She wore a green, silk dress. It was lovely, and formal, and managed to make her look even more beautiful. James hadn't known such a thing was possible.

He rose when she entered, and tried not to react too much to the dress. "You look beautiful," he said, instinct taking over again and leading him to bow.

She smiled slightly, whether at the compliment or his own foolishness, he didn't know. He assumed the latter, as it was more apt to make her laugh.

Her father looked none-too-pleased about her choice of attire, but his wife shushed him before he had a chance to say anything.

"Well," Lily said. "We should go."

James nodded. "Mrs. Evans, Mr. Evans." He inclined his head to each of them. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"Have her home by ten," her father said. From the look on Lily's face, James doubted this was a common requirement, but he simply nodded.

"Yes, sir."

And then he led her out the door.

When they got to the end of the driveway, Lily pulled him up short. "James? How were you planning to get us there?"

He shrugged. "Apparate, I guess."

"We can't apparate into a restaurant, James."

He made a face. "True . . ."

She looked over at a car sitting in the driveway. Then she hurried back to the house. After a minute or two, she reappeared with keys.

"I'll drive," she said, indicating the car.

James didn't move. "Are you very sure you know how?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, James. I've been driving for years."

"How many years, exactly?"

She mumbled something he couldn't hear.

"What?"

"Two," she said, more clearly. "Or almost two, anyway."

"So, one?"

"Fine, yes. One."

"Lily."

"I'm a good driver, James. Now come on. Or I'm not going."

He clenched his jaw and walked over to get in the car. He'd seen them of course, but short of one memorable night when Sirius had barely managed to start one and then immediately crashed it, he'd never been in one.

"It's not as easy as it looks, you know," he commented.

She gave him a suspicious look. "Have you driven one?"

"Not me, no. I'm not that stupid."

"Sirius?"

James nodded. She grinned at him.

"How'd it go?"

"Not well."

"I bet."

Riding with her was nothing like riding with Sirius. She seemed to know exactly what she was about. And it gave him an opportunity to stare at her.

"You really do look beautiful," he said.

She turned and smiled. "Thank you."

She pulled the car to a stop by the restaurant he'd selected.

"James, this is really posh."

"It's fine," he said.

She opened her mouth to argue, but stopped at his look. "Alright," she said. She didn't wait for him to help her out of the car, but did let him take her hand, and open the door to the restaurant for her.

"How was your party?" she asked, after they ordered.

"Fine. Boring."

She laughed. "I'm sorry I missed it, then," she said, teasing.

"You joke. I would have had a much better time if you'd been there."

"And Sirius would have had a much worse one," she commented. "Now, let's let it rest."

He nodded, taking her hand across the table. "How has your holiday been?"

"Fine," she grinned. "Boring, in the best possibly way."

"Oh?"

She nodded. "No notes, no insults. Not even any fights with my sister."

"You two don't get along?"

Lily shook her head. "She doesn't like that I'm-" She glanced around. "She doesn't like that I go to Hogwarts. She's actually been avoiding me all break."

"And that's a good thing?"

"Better than getting called a freak all Christmas."

He kissed her hand. "You don't have the best of luck, do you?"

She grinned and shook her head. "Well, I go to Hogwarts, so I consider that a win." She sighed. "That's actually what it's all about. She really, really wanted to go, too. When she realized she couldn't . . ."

"Ah."

"Yeah."

"But it's been good, this year?" he asked.

Lily nodded. "Mmhhhmm. I was baking sweets with my mum tonight."

"Before I interrupted."

"It's fine. We'll make dinner together tomorrow."

He smiled. "You're very close with them."

"I guess," she said. "They're lovely people."

He nodded.

"How about you? How is your holiday going?"

He shrugged. "Good. Fine. Normal. Sirius has been around a lot."

"Where does he stay, on breaks?"

"The first one, he stayed with us. Then he rented a place, on Diagon Alley. That's where he is now, but he spends a lot of his time at ours."

"That must be nice for you," she said.

"He makes a good buffer," James said. "That's selfish, but . . ." He trailed off, wishing he hadn't said anything.

"Buffer between what?" she asked. He should have known she'd catch it.

"Between me and my dad. We haven't been getting on that well," he said. She just raised an eyebrow at him. "He didn't think I was living up to my potential," he explained, trying to shrug it off.

"Is that why you were so serious, about Head Boy?" she asked.

He nodded. "I guess." He laughed quietly, taking a sip of water. "You two would probably get along. He thought I was wasting my time, that I wouldn't amount to anything."

"And you're trying to prove him wrong?"

James took another sip. "I guess. I don't know. He thinks I'm spoiled. That they let me get away with too much, and it's too late to fix it now."

He watched her smile at the waiter who brought their food, watched the man look her up and down and then glance guiltily at James. She missed the whole thing.

"Well," she said, focusing on him again. "If it means anything, I think he's counted you out too soon."

James just stared at her. He didn't realize he was doing it until she started to look uncomfortable. "Sorry," he said, dropping his eyes. "Sometimes I just don't know why you're here."

"I'm sorry?" she paused in the middle of cutting her steak.

"With me. I know why I want you to be here. I just can't figure out why you'd tolerate me. It seems like you'd be better off doing as your parents wanted, and sending me on my way."

She smiled. "With a kick in the pants." She caught his hand, held it between her own. "The thing is James, when you're being my-" she cut herself off, blushing furiously and releasing his hand. "I mean-"

"What were you going to say?" he had to know, now. He'd never seen her so red.

She covered her face with her hands. "I was going to say when you're my James. I feel ridiculous."

"It's not ridiculous."

She met his eyes for a half a second, before her gaze darted away. "It is. I just don't know how else to think of it. It isn't as though you're always mature. You can be foolish, and immature, and still very sweet."

"When I'm being your James," he offered, smiling. He liked the sound of it.

"Don't tease."

"I'm not," he caught her hands, kissed her knuckles. "I like it. I like being your James."

"James."

"I'm not joking, Lily." He turned her hand over, stroked his thumb over her palm. "I like being with you. I like how I feel when I'm with you. I like who I am when I'm with you. I like who I want to be." He ginned at her. "I like your James." He paused, suddenly nervous. "Or, was that not what you were going to say."

"I was going to say, when you're my James . . . I feel amazing, being with you. You're sweet, and you're funny," she looked away, blushing again. "And you make me feel beautiful."

"You are beautiful."

"I like being with you, when you're . . . that James."

"Your James," he corrected.

"But, if I'm being honest, I'd have to add that I'm terrified of you. Because you're not always that way."

"I'm trying to be."

"I know. But there's a long distance between trying and succeeding, and a lot of room for me to get hurt in between."

"And you're not sure it's worth the risk."

"I'm here, aren't I?"

He grinned at that. "You are. You are indeed."

She thought they would go straight home, but he suggested a walk. They had an hour left, so she guided him to a park nearby. He convinced her to dance, in the moonlight, in the cold.

With her head on his shoulder, and his arms around her, she could barely feel the wind, the first drops of rain.

"I got you something," he said, mouth near her ear.

She turned her face into his neck. "I didn't get you anything," she mumbled. "I was afraid I'd get you something, and you wouldn't get me anything, and then we'd both feel awkward."

"I don't mind if you didn't get me anything," he said. "I just got it, because I thought of you."

He held up a necklace. In the dark, she could barely see the stone, laid in a simple setting. "It's an emerald," he said. "I thought it matched your eyes."

"James, you can't. It must have cost a fortune."

"Didn't cost a sickle, actually," he said, turning her and putting the necklace on. "It was my great-great grandmother's. I asked my mum if I could give it to you."

Lily pulled back, so she could see his face. "You told your mum about me?" her voice went up with each word.

"I said there was a girl. If I'd gotten more specific, she'd have wanted to meet you. She would have tracked you down herself, shown up at your house, or pulled you out of class. No one has ever complimented her on her patience."

"So she gave you the necklace for some random girl?"

He laughed. "She gave me the necklace for her own underhanded reasons. You'd better believe she'll be looking for it, on every girl she sees. She's probably scouring Diagon Alley as we speak."

"No pressure, though," Lily said.

James laughed. "Not yet. If she gets desperate enough, she'll manufacture a reason to come to Hogwarts. But we've got a bit of time. I said you weren't sure about me, since I hadn't always been 'responsible' and you were reserving judgment for the time being."

"Lovely. Now she'll hate me for thinking I'm too good for you."

"Actually, she thinks you're a good influence. She was very happy with her most recent reports on me."

She leaned back, amused. "They don't send anything until after exams."

He snorted at that. "Not for you. She has spies everywhere."

"That's a little terrifying."

"Tell me about it. And you wonder why I've consistently tried to lower expectations."

"I don't believe for a moment that's why you got up to so much trouble."

He smiled, shook his head. "No. Mostly I just don't like rules."

"Mmhhhmm."

"I told her you're very well-behaved. That you do well in school, and are beautiful, and make me want to be a better person."

"James."

"I'm a bit worried she'll interrogate Sirius, but he doesn't know anything, and he's not about to point you out."

"He might figure it out, from the description. Adding beautiful in was a nice evasion. He'll never think of me for that."

"Only because he's an idiot." He pulled her closer, continuing to dance, though there was no music. "I'm glad you came tonight."

"So am I, James."