Chapter 4 – The Date
Over the following nights, Lily was determined to find the Marauders and win her bet. However, although she wouldn't admit it to James, she had absolutely no idea where they went or at what time. By the end of the first week, whenever James past Lily in the corridor, he would call to her "What's your favourite type of food?" or "What wine should we have with our meal?" Even after two weeks, Lily wasn't panicking. She knew the Marauders would get cocky soon and let their guard down. She was right. They were shocked to find that she was still in the common room, when they returned one night. Fortunately, she had been asleep. But by the end of the third week, Lily was devoting all her free time to finding the Marauders. When she passed James in the corridors, he would call "I've already booked that restaurant." Finally, at 3 a.m. on the last night, she admitted defeat. James walked into breakfast the next morning, with a broad grin on his face. He walked straight up to Lily and asked,
"How's Friday night for you?" She sighed
"Fine," James looked at her.
"Come on Lils. We'll have a great time. Trust me,"
"We'd better," she said mock-threateningly. James smirked back.
XXXXXXXX
At 8 o' clock, on Friday evening, Lily and James left Gryffindor tower. James pulled out a large piece of parchment and turned to Lily. "There are two reasons why you didn't catch us, Lils. This is one of them," he said, proudly displaying the parchment. Lily looked at him, unimpressed. James took out his wand, tapped the parchment and said, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good". Lily watched, stunned, as the Marauders' Map spread out in front of her.
"Come on" he said, and they progressed to the statue of the Humpback Witch. James opened the secret passage, and motioned for Lily to go through. She glared at him.
"Just trust me, Lils," he begged. She still looked sceptical. So James slid down first, and eventually Lily followed.
"Where are we?" she demanded. James smiled
"You'll see," he told her, and taking her hand, he led her along the passage. She enjoyed the feel of her hand in his but after a while, they found themselves under the trapdoor. He led her out and she instantly recognised the Honeydukes cellar. "Remember I told you there were two reasons you didn't catch us?" James said. Lily nodded and he carried on, "well, here's the other." And he pulled out his invisibility cloak. Lily's eyes went wide as she saw the cloak, and she nearly screamed when James put it on and disappeared from her sight. James slipped the cloak over both of them, and they walked straight through Honeydukes, and out the front door onto the street outside.
"Where did you find that passage?" she asked incredulously.
"We explore," he told her with a smile, "come on, we should be there by now,"
"What restaurant are we going to?"
"It's just a pizza place." Lily smiled, she loved pizza, but there wasn't a pizza place in Hogsmeade. She said this to James, but he simply said
"Correction. You don't know about the pizza place in Hogsmeade." He led her down a very long, dingy back street, which she had never been down before. She began to get a little frightened and she clutched James' hand.
"Where are we going James?" she asked quietly.
"Just trust me Lils," he said reassuringly, "you'll love it. I guarantee it." James found an unmarked white door and held it open for her. With some trepidation, she entered and was shocked to find a small, beautiful, elegant restaurant. There were only a handful of tables, and just one was taken. Then a voice with a heavy Italian accent called out fro the kitchen
"James, James, is that you?" A small, fat man, with an enormous moustache emerged and James greeted him
"Ciao Luigi. Come Stai?" (Hi Luigi. How are you?)
"Benissimo, grazie James. E tu? (Great, thanks James. And you?)
"Bene, anch'io." (Good as well)
"Ah," said Luigi, looking at Lily, "Che bella ragazza!" (What a beautiful girl!)
"Knock it off Luigi," said James, abruptly returning to English, "we're just friends."
"Ah. Si." Despite the Italian accent, Lily could tell the heavy sarcasm in his voice. Luigi cooked his pizzas the muggle way, so Lily and James talked while they were being prepared. Lily was soon realising that there was a lot more to James than met the eye. He was extremely funny, as well as intelligent. He was sophisticated and always seemed to know exactly what to say. Lily felt herself relax instantly, as she told him about herself and her interests. They talked about their home lives in particular. James came from a wealthy pureblood wizarding family, whereas Lily was muggle-born. Of course, the food was excellent when it came and James paid for it all. As they left the restaurant, James turned to her
"I know it's not exactly romantic but do you want to go to the Broomsticks and grab a butterbeer. You seem quite fond of it."
Lily happily agreed. She was surprised to find that everyone knew James. She knew he was out every so often, but she didn't realise he was a regular here. When they left the Broomsticks it was past 11 o' clock so they headed back into Honeydukes, which didn't close till 11.30, and down the passage back to school. As they climbed out of the statue, Lily turned to go towards Gryffindor Tower, but James stopped her
"Wait, Lils. Let me show you one more thing. It'll only take a few minutes." She agreed, wondering what else James could know that he wanted to show her. They went out into the grounds and down towards the forest. As they came close, Lily stopped
"James, we aren't going into the forest are we?"
"Only about 1 ft. Please Lils, you'll love it."
They reached the edge of the forest, and James took out his wand. He pointed it at a tree and said "diffindo". The tree split down the centre, but instead of falling over, the two halves moved apart and door made of ivy, grew from the floor. James opened the door and led Lily inside. She gasped, as she found herself in a clearing, surrounded by trees, with a lake in the middle. James conjured a blanket on the bank of the lake and offered her a seat. It was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen, flowers grew all around the clearing and the moonlight shimmered down on the lake. They sat, mostly in silence appreciating the view, before deciding it was time to go indoors. Just outside her room, Lily said to him
"That was great James. I had a really good time,"
"Me too. I love that restaurant,"
"I know. I'd like to go again sometime,"
"Definitely. Goodnight Lils." He kissed her on the cheek, then seemed to realise what he had done, and went inside his bedroom quickly.
"Goodnight James," she whispered. She lay in bed that night, with a thousand thoughts going through her mind. That was the best date she'd ever been on, and it wasn't a date. James was the nicest person she'd ever been out with, and they weren't going out. After a restless couple of hours, the cold reality hit her. She liked James Potter.
Over the following nights, Lily was determined to find the Marauders and win her bet. However, although she wouldn't admit it to James, she had absolutely no idea where they went or at what time. By the end of the first week, whenever James past Lily in the corridor, he would call to her "What's your favourite type of food?" or "What wine should we have with our meal?" Even after two weeks, Lily wasn't panicking. She knew the Marauders would get cocky soon and let their guard down. She was right. They were shocked to find that she was still in the common room, when they returned one night. Fortunately, she had been asleep. But by the end of the third week, Lily was devoting all her free time to finding the Marauders. When she passed James in the corridors, he would call "I've already booked that restaurant." Finally, at 3 a.m. on the last night, she admitted defeat. James walked into breakfast the next morning, with a broad grin on his face. He walked straight up to Lily and asked,
"How's Friday night for you?" She sighed
"Fine," James looked at her.
"Come on Lils. We'll have a great time. Trust me,"
"We'd better," she said mock-threateningly. James smirked back.
XXXXXXXX
At 8 o' clock, on Friday evening, Lily and James left Gryffindor tower. James pulled out a large piece of parchment and turned to Lily. "There are two reasons why you didn't catch us, Lils. This is one of them," he said, proudly displaying the parchment. Lily looked at him, unimpressed. James took out his wand, tapped the parchment and said, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good". Lily watched, stunned, as the Marauders' Map spread out in front of her.
"Come on" he said, and they progressed to the statue of the Humpback Witch. James opened the secret passage, and motioned for Lily to go through. She glared at him.
"Just trust me, Lils," he begged. She still looked sceptical. So James slid down first, and eventually Lily followed.
"Where are we?" she demanded. James smiled
"You'll see," he told her, and taking her hand, he led her along the passage. She enjoyed the feel of her hand in his but after a while, they found themselves under the trapdoor. He led her out and she instantly recognised the Honeydukes cellar. "Remember I told you there were two reasons you didn't catch us?" James said. Lily nodded and he carried on, "well, here's the other." And he pulled out his invisibility cloak. Lily's eyes went wide as she saw the cloak, and she nearly screamed when James put it on and disappeared from her sight. James slipped the cloak over both of them, and they walked straight through Honeydukes, and out the front door onto the street outside.
"Where did you find that passage?" she asked incredulously.
"We explore," he told her with a smile, "come on, we should be there by now,"
"What restaurant are we going to?"
"It's just a pizza place." Lily smiled, she loved pizza, but there wasn't a pizza place in Hogsmeade. She said this to James, but he simply said
"Correction. You don't know about the pizza place in Hogsmeade." He led her down a very long, dingy back street, which she had never been down before. She began to get a little frightened and she clutched James' hand.
"Where are we going James?" she asked quietly.
"Just trust me Lils," he said reassuringly, "you'll love it. I guarantee it." James found an unmarked white door and held it open for her. With some trepidation, she entered and was shocked to find a small, beautiful, elegant restaurant. There were only a handful of tables, and just one was taken. Then a voice with a heavy Italian accent called out fro the kitchen
"James, James, is that you?" A small, fat man, with an enormous moustache emerged and James greeted him
"Ciao Luigi. Come Stai?" (Hi Luigi. How are you?)
"Benissimo, grazie James. E tu? (Great, thanks James. And you?)
"Bene, anch'io." (Good as well)
"Ah," said Luigi, looking at Lily, "Che bella ragazza!" (What a beautiful girl!)
"Knock it off Luigi," said James, abruptly returning to English, "we're just friends."
"Ah. Si." Despite the Italian accent, Lily could tell the heavy sarcasm in his voice. Luigi cooked his pizzas the muggle way, so Lily and James talked while they were being prepared. Lily was soon realising that there was a lot more to James than met the eye. He was extremely funny, as well as intelligent. He was sophisticated and always seemed to know exactly what to say. Lily felt herself relax instantly, as she told him about herself and her interests. They talked about their home lives in particular. James came from a wealthy pureblood wizarding family, whereas Lily was muggle-born. Of course, the food was excellent when it came and James paid for it all. As they left the restaurant, James turned to her
"I know it's not exactly romantic but do you want to go to the Broomsticks and grab a butterbeer. You seem quite fond of it."
Lily happily agreed. She was surprised to find that everyone knew James. She knew he was out every so often, but she didn't realise he was a regular here. When they left the Broomsticks it was past 11 o' clock so they headed back into Honeydukes, which didn't close till 11.30, and down the passage back to school. As they climbed out of the statue, Lily turned to go towards Gryffindor Tower, but James stopped her
"Wait, Lils. Let me show you one more thing. It'll only take a few minutes." She agreed, wondering what else James could know that he wanted to show her. They went out into the grounds and down towards the forest. As they came close, Lily stopped
"James, we aren't going into the forest are we?"
"Only about 1 ft. Please Lils, you'll love it."
They reached the edge of the forest, and James took out his wand. He pointed it at a tree and said "diffindo". The tree split down the centre, but instead of falling over, the two halves moved apart and door made of ivy, grew from the floor. James opened the door and led Lily inside. She gasped, as she found herself in a clearing, surrounded by trees, with a lake in the middle. James conjured a blanket on the bank of the lake and offered her a seat. It was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen, flowers grew all around the clearing and the moonlight shimmered down on the lake. They sat, mostly in silence appreciating the view, before deciding it was time to go indoors. Just outside her room, Lily said to him
"That was great James. I had a really good time,"
"Me too. I love that restaurant,"
"I know. I'd like to go again sometime,"
"Definitely. Goodnight Lils." He kissed her on the cheek, then seemed to realise what he had done, and went inside his bedroom quickly.
"Goodnight James," she whispered. She lay in bed that night, with a thousand thoughts going through her mind. That was the best date she'd ever been on, and it wasn't a date. James was the nicest person she'd ever been out with, and they weren't going out. After a restless couple of hours, the cold reality hit her. She liked James Potter.