All that James Potter had planned for the day was tracking down a girl with green eyes. He was going to find her and make her talk about what happened the day before. Because going any longer without discussing the matter would certainly make him stressed. He was also going to kiss her. Anything that would help the boy with untidy hair get his dying wish, well….he would do that too.
Unfortunately, one of the Gryffindors’ days did not go as planned. Rather, it went as different as it was possible to be.
Fortunately for the other Gryffindor, the day worked wonderfully in their favor.
And that is how Lily and James went on their first date which Lily would call an accident that wasn't supposed to happen and that James would call the catalyst for their inevitable love.
Whoever was correct can be determined much later. That isn't the important part right now. What’s important is how the story got to that point. It’s not a long one, but it starts on Christmas Eve morning. Lily wakes up with a knot in her stomach that has to do with a memory. James wakes up as determined as one might find him before a big Quidditch match.
And so the day begins.
“Lily, why on earth would you wait until Christmas Eve to complete your shopping? I hope you can put up with the crowds,” Jane Evans said to her daughter over the breakfast table.
“I’ll be with my friends so I should be fine. We are meeting downtown,” Lily said, wrapping a scarf around her neck after finishing the food on her plate.
“Alright. Good luck then.”
“Thanks, mum.”
Lily grabbed her purse and jacket hanging from her chair and headed for the door, reluctant to embrace the freezing winter air.
***
“James, I hate to ask, but could you please go and pick up that watch I ordered for your father sometime today? I have to clean the house for family coming over tomorrow,” James’s mother said, waving her wand in a million different directions. “I have some cooking to get done as well,” she added.
“Anything to get me out of cleaning,” James said. But his mind was elsewhere. He couldn't stop thinking about what happened just the day before. It was huge. It was unbelievable.
James stopped by Remus’s house before going to the store because he didn't much feel like going alone. Plus he had to talk to his mate about the red headed girl that was taking over his mind. He wished he could shake her. Merlin, it was so bloody annoying not being able to control his thoughts.
When he got to his friend’s house, his two other best mates happened to be there as well.
“Having a get together without me, eh,” James joked, stepping inside the small living room.
“We were actually trying to decide who would have to go get you,” Remus said.
“Yes. But luckily you felt out telepathy and came,” Sirius said cheerily.
“Actually I came to see if you’d come with me into town. I have to pick something up for my dad,” James explained, his hands in his pockets.
“Ah, but it’s snowing like crazy, Prongs,” Peter complained.
“You’ll live, Wormtail. Of course we’ll come,” Sirius said, rising up from the couch and putting his coat back on.
Remus agreed, and eventually the three marauders convinced Peter to go, but only after practically dragging him out the door so that he really didn't have much of a choice. The best friends were on their way.
***
Lily, Mary, and Marlene navigated through the large amount of people doing their last minute shopping in town. Overall, it wasn't the most pleasant experience. There were far too many people, and it was far too cold.
“Every year you say you won’t wait until Christmas Eve to finish your shopping, but every year we end up out today,” Marlene said, hardly audible through her thick scarf.
“I know, I know. I’m sorry. I just need to grab a few things, I swear,” Lily said, looking left and right at the stores. Then, spotting the book shop, pointing and saying, “I need to go in there.”
The three girls slipped into the book store, simultaneously releasing sighs of relief at the warmth.
“Naturally Lily has to come in here,” Mary teases, shaking the snow out of her hair.
“There’s a cookbook that my mum really wants…”
Lily began walking to the proper section, Marlene and Mary following close behind. From there, Lily began sifting through the books, searching for the one she needed.
“Mary and I are going to go get some hot chocolate from the café. Meet us there?” Marlene and Mary looked at Lily questioningly.
“Okay, sure. I won’t be long,” Lily said. With that, the other two left to get their hot drinks.
The thing is, the cookbook section in the store just so luckily happened to be right near the large window in the shop, and by some kind of coincidence, James Potter and his mates walked right by. And Lily looked out the window at that very moment. The moment when James looked in. Both pairs of eyes grew large with surprise. Lily broke contact immediately and frantically returned to her search for the cookbook.
Outside, James Potter motioned to the marauders that he was going to stop inside to grab something. Lily groaned, and James entered the store. Sirius, Remus, and Peter made their way to the same café that Marlene and Mary escaped to minutes before.
“Alright, Evans?”
Lily dropped the book in her hands, but James caught it easily. “Careful now,” he said, flashing his stupid crooked smile.
“Thanks,” Lily mumbled. Ah, here it is. She had found the cookbook for her mum. Now she just needed to escape as quickly as possible. Of course, James would not allow that.
“You can’t run away from this, Lily,” he said. The red head was taken aback by his irked tone. She took a chance and glanced up at him. His hazel eyes were insistent and pleading. He was completely serious.
“James, look. I…“ Where was she even going with this? She had no idea.
“What? You didn't mean to kiss me yesterday at my Christmas party? Is that it?” James kept the same tone.
“Yes. I mean no. I mean…I don’t know,” Lily said. She did mean to kiss James. But she wasn't sure she liked what the idea meant. After all these years…
“Goddammit, Evans. Yes, you do know. You can’t just tell me that you don’t because you’d be lying. Just admit that you don’t find me repulsive. Admit that you might like me. We’re not twelve years old,” James said. A nearby shopper was trying to look at the books near the pair. This was not the place to be having this conversation. James seemed to notice.
“Come on. Let’s get out of here. We can go get a coffee down the street. But we do need to talk, and it can’t wait,” James said, taking Lily by the arm without permission and pulling her toward the exit.
“Wait! James! I need to pay for this. I’ll meet you there,” Lily said. She was disappointed in herself for not speaking out when he was being stern with her.
“Promise you won’t ditch?”
“I swear,” Lily said. They turned at the same time, James leaving the shop and Lily approaching the register.
It was some time before Lily found James. The line at the bookstore took ages. She also had to tell Marlene and Mary where she was going. She lied and told them she had to go pick up the last part of each of their gifts. But finally, she was there, not breaking her promise.
James was sitting at a two person table in the corner. Lily noticed that he already bought her a coffee, and it was sitting across from him on the table. Lily hesitated, but took the seat opposite James. “Hi,” she said flatly.
“Good, you came. Hey, I was being sort of unreasonable in the book store. There were too many people for that, and I caught you off guard. But can we please discuss this now,” James said, tracing the top of his coffee cup with his finger.
Lily swallowed and then looked at James who was staring right back. She was trapped. There was nothing left to do except confess to having feelings for James whom she had previously detested for so long. Truth be told, he never really was that bad. She never hated him. There was always something endearing about him. Something she couldn't fully dislike. And he had not given up on her.
“Nothing needs to be said except this,” Lily started. “I kissed you at the party because I like you, James. I’ll quit denying it because there’s no point. There’s no reason for me to deny it. And it’s getting harder to suppress.” There. She had said it. No turning back now.
James grinned hugely, and Lily couldn't help but grin as well. Then he began laughing.
“What?”
“It’s just that I never expected you to say that, you know? I’m happy. Don’t ruin this, okay,” James said, downing the rest of his coffee happily.
Lily was unsure of what to say next, but she didn't have to say anything.
James suddenly perked up further. “Does that mean this is our first date?”
“Date?”
“Yeah, you know. When two people that like each other hang out and drink coffee, it’s a date,” James said.
Lily laughed. She suddenly felt at ease instead of uptight. “I suppose you’re right. This isn't exactly what I had in mind…I have to shop still, and I can’t just ditch Mary and Marlene all day,” Lily said.
“It doesn't matter! We can have a better date some other time. Our friends will be fine without us for a little bit. We can just do everything that people usually do on a date, but quicker,” James said, shrugging.
“Alright…let’s get on with it then, Potter.”
“First things first. I don’t think people who are on a date call each other by their last names,” James said, smirking.
“You’re right. My apologies, James.” Lily laughed.
“Right. So next we drink our coffee. And mine is gone, so hurry up.”
Lily took her warm cup and drank the steamy liquid as quickly as she could. James sat back, laughing. It was ridiculous, but he was enjoying it immensely. When Lily finished, she exclaimed, “Done!”
“Fantastic. Now we talk for a little bit,” James said, transitioning their “quick date”.
“So what brings you into town besides me,” Lily asked.
“Picking up the watch that my mum ordered for my dad to avoid cleaning the house. How about you?”
“Proving once again how much of a procrastinator I am,” Lily said, shaking her head and sighing.
“Ha! Figures,” James replied.
“Yeah, yeah. Shut up,” Lily mused. “So when should we have our actual first date,” she added.
“How about after Christmas? This is like our secret date though. Our friends won’t even know. They’ll think we just take forever to shop,” James said.
“I like that idea,” Lily said. “We can go ice skating or something.”
“Whatever you’d like.”
“So this is the part where we say bye, right,” Lily asked. “And you walk me outside?”
“After you,” James said, gesturing toward the door.
When they got outside, Lily faced James and grabbed both his hands. “Thanks for the coffee. And for knocking some sense into me earlier,” she said.
“If I don’t, who will,” James joked.
“I’ll see you the day after Christmas. Pick me up at 6:00,” Lily said.
“Perfect. Enjoy the rest of your day shopping.” James inched closer with every word.
“You too. Merry Christmas,” Lily said, standing on her toes to get ready for what was to come.
“Merry Christmas,” James said. Then he added, “And let’s not forget about the last custom of a typical date…”
James leaned in and kissed Lily for the second time in twenty-four hours. And in his mind he knew that there were plenty of kisses to come. The thought pleased him.
After a brief moment of bliss, the couple separated. Lily smiled, and James smiled back.
“See you,” she said.
“Bye,” he replied.
Then James walked right toward the watch store while Lily turned right toward the café where her friends were.
Wait, did she just go on a date with James Potter?
It was definitely the shortest date of her life, but it was already far ahead of them in rank.
It was an accident that wasn't supposed to happen. But Lily tended to find that not all accidents are bad.
James Potter was certainly an accident that she didn't mind.
uriahsmarlene replied to your post: uriahsmarlene replied to your post: uriahsmarlene...
ghgnh45nh but idk if i want to know. more like how much would i have to pay for them to send me the book to read lol. i’d send t back. maybe…
i am terrified of next year... almost every series i read is coming to and end and i don't think any of them is going to be happy how do i live with that
SPLAT! You just got snowballed! Welcome to the snowball fight of 2012! Okay so here's how it works, just say three to five random things about yourself then go anon and snowball your five favorite blogs. If you get snowballed again you CANNOT snowball any blogs you've snowballed before, except if you're out of blogs to snowball. Have fun! byebye
damn i cant snowball you again
okay
i always eat the bread crust, i love them
i'm currently crying because of sydrian feels
i have a cat ringtone so once i hide my cellphone during class and asked someone to call me and my teacher tought there was a cat in the room and went crazy looking for it hahaha
