"Cara, I'm not doing it." Lily said to Cara when they had lunch in their flat. Hamon looked at Lily, as did Cara.
"Not doing what?" Cara asked.
"I'm not scamming James. He's too good." Lily said, "It'll never work,"
"Of course it will." Cara said taking Lily's hand, "It always works. You said yourself he was a player which means he's easier to scam."
"He was a player but it only to make me jealous." Lily said tiredly.
"You are not backing out now. Not after you promised me my money back." Hamon ordered Lily. He stood up and glared at her
"I can't do this to him." Lily said standing up to match Hamon's height.
"Calm down." Cara said standing up as well. "Hamon sit down you'll get your money." Hamon nodded and just looked at Lily. "Lily, can you please just keep seeing him, we need the money that James has."
"But it's wrong." Lily said to Cara.
"When have you cared?" Cara asked. Lily looked at the floor. "You've never worried about it before. That's why you're always the secondary so that you don't have to feel like this." Cara said kindly. Lily sat down and continued to eat her meal.
"Whatever I'll do it for you guys but I'm having out of this business when we've done this last scam. I don't want anything else to do with it anymore." Lily said sulkily.
"That's not the right attitude but it will do." Cara said sitting down with Hamon. "So, what have you got planned next?" Lily shrugged.
"I don't know. I'm just playing it by ear." Lily said. She felt like going to see James again, she wanted to see him again. Cara was really starting to get on her nerves, why was she pushing so hard? They had more then enough money to pay off Hamon and go and target someone else. Why did it have to be James of all people!
"Well, I suggest you go down this evening and maybe work your magic." Cara said as she put a piece of salad into her mouth.
"Hmm." Lily murmured. "I'll go and see him now." Lily said getting up and summoning her bag. Cara smiled.
"Getting him enchanted early are we." Cara said with a smirk. "If things go to plan, we'll have a wedding on the way." She said turning to Hamon with a smile, "Oh, and don't forget, we're your cousins."
"Actually, you're my cousin, Hamon is your husband." Lily told Cara. Cara looked at Lily in horror.
"What?" She asked. Lily gave her a small wave and left the flat.
* * * *
James walked through Diagon Alley and looked in the windows of all the shops. He wanted to buy something for Lily. He didn't know why but he just wanted to. He looked into the window of a jewellery shop and saw a small silver necklace with a jade teardrop. James grinned. He could just picture it on Lily. He went in and enquired about the price. Ten minutes later he came out without anything in his hands and headed to the astronomy shop to buy something that had just popped into his head.
"May I help you Mr. Potter." Said the man behind the counter.
"You sell jewellery don't you?" James asked. The man nodded, "Do you have anything from shooting stars?"
"Meteorites? Yes we do. Just came in from the south pacific coast where a couple of meteorites just hit. Here you are sir." The man behind the counter had just pulled out a case of exquisite jewellery with bits of meteorites in them. James grinned and selected one.
* * * *
Lily put her hand to the window and looked in. The bar was completely empty, there wasn't even a bartender inside.
"Shit." Lily whispered. She looked around and noticed a small window. She went to it and had a look in. It revealed the small kitchen inside the bar. "Where is he?" she whispered to herself.
"What are you doing here?" Sirius asked from behind. Lily jumped slightly and turned to look at Sirius.
"Hi, could you tell me where James is?" Lily asked.
"He's James is he? What happened to your dearest Potter?" Sirius asked cheekily. Lily shrugged as Sirius got out a set of keys and opened up the bar. "He's gone out for a bit. Come in and have a drink."
"I've had enough drink." Lily said quickly. Sirius grinned knowingly and led the way into the bar. "So how are you doing Bla-Sirius?" Lily asked him
"I'm a beater for the tornados, I have a wonderful girlfriend, well no I don't she's just some fan of mine-"
"Sirius, you haven't changed." Lily said. Sirius winked at Lily,
"Well, what can I say?" Sirius asked offhandedly. "So what's up with you? Why did you suddenly appear back in our lives? And why are you suddenly dating our delectable James?"
"I don't really know how it happened," Lily said sitting on a bar stool and watching Sirius as he poured himself a beer. "I was in town, I live just across the road and I came searching for somewhere nice to hang out and I found you guys."
"Well, what's wrong with us?"
"Apart from the fact that you're a prat?" Lily asked.
"Yeah." Sirius said.
"Well, you did play tricks and pranks on me all through Hogwarts, you're immature, you show off, you-"
"Ok, I get it." Sirius said with a grin, "Just so you know, James isn't like that anymore."
"I noticed." Lily said.
"Are you sure you don't want a drink?" Sirius asked.
"Just get me an orange juice." Lily said, Sirius sighed and gave her the orange juice.
"Sirius I'm home!" James shouted as he came through the doors. "Ah, Lily, just the person I'm looking for." James went straight to Lily and swept her up into his arms. Lily let out a giggle in spite of herself and found herself returning James' kiss. "How's your hangover?" James asked.
"I can't feel it anymore. Your cure worked." Lily said grinning and giving James another kiss on the lips.
"I told you it would work. Why are you here so early, not that I mind."
"My cousin was driving me crazy." Lily said, "I had to get out of the house." James grinned and gave her a last kiss on the cheek before turning to face Sirius, James' arm firmly and protectively around Lily's waist. Lily liked it, she didn't know why she hadn't dated James sooner and she put her head on his shoulder as he spoke.
"So, Jazz night tonight yeah?" Sirius asked.
"Yep, the band are coming over in about two hours to set up, they're going to have a quick rehearsal and then the bar opens at seven." James said.
"Isn't Jazz a Muggle thing?" Lily asked James.
"It is but it's such an amazing type of music that I just had to introduce it to the wizarding world." James told Lily. "We've done it before and it was a huge hit."
"Can I come?" Lily asked.
"Of course you can." James grinned, Lily smiled at him and playfully kissed the corner of his mouth.
"Hey, why don't you invite your cousins?" Sirius asked. Lily stared at Sirius.
"You're kidding me right? You want my cousin to come?" Lily asked.
"Yeah, why not." James said. "She seemed so nice earlier. I know. Why don't you go home and start getting ready, because girls-" Lily hit him lightly, "Women need a lot of time to get ready and come by at seven thirty when everyone is here." He said brightly. Lily would have said no but James eyes just made her melt on the inside.
"Ok." Lily said. She kissed James again. "I'll see you in a few hours then." James smiled.
"Do you want me to walk you back to your house?" James asked.
"I think I can managed it on my own. I am a big girl now James." Lily said pouting slightly.
"I don't want you to be a big girl. I want you to be you." James said. Lily smiled and hit him lightly.
"I'll see you later." She said giving him a kiss and leaving the bar. As she left James found himself watching the way she walked out of the bar. He cocked his head slightly to the side and grinned. Lily put her bag on her arm and smiled to herself.
"Five, four," she whispered to herself, "Three, two, one."
"Lily." James called out behind her. She turned to find him walking towards her.
"Yes." She said sweetly.
"I just wanted to give you something." James said. Lily looked at James expectantly. He leaned forwards and pressed his lips against hers. Lily's breath caught in her throat, she didn't know what was coming over her but in that one kiss all her feelings for James changed. She liked him, no she liked him a lot. She wanted him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let James tease her mouth open with his tongue. Don't close your eyes, it's the first sign you're falling for him. Lily thought, but I am falling for him, he's just so…shit! Lily broke away suddenly and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.
"Um, I'll see you tonight." Lily said with a smile.
"What about the rest of the kiss?" James asked with a pout.
"I'll give it to you later." Lily said with a quick smile before she rushed back to her apartment. The moment she got into the house she went to her bedroom and slammed the door shut. She leant against her bedroom door for a few moments and closed her eyes. "I can't fall for him." Lily muttered to herself. "I can't do this to him. I need to end it. I'll do it tonight." Lily thought to herself.
"Lily are you ok in there?" Cara asked through the door, "Are you talking to yourself because that's never a good sign."
"I'm fine." Lily called back. She opened the door and turned to Cara. "James has invited all of us to a jazz night at his bar tonight."
"Do we have to pay?" Cara asked.
"No, we're his special guests." Lily said. Cara smirked and touched Lily's cheek.
"So you've decided to play him then?" Cara asked. Lily couldn't look at Cara and looked at the floor guiltily. "Oh Lily, you know all guys are the same anyway. They all cheat on you and all they care about is satisfying their sexual urges. You might as well get something out of it while you do this and that's why we marry them." Lily sighed.
"Well, I need to get ready for tonight, we need to be there at half seven." Lily said retreating back to her room.
"Right, I'll tell Hamon." Cara said with a smile.