Marauders' Match-making Inc.

Disclaimer: The plot of this story is loosely based on the ABC Family movie, "See Jane Date." The characters are property of J.K. Rowling. The only things that belong to me are the changes I made to the plot I borrowed and the new characters that you don't recognize from the Harry Potter books. Is that alright with you then?

Chapter Eighteen: Why Kissing is Much Better than Ice Cream

Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew stood just outside the Leaky Cauldron, hoping that a certain friend of theirs would pass them by so they could finish their mischievous little operation.

At long last (in Sirius' clever opinion), he finally appeared.

"Could you have taken anymore time to get here?" Sirius asked as he shivered through his thin cloak, "If I had known you were going to take this kind of time, I would have offered to kick your arse from your house to here. Probably would have gotten you here quicker too."

"Bloody hell, Padfoot, don't be too supportive and patient," James mumbled and looked at the stem in hand to make sure the thing wasn't wilting. "You guys are the ones that told me to go out with Marlene again, so I am."

"And we are very happy that you are, James," Remus injected, pleasantly warm having thought ahead to wear a thick cloak. After all, it was winter.

James looked around at his impatient and freezing friends as he decided to boldly take a stand. "But I just want to let you all know not to get your hopes up or anything," he stated as clearly as he could and went on with Peter's teeth chattering in the background, "Because I'm planning on...well...telling Marlene that things are not working out tonight."

He sighed and waited for a reaction.

Nothing. He saw nothing... except maybe a faint smirk on Sirius' face.

So he felt it necessary to clarify even further.

"I just do not want to have a girlfriend or date anyone at the moment... I want to get over...her first and then maybe I will consider dating again."

Once again, he looked around for facial expressions, angry words, supportive words, anything at all.

Remus seemed to catch onto the hint and responded first. "That's fine James. If it's really what you want..."

James nodded to concur.

"...Then go ahead and go in there. We just want you to...," he paused, looking for the best word to describe what he wanted to say.

"Stop moping around all the time and being a prat," Sirius said, seemingly joking.

Peter and Remus shot looks of shock at him that clearly wondered if he still had his head on straight.

"Bloody hell, that is what we want, right?"

"Sorry, James," Remus said, giving Sirius a 'be sensitive for once' glare, "I think that hit from jumping in and out of that chair earlier must have cut off the function in his brain."

James let out a short laugh as Sirius, as usual, looked insulted. "No, I get what he means. I would hope I understand the language of Sirius by now... Or else I'm doomed."

"Are you sure we all aren't doomed anyway?" Sirius asked seriously.

"I sure hope we aren't doomed," Peter said, his teeth chattering ceasing for a moment. "That would be awful."

"Padfoot, there is no way I'm having a serious conversation with you about stuff like death and doom until I'm sufficiently drunk enough to not remember the stupid things you said in the morning," Remus countered with a little smile and a sigh.

"And that is when he's at his intellectual peak, isn't it?" James joked with a smile.

"Well, you know he's at the peak of drinking," Peter laughed, "That much is certain."

James fiddled with the buttons on his cloak for a moment as he looked to his friends for support. Sirius was currently kicking around snow with an attitude while Peter resumed his chattering and Remus just smiled at James.

"Stop wasting time, Prongs. We'll see you either later or tomorrow."

"Later, I hope. That conversation about doom is starting to sound fairly intriguing compared to what I'm about to face when I go inside," he mumbled, starting for the door.

"Things aren't always what they seem," Remus stated with a smile as he started to lead Sirius away from the poor snow.

"Yeah," Sirius called and let a grin creep onto his face, "Especially when we are involved. Good luck, mate!"

"Good luck, Prongs," Peter echoed as the three started to leave.

"Yeah," James murmured. "Good luck to me."

--------------------------------------------------

"Come on, Lily," Marcia said in a knowing voice while she attempted to pull her out of the restroom, "You have to go out there eventually."

Lily pouted in strong dislike. "How do you know I won't set up camp in here and never come out?"

"Because eventually you have to eat and I will make sure I let no one come in here to bring you food. Ever. And this means double fudge ice cream."

Lily just looked at her without a word for a moment.

"Wow. What a nice friend I have. I'm glad I'm friends with you," she responded finally.

"I am a good friend," Marcia stated with a smile. "Because I'm making you face the facts. Don't you get it? James is still in love with you. And you're still in love with him. Please tell me where the problem is because I'm totally not seeing it."

"How do I tell him?" Lily blurted out, getting the urge to take it back as soon as she had uttered the phrase. "How do I explain to him how I feel? I mean, he won't doubt me, right? Especially after the way I blew up at him after that one night… And I haven't talked to him since… Oh… I'm just so confused."

"I don't know… You just say it." Marcia had a mixed look of passion and easiness as she went on. "You open up your heart to him and hope he doesn't smash it to pieces."

At that point, Lily appeared horrified.

"Not…that…he, James, would do that," she said completely flustered by the topic and her blunder, "He loves you to… So that won't happen. Probably."

"You are making a move to the convent sound more and more pleasing every time you talk," Lily replied with a groaned.

Marcia looked around at the bathroom and sighed. This really was not the type of place she ever imagined having, or wanted to ever again have this conversation. It was like talking about the subject of where babies come from with your parents at a very public dinner party or in front of your friends. Or having this conversation with parents at any point in time. She thought about her past experiences with this… and wished to forget them.

"Well, then you had better go talk to him before I get that idea plastered into your mind for good. I don't want to have to come visit you in a convent… They look uncomfortable to me."

Lily laughed her nervous laugh again and accompanied it with a smile.

Maybe it was time to head for the door before this conversation proceeded to carry on about the ups and downs of convent life.

"So are you going out there then?" Marcia questioned her, "Before…uh, never mind."

"Okay, then." Lily laughed, just to take her mind off of James. "Go ahead and conceal your little secret. I'll just assume that it's about your plan to join a convent."

"Or not," Marcia countered looking annoyed, "Go find your James."

"Only he's not my James, yet…," Lily murmured as she closed the door of the bathroom and went out to grab her coat and go to James' flat.

But as the door closed behind her, Lily felt a sense of calmness. So she was telling James her feelings… If he didn't feel the same way, that was not necessarily the end of the world. It just meant she would have to keep searching for her, well if you want to coin it that way, her soul mate. And for that she could always rely on Sirius' crazy matchmaking skills. But she would worry about that later.

She turned to the stools near her and reached for her coat.

"Done with your drink, Lily?" Tom, the bartender, asked her as he stretched out to grab it.

"Yeah," she said, barely being heard, "I think so."

The doubt was creeping back in again…

"Well, then 'ave a good night."

"I'll be sure to try to, Tom," she replied with a slightly nervous smile.

She twirled around and made for the door as quickly as she could. She had to get to James and tell him of her feelings for him before she lost her nerve, which no doubt, would happen soon enough.

Or as soon as she reached James' doorstep.

Whichever happened to come first…

Lily was just about to open the door when it went ahead and opened, clearly from someone pushing it on the other side, which caused her to stumble.

James looked shocked as he stood over a figure with long red hair. Assuming it was Marlene, he rushed forward to help her to her feet.

"I'm terribly sorry. Are you alright?"

He heard a sigh as she stood up to brush off her coat and caught a glimpse of her face.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just--"

She nearly fell over again as she realized it was James.

In the flesh.

In front of her.

Not a dream... This wasn't a dream right? If she hadn't been of right mind, she might have been bold enough to pinch herself just to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

"Lily?" He looked and sounded almost as shocked as he felt.

The irony of all ironies. His meeting Lily just as he was about to break things off with Marlene...

Fate was cruel in that way, wasn't it?

"Hi, James," she said with a nervous smile and a desperate attempt to keep her dignity, "Fancy meeting you here."

"Yeah…," he mumbled, looking down at his feet for a moment. For a person who was usually so arrogant, he had become fairly subdued and shy at the moment. It was like seeing Sirius act like a normal person.

Slightly terrifying.

"I…," A look of realization came upon him, "I never did get to apologize for how I acted a few weeks ago. You know, with your dates and everything."

Lily opened her mouth to speak and reassure him that it was alright, but he held up his hand for her to let him finish.

"I… I know I was, well, wrong for doing it and I just want you to know… I'm not going to bother you again. I'll just let you choose your own people to date," he went on, suddenly coming back into his usual mannerisms, "Even if they are…a…little sketchy."

Lily almost had the urge to smile and laugh at his choice of words.

Sketchy?

What, was she dating a bunch of convicts?

"So, I just wanted you to know that," he concluded, looking quite miserable because what he had just said to her was so far from what he really wanted to say to her.

"Okay."

As soon as that word popped out of her mouth, Lily felt so insanely stupid.

She really couldn't have thought of anything better to say? Maybe something like, 'Of course, but that really doesn't matter because I love you anyway.' Or she could have just kissed him.

But that seemed stupid too… and very cliché. Did people really go up and kiss other people in anything that wasn't a story or muggle television program? In real life?

She didn't know. All she knew was that she could not get the words out that were stuck in her throat and it was killing her. Why couldn't she just say what she wanted to say? Did it really have to take this long to admit it? WHAT WAS WRONG WITH HER?

"Well, okay then," James said, a disappointed look on his face, "I guess I'd better head off to my table. I have to meet someone."

"Okay," she reiterated lamely.

Was that all she could say? Since when had she become this life-less, robotic person around him? She had always felt comfortable around him. Why now, when she had finally figured out that she felt something for him could she not get the gull to show it, say it… Something! Anything…

He lingered there a moment longer, only long enough for Lily to catch a glimpse of the forgotten rose clutched carefully in his hand.

"Marlene's not here," she stated, feeling quite stupid at her desperation to make conversation.

"She's not?" He mumbled, and instantly felt terrible for not caring so much.

He was in front of the girl who still made him feel nervous around her. Not caring was to be expected.

"No," Lily said with a small smile as she started to come back to normality. "She left with Gilderoy Lockhart about half an hour ago."

"Really?"

James was surprised Lily was even acknowledging him because after all, she hadn't spoken to him in weeks. Why would she start now? Well... even though he was trying to get over her, he might as well act normal so she didn't suspect anything. Right?

"Yes," Lily said with a faint smile, "And I'm sorry to say that she looked like she liked him. A lot."

Well, it didn't hurt to clarify the situation, did it?

Besides, Sirius had said that James and Marlene were not that serious anyway...

"Wow. Sirius will have a field day with this one."

He shook his head with the funny grin on his face as Lily eagerly continued the conversation.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, just the fact that I got stood up by someone for Gilderoy Lockhart alone is embarrassing enough," he said with a laugh, "But adding in the fact that he and Remus made me come on this date just adds to the shame."

Lily smiled as realized this was a work of the boys. Sirius, Remus, Peter... They had set them up. How could she have been so stupid to not realize this before?

So he didn't feel anything for Marlene…

"Well…," Lily trailed off. She was attempting to come up with more to say when she spotted what was delicately being held in James' hand.

"Who is the rose for?"

She could have guessed who it was for, but she didn't want to put herself though that kind of pain. It could be for Marlene… or any other number of girls who probably fawned over James at every waking hour.

Or was that taking it too far?

James smiled. He had a rose and no one to give it to.

You connect the dots.

And even if she didn't love him, he wanted to remain friends, at the very least

After all, he thought miserably, I've managed to be friends with her for years after our break-up.

"You."

He stated that with such conviction and one of those shy but charming smiles that James always showed off when he was feeling particularly nervous… And Lily felt so touched. Like it was the first time she was talking to James and butterflies were fluttering through her stomach as if they were looking for an escape root. She couldn't describe the crazy, insane, thrilling ecstasy she felt.

And to think, a rose that was glowing the most perfect shade of red she had ever seen…caused all this.

"Thank you," she said with a quiet tone and reserved smile.

She was not quite sure… Should she tell him?

Oh bloody hell, she decided, I'll just go for it already.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out.

HEY! That wasn't the declaration of love I THOUGHT was going to come out!

"I'm sorry," she repeated.

What was this? Was she the 'I'm sorry' bear you could find at your local muggle card store?

Just get on with it already, her conscience screamed.

"I know I, well, basically shunned you after the 'Benjy incident' or whatever you would like to call it… And I was wrong for doing so. You were right. Benjy was a prat and like a good friend, you tried to help me figure that out… So, I want you to know that I'm sorry. And... I hope you can forgive me."

James smiled nervously and sat down on the bar stool next to where Lily was standing. "I was just afraid you were never going to speak to me again. I maybe should have picked a better way to get you to realize it though."

"Maybe," Lily replied, sitting down as well and letting a simple smile creep onto her face.

So now they were friends again. But was that how Lily really wanted it?

She opened her mouth to say something more but then shut it instinctively. She didn't want to sound stupid or cheesy when she said this.

James, in his own nervousness, noticed her hesitation and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"No," she responded, shaking her head, "I just..."

She paused for a moment to reassess her thoughts but it was no use. She decided to come right out and say exactly what see was thinking at that moment. "What would you do if I kissed you right now?"

James' heart skipped a beat. He brought his hopeful eyes up to meet hers. "And why would you do that, Lil?"

She looked into his hazel eyes and smiled.

Was he really asking her this question?

"Because I think I'm falling in love with you."

Finally, she thought, I have some nerve.

He grinned at her in a mixture of happiness and disbelief.

"What would you do if I kissed you first?"

Lily giggled at the sheer stupidity of this conversation and replied smartly, "I'd kiss you back."

"Well, then I'm glad it's settled then," he added as his face came closer to hers.

And when they kissed, Lily had to admit… It most definitely beat eating ice cream any day.