A/N: At first, I have no clue how to order in a fancy restaurant, being as I have never been in one before, and I ask that you people excuse any mistakes I make, and second, I'm really trying to make this fic clichéd because that's the one everyone seem to like (because I like them myself) so if you don't like it, tell me, and I'll change it or something. I will take suggestions in any form (that means even flames) because I'm not a very good writer, and there are people out there who know better who can advise me and all that crap. I tried to make Lily sorta like Florinda from Jubilee Trail, and she even says some of her expressions and stuff. lol. With that said...
When the clock tower in Hogsmeade chimed twelve times, Lily and James were quite tired of arguing and decided on an early lunch. Both had never met a person as the other, and as much as they hated to admit, they found the change refreshing. Mostly all of the dates they previously entertained were either awkward and passive or filled to the brim with passionate kisses and obvious flirting.
"Well?"
"I'll have the Penne, do you do substitutions?" The waiter answered in the negative.
"Well, just bring me the Penne with the sundried tomatoes on the side," she crinkled her nose, "I'm allergic."
"Liiillllyy! I don't know what the heck I'm ordering!"
"He will have the Fettucini Alfredo, thanks."
"What? What am I eating? It better not be polar bear eyeballs or something!"
"There are no polar bears in Italy, James." The waiter eyed them curiously.
"If I may make a personal remark madam," James's ears perked, "you make quite the couple!"
"Thank you, sir." Lily showed no sign of embarrassment, but James's cheeks flushed a dark pink.
"Do I humiliate you, James?"
"No, well I-" She laughed mockingly and gave him a coy look. "Whaat?"
"You love me."
"What? Lils have you gone crazy? You would normally never say that."
"Yeah, I know, but this isn't normal, is it? I'm actually enjoying a date with you." He frowned a little.
"You mean you don't have fun on dates? I thought you-"
"No, actually, there's something I think I should say." Her expression suddenly became uncertain. She bit her lip.
"Your not bisexual?" He thought she saw her break into a grin.
"This isn't funny, James," she
sighed, "I never slept with any of the guys I went out with."
He,
surprisingly, did not look relieved or angry. He smiled at her.
"I thought you weren't like that, and I didn't really go out with you to get...you know,"
"Of course you did."
"No I didn't."
"Yes you did, don't lie to me."
"Ok, maybe a little, but not mostly."
"Really?"
"No."
"Oh."
"Yes, really! I was being sarcastic you little witch!"
"I should tell you, I'm not really used to this honesty stuff," she pouted, as if the whole thing was immoral and unacceptable. He did not reply. They ate their meal in silence. Occasionally, James looked up to see Lily eating and when she felt his eyes, she would look up, but he would look away. Other than that, not a word was spoken. Lily paid and James did not protest, for once.
A half hour had passed as they ate. They went to the end of the town to the mountains, were many Hogwarts couples were just starting to have romantic picnic lunches. James frowned, but Lily said nothing, too disgusted at the thought of her and James all lovey-dovey with each other. They climbed further to where an occasional wizard would walk past to get potion ingredients, but otherwise was completely deserted.
"Do you take all of your dates here?"
"Yes, I do."
"Oh." She did not need to ask what they did here, she was sure she didn't want to know. When their lips met, she flinched, realizing she was going to find out anyway.
*
"What do you think Evans and Prongs are up to?"
"They're snoggin'."
"I don't think so, for once, Padfoot."
"I agree with Sirius, Moony, they both go through potential dates like toilet paper."
"Bet, Wormtail, Padfoot,"
"I dunno-"
"Taken. Fifteen sickles says that Lillian and James spent their day making out."
"Get ready to lose. How 'bout you Peter? Peter?"
"Where'd he go?"
*
He pulled away from her flushed face. She looked scared and hurt.
"What's wrong?"
"Isn't this the part where you take out your wand and go 'obliviate!'?" She made a move to take out her wand, but her eyes were glazed and her expression looked even more hurt than before.
"You don't-" She glanced at James intently. He looked like he was holding back a giggle. She glared at him and turned toward the Post Office.
"Lils, wait!" By the time he caught up with her, she'd run all the way to the Owl Post, and was pretending to look for mail. When he made to talk to her, she loudly asked the pig-faced attendant if she had any mail. James growled and stomped his foot impatiently. "Lily, listen to me!" She turned around and looked at him, hard and cheerful as ever. "I was just joking!"
"Yes, I know, ha ha, now I have to check my mail, James, so could you just wait over there where it says 'Wait here'?" He glowered at her as she gave him a sickly sweet smile. From where he sat on the small steel chair (with a cushioning charm on it for comfort), he watched Lily, who happened to have mail after all. He could see that she kept her composure, but her eyes were stunned and disbelieving.
"What happened?"
"What do you mean, James?"
"Oh come on, Lily, tell me? Please?"
"We've been talking for the past half a day, and more than half of that time we've been arguing, we barely had a decent discussion before this that didn't include your immaturity or some subject or other and all of a sudden you wanna be my bloody best friend?!"
"Sh, don't make a scene, Evans, are going to tell me or not?" She looked indecisive, but eventually pulled back her lip as she had done before.
"It's my dad," he tilted his head, confused. "Our company has filed bankruptcy."
"That's not possible! Henry Evans and Co. is our greatest muggle investment! They are our lawyers!" Lily looked flabbergasted.
"What?"
"Lily! We are your highest paying client!"
"I didn't know! I should've paid more attention! oh dammit! Dammit all!" she stomped her foot into the macadam road angrily.
"Well how did they say it happened?"
"The problem was internal, it seems, a CEO of our Swiss branch made a mistake in balancing the account, he overestimated the assets and so the profits were higher,"
"And you spent as much as you had, and now there's debt."
"Yes. Daddy had to pay it all out of our savings and there's barely even money for my next year's school supplies," her voice was hoarse but she kept speaking. "What's worse is that they say he's had a heart failure. He's in bed." Her face was ghostly white. She didn't cry, but James kept glancing at her, concerned.
"Let's get back to Hogwarts, it's almost two."
By the time they got back to Hogwarts, Lily had regained her poise, and resumed polite conversation with James. Before they knew it, they reached the Fat Lady's portrait.
"I had a horrible time."
"So did I."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Maybe we can do this again sometime."
"Sure. Oh hell for breakfast!" Lily started giggling like mad. With a long snort, so did James. They laughed until their stomachs ached and they couldn't stop. The Fat Lady jumped awake and stared at the two teenagers as if they had sprouted extra limbs, but joined in their laughter soon after, seeing them so happy had an effect on her.
"Hey it's Lily and-"
"-James, what the hell are-"
"-you doing, and Miss Fat Lady-"
"Have you all gone mad?!" The Marauders, Lily and the Fat Lady turned to look at a stocky little first year boy, holding a abnormally large lollipop in his hand. The students trod sheepishly into the Common Room and the Fat Lady pretended to be asleep again. The boy with the lolly glared skeptically at them and waddled up the stairs to the First Years Dorms.
"Give me my fifteen sickles," Remus demanded, and Sirius pretended not to hear.