Author's Note: This was for the James and Lily Age Challenge. Prompts were: 5th year, exam stress. This is my first time writing this pairing. I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it.

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All She Could Give

Lily Evans picked up speed when she noticed a group of Ravenclaw's heading in the same direction as her. The library would be packed soon, if it wasn't already. The chance of getting table was slim to none.

Her shoes skid to a stop outside of the library, and she sent up a silent prayer a table was available. Hope firmly in hand, she walked through the huge ornate double doors.

Swarms of students scurried through the book aisles, helplessly looking for the same elusive books.

Like the organized girl she was, she had gotten her books the week before. There was no need for her to panic over the book she needed being checked out. (As the case most often was for students in that situation.)

Luck may have been on her side book wise, but it was obviously against her when it came to seating. The entire back of library was practically overflowing with students.

Worse yet, nearly every table was stuffed with students. The severity of the seating problem even had Slytherins sitting with Hufflepuffs. Hufflepuffs!

Doing a quick scan of the line of tables, she noted two had spaces open. The relief she felt in that moment disappeared when she recognized who exactly were sitting at them.

In the table stuffed in the corner was Severus Snape. No one would have dared sat with him, he wouldn't have allowed it. She wasn't the common people to him though, she knew that.

The other table sat exactly in the center, right in the middle of all the chaos. James Potter and his friends sat at it, a single seat open. Right beside the biggest prat himself.

James looked up as she stared at the table. Lily bristled when he grinned at her. The nerve of him to look at her so arrogantly. Out of pride, she quickly looked back at her other option.

Severus had noticed her predicament too, and was staring her right in the eyes. His black eyes were conveying exactly what she knew he was thinking.

'Pick me. Sit with me. Pick me.' They shouted at her.

Biting her lip, she felt tears prickle her eyes. She couldn't sit with him, and give him the false hope it would. It would be cruel of her to do.

That left only one option. Lily turned back to James' table. The brunette boy was grinning at her still. He had seen the entire thing. When he caught sight of her teary eyes, she could have sworn the arrogant look dropped from his face. If only for just a second.

It was that little fact, that allowed her to walk to the table with her head held high. James Potter was a prat, but he wasn't a cruel prat to her. He wouldn't purposely make the situation worse for her.

"Lily," Remus smiled at her when she stood at the end of the table.

Lily smiled back. The two of them got along fine, and he would keep the rest of the boys in line. How else could they have ended up in the library?

"Remus. I was wondering if I could sit here. Everywhere else is full," she greeted. She made sure to put emphasis on the last part.

"Knew you couldn't stay away long Evans, take a seat," James winked at her. He motioned to the chair between him and the wall.

Lily scowled him, but moved past him to sit down. She placed her books down on the table top and sat down. To her surprise James quickly stood up to push her chair in for her.

Sirius, who sat in front of her, nudged Peter beside him. The two of them snickered at their friend's obvious attempt to woo her. Lily glared at them to make sure they knew it hadn't worked.

"Thank you," Lily said out of politeness. She was brought up with manners.

The grin on James' face nearly split his face in two. Her own cheeks hurt, just looking at it. He moved to go back to his own seat, but tripped over his backpack.

Lily jumped out of her chair. It was instinct at the thought that someone would be injured. The rest of the table laughed at James' clumsiness. James chuckled while he pulled himself off the ground.

Seeing that James was okay, Lily sat back down.

"A bit worried there, eh Evans?" Sirius asked her.

Lily rolled her eyes. She pushed his arms off her book and opened it. This entire situation had only added to her stress from the oncoming exams. Her head was literally throbbing. The fact she had missed dinner to speak to one of the Professor's didn't help. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't eaten lunch either.

With a shake of her head, she attempted to concentrate on the book in front of her. The need to study, overshadowing her torturous headache.

Minutes trickled on.

Lily had put all her focus on her studying, her face contorted in a wince. The pain in her head was growing, and a new pain sprouted up in her stomach.

She hadn't noticed the worried glances the boy next to her kept giving her. James would look at her more than his own book. His eyes locked on Lily's furrowed brows and the arm wrapped tightly around her stomach.

It was when she started reading the same Potion's instruction for the third time, that Lily really felt the pain. The pounding in her head had grown, so that her brain felt like it was going to explode. She couldn't go to the infirmary though. She had to finish this text.

"All right there, Evans?" James asked.

Lily jumped in her seat at the sound of his voice. She had forgotten she was sitting next to him.

The pang in her stomach stabbed at her again, but she choose to ignore it still. A stomach ache was not important.

"Yes, Potter. I'm perfectly fine, not that's it any of your business," Lily snapped.

The four boys at the table shared a look. Lily didn't even try to decipher it. Let them be sneaky, there were more important things to do. Like do Outstanding on all her tests.

"Lily maybe you should take a break-" Remus began.

Lily's head snapped up to glare at him. Her green eyes practically glowing with pure anger and pain.

"I'm leaving. I obviously won't get anything done with you lot around," she snarled.

So much for the manners she had prided herself on earlier. In angry stiff movements, she stacked her books and stood up.

The entire library spun around her for a moment. Attempting to power through it, she walked past James' chair only to stop two steps from it.

"Evans?" James exclaimed.

She could hear four chairs being scooted back. The pain in her head reached its peak whilst the pain in her stomach forced her to double over. Books tumbled from her hands to the carpet.

Lily's eyes clenched in pain. Her knees gave out from under her, just as an arm had swept below them. The world spun more, as she was held up in someone's arms.

"What's wrong with her?"

Severus. Of course she had to make a fool of herself in the middle of the busy library.

"None of your business, Snivellus. Moony get her stuff, let's get her to the hospital wing," James Potter's voice filled her ears.

Lily's brain was trying to get her body to move. To jump out of the prat's arms, but the energy never came.

"What did you do to yourself, Evans?" She heard James mutter to himself.

"She has been worried about exams lately," Remus answered James' question.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Peter's meek voice barely reached her ears.

"Probably. She just tired herself out is all," Sirius answered him.

Lily felt her mind grow more and more tired as the walked. Maybe a little nap wouldn't hurt?

/

"Waking up, Evans?" James' asked.

Lily slowly opened her eyes. Her arms sluggishly moved, her hands rubbing her eyes.

"Potter?" Lily yawned, sleep clouding her mind.

"Scared the hell out of us, you did," James told her in a matter-a-fact tone.

Lily really looked at him for the first time. She was in the Hospital Wing, the dark color outside of the window telling her it was at least ten o'clock.

"What happened?" Lily blurted.

The last thing she really remembered was her embarrassing almost tumble in the library.

"When was the last time you had a decent night's sleep?" James questioned, raising a brow at her.

Lily froze. It had been a while since she had actually gone to sleep at a decent hour. The past few days she had stayed up to the latest of hours practicing spells in the safety of her bed curtains.

"That's what I thought. You over exhausted yourself Evans. For Merlin's sake- when was the last time you ate?" James exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.

Lily gave him a shocked look. James was really angry. At her of all people. What. The. Bloody. Hell.

"What's your problem?" Lily asked him.

"You can't be serious, Evans! You were hurting yourself!" James almost shouted.

"Oh don't be dramatic. I'm fine! Why do you even care?!" Lily raised her voice.

What business of it to James Potter, if she hadn't slept. She was fine now.

"Why do I care?! You know exactly why I care!" James glared at her.

Lily felt something deep in her chest. A zap? That was the best way to describe it. It felt like somebody had electrocuted her.

"Potter..." Lily said softly.

He would always be a prat, but he was a prat that cared about her. He was James Potter. The arrogant, flamboyant, and loud boy who chased after her since first year.

"Forget it. We've all heard exactly how you feel about that," James shook his head.

"Just make sure you eat and sleep, alright? Good night," James sighed, walking away from her bedside.

Lily watched him leave. Something else prickled her chest. One feeling she recognized reluctantly. Panic.

"James!" She called after him.

She watched as he stopped mid step. Ever so slowly, he turned his upper body to look at her. The smallest gleam of hope in his eyes.

"Do you want to study together during breakfast? I'd like the help, and you can make sure I eat," Lily offered.

That was the most she could give him right now. Maybe, later...things could progress. Would he be happy with just this?

"Sure thing Evans. See you in the morning," James smiled at her. He was bouncing on the heels of his feet.

Lily smiled softly back at him.

James all but ran out of the infirmary. A second after the door shut behind him, a yell echoed through the infirmary. Loud enough to wake Madame Promferry probably.

"YESSSSSSSS!"

Lily covered her mouth to stop her laugh. For a moment all the stress of the tests disappeared. The only thoughts in her head were of James' exuberant yell and the dazzling smile he had given her just before he left.

Yes. Perhaps thoughts of exams could wait until morning.

/

Author's Note: This was for the James and Lily Age Challenge. My prompts were: 5th year, exam stress.

Anyway. Favorite, follow, and review. Tell me if you want to see more James and Lily stories. I do in fact cherish your opinion.

I appreciate the time you took to read my story :)