Completely random oneshot. I had the idea when my friend thought I put my crush's last intiial instead of my own on a cushion in Home Ec (thankfully, I didn't!) Please read, enjoy and review!
Disclamier: I own nothing.
Lily Evans let out a groan and dropped her head on her desk. Today was simply a bad day. That's all there was to it. She had woken up late with a bad hair day, squirted toothpaste in her eye, missed breakfast while searching for her Transfiguration essay that she had just hardly finished (her mind had been on a certain Gryffindor Quidditch captain), and had just barely made it to class on time.
The way Lily saw it, it was all stupid Potter's fault. If she hadn't been dreaming of him last night, she would've woken up on time.
It was all Potter's fault that the way he ruffled his hair sent chills down her spine while she pretended that it annoyed her. That seeing him soaring across the Quidditch pitch made her sigh with longing while she yelled at him for showing off later. That his beautiful hazel eyes turned her legs into jelly while she avoided their gaze. That every part of James Potter seemed to be on her mind at all times. Even while she slept.
Lily's thoughts were interrupted when Professor McGonagall came into the classroom, and the chatty teenagers fell silent immediately. Lily looked upon her professor with utmost admiration. She idolized Professor McGonagall in every way. Only she could silent a full class with one stare.
The second Professor McGonagall opened her mouth to speak, the door banged open. In strutted Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black and (Lily turned away quickly) James Potter.
"Sorry, Minnie." Sirius drawled. "Little late finishing up breakfast." Half the female population of the classroom sighed longingly. Sirius winked, causing Priscilla Abbot to squeal and fall out of her chair. Rolling her eyes, Lily focused her gaze on James.
His hair was adorably ruffled (purposely, of course) and his eyes were twinkling. Lily had the feeling that the Marauders hadn't been finishing up breakfast at all. Apparently, Professor McGonagall had the same thought, as her frown grew.
"Late as usual, boys. Detention tonight. If there's any trouble…well, there better not be." James shrugged and lead the Marauders to their usual seats at the back of the class, beside a smirking Leila Philippa. Professor McGonagall turned to the class.
"Class, please pass up your essays." Lily grabbed her essay and Banished it to the front of the classroom, as did the entire class. Professor McGonagall sorted the essays into a pile, then turned to the class. "I will grade these now. Please turn to page 63 in your book and read about human transfiguration accidents." She walked to her desk and sat down.
Lily pulled her book out of her bag and flipped it open to the assigned reading. However, her brain seemed unable to absorb the horrifying pictures of people with extra arms and legs. She could hear the Marauders whispering in the back, most likely telling Leila about their latest prank.
Rolling her eyes, Lily tried to concentrate on her reading through the hushed voices and occasional laugh. She had just finished the reading when Professor McGonagall spoke. "There seems to be a mistake. I was aware of a Lily Evans in my class, but not a Lily Potter."
Lily froze. She could feel her face turning red. Lily had been thinking too deeply about stupid Potter while doing her essay. She waited for the explosion of laughter from the back and the arrogant comment by James. However, instead, Leila's voice cut the stunned silence.
"Professor, I don't feel so-" A yell was heard. Lily turned to see Leila lying on the floor beside her seat. She had passed out. "Dehydration." Remus said breathlessly as Professor McGonagall hurried to the back. She examined the blonde, then tapped her on the forehead. Leila's eyes fluttered open. "Mr. Lupin, you and Mr. Black escort Ms. Philippa to the hospital wing. Everyone else back to work."
The class went quickly after that. After class, Lily hurried out, so to avoid stupid Potter. She had never been so embarrassed in her life. It would be all over the school soon. Lily listened tentatively to her classmate's gossip in the halls, ready to defend herself.
However, all talk was of Leila. "How'd she faint like that?" "I don't know, Remus said she was dehydrated. James probably worked her too hard at Quidditch or something. Poor girl." Lily's face stopped turning red. Everyone had forgotten! Leila's fainting spell had upstaged her slip!
Lily's thoughts of relief were cut by a familiar voice. "Oy, Evans!" Lily froze. Potter. Of course. She spun on her heel to see James behind her. A small grin was playing on his face. "Too bad about Lae, eh? Let's hope she's OK soon. See you later, Evans." Lily gaped after him. No arrogant remarks. No gloating over her spill. Nothing. Lily shook her head. What was wrong with him?
Later that evening, Lily was studying in the empty common room when Leila, Remus and Sirius came crashing through the portrait hole, laughing. "Did you see their faces?" Leila asked breathlessly. Sirius feigned an expression of extreme shock, causing Leila and Remus to collapse into another fit of laughter. "Serves those filthy Slytherins right, after picking on those first years." Gasped Remus.
Lily stood quickly. "Leila! You're OK!" The threesome stopped laughing. Leila grinned and wiped her eyes, which had started tearing up, she was laughing so hard. "Duh." Lily stared at her. "But…you fainted." Leila smiled. "Thank James for that. I'm a pretty good actress, huh?" Sirius put an arm around her and grinned.
Lily gaped at them. "What? What does James have to do with this?" Remus smiled serenely. "He didn't want you to be embarrassed. He thought that if something bigger than your little slip there was to happen, everyone would forget. Leave it to Lae to fake a faint right after he said that. Genius."
Lily stopped gaping. Potter had saved her. Instead of rubbing her moment in her face, he had made sure that everyone would forget about it. As the three friends headed up to the boy's dorm to tell James about their prank, Lily sank into the couch. A thoughtful smile played on her lips. Maybe Potter wasn't so bad after all.