Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Although I wish I owned James. And Sirius.

A/N: FINALLY an update. I had writer's block, so...yeah. And sorry about the little mistake in the last chapter. "Calm down, Potter, he's only 25!" "ONLY 27? You're ONLY 15!"
Yes, I meant 25. Not 27. Typo's happen! And you'll probably get even more confused with the age now...cuz Lily lied about it? And another mistake...he's not Muggle. He's a graduate. Sorry about that.

Chapter Twelve: Spiffing

James was seething. "You told me he was 25, Lily!"

Lily had lied. She told James John was 25. "Well...he's 28. That's only three years more!"

"Lils, you're a freaking 15 year old girl."

"I know, but he likes me a lot!"

"So I do I! No. Wait. I don't like you. I LOVE YOU. But under no circumstances am I coming with you to meet this old man."

"Fine. I need you not."

And so Lily left. To meet her date, at Hogsmeade.

"How was your date with Mr. John Pen last night?" James asked Lily as they strolled aimlessly through Diagon Alley--not shopping, but looking for somewhere to eat.

Lily sighed dreamily. "Wonderful. Oh, James, he told me that he's never met anyone as pretty as I am...and he brought me pink roses..." She stopped talking abruptly and blushed. "Should--should I not be talking about this with you?"

James looked puzzledly (a/n is that word? it is now!) at her. "Of course you should. I asked about it." And he smiled at the fact that she called him James now.

"But--doesn't it make guys uncomfortable when girls talk about other men in front of them?"

He laughed. "Of course it does, Lily. But it's not like we ever dated. I guess I'm jealous, though."

Lily looked him over, and continued babbling on about John Pen. James didn't really pay attention as Lily detailed what kind of house Pen lived in, with the six horses and two indoor pools--he had inherited a large sum from his father when he died, including his large home. Instead, he tried to hold back annoyance at her girlish giddiness.

"Anyway, he's invited me and some friends to have dinner with him next week, and I'd like you and maybe Sirius or Bella to come," Lily was saying, bringing James back to attention.

"What?" James said.

Lily smiled. "Thank you for tuning in, James," she smirked. "Can you and Sirius make it?"

"What--what day?" James asked, still a little dazed.

She bit her lip. "Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!"

"Well, that's the only day he can make it," Lily explained hurriedly. "John is a very busy man, you know."

"Lily, I have homework, you know. I'm the last minute person!" James told her. "I do have to study for exams tomorrow. What time are you planning on having this little gathering."

"Six-ish?" Lily replied meekly.

James sighed exasperatedly. "Lily, are you trying to get me to fail?"

"So you'll come?" Lily asked brightly.

James stared at his pleading friend and sighed again. "I'll see what I can do, all right?"

Lily squealed happily and threw her around his neck, catching him off guard and nearly causing him to topple over. "Oh, thank you, James!" she exclaimed. "It'll be great, I promise. You'll love him, you really will."

She pulled away from him, still beaming. James grumbled something in reply, all the while trying to fathom just how he had allowed Lily to get him into this.

Lily glanced down nervously at her watch again. "Where is he?" she demanded again.

Bella, Sirius, and John all looked up from their still empty plates. "Well," Sirius said calmly, "I'd bet he's still studying. Like we should be. What about you, Bella?"

"Sirius, back off ok? I'm dating Remus."

"I was just asking!"

Lily sighed crossly. "He told me he'd be here," she snapped.

"And he will be," John spoke up.

"And he is," a voice came from the front entryway, and suddenly, James appeared in the dining room, smiling slightly.

Lily stood and grabbed his arm, and pulled him to his seat next to Sirius. "John, this is James Potter," she said, remembering her manners. "James, this is John Pen."

James, still smiling, extended his hand to John over the table. "Lily's told me so much about you," he said politely.

"Oh," John replied, "all good, I hope?"

"Not all," James responded thoughtfully as he sat down. Lily's eyes met his over the table, clearly warning him not to do anything he would regret. "She says that sometimes you make her feel too special." James grinned and winked at Lily.

Later that night, John got a moment with Lily alone. "I loved being with you, Lily. Your friends are wonderful."

And Lily wondered who he was talking about. Just friend, not friends. Just Bella. Oh, he must mean Sirius. And James. And Lily realized how much time she was spending with James lately. But she smiled up at John.

"Really? They're great, aren't they?"

"Oh yes, yes dear. And how long have you known this James hooligan?"

Lily retreated slightly at hearing John refer to James as a 'hooligan', but she ignored the twinge of annoyance that filled her stomach at the remark. "Well," she said, "it's a little difficult to explain, but we were never friends... well I mean we are now, but we just hit it off. I don't really know."

John frowned. "Have you dated him?"

She laughed, almost a little nervously. "Oh, no."

John didn't reply, but said, "Is he seeing anyone?"

"James? No. He wants to see me, I guess.." She stared curiously up at him. "Why so curious?" Lily smirked. "Jealous?"

John shrugged. "No." Before Lily could comment further on it, he leaned down and kissed her, catching her a little off guard for a moment before she put her hand on the back of his head and pulled him closer to her, deepening the kiss. And Lily felt like she was kissing a corpse.

The kiss lasted little more than three seconds before he broke it off. "Good night, Lily," he whispered, his mouth level with her chin, eyes set on her lips. "I'll owl you later."

Lily was about to protest when he Apparated, leaving her standing alone on the steps. She sighed dreamily and walked towards her pals.

James was leaning up against the wall next to it, looking highly amused. Bella and Sirius, who were seated on Lily's couch, had equally cheeky smirks on their faces. Lily immediately flushed pink and closed the door quietly behind her, biting her bottom lip.

Quickly, she asked anxiously, "Well...what did you think of him?"

Sirius spoke up first, "He seemed all right...bit boring, but that's to be expected. He is a ninety year old..."

They shared a laugh about that one, and discussed John further, but James was being exceptionally quiet. Lily noticed this, but Sirius and Bella didn't appear to. Lily decided not to bring attention until they were alone.

James had only just met John Pen and already he hated him.

He hated the way Pen would just snake his arm around Lily's waist at dinner, and she would giggle like a three-year-old on a merry-go-round. He hated the way Pen would interrupt a conversation to ask Lily to tell the rest what he'd bought her the day before. He hated the way Pen was so much older than Lily...

Of course, he'd never mentioned his age (it wasn't exactly the first thing one said when introducing themselves-- "Hello, my name is James Potter, and I'm fifteen years, two months, three weeks, nine days, and twelve hours old"), but there were wrinkles around his eyes that no one James's--or, more importantly, Lily's--age possessed. His hair was graying slightly 'round the temples...

James didn't know what it was, but every time Pen glanced his way, he got a gnawing feeling in his stomach and he felt like breaking something--but only for a split second, and then the feeling passed.

Which was why he was reluctant to reply when Lily asked him, "You've been awfully quiet. What do you think?"

James looked into her eyes--a stupid move on his part, because Lily's eyes were pleading wit him, practically screaming, 'Please like him, please like him, please like him...'. "I...uh...I think he's nice," he said finally.

A look of intense relief washed over Lily's eyes, softening her expression. She sighed happily and said, "Oh, I knew you would. John is wonderful, isn't he?"

"Spiffing," James responded.