(Ignore how canonically they're a year apart pls)

Lily had always been a perfectionist, it had actually become quite a serious problem in some cases. Like how she had to have everything orderly and couldn't stand messes. But she was also stubborn enough to keep it to herself.

Although sometimes it was blindingly obvious. Like the fact that Lily had always tried for the top scores in her academic school life at Hogwarts. Being from a muggle family already put her lower than most other students and it felt like a way for Lily to prove herself.

That was until Barty started getting higher grades than her and scores on tests. It was unnervingly strange because no one, not even the fellow Slytherins, saw Barty actually study. He just seemed to know things.

Lily didn't like it. She had already been competing with Severus for years and now had Barty to work against. Her friends (mostly Remus) offered to help while the rest tried to assure Lily that it really wasn't that big of a deal.

To her, they just didn't understand. They didn't understand the silent thrill that ran through her bones each time she one upped Barty. Or how he lingered in her mind late into the night. She pushed those thoughts far far away.

Right now, Lily was sat in potions. She was following all the guidelines for their potion and Professor Slughorn noticed. She let him take a sample and show the class, eyes instinctively finding Barty’s with an almost smug satisfaction.