The rest of the week passed by quickly, filled with preparations for the celebratory dinner. Caroline, Sirius, Remus, and James had all RSVP'd the affirmative, they were definitely attending. This pleased Mrs. Evans to no end. She was busy cooking up a storm and no matter how many times Lily offered to use magic to make life easier for her mother, she was rejected: Mrs. Evans was doing this the normal way.

Petunia basically ignored Lily's existence. She left the house in the early afternoon and returned in the early morning. She slept from dawn until noon, where she again left to meet up with her boyfriend, Vernon.

Lily spent the days equally excited and dreading the dinner party. She didn't mind her parents meeting the boys and Caroline they already knew. No, it was more seeing James again that drove her mad with excitement and horror. She was shocked at her eagerness to see him again, to argue with him. She couldn't for the life of her figure out why.

"Darling, come help me set the table, please." Mrs. Evans said cheerfully, coming out from the kitchen in a motherly blue cocktail dress covered by a bright green apron.

Lilly smiled at her and grabbed the stack of yellow plates her mother had especially set out. She walked outside to the porch where her father had set up a table that her mother had covered with a pretty blue table cloth. She was in a white cocktail dress her mother had bought especially for the occasion.

"You look beautiful, Mum." She said as she arranged the plates.

"Thank you, darling." Her mother smiled at her. "You look absolutely stunning yourself."

Lily grinned back. "Thanks. I absolutely love this dress, Mum. Thank you sooo much for it."

Her mother beamed. "You earned it, Lily. You've worked so hard at Hogwarts and we're so proud of you."

Lily placed the final plate on the table and walked around it to hug Mrs. Evans. "I love you, Mum."

"I love you, too, darling." They embraced for a moment more before Mrs. Evans glanced at her watch. "Oh mercy me, it's almost time! How did you say they were arriving again?"

Lily shrugged, practically shrugging herself out of her strapless white dress. Giggling, she made a mental note to avoid that tonight. "Apparating, Mum. Caro told me that she and Sirius would come together and wait for Remus and Potter."

"Lily darling, can't you just call him James?" Her mother asked as she walked back into the house.

"I can't. Trust me, Mum. You'll see tonight." Lily said knowingly, her good mood darkening at the thought of Potter.

"Don't be silly, darling. I'm sure he'll be delightful." Her mother disappeared and all Lily could hear was her calling her sister. "Petunia! Petunia darling! It's almost time for dinner!"

"Fine!" Lily heard her sister shout. "I'm COMING!"

Lily rolled her eyes as she walked back into the house. As Petunia climbed slowly down the steps in a pale green dress that really did nothing for her features except accentuate the horse-like face she had, the doorbell rang.

"They're here!" Mrs. Evans called out, as though no one could hear the bell. She was carrying a platter filled with champagne glasses outside. Mr. Evans was at the barbeque he had set up that afternoon, in a blue button down shirt with khaki pants. "You look wonderful, darling." Lily heard her mother tell her father.

Lily walked towards the door as quickly as her white high heels would let her, a smile upon her face to prepare for the sight of her friends.

"Hey! I'm so glad you could…" She faltered as she saw who was standing at her door.

It was quite possibly the most gorgeous guy she had ever seen in her life. He had shining blue eyes that were definitely kind but somewhat obscured by the locks of jet black hair that fell into it messily. He wore a pair of khaki pants like her father's with a sky blue shirt. Behind him stood two amazing looking parents but Lily couldn't take her eyes off of him and his muscles. In one of his definitely muscular hands he held a single white lily. "For you," he said, presenting it to her quite gallantly.

"Tha… tha… thank you…" She stammered, feeling the red sneak onto her cheeks. "It's beautiful."

He just smiled at her. "You look great, Evans."

The use of her surname snapped her back onto earth. "Thanks Potter. You don't look too bad yourself." She replied, smiling. "Hi Mr. and Mrs. Potter, I'm Lily Evans."

Mr. Potter, whom James was the spitting image of, stepped forward to shake her hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Mrs. Potter walked up to her and gave her a tight hug. "I'm so glad to finally meet you, Lily. I've heard so much about you!" She whispered but not quietly enough. Over Mrs. Potter's shoulder, she saw James blushing.

"Come on in," Lily said with a bright smile.

They followed her into the house, where Lily showed his parents outside and James stayed behind. He waited for a moment and as Lily entered back into the house, so did Petunia.

Even though Petunia knew he was magic, she couldn't help swooning a bit at how amazing he looked. "Why hellooo." She said slowly, smiling at him.

"I'm James Potter." He told her.

"Petunia Evans."

"Soon to be Petunia Dursely." Lily didn't know why she added that bit.

"Engaged?" James asked gallantly.

Petunia giggled. "Oh no. Not yet."

James just smiled at her before turning to Lily. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Lily shook her head, sending a cascade of the hair she had spent an hour putting up down. "Bloody hair," she muttered, "never stays up."

James didn't bother to tell her he thought she looked infinitely more amazing with it down, if it was possible.

The doorbell rang again and Petunia did the honors this time, escorting Remus, Sirius, and Caroline into the house with a surprised look upon her face. It was obvious she hadn't thought Lily's friends would've been so good-looking.

"Everyone, this is my sister Petunia." Lily smiled at her sister, who glared back. "Petunia, these are Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Caroline Pruitt, my friends from school."

"Nice to meet you," Remus said with a wide smile at Petunia.

"The pleasure is all mine," Petunia replied in a flirtatious voice, "trust me."

Lily rolled her eyes but refrained from commenting as she led her friends and sister outside onto the porch. "Mum, Dad, these are my friends." She said as she neared them.

"Oh hello darlings! It's such a pleasure to meet you!" Mrs. Evans greeted each one happily, pausing for a brief extra second in hugging James. She looked at him and smiled. She knew why Lily supposedly hated him now.

"Thank you for having us, Mrs. Evans." Caroline said, hugging her friend's mother tightly.

"Oh darling, you know you're always welcome here." Mrs. Evans smiled upon the orphaned girl.

"Thanks." Caroline hugged her again before going over to help Lily pass out the champagne.

Mr. Evans took a break from his post at the barbeque to walk over and take a glass of champagne. "As everyone knows," he began, "this dinner is a celebratory one for both James and Lily. We're quite proud of them for becoming the Head Boy and Head Girl of Hogwarts!"

Mr. Potter reached over and held his wife's hand as the champagne was lifted into the air and toasted. "Three cheers for Lily and James!" He called out.

Lily glanced at James, who was grinning at his parents.

"Well now, let's eat!" Mrs. Evans said, passing out the food.

Dinner conversation went smoothly, not the least bit stilted. Mr. and Mrs. Potter entertained them all with stories of the Marauders (as James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter called themselves). In turn, Mr. Evans told a few comedic memories about Lily when she first discovered she was magic.

Sirius, Remus, and Caroline had left at nine, begging off more champagne for the traveling they had to do. Remus had to meet with his parents that night and Caroline and Sirius were in the process of doing something, though no one knew what.

Everyone was laughing long into the evening, much longer than even Lily had expected. She was also surprised at how much her parents liked James's and how amazingly the foursome got along.

At midnight, Mr. Potter cleared his throat. "I'm afraid the time has come for us to go," he said sadly.

"You must come visit us, Amy." Mrs. Potter said to Mrs. Evans. "All of you! Lily can show you how to get there the Muggle way. We'd be delighted to have you."

Mrs. Evans smiled back at her. "I'd love to, Philena."

"Then you must." Mrs. Potter replied before turning to Lily, "It was a treat to finally meet you, infamous Lily."

Luckily for Lily and James, it was dark outside and no one could see them blushing. "Likewise," she answered, hugging her.

Mr. and Mrs. Potter were escorted by Lily's parents into the house for some coffee since, as adults, they couldn't decide about leaving, leaving James and Lily behind in the backyard. Petunia had retired ages ago, citing a date with Vernon as her excuse.

"That went well," James said.

Lily walked over to the swing that hung beneath an oak tree, the only one in the neighborhood before replying. "Yes, it did, didn't it?"

"Our parents seem to have hit it off."

"Yeah." Lily began swinging, kicking her off her white high heels.

One zoomed past James's head and out of reflex, he caught it. "Too bad we haven't."

"What?"

"You hate me, as been demonstrated an infinite amount of times."

"Oh yeah." Lily looked up at the sky.

"Yeah."

There was an awkward pause which Lily knew she was the cause of. "I don't hate you," she said to fill it.

"You don't?" James asked, an amused tone filling his voice.

"Nope." She swung higher. "I just don't particularly care for you." She teased.

"Oh well so long as it's not hate." James retorted, smiling at her.

"No hate, I promise." She paused for a moment. "Besides, you've gotten much better since fifth year."

"Have I?" James asked.

"Yes. You used to be absolutely horrid. Now I can talk to you."

James didn't say anything for a moment. "So I'm no longer horrid, eh?"

"That's what I said, isn't it?" She said, a smile creeping onto her face.

"That's good, I guess. What am I?"

"You're James Potter, of course!"

James laughed. "I know my name, thanks."

"And I hear your parents know mine." Lily kicked higher and higher. "What's all that about anyway?"

James colored. "Um…"

"They know all about me, don't they?"

James nodded before remembering it was dark. "Yes."

Lily sighed. "I'm surprised they don't hate me after the way I treated you."

"Well… I didn't only tell them about all the rejection. I told them good too."

"Rejection? What rejection?"

"All the times I asked you out and you said no? What do you think that is?" He asked disbelievingly.

"A prank?" Lily suggested.

"Uh no. That was rejection. It began as a prank, sure, but I really like you, Lil—Evans." He shrugged in the dark. "Doesn't matter much though, does it?"

Lily bit her lip, again. She really needed to break that habit. "I can't believe you actually liked me." She said.

"Yeah well, I do."

"Oh. Well. Um." Lily noticed the present tense in his sentence but didn't know what to say to it.

"Don't worry about it."

"Who said I was, Potter?" Lily retorted.

"No one, obviously."

"Obviously." Lily mimicked his tone.

James sighed. "Why are you so bloody difficult? We'll be talking like actual people and then you have to go and ruin it."

"I ruin it?"

"Yes," he answered simply.

"Get off your high horse, Potter. You're the only one who infuriates me so."

"Likewise, Evans."

Lily glared in the darkness at his figure, allowing the silence to fill the air again. She waited a few minutes before speaking again. "I really am awful, aren't I?" She asked contritely. "I cause all these messes."

James smiled. "It's not just you, I promise. It's my fault too."

"Truce?" She asked, getting off the swing and offering her hand to him.

James sighed inwardly. If only he could take that hand and change it into a hug or a kiss. "Truce." He said outwardly, grinning widely.

"Thanks Pot—James."

"No problem, Lily."

They parted that day as friends, somewhat.