Lily sets her painting on McGonagall's desk, watching the woman's eyes evaluate it. Neither a smile nor frowns appears on her face, sending mixed emotions. "Thank you Miss Evans," McGonagall says. Lily waits a moment, hoping for some words of feedback, but quickly resumes back to her seat when nothing is said. Severus, who had switched seats the previous day, gives her an encouraging thumbs up.

"I think she hated it," Lily grumbles. She slumps in her seat, untying the back of her smock.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Severus says, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"So this weekend you said you wanted to hangout?"

"Yeah, if you're free."

"I have something on Saturday, but Sunday I can."

"Perfect."

Lily slips her bag over her shoulder, following her peers out of the classroom. Severus grabs the door for her, his smile dissipating when Marlene comes bounding around the corner. Her long brunette locks flail around and a shriek like sound emits from her mouth as she hugs Lily.

"Bye Sev," Lily says waving, walking off with Marlene.

Marlene glances back, her eyes narrowing on the boy left standing alone. "Since when do you talk to Snape?" she asks with a bitterness.

"He's my friend. And how do you know him?"

"Went to high school with him..." She kicks open the door, taking a deep breath of the fresh air. "Are you excited for Saturday?"

"Oh gosh, why would I be excited for Saturday?"

"Very funny."

"Of course I am, Marlene! You think I would forget your birthday party that you talk about constantly?"

They enter a sub shop a block away from the school. It's very small, about the size of her bedroom, crowded with loaves of bread stacked to the ceiling. Lily stares up at the sign hanging above the register, squinting to read the handwriting. The loopy writing is nice, aside from the fact it's barely legible.

A loud ringing occurs, startling both of them. Marlene scowls, reading the name on her phone. "I have to take this, but get me a ham and cheese please," she says, handing Lily a five.

The neon sign on the front window radiates a soft buzzing noise, just barely audible over the clanking of the heater attached to the window. A tall guy walks through the doorway, slowing his step as he sees Lily in front of the counter. He ruffles his hair slightly, grabbing a fresh pair of gloves. "Hey," he greets.

Lily tears her eyes away from the sign, walking up to him. "Hi," she replies kindly.

"I'm Amos." He leans against the counter, looking at her with his shimmering blue eyes.

"Lily."

"What can I get for you?"

"Uh, I need a ham and cheese..." The brief thought of James crosses her mind. Maybe he was hungry too. The last time she checked, the fridge had all but two pickles and a half empty bottle of lemonade in it. "Two turkey clubs and a Dr. Pepper please."

"Anything else?" She shakes her head. "Alright, fifteen twenty-two."

Reaching into her pocket, she pulls out a ten and pairs it with Marlene's five.

"I swear I had some change in my pocket..." she mumbles, digging into her front pockets.

"It's fine, I can cover it."

Lily freezes, her eyes widening. "No, no that's fine I swear I have a quarter in here."

Amos laughs, ringing up her order. "It's twenty-two cents, I'm more than happy to cover it." He taps his hand on the printer, waiting for the receipt to show. "You live around here?"

"Not really, I'm about twenty minutes out." He smiles again, showcasing his pearly whites. Is he flirting? She dismisses the idea the second it appears. He was just being friendly. She looks around to avoid eye contact, catching a glimpse of Marlene outside on the phone. She paces back and forth, throwing her hands up in outrage. The words are unheard, but whoever was on the other end of the phone is getting their ear bit off.

After a few minutes, Amos sets a bag on the counter. "Here you go."

"Thank you," Lily says.

"And some napkins." He slides the white squares across the counter with the same flirtatious smile. "Call me sometime."

Lily waves to be polite, pushing open the door hastily. She signals for Marlene's attention, and they both head towards the L. Lily swings the bag back and forth absentmindedly, counting how many steps it took before a new sidewalk square started. Amos' words replay in her head throughout the entire train ride home. Maybe she was just over thinking a friendly conversation. Marlene had finished her phone call long ago, and was now rambling on about how the Monopoly man without a doubt had a monocle.

They split ways getting of the train - and Marlene had come to the conclusion that the Monopoly man had a monocle but the government was trying to brainwash everybody to think differently. Lily kicks the apartment door shut with her foot, quickly turning around to make sure that there weren't any scuff marks. James hates when she does it; he says the shit on her shoes smudges the door. Such a gentleman.

"Shouldn't shut the door like that," James says, entering the room wearing a pair of shorts and white socks. Only. A towel wraps around his neck as he dries the ends of his hair.

"Yeah yeah, shit on the door," Lily mumbles playfully. "I got you a surprise."

He takes a seat at the counter, reaching for the bag to take a peak. She slams her hand down, startling him. He rolls his eyes, leaning back against the chair, flexing his arms behind his head. "What's that thing on the fridge?"

"It's a whiteboard."

"For?"

"Notes." Lily opens one of the drawers, pulling out an expo marker. She writes eggs on the board, capping the marker proudly. "See?" When she turns around, James has already grabbed the bag, inspecting its contents. "I got you a sandwich." His lips curl into a soft smile, taking out the two sandwiches, but he doesn't say anything else. "Thank you Lily. You're such a kind and considerate roommate."

He snorts, unraveling out the sandwich. "Hand me that napkin." Her hand remains on her hip, arching an eyebrow expectantly. He rolls his head back and adds, "Please."

Lily slides the napkin over, picking up her drink to finish. "If I could tape your mouth shut sometimes, living here would be so much more fun. Don't you think?" When she looks up at James, his face is in a scowl. He licks his lips, clearly not paying attention to her, crumpling up the napkin in his hand before wiping his mouth with it. "Glad we're on the same page." The straw of her soda slurps loudly when the only remains are ice. James pauses mid bite; his eyes flicker up at her and she stops drinking. Just as he's about to bite down, she slurps her drink again - this time louder. "Sorry, is that annoying?"

Smirking, she sets aside her empty cup and starts to open her own sandwich. "I saw a cute dog today," she casually comments. James nods to acknowledge her, though he probably couldn't give two shits. "Yeah, super cute..." Her mind drifts off to the dog from this morning and it's snarky looking owner. Suddenly her eyes light up with an idea - "We should get a pet!"

James' head snaps up immediately. "No!"

"Not a dog, silly. Like a fish! I've always wanted a fish."

"If you get a fish I will flush it down the toilet."

"No you won't." At least she hopes not. "I think I'll go to the pet store later." He presses his lips into a thin line, though doesn't say anything. "Don't worry, I'll leave a note before I leave."