The Flaw in Perfection

They were the perfect couple. Lily Evans and Lucas Edwards: both were students in their final year at Hogwarts, both were past prefects, conscientious, and remarkably clever. As they walked down the corridor together, teachers, and pupils alike couldn't help but stop and wonder about the couple's certain, beautiful future together. Only one person could never be persuaded to think this way. A certain James Potter: Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, all round practical joker, confident, yet also, extremely intelligent.

"What an idiot," Lily Evans commented to her handsome boyfriend, Lucas, for she had just spotted James Potter, his arms folded complacently across his chest, propped up against the wall of the Transfiguration classroom. He was surrounded by people, mainly girls, all laughing animatedly at a joke he had just made.

"They're all idiots and all," Lily added, throwing Potter's fan club an angry look.

Lucas nodded his agreement as they drew closer to Potter and his admirers. For some reason, Potter's arrogant exterior had always angered Lily immensely. She had thought, at first, that he was simply too full of himself to notice anything, but recently, she had begun to wonder if his confident façade was covering something more. Either way, she had no time to fathom the workings of Potter's mind, and anyway, she had always made a point never to conceal a great impatience when it came to immature boys. On this occasion however, Lily was keen to slip into her Arithmancy class un-noticed by the 'Great James Potter'. She wasn't in the mood for an argument today, suffering from lack of sleep and a seriously bad hair day; it really wasn't the time.

At that very moment, Chloe Banbury popped out from behind Lucas. "Hey, Lucas!" Chloe exclaimed happily. "Hi, Lily," she added just as enthusiastically.

"How's your day going, Chloe?" Lucas asked his fellow Ravenclaw, smiling broadly.

"Great, thanks, although Slughorn just gave us a stack of homework. Anyway, I'd better get going, see you at lunch!" And with that, she slipped into the crowd. She was so petite that she managed to vanish from sight almost immediately.

"And she's always that eager?" Lily inquired.

"Every time I speak to her she is, so I would guess so." He chuckled fondly.

Lily smiled vaguely back at Lucas, inwardly wishing she was always that vibrant. Instantly, the smile dropped from her already pale face as she spotted Potter striding towards her. As per usual, he was accompanied by his 'Marauders': Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew, and of course, their enormous egos. She saw Lucas visibly tense out of the corner of her eye as he noticed them too.

"Ah, the wonderful Lily Evans!" Potter exclaimed loudly, as his friends sighed and rolled their eyes.

"Just go away, Potter, I'm not in the right mood to deal with you today," Lily retorted.

"Obviously you can't admit it with your friend here, but you know you secretly worship me," boasted the boy, laughing with his friends.

"Oh yes, actually I think that maybe if everyone wasn't here I would've jumped on you already," she said sarcastically. "Shame about that, isn't it?" she added with a grin to equal Potter's.

Although smiling confidently, Lily was aware that pink blotches had begun to form rapidly on her cheeks. She also couldn't help but notice that many people had turned to stare.

"Look, we need to get going, Lil. Professor Theorem will be angry if we're late." Lucas was always the pacifier in these kinds of situations. Lily constantly asked him how he kept so calm, when it was all she could do to keep control.

"That's right, always the nice one aren't you, Edwards?" Potter commented. "I don't know why you bother with him Evans, when you could have a real man like me." He winked at Lily mischievously.

"Just stop it, will you? Leave me and Lucas alone! You've got plenty of other people you could be winding up, you know," Lily observed, "and for the record, I wouldn't consider, even for a second, 'having a man like you.'"

She was beginning to get angry, but she was determined not to let everyone see it. So, without a backward glance at Potter, Lily cut her way through the crowd and turned into an empty corridor. She rested her head against one of the cool, white walls and breathed a heavy sigh. Why did she let Potter affect her like this? She knew he wasn't worth it, yet he always found the right day to wind her up in some way. She stood a little longer, allowing her pulse to slow down to a steady beat. When she heard the unmistakable sound of Lucas's footsteps coming toward her, she straightened up and pushed her hair out of her bright green eyes.

"Thought you'd be waiting for me," Lucas said, grinning as he rounded the corner.

"Yeah, didn't want to lose you but, Potter and his friends, well, you know how they wind me up."

"It's ok, I understand. But if it's any consolation, I think McGonagall sorted them out after you left."

"Really? Good for her!" Lily replied. She could feel her mood lightening now. Perhaps I'm finally waking up? she thought to herself.

"Right, come on, we'd better run if it's even going to be worth getting to Arithmancy today." With that, he suddenly grabbed hold of Lily's hand and took off in the direction of some stairs. He jumped the stairs two at a time, and Lily was left sprinting behind him, screaming and laughing in protest.

This is why I love him, Potter, she thought frantically as she rushed behind Lucas along yet another corridor. And what ever you do, there's no way I will ever change my mind. As she entered the Arithmancy classroom gasping for breath, Lily Evans smiled genuinely for the first time that day, and it was all down to Lucas. Perfect Lucas.