly well, seeing as she was friends with that odd little Snivellus, but he also knew she was best in the year at Charms. It wasn't that he was pants at it or anything, James told himself, but he could use a nudge in the right direction. His mother had been a bit disappointed with his Charms marks from last term and James didn't like to do that to his mother, so here he was.

And there she was. James spotted Lily Evans sitting behind a bookshelf; of course Snivellus was at the table with her, but James figured he could deal with that just fine if he had to, even without Sirius there, too.

"Hey, Evans," James said, ignoring Snape, who scowled at him. "Have you finished the Charms essay?"

"Just did." Lily set her parchment aside and looked up at him. "Did you need some help with it or something?"

"If you don't mind, yeah," James said, and Snape snorted derisively. James glanced at him. "Something funny?"

"Nothing," Snape said far too innocently. "Just can't manage to get your work done on your own? Thought you were supposed to be smart, Potter..."

"Shut it, both of you," Lily said, cutting off James's retort. She took the essay from him and said, "Sure I'll help you with this; it'll only take a few minutes."

Lily looked the essay over, marking things here and there, double-checking facts in her book, and marking some more. Snape kept his eyes on his homework, occasionally shooting Lily an annoyed glance and James a deplorable one. James stared at Lily's hands, jaw clenched, praying every second that she was nearly done so he could get away from Snivellus and this essay and go find his mates...