Chapter Eleven: Last Dates

Trembling, I stepped into my small hotel room. I quickly flipped the light switch and sough out the hotel phone. My fingers numbly punched in Ari's phone number. After two rings, she picked up.

"Hey," I breathed into the phone, glad to hear her voice.

"How did it go?" Ari asked, then took the phone away from her face and shouted, "Its Lily!"

I heard a rustle of the phone and some excited whispers. I smiled to myself. "Okay, give us the goods Lil," said Roxi. "You're on speaker by the way."

"Hey everyone," I said happily.

"Enough stalling, tell!" exclaimed Paige.

"Dinner was fantastic," I told them. And I proceeded to explain all the evenings' events. Ari clearly loved hearing about Sirius acting like Sirius. I decided on leaving out the little snog session in James' room.

"Lily they love you!" Ari said simply. "Believe me, it took me a lot longer to win over the graces of the Potter's."

"How do you think that other girls date went?" wondered Zoë.

"I'm not sure, we don't normally talk about Molly," I said.

"So what are you doing today?"

"Me, nothing. My date is tomorrow, so today I think I will go down to the pool and relax. Maybe read a book, watch out for any strange activity," I said.

"Strange activity?"

"Yeah, I was talking with Moody the other day, and he says there is supposedly some tip-off that something is going to happen while in London."

"Why the hell would anyone want to try anything while there are a thousand muggles with cameras watching your every move?"

"Death Eaters have no remorse for anyone. It would be a field day for them to get any unknowing muggles. Moody just said to keep an extra eye spinning all the time."

"Easy for him to say," muttered Paige, "the man has a spinning eye now. I would say that losing his eye not more than two months ago was the best thing that happened to him. Now he's an even better Auror, if that is even possible."

"It does give him an edge," I said. "I better get going, looks like the cameras are coming back in. I love you girls."

"We love you too Lily!" they chorused. "Good luck!"

After talking to my friends I felt a little steadier. My hands had at last finally ceased shaking, and my heart was now returning to its normal pace. I hung up the phone and wandered over to the glass door that opened to a sitting area. I brandished a thin wand from my pocket, tapped the handle of the door which instantly flew open.

A rush of night air met my face. I took a big breath of fresh air and sighed. I was on the seventh floor, and to the looks of it, pretty high up. Lights from buildings and street lamps flickered in the distance. Across the way in the park, I spotted a deer grazing. A rumble of cars and chatting people lifted to my ears. The bark of a dog brought my emerald eyes to the ground. A large shaggy black dog was racing towards the hotel, happily barking at anything or anyone in the way. I laughed to myself and gazed out at the night sky. I strained my eyes for any signs of odd behavior or weird movements.

Wait.

Shaggy black dog. It couldn't be. But when I looked down again, no trace of a dog remained. I shook my head, ridding myself of the obscene thought. A loud crack from inside the suite scared me to death. I spun around to find a man moving to me.

Instantly I pulled my wand out in front of me, ready to send any spell at the intruder. "Now, Lily, would you really hex me?"

"James?" I asked, almost not believing my own eyes.

He stood there, arms crossed over his chest, smirking significantly.

"What in Merlin's name are you doing here?" I lowered my wand, holding it at my side.

"Do you really have to ask that question?" James asked, smiling. "I came to see you."

"Isn't this against the rules or something?"

"Have you ever known me for one to follow rules?" said James closing the space between us.

I smiled. "I should have known you would do something like this."

"Like what?" he asked curiously, smiling down at me with so much love and care.

"Sneak to my hotel room, when you rightly know you're not supposed to."

"Don't worry, I have Padfoot occupying your camera crew."

"Oh, that makes me feel loads better," I walked back into suite, and with a casual flick of my wand the glass door shut itself.

"I've missed magic," sighed James, taking a seat on my bed.

"Is it too hard for James Potter to act like a Muggle?" I mocked, taking a spot next to him.

A moments silence followed. "Do you know what bothers me the most, is driving around in that stupid limo, when I'm perfectly capable of Apparating somewhere."

A small laugh escaped my mouth.

"How did you do it for the first eleven years of your life? I wouldn't have been able to survive."

I patted his arm comfortingly. "It's okay you little baby. You would have survived. It's not that hard. Magic just makes everything seem harder."

He flicked his penetrating hazel eyes over my face. My breath hitched in my throat. I hated and loved that look. Hated because it caused me to momentarily forget who, where, and what I was doing. Loved because I've never had anyone look at me like that before, and the feeling receiving such look couldn't have made me any happier. "What did you really come here for, James?" I asked my voice small.

James reached over and grabbed my right hand with his left, intertwining our fingers. He leant down and pressed his forehead to mine. "I missed you," he whispered, "is that a sin?"

I giggled nervously. The atmosphere in the room just changed completely. What once was playful and innocent was now hot and steamy. A sound like fireworks flew through the open window. I turned to the window; red sparks flew once again into the sky.

James sighed. "That's the signal."

"What signal?" I wondered inquiringly.

"Padfoot is done talking to the cameras, so they will be coming up here now," he said sadly.

"You must go then!" I said suddenly. "You don't want them to catch you here."

James made a noise of protest. I caught his lips in a fierce kiss. "Go," I muttered, more urgently. James grudgingly released my hand and vanished with a loud crack. I fell back against the soft bed, letting out a content sigh. Within minutes, a loud knock sounded at the door. Knowing what was to come, I put on my best smile and walked to the door.

Molly// James Date

"Mate, that color is hideous," Sirius told me, grimacing.

I halfheartedly threw the rejected shirt at him. "I don't care what it looks like, just give me something to wear."

"What's got your knickers in a bunch?" asked Sirius, sifting through my clothes.

When I didn't answer, Sirius knew. "The date won't be that bad. It will be done in at least two hours. And if it isn't, I'll call and say I have an emergency or something."

That earned a smile from me. "It just seems wrong to go on a date with Molly when I know she isn't the one."

Sirius gave me a long look. "James, you never know. I know you're all set on Lily because she's been your dream for so long. But do you ever think to give anyone else a chance?"

It took me a couple minutes to dissect what was coming out of my best friend's mouth. Normally Sirius was always on my side. Actually, come to think of it, he was always on my side. So what he said took me by surprise. Was I not even giving Molly a chance?

"Wasn't it you telling me not but two days ago that I shouldn't marry this girl?" I asked.

Sirius looked nervous. "Well yeah, but that's not the reason. I'm saying for the sake of Molly and Lily, make it fair. Don't already have your mind made up."

"Okay, thanks Padfoot," I sighed.

"I know she's not Lily, mate, but she's gorgeous," said Sirius, "and in love with you."

Upon hearing those words, my insides crushed. "Yeah," I breathed.

I met Molly two hours later, having successfully picked out a shirt that satisfied Sirius to his utmost content. I wore a dark blue button down shirt with blue jeans. Little nerves wormed their way into my stomach. After my talk with Sirius I had come to the conclusion that I have not yet made up my mind about who I'm going to pick, so I would give Molly and Lily both equal chances.

Molly stepped out of the limo looking extremely beautiful. Her golden brown hair fell straight down her back, which seemed to shimmer in the moonlight. She wore an elegant dark red dress, that was almost maroon, that fell to her knees in a tight fashion. Her brown eyes lit up when they fell on me. I smiled satisfactory to myself.

"Hey," she murmured into my chest as we hugged.

"How are you?" I asked pressing a kiss to her forehead and wrapping a protective arm around her shoulders.

"Better now that I'm with you," she said hugging my middle tightly.

We walked slowly into the Italian Restaurant that I had picked for the evening. We settled into our seats before we started talking.

"Did you parents like me?" Molly asked point blank once we had finished ordering.

It took me a couple minutes to think of something to say, that didn't involve them absolutely hating her. "Of course!" I lied. "So, I have some questions for you?"

Molly nodded.

"Could you see yourself moving to London with me?" I asked.

She hesitated. "Yeah, I guess I could."

"You don't sound too thrilled about it," I said laughing.

"I'm not saying I wouldn't like it, but I would. It would just be a bit of a culture shock for me," she said, "since I've lived in America my whole life. But to be with you, I'd move anywhere."

I smiled. She was genuine. "Now, I'm a big family man, and I want a huge family. What about you?"

"Me, I want two kids," she said, "one boy and one girl."

"Just two?" I asked outraged.

"Can you actually see me handling more than two kids?" Molly laughed shrilly.

"Right yeah," I mumbled. Thankfully the main course had just arrived so no more painstaking questions could be asked.

The rest of dinner went reasonably well. Molly and I talked about the future and what we thought of certain things. Then I knew I had to ask her the one thing that has been on my mind for a long time.

"What are you feeling right now?"

Molly took a long look at me as if trying to soak up the question. "How do I feel right now? Well, I feel lots of things. I'm scared out of my mind that I've let myself become this close to someone again. I'm nervous because I have no idea how you feel about me. I'm worried that I made a bad impression somewhere along the line. But mostly, I feel happy. I've never felt like this before, with anyone. You're the first thing I think of every morning when I wake up. I love you're smile, you're laugh, everything about you. You make me want to be a better person, and meeting you, I think it has made me a better person. And I want to thank you for that. Also, you're not that bad to look out so you've made this bearable through all the hardship. I also want to thank you for giving me the time of day when no one else would. Basically, what I'm trying to is, James, I love you."

I knew these three words were coming before she even began this speech, and I had readied myself for them. Almost robotically I said, "I love you too." And so we kissed.

Lily's Suite

There I stood, yet again, in front of a mirror trying to decide what in bloody hell I was going to wear to dinner. The two new choices were laid out on my bed. One a brilliant green summer dress, the other a white sundress.

"The green because it is the same color as my eyes," I debated, "or the white because it's a really cute sundress."

"I can't decided!" I shouted exasperatedly.

I angrily closed my eyes, spun around, and grabbed one dress. I dared a glance, satisfied with my choice, I moved to the bathroom to change and get ready. I pulled my wand out of my pocket and pointed it at the stereo. Instantly, soothing music filled the suite. The words brought my temper to a cooling point.

Finally, two minutes before I left I checked my reflection one last time. I had chosen the green summer dress. The straps were soft silk and a darker green than the rest of the dress. The dress fit snuggly over my bosom then immediately flowed out, leaving it looking airy and full. The only thing I didn't like about the dress was that it ended mid-thigh. Making it appear more scandalous than it actually was. I had pulled my long auburn hair into a side ponytail, opting for loose waves on my pony. My bangs were loose too and swept across my forehead in an elegant manor. To go along with the summer look, I selected a pair of white satin ballet flats.

I smoothed my bangs one last time and darted for the door. It would have to do.

Lily//James Date

Before the driver opened the limo door, I took one last huge breath. On the other side of the door, I saw James standing there in a simple black button down looking gorgeous all the same. Our eyes connected and we smiled simultaneously.

"Hi," I said softly, wrapping my arms around his toned middle.

"Hey," he returned, holding me close. "You look simply magnificent, Lily."

I blushed crimson. "Thanks, you don't look half bad either."

He laughed, hazel eyes sparkling with laughter. "Would you like to go to dinner with me?"

James extended his arm, I looped my through his. "I would love too."

Together we laughed our way into the restaurant. Our table was in a very secluded corner, overlooking the nightlife of London, which seemed tonight somewhat romantic.

"I can't get over how much that dress matches your eyes," James said leaning against the table, looking me dead in the eyes. Good thing I was sitting or my knees would definitely have buckled from the look.

I tried to ignore his comment, knowing it wouldn't help me say anything remotely sane. It's been two months and he still made me weak in the knees. I tucked a stray hair behind my ear in attempt to hide my blush.

"My parents loved you," James said, "bottom line."

"Really?" I asked surprised, looking up to find James staring at me once again. I really wish he would stop doing that.

"Doing what?" he asked curiously almost knowingly.

"Did I say that out loud?" I muttered. "Bloody hell."

"What do you want me to stop doing?" he teased.

"Looking at me like that!" I exclaimed pointing a finger at his face, which was doing exactly what I wish he would stop.

"Does it bother you?"

"Yes."

"Why?" His hazel eyes were alive now with mischief.

I narrowed my own green ones at him. "It makes me nervous!"

That seemed to have set something in him. "Lily Evans, nervous? I don't think I would ever hear the day."

I glared at him. "Shut up."

He continued laughing for a moment longer.

"So, your parents liked me?"

"They loved you. I think they were about ready to chuck Pad- Sirius out and let you stay there instead of him," he said catching himself.

I laughed. "Dinner was loads fun."

"I'm glad. I had fun too." There was a glint in his eyes that meant what he said. And I didn't have to guess what he was implying.

"You are impossible James Potter," I finally said after an intense staring contest.

James laughed. "Okay, enough of that, right… to the matters. Now Lily, if I would pick you to be my wife, would you mind coming to live here, in London?"

"London, I hate London!" I said sarcastically. "Oh, I'm just kidding, I'd love to live here with you. It is my home anyway. Why not share it with you?"

Hazel eyes rolled around his head. "I know what I want in life pretty much. I already have a very successful job, so now all I need is my true love and a family. And I want a huge family, say five or six kids."

"Five or six, you sissy," I said, "at least six."

James' eyes widened. "You want a big family too?"

"Are you kidding, I positively love children."

"Excellent," muttered James. "What have you thought of this experience so far?"

"In a nutshell, it's been pretty crazy," I told him. "I never thought it would be like this, or end up how it has. I never expected to get past the first rose ceremony. And look at me now; I'm one of the final two."

"Crazy I know," James said, taking a sip of champagne. "I would never have guessed I would be sitting across from you about to make the biggest decision of my life in less than twenty-four hours."

"You were always destined for greatness James," I said softly, so that only he could hear it.

I knew he had heard it too, because his expression said it all. He rubbed the back of my hand gently with a finger. We had found each others hands halfway through the dinner. A smile, unlike one I'm particularly used to seeing, so sincere and true flashed upon his handsome features. We lost ourselves in each others eyes for a time.

He broke the gaze long enough to ask a question. "What would you say are feeling at this very moment in time?"

"What I'm feeling?" I asked flabbergasted. "Honestly, I'm terrified. Change has never been an issue for me. I've always known what I wanted to do with my life and how I wanted to go about doing it. Then I landed myself here, and everything changed. It took me awhile to adjust to it, but I ended up loving it. My Nan always used to tell me 'Those who are willing to change are those who will succeed far more in life than those who don't.' I look back on those words and I am finally able to understand them now." I locked eyes with James. "The first day I set foot in this house I promised myself I would not leave broken hearted, because too many times before had I been left heartbroken."

"My plan was to have fun, see if I was anything compatible with you, and try to not make much of myself. You wouldn't allow me to go about my plan. Everywhere I turned, you were there. And then I knew that I would have to alter my plans. I was ready for heart break, figuring it would come sooner or later. So I opened up my heart… to you and to the potential that love could bring. I'm glad I did because if I hadn't, I don't know where I would be right now."

"For the first time in my life, I can honestly say that I know what love feels like. I've always had my guesses, my assumptions. Never had I thought it would be like this. Every time I see you, my heart literally stops. The Look that you give me makes me crazy. It makes me feel vulnerable and weak, which I know I'm not. And knowing that you are able to do that to me makes me so scared. I've never felt like this before… ever in my life. It's a fantastic feeling and also very scary. I know I'm rambling, but that is what happens when you put me on the spot and I start to talk and –"

James silenced me with the tenderest kiss I have ever experienced. We broke apart, falling into our familiar pattern of gazing at each other. "You talk too much," he whispered, a smile playing on his face.

I smirked. "I wasn't done."

"Lily," he said forcefully as I had opened my mouth to talk again, "really, you talk too much."

He tucked a hand behind my head and drew me closer to him. Before our lips could touch he uttered, "I love you, Lily."

Then and there I could have died happy.