6 April 1977, London

[lilium_evansiae]

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.)

Comments

[alotofgood]

"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.

[lilium_evansiae]

It's a longish walk down Diagon Alley, though, before Madame Magnus' potions shop comes into view.

They are promptly on time.

Lily squeezes James' hand for a second, looking at the shop window, then takes a deep breath and summons up a mostly confident (if slightly determined) smile.

"I'll see you after, yeah?"

[alotofgood]

James leans in to kiss Lily's cheek briefly — for luck, of course.

Then he draws back and returns the smile.


"Of course," he says. "I'll be here.

"Good luck."

[lilium_evansiae]

"Thank you.

"Here goes nothing, then."

He get one last smile, over Lily's shoulder, before she steps into the shop and lets the door swing shut behind her.

[alotofgood]

Waiting has never really been James' strong-suit.

He can do it if he wants to but he's not exactly good at it. And he doesn't like it either.

He fidgets. He loses his ability to concentrate on anything. It makes him vaguely irritable sometimes.

His attention wanders ... from the ground, to the events happening in other storefronts, to the people hustling and bustling about along the cobblestone road.

At one point, James even heads to a couple of shops before promptly returning to Madame Magnus'.

Long story short, it's not the most fun of waits, but he doesn't want to miss Lily once she's done.

So he does it.

[lilium_evansiae]

And if he hadn't, he'd have missed the positively radiant Lily who comes back through the door to the shop some time later.

"Hello, James.

"So ... d'you think you can stand having me coming down to London all summer?"

[alotofgood]

James looks up from staring at a particularly interesting piece of fluff floating past.

Her expression says it all, but her words are even better.

He beams.

"I take it it all went well?" he says casually — calmly.

But it's obvious he looks about ready to burst with boyfriend-y pride.

[lilium_evansiae]

Lily nods.

"It went brilliantly, yeah. Madame Magnus is wonderful. I liked her a lot. And she was so easy to talk to.

"All I have to do now is pass my Apparition exam so I can get here, and I've got a job.

"And a boyfriend who owes me ice cream."

[alotofgood]

James' beamy smile does not fade right away.

In fact, it turns into something of a quick grin, before it's replaced with utter solemnity.

Mock solemnity, but solemnity nevertheless.

"Ah, of course," he says. "The lady doth deserveth her reward for being so ... well, brilliant."

He laughs.

"You'll get the largest cone you eat.

"Congratulations, Lily. I knew it'd go very well. Not once did I have any doubt about it."

[lilium_evansiae]

Lily reaches out to take his hand.

"You know, I wish I had half the faith in me that you do, sometimes."

[alotofgood]

"It's all right," James assures her, his fingers gently clutching hers. "I plan to be there whenever you need that extra half more faith."

You know, and maybe a bit extra.

"I'm proud of you, Lily."

[lilium_evansiae]

That's good.

Lily likes having him there.

She likes it a lot.

"So tell me something, James.

"Are there any wizarding taboos about kissing your boyfriend in the middle of the street on Diagon Alley that I should know about?"

Because she really wants to, right about now.

[alotofgood]

"None that I care about.

"Or am familiar with."

James chuckles.

In other words: kisses are totally, totally welcome.

[lilium_evansiae]

"Well, if James Potter says it's all right ... "

(And as they've made it just far enough down the street that they shan't be snogging directly in front of her future place of employment ... )

Further progress down the street may have to wait a bit.

[alotofgood]

As far as he's concerned, progress of just about anything will have to wait a bit.

And he is perfectly, perfectly content to let it wait.

James' arms wind around Lily's waist, pulling her close.

[lilium_evansiae]

Alas, even the best of kisses have to end eventually.

(It's all right. If this kiss doesn't end, there can't be any more. And that would be tragic.)

"Thank you for making things better and easier than they would be without you."

[alotofgood]

"You're welcome," he says. "I'm glad I could be here."

Really, there's no other place he'd rather be.

This is a big moment for Lily, and he wants to be around for all of these big moments happening presently, and to come.

"Now ... about that ice cream?"

[lilium_evansiae]

"Yes, ice cream," Lily says.

Which is not at all a proper lunch, but this is very much an ice cream sort of day now.

"And you can tell me how you've been.

"How are things with Bla--Sirius?"

Settling back out after the birthday fiasco?

[alotofgood]

"Well, he's ... expected to come over in another week or so," James says slowly, looking thoughtful.

(And don't think he hasn't noticed that she called him 'Sirius' instead of addressing him by his surname, the way she used to address him.

And the way he addressed her, too.

Blimey, that'd been ages ago.)

"I think he's been holding off as long as humanly possible, considering.

"I can't say I'm particularly fussed about it. It's been weird. Nothing really feels resolved, though he's been quietly trying not to be his usual annoying self."

[lilium_evansiae]

"I'm sure it'll work out," Lily says.

(She'll see to it that it works out, if she has to.

Whatever that involves.)

"So in the absence of being led into trouble by Sirius Black, what have you been doing with yourself this week, James?"

[alotofgood]

James laughs.

He runs a hand through his hair.

"Nothing of particular interest," he answers. "Got coerced into going to another ridiculous society ball the other night."

He makes a face.

"That may just be the last one I allow myself to be coerced into."

[lilium_evansiae]

"Oh, really? A 'society ball'?"

Lily attempts to sound suitably impressed.

Sort of.

"And did you dance with anyone I should be jealous of?"

[alotofgood]

"Well, there was this charming woman," he says with a fair amount of seriousness, pulling the door of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour open for Lily.

Which, yes, they've definitely been walking towards all this time.

"Unfortunately, I think she's a bit too old for me — not to mention, spoken for.

"Also, possibly, my mother."

He laughs again.

[lilium_evansiae]

"Good," Lily says, stepping into the ice cream parlour.

"I would so hate to have to start hexing people over you.

"It's just such a cliche, you know?"

[alotofgood]

"A little," James agrees, following close behind her.

The cool temperature of the little shop is rather refreshing, not that it's a particularly hot day in London.

But there's something about stepping into a delicately refrigerated place where aisles of brightly coloured ice creams await — if only one can make up his or her mind to choose one (or two, or three) flavour.

It's a happy-making place.

It is also a happy-making place James and the Marauders often visit, especially considering Mr Fortescue's friendly expression implies that they know each other.