It was Saturday, September 4th, 2021, and it was the first Saturday since James and Lily had returned to Hogwarts.

It was just past nine in the morning and James and Lily were having a leisurely morning jog around the perimeter of the Quidditch pitch. To signify that they were now third years, James and Lily took exactly three laps around the pitch, three laps they completed in three minutes, three seconds, and three nanoseconds.

After their jog was over, James asked Lily, "What would you like to do next?"

"Please wait here," requested Lily.

"Okay, " said James patiently.

Five minutes, five seconds, and five nanoseconds later, Lily returned with a white box.

Opening the box, Lily showed James that it contained two long rows of Jello of five flavors: blue raspberry, lime, lemon, orange, and strawberry. In the corner of the box was a bottle of green slime.

"So, " smirked Lily, "I'd like to offer you a competition and a bet. The competition is simply which one of us can eat a row of Jello faster. The bet is that the winner gets to pour slime over the loser's head."

"I accept both, " said James eagerly.

"Very well, " said Lily simply.

Lily set the box on the ground and said, "I'll eat the left row, you can eat the right row."

"Okay, " said James cheerfully, "You tell me when to begin."

"Begin, " said Lily with a grin.

James took the early lead on the blue raspberry portion, eating the blue raspberry Jello in just 18.20 seconds, almost a second faster than Usain Bolt's fastest ever 200 meter dash. Lily, meanwhile, needed 21.2 seconds to eat the blue raspberry Jello.

James started on the Lime Jello with a three second lead and was smart enough to continue eating rather than talking or observing.

When it came to the lime portion James was slower than he had been on blue raspberry whereas Lily was a little faster. Nevertheless, the end result didn't alter the lead as both James and Lily ate the lime Jello in exactly 20 seconds flat.

Lily would make a move on lemon. While James needed 21.5 seconds to polish off the lemon, Lily got rid of it in 19.5 seconds, cutting James's lead to a mere 1 second.

Sensing rather than seeing that she was still losing, Lily attacked with the orange with gusto and urgency. James, who sense he was winning, approached the orange in a calmer manner but still managed a fast eat. Ultimately, James's time on orange was 19 seconds but Lily's time was 18 seconds.

This meant that James and Lily were now tied, and that strawberry would determine the winner.

Both James and Lily turned on their afterburners knowing the end of the race was near. Both would post their best times in any leg of the race. But there could only be one winner. Lily had consumed her strawberry Jello in 16.5 seconds. But James consumed his in 16.4 seconds and yelled "DONE!" just before Lily took her last bite and yelled "DONE!"

Despite the super closeness of the race at the end, both James and Lily realized that James had won fair and square.

"Congratulations, James, " said Lily graciously, now taking the bottle of green slime out of the box and handing it to James.

"Lily, " asked James with some hesitation, "Are you sure you're comfortable with me pouring the slime on you?"

"I lost the bet fair and square and I'm ready to take it, " said Lily cheerfully.

Now feeling excited, James took the bottle of green slime and dumped it over Lily's head.

James laughed his ass off as the gooey, slippery, sticky slime covered most of Lily. Her red hair was invisible behind the glob of bright florescent green.

"You look a bit like the Hulk with all that green, " James teased Lily.

Lily wasn't exactly enjoying this experience, but, accepting that she had lost the bet fairly, she went along with it and gave off a playful laugh.

It was a beautiful seventy three degree morning and other students had come to take some outside time.

Noticing Lily, they mocked her and called her names like "Glob Greeny" as they laughed ruthlessly, causing James himself to roar with laughter.

Lily was a good sport about thisand gigged a bit herself, albeit in a bit of a forced kind of a way.

James was waiting for signs of Lily growing wary and snapping but it never happened, she continued to take in all stride.

After a while, though, James knew it was time call off the dogs and said, "Lily, please come here"

Lily obeyed and James retrieved has wand from his right hand pocket with his right hand.

James pointed his wand directly at Lily and said, "Scourgify!"

The slime vanished from Lily, who looked relived it was over.

"Thanks, Lily, " said James gratefully, "You were a good sport about being on the losing end of that bet."

"I don't mind you having some fun at my ex_ oh!"

"What is it Lily?" asked James.

"I hope my watch isn't ruined, " said Lily urgently.

Looking down at her watch, she saw it was still working fine.

"It's still good!" said Lily in relief.

"That's the watch I gifted you when you started Hogwarts," said James, recognizing it, "It is substance proof."