lilium_evansiae: (the girl with the ginger hair)
Lily Evans ([personal profile] lilium_evansiae) wrote2011-01-06 10:06 pm
Entry tags:

OOM: Hogwarts Library, February 1976

"Hi."

Lily looks up from the astronomy essay she's working on to see Jeremy Flourish standing next to her table in the library.

"Hi," she says, trying not to sound too much like she's wondering why he's stopped to talk to her. Because it's odd.

They know each other, of course; he's a Ravenclaw in her year and they've had classes together for five years, but in all that time, Lily's not sure she's ever heard him say anything he didn't have to say. He answers when he's called on in class, and he's clearly brilliant, one of if not the smartest person in their year. Just not exactly loquacious.

"What can I do for you?" Lily asks.

Two tables over, Amity Root glares at them, as Amity Root always does, whenever anyone dares to speak in the library on Sunday morning.

"May I?" Jeremy asks, indicating the chair next to Lily's. "I don't want to disturb her."

"Yeah, sure," Lily says, and Jeremy sits down.

"Um," Jeremy say. "I was wondering if, um ... "

"Yes?" Lily prompts.

"I was wondering if I could borrow your notes from arithmancy last week," Jeremy says.

"My notes from arithmancy?" Lily says.

He's better at arithmancy than she is.

He's better at arithmancy than anyone else in their class.

"Yes. I was reading back over my notes and I think I might have written something down wrong. They don't seem right and I wanted to compare them to someone else's. To see if I can find the error."

"Sure, yeah, no problem," Lily says. "I don't have them with me, but I can give them to you at lunch or something, if that'll work."

"That's great, thanks," Jeremy says. "I'll, um, I'll let you get back to your essay. Sorry to interrupt."

"It's fine. Don't worry about it. I'll see you at lunch, then."

"At lunch." Jeremy stands up, and then immediately sits back down. "Actually," he says. And then stops.

"Yes?"

"I don't need your notes from arithmancy."

"You don't need my notes from arithmancy?" Lily says.

"No."

"Okay. Then I won't bring them to lunch, I guess."

"Right. Look, I what I meant to ask was, um, well there's a Hogsmeade weekend coming up. It's Valentine's Day, actually. And, well, if you don't have plans already, would you ... would you maybe want to go with me? Could I take you to get a drink or something?"

"Um," Lily says.

Because she doesn't know that she's ever thought much about Jeremy Flourish at all, never mind as someone she might want to go on a date with.

But ... well, he's sweet. And he's smart. And he's nice and he's polite and he's humble and he's actually pretty cute, even.

(And then there are the things he's not. He's not the father of the son who is older than she is. And he's not her best friend. He's not Potter. And he's not Severus. He's not Gryffindor or Slytherin. He's ... he's safe. He's a safe choice. He's a decision, he's a reason to say no to everyone else.)

"All right," she says. "Yeah, I'd like that. Thanks."

"Really?" he says, and it's kind of charming, how pleased he looks. Pleased, and maybe just a little surprised. "Great. That's brilliant."

Before Lily can say anything, a shadow falls across the table, and they both look up to see Amity. "Do you two mind? Some of us are trying to study."

"Sorry, Amity," Jeremy says.

"Yeah, sorry," Lily adds.

Amity sighs, disgustedly, and goes back to her table.

Lily has to work at not giggling. "I think we're in trouble," she tells him.

"It would seem," Jeremy says. "I should let you get back to work, shouldn't I?"

"Yeah. Sorry, I've just really got to finish this."

"Me, too, actually."

"But, um, you could bring your stuff over here, if you wanted. We could study together."

"Sure," Jeremy says. "I'll be right back."

Lily watches him cross back to his table to collect his things.

Jeremy Flourish.

Well ... why not?