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Lily hummed as she rocked back and forth on her nearly frozen feet, using the last, frayed shreds of patience left to her as she stood outside the theater building. The director had promised to put the cast list up at least forty-five minutes ago and she was nearly shin deep in snow. Her roommate, Remus, who’d auditioned as well, was horribly ill and currently taking up the entirety of their couch, as he always did one weekend a month, and she wasn’t very fond of the idea of being the one to tell him he hadn’t gotten a role, if the director was too dense to cast him.
This had not been a good morning, but, as per usual, she was managing to find at least a couple positive points in it. That is, until James Potter showed up, with that ridiculous red and gold beanie that he insisted on wearing everywhere jammed on his ridiculously large head.
“Evans!” He yelled, obnoxiously gleeful beyond all reasonable limits despite the early hour, running over to her like some sort of excited puppy, and she stifled a groan as he sidled right up to her, leaving barely an inch of space between them. “I didn’t know you were auditioning too!”
“I didn’t know you were auditioning either, Potter.” She tried to keep all traces of bitterness out of her voice, but it still seeped through, writhing nastily in the spaces between her words. Potter’s expression shifted, leaving him looking like a kicked puppy for a split second, but his glee returned in full force almost immediately. How anyone could be so cheerful on Monday mornings, she did not know, but she was almost certain it involved either drugs or a preposterous amount of coffee.
“Bet you you’re up for Beatrice.” He was practically bouncing up and down and Lily could practically swear by the fact that some part of him, if not his entire body, was constantly in motion. Severus would likely have made some sort of a joke about physics and bodies in motion, but after their falling out near the end of their first semester at school, she’d hardly spoken to him more than necessary.
The fact remained that she’d never seen anyone as uninhibited as James Potter until, on one extremely unfortunate Monday morning, she’d walked into Acting 101 and seen James Potter standing on a chair just to ensure he was taller than everyone else in the room. Of course, he didn’t need the chair for that, but his persistently annoying flair for the dramatic probably helped him get a job or two. Hopefully not the one she knew he was going to speak up about in five, four, three, two… “I auditioned for Benedick!”
Zero.
“Been a dick, Potter?” Lily raised an eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure you still are one.”
“Wait, what?” James looked around in confusion. “I—Oh, got it, right. You’re a real hoot, Evans.”
“Give me the credit I deserve, Potter.” Lily smirked. “I’m at least a hoot and a half.”
“Hey, Sirius!” James, thankfully, was also easily distracted in addition to being easily excitable, and ran off toward the rapidly approaching figure. “That’s the list?”
“And you’re on it, obviously.” Sirius rolled his eyes, dramatically heaving a sigh as he walked right past Lily to tape the cast list up. “Your mum would kill me if I didn’t give you a part. Look at you, Sirius, leaving your poor cousin out to dry.”
“Don’t be like that, Siri, you’d still have a place set at Sunday dinners and that’s really all that matters. Really though, you didn’t cast me as a tree this time?” James grimaced, remembering how horrible that had been, before peeking at the list. He’d had a weird rash for nearly a week before they realized he was allergic to the coating of the leaves on his costume. “Hey, I got the lead!”
Lily trudged over before standing on her tiptoes to catch sight of the list, which she was sure that Sirius had placed just above her eye level on purpose. “So did I.” She muttered, pumping her fist in the air in mock celebration. “What a wonderful death sentence you’ve given me.”
“To die by your side”, James began, obviously fishing for compliments, but Lily easily cut him off.
“Is such a horrible way to waste my time.” She rolled her eyes. “Cut the crap, Potter.”
“I knew I picked the best actress for the job!” Sirius exclaimed, smirking as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. “You know, you two do have to kiss at the end. So at least try to be friends for the next few months.”
“I have to make out with Evans?” James looked mildly terrified and Lily couldn’t help but be glad about that. “I mean, not that she isn’t smoking hot or anything, but…”
“Get creative.” Sirius winked before shivering theatrically. “It’s far too cold out here for little old me, so I’ll leave you lovebirds to yourselves, then.”
James, who was uncharacteristically silent at the possibility of ending up alone with Lily, only grunted by way of an answer, kicking at the pile of snow in front of him. “This is a fine mess we’ve ended up in.”
“Why do you say that?” Lily frowned. “You spent the last four years trying to get in my pants, why quit now?”
“Not worth the effort.” James groaned. “It’s Monday morning, Evans, and you’d probably be a terrible lay.”
“I’m a package full of surprises, Potter.” Lily winked, and James’ jaw nearly unhinged itself from how low it was hanging. “Hopefully you live long enough to find out.”
“What is it with girls and wanting to kill me?” James muttered, stomping off towards the significantly warmer inside of Sirius’ car. “It’s got to be a pattern, at this point…”
"I’m sure it has something to do with your dashing personality, Potter." Lily called after him, rolling her eyes at the inappropriate hand gesture sent her way. "Or lack thereof."
"Shut it, Evans!" He yelled, before ducking into Sirius’ car, and Lily crossed her arms, resolutely bracing herself against the cold.
There was really no way to make this particular Monday better.