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Lily Evans has always excelled at school. She works hard for her high marks, and is damn proud of them too. While she’s not totally sure about what she wants to do after she leaves Hogwarts, she’s leaning towards either a Healer or a Professor, so a Potions NEWT is non-negotiable.
And so, here she is, in the library late on a Friday night. She has a plan: study all night, memorise the potion recipes in her Advanced Potion-Making textbook, commit the magical properties of each ingredient to memory, and prepare herself for any unexpected variations or challenges that might arise while brewing. It’s going to be a long night, but she’s ready.
When she first arrived, the library was packed with students cramming for their NEWTs. Lily found a small two-person table in a back corner, spread out her books and parchment, and settled into a rhythm. Two hours pass in quiet focus. Then, a voice breaks through, startling her out of her concentration.
“Can I sit here?”
Lily looks up, surprised to see Barty Crouch Jr., books in hand and expression tight.
“Is there nowhere else for you to sit?” She responds, annoyed at the interruption.
“Do you really think I would be standing here asking if there was?”
Lily rolls her eyes, “Fine, sit. But do not talk to me.”
“Like I’d even want to, Evans.”
Barty slides the chair out, plopping his things down on the table, forcing Lily to shift her own materials. They’re entirely too close. The table is pressed into a corner, so the only option is for Barty to sit next to her. They manage to work peacefully for a while, and eventually the library starts clearing out.
It is a Friday night, afterall, so students are finishing their studies early to enjoy the weekend. She half expects Barty to leave early as well, considering she heard rumblings of a Ravenclaw party.
Lily’s eyes drift to Barty, his tongue caught between his teeth and brows furrowed in concentration. Lily’s never noticed before how handsome he is. His light brown hair is a bit wild, and for some reason, she finds herself wanting to smooth it down. Her eyes move to his, green like hers but a shade different—a bluish-green that’s striking in its own way. She’s never been close enough to him before to truly notice how captivating they are.
She shakes her head, trying to shift her attention back to her studies. She notices then that Barty is writing down potions ingredients as well, his book opened to Amortentia.
“Are you studying for a Potions NEWT?” The words are out of her mouth before she has time to consider whether she wants to talk to him.
Barty snaps up from his book, expression startled before shifting into a smirk, “I thought you said I wasn’t allowed to talk to you?”
Heat climbs up Lily’s neck and into her cheeks, “Never took you for someone who follows orders, but I’m impressed. If it’s permission you need, then yes, you can talk to me.”
Barty tilts his head slightly, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips as he regards her for a moment. The longer he stares, the warmer Lily’s cheeks feel. “Yes. I am,” he says, voice low and sure.
“Do you know what you plan to do after Hogwarts?”
“I have a few ideas. You?”
“I have a few ideas.”
The two of them spend the next few hours quizzing each other on various potion recipes. Lily has always known Barty is smart—he was one of few to get all 12 OWLs—but she never imagined herself enjoying having a conversation with him this much. He’s impulsive, a little reckless, and can be a bit of an arse at times. Yet tonight, she’s discovering that he challenges her in a way that’s almost... thrilling.
“You’re still missing one ingredient from the list, Lily.”
“I know, I know!” Lily presses her middle fingers to her temple, pinching her eyes shut in an attempt to draw out the missing Veritaserum ingredient from her mind. She’s been studying for hours at this point, and it’s almost 1am.
“Do you want a hint?”
She fixes him with a sharp gaze.
“Okay, okay, no hint. You’ve got this, I know you know it.”
Lily feels her cheeks flush. What’s wrong with her? She must really be exhausted if she’s blushing at a near compliment from Barty Crouch Jr.
Barty nudges her knee with his own under the table, eyes soft when she looks at him. “Well?”
“Jobberknoll feathers,” she exclaims loudly, covering her mouth after the outburst.
“Good girl, I knew you knew that one. Also, I’m pretty sure we’re the only ones left in the library, so no need to concern yourself with being quiet.”
A flutter stirs in her stomach at his words. Needing a break and fresh air, she closes her textbook. “I’m going to take a walk. I still have a lot of studying to do, but I need a brain break.”
Barty looks up, “Mind if I join you? I think I’ll be studying for a while more too, so I could use a cigarette.”
“You smoke?”
“Bad habit I picked up from Regulus. Didn’t think I’d be picking up habits from someone a year younger than me, but here we are.”
Lily chuckles, shaking her head slightly.
“You know,” Barty says, slipping on his cloak, “It’s actually been nice having someone to study with tonight, being able to quiz each other and whatnot.”
“It has,” Lily agrees, her voice soft and a little tentative.
Barty’s green eyes hold a hesitant spark, as if he’s weighing the words before they leave his lips. “It’s already so late, but if you want, we could just pull an all-nighter… keep quizzing each other?” There’s a flicker of uncertainty in his voice, yet beneath it lingers a quiet confidence that draws Lily in.
What’s the harm, really? She needs to study, and he’s been a surprisingly good partner.
There’s more to Barty Crouch Jr. than Lily expected—an intriguing puzzle she’s slowly piecing together, one surprising detail at a time.
“Sure,” she responds with a small grin, tucking a lock of her bright auburn hair behind her ear.
The two of them walk around the castle. Barty convinces her to try a cigarette—Lily hates it—but finds Barty particularly attractive smoking it himself.
After a walk a while, they make their way back to the library. Oscillating between quizzing each other, writing down recipes and ingredients, and chatting about what they hope to do with their futures.
As the night wears on, the early morning sun starts to peek through the large library windows. When the two of them stand to leave, their hands brush—just for a second—but it’s enough to make Lily pause, her heart thudding unexpectedly.
“Barty,” she starts, voice soft, “If you ever want to study again, well—I would be open to it. I think we’ll be taking similar NEWTs, and I hate to admit it, but you’ve been a good study partner.”
Barty grins, one hand braced on the small table they’ve spent the night sharing to lean into her space, “Sure, Evans. I’d like that.”
With that, the two leave the library, heading in separate directions towards their dorms, and Lily’s face is fitted with an unexpected smile the whole way.