Hey, my dudes! I am back on track! Or I will be. I am going on vacation soon, but I am going to try to prewrite a chapter so I can release it while I'm gone. Hopefully. Whatever the case may be, thanks to my new beta, honorary-marauder-1, for getting me back into writing semi-regularly! You guys should check out her new fic, How To Move On 101. It's a Jily tale, and it's pretty great. Anyways, here you guys go! Please review, they really, really inspire me to write. Thanks again for sticking with me!

Lily was in fashion hell.

For one, it seemed to Lily that her and Petunia's versions of "a quick and simple fitting" were very different. For starters, she hadn't even selected a dress- she had decided on peach and navy blue for the wedding colors, but they had waded through yards and yards of fabric and catalogs upon catalogs of patterns until she finally decided on one fabric and one design. Even then, it seemed to take hours upon hours of pinning and sizing and cutting and admonitions about how the girl being fitted mustn't move.

For another, Petunia sat smugly across the room the entire time, giving Lily a smug smile and smirking with every tick of the clock. Lily was sure that every moment she kept Lily away from James gave her personal pleasure. She put every single bridesmaid in front of Lily, making sure her sister's misery was complete

Finally, Petunia's friends had suddenly switched gears from their usual state of "ignore-Lily-and-pretend-she-doesn't-exist" to "interrogate-Lily-to-find-out-the-status-of-her-relationship". Every spare moment they had when they weren't cooing over a girl's finished dress, they spent questioning her about the details of their relationship.

"So, Leanne, how long have you and this boy been together?"

"My name is Lily."

"Whatever. So, what's the scoop? Is he good?"

"Um, what?"

"You've slept together, right?"

I mean, technically, if I said yes, it wouldn't be lying, and it would scandalize Petunia to no end."

"Yeah, we have."

Petunia gaped from across the store. "Lily! Do not talk of such things in this company! I knew going to that college would ruin you-"

Lily felt her blood begin to boil. Instead of engaging her sister in an argument, which would make her seem to be "the bad guy", she took out her phone and searched for James's number.

4:06 p.m: Hello, Potter. I am in hell; amuse me.

4:07 p.m: Wait, you're probably driving by now. Don't text, I'd rather you didn't die.

4:09 p.m: How touching, Evans. You do care.

4:11 p.m: I'm not joking, Potter. You had better not be behind Bertha's wheel and using your phone at the same time. Especially in the winter.

4:12 p.m: Don't worry, Evans. I am preparing a surprise for you, and I am not driving.

4:12 p.m: I'm surprised you lasted that long, honestly. I assumed I'd be getting messages from the moment you closed that door.

4:13 p.m: I was a bit busy fending off the bloodhounds.

4:14 p.m: Ah, Petunia's friends tugging for every disgusting, dirty, intimate detail of our relationship? I do hope you obliged them.

4:14 p.m: What better way to scandalize Petunia?

4:16 p.m: Ah, Lily-flower, I knew there was a reason I loved you. So, what did you tell them so I know how to argue with Petunia when we get home?
4:17 p.m: I said that we slept together.

4:19 p.m: Wow, Lily brought out the big guns. I didn't think you had it in you. Except for the fact that you are a card carrying criminal. I guess I can believe it.

4:20 p.m: Shut up. Anyway, it wasn't technically a lie. We've slept together, like, three times.

4:22 p.m: Damn, you're right. We're moving fast, Evans.

4:23 p.m: Yeah, yeah. I have to get fitted, come get me soon. Please. I'm miserable.

4:25 p.m: Anything for you, my dear.

-x-x-x-

Lily was tired of being poked, pricked, and prodded. But most of all, she was tired of all of these boring, judgemental, carbon-copied girls interrogating her about her "relationship" with James.

And that was how they referred to it. As a "relationship". Lily could hear the air-quotes surrounding the word every time the word left one of their pink-painted, overdrawn lips. She could tell they doubted the truth behind her and James, and while they were correct, she didn't appreciate their skepticism of it just because James was more attractive than her.

Frankly, Lily was at her wit's end.

And it was one of Petunia's comments that finished her off.

A girl named Irene was chatting about James.

"He's so cute," she cooed. "And I've always dreamed of dating a football player, they're so athletic. I would drive all the other girls at the office crazy with him."

Petunia lifted her head snobbishly. "Vernon is the perfect man, I think. He is well-established, has a steady job, and he cares for me very much. I could never bring myself to date the likes of that Potter boy," Petunia said, then lowered her voice to an audible whisper. "And apparently, neither can Lily!"

"Alright, that's the last straw!" Lily shouted. The seamstress harrumphed at Lily, mumbling, "Stop moving!" with a mouth full of pins. Lily waved her away. "No, you know what, I'm allowed to move. I have put up with this behavior from you the whole freaking day- no, you know what, my whole freaking LIFE- and I have not complained all that much. But you know what? I am a reasonably attractive woman, and there is absolutely no reason why you all shouldn't believe the likelihood of my relationship with James. I am worthy of him, and he is worthy of me. And you know what, Petunia? I don't care if you don't like him. I don't care if you think your Vernon is the perfect man. I don't care if Vernon has a steady job, and a good house, or that he's normal- I love James. I think he is the perfect person. I think that he is wonderful, and kind, and funny, and smart, and I love him to death. And you know what? Maybe we'll get married someday. And you-" Lily said, flouncing off the table and pulling pins out of her dress- "are not invited."

A single voice cut through the crushing silence. "Well, here's to that."

Lily looked up from where she was pulling her sweater on and saw James. She smiled and walked over to him, struggling to pull her trainers on and move at the same time, ending up doing an odd little walk-hop over to the door.

She smiled up at him, slipping her hand into his. "Let's get out of this joint."

He looked around, slipping his hand out of hers and swinging his arm up around her shoulders. "Well, I can't say the company's keeping me."

He pushed the door open. From behind them, Lily heard the dressmaker call out, "Miss Evans! You have not completed this fitting!"

She looked around at the company, her eyes resting on Petunia's pale, surprised, face. She felt her heart fill with satisfaction- and just a touch of remorse. Even after all these years, she still feels a little bad when Petunia does-

But then she saw Petunia glare at James and herself, and at the arm slung around her shoulders. The little piece of remorse vanished. "Aw, who cares."

The door swung closed with a final-sounding bang, and the two climbed into the van.

-x-x-x-

"So, you love me, eh?" James said, looking at her with a crooked smile on his face.

"Shut up. You know I just said that because Petunia was on my nerves."

James shifted his focus back to the road ahead. "Yeah, I figured."

"So, do you think you can play it off?"

"Huh?"

"Us being in love. Do you think you can act like you're in love?"

I don't have to act.

"Yeah, I think so. But I thought this was supposed to be a non-permanent thing? So your dad can let go of me quickly."

"Yeah, well, times change." She peered out the window. "Where are we going? This isn't the direction of the business district."

"RIght. About that. I was looking around, and most of the shops closed early this year."

"What?!"

"Yeah. So, this is your surprise."

They parked the van. Lily hopped out of the car.

"Cokeworth Municipal Private Airgrounds?"

James shifted uncomfortably, his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, since I knew you hadn't gotten your shopping yet, I made arrangements to fly into Exeter so you could get your stuff done. It's a grass strip, and the plane is kind of old, but I should be able to fly it. But it won't take long to get there- fifteen minutes, tops- and the weather's cleared up, so we'll have a tailwind on the way back. But we have to be home before Christmas dinner, because I am absolutely not going to be the reason you aren't home by then. I think I've caused enough delays in this house already."

Lily laughed, then flung her arms around him. "James, that is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. I only ask for one thing."

"What is that, my lady?"

"Can I wear your aviator's jacket?"

He laughed. "I suppose so. With that and your sunglasses, you'll look quite the part."

He walked her over to a beaten and battered yellow Cessna-182. "So, it looks questionable, but I've checked, and it is flightworthy. Shockingly."

"You do have a history of driving shoddy vehicles, Potter. Are you sure this one won't break down?"

"Hey! Do not disrespect Bertha!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Lily circled the plane. "Wait, is this Mad Alastor's plane?"

"Well, the man did say his name was Alastor, and I doubt there's another man with the misfortune to bear that name in this town, so… yeah. Why?"

"This thing is his pride and joy. How on earth did you convince him to let you borrow it? You, a stranger he knows absolutely nothing about?!"

"Um," James said, nervously rubbing the back of his neck, "let's not talk about that."

"Oh my GOD, are you stealing this?"

"Of course not! I have semi-questionable morals when it comes to kidnapping, but you're the only real criminal in our midst."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Take us away, Flyboy." She stepped up into the cockpit.

James stood outside with a goofy grin on his face. She looked at him while she buckled in her seatbelt. His smile seemed to infect her, and a little smirk bent her cherry lips. "What?"

"You gave me a nickname."

She blushed. "So?"

"That means you're getting attached. Ha! I told you I would win you over!"

She smiled and looked out the windshield. "I wouldn't read into it too much." She slid on her aviator sunglasses, and James hopped into the cockpit. "Take us away, Flyboy. I have shopping to do."

James's grin bent to match hers.

"Whatever. You like me."

"Do not."

"Do so."

"Shut up, Flyboy. Take me to Exeter."

"Whatever you wish, my lady."