lilium_evansiae | 6 April 1977, London

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6 April 1977, London

Lily is quite relieved when she looks out the train window and sees the outskirts of London.

Of course, now that she's reached London, she has to deal with her interview, but at least that's something to do. The problem with this trip is that there has been entirely too much thinking and entirely no doing of anything.

Now there will be plenty of doing things, starting with finding James, who is meeting her at Euston Station. She had mentioned, one afternoon at Hogwarts, that she wasn't actually sure how to get to Diagon Alley from the Muggle train station and did he know the closest Tube stop? And James had assured her that he would meet her at Euston Station and make sure she got to Diagon Alley safely and on time and not to worry about it at all.

The train rolls to a stop, and Lily picks up her handbag and makes her way with the jostling morning crowd out onto the platform.

All she has to do now is find James.

Or, more likely, wait for James to find her.

(He's showing an amazing talent for it, recently.)

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It'd taken James about four and a half tries, getting on the wrong tube on the wrong line, and going back and forth from South London to West London, and then back again, only to head a little too far North-East, and then South again.

It'd been a bit frustrating after the fourth go at it, but James — for the most part — didn't let it bother him.

He is going to see Lily today, and that's the important thing. The most important thing.

He checks his watch for the umpteenth time, a bit impressed that for all his getting on the wrong train he manages to make it to Euston Station with two minutes to spare.

It's crowded here, full of Muggles hustling and bustling about, and the atmosphere is frenzied and energetic — it's the perfect sort of day, really, to pull an adventure like this.

He keeps an eye out for the fiery red hair of his most lovely girlfriend.

And there it is, neatly pinned back with a blue and gold floral barrette.

(The rest of Lily should also be coming into view, but there is no denying that the hair tends to be the thing that catches people's eye.)

James should be around here somewhe--

There.

"Hello, James."

It's stupid, really, that his heart does this thing — this ridiculous quickening beat that reminds him of flying dangerously too high, the wind whipping through his hair in an impossibly cool rush.

It's always been one of his favourite things, but seeing Lily is even greater.

Technically, it hasn't even been that long since they'd seen each other ... but James has learned (thanks to Milliways) that time really isn't easy to count and it hardly matters anyway.

He lets out a breath and runs a hand through his ever unkempt black hair.

"Lily," he greets, his expression calm and collected — before it breaks out into a bright grin. "Hello."

It's been long enough since they've seen each other really.

It's not stupid at all that it makes everything seems ... leveler. Evener. The rest of the rushing crowds around them and all the worry about trains and schedules and interviews and everything just kind of settles.

Because James is here.

And he's grinning at her like that.

"How are you?"

"Extremely pleased to see you," he says with a boyish innocence —

— before wrapping her in a hug and kissing her, too.

(And sod anyone who might look their way with any sort of discontent under the rules of propriety.)

(The Muggle commuters can go around them for a moment.)

(Or two.)

"I'm pleased to see you, too," Lily says, eventually.

"And not just because I'd no idea how to find anything without you."

After all, she could hardly hop in a London cab and ask for the Leaky Cauldron.

London cabbies are good, but they're not that good.

James laughs.

"Well, I wouldn't blame you anyway," he says, his hand running from her shoulder to catch her hand with his.

He's almost entirely certain he knows enough now to get from here to Diagon Alley exclusively using Muggle transport.

They'll be okay.

Of course they will.

Lily is in excellent hands. (James said not to worry, and Lily is not worrying. At least, not about the getting around London.)

She laces her fingers through his.

"Right.

"Where to, James?"

With a grin, James squeezes her hand gently.

"Follow me," he says, tugging her along.

They're headed towards the underground. He recognizes the entrance/exit he'd accidentally taken and avoids it this time.

"Lead on," Lily says easily.

(Focusing on James means she doesn't have to focus on the coming interview.)

(Plus, he's one of her very favorite things to focus on.)

And lead on he does.

James takes them to the Euston station platform, glad when he notes the signs directing them accordingly, and choosing not to glance at them.

(He'd read them previously, of course, and in great detail.

He's going for a 'I do this every day' kind of effect.)

He is still holding her hand, close by her side, surrounded by Muggles who have far more experience riding the London Underground than he certainly does.

But right now, it feels kind of great to blend in.

It's a very nice effect.

And made all the nicer, somehow, by the fact that Lily knows he doesn't do this every day. Because that means he's gone to the effort to figure this out for her.

(Does she have the most wonderful of boyfriends or what?)

She follows James toward the Tube platform, staying close at hand.

It would, after all, hardly do to get separated.

Besides, she likes staying close to James.

The tube arrives, pinging as the doors open, and then pinging again when the doors close, a voice reminding them to 'mind the gap' as they enter.

It's warm inside, almost humid with the heat of many Muggles packed in together. And it's dreadfully crowded.

But it's an experience, and James is rather proud that he's accomplished this much so far.

Wait until they transfer to the Northern Line.

James is doing brilliantly.

And James continues to do brilliantly, especially with transferring to the Northern Line.

He even manages to find Lily a seat on the very crowded second train.

It's not the best arrangement for talking, but no one really talks on the Tube, anyway.

It doesn't take them terribly long to get to Charing Cross; and by Leicester Square, a good deal of people have left the train anyway.

James hovers in front of Lily, however, standing while gripping one of the overhead handles for balance.

There's an announcement for 'Charing Cross Station', the train comes to a slow pace, and then James is helping Lily towards the door that pings open.

"Thank you."

James really is a gentleman when he chooses to be, isn't he?

And if they wait just a moment on the platform, most of their fellow travelers will have gone before Lily and James head for the Way Out, and up into the (Muggle) London streets.

Up where the skies are clearer, and the weather is a little warmer than London's used to, James quickly makes note of their current location so he can properly direct them towards the Leaky Cauldron.

Then he turns to Lily and smiles.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Lily says. "Perfectly fine."

Because of course she's fine.

Really.

Completely.

Oh, God, she's not fooling him for a second, is she?

"I ...

"It's ... "

"Do I look too much like a Muggle?"

Her clothes are perfectly neat and respectable, but there's no denying they're not robes.

"I don't have any robes, except my school ones and my dress robes and neither of those seemed appropriate, but I don't know that this is, either, now. It seemed all right this morning, but I was in Milton then.

"I don't know how to do this, James."

James doesn't mean to laugh, but Lily's being kind of ridiculous, and mostly ridiculously adorable — because here she is, about to be brilliant in her first wizarding interview, and she's nervous.

It's endearing.

And he doesn't laugh to be mocking.

He takes a breath, then places his hands on Lily's arms, to steady her.

"Lily," he starts, "you'll be brilliant. You look fine. No one expects you to dress like the rest of them do, besides which no one but our parents' generation really goes around wearing robes all the time anyway."

Case in point: himself. Not a single robe-like thing on him.

"You got this interview because you are brilliant. Not because of what you wear."

"And now my boyfriend is laughing at me," Lily says, though he's got a smile out of her, anyway.

Because he's James.

(And, all right, because he's right.)

"I think brilliant might be a tall order today. I might have to aim for reasonably competent.

"She won't ask me to prove I can brew anything too difficult, yeah?"

"You can handle it," James says, without preamble, before adding — to assuage her fears more than anything — "But no. I don't think she will. Honestly, I suspect you'll just have a brief chat before she tells you when you ought to come in for your first day."

That's how confident he is that she'll get it.

"Right.

"And if I accidentally blow up the shop, you and the others'll stage a great escape from Azkaban, yeah?"

'Cause if ever there were people Lily believes could break out of Azkaban, they would be the Marauders.

"Or if I don't blow up the shop, you'll take me for ice cream when this is over?"

No matter how it comes out?

"I will do whatever you want me to do when you've finished," James promises.

He's still sure it'll go smashingly.

"I am yours."

Lily kisses him, briefly, and then rests her forehead against his for a second.

"Thank you."

A second passes, maybe two, and then she says "Right. I suspect being late would be a terrible start to things with Madame Magnus, so lead on, James."

"Ah.

"Of course."

James grins, not at all dazed by the moment — really.

They head towards the Leaky Cauldron, their pace fairly brisk.

He wouldn't, after all, want to make her late.

The pub-and-inn is soon quite easy to spot. And then, it'll be a short hidden-back-door's trip to Diagon Alley.

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