A/N: Used as a tiebreaker for Defense-Against-The-Drabbles application on Tumblr.
Lily twisted her hair into a low bun, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. James' parents had invited her over for a dinner to "get to know her," and she knew well enough what that meant. They probably didn't approve - why would they? They were rich, and pureblooded, while she was just a poor little muggleborn. After her parents had died - dammit, Lily, stop thinking about that! - she'd been left with debts to pay off and a sister who offered no support.
Closing her eyes for a moment to remove the worries from behind, the redhead turned away from the vanity by the wall and into the bathroom she and James shared. A tube of muggle foundation, a mascara brush, and a stick of lipstick - were neatly organized on her side of the sink, while James' razor, toothbrush and hairbrush - why did he even need that, for heaven's sake? - were all scattered on the opposite side.
Uncapping the brush, Lily applied some mascara - she had never been one for make-up, but Marlene had taught her how - and then grabbed the lipstick. It was, as indicated by James, a black-tie event (she'd never known the wizarding equivalent of the phrase - black-robe event, maybe?), so she decided to make an effort.
"You look amazing."
Startled, Lily turned to face her boyfriend of six months. "Potter. You scared me."
He shrugged with the arrogance that had been bred into him. "Oops."
Lily wrinkled her brow, and her expression morphed into one of despair. "Oh, god, James, how am I supposed to do this? Your parents are - well, they're Dorea and Charlus Potter, they essentially founded the Auror program as we know it, they're - "
"Hush." James put a finger to her lips, and pulled her into their bedroom. "Sit." He pointed to the bed, and then knelt in front of her.
"James - "
"No, listen to me. My parents will love you. Yes, their reputations are intimidating, but no, you have nothing to be afraid of. You, Lily Evans" - he paused and bopped her on the nose - "are one of the most" - he kissed her forehead - "if not the most" - her temple - "amazing person" - his lips moved to her cheek - "I have ever had the pleasure of meeting." James smirked, and leaned in to kiss his girlfriend.
"James Potter, if you mess up my lipstick, I will personally murder you," Lily murmured against his lips.
"Don't care," James muttered in response, pressing her flat against the bed as his lips attacked her neck. "How much does it matter if we're late?" he asked, pausing at the base of her throat.
"A lot," Lily replied, pushing him away. "James, we have to go," she added after his famous "pouty face" - of all the things for him to pick up from Sirius - was sent her way.
"Fine, fine," James grumbled, getting up and grabbing his coat. Lily checked her reflection in the vanity - a few stray tendrils, but nothing major - and then followed him downstairs to the Floo.
x.x.x
They stumbled out onto a pristine marble floor, surrounded by Grecian columns of the same material. An archway at the end of the hall displayed an elegant table set for four, with an elderly-looking couple seated on one side. "Welcome to Potter Manor," James said, seeing Lily's shocked expression.
"May Pitch take Young Master and Young Mistress's coats?" a squeaky voice asked from their right. Lily looked at James with wide eyes as she handed the house-elf her coat, and then followed another into the dining room.
"You have house-elves?" she muttered in an undertone.
"Of course we do," James replied, looking surprised. "Why wouldn't we?"
"Announcing: Young Master James Potter and Young Mistress Lily Evans!" the house-elf squeaked, and then stepped aside as two more ran in to pull out their chairs.
For the first time, Lily looked at the Potters in person, not on the front page of a newspaper. They looked different in real life - Mrs. Potter's short white hair was slightly curlier that the photographs, and her wrinkles were more pronounced. Mr. Potter was balding; even more so than the gossip column in the Daily Prophet claimed, and his nose was larger and far more crooked. The one thing they had in common, however, were their welcoming smiles.
"You must be Lily!" Dorea Potter said, her face lighting up as the redhead sat down. "Oh, James has told us so much about you!"
Lily shot a glance at James, and then looked back to Mrs. Potter. "He has?"
"Indeed," Mr. Potter cut in. "Ever since fifth year, it's been 'Lily this' and 'Lily that.' Used to drive us up the wall, he was so infatuated."
Giggling, Lily smiled at James. "Oh? James, how come you've never mentioned this?"
Blushing beet red, her boyfriend stuttered, "I - er - it never - Mum, Dad, I didn't bring her over so you could share my embarrassing stories with her! Besides, that was three years ago!"
Mrs. Potter smirked, and Lily could see the resemblance between her and her son. "Alright, James, we'll stop. Shall we have our first course?"
x.x.x
By the time dinner had ended and they were sitting in the living room playing wizard's chess, Lily was wondering how she could have ever been intimidated by the Potters. They may have been ultra-famous and all that, but they were also some of the nicest people she'd ever met. Mr. Potter, though he was the retired Chief Auror, was charming and funny - she could see where James had gotten that, as well. Mrs. Potter had no qualms with telling Lily all of the hilarious things James had done over the years, even getting a photo album down from the shelf. She seemed to realized that Lily needed plenty of blackmail material to deal with James - after all, wasn't she married to a Potter man? - so the two women spent the night telling stories about their significant others, and the two men spent the night complaining about them.
"Now, Lily, you simply must see this picture of James in the bath - I think he was about two, let me find it - "
"Alright!" James cut in, standing up. "That's enough, it's getting late, Lily, let's go..."
Mrs. Potter blinked innocently. "But, my dear boy, it's only ten o'clock! Must you go at this hour?"
Lily giggled. "Oh, I don't know, I think he's rather excited to go to bed..."
James flushed. "Lily! Must you?"
Smiling cheekily, his girlfriend stood on her tiptoes and softly kissed him. "Don't worry, darling. Dorea already knows we're having sex."
"Okay, that's it, we're going, bye Mum, bye Dad, let's go..." James ushered Lily into the fireplace and grabbed some Floo powder, not knowing he was only strengthening Lily's point. After all, when your girlfriend has your parents wrapped around her little finger, you've got to celebrate somehow.
A/N: So...um...I wasn't really sure how to end this...but...I hope this is ok?