A/N: Hey everyone. My apologies on such a long delay…but I've got good reasons, I promise. First, I had most of this chapter written days after posting the last one…and then my computer crashed…(it's still in the shop, if that tells you anything about how badly it's messed up) and of course, I didn't save anything on back up. Even after all the lectures my English teacher gave me…frankly, I think I didn't do it to spite her…shows you where that got me. So now I'm working on my mom's lap top with the jump drive she got me…and waiting to either get a new lap top or my old computer back. Ok so there's that. And then I wrote this chapter from memory—and then, the usual process of getting it beta-ed, so I had it in my email this week…and what happened the day I was planning to post? I become violently sick. Half my swim team does. We all got a nice dose of food poisoning (apparently…seeing as I had to run out of my ap euro class and hurl in front of my ap psych teacher's room. Lovely, I know…the bathroom is really too far away.) So today…I am feeling better and ready to post. So sorry for the delay and the long author's note…one more thing. Last poll question…it appears you all had some imaginative first ambitions…and as for this post's poll… "Do you honestly care about groundhog's day?…Does Valentine's day make your heart go pitter patter?" Anyways. You know the drill.

Chapter Eighteen: Watches

James paced around the sitting room of his London flat. He was just in his red flannel pajama pants, his arms folded behind his back as he treaded the carpet under his bare feet.

He sighed and looked out the window and then started to hum.

On the floor a crumpled piece of parchment lay, hardly forgotten.

It was a letter—a letter addressed to James.

Dear James,

Please enclose your watch that you wear regularly and send it with this owl.

It will be returned to you on Thursday morning.

Yours truly,

Albus Dumbledore

James had replied immediately, taking off the gold watch Lily had given him for his birthday and giving it to the barn owl that had delivered the letter to him.

Sirius had gotten a similar letter; he did not wear a watch, however, and had to borrow one of James' old ones. He had then ranted all of what James had been thinking when he had taken off his watch.

"What the hell is Dumbledore up to? Why does he want a watch? What kind of bloke regularly wears a watch, anyways?" At Sirius' last comment James had merely shook his head and smiled.

Lily had also received the letter. She, however, didn't think too much about it, she simply told James it was probably something with the Order. This only peaked his boyish curiosity.

He didn't know what Dumbledore had up his sleeve—explaining his anxiousness at getting his watch back, preferably before he had to leave for training.

At last a familiar tapping came to the windowpane of his sitting room. He rushed towards the window, opened it and let the two brown owls inside. One, presumably carrying Sirius' package flew around the corner to Sirius' room and began tapping obnoxiously on his closed oak door.

James practically wrenched the package from the bird's talons, causing the poor creature to squawk. He muttered a quick apology as he tore the paper hiding his watch, not noticing the letter that fell from the bird's beak and onto the floor.

Once his watch was revealed James began inspecting it.

He let out a loud sigh. It looked exactly the same. He couldn't find one bloody difference between the way it was now and what it had been before he gave it to the delivery owl.

The watch ticked closer to six and James groaned. He had to go get a shower and get ready for training that day. Leaving the time piece on the couch, he went to grab a towel.

Just as he made his way to the bathroom, Sirius came bounding out of his room, swearing and flailing his arms manically at the owl, which had started to make quite the hole in Sirius' bedroom door.

"Damn bloody beast!" he swore as the bird frantically dropped the package and flew back out the window.

"Bloody early." Sirius continued to grumble, collecting the parcel and retreating back to his room.

James chuckled and continued on his way, temporarily forgetting his disappointment in the vague watch.

"You've been working quite well these past few months, Lily." Madam Bones announced as she walked into Lily's cubicle.

Lily looked up from the parchment she was currently scrawling furiously over.

"Thank-you, I'm glad you're pleased with my performance." She replied as causally as one could in front of their very intimidating boss.

"I was just looking over some of the cases you've been covering and writing reports for." Madam Bones vaguely explained. "If you keep up the work, you can expect a promotion shortly."

Lily smiled. "Well you can expect me to keep up with the work, then."

Madam Bones nodded. "I'm going to go get some lunch, make sure you take your break soon."

At this farewell, her eyes caught a glimpse of a picture by Lily's desk. It was one of Lily and James on her couch, both of them smiling up at her.

"Who is that?" she asked in a casual manner.

Lily looked to where her boss' gaze led. The photo.

"Oh, that's my fiancé, James Potter." She answered warmly, a small smile forming at the corners of her mouth.

Madam Bones gave a slight smile. "I see. Well, I'll be going."

Before Lily could properly reply, Madam Bones had disappeared.

She looked back down at her parchment and picked up her quill, preparing to continue writing, when someone coughed.

Lily looked up, to see James grinning handsomely down at her.

She ginned. "Hello, James, what a pleasant surprise!"

"Are you ready for some lunch?" He asked bending down to where she was sitting and grazing his lips across her cheek, looking into her green eyes and then producing a boquet of wildflowers.

"Those are so pretty!" Lily commented, grinning. "If only I had a vase…"

James took the half-full coffee mug on Lily's desk and moved his hand, concentrating on the incantation.

The mug turned into a slender crystal vase half-full with water in front of Lily's amused eyes.

"Ready for lunch, darling?" he asked again.

Lily put the flowers in her new vase and turned to James.

"Give me a moment, I've got to put this away…it being strictly confidential and all. You can go sit and get a cup of coffee…I'll only be a minute." She pointed down the aisle to a coffee station, complete with a small table, a self-brewing pot, several mugs, and two comfy chairs.

"All right, I'll wait." James said, she smiled appreciatively at him and he left her cubicle.

James walked down the corridor and took a seat on one of the vacant chairs. His gaze lingered around the array of cubicles and busy witches and wizards working.

He looked up after a moment to see that he had been joined by a young man with neat dark hair and piercing blue eyes.

"Hello." The young man greeted. "I don't believe I've seen you around here before."

James was about to introduce himself when the man continued. "I know just about everyone, see."

James grinned to himself and nodded, not wanting to continue the conversation any longer. This man gave off an arrogant air that stunk of stupidity.

His hazel eyes caught sight of Lily walking from her cubicle to the office across the corridor from hers to have a word with its occupant and bend over to throw a piece of parchment away.

James heard his companion sigh and take in a breath as if he was going to start talking again. James inwardly groaned.

"She's one hot piece of arse, isn't she?" he whispered.

James' blood boiled and his fists clenched…no one talked about his fiancée like that. He thought for a moment as his cheeks began turning a slight shade of red. She wouldn't approve of him starting a brawl in her place of work, and this man sounded like the kind of git that could talk until he got himself in trouble.

James decided to play along.

"Oh, yes, she is a beauty." He said, sighing for affect.

"I am going to get her soon. She's not going to no what hit her…" the young man continued brutishly.

James looked at him. "Surely she has a boyfriend, I mean, she's absolutely stunning."

His unwanted partner smirked and took a sip of his coffee.

"Yes, but no bird can resist my brilliant charm and dazzling good looks for long."

James had to control himself from snorting with laughter…this boy was absolutely idiotic.

As the two sat in a moment of awkward silence, Lily sent a grin their way and started walking towards them.

James observed that the man beside him primped his hair slightly, put a hand casually into his robe pocket and took a sip of his coffee.

"Hello." Lily greeted.

"Hey, Lily." The man smiled. "Do you need any help with any of your cases? I know it can be a little overwhelming and all, being the junior intern."

Lily grinned politely, but James could tell she was slightly irritated. "Oh, I'll manage just fine, Owen. I always do."

Owen looked put out for a brief moment before regaining his confident air.

"I see you've met my fiancé, James." Lily introduced James as he stood up beside her

The color immediately drained from Owen's cheeks and he appeared quite shell-shocked.

"Oh yes, and what a pleasure it's been." James grinned cheekily at him. "Ready, darling?"

Lily nodded and studied Owen for a second. "Are you all right?"

Owen shrugged. "Yes. Fine. I've got to go get back to work…important cases to do reports on and Madam Bones requested my assistance."

"Okay then, see you later today." Lily replied, not giving a second glance to his retreating back and focusing her attention on James. "What did you do to him?"

James gave a devilish smirk and put his arm around Lily's shoulders and ushered her out of the building. "I'll tell you over lunch…speaking of which, where would you like to go?"

Lily thought for a moment. She usually didn't go out very often…she enjoyed bringing her own lunch and eating with her coworkers in the lounge, it reminded her of the days her mother would pack her lunch for her and Petunia to take to primary school…nevertheless, she enjoyed the occasionally lunch outing with James—usually they were planned, but she enjoyed his little surprises.

"What about that place just around the corner there? It's a little Italian restaurant; Emma—a girl from the office—says it's good. I think it may be Muggle though, and we can't exactly go in there dressed like this…how about we just apparate to The Three Broomsticks?"

James liked the way Lily thought.

He grinned pleasantly and nodded. "The Three Broomsticks it is. Madam Rosmerta hasn't seen us for awhile, reckon we could get a few free sandwiches?"

Lily playfully hit him. "We are not going to keep bumming ham sandwiches from the woman…I swear, every time we go in there she gives us free sandwiches. What did you boys do to her that made her like you all so much?"

"You don't want to know, love." James smirked before pulling out his wand. "Ladies first, of course."

Lily smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "See you soon!"

Moments later, they were both in front of The Three Broomsticks. James smiled and held the door open for his red-headed date.

They took their seats side by side at a booth. Madam Rosmerta was there in seconds to ask for their drink orders.

"Two butterbeers, please." James asked, winking at the friendly bartender.

"James, you are too much." She beamed. "I'll bring those right out, it's nice seeing you two."

"Ham sandwiches, dear?" James questioned as Lily looked over the menu. "Or are you actually going to be a little adventurous?"

"I'm adventurous!" Lily defended looking at James' teasing hazel eyes. "And you get the same thing each time too…"

"I suppose you're right. So ham sandwiches?"

Lily shook her head. "I think I'm going to go with a nice garden salad…I need to be watching my figure…I don't want to be a huge cow in that wedding dress."

James pouted. "Eating a ham sandwich will not make you a cow."

She raised an eyebrow. "Just because you and Sirius can eat fifty roast hams each and not gain an ounce does not mean all of us have that wonderful metabolism you two possess."

He let out a small sigh. "Fine, but even if you did turn into a huge fat cow I would still love you…I'd even pay for your dress alterations."

Lily shook her head and chuckled lightly. "Sod off, Potter."

Madam Rosmerta had returned with their butterbeers by this time and looked at the two of them.

"Is Miss Evans telling you off again James?"

"She does tend to do that." James replied, grinning.

Lily kicked him from under the table and James let out an exaggerated "OW!"

"And she's abusive, too. Honestly, I don't know why I stay with her. I've got to wear make-up just so my parents and friends don't see the bruises…"

Lily shook her head and Madam Rosmerta laughed.

"I'll have a garden salad with Italian dressing, please. No tomatoes or onions. James will have a ham sandwich—"

"No, no." James cut in. "If Lily dearest is being adventurous I'm going to be too. I'll have the roast beef sandwich with mustard and onions and chips on the side."

Madam Rosmerta smiled and left to prepare their order.

"So what was it that you did to Owen, James?" Lily asked finally, studying his handsome features as he turned towards her.

"Well, I didn't really do anything…" he started.

"Sure." Lily replied as she took a sip of her butterbeer. "Because you never start anything."

"No really, we were sitting there…." James plunged into his story, leaving out Owen's brasher comments and replacing them with less crude terms.

By the end of his short tale, Lily was speechless.

Well not exactly. Few things could make the fiery red-head at loss for words.

"That little berk!" she exclaimed. "What a pervert! And I have to work with him? Well not for much longer if Madam Bones gives me that promotion she hinted at—but really, what an idiot, he just goes and talks about that sort of stuff in front of any random guy? What if it had been my dad sitting there? Who knows what would have happened…" she ranted.

James gave her a comforting look and stroked her hand. "I think he's learned his lesson, Lily. And I could always kick his arse, I mean, I had to restrain myself from doing so today…didn't want to start a ruckus in your office or anything…"

"You can not fight him, James." Lily insisted seriously. "Honestly, we're adults now; they don't take brawls lightly anymore."

"Fine, I won't fight him, but maybe a threatening glare when we return?" He offered, grinning idiotically.

Lily sighed as their food appeared and she began to eat, as she picked up her fork, James noticed her wrist.

"You have your watch back?" He asked as the gold caught his eyes like a snitch waiting to be caught.

Lily looked down and swallowed before answering. "Yes, I got mine back this morning, didn't you?"

James nodded and went to show her his watch, only to find his arm bare. Damn, James thought. I must have left it in the sitting room this morning. "Yeah…but there was nothing different about mine…I don't understand Dumbledore sometimes."

She raised her eyebrow. "Didn't you read his note?"

"What note?" James asked curiously.

"The note the owl was carrying with the package." Lily replied easily.

"No—wait. There was a bit of a ruckus this morning with the owls…and Sirius…it must have dropped without me seeing it…" James said as he thought.

"Well it said this is a device for the Order." Lily explained patiently. "That it'll burn slightly when there's an attack that requires our assistance…the face of the watch will tell the location and it will flash if it's a serious emergency."

James nodded, smiling to himself. "That makes sense…and the watches all look the same until we're needed…right? Dumbledore is such a brilliant man."

Lily laughed at James and continued eating. He shook his head at her and began to eat his roast beef sandwich.

Just as Lily reached to take another sip of her butterbeer she suddenly felt a warm sensation tingle down her wrist.

Thanks to my reviewers…IAMSOAP, elise bentwin, official cheeky devil, scooter5710, Kaean, glowing-cie, riduculouslyriddikulus, dancergrl19, chikus, KTSweep, Zippy-Wings, luv24+Alias, Maruadergirl89, Heather gernenz, and chikichiki!

Oh, and dancergrl19…Godric's Hollow is still a ways in the future. The house they have now is not Godric's Hollow.

And of course…applause to my lovely beta for editing the chapter!