You wish Potter : A Jily Fanfiction

Trials and Errors

The seventh years were one month into the term, and a long, tough week of exams stood before them. The lessons were more demanding than ever before, and their teachers wanted to assess their attempts at keeping up with the vast amount of work that was being set, so, instead of soaking up the last few drops of blissful autumn sun, or joining in the flurry of the new Quidditch season, spending evenings on the pitch in the honey-coloured sky, the seventh years were forced to remain inside the castle becoming increasingly frantic with every new spell or potion, and desperately trying to find a spell to help them cheat.

On the evening before exam week began, an unnatural hush fell over the Gryffindor common room. James sat in a large, squashy armchair in front of the dwindling fire. His body was heavy with sleep, and the coaxing smell lured him closer. It was a familiar smell that felt warm, like a hug. The kind of smell that fills you with comfort, and reminds you of home. His eyes began to close, and the glowing red light of the last few embers on the ash-grey coals flickered in his vision. Then Lily began shifting around heaps of parchment on the table.

"Have either of you seen my copy of Flesh-Eating Trees of the World?" she asked anxiously.

Sirius collapsed into the armchair opposite James. "Oh yeah, I borrowed it for a bit of light reading before bed," he scoffed, but quietly, because Lily was liable to explode around exam time. James laughed, rubbing his heavy eyes.

Remus came down from the dormitory a few minutes later and whispered something in Lily's ear, seeming thoroughly pleased with himself. Lily snorted with laughter, and winked in Sirius's direction, still looking everywhere for her Herbology book. Sirius shifted uncomfortably in his seat, sensing that James was restraining the urge to make him explain, and hoping that he would succeed.

"I'm not going to tell you!" he said shortly. "But it's really not a big deal!" He shot Remus a look that said 'if you dare...'

Remus dared, it would be worth it. "Sirius was secretly studying in the dorm room!" he cried, beaming with childish glee.

James looked up, startled.

"Remus!" Sirius howled.

"I just went up there to get some books, and I saw Padfoot underneath his bed sheet with his wand and a stack of text books! I stood in the doorway for a while, because I couldn't quite believe what I was witnessing. I cleared my throat, and he almost fell off the bed in shock!"

James and Remus doubled over laughing.

"Hold your hippogriffs! You've both been studying this week too!" protested Sirius.

"But not in secret," said James, still chuckling.

"Oh whatever," Sirius grumbled in defeat.

*****

It was early in the morning, the sun was beginning to rise from behind the Forbidden Forest, gliding the top branches of the trees. The window was open, and the breeze smelt clean, and rich, and earthy from the rain, but the quilt that someone had laid on top of James was still warm and smoky. He sat up, looking dreamily around the empty common room, pulled off his glasses, and rubbed his sleepy eyes. Lily stood watching in the doorway to the staircase. She was half concealed by the stone arch and James hadn't noticed her. He leant forwards and picked up the parchment that he'd left on the table the night before, laughing to himself, and flicked through the pages.

"James Potter!" Lily gasped, stepping out from behind the archway and winding her way through the chairs to the fire, where James sat. "Are you actually studying?"

"Studying?" James looked up at her for a few moments, his eyes wide, then seemed to reach some kind of conclusion and nodded decisively. "Sure, we'll go with that."