The Reckoning

"Come on Rose, we're going to be late!" Lily called to Rose, who was finishing dressing.

"Of course, we can't be late!" Rose called back. It was the family joke that Rose was always late. "I can't wait to see their faces!" Lily sat down. It had hit her. She was going to be married soon. She would not longer be Lily Andrea Evans; she would be Mrs. Michael Peters, was she ready for this?

"Come on Lily, we're going to be late!" Rose mimicked her. Rose stopped when she saw Lily sitting motionless on the couch in the living room.

"What's wrong? Are you nervous about telling them?" Rose asked sympathetically.

"Rose, tell me, am I ready for marriage? Am I too young? Am I being too hasty? Is he the one for me? I've only known him for two years! I've only been dating him for one!" Lily cried.

"Time is no indication. Look at Sirius and me. I've known him for what? Nine years? We've been dating for four of those. It took us, mutually, till last year to admit we were in love. Look at my finger. Do you see a ring on this finger?" Rose asked. "Now look at the people who married the people they were dating in seventh year, right out of Hogwarts. Some of them are just as happy in their marriage as Sirius and I are waiting. Some aren't happy because they aren't meant to be with that person. It's different for everyone. Sirius and I are not ready to be married. Anyone could see that. We're both still children and are not ready to deal with each other twenty-four seven. We take a long time taking any steps. That's just us."

"But am I ready?" Lily asked.

"I can't tell you that. I think you are ready for anything, if you want it. Now come on, stop mopping. If you aren't' ready for marriage and don't love the guy as much as you thought you did, put off the wedding. Tell him you want to be engaged for a year!" Rose said dramatically. "Think what Petunia would say. 'Tis a sign that the marriage isn't to be!'" Rose laughed at the idea. "The again, she disapproves of me dating Sirius, sleeping with him, and not marrying him. She asked Mum and Dad to arrange her marriage, remember? 'Like any proper daughter would.' What are we, back in the Stone Age?"

"When did you get so thoughtful? Doesn't matter, you're right," Lily said quietly. "I am ready for this. Let's go."

"I'm always right!" Rose said. Rose adjusted her shirt. It and the pants she was wearing barely passed for acceptable wear in the restaurant they were going to. Rose never wore dresses when she could help it.

"Roight," Lily said sarcastically.

The two sisters apparated to the designated meeting spot. Since it was James' first night back, they had all agreed to go to a fancy restaurant and see a show instead of seeing a movie. Every one of them was wearing muggle dinner clothes.

"Rose dearest, you look beautiful," Sirius said to Rose. He came up to her and gave her a long kiss. "I've been wanting to do that for a while," he whispered. Rose laughed.

"You saw me last week!" she giggled.

"Distance makes the heart grow fonder," Lily quoted. She too was smiling. "We're eating here tonight." The restaurant, Chez France, was a good one given five stars by both the Daily Prophet and the London Times.

"Why are we eating at a French restaurant?" Remus asked.

"Yea, don't we usually go Italian when we eat at fancy restaurants?" Rachel commented.

"Yes, but my Mum recommended this place. She has discounts here since she used to be a cook for them and Rose says she's gotten tired of Italian and needs some good French food to remind her of her roots," Lily explained.

"I did not say that! Ok, I did say I was tired of Italian and you all trying some French food once in a while wouldn't hurt," Rose defended herself.

"Let's go in," James muttered. He held the door open for Lily. She was dressed in a red dress; it was lighter than her brown tinted red hair. It was sleeveless and ended just above her knees showing off her elegantly shaped legs.

"Merci," she said as she passed. James smelled the fragrance of her hair. It was the sent of Lily, Lily was always perfect.

The eight of them were seated quickly. The table was set for nine, but Peter hadn't been able to make it. They looked over their menus as Lily twisted her napkin in her hands.

"What is it Lily?" Tapa asked.

"Nothing, nothing," Lily replied quickly. Lily slid her hand into her purse. She found her engagement ring and slipped it on to her finger. Rose smiled knowingly. Lily put her hand on her lap.

"So how was playing for Scottish team?" Rachel asked. "I rooted for them all the way, until they played England of course. You might be on the team, but my loyalties cannot be changed like that."

"It was great!" James said. He explained the thrills of playing. The food came.

"What's that on your finger?" Tapa asked. Lily brought her fork to her mouth. She looked at her hand.

"Is that what I think it is?" Rachel asked. Lily nodded. Tapa, Rachel and Jill all made tracks for Lily. Rose came more sedately.

"It's beautiful!" Jillian breathed.

"That's one of the biggest rocks I've ever seen, he must be loaded!" Rachel exclaimed.

"What are they talking about?" James asked over the comments of the girls crowded around Lily.

"How should I know?" Sirius called back. "They'll tell us in English when they want us to understand."

"You idiots! They're talking about Lily's new ring. From what I can tell, rock means diamond, so I'm guessing it's an engagement ring," Remus informed them.

"You got the smart one," Rose said to Jill. Jill nodded knowly. Rose walked over to her seat and picked up her glass of wine. "To Lily and Mike!" she proclaimed raising her glass. Somehow the words didn't feel right in her mouth.

"To Lily and Mike!" everyone repeated raising their glasses as well. Well, everyone except James. He kind of muttered something and half lifted his glass. The people at the table took a sip of their wine.

"It's not poisonous you know. We all drank it and are fine," Sirius told James, who was staring at his untouched wine.

"Yea," James said taking a sip. No one noticed; everyone was too busy concentrating on Lily, everyone except Rose.

Dinner progressed with little problem, though every once in a while someone would demand that Lily put her hand on the table so they could get a better look at her ring. James was very silent during dinner.

"James," Lily said to him as they were leaving the restaurant, "what's wrong? I'm sorry I missed your coming home. I really wanted to be there, but Mike and I had set the date for our dinner several weeks ago. He told me it couldn't be another time and well…" Lily trailed off and held up her hand.

'She was getting that as I was making an arse of myself by saying that I would take her out to a romantic dinner,' James thought. 'Now I lost her.'

"It's nothing Lils, don't worry. It's just me, I think I have jet lag," James told her.

"But you apparated," Lily protested.

"You know how it is apparating long distance," James made up. "So how's this Mike guy? Is he nice?"

"You wouldn't take it highly if I said he was."

"Why is that?"

"You told me yourself, you think nice is a word that people say when they really don't like said person and can't find a better word and they don't want to say anything insulting," Lily recited.

"You know me too well," James complained. Lily smiled.

"I will tell you this, he is a wonderful person. He is smart, serious, artistic, talented and perfect. He's perfect," Lily said.

"Good, wouldn't want anything less for you," James stammered, he was trying not to portray the bitterness and betrayal he was feeling. Lily smiled and slowed down so she could talk to Tapa.

The play they saw was good, but James didn't notice. All he could think about was they would no longer be five couples plus Tapa and Peter. (James and Lily, Rose and Sirius, Remus and Jill, Rachel and Frank.) James decided to walk home while the others apparated, making the excuse that he needed to pick up a few things.

James walked with his head down. He felt hand touch his arm and pull him to one side. He realized that he had been about to walk into a flowerpot.

"Thanks," he muttered.

"You're an idiot, I hope you know that James Potter," the owner of the arm said.

"How's that, how am I an idiot?" James asked. He turned to see Rose. He groaned inwardly. He would have caught her voice, but he was too busy in his dream world.

"You are an idiot for leaving. You are an idiot for thinking she'd wait for you when you had plainly not waited for her. You are an idiot for thinking she'd come back to you. You have a lot of nerve doing that to her. Maybe I should have let you walk into that flowerpot," Rose turned away. She apparated away; leaving James all alone on the street. He kicked a pebble on the street. Nothing was right.

Life wasn't supposed to be like this. James Potter was supposed to have the perfect life. He was supposed to have a good job. Well he didn't have one and his last one, no matter how glamorous had kept him away from his friends. Now he was unemployed. He had to fix that one quickly.

James Potter was supposed to have a nice house. It was supposed to be grand with decorated fresco ceilings and paintings on the walls. Instead, James lived in a bachelor pad with his two best friends.

James Potter was supposed to have a loving family. His sister and brother were supposed to be anticipating their Hogwarts letters in a few years while his parents would be proud of him because he had made the Quidditch team.

James Potter was also supposed to have a perfect girlfriend. He had thought he had Lily. Lily was perfect. She always had every hair in place making her look perfect. But he really didn't have her, someone else had her and it was his fault.

That last one was the soar point. He could have had her if he hadn't been an idiot and went away.

I don't think it was very clear in the last chapter and I hope this one cleared it up. Lily is not getting married to James and is not together with James, she was away because she was on a date with her boyfriend Mike and he proposed to her. He is the one she is marrying.

Oh, plot line partly, but not completely based on ED.