Hello everyone!

So, this is a little one-shot that was supposed to re-inspire me for my current L/J story, Mere Mortals. Unfortunately, I don't feel very inspired for that story, but I did get a cute one-shot out of the deal. I hope you like it, and please review!

Disclaimer: Duh.

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This was not going the way I planned.

At all.

Lily was going to look lovely. I was supposed to meet her in the common room at ten. I planned for a carriage to take us down to Hogsmeade. I had written Madam Puddifoot to make sure that we would have the little private room and the fabulous brunch that comes with it.

I should have known when she came down the girls' staircase looking absolutely, gobsmackingly beautiful that I didn't have a chance at impressing her on a date.

I should have known…but I didn't.

An intelligent person would think that I might have guessed after the first words that spilled out of my mouth.

What were they again?

Oh, right. I believe the most eloquent words I could come up with were, "Er…pretty…er…"

Yeah.

Really suave.

She just laughed and took my hand, heading toward the door. This small gesture shocked me so much that I tripped over her flowing skirt, sending both of us to the floor.

Oh, and I just happened to turn her beautiful, long, flowing skirt into a miniskirt fit for a slag. Wonderful.

She was absolutely perfect and said it was alright and that she'd just run upstairs and change, but of course by the time that we got down to the entrance hall the carriage had left. There's no driver, you see, so they're charmed to wait until exactly the reservation time and then they leave.

So we were late for the carriage, which would not have been the most horrible thing in the world if not for the fact that I kind of had my heart set on a romantic carriage ride with Lily—and if you tell anyone I said that I will kill you—or the fact that this is England and it was suddenly raining.

Merlin hates me.

We had walked for half a mile before Lily thought to put a drying charm on us both, but by that time all the work I put into my hair was ruined. I used about a tub of Hubberdinger's Hair Potion to make it lay flat this morning.

It wasn't flat anymore.

If I had to guess, I would say it was even messier than usual, actually.

And there was nothing I could do about it anymore.

But she was still smiling up at me, so I was trying to make conversation. By the time we reached Madam Puddifoot's I had accidentally revealed that I hated having fan girls and that Sirius and Remus were the masterminds behind most of our pranks.

Oh, and then I told her that my favorite holiday was Christmas because it was red and green everywhere like her hair and eyes. What kind of moron says something like that out loud?

The kind that no one would ever date again, that's what kind.

But back to the things that I couldn't control. Well, I suppose my mouth was kind of out of my control, but that's not the point. The point is, we got to Madam Puddifoot's and the idiot behind the host's podium had already given away our room to idiot Amos Diggory, who was probably getting very cozy with that Ravenclaw I saw him with.

Git.

Lily just tugged on my arm and led me to the three broomsticks, where she settled us into a booth and asked me to get her a butterbeer.

I was more than happy to oblige, since I hadn't done anything else right, but Rosmerta wasn't really helping matters. The pub was crowded, she was busy, and it took me nearly a quarter of an hour to get back to Lily with the drinks.

But she was still smiling at me and chattering away happily, which was good. As long as she was talking, I wasn't talking. And as long as I wasn't talking, I couldn't say anything else that was as stupid as what I had said earlier.

Then again, maybe she was happy because I had taken her on a horrible date and she had a legitimate reason to never date me again.

Yeah, that was a possibility for that ridiculously big grin on her face.

We walked back to Hogwarts without incident—thank Merlin, even though he has definitely not been on my side today. I walked her to the girls' staircase, trying not to pout about how our date had gone. She was never going to see me again, not after a date like that.

I was about to apologize for the entire fiasco and beg her for another chance when suddenly there was something soft and warm on my lips.

And then I realized that it was Lily's lips.

And then I froze from shock.

She pulled away a moment later, giggling to herself. "Next Hogsmeade weekend is in a month. Same time, same place?"

I just stared. Was she really asking me on a second date?

Apparently I was frozen for too long, because she shoved my shoulder gently. "James? Are you alright? I mean, we don't have to go out again if you don't want to—"

"No!" I told her vehemently, suddenly finding my voice, "I mean, please don't take the offer back, I really want to go out with you again."

She smiled. "So, next Hogsmeade weekend, then?"

I nodded somewhat numbly.

Then she kissed my cheek and suggested we finish our first date by the lake. She wanted to double date me and the Giant Squid.

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I hope you liked it! Please review!