A/N: Enjoy!

Title: Ice Cream and Big Steps

Summary: Lily had a proposition for Regulus and James

Word count: 691

Genres: Romance, Humour

Characters: Regulus B., James P., Lily E. P.

Warnings: a teenie bit of swearing

"What on Earth happened here!" Lily exclaimed. "I was only gone 10 minutes!"

"Lily, darling. Surely you know better than to leave us for 10 minutes by now," James said, a smug smile on his face.

"Good Merlin, you are such an embarrassment," she said, casting a quick tergeo.

"Yes, but you love us, right," Regulus added.

"Sometimes I wonder why," Lily muttered.

"What was that love?" James asked.

"Nothing," she retorted.

Honestly, she had left 10 minutes to pop to the loo at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour – one of their classmates had started his extremely successful business" – and she had come back to this. What was this exactly? Well, this was her two boyfriends covered in ice cream, which she largely suspected James had started but that Regulus had definitely encouraged.

"He started it!" James accused.

"Please, if I started it, you're the Queen of England!" Regulus retorted.

"For all you know, I am the Queen!" James intervened, but they both ignored him.

"Sarcasm, really?" Lilly pretended to massage her brow.

"It's my speciality."

"Don't tell me you used mine too," she said.

"Of course not, Lily," Regulus reassured her, "We know better than that."

"Yeah. Well, that's good because I'm starving."

But of course, they didn't have ice cream any more and had to go get another. Lily was tapping her foot impatiently by the time they came back.

"Honestly, you two are impossible."

"Yes, we know," James laughed.

"Anyways, we all know why we're here," Lily continued.

"Of course," Regulus nodded, "It's a date."

Lily looked at him completely dumbfounded and turned expectantly to James."

"Ummmm…. Happy anniversary? Birthday? Ummm…. Something I've forgotten?" James offered weakly.

"Shit!" exclaimed Regulus. "It is our anniversary!"

"Indeed," Lily said coldly.

"Oops," James said. 3We weren't doing gifts or anything? Right? Cause otherwise I can always offer some more interesting ser-"

"Don't finish that sentence," Regulus intervened. "At least not while we're in public," he added slyly.

"No, no we weren't doing gifts, don't worry."

"Oh thank goodness," Regulus said. "Sorry, I forgot?"

Lily laughed. "It's fine. I just had a little proposition."

They both paused, spoons in the middle of the way to their mouths. Lily noted James had chosen bubblegum (just because he could) and Regulus coffee (dark, like his soul, or something along those lines) and she herself had picked toffee. Also, James was eating his ice cream with his spoon the wrong way around.

"Do you always eat your ice cream like that, James?" she asked.

"Yep, it's a habit."

"That's a bad habit," she told him.

"Disgusting," Regulus supplied.

"Hey!" James exclaimed, falsely offended.

"Anyway," Regulus ignored him, "You were saying, Lily."

Lily took a deep breath, and put her hands in front of her in the most imposing matter. "I was thinking…."

"Yes?" they both said.

"Maybe we should move in together?"

There was a pause, and then an awkward silence. She could see the idea going around in their heads, and she suddenly feared it was a very bad proposition and they didn't want it at all, and maybe she shouldn't have said anything, and oh my morgana, it was horrible.

"That's a big step in our relationship," Regulus said after a while.

"I know," said Lily, "It would be a huge commitment to it, but I was thinking…"

"I like it," said James, cutting in. "It's unexpected, but I like it."

"Well, we're all adults, and I feel like we've gotten to that step," Lily presented her arguments.

"I think I like it too," Regulus said. "I know I've generally been non-committal, but I think I like it."

"Really, don't just say that because you want to please me," Lily quickly said.

"No, no, I think we should," James was nodding, looking more and more convinced.

"I agree," Regulus added.

Lily let out a deep breath. "So, yes?"

"Yep!" James said.

"Let's go!" said Regulus.

"Oh great!" Lily said. "So, I've already started making a list of all the things we'll need to do and-"

"Lily!" James laughed. "Relax!"

Lily smiled and Regulus took her hand. It was just perfect like that.

A/N: Submitted for a bunch of things at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Challenges and Assignments!)