Disclaimer: Phaerie doesn't own Harry Potter and Co.

Who is writing what:

Lily Evans

Charlotte Abernathy

Helen McAllister

Giving Him a Chance

A James/Lily Fanfiction

By Phaerie

Chapter One

Of Passing Notes to Pass the Time

Lily Evans quickly caught herself just as her head began slipping from the cradle of her palm and mentally slapped herself, hoping that that would be enough to keep her awake. Sometimes she had to wonder if Professor Binns' mystical powers of boredom came to him before or after his death. She was guessing before, since he seemed to have yet to realize he was, in fact, dead and very much a ghost.

And then other times, Lily found herself pondering whether or not he was still being paid for his "teaching" services. What use could a ghost have for money? Maybe he had it sent to his family? Did Binns have a family? All were interesting mysteries; much more interesting than the Goblin Rebellion of such and such year and the various amendments to the Muggle Protections Act that he tended to drone on and on and on and on and on about.

Normally these mysteries were enough to keep her mind occupied so that she could stay sitting upright in her chair, her dazed eyes transfixed blankly on the blackboard clearly visible through her translucent professor, and altogether looking relatively conscious should Binns happen to snap out of his lecture mode and take notice of the class in front of him.

Today though, Lily was tired. She'd been up half the night on patrol—Potter's patrol. He'd skived off to Merlin knows where without notifying anyone and, of course, it had fallen to Lily to pick up his slack. She'd made it through her morning classes thanks to a giant mug of coffee, but—lo and behold—it was her only afternoon class of the day that was on the verge of doing her in.

She tried and failed to stifle a yawn. With a paranoid glance to the front of the classroom, she confirmed that Binns was still blissfully unaware, and she was severely tempted to just let her head fall to her desktop and take a much needed afternoon nap like Sirius Black was doing a few seats to her right, but she knew—she just knew—that the moment her skin came in contact with that polished wood that Binns would be shaken from his academic stupor just long enough to issue her a detention. And Lily Evans absolutely did not do detention. She was perfectly happy leaving the detention-getting to the infamous Marauders.

Dipping her quill into her inkpot lazily, she decided to doodle on the parchment she was supposed to be taking notes on. She was nearly finished with a rather artistic rendering of James Potter impaled with an assortment of pointy objects when blue ink began to wispily appear at the top of the parchment.

James is looking rather dishy today, wouldn't you say?

Lily could feel a distinctive twitch beginning to develop in her left eye. She dipped her quill back in her pitch black ink and scrawled back a reply before discreetly tapping the parchment with her wand to send the message across the classroom to her friend Charlotte Abernathy's own sheet of parchment. Said friend was looking awfully smug about something.

No. I'd say he looks like someone hooked his head up to a helium pump and let 'er rip.

All right. So he's egotistical and arrogant and a show off, etc. etc. Doesn't change the fact that he is very good-looking. You've got to give him that, at least.

Black is cuter.

Gasp! She wrote 'cuter'! As in a comparison! As in James is cute(!), but Sirius is cuter!

Indeed she did. And they aren't 'cute'. They're gorgeous. James is gorgeous, but Sirius is gorgeous-er.

When the new scrawl made its way across her parchment under the last few lines, Lily looked up to see that her other friend Helen McAllister had decided to join in the fun of pissing her off by pushing for a conversation about Potter. Lily's emerald eyes narrowed as she regarded Helen, who grinned back cheekily with a short wave. With a sigh, she corrected her friend's inventive grammar.

More gorgeous.

Exactly.

You do remember that you have a boyfriend, right?

So? There's nothing wrong with looking at other guys so long as I don't touch.

Lily rolled her eyes and prepared to lecture Helen on how that outlook on dating was one that would ensure she lost said boyfriend, but Charlotte jumped back into the conversation before she could.

Getting back on target—you can't hold it against James that Sirius was blessed genetically, though. Plus, when James has that grin on his face! You know?

Oh sweet Merlin! That grin!

Yes. That grin. That oh-so-glorious grin. How he loves to practice it in front of the mirror in hopes of producing these exact reactions.

Stop being sarcastic.

How can you tell she's being sarcastic? Tone doesn't transcend written word.

It's written all over her face.

Oh, look! It really is!

Would you two shut up already?

But we didn't say a thing!

An amused snort rang throughout the classroom, just in time to follow the punch line of one of Binns' corny topical jokes. Binns looked momentarily pleased with himself before continuing with the lecture while Helen hid her giggles behind her hand. Charlotte began laughing quietly to herself as Helen's shoulders began to shake. Other students in the classroom were looking at them funnily, Lily included.

What the hell, Helen? It wasn't that funny. Actually, it was completely and utterly lame.

Sorry. History seems to have reduced my brain to goo. Everything's hilarious when you have a gooey brain.

I'm sure it is. But getting back to the grin. When he's got that grin on his face, I'd pick him over Sirius hands down.

Why are we even discussing this?

Because I finally figured it out!

Figured what out?

Why you keep saying no to James when he asks you out!

It took you this long to realize he's a pompous git that I hate?

No! You haven't made a pro/con list about him yet!

She hasn't? Hey, that's right! She hasn't!

What the hell?

You never decide anything before making a pro/con list.

What? I am perfectly capable of deciding things without the aid of a bloody list!

No you aren't. Remember third year? When we were trying to convince you to stay for the Christmas holiday? You had to weigh the pros and cons in great, drawn-out detail first before you finally decided to stay because the pros beat out the cons by one (i.e. staying meant no Petunia).

Yeah. And you always make a pro/con list about other guys. Before you agree to go out with them and before you decide to dump them. But you haven't made one up for James yet. So get to it already.

Here, here!

A pro/con list isn't going to change my answer to his incessant badgering that I date him.

How do you know until you write out the list?

Stop nodding, Helen. You're confusing poor Binns.

But she's right. Your decision-making abilities are only ever trustworthy once you've made a pro/con list concerning the topic/issue/person. And James deserves the same chance you give other guys who show an interest in you.

Exactly. So let's get started! We'll even be nice and help you out this time!

Lily let out a frustrated growl and balled up her parchment. Why couldn't they just leave well enough alone? This was exactly why Lily preferred to have guy friends. Guy friends didn't try to pry into her love life, or anything too personal really. Girl friends that you were forced to share a dorm room with for ten months a year were much more meddlesome.

Charlotte and Helen were still writing rather enthusiastically to one another. With a huff, Lily smoothed the parchment back out and read what she'd missed.

Don't we always add our two knuts to her lists anyway?

Yes, but this time we're offering instead of her having to beg us to help.

Oh, very true. Let's get to it then! I say we start with cons.

Cons may take a while. I mean, it is Lily after all. She's a very negative person.

You two do realize I can read everything you're writing, right?

Hey look! She uncrinkled the parchment!

Finally!

Yay! Now for the list!

I'm not writing a fucking list about Potter!

We'll just keep bugging you about it.

Yes, and you know how annoying we can be when we put our minds to it.

Or do we need to remind you?

Like that time—

Fine! I'll write the damn list.

Noticing the students around her packing up and beginning to leave, Lily shoved her book and supplies into her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and stomped out of the classroom. A pro/con list, Lily huffed to herself. It's only going to tell me what I already know: there is no way in Hell I am ever going to give James Potter a chance.