His Date And Complications
Authors Note - So while writing my other story(Passing Notes Can Be A Good Thing) a reviewer gave me the idea to write what happened in James and Lily's first date. Because there is no guide or hints to what really happened, I thought I would write my own version of the story. I tried to put a few funny points in there but it's hard to combine romance and humor so it may or may not have worked. Please read and I beg you to review.
Disclaimer - I do not own any of the following, I only came up with the ideas and complications and wrote the annoying story, nothing important.
The story...
He had a date. He had a date with the girl he had been chasing since first year. He had a date with a beautiful young witch, who had hated him since first year. He had a date with Lily Evans. Already you would be able to guess that this certain date wouldn't be the average date. This was for one reason. That attractive, charming reason was Lily Evans.
It was the seventeenth day of November, there was nothing special about the day. Not concerning the weather(light snow), the many students bustling about Hogsmeade or the shopkeepers. But for one messy haired boy, by the name of James Potter, it would be one of the greatest days of his life. Somehow he had transformed from being an arrogant toe-rag who hung people by their ankles for fun, into being a thoughtful, smart and charming gentleman. This was what had changed Lily Evans mind.
At the moment though, James was a hyperventilating, nervous, touchy little boy who was scared to death. He had spent two whole hours getting dressed and ready that Saturday morning, and this was a long time for any young man. Unfortunately for the wizard, his friends were feeding off his fear and trying to cheer him up in a sort of mocking way.
The Marauders, consisting of Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and James Potter, were all standing just outside Madam Puddifoot's, waiting for 11:30am to arrive. James had insisted that he got there ten minutes early to wait for Lily, just in case she got there early. It had been about two minutes and Sirius was laughing at James without showing he cared about how his friends date was going to go. Remus was chuckling lightly from time to time at Sirius' teasing of James. Peter was laughing nervously at the jokes Sirius cracked, but not hard enough to make James turn on him.
There were students of all shapes and sizes hurrying along the streets of Hogsmeade, meeting up with friends and having a good time in the light snow that layered nearly every surface reachable. "They obviously don't understand what today is." thought James sourly as he watched a bunch of Hufflepuff fifth years walk past laughing. He ran a sweaty hand through his black hair and looked up, praying to Merlin that all would go well. He was wearing a thick, dark grey jacket with jeans and he kept looking himself over, making sure he was presentable.
"Chill out Prongs! You look like a pre-schooler on their first day of school." said Sirius, observing his nervous friend.
"Prongs, if she turns up and sees you like this..." Remus said calmly to his anything-but-calm friend.
"What?" James said suddenly, looking at Remus with alarm. "What's wrong?"
"No, no, no, no. Nothing with what you look like... well sort of. I mean, what do you think she will think if she turns up and finds you in a frenzy. She will feel even more nervous than she already is. You need to be confident if you're going to make it out of this date in one piece." explained Remus, trying to sooth James' uneasiness.
"What do you mean 'in one piece'?" inquired James, fear increasing at the thought of all of the possibilities that phrase could mean.
"Don't think about it." said Remus sighing.
"Mate, you gotta keep your cool with the lady. Chill out. Be your normal, mentally challenged self. That's who she fancies, not some nervous little mumble mouth." added Sirius in an attempt to help his mate.
"Am I mumbling? Really? Oh Merlin! How do-" hurried James.
"You are not mumbling. Don't worry about it. I'm sure Lily will still like you even if you mess up a bit." comforted Remus. James ran a hand quickly through his messy black hair.
"Ok, ok. James bloody Potter. She is never going to hate you again. You two love birds have been giving each other googly eyes for the past... I don't know, say four months? Just relax a bit, mate." said Sirius.
"I agree. I think you will do great. Don't worry about everything." chimed in Peter.
James took a quick glance at his watch and realised that there were six minutes until Lily would emerge from the crowd. "Six minutes. Only six minutes." James mumbled to himself. Sirius sighed, Peter shuffled his feet and Remus rolled his eyes.
"Are you going to carry on like this 'til the very last second?" asked Sirius.
"I would bet on it." replied Peter, watching James.
"Should I give him a calming charm?" Remus asked Sirius and Peter.
"I am still here you know and I can hear you too." snapped James at the other three.
"He is sounding a little bit more like himself there." said Sirius thoughtfully. "But as soon as he remembers why he's standing here he will start having another heart attack." he finished.
"I say charm him. I think he needs it." said Peter to Remus.
"I am still here!" said James loudly.
"We know." Remus replied. The young werewolf pulled out his wand from his trousers and pointed it at James.
"Only if you think it's best." sighed James just before Remus cast the charm. Instantly James felt majority of his nervousness vanish but there was still a hint of worry in him.
"Better?" asked Sirius.
"A bit." admitted James.
"Good. Now, you are going to walk into this date with confidence and that 'Potter charm' you are always talking about and you are going to come out with a massive goofy grin on your face, okay?" said Sirius. Without waiting for a reply he finished "Good".
"Sounds like a plan to me." said James, hoping it was what would happen. On the outside, James was just staring off into space but really, his mind was far from space. He was thinking up funny ways to greet Lily when she arrived.
For about the millionth time that day, James scanned the crowd for any signs of red hair. His search was abandoned after a minute of constant looking at the tops of people's heads.
"Prongs, she will come when she comes." Remus told his friend.
"Just a tiny little favor, Prongs." started Sirius.
"What is it this time?" James asked, slightly bored with Sirius asking him the same thing nearly every day.
"Could we borrow the cloak?" asked Sirius.
"Yeah sure." answered James. He pulled the invisibility cloak from his back pocket and handed it to Sirius. "Don't loose it and don't get caught." James commanded them. They all nodded solemnly, with Sirius saluting. "What are you using it for anyway?"
"Nothing of your business." said Sirius.
"That translates as we don't know." explained Remus.
"Oh, okay then." James said, though still not believing them completely.
"I think I'm going to go to Honeydukes." said Peter. "I might be a while so I'll catch you 'round."
"Okay Wormtail. We'll be about so just look for us when you're done." Remus said to Peter.
"See ya' Wormy." said Sirius and he waved as the shorter wizard wished James luck and turned to the crowd.
"Can I ask a favor in return, Pads?" asked James. His friends nodded so he continued. "Could you... I don't know like... hang around? Like, while I'm with Lily."
"So, like watch you on your date to make sure nothing goes wrong." clarified Sirius.
"I guess, yeah. Just sort of sit a few tabled away so I can still see you." said James.
"Why, Prongs? I think you will do great on your own." said Remus.
"It's just so I feel more comfortable, you know? Because I know you guys and I will feel more secure if you are there." James answered.
"The whole time?" Sirius asked.
"Not the whole time. How about I scratch my nose with my right hand when I want you to leave." offered James.
"Sounds good." said Remus and he nodded along with Sirius. They were silent for a moment before Sirius interrupted the peace.
"How much longer do I have to wait here for your date?" Sirius asked impatiently, tapping his foot and crossing his arms.
"Until she gets here which is due in about... two minutes." answered James, scanning the crowd again and running his hand through his hair... again.
"Prongs, Lily is going to get here at eleven-thirty on the dot. That's just how she is about these sort of things." said Remus.
"I know, I know. Just in case..." continued James which caused Remus to roll his eyes again.
"What case is he talking about?" asked Sirius.
"I don't know but it's a pretty big one." answered Remus.
"I reckon she gave him a really strong love potion." stated Sirius randomly.
"I don't think that's the sort of thing Lily would do." pointed out Remus.
"I am most definitely not under the influence of a love potion for your information." James said.
"How would you know?" inquired Sirius.
"Because we never knew how to brew a love potion in first year." said James.
"There are other ways to get your hands on a love potion you know. And she is a very skilled potions brewer." countered Sirius.
"I hope you are talking about me because that Cathy Barns couldn't brew a Hiccuping potion to save her life." said Lily, stepping from behind James. James jumped about two feet in the air at her sudden appearance, causing both Remus and Sirius to laugh. James turned to face Lily and was yet again, taken aback by her simple beauty.
She was wearing a cream colored trench-coat with dark jeans and this made her red hair(which she had let down for the occasion) stand out perfectly. After Merlin knows how long James realised he was staring and looked away, to his two friends who were still standing there awkwardly.
"Hey Lily. You look great by the way." said James looking back to his date.
"Thanks. Er... shall we go now?" she asked, observing his friends.
"Yes, let's. See ya' guys." James said and held out his hand for Lily. She placed her smaller hand in his, fitting perfectly, and the two of them opened the door to Madam Puddifoot's. James and Lily weaved through the tables to a quiet corner of the shop and found a two person table by the window.
The interior walls of the building were coffee brown and the tables were made of oak, covered with a red and white checked tablecloth. There were pictures of flowers, grassy fields and loving couples covering the walls and matching flowers were set in vases on the tables. The floor was carpeted with a short red material and the windows had red curtains to match. The room was filled with the murmur of the small crowd, spread throughout the large room.
"My lady." said James as he pulled out her chair for her. She smiled at him and sat down. James took his own seat opposite her and took in what was happening. Finally, he was on a date with Lily Evans. It was all starting to sink in now.
"I meant it when I said you look great, Lily." he said as he saw her adjust the collar of her coat. "Actually, that was probably an understatement. You look brilliant." he added when she looked up at him.
"I know. I'm being stupid. It's just... a lot to take in, you know?" Lily said.
"I know what you mean. I hate to admit it, but I probably took longer to get ready this morning that you did." he said while keeping eye contact.
"I doubt that's possible with roommates like mine. They woke me up at seven this morning. Seven! On a weekend!" she said.
"This is an outrage, this is! An outrage!" said James, grinning.
"Do you know what time I would normally wake up on a weekend?" Lily asked. It was meant as a rhetorical question but James gave her no time to answer her own question.
"Yes. Anytime between nine-thirty and ten." he said. Lily was temporarily shocked but then smiled.
"I should be used to this by now." she said.
"You should." agreed James.
"It's just I've never had a boyfriend who knows everything about me." she continued.
"Here are your menus. I'll give you two a minute to decide on what you would like before I take your orders." said the waiter who looked to be in his mid-twenties. The wizard was wearing dark grey dress robes with a read bow tie around his neck. He left the couple to go and look after another table to serve.
"Thank you." Lily said to the waiter and opened her menu. James did the same and started scanning the page for something that caught his eye. He glanced up and saw Sirius and Remus two tables behind Lily, watching him. "What idiots." he thought with a small smirk. James continued looking through the menu and spotted something that sounded alright.
"I'm going to have the Chetta and Spinach toastie with some butterbeer. What would you like?" he said.
"I think I'll have the same, but with some tea." Lily replied, putting down her menu.
"Tea?" James repeated and raised his eyebrows. "I never though you were the tea type."
"I'm not really. Just for the... I just feel like it." she said.
"Just for the what?" he asked.
Lily blushed and replied "For the nerves." James didn't think Lily looked nervous but was happy to know that she was as well.
"Tell me if it works then." he said. At the perfect moment the waiter came back to their table with his floating note-book and wand.
"Have you decided?" he asked. The two of them nodded and he continued. "What would you like to order?".
"We would like a Chetta and Spinach toastie each. I'll have a hot butterbeer and Lily here would like some tea." said James. As he spoke the order appeared on the waiters note-book in curly handwriting.
"Thank you for ordering. I will get these to you as soon as they are prepared." the waiter told them before walking towards the kitchen.
"He seems like a nice fellow." commented Lily.
"Lily, he's paid to be like that." James said.
"Yeah, but still." she said.
"So... er, how are you?" James asked to fill any silence that was approaching.
"I'm good. Nothing different has happened lately. What about you?" she said.
"I'm great. Fantastic even." he replied.
"And why is that?" Lily asked.
"Because I'm on a date with you." he replied sheepishly. Lily blushed and looked down at her lap.
"Flattery will get you nowhere, James Potter." she told him.
"Really? Because so far flattery has gotten me a date and made you blushed twice already." he said.
"You are a strange young man." murmured Lily.
"And you are a strange young woman. A match made in heaven." he marveled.
"Yes indeed." she agreed.
..o0O0o..
"What do you think they are talking about?" Sirius asked Remus in a hushed voice.
"Who cares?" Remus replied.
"I do!" answered Sirius.
"Prongs told us to be here, not to eavesdrop. Focus." said Remus.
"Come on. Get into the feel of it Moony. Aren't you even the tiniest bit interested what Prongs does on dates?" Sirius said, trying to sway his friend in the other direction.
"Yes I am curios but that doesn't make it right. You wouldn't like it if me and Prongs spied on one of your dates, would you?" furthered Remus.
"But you haven't... have you?" asked Sirius.
"You aren't the only one who is curios." said Remus with a smirk.
"You cheeky little wanker! That would explain..." realisation dawning on his face he turned bright red and looked at Remus. "You were the ones who set that firecracker off under our table that time, weren't you?"
"Yep." said a nodding Remus. "And proud of it. Although it was Prongs' idea, I take the credit for the positioning of the firecracker." he added.
"This means revenge. You can't stop me when I'm in the hunt for revenge. You might as well join me, Moony." Sirius said.
"As long as it doesn't affect the date." said Remus skeptically.
"It won't exactly affect the date." said Sirius. Remus nodded and looked over to the couple who were laughing at something James had said no doubt. He already felt guilty.
..o0O0o..
"I hope the food comes soon, I'm starving." said Lily.
"You are one of the only girls I've met who admits she wants food." James told her. "All the other girls think it makes them look fat or something. That makes you... human!".
"What a compliment." said Lily and she rolled her eyes. "I don't think a 'no food' diet is very good for you." she added.
"Neither. If I didn't eat any food I think I would knock myself out if I even tried to sit on a broom." he said.
"Yeah, it's alright for most boys to eat mountains of food and not get any bigger though. If a girl ate a mountain of food, it would show the next day." said Lily.
"You shouldn't worry about how you look though." said James. "You look beautiful the way you are." James said, trying to boost her self-esteem when it came to her body.
"James, don't say things you don't mean." she said and brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"I mean it though. Trust me." he replied truthfully.
"I believe you." she said while looking him in the eye.
"I think our food coming right about now." informed James, spotting the waiter approaching the couple with two dished of Chetta and Spinach toasties.
"Here you are, madam." said the waiter as he placed Lily's lunch in front of her. "And yours, sir." the wizard said, placing James' Chetta and Spinach toastie in front of him. "And I will be back with your drinks in a moment."
"I still think he is being nicer than the waiter over there." said Lily as she pointed to a rather gruff looking wizard who said as little as possible to a table a little away from them.
"Well, when you compare those two, our waiter looks posh." James said, looking at the wizard Lily had pointed out.
"Oh, come off it. You like him." Lily said, looking him in the eye.
"It is neutral." he replied. "This food looks good though."
"I know. Let's eat." Lily said as she picked up her knife and fork.
"Now that's something I can agree on." he replied, doing the same.
"So... How is Quidditch going?" asked Lily as she cut her first piece off and stabbed it with her fork.
"Great actually" he replied after swallowing his mouthful. "The team are really putting in an effort. I think we stand a good chance this year. We need to win the house cup this year because... it's my last year as captain and I want to make my mark, you know?" he said and started cut another piece of Chetta and Spinach toastie.
"Yeah I know. That's why I always wanted to be Head Girl. So I could leave a mark on the school." she said.
"Exactly. That and because Gryffindor really deserve a reason to throw a party every once in a while." said James.
"We don't need a reason to throw a party." Lily pointed out.
"I know. But if we do win, McGonagall will be too happy to hand out detentions." said James.
"Ahhh, I see. Always the logical thinker, aren't we James Potter?" she said, nodding with a smirk.
"How could you ever think otherwise?" replied James smiling.
"There are ways." Lily said before eating some more.
"Here are your beverages. I apologise for the wait but there are many customers today." said the waiter as he returned. "Here is your tea, madam." the older wizard placed the cup in front of Lily before doing the same to James with his butterbeer. "And yours sir. I hope you two have a splendid day. You seem to suit each other quite well, if I don't say so myself. I shall return to take more orders if you wish for dessert and collect the bill when you are ready." said the waiter politely.
"Oh, well thank you." replied Lily. With a nod the waiter left them to attend another couple across the room.
There was a minute or two of silence and eating but it was not at all awkward. In fact, both occupants of the table felt completely comfortable. Neither felt the need to fill every second with talk like they had at the beginning of the date and there was an air of understanding between them. Both knew that the other had been equally nervous earlier but getting this information out in the open seemed to have eased a bit of the nerves.
"So, how are you going in your essay for McGonagall, James?" asked Lily. James smiled at her calling him by his first name. He thought back to third year or so when she had absolutely hated him because he picked on Snape. She had come up with so many revolting things to call him he had lost count, none of them had included James of course. He had needed to earn that name.
"James? How's it going?" asked Lily, waving her hand in front of him. James woke from his daydream and swiftly grabbed her hand and kissed it tenderly. This caused Lily to blush bright red before he let go of her hand. She smiled genuinely at him and continued eating her lunch, the question long forgotten.
James and Lily picked up their drinks simultaneously and took small sips of their warn, soothing drinks. Emerald green and golden hazel met for a second before they both looked away blushing.
After a few minutes it was James who decided he should start conversation.
"So, how is your family going?" asked James.
"Er, alright. Petunia still hates me for being a witch. Mum and Dad are great though. Dad got a new job the other day. He is working for a high-ranking bank now. He likes the math involved." she explained.
"That's good. How's your mum?" he prompted.
"Oh yeah, she's fine. Still happy to stay at home though. Dad wants her to do something but she says she's too busy to do much else." she said.
"Right, right. And how about your sister. What is she up to these days?" asked James.
"I'm guessing she's fine." When he didn't say anything she continued. "She hasn't written in months. I keep trying to contact her but she just keeps pushing me away. Petunia is seeing some muggle called Vernon. Mum told me this of course." said Lily.
"It's not your fault you're a witch. And in any case it's something to be proud of, not to hate." comforted James.
"I only wish she saw it the same way. Anyway, enough about me. How are things with your family? I haven't heard much about them at all." she said.
"There's not much to say about them. They are both Aurors. In their fifties. Live in a mansion together. Love each other and are fairly happy. That pretty much sums it all up." said James before taking another bite.
"That sounds like the life." marveled Lily. "You are very lucky, James."
"I am even luckier to be with you." he added.
"Would you stop it." Lily said.
"Stop what?" he asked.
"Stop turning everything into a compliment." she replied.
"Okay, fine." agreed James.
"Good." she said and took another mouthful of her lunch.
..o0O0o..
"What do you think he's saying, Moony?" Sirius asked.
"I don't know and I don't care." he replied.
"Moony!" snapped Sirius.
"I don't know! You're the one with an acute sense of hearing." Remus said.
"Just shush and listen for a second." said Sirius. The two of them went quite for a moment, straining to pick up any of their friend's conversation.
"It's no use. The other people in the room are too loud." concluded Remus.
"We need to get closer..." mumbled Sirius.
"I'm fine where I am thanks. And if you move before Prongs scratches his nose he will kill you." warned Remus.
"Before he gives the signal but we could move closer after." said Sirius.
"Is that why you asked for the cloak?" inquired Remus.
"Smart one aren't you." said Sirius.
"I agree." Remus said.
..o0O0o..
Lily laughed loudly at a story James was retelling her, about the other Marauders.
"Okay, okay." said James, trying to calm down enough to continue telling the story. "So Moo- Remus was hanging by his ankles, Padf- Sirius was splashing around in the Black Lake and Peter was running around in circles holding a half-eaten ham sandwich yelling for help. All the while I was still sitting under the tree watching it all unfold, I have never laughed so hard." said James making himself laugh at the memory.
Lily was having a fantastic time so far and all was going according to plan. They had both finished their lunch and drinks and were now just talking. There were a few more people in the restaurant now and they needed to speak a bit louder to be clearly heard.
James had, in fact, been having such a good time he had forgotten all about Remus and Sirius sitting two tables away. That was until the conversation died for a while and he had time to look around. He spotted Sirius who had face planted on the table and looked as if he was falling asleep and then saw Remus, who had his head propped up with one arm, lazily watching a couple snog with distaste.
James scratched his nose with his left hand them let it flop back on the table. Neither Sirius or Remus had seen this action as both were looking elsewhere. He scratched his nose again. Like last time, nobody responded. Remus tore his eyes away from the snogging couple and saw James. Their eyes met and Remus sat up straighter.
"Should we order some sweets?" offered Lily.
"Sweets, er... yeah. Sounds good. Why don't we share some cake or something." James replied distractedly.
"Okay. Do you like chocolate?" she asked.
"Yeah. Chocolate is good. I don't mind." said James.
"I'll order us a large piece of chocolate cake then." she concluded and called over the waiter.
While Lily ordered, James looked back to Remus who was still watching him. James scratched his nose, rather obviously, with his left hand. Remus grinned and poked Sirius who stirred and lifted his head. The werewolf mumbled something to his friend that made Sirius grin broadly and look at James. Neither made a movement to leave so James scratched his nose again but got no reaction from his two friends. He mouthed 'leave' multiple times before giving up that tactic. Again, he scratched his nose with his left hand, a lot harder this time. After the third attempt, James resulted in having to mime what he wanted them to do.
"Er... James. What are you doing?" asked Lily, obviously confused by James weird actions.
"What? What happened?" James said as his attention snapped back to Lily.
"What's with the weird hand movements?" she asked again.
"Oh, er... sorry about that. Nothing to worry about." he said quickly.
"You are avoiding the question." stated Lily.
"Well observed." he commented.
"What were you doing?" she repeated, looking him in the eye. He was on the verge of telling her the truth but stopped himself just before he opened his mouth.
"It will stay a mystery until the day you marry me." James said.
"Boy, the many things you are going to have to tell me on our wedding day." said Lily. James scratched his nose again but still received no reaction. 'What are they playing at?' he thought to himself.
"I know. I have made so many promises to explain things on our wedding day, it's not funny." said James.
"Well, it sort of is." Lily said, grinning at James.
"Yeah, I guess it is. I can't even remember what I would have to tell you." he said.
"Well, there's that time when I caught you with , when I found you in the library with a book on muggle..." she said but James wasn't paying much attention. He scratched his nose with his left hand again, but this time he scratched a bit harder and longer. He saw the grin on Sirius' face widen and Remus shook his head sadly.
"James? Hello?" said Lily, pulling him out of his trail of thoughts.
"Oh, er. Sorry again. Just a bit, you know, drowsy." he recovered. In a final attempt to signal his friends to leave, he scratched his nose with his left hand. Lily tilted her head at the gesture and furrowed her eyebrows.
"Do you have an itchy nose or something?" she asked.
"What?" said a shocked James. "No, no. Nothing like that."
"Then why do you keep scratching your nose?" Lily inquired.
"Because I do it when I'm nervous." he lied.
"No you don't. You run your hand through your hair when you're nervous." she pointed out.
"It's just something I do on dates." James lied again. He hated lying to Lily but he couldn't let her find out, or it would kill his pride.
"Hmm. Can you tell me the truth on our wedding day?" asked Lily.
"Sure as pie, darling." said James, trying to seduce her.
"Not going to work." replied Lily as she leant back in her chair.
"Worth a try." he said with a shrug. He looked over her should when she turned her head to look out the window at the bustling street outside in the snow.
Sirius and Remus were still watching him with grins plastered on their faces. James sent them a glare, causing Remus to hold up both hands in surrender. With realisation dawning on James' face, he lifted his right arm off the table and scratched his nose. He had just remembered that he told them to leave when he used his right hand to scratch his nose and all along he had been using his left.
The two boys stood from the table they had been sharing and abandoned ship. With Remus in the lead and Sirius following him, they left the restaurant. James sighed deeply and smiled at Lily. It actually felt a bit better not to have his friends watching him because he knew that it was only him and Lily.
"So Lily. What are you doing for the Christmas holidays?" James asked, regaining his dates attention.
"I'm not completely sure. I'll be going back to Mum and Dad's for a while I guess. Nothing very interesting." she replied, turning her head to face him again.
"Simple. If the world was mine to recreate, I would make everything easy and simple like that." said James. "I'm not doing anything much either. Why don't you come stay at my place for a week or two?" he suggested.
"We-well I would have to think about it first." said Lily in a surprised voice. As she took in the disappointed look on James face, she continued. "But I would love to. That is if my parents allow me to and I wouldn't be intruding or anything."
"No, not at all. It was a bit soon to ask though, I will admit." said James.
"Here is your chocolate cake to share." said the waiter returning. He placed the plate in the middle of the table along with two forks. "Madam, sir. Please enjoy." he said. looking between the two, then leaving them alone once more.
..o0O0o..
Sirius and Remus left the the shop and stepped out into the busy street. They walked quickly around the front of Madam Puddifoot's before turning down the dark alleyway between Madam Puddifoot's and Dervish & Banges. Sirius pulled the invisibility cloak out of his back pocket and held it out to Remus.
"What are we doing, Padfoot?" asked Remus, taking the cloak all the same.
"We are going to supervise his date. You know, just see how he goes. Give him some help if he needs it." answered Sirius.
"What? Watch the rest of his date with Lily? He only said to be there until he scratched his nose with his right hand. We don't need to hang around any longer." said Remus.
"But I must have my revenge, Moony. I need to get him back for what he did to me." said Sirius.
"We can't! No, it's James date, not ours. We should let him do it how he wants to do it. It's none of our business." objected Remus.
"Come on Moony!" whined Sirius. "It'll be fun and we get to see Prongs all up in sweats when he says something stupid. How often do you get to see Prongs freaking out over a girl?" added Sirius.
"No, it's the wrong thing to do. He needs privacy and what would Lily do if she found out?" Remus said strongly, even though the thought of seeing James vulnerable would be quite humorous.
"Lily is not going to find out! We don't even have to stay the whole time, just until we hear something juicy." argued Sirius.
"Fine. I give up. But you have to buy me a bar of chocolate when this whole thing is over, alright?" said Remus.
"Consider it bought." Sirius said with a nod.
"I am going to live to regret this." said Remus as the two young boys stepped closer together and crouched a bit.
"You probably are." agreed Sirius and the two boys vanished under the invisibility cloak.
They shuffled awkwardly out of the alley and took a left back towards Madam Puddifoot's. They side-stepped against the front window of the restaurant to avoid an unnecessary collision with a passerby from the crowd. When the two young wizards reached the door Sirius swung it widely open so they would have enough time to make it into the building, because they couldn't move very fast. Luckily James hadn't seen and a couple walked in soon after, thinking that it was automatic for the door to open for everybody. Sirius and Remus shuffled closer and closer towards Lily and James' table until they could hear every word. Remus and Sirius were against a wall to their discomfort but at least they were less likely to be in somebody's way there.
"Mmm. This cake is great." said Lily as she took another bite.
"I know. It's really light but has a strong taste, you know?" he commented.
"I never knew men actually tasted their food!" Lily said with fake surprise.
"No no, you'd be surprised at the sensitivity of my taste buds." said James and took another chunk of chocolate cake.
"Really? I thought boys just shovelled food down their throats and swallowed." said Lily.
"Is that so? I have just proven you wrong then, haven't I?" he said.
"I'll give you that much credit." she said before swallowing another mouthful of chocolate cake.
"I really like what you're wearing." James commented, holding another mouthful of cake in front of his mouth.
"Thanks. It took Alice and Marlene an hour to pick it out this morning. I know they were only trying to help but it was a pain. They just kept arguing and their ideas were clashing all the time and they didn't agree on anything. In the end I told them I really didn't mind if the shoes didn't go perfectly with my hair and they worked from there." Lily explained.
"Interesting." said James.
"I'm sorry. I'm probably being really boring, telling you about my wardrobe crisis this morning. Sorry." she rushed.
"No, no! It's not boring at all. It's actually quite intriguing to know what happens in the girls dormitories in the mornings. The funny thing is it sounds a bit similar to our dorm." said James.
"Really? What, Peter and Sirius arguing about what you should wear on your date?" she asked.
"Not exactly that but... Well, I was going crazy about what I wore and when I picked out something Remus said it didn't match. Remus put together an alright outfit but then Sirius happened and there was this massive argument about whether I should have worn a red jumper or a blue jacket. In the end I had had enough and I grabbed this one and put it on." he said.
"Sirius really is more of a girl than I thought." said Lily. "But Remus... I never really thought of him as the fashion type of guy." said Lily having another mouthful.
"Everyone's normal until you get to know them." James said with a grin.
"Except for you." they both said at the same time. There was a pause and then James and Lily started laughing.
"Great minds think alike." said Lily.
"Brilliant minds think differently." said James.
"We must think the opposite then." she said.
"I like what you are implying there, Miss Evans." James said with a smirk.
"I only speak the truth." said Lily.
It was then that James realised that there was only one mouthful of cake left on the plate. He put it on his fork and reached across the table towards Lily. "Open wide." he told her. She chuckled but did as she was told. He put the piece of cake in her mouth and smiled as Lily closed her eyes. He gently pulled the empty fork out of her mouth and placed it on his plate.
"Nice?" he asked.
"It was the best piece." said Lily with a smile.
"Good to know." replied James.
"You have something right there." she said and touched the corner of her mouth. He did the same but she just shook her head. "Here silly." she said and reached over the table to softly wipe away a few crumbs off the corner of James' mouth. He smiled at her delicate touch and looked deep into her green eyes as she retracted away from him.
"You are very nice." he said before he had comprehended what he as saying. She smiled warmly at him and looked down at her lap, blushing. James inwardly swore at the level of stupidity he just showed. "Er... I mean nice as in you are a nice person and you have a nice attitude. And you have a nice face." he tried to make up for lost ground but the young wizard just made it worst.
"Thanks I guess. You have a nice face too." she said a bit lost.
"Sorry. I just sounded really stupid, didn't I?" said James, running his hand through his jet black hair.
"No, I think it was sweet and direct." said Lily as she looked back up at him.
"I'm glad you see it that way because to me, I just sounded like an idiot." he said.
"You aren't an idiot at all! You are a kind, caring, intelligent and sporty young man and I love you." said Lily before she could stop herself. When she realised what she had just admitted and to whom she had admitted it to, she covered her mouth with her hands and sunk in her chair slightly.
James was shocked. He was a frozen statue. He had never in his life heard anything so beautiful. He looked at Lily with wide eyes to see her slumped in her seat covering her mouth. There was only one thing he could say to her.
"I love you too." he said slowly. That was all it took for her to completely explode with happiness. She shifted to the edge of her seat and leaned in, James' doing the same. They were so close they could hear each others breathing, not that there was much breathing to be heard. James closed the small gap between them and pressed his lips against hers. Everything else disappeared, not only because they had closed their eyes, but because it was so overwhelming. Lily reacted almost instantly and kissed him back.
..o0O0o..
"I think that's our cue to leave" Remus whispered to Sirius who nodded in agreement.
The two trouble-makers shuffled around tables towards the door of the restaurant, narrowly avoiding a kind looking waitress on the way. They quickly shuffled out of the door as a couple walked in and shivered as the cold air hit them.
"Come on." said Sirius quietly, pointing to the dark alleyway they had visited before they had returned to watching James. They shuffled their way along through the snow and sighed when they reached the alleyway and tore off the invisibility cloak.
"That was..." started Remus.
"Absolutely revolting! The man can't snog, it's as simple as that." said Sirius, pocketing the invisibility cloak.
"No it wasn't. I think it was... nice." said Remus grinning.
"Moony?" asked Sirius.
"Yes Padfoot?" he answered.
"You have a nice face." said Sirius dramatically. The two boys laughed at the five words for a long time before heading out into the street again to find Peter.
..o0O0o..
"Padfoot, I don't think we should tell Prongs we saw the rest of his date. He's going to be mad enough because we didn't leave when he first wanted us to." said Remus as he and Sirius climbed through the portrait hole after getting back from Hogsmeade. Peter had gone to the kitchens to find a snack, even though he had bought tons of sweets from Honeydukes.
There weren't many people in the common room, just a few people from various grades who had either chosen not to go to Hogsmeade or had got back early. The fire was lit and the room felt quite warm and cosy.
"Awwwe! Why not?" whined Sirius as they made their way across the room.
"I just told you! He's going to be mad enough already and I honestly don't want to deal with an angry Prongs any time soon." Remus replied.
"Neither do I... But can I still tease him about the nice face thing?" asked Sirius as they reached the stairs to the boys dorms.
Remus looked at Sirius with a skeptical eye before nodding. "Fine. But you have to be subtle about it, alright?" he said as they ascended the stairs.
"Yes sir!" said Sirius and he saluted.
"Whatever. Do you still have the cloak?" asked Remus as they passed the third years dormitory.
"No, I though you had it." said Sirius, slowing down a bit.
"I gave it to you!" Remus said in alarm. "Are you sure you don't have it?"
Sirius paused before speaking. "I am sure I have it but I'm going to pretend I don't just to see you panicking because I find it quite entertaining." said Sirius, pulling out the invisibility from his back pocket.
"I hate you." Remus stated as they continued up the stairs, approaching their dormitory.
"I'm sure lots of other boys do also." said Sirius and opened the door.
"I wonder why..." Remus said and followed Sirius into the room, closing the door behind him.
"When do you think Prongs will be back?" asked Sirius.
"He said about three thirty but knowing what he's like with Lily, I'd say about four." said Remus.
"Cool. So what's the time now?" asked Sirius as he flopped down on his bed. Remus sat on his bed with his legs crossed and picked up a think book that he was reading.
"I don't know, why don't you conjure a clock or something." Remus suggested as he opened to the marked page of his book.
"You're better at conjuring objects than me, can't you do it?" replied Sirius, staring at the ceiling.
"You're the one who wants to know, you do it." said Remus.
"But I want you to do it for me." whined Sirius, still not moving.
"No. Do it yourself." replied Remus.
"Come on, Moony! You know what they say; if you want the job done properly, get Moony to do it for you." said Sirius.
"Who's 'they'? Because whoever they are, they need to read up on muggle sayings." said Remus and started to read.
"Please Moony! For me?" Sirius whined.
"You're not going to stop, are you?" Remus said, rolling his eyes.
"Never." answered Sirius.
"You are a pain." said Remus as he put down his book on the bed.
"A big fat nasty pain in the arse that even the most skilled healers can't get rid of." added Sirius.
"Exactly." sad Remus. He pulled out his wand from his pocket. He muttered something and flicked his wand. There was a swish and a fancy black clock appeared in the middle of the room. Sirius sat up and leaned forward to read the time off it. It read 1:30PM.
"I could have done that." said Sirius with a shrug. Remus just breathed in and out slowly, resisting to urge to argue that point. He flicked his wand again and the clock disappeared with a soft swish.
Remus picked up his book again and started reading it again, while Sirius fell back on his bed and lay there silently. Time passed like this for about half of an hour before Peter arrived but even then, not much changed. Peter tried to get his essay for McGonagall finished and Remus started another book when he finished the one he was reading.
..o0O0o..
"Hello chaps!" said James brightly as he walked through the door. He did, as Sirius had predicted, have a big goofy grin plastered on his face.
"Morning." said Sirius vaguely, not realising who it was.
James lay down on his bed lazily, arms and legs sticking out in all directions so there was no more space on the bed.
"How did it go, Prongs?" asked Remus, closing his book and placing it on his bed-side table.
"Brilliant." answered James. "It was just brilliant. She was so understanding and perfect and beautiful and kind-"
"And nice." finished Sirius, sitting up and looking at James. Remus smiled at Sirius and Peter just looked between the two, not understanding.
"And that too." agreed James.
"Was she a good snogger?" Sirius asked.
"Fan-bloody-tastic." said James, still grinning at the ceiling like a maniac.
"Are you two like... a couple now?" asked Remus.
"Yep." said James happily. "All my dreams have come true. Well, all except for marriage but that will have to wait a while."
"It better. What did you get up to after we left?" asked Sirius with a smirk.
"We finished our lunch and cake, then we er, kissed. Then we went to Honeydukes and Zonko's for a while. Finally we found a nice spot near the Black Lake and hung around there for a while." said James.
"Sounds nice." Remus said.
"It was. I just remembered something. Why didn't you guys leave when I scratched my nose, you obviously knew what I wanted you to do." said James.
"Because you said your right hand but you were using your left. Your nose could have just been itchy and you were scratching it." answered Sirius with a wink towards Remus.
"It's not our fault, you got it wrong." said Remus.
"But you knew." said James.
"It's just the kind of people we are, Prongs." Sirius said.
"Speak for yourself, mate." said Remus.
"So you had a nice time, Prongs?" asked Sirius.
"Yeah, best day of my life." said James, still not picking up on the overuse of 'nice'.
"Glad you had a nice time, mate." said Remus.
"What are you all talking about?" asked Peter who was extremely confused about the whole situation.
"Only time will tell, Wormy." answered Sirius.
"Nothing to worry about." said Remus.
"So what did you two do after you left?" asked James, addressing Remus and Sirius.
"Nothing interesting. We found Peter and talked about stuff. Then Moony and I came back here to hang out and Peter went to the kitchens." said Sirius.
"What are you not telling me?" asked James, sitting up to look at Sirius in the eye.
"Nothing of your concern." said Sirius with a grin.
"I doubt that." replied James.
"Prongs, mate. I suggest you leave it a secret, it's better off that way." said Remus.
"I'll trust your judgment, Moony." said James.
"And so you should." Remus said in response.
"I'm not even going to ask." said Peter.
"Good. It'll save us the trouble of answering." Sirius said.
"You're a pain." said James.
"That's what I said." said Remus in agreement.
"I think he's a pain too." said Peter.
"I agree." Sirius said with a nod.
"You know what I heard from Cassy Crasem on my way here?" asked James.
"What?" asked Peter.
"That Moony and Pads are an item now." said James, devilishly. "Apparently you two love birds were seen on a date at Madam Puddifoot's today." he said.
"Oh Merlin." said Remus, smacking his forehead. "Did you plan this?"
"Maybe..." said James, turning away momentarily to hide a smirk.
"Hey Moony. Wan'na go out next weekend?" said Sirius with a wink.
"Hell no!" said Remus.
"Worth a try." Sirius said with a shrug.
"So you two are a couple now." said Peter.
"That's nice." said Remus, causing Sirius and himself to burst into laughter. James and Peter just watched as the other two boys rolled on the floor laughing, not understanding what made the statement so humorous. Eventually they stopped and conversation continued.
The rest of the day sped by without a second glance, with Sirius and Remus continuously using the word nice and making themselves laugh, James daydreaming about Lily, Peter was just watching everything happen and the night was steadily approaching.
..o0O0o..
Lily stood at the window of the seventh years dormitory, away from her squealing, gossiping friends at last. She looked up at the purple, pink and orange sky above the Black Lake where the sun was setting and smiled. There were two Redwings(birds) flying playfully above the far banks of the lake. They were chasing each other with a sense of freedom and carelessness that was inspiring.
"Things are always better with two." she whispered to herself.
*THE END*
Thank you so much for reading my story, it means a lot. I hope you all have happy holidays and feel free to tell me your thoughts and opinions on this oneshot. It is going to remain a one chapter story and I'm not going to consider otherwise. PLEASE REVIEW!
Love eternally
HFF