It's one of the many, many little things Lily likes about James; that despite everything that has changed since last year, he's the reason her best class can still be her favorite class, if for wholly different reasons.

Another is that he knows exactly how distracting it's all right for him to be, before he has to let go of her hand and let her get to work.

"Why do I suspect our cauldron does not have your undivided attention, James?" Lily asks, teasing note laced through her tone, and with only a brief glance up from the beetles' eyes she's counting out.