Library Winters

[Midii]

Disclaimer: I wish I owned the characters! But I don't. And I don't make money from this, sadly.

Summary: Lily is sick in her sixth year.

It seemed like the wrong moment to agonize her or ask her out.

Lily Evans, the love of my life who I am sure will go out with me one day, came into the library on a chilly Sunday night. There was an abundance of colds going around and half of the Gryffindor sixth years were coming to class with awful head or chest colds, or in Moony’s case, both.

There was snow falling outside, collapsing into soft piles strewn along the path, and the crackling fire was doing barely anything to warm the people outside a three-meter radius.

It was a bit of a pity that I was late, due to the magnificent steak-and-kidney pie that I had five servings of, but I made it there just as a sniffling seventh year grabbed the last table near the fire. And I had to stay there for at least three hours.

Damn.

The last vacant table was close to the Potions aisle, a relatively small marble one that could sit two, side-by-side. I laid out my books on the cold tabletop and started on my essay, the quiet in the library occasionally punctured by a cough or a sneeze.

Then, as if that wasn’t distracting enough, Lily Evans came in.

She clutched a lace-rimmed handkerchief in one hand and her book bag in the other, and looked completely miserable and dejected as she glanced around for a table.

‘Hey, Evans,’ I called. She was going to sit somewhere else before realizing that there was nowhere else, so she grudgingly came over and slumped in the chair next to me, pulling it as far away as possible. ‘So, Evans.’

‘Shut up, Jabes,’ she said hoarsely, ‘I’b dot feelig well.’

‘Are you sick?’ I asked although it was fairly obvious.

She gave a wet sniffle and opened her Transfiguration textbook, giving a phlegmy cough into her handkerchief and rubbing her red and chapped upper lip, where a drop of moisture was creeping down. Her breaths were frequent and whistley, and her body was warmer than usual as I felt the heat radiate from her body to mine.

A few minutes later, she put down her quill and rubbed her temples with her fingers. ‘Ugh,’ I heard her mutter. Her nose twitched slightly as she quickly brought her handkerchief up to her nostrils and pressed a finger against it, hard, obviously intended to stop the sneeze. It had worked, since she quickly crumpled up the cotton in her fist again and reached for her book, but suddenly…’hehahh-tshoo!’ she sneezed a forceful, messy sneeze that caused her to lean forward. It sprayed some gooey, yellow drops all over my book, no doubt germ-laden, as she bent forward for another, this time with handkerchief in hand. ‘huh-reshoo!’ She sniffled wetly again and slumped against her books, before realizing that she had sprayed all over my books.

‘Sorry,’ she said, horrified. ‘Scorgifid. Oh, doe, rebaro. Oh doe, blease cad you do it?’

‘Reparo,’ I said, pointing my wand towards my books, which she’d burnt. She must be feeling pretty sick if she was telling me to 'please' do it. ‘Evans, as I wanted to say just now…’

‘Blease,’ she said weakly, holding one hand up, ‘dot dow.’ I heard her breath get more and more strained as she started coughing into her hands, a phlegmy cough that rivaled Remus’s in strength. The coughing fit lasted for about half a minute and she turned red as she drew deep breaths in between each cough. Finally, it was over and she winced, stroking her throat which undoubtedly was sore. Being the hero I am, I handed her some of the cough drops that I’d nicked from Remus (since they taste so nice). She glanced at me suspiciously but muttered, ‘thandks’ and popped one into her mouth, sighing in relief. She winced as she swallowed and got up slowly.

‘Evans! Where’re you going?’ I asked, ruffling my hair.

‘Badab Pobfrey,’ she sniffed, ‘Gedding some Pebber-ub.’

She pushed in her chair and exited the library.

Of course, being the hero I am, I got up too and decided to follow her.

[queenie]

I'm going to confess I'm a Remus junkie and the references you threw away totally made this story for me. <3

[RSB]

Loved the germy-ness of this. Silly girl probably infected everyone in the library.

[wannablessedbe]

awww, so sweet and adorable! james IS a gallant chap underneath it all, isn't he? and poor lily is such a sweetie. hope you continue

[Dusty15]

I, too, liked the Remus reference

But I liked the fic even more! Thanks for sharing!