Two weeks had passed since the duel in the Enterance Hall, and James, Sirius, Remus, Narcissa, Bellatrix, and countless other students had finally served out their detentions and were looking forward to a long-awaited and well-deserved trip into Hogsmead.
"Two weeks until the full moon!" Complained Sirius, "wish it'd hurry up..."
"You might," muttered Remus darkly, as the line moved forward slightly.
"So... where do you want to go today?" Asked James brightly, that tiny smile still on his mind.
"Dunno... I'm bored of Horsmead" yawned Sirius, "we should go somewhere else..."
"Err, well how about-" He broke off suddenly, listening hard.
"...Three Broomsticks around two..." Lily Evans's voice carried over to him from the front, where she stood with some friends, chatting animatedly.
"Tell you what, why don't we go into Zonko's, I'm all out of itching powder, then go to Honeydukes..."
"What do you want to go to Honeyduke's for? You've still got loads of stuff left," Said Wormtail, looking up at James, looking confused.
"I know I have, but-" James broke off suddenly, frowning, "how do you know? Have you been raiding my bedside drawer again?!"
"W-well raiding is such a-a strong word, I mean, I-"
"You little rat!" James pushed him, "I'm going to Hex that drawer, Wormtail, I swear!"
"You wouldn't want to go to Honeyduke's for some special sweets for a certain redhead's birthday that's coming up, would you?" Asked Sirius, smirking.
"You read my mind..." James grinned broadly, "after that, we could wander around a bit, then go to the Three Broomsticks around, I don't know... two-ish?" He suggested in an off-hand way.
"Whatever you want Prongs," Sirius said grinning. He had also heard what Lily had said.
At three minutes to two that afternoon, James was hurrying towards the Three Broomsticks, with Sirius, Remus and Peter behind him, looking annoyed and tired.
"You know, I'm all for love, and you and Lily and everything... but you have got to get a better hold of the time, Prongs!" Panted Sirius, holding a stitch on his side, and slowing down to a walk as they reached the pub, and watched James stop outside, looking annoyed and ruffling up his hair. "How do I look?"
"Gorgeous. Now shut up and get in there!" Sirius shoved James through the door into the pub, so that James tripped as he fell through the door, almost falling flat on his face. Straightening up, he saw that Lily still hadn't arrived, which meant, he though, relief flooding through him, that she hadn't witnessed him tripping either.
"Hello Rosemerta!" James called loudly down the bar at the pretty landlady, who looked up, and seeing who had called her, broke into a smile.
"Hello, m'dear. How are you?" She smiled warmly as Sirius and Remus joined him, and Wormtail hung back, unable to get to the bar, he looked annoyed and jealous.
"Couldn't be better, darling. I hope you feel as good as you look." James grinned broadly, and she laughed.
"Have you given my offer any more thought, Rose?" Sirius grinned cheekily as her, leaning forward, his eyes glittering mischeviously.
"I'll tell you the same thing I told you when you first asked me two years ago; I'm too old for you" Rosemerta giggled, ignoring the other witches and wizards who were trying to get her attention.
"Only by a few years!" Sirius shot back, and added with a tiny wink, "I like older women."
James had heard this conversation too many times to even pretend to be interested, and turned, instead, to the door, just as it opened, and Lily walked in, laughing, followed by Mary and some other Gryffindor girls, who were also giggling, and laughed louder still as they caught sight of James. Though he was annoyed at the mysterious giigling, he smiled broadly at the girls.
"All right, Evans?" He said, his tone deeper, more preasent and mature that it was when he talked to his friends, "I see you can't keep away from me, and I can't say I blame you."
"This is a public pub, Potter," sighed Lily, though her mouth twitched slightly.
"Fancy a butterbeer? It's on me," Said James, putting his arm around Lily, as he giggling friends went off to get a table, and sat at the far end of the pub where Remus and Wormtail were sitting and watching Lily and James curiously.
"No, I can get my own, thanks," replied Lily cooly, shrugging off his arm. "Hello Rosemerta. Four butterbeers, please." she went for her money bag, but James jumped in, insisting that he'll pay.
Lily raised an eyebrow, "you're not fooling anyone with all this 'gentlemanly' behaviour, Potter, and stalking me everywhere I go is not going to help, especially when I find out how you're doing it..." She picked up her butterbeers, and walked off to find her friends.
"You know you love it, Evans!" James shouted after her.
"Still not giving up?" Rosemerta smiled at him, having witnessed this sort of behaviour for over three years.
"Nah, she'll give in any day now, you'll see..." James stared after Lily for a moment, then winked at Rosemerta, and walked towards where Lily and her friends were sitting. Rolling her eyes, she turned back to Sirius, who was leaning against the bar on one elbow, determined to get back into conversation.