Lily had chosen to take the mature route and hide out in her bedroom after her sister's latest tirade. As she sat on her bed, she wordlessly practiced her wandless and non-verbal magic until various textbooks and trinkets were flying around her room without word nor movement from Lily herself. She felt a surge of victorious pride rush through her as her spells worked perfectly. She may never belong in Petunia's world – the muggle world – and she may never belong entirely to her world of magic, but at least she knew she had her talent. No-one could deny her that.

It was the beginning of August – term had ended about three weeks ago. Not quite long enough that Lily was wishing for mounds of homework, but long enough that she felt somewhat cut off from the magical world. Being friends with Severus had helped her feel connected to magic over the holidays, but ever since their friendship had ended, only letters from her (non-budding-Death-Eater) friends and the occasional meet-up in Diagon Alley kept her feeling like she wasn't adrift in a world where she'd once belonged but could never anymore.

When an owl tapped at her window, Lily bolted for the latch, waving her wand to immobilise her flying possessions as she did so. She was desperate for communication, yes, but owls weren't usually seen around muggle neighbourhoods, and definitely not ones carrying rolls of parchment. The owl looked familiar as it hopped onto her desk with its leg cocked towards her; she could picture the bird swooping over the Gryffindor table, but it wasn't any of the owls that usually accompanied her friend's letters. Lily untied the letter and fed the unmoving owl a treat, expecting it to swoop back out of her window, but instead it tracked her movements as she sat down at the edge of her bed to read.

Dear Evans,

I'm assuming you're still reading, although I wouldn't be surprised if you took one look at my owl, or my handwriting, and binned this letter completely. But if you're still here (and I hope you are, because I don't want to have yet reached this level of insanity… I'd rather take my NEWTs before the inevitable fall) then please do me the honour of meeting me at the Leaky Cauldron this week.

Merlin, I really hope you haven't binned this because I'm about to tell Beaver not to leave your side until you've given me a date and time, and I'm quite fond of him. I'd hate to lose him to you. He already likes Sirius more than he likes me and I couldn't bear to see him bond with yet another person over me, so send him back quick, please.

JP

Lily looked up from the letter. True to his words, James Potter's owl hadn't moved from its perch on her desk. She grabbed another owl treat and sent her possessions back to their normal places before sitting down at her desk to formulate a reply.

Dear Potter,

I can't believe I've lived in the same tower as you for the better part of six years, and I didn't know your owl is called Beaver. I'd ask why, but I'd rather not know what goes on in that already insane brain of yours.

As for the Leaky Cauldron, I can't say I'm beside myself with excitement, but you've caught me at that point in the summer holidays where I can't stand the sight of my own house, so, Thursday 3pm?

LE

PS I can see why Beaver prefers Sirius – they've both got the same brooding look. Too bad it's only cute on one of them.

As Lily rolled up her letter, she had a feeling she may regret agreeing to James' request. However, Petunia wasn't moving out for another month, and any time spent under the same roof drove the sisters up the wall. And although she'd rather curse her nose off than admit it to him, James Potter was as good of an excuse as any to reacquaint herself with the magical world.

Dear Evans,

Sirius says thanks for calling him cute.

See you on Thursday,

JP

True to form, Lily was sat at a table in the corner of the Leaky Cauldron nursing a butterbeer half an hour before James was due to arrive on Thursday. Her fingers were softly tapping the wooden surface of the table. Although James' letter had been a welcome reminder of her place in the wizarding world, maybe this meeting wasn't the best idea. Her and James Potter had had an… interesting relationship, to say the least. Over the past year, they'd reached a tentative friendship. Lily had figured with the metaphorical loss of both her sister and oldest friend, and the very literal and very painful loss of her father during her fifth year at Hogwarts, she was in no need of any more grudges.

She was content to watch the witches and wizards passing through the pub as she waited for James to arrive. Since finding out she was a watch, Lily had learned there was a lot of downsides to being a muggleborn – some people thought she shouldn't be allowed to exist, for one – but if there was one advantage, it would be the wonder she always felt when she was surrounded by magic. She felt like she was eleven again, entering the Leaky Cauldron for the first time and thinking it was the finest establishment she would ever set foot in. She was admiring a blonde-haired couple making their way through the pub, and wondering what an earth possessed them to wear elaborate headgear made of dancing flowers when James' grinning face suddenly appeared a few inches from hers.

"Merlin, Potter," Lily said, placing one hand over her heart and using the other to push his shoulder away. "I never want to see you that close to my face again."

James merely laughed at her reaction and took the seat opposite her. She was surprised to see he was already holding a bottle of butterbeer, she must've missed him whilst she was engrossed in wizard-watching. "I missed you too, Evans, it's been too long."

"I could happily go a few more months, I reckon."

"Well then, it's quite unfortunate that we only have four weeks left of summer before you get to see my face every single day."

"Thirty days left, actually."

He smirked, the left side of his mouth rising higher than the right. "I knew you were lying, but I didn't realise you were actually counting down the days until we're together again."

She rolled her eyes. "In your dreams, Potter."

"Vividly."

Lily shook her head. She wasn't going to dignify that with a response, lest he think he was actually funny, or worse: that she found him funny. She picked up her butterbeer instead and sipped it. He needed a haircut, she noted. Messy was his signature look, but it had never been so close to falling in his eyes before. He caught her looking and ran a hand through his hair, forcing the strands that had been against his forehead to stick up. Not so long ago, the familiar gesture had annoyed her to no end, but now she managed to not even roll her eyes.

Over the next minute or so, James opened his mouth five times before slamming it shut, as if talking himself out of something. "What?" Lily demanded the sixth time his lips parted.

"Hmm?" was James' reply, his tone too innocent to be believable. He leaned forward with his chin on his palm, elbow resting on the table.

She narrowed her eyes. "Stop trying to act casual," she told him. "Just tell me what you so obviously want to say so I can go home and figure out how I'm going to survive this final year of torture, or should I say, going to school with you."

"I thought you were sick of home?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, now I've seen you, I've changed by mind."

This was an exaggeration, she thought as she watched James take a long gulp of his butterbeer. She had long since accepted there was something about James Potter that brought out the worst in her, but she was past the phase of calling him a toerag at every opportunity. Well, he was past the phase of needing to be called a toerag at every opportunity. She hoped.

Arrogance, however, he still had in droves. He proved this with a smug grin and his next words. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

Lily took a moment to thank Merlin she hadn't taken a drink as he said that as, if she had, she was certain he'd be wearing it. She let out a short, disbelieving laugh and fixed him with the look usually reserved for Petunia. "Come again?"

His smug grin turned genuine as he watched her reaction, the corner of his eyes crinkling behind the lenses of his glasses. "Oh good, I thought you might curse me if I started off like that."

Lily drew her wand out of her pocket and tapped it against the table threateningly. "There's still time," she said as red sparks flew towards James.

"My fake girlfriend," he corrected, flicking the end of her wand with his finger as he emphasised the second word, sending sparks fluttering harmlessly to the ground like glittering rain.

She nodded once, as if this was a completely normal request. "Right." She waited a few seconds, looking around the pub to see if anyone was privy to their conversation. Tom, the barman, was chatting with a few witches sat at the bar and there was a group of wizards howling with laughter a few tables away from them, but no-one was sat in close proximity. "And why would I do that?"

"It's a long story."

She leaned back in her chair, draining the rest of her butterbeer. "A long story which you dragged me all the way here to tell, so continue."

"Demanding as ever, Evans."

"Infuriating as ever, Potter."

He shrugged before nodding in inevitable agreement, then rose out of his chair. "I'll tell you the whole sorry tale over another butterbeer."

She studied his back as he made his way over to the bar and greeted Tom – who had extracted himself slowly from between the two witches perched on barstools – like an old friend. Although, she supposed, he might be an old friend. James seemed to know anyone and everyone – she'd seen him walk into the Three Broomsticks on a Hogsmeade weekend in tow with Sirius and only join his friend at a table after five minutes of shaking various hands around the pub.

She'd never seen James over the school holidays before. She was mildly surprised to see that he was wearing muggle clothing – a grey t-shirt, black jeans and scuffed black trainers. None of her friends were from such long pureblood lines as the Potters, so even though Hestia (whose parents were both magical) wore muggle clothing during the holidays, some part of her had assumed James would wear robes all throughout the year. It was easier to see him like this – not in Hogwarts robes – to dissociate him from the bullying tendencies he used to have. It fit more with the James she had a sort of budding friendship with. Not the kind of friendship cemented by late-night conversations and divulged secrets, but the kind developed over a building mutual respect, through mutual friends and the frequent volleying of good-natured insults. The kind of friends that laughed together, but wouldn't cry together. Not the kind of friends that met up over the summer for a drink, either, she'd thought. She wondered what his real intention was for bringing her here. The girlfriend thing was clearly a ruse; he hadn't asked her on a date since the end of fifth year and she'd thought her vehement rejection had scared him off her for life, as intended.

At the bar, James turned around with a butterbeer in each hand and quirked his eyebrows as he caught her gazing at him. She fixed him with a look that she hoped conveyed that she hadn't been staring in his direction for any particular reason.

He placed a bottle in front of her with a flourish whilst she rummaged in her pocket.

"If you're about to offer me money for that, you can think again," he said sternly. "I made you come all the way to London for that butterbeer, the least I can do is pay for it."

She held up two sickles triumphantly. "It doesn't cost to apparate, you know."

He gasped in mock-horror, ignoring her outstretched hand. "Why've I been paying Peter a galleon every time I do it then?"

Lily narrowed her eyes at him, although her slight smile betrayed her. "Fine, take them or don't, but they're staying right here." She put the coins down on the table in front of him with a soft thunk.

"How about I take them if you haven't come all this way for nothing?" At her raised eyebrows, he continued. "You take them back if you don't agree to my offer, for the wasted afternoon."

"Okay fine," she conceded, folding her arms. "Story-time, go."

He leaned back in his chair and interlocked his fingers, resting his hands on top of the sickles. "Right, so my parents are old. Like really old."

"How old?" She knew wizards on average lived longer than muggles, but by how long she wasn't sure.

He tilted his head as he looked at her. "They knew Professor Dumbledore when he was just Albus, so really old," his small smile matched hers. "Anyway, they're quite set in some of their ways, so even though they're the loveliest people anyone could ever meet, sometimes they're batshit crazy and not even in this century."

"Okay," said Lily slowly, drawing out the vowels. "So where do I come into this?"

He sighed dramatically. "Look, Evans, I had a whole sob story prepared about how hard done by I am with well-meaning but continuously obtuse parents but if you don't want to hear it…"

"I'd love to hear it, I really would, but unfortunately I can't think of anything worse so please jump to the conclusion," she teased, tapping a finger on the rim of her glass.

"Long story short, my mum wants to marry me off."

This time, Lily hadn't been lucky enough to avoid the butterbeer and she struggled for a few moments trying to swallow the mouthful of liquid whilst trying to quell her laughter. James was laughing raucously at her and requested to smack her on the back, if it would help. She shook her head vehemently. "Longer story – please," she managed to request after she'd swallowed.

James' grin was triumphant. "My mum's best friend from Hogwarts has a daughter our age. They arranged so many play dates when we were little, but we never really got on like a cauldron on fire, she's too…" he mimicked putting a tie on and pulling the knot tight. "They gave up after about seven years and we haven't spoken much since but after we turned seventeen they've been forcing us together outside of school as much as they possibly can, just because everyone married young or not at all way back when." He rolled his eyes. "I can't even leave the house with one of my parents without – " he raised his fingers in air quotes " – accidentally bumping into Emmeline and her mum."

Lily's eyebrows shot up. "You don't mean Emmeline Vance?"

James groaned and slumped back in his chair. "The very same."

She laughed as he continued to grimace. "Oh, I can't imagine a less James-Potter-compatible person in existence. She's…" Lily trailed off and brought her glass up to her lips as she struggled to think of a way to describe the Ravenclaw Prefect. It wasn't as if Lily didn't like her – she was nice enough, Lily had never had trouble making small talk with her if they'd been put together on Prefect duty – but she couldn't imagine her laughing at any of James' jokes, or taking time away from the library to watch his Quidditch matches, or being able to put Sirius Black in his place (which would be necessary when in a relationship with James Potter, she imagined).

"Not quite my type?"

Lily had never given much thought to James Potter's type, in all honesty, but she admitted, "Not exactly, no. But," she added, "there's nothing wrong with her."

"Oh of course not," James replied quickly. "She's a lovely girl…" He ran a hand through his hair, looking sheepish. "But I'd never go out with her, and me telling my mother this hasn't stopped her from trying to force us together."

"And you think a fake girlfriend would deter her?"

James nodded. "I've got it all planned out," he said proudly. "All I need is to bring a girl round to show my mum I'm perfectly capable of finding my own girlfriend and then she'll have to back off."

"Clearly you're not perfectly capable, or we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"Clearly," He raised his butterbeer and took a long drink from the bottle, causing Lily to wonder if she should take back her words. She'd meant them in jest, and she knew he could take a joke, but what if this was a sore subject for him? Before she could overthink it too much, his bottle was back on the table and a grin back on his face. "But she doesn't need to know that."

She laughed in agreement. "So why am I the best candidate for the job? I'm not too…?" she copied his tie gesture from before.

"Eh, you'll do," he said nonchalantly, shrugging one shoulder. "It was Sirius' idea, actually."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Peter said what if I roped some poor girl into it and she actually fell in love with me because of my dazzling wit and charm and I had to break her heart? Wouldn't be a pretty situation would it?"

Lily felt her cheeks flush slightly. "Did Peter actually say the dazzling bit or was that your personal embellishment?"

"I can't even remember now, it could be either. I probably could've had him lined up to be my fake boyfriend, but I don't reckon my mum would believe it – he's never been her favourite."

Lily laughed. "So what? Did Sirius say it wouldn't be a problem because you're already in love with me so there would only be one broken heart and it wouldn't be mine?"

"You caught me," he said dramatically, raising his hands in the air, showing her palms that bore unmistakeable evidence of his longstanding position of Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. "No, actually, I think his exact words were 'Lily isn't dumb enough to ever fall in love with you so ask her'."

"Oh, what a compliment," she said through her giggles. "Remind me to thank Sirius for that when I next see him."

James grinned at her. "So will you do it? I'll tell my mum I want to invite my girlfriend over for dinner and all you'd have to do is show up."

She appraised him. He was looking at her hopefully, his smile showing his top row of teeth. "This better be the best damn dinner I've ever tasted, James Potter." She held her hand out across the table.

He grasped her hand in his; a slightly roughened palm against a softer, slender one. Chasers should wear gloves, surely.

"Only the best for my girlfriend," he assured her with a wink.

A/N - Okay, so it's been ages since I've uploaded anything. This was supposed to be a oneshot that I started writing over Christmas and wanted to get up before uni started again, but I haven't had much time and it all spiralled, so long story short, I have a vague plan for around 7 chapters.

Please let me know what you think so far!