For Hogwarts' back to school challenge: "If anything happens to my daughter, I have a gun and a shovel, and I doubt anybody would miss you."
Word Count: 360 by Google Docs
James didn't trust Mr. Evans. He liked Lily's parents okay, but he didn't like the glares Lily's father had been giving him all throughout dinner. He wouldn't have minded them any other night, but James needed Mr. Evans in a good mood so that James could ask him a very important question.
Their dinner drew to a close and Mr. Evans got up to start clearing the table. James jumped up.
"Oh, I'll help with that, Mr. Evans!" James said, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically.
"Thank you, James," Mrs. Evans said, sporting a pleasant smile as James took her plate. James followed Mr. Evans to the kitchen, where they deposited the plates into the sink.
James wrung his hands and started, "Mr. Evans—"
"Actually James," he said, cutting James off. "I needed to talk to you about something."
"Really?" James asked. "Because I also wanted to talk to you about something and ask you a question..."
"See, James," Mr. Evans said, ignoring James' request. "Lily is my pride and joy. She's my Lily-flower. If anything happens to my daughter, I have a gun and a shovel, and I doubt anybody would miss you."
James stood there for a moment, slightly shocked.
"I would never hurt Lily!" he said, putting his hands up. "I love her. And actually..." James faltered under Mr. Evans' glare. It seemed that he didn't fully believe James. "Actually," James said again, clearing his throat and speaking slightly louder. "I wanted to ask you for your blessing."
"My blessing?" Mr. Evans' face relaxed slightly.
"To marry Lily," James said, shifting awkwardly. "I know we're still young and all of that, but I really, truly love her, and I don't know what Lily told about it, but we're in a Wizarding War right now and we don't know what could happen, so I want to, you know, tie the—" James stopped, as Mr. Evans pulled him into a hug.
"I understand. I do. You have my blessing," Mr. Evans said, pulling away from James. There was now warmth in his eyes, none of the coldness of before.
"Thanks, Mr. Evans!" James exclaimed.
"Please," he said. "call me Al."