Chapter 3: The Unexpected Date

Lily's POV

"Bye Mom!" I said. "See you at five tonight!" I was getting ready to leave for Diagon Alley to meet my friend Alice Prewett.

"How are you going to get there sweetie?" My mom asked me.

"I'm going to take the Night Bus into London and go through the entrance in the Leaky Cauldron." I explained.

"Ok, have fun with Alice, and if James is there, be nice to him." my mom told me. I found this suspicious.

"Do you know something that I should know about?" I asked her.

"Oh no, nothing, nothing." she said. I was not convinced. I just nodded and headed out the door to wait the five seconds it takes for the Night Bus to come once I stuck out my arm. I climbed on the bus and as soon as I sat down, the bus was off. Every time that it stopped, I would shoot forward. When I stepped off, I was a little dizzy, but then regained my composure. I walked towards the Leaky Cauldron. I went through the pub, and to the entrance to Diagon Alley. I tapped the special brick, and all of the bricks moved to form a doorway to Diagon Alley. I turned towards Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, and saw none other than James Potter. I sat down at a table to wait for Alice to show up, and Potter sits down across from me.

"What are you doing Potter? Why don't you go bother your other friends?" I asked him.

"Well, I asked you if you wanted to meet me here at one, and you said that you would like to." He explained.

"Oh, my friend Alice also sent me a letter asking me if I wanted to meet her here at one too. I must have mixed up the replies." I said mostly to myself, but I guess Potter heard me because he looked crestfallen and got up to leave. "What are you doing?"

"Well you obviously don't want to spend your afternoon with me,and so whatever will make you happy I guess I can go along with." He said. Wow. He really cares about what I want.

"Well then you better not leave. As we are both here, and I would look like a loner if you leave, I guess we could just hang out with each other." I told him surprising him.

"Wait, let me get this straight. You, Lily Evans want to spend the afternoon with me, James Potter on a date," he asked, but as soon as he realized he said it was a date, he became nervous and said,"I mean if it is a date, if you want it to be."

"Sure James, it can be a date." I said to him. I couldn't help but smile at the grin on James' face, as it lit up brighter than a Christmas tree.

"I'll go get us some ice cream." James told me as he got up and went inside. I watched him go and I heard a voice coming from near the fireplaces.

"Lily!" I turned around and saw Alice running towards me and sitting down in James' abandoned seat. "I thought you said that you couldn't come."

"Well I had a little bit of a mix up, and I sent a yes reply to James, and a no reply to you." I explained.

"Oh ok. Wait. Did you say James? As in James Potter, the boy you hate almost as much as You-Know-Who?" She asked me

"Yeah. And by the way, I hate Voldemort a hundred more times than I hated James. But anyway, he is inside getting ice cream for us. Do you want to join us?" I asked her

"Nah. I'll leave you two alone. 'Cause who knows, maybe you will end up together forever!" she said. "Bye!"

"Bye!" I called after her as she is jumping and leaping around. Then James came out.

"Who was that?" He asked me.

"Some crazy friend of mine who goes by the name of Alice Prewett." I told him.

"Oh ok. I thought that Sirius ignored me and came to annoy you. Again." he explained.

"Yes. Sirius is very obnoxious and has a knack for getting on my nerves. Almost as much as you did" I added with a smirk.

"Did? What does that mean?" he asked.

"'Did' means that once apon a time you were something, but know you aren't." I explained to him as if he were a five year old.

"That's not what I mean Evans!" he said laughing. I joined in, and once I regained my composure, I said,

"I know. I meant that you have changed. Quite a bit actually."

"Oh, so is that the reason you finally are going out with me?" James asked me.

"Partially. You changing had an effect on why I agreed." I said, hoping he wouldn't catch the hint.

"Agreed? More like practically begged! So am I picking up that you actually fancy me?" I asked. I felt myself blush.

"Yes." I said in a small voice. I could feel my neck and ears go red. I could see the huge, proud grin on James' face.

"Way to be a ginger, Evans." Sirius said coming behind James with a smirk on his face.

"Padfoot! What are you doing here? I told you to stay at my house!" James yelled.

"I got bored without you, so I decided to come here." he said smiling.

"Why here? Couldn't you have gone somewhere else like Hogsmeade?" James said.

"Because I love Lily so much! I tried to push it away, but I couldn't. I'm so sorry James. But I want Lily!" Sirius said, being over dramatic.

"That's great that you love me, but I love someone else. Now go away. Now." I said

"No!" he said, thinking he won. I glared at him. after about fifteen seconds of my death glare, he finally cracked. "Fine! Why is everyone so mean to me?" he huffed as he stomped off.

"So, as we are now dating- we are, right?" He asked

"No James, we are on a date, but we are not dating. Of course we are dating!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah, so as we are now dating, may I ask who your love is for?" He asked.

"You." I said with a small smile. I laughed at his huge grin.

"YES! I have finally stolen Lily Evans' heart!" James yelled in triumph. many people passing by looked at us strange, and kids from Hogwarts did a double take at who I was with.

"Actually, you didn't steal my heart, as I am still alive." I said, trying to keep a straight face, but giving in and laughing and James joined in. "Anyway, why is Sirius staying at your house?"

"Well his parents disowned him at the beginning of the summer for being too nice to muggles, muggle-borns, blood traitors, and - wait. Do you know about Remus?" he asked

"What? that he is a werewolf? Yeah, I figured it out in my fifth year." I explained.

"Ok. But yeah, for befriending a half-breed, and his family is against all of that. You have seen Bellatrix, Regulus, and Lucius. They are part of his family."

"Oh. that sucks. Well at least he has a nice home to stay at." I said. "Anyway, do you know what you want to do after Hogwarts? I want to be a Healer at St. Mungo's."

"That's cool. I want to be an auror and join the Order of the Phoenix." He said.

"Oh, you know about the Order of the Phoenix?" James nodded. " I want to join too. If I work at St. Mungo's, I could heal those who get seriously injured in battle. And watch out for suspicious injuries." I told him.

"That's cool." He replied.

We talked for another fifteen minutes, then we walked around Diagon Alley looking at the different stuff, and wondering what we got on our exams. We lost track of the time, and suddenly it was 4:45, and we were in Quality Quidditch Supplies looking at the different broom care stuff.

"These are cool!" I said.

"I thought that you hated Quidditch?" James asked.

"Nah. I only pretended to just so that we don't have anything common. I actually think that it is cool at how skilled you guys are." I explained like it was nothing. Then I remembered, "Wait! What time is it?"

"It is 4:55. Why?" He asked.

"I need to be home at 5!" I said as I dragged James out of the store by his wrists, making him drop whatever he had in his hands. Once we were outside, I let go of his wrist.

"Why don't I walk you out to the bus?" He asked.

"That would be lovely." I replied. James was a little bit behind me, and kept looking at my hand uncertainly. Then he finally plucked up the Gryffindor courage and reached out and took my hand into his. I turned around and saw him looking nervous, but then looking relieved that I was smiling. I slowed my pace so we were walking at the same speed.

"You don't know how long I have wanted to have a day like today! First I got to go on a date with Lily Evans, then we actually have a kind conversation, she admits she fancies me, and now I get to hold her hand! BEST DAY EVER!" He exclaimed. I tapped the brick, and then we walked into The Leaky Cauldron.

"Had a nice day miss Evans?" Tom the barman asked.

"I had a great time." I replied happily swinging mine and James' hand around. We left the pub, and I stuck out my arm for the Night Bus to come.

"Bye Lily, see you on the train, or maybe sooner?" He asked.

"Definitely. Thank you James. I had a really good time today." I said to him giving him a hug.

"Thank you for giving me a chance." He whispered in my ear. Pulled away, looked at him, and kissed him gently on the cheek. I held back a giggle at is stunned look.

"Bye James." I said, and hopped on the bus. I looked out the window and saw him snap out of his far-off look. He looked at me and grinned wide, and waved bye. As the bus left, I sat down and thought to myself, Today was the best day of my life!

. .