AN: 322claurs muchísimas gracias por tus comentarios! me inspiraste a seguir escribiendo este capítulo, así que este es para tí. Besoos.

Lily and Sam got home late that night.

As soon as they walked into the building, just the two of them, no buffer, the tension between them felt dialled up.

Lily hated it. They usually couldn't stop talking, and the quiet made it so it was undeniable something was up. Not that Lily was going to acknowledge it.

Unfortunately, Sam could only go so long like this. After they both wound down for the night and got ready for bed, Sam sitting cross-legged on Lily's bed, broke the silence, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Lily cringed slightly. "You mean..."

"Don't play coy, Evans. About that boy. Bobby? He said you were together for four years! And you never mentioned him once. I'm just baffled as to why."

Lily thought for a second. "We weren't together that long. We were friends for three years, then last year we dated just for the summer. And I did tell you about him. Whenever I mentioned a friend in the past four years, I usually meant him. But I guess I didn't tell you when we started dating because... I just didn't picture things working out with him. Which, yes, was a bad sign from the start. But I didn't think it'd end that badly. Then, afterwards, I was just embarrassed... that I'd ever fallen for someone that douchey. I thought I knew better than to fall for a resort kid."

Sam took a breath. "You know you can tell me anything, right? That I'd never judge you."

Lily felt the tension starting to leave her body. "I know. It was stupid."

Sam sat back. "So, will you tell me what happened?"

Lily hesitated for only a second before opening her mouth. "It's a boring story, really. He asked me out at the beginning of last summer. I wasn't too sure about it but he was very eager and he sweet-talked me into it. It went well for a while. Until... one day, we were at a party with some of his friends from the resort and... " Lily exhaled sharply, "maybe it was stupid but they were playing this game... I don't remember what it was exactly, I wasn't participating, just watching. But it somehow ended up with this girl calling me poor and trashy. And... Bobby just sat there, didn't try to defend me or anything. Not that I needed him to do that, but the way he seemed so... unaffected by it, even amused by it. It made me feel sick. We broke up that night."

Lily felt a lump in her throat forming as she spoke. She hadn't really talked about what happened with anyone... and it was hard.

Sam's face fell. "Oh, Lil, I'm so sorry. That is unbelievably shitty."

Lily tried to shrug it off. "I've been to private school with the snobbiest kids alive for half my life, I've heard worse. What actually made me feel bad was that I thought Bobby was on my side. I mean, how pathetic is it that when someone insults you the person who jumps to your defence is your boyfriend's annoying friend, and not your actual boyfriend?"

Sam raised a brow. "Is that annoying friend by any chance... James Potter?"

With a scowl, Lily nodded.

Sam got a knowing smile on her face. "So that's how it started then."

Lily frowned. "How what started?"

Sam rolled her eyes. "Your crush on James."

Lily gaped at her friend. "My wh– I don't have a crush on James."

"Sure you don't," Sam wagged her brows, a glint in her eyes.

"Why would I have a crush on that– that infuriating, egocentric, unbearable arse?"

Sam only smiled. "Right. That infuriating arse whose house you've ended up in three times in the past week, who can't stop flirting with you. And who apparently stopped speaking to his friend after he didn't defend you from someone's insult."

Lily crossed her arms over her chest. Sam could not be trying to insinuate– No, absolutely not.

She took a deep breath. "You just don't know him well enough. He might act all flirty but it's not genuine. He's just like that. He's been doing it to get under my skin since forever, it's his little thing that he does, it doesn't mean anything. He flirts with me, I get annoyed with him. That's just our dynamic."

Sam didn't seem sold on it. "Nah. He might act flirty with other people but it's different with you. It's like you're the only person in the world when he talks to you. You just never notice. I'm afraid to say it but that boy might honest to god be in love with you."

Lily huffed a little. She didn't want to argue further. She knew Sam was wrong, but the sooner they stopped entertaining even the thought of that, the better.

They stayed quiet for a moment before Sam gave Lily her last quip on the topic. "I love you, Lils, but for someone so smart, you really miss a lot."

Lily really hated to add fuel to Sam's theories about her and James but she was now at the Potters' house again.

She tried to get out of it. But her first mistake had been saying she was sick. Lily's grandmother did not believe in illness. Unless Lily was actively vomiting blood, she was fine.

So, she was here now, at brunch with the Potters.

Lily had no idea how her grandparents had ended up striking a genuine friendship with James's parents, but it'd happened a few years ago without Lily noticing. This wasn't the first time Lily had been invited to such a gathering, but it was the first time she couldn't make an excuse to miss it. She was getting sloppy. Maybe it was because of Lily's conversation with Sam last night. It left her reeling. But she didn't want to think about it.

Speaking of Sam... The little shit had betrayed Lily and claimed she had plans with one of the neighbours she'd apparently met at some point. And since she wasn't family, it's not like Lily's grandparents could force her to come. Well, at least Black wasn't here either.

Lily sipped her glass of water, trying not to let her displeasure show because it wasn't Mr and Mrs Potter's fault that she was in a sour mood. But clearly, she wasn't doing a very good job because Grandma Elena sent Lily inside to help James with the food, but not before giving her a look that said behave or else.

Lily schlepped to the kitchen.

A beautiful smell hit her as soon as she walked in. It almost smelled like... no, but it couldn't be.

Three different steaming pans were on the stove. James was stirring one of them, clad in a bright pink apron, sweat dripping down his brow.

"Nice apron, Potter," Lily said.

James turned, startled. He did a little curtsy. "¿No creés que se me ve grande el culo?"

Before Lily could think, she let out a laugh. Then immediately put her head in her hands. She took a breath. "To be clear, I'm not laughing at your joke, I just turn into a twelve-year-old whenever I hear that word even if I've lived here for years and am pretty used to it. It still catches me off-guard sometimes."

Culo was one of those words that was pretty innocent in Spain but in the Americas, it was considered vulgar. It was childish but it still got a giggle out of Lily when she heard it being used so casually.

James smirked. "Sure, Evans."

Now that she was closer, Lily could see James's name was embroidered on the front of his apron in loopy cursive letters. Of course he'd have such an item.

"What are you making?"

James beamed at her. "Well, I'm glad you asked that, Lily. I am making a variety of dishes, including chilaquiles, quesadillas and huevos rancheros."

Lily's brows raised. She wasn't sure what to make of that. "... Why?"

"Well, I could tell the other day that you missed Mexican food... and I've always wanted to try making some more Mexican dishes. Seemed like the perfect opportunity."

Lily almost felt a little bad that she'd been so reluctant to come. Almost. "You... cook a lot."

It was obviously a dumb observation because James burst into laughter. "You're just noticing now?"

Lily felt her cheeks flush. "How would I have noticed before? It's not like we've ever hung out a lot."

"Well, yeah, I guess. But I've cooked for you before. Several times."

Lily frowned. "What? No, you haven't. When?"

"Let's see. Well, almost every party you ever went to with Bobby in the past two years has been catered by me, sometimes just salsas and guac, but whenever there were tapas, I made them, once I roasted a whole pig for Steven's birthday."

Shit. How had she missed that? God. "Can I help you?" She asked through gritted teeth. She didn't really want to, but he seemed like he was near collapse.

"You can chop some of the vegetables over there," he said.

Lily sat down at the kitchen counter and started chopping tomatoes slowly but surely. "So, is this, like, your thing? Cooking?"

James smiled lightly. "I guess so, yes."

"This is what you want to do, then? Be a chef?"

James took a brief pause from his back and forth between pots and pans. "I... am not so sure. I'd like to be that, but... I don't know if it's feasible."

"Isn't the whole point of generational wealth that you can just do whatever you want?" Lily said without thinking. But James didn't seem too insulted by it.

"I didn't mean because of the pay. I don't know, I guess part of it is I don't know if I'm good enough."

Lily's brain short-circuited for a moment. James Potter would be the last person she'd think would say something like that. Well... maybe Sirius Black. "Well, they always need more cooks at McDonald's. I'm sure you're good enough for that at least."

For a second, Lily thought that might've been a bit too harsh, but then James let out a belly laugh that oddly made Lily preen a little bit at making him laugh like that. For some weird reason.

It took James a minute, but when his laughter finally died down, he turned to Lily and said, "Come try this, I need an expert's opinion."

Lily went around the kitchen island and inspected the dishes on the stove. She wasn't sure what she'd expected, but it all looked good, like something you'd actually find in a Mexican restaurant.

She scooped up a bite of chilaquiles. Chewed slowly.

"Fuck."

James frowned, he looked at the pan with true concern in his eyes.

"That's like—good."

The tension left James's frame. He smiled. "Why do you sound so surprised I can cook a decent meal?"

Lily shrugged half-heartedly. "I don't know, I guess you don't really seem like someone who can cook."

James's brows went up, his eyes filled with amusement. "I don't?"

"You're just so..." Lily gestured broadly at him, "you."

"Right. Handsome, smart, funny, and can cook. I understand why it sounds impossible I exist."

Lily groaned, rolled her eyes. "Don't ruin this."

James chuckled. "So... it's good, then? Not too spicy?"

Shit. Lily hadn't thought about that. "Well, in my honest opinion and preference, not spicy enough. But for non-Mexicans, it might be a bit much. Actually, I think my elderly English grandfather might implode on the spot if he eats this."

James cringed. "You're probably right. I made another batch with only the slightest hint of spice, we'll save that one for Phil."

Lily couldn't help the small smile she gave him. That was nice of him.

James had her try the rest of the dishes he'd made, they were perfect. She had no idea how he'd procured some of the ingredients needed to make them.

And as she sat on the counter, eating everything James handed to her, she couldn't help thinking back to her conversation with Sam.

Up until this moment, she'd been absolutely sure James Potter was not actually genuinely interested in her. And yes, he obviously liked to cook and maybe she was reading too much into things but the seed of doubt in her mind was fully planted now. Maybe... just maybe, there was the slightest chance that James Potter might like her.

She wasn't sure how to feel about that. She needed to gather more evidence before making a decision though, that was for sure.

"Can I ask you something?" James asked in a low tone.

He sounded uncharacteristically serious. Lily nodded.

"¿Por qué no me hablás en español?"

Lily felt her cheeks go warm. She had not been expecting that.

Why didn't she speak to him in Spanish? Because... when she found out he spoke Spanish too she'd been unreasonably angry at him over it? Because... it was her language and he didn't get to share it? Because... he wanted her to? Because she felt too vulnerable speaking to him in her mother tongue?

Lily felt like the oxygen wasn't quite reaching her brain. "Um... I'm not sure, actually. I guess I'm just used to it now." She cleared her throat. Then, very unsubtly, she changed the subject. "This is all... really cool," she gestured to the food. "I... I can't believe you did all this."

James looked at her, his eyes searching. For what, Lily couldn't tell. "I'm glad you like it," he said, still in Spanish.

Lily should've just said thank you outright, but for some reason, the words didn't come out.

Soon, the food was done and they carried everything out to the patio.

Everyone sang James's praises when they tasted the food, and the conversation soon led to Lily's parents. It wasn't entirely unexpected. Whenever it was mentioned that Lily had grown up mostly in Mexico, people were always curious as to how that had happened.

Grandma Elena briefly told the story of how Lily's parents met while they lived in the UK, and Lily's mother followed her father to Mexico when one of his uncles who lived there offered him a job. It was very much the condensed, slightly sanitized version of the story, but it hit the main points.

The conversation was mostly carried by James's mother and Lily's grandmother. Lily had no idea how they had the energy to talk that much, but they managed to drag brunch for another three or so hours.

Once the Evanses finally made their way out, Lily's social battery was on fumes. But oddly enough... for how much she'd been dreading it, she'd had a nice time at the Potters'.

And just as she was about to walk out the door after her grandparents, she paused. She turned back to James, who stood in the doorway and looked at her with those eyes.

"Gracias," she whispered.

It was as if fairy lights had been lit in his eyes. Lily wasn't sure she'd ever seen someone's eyes actually light up like that. His lips curled into a smile. A genuine one. Lily's heart skipped a beat. He'd never smiled at her like that before. He looked like she'd given him the greatest gift.

Fuck.