Rated M for strong language, violence, sexual innuendo, alcohol use, and references to drug abuse. Nothing truly graphic, but be warned.
They were the couple that made single people jealous, and older people shake their heads fondly lost in memory. The couple laughed, cooed, and had lively conversation the whole time that they had sat in the corner table of the dimly lit, fancy restaurant. They were obviously so in love that they had left their food and drinks untouched, and the only time their speech stopped was when the pretty redhead reached across the table with her left hand to lovingly stroke the face of the black haired, bespectacled man. One man let out an audible sound of disgust as he noticed the gold band on the woman's ring finger.
James Potter had heard the Muggle. "Lily," he smiled and leaned in, "I think were making people jealous."
"Well," Lily sighed, leaning back in her chair, "I suppose I am quite the catch."
James laughed out loud, and Lily followed suit. Husband and wife both knew that Lily Evans Potter's vanity was all for laughs. Though, James thought, the statement is true.
James picked at his pasta with his fork, rearranging the pieces. "I'm hungry," he said honestly.
"Me, too," Lily admitted, "We'll eat when we get off duty." She eyed her lamb chops longingly.
"This looks good," James commented. "Are you sure it's poisoned?"
"All I know for sure, is that the chef has been put under the Imperius curse," Lily replied exasperated. It sounded as if the happy couple had this bit of conversation before.
Just then the waiter came upon them. James felt sorry for the poor chap, who seemed to have gotten more and more confused with each course he served them. "How is everything over here?" he asked, looking down dismally at their untouched food. As long as they pay, he sighed inwardly.
"Oh, fine, fine," Lily replied simultaneously with James' "Excellent."
The poor waiter looked even more perplexed at their responses, which clearly suggested the contrary. "Is there anything I can do for you?" It looked as though the question was painful for him.
"Hmm, just the desert menu, please," Lily responded graciously as the waiter slowly began to gather up their plates. He nodded and left. "Poor man," Lily sighed.
"Lily," James began, "I just don't think I can take the torture of ordering deserts and not be able to -" James stiffened as he stopped speaking abruptly. Lily turned to follow his gaze, as almost everyone else in the restaurant had done.
From the rainy November night walked in the Prime Minister of Muggles and his wife, surrounded by their entourage. The prime minister was quickly ushered over to his usual table near where James and Lily sat. They heard the prime minister tell the waiter, "my usual," without even taking the menu offered to him. His wife simply nodded in agreement.
"Well, he gets good service, don't he?" James asked sardonically.
"Shh," his wife responded, "We need to listen."
James nodded, "Right." He then obediently fell silent. They continued to watch the prime minister for several minutes before they saw the chef leave the kitchens, brushing off the waiter who was waiting to retrieve the minister's meal, which the chef was delivering personally.
"That's our cue," Lily directed, as she stood up. James smiled at her, and secretly pulled out his wand, keeping it out of sight of Muggle eyes.
Lily worked her way over to the prime minister. "Ahh," she made her presence known, "Mr. Minister." His guards moved in around her.
Dammit, James swore in his head. I won't be able to get a clear shot. As James stood up, pretending that he needed to use the restroom, he heard Lily mumble something about the Muggle government's stand on animal rights. James smiled to himself, That was the speech she used on the Ministry about werewolves. As he moved past them, he saw what he was waiting for. There was the imperiused chef moving quickly toward the prime minister. The next second the chef was standing dazed in the middle of the restaurant, the plates of food drooping at a dangerous angle, as James tucked his wand back into his jacket. That, he smirked, was too easy.
Unfortunately, it wouldn't remain so.
Four loud cracks revealed four looming hooded and masked figures. James groaned. Now, they were outnumbered in a restaurant full of Muggles. Pushing thoughts of the incredible amount of Memory charms he would have to perform later out of his mind, James sprang into action. Lily did the same. She ordered the patrons under their tables, while she personally pushed the prime minister under his. The minister's body guards, however, were attempting to charge the figures. All the other restaurant goers had heeded Lily and were now crouching under the tables as flashes of light had started to fly through the room. One of the Death Eaters pointed their wand at a bodyguard, who suddenly became immobilized and fell flat before the hooded figure could mutter an incantation. The Death Eater looked at James, as he stupefied all the bodyguards.
"Came to your senses, and joined our side have you, Potter," a low voice leered.
Recognizing the voice, James shrugged. "For their own protection, Lestrange," he yelled as he ducked a curse thrown by another Death Eater. He sent a jet of red light at the attacking Death Eater, before turning to deal with Rodolphus Lestrange. As he turned, he saw him raise his wand towards a family of terrified Muggles. "IMPEDIMENTA " James bellowed, and Lestrange was knocked onto his back. James quickly followed with, "EXPELLIARMUS " Lestrange's wand flew out of his hands. James was about to stupefy the disarmed Lestrange, when he saw another Death Eater sneaking up on Lily, who was busy dueling another, smaller Death Eater. Anger washed over him. As James started towards the man, the sneak attacker's wand went flying over his head and landed 12 feet away. With a flash of light, the man James was advancing on found himself hanging upside down in the air. In the next moment, invisible cords shot out of the tip of James' wand and wrapped themselves tightly around the struggling body. The Death Eater was sent crashing back down to the ground. But it seemed that James had taken one moment too many in attacking the coward, because just then . . .
"Aargh," James cried out in pain as burning sensation hit the back of his neck. Turning on reflex, he barely had time face Lestrange and another advancing Death Eater before they both bellowed, "IMPEDIMENTA " with such force that it sent James flying through the glass front of the restaurant. The two Death Eaters followed him out, though they were on their feet.
Lily turned toward the noise, and saw her husband go sailing out into the street. "James," she gasped completely distracted by the scene. Her moment of distraction cost Lily dear as the Death Eater she had been fighting had taken this opportunity to grab Lily around the neck and point their wand at Lily's chest.
"Is poor Mrs. Potter worried about her darling, blood-traitor of a husband," a sickly smooth woman's voice sounded through the mask. " Don't worry, dear, my husband will finish him off."
Regaining composure, Lily spoke through gritted teeth, "Ahh, Bellatrix please don't tell me this sloppy plan to poison the prime minister was all your idea?" Something silver shot out of the end of Lily's wand that Bellatrix didn't notice.
"This trap was, indeed, my doing," Bellatrix leered. There were panicked shouts coming from the nearly empty Muggle street, and they didn't belong to James.
Lily felt heartened. "Doesn't sound like this trap is going to well,"she growled. And then Lily did three things at once. She put her high heeled foot down hard on Bellatrix's, elbowed her in the stomach, and threw all of her weight backwards. Bellatrix's wand arm flew into the air away from Lily, as they came crashing down onto the nearest table before rolling off onto the floor. "IMPEDIMENTA " Lily gasped, and a recovering Bellatrix was thrown onto her back. Almost simultaneously, several more people appeared out of thin air. Looking under the table, Lily was relieved to see that they were members of the Order of the Phoenix. "James is outnumbered in the street," she cried. She saw two pairs of feet scurry out the door. The next thing Lily knew, Remus Lupin was standing behind her as she kneeled on the ground, his wand aimed at Bellatrix. Another figure, that Lily recognized as Emmeline Vance, moved behind Bellatrix, wand also at the ready. Before anything could be done, however, Bellatrix had apparated.