"Hey Evans I was thinking a lot last night about the whole HAWKs thing. And I realized that whatever we have in mind, I don't think we have funds enough for it you know." Said James looking at Lily.
Lily was having the same thoughts sometime back but she brushed them off thinking that they were stupid .How could Hogwarts ever be short of funds! But now that James had voiced his concerns too, it made the whole money situation far more critical. Even Hogwarts like any other school had a fixed amount of money kept for fests like these. And what James and Lily were planning was on a scale a shade too large for the school budget.
"So what do u think we should do?" asked Lily.
"I dunno. We could ask Dumbledore." He proposed.
"Or we could ask for sponsorships u know." Said a suddenly very brightened up Lily. Somehow the idea of going around for sponsorships appealed to her a lot.
"Excuse me! What ship??"
"Sponsorship Mr. James Artemus Potter."
"And what the heck is that?"
"Well its an arrangement where we promise some advertising to some company or stuff taking the responsibility of funding an event. So now we will have to go to different firms and shops and ask them to fund our fest in return for the advertising we would do for them in our fest. "
"Has this sponsi thingi ever worked Miss Lily Aretha Evans??" smirking at this utterly ridiculous idea.
"Well yes it does, Thank you very much. It works all the time. That's how most of the huge events take place in our world ok. Got it potter!"
"Well yeah kind of." He still wasn't convinced if this could be done. Why would anyone in their right minds want to part with their money for some stupid publicity was beyond him.
'Muggles are crazy.' He thought but he could never disagree with Lily. So he played along. Who knows it might even work!
"So now how do we go about it?" said James trying to sound less unsure this time.
"well…. We need to form teams first. Or maybe we should go together first. Get the idea and then form teams u know. So that even they know what exactly is to be done."
"Vokhay! Lead the way.."
"Lets go to Zonko's first. He anyways loves you guys. He might be of some help. So watsay? Today evening?"
"Evening it is!"
They both got dressed and started for Zonko's. Zonko's was a local joke shop. Marauders were his favorite customers. The stuff that they bought and the ideas that they gave him were amazing.
Lily was wearing a white formal shirt and a short blue jacket over it and skin fit jeans.
'White shirt….. Nice.' , thought James.
James had a thing for girls in white shirts and when the love of his life was wearing something like that things could become a little more out of hands. He tried to stay composed yet all he could think of was the white shirt and the girl inside it.
They reached Zonko's. Lily rehearsed all she had prepared to tell him in her mind and reached for the door.
"Wait.. what are u doing?" exclaimed James.
"Going in!!" Lily scowled.
"You want to ruin everything before we have even started or what!"
"What the hell do u mean?"
"He hates you! Cmon! You keep confiscating his stuff. You have put up notices in the school not to buy his stuff. You think he doesn't know that!"
"Ok then You Go. Lets see what you can do." Lily challenged him.
"You will see." James accepted the challenge.
James entered the shop in style. He met the zonko's guy and chatted with him for a while.
"that's a really cool piece man." Said James pointing at the invisible boils powder box.
"I know. Just got it two days back. If thrown on anyone, it shows horrible boils on his face to everyone but himself." Chuckled the man. "Should I pack one for you?"
"Na. Can't buy it like that. Head Boy now u know." James tried to show his disappointment not to be able to buy it.
The guy's expectant smile faded.
"But I have an idea. You know there is this Fest going on in our school, HAWKs. Its gonna be huge with the whole school participating and all. You can put up a stall u know. And its going to be total Legit. There u can sell all you want, even to the first and second years. They aren't allowed to come to hogsmeade na."
Zonko's eyes widened.
"ok tell me more." He said
"Well I can't just let u put up a stall there u know. I mean it's not my property. It's the school's thing. But I think if u can give us some money we could rent some area to you for a few days." Explained James.
The zonko's guy wasn't very pleased with this idea. He started weighing his options.
"hey you have got nothing to lose. I assure you an amazing sell out. Plus I wanted to buy stuff too for so long and guess what even the head girl is on our side." James tried to persuade him.
He finally agreed and decided to pay them 250 galleons for a four day stall.
'its been forever.. god only knows whats he doing inside..' thought Lily.
Just then Potter came out all smiling and triumphant.
"So.. Whos your daddy!" yelled James.
"so how much?" Lily asked directly not wanting to waste much time in Potter's unnecessary blabber.
"250 galleons My princess." Replied James, the smile not once leaving his face.
"Well that's great. That's an amazing start. Let's go to Diagon Alley tomorrow."
"anywhere u wish Lady." Said James in a mock bow.
They came back. The next few days went in asking for more sponsorship money. They got some, they failed in some. The most amazing thing happened when the shopkeeper actually started chasing Lily for buying his ice cream. Lily would have obliged if the ice cream didn't taste like feet.
They had huge amount of fun.
'Potter is not that bad a company after all' thought Lily.
"What are u thinking Evans?" asked James.
"huh.. nothing.." started Lily.
"well I dunno your face had that look you know when u are thinking about someone who is sitting right in front of you. Lets call it the James look." Supplied James.
"Oh Sod off Potter. I donot have a James look."
"Oh you do. Your face becomes all dreamy whenever you look at this greek god beauty." James said pointing to himself.
"In your dreams Potter." Lily rolled her eyes.
"Well in your dreams too my love."
"James Potter you are an insufferable, egoistical, big-headed prat that I have ever had the misfortune of knowing. I would be happy to date the giant squid than ever think about you." She yelled and walked off.
"whatever you say lily." he muttered.