James Potter was glad to make it home for Christmas for several reasons. First it meant a break from school, normally James loved school but the excessive workload made him want a break, although the mountain of work he had to do meant that school had followed him home. Second he was excited to his father. Harold Potter had been home from hospital for over a month and had improved drastically under his care and the care of the family house elf Marshie.

When James and Sirius arrived at the Potter mansion they found Harold sitting in his favourite armchair with a massive mug of butterbeer in his hand with Marshie fussing over him.

"Alright dad,"

"Hey Harold,"

Mr Potter looked up to see his James and Sirius dropping their bags on the living room floor. "There are my favourite boys! Marshie and I were wondering when you were gonna get here. She left the Christmas tree undecorated in anticipation for you two arriving home. I am thinking that we could all do it tomorrow night when Lorna is done with work?"

"Sounds great!" said Sirius who threw himself onto the sofa and started shoving cauldron cakes piled on the coffee table into his mouth.

"Good to see you still have your appetite Sirius," Harold chuckled

James settled back in the armchair where he could see his dad and best friend who continued chatting casually. It was very good to be home.

Lily on the other hand did not have the attitude that it was "good to be home". She had been home for fifteen minutes before she was pinning for Hogwarts, a new record. She had arrived home to the presence of both Vernon and Petunia in the living room working out their seating plan on large pieces of paper.

"How is it going?"

"Badly" grunted Vernon.

"Maisie from work is a nightmare to place. She can't be at the same table as Fred since their divorce but the other work table is filled with people she hates…. And do not get me started on your stupid boyfriend."

"I think you should start?"

"Well we cannot put him at any other table and have him associate with the people who are not freaks. Which means we must make room for him on our family table."

"Well what's wrong with that Tuney Darling?" piped up their mother, "I mean… you never know… one day…."

"Mum!"

"Violet!" Mr Evans appeared from the kitchen with a scowling look on his face, "that boy is not good enough for our little Lily."

"oh hush. You have not even met him yet Frank, you have no idea what he is like."

"I don't need to meet him to know he is not good enough for her."

"Dad…." Said Lily in a warning voice

"Well he is head boy, he is popular, he gets good grades. Heck he is even tutoring Lily for one of her classes."

"What? Is this true Lil?"

"Who cares" Petunia piped up, "He is a freak just like her."

"Petunia don't call your sister a freak. Lily go upstairs and try on the bridesmaid dress."

"Mum I have just got home, I am tired. Let me chill out for a minute."

"We need to see if it fits or if we should get it taken up."

"Ugh," replied Lily pulling herself out of the chair and walking up the chair with her mother trailing behind her.

Lily wandered into her bedroom. It was the smallest room that she had occupied for several years. She found no reason to complain as it was cosy and colourful, with pictures she had painted herself decorating the walls and she was away most of the year anyway. Her mother opened her wardrobe and pulled out the bridesmaid dress. Like Lily had predicted the dress was a salmon pink colour. Luckily it was not as bad as Lily had imagined. It had two thin straps and ruffles round the top but otherwise it was rather plain. Of course it would clash horribly with her hair, but at least she would not be left looking like a marshmallow.

"Wow, a bit plain for Tuney's taste."

"Well I think that was on purpose. She wants everyone else to pale in comparison on her wedding day. But I am sure it will be the same for you when you get married."

"Hahaha I don't think I will have the big wedding. I am sure James would be happy to get married in his Quidditch kit with me in jeans."

Violet Evans turned round abruptly to face her daughter, "thinking of marrying James already. Is it not a bit early for that."

Lily didn't know what to say, to be honest she had surprised herself. It was the first time she had ever considered getting married to James but she was serious about him so she just replied, "I dunno, I really like him, so maybe someday….. when we are 40 maybe…."

Violet Evans smiled at her daughter, remembering distinctly what it had been like just a few months into dating Frank and nodded her head. After a month she had been completely crazy about him. "Well then maybe it isn't too soon to be thinking about those things. When are we meeting him?"

"The day after tomorrow"

"I cannot wait."

Two days later James Potter put on his nicest muggle outfit; a white shirt and jeans, he spent at least twenty minutes trying to fix his hair which was, as usual, pretty much untameable. Marshie watched him with some amusement while she brushed down his.

"Master James you will do fine. Just be yourself," she offered in a squeaky voice.

"Thanks Marshie." James said doubtfully, jumping slightly at seeing in the mirror his mother appear in the doorway behind him.

"Oh James darling you look dashing." She walked forward into his room and started fixing the collar of his shirt. "Now just remember to be polite, call her parents Mr and Mrs Evans. I absolutely forbid you from telling stories about Sirius, Remus and Peter."

"Ok Mum."

"Do not tell them how many detentions you have had, if they ask about school go on about being head boy and all your duties."

"Ok Mum."

"Her family are muggles so don't freak them out by doing marriage."

"Ok Mum."

"Oh sweetie I am so proud of you." Lorna pulled her son tight, "don't screw it up" she whispered in his ear.

Around five minutes later he found himself outside Lily Evan's house after apparating. He walked the remaining steps up to the door and was just about to knock on it when Lily, who was wearing a gypsy top and jeans opened the door. When he saw Lily he realised just how much he missed her and apparently the feeling was mutual.

She jumped into his arms and hugged him tightly, when she pulled away she blushed at her enthusiasm and murmured "hey" in a shy voice.

"Hey." James grinned back, pushing his glasses back up his nose. "Are you ready for this?"

"No. I have to warn you that Dad already hates you."

"Great.." he groaned.

"Lily is that James that you're talking to? Is he here already?" Violet called from the living room.

"Yes mum."

"Well bring him in here already. We are all dying to meet him."

"Ok." Lily practically pulled him through the door, holding his hand tightly. James was pretty worried that she was more nervous than him.

Lily led James into a large living room. It had three cream walls and one with flowered wall paper. There was a large fireplace with a tv next to it and two larges sofas and an armchair all occupied people. In the armchair a lean skinny guy in a shirt and black trousers sat in the armchair holding a book. On one sofa sat a pale woman who looked a lot like Lily on her hair was greying and she had dark marks under her eyes. HE assumed that these where Mr and Mrs Evans.

Sitting on the other sofa was a large gentleman in a white shirt and an ugly brown and yellow spotted tie, he had his arm round a skinny mousey looking woman wearing a pink blouse and a spotty skirt, who looked like she was around 19. James guessed this was Petunia and her fiancé Vernon.

Lily's mother stood up, walked over wrapped her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek. "Hello James, I am so pleased to meet you."

"It's lovely to meet you too Mrs Evans,"

"Oh please, call me Violet." She took a step back, "If you haven't guessed already this is my husband Frank, and my daughter Petunia and Petunia's fiancé Vernon." She pointed to each in turn. James awkwardly waved his hand and did a weird sort of wave. "Hello,"

"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Why don't you sit down and tell us about your family."

She practically shoved James and Lily towards the sofa. When they were sitting she sat on the arm of her husband's chair and stared at his expectantly.

"Well… there is not much to say really…. My family are quite small. I am an only child and my dad was an only child, my mum has an older brother but he lives in Argentina. Err… My parents are aurors, that's kind-of like your please-men. So that's pretty much it…. We also have a house elf and my friend lives with us." If he noticed Vernon's raised eye brows and Petunia's horrified expression at the mention of Marshie James ignored it.

"Your friend?" Violet asked pointedly,

"Yeah, mum and dad have kind of adopted him after his parents and him fell out."

"Well that was good of them," said Frank.

"Yeah, they are great. He's just like part of the family."

A faint alarm sound went off in another room. "That will be the food ready, Frank Darling come help me in the Kitchen."

Frank reluctantly followed his wife into the kitchen, looking back only to glare at James. James awkwardly tried to ignore Frank's obvious dislike while Lily squirmed uncomfortably beside him and Vernon smiled smugly. Determined to make an effort James turned to Vernon and Petunia.

"So Petunia and Vernon Lily tells me you work for a drill company?"

"Yes."

"What exactly do you do?"

Vernon rolled his eyes slightly, "I am in the sales division and Petunia works in Human Resources."

"Cool." The brief exchange was followed by an uncomfortable silence which lasted until Violet reappeared holding oven mitts and insisted they come into the dining room. Lily led James by the hand into the Dining room.

The table was laden with so much food it looked more like a Hogwarts feast than a dinner party.

"Mrs Evans this looks wonderful!" James said as he took a seat next to Lily and opposite Petunia.

"Oh it was no trouble dear, and I thought I told you to call me Violet."

"Ok Violet." Frank was sitting to the left of Lily at the head of the table and Violet was sitting to James's right, directly opposite her husband. They started to eat the food which James admitted was exemplary.

"This food tastes even better than it looks Violet."

"Yeah Mrs Evans it is delicious." Vernon butted in shoving food in his mouth. Vernon was not enjoying this experience. When he had first been invited over to the meet the Evans he had been given a day old scone and a cup of tea, no one had went to such fuss for him. Moreover he had never had his future mother in law insist that he call her Violet. He was insulted that this freak was getting preferential treatment.

"So James you are head boy right?" Frank said accusingly.

"Yes I am,"

"Are you enjoying it?"

"Yes I am, it is hard work but I love it. It doesn't come as naturally for me as it does for Lily though."

"That's not true, James is a natural leader and everyone loves him."

Frank snorted.

The rest of the evening passed fairly happily. At the end of the night Frank's dislike had not really waned. He still was determined that James was not good enough for his youngest daughter. However he could see that he genuinely liked her and she genuinely liked him and so when he climbed into bed next to his wife that night he was willing to concede that maybe James was not blackmailing Lily into a relationship. Violet was determined that she loved him and that he was entirely perfect for her daughter. Vernon and Petunia however were determined in their dislike for James. They whispered about his messy hair, his out of trend glasses and his freakish behaviour.

Lily had walked James to the door and he had kissed her on the cheek and bid her farewell. All in all he thought the night could have went a lot worse, after all there had been no explosions, no fights and no disasters.