The thing about Lily Evans was that she would always want to help. Even if she didn’t want to help, even if she was disinclined to subject herself to an afternoon of what would likely be the most withering of stares administered by someone who thought themself above her - she would still help if she thought it was possible. So while if Slughorn had asked her to right the wrongs of this world or tilt a person like Regulus’ view of those born to families like hers she would have respectfully declined, but preparing someone for the Potions practical leg of the O.W.L. was another matter altogether. She had a bit of a soft spot for Professor Slughorn, and the man knew it and had used it to his advantage when it had come to approaching the topic of assisting Regulus Black. Lily always wanted to help even if it seemed as though it would be at her own peril.

To her credit, Lily ignored the look on Regulus’ face although she thought she could sense his disparaging boredom oozing off of him in waves. All she had to do was walk him through one, maybe two potions, dispense a bit of practical advice and she would be on her way. He couldn’t be that much of a disaster on the subject, could he?

“Right, well,” Lily’s voice broke the silence almost crispily, her head tilting in the direction of the cauldron he seemed more inclined to eye skeptically rather than do anything with. “I thought the best way to go about this would be for me to watch you work and see where you’re having trouble. So-” She didn’t finish her thought out loud, merely tilted her head in the direction of the cauldron in question and look at him expectantly.

She’d selected Pepper-Up Potion for his first attempt. It was complicated enough to be a challenge but if it went wrong nothing too disastrous would happen.