James's Date
Winter was cruel for the next week. Temperatures far below freezing, snow howling, winds that bit and nipped. It was so cold that even the owl post was delayed. James worried that it would snow clear until 4 January and he was so nervous he'd end up having to miss the cinema that he paced about the living room, listening to the wizarding radio for news on when the terrible weather would cease, hoping to Merlin that things would calm down in time for his not-a-date-date with Lily Evans.
But 4 January dawned the first clear day in a week, the sun out and bright on the heavy drifts of snow. James had woken up just after five o'clock in the morning and run to the window to see it. He pumped his fist in excitement and ran to his closet, ripping open the doors to see what sort of muggle clothes he had that might impress Lily that he could wear.
At six, he heard stirrings in the house and knew his parents were downstairs so he put the finishing touches on his clothes and went down to breakfast. He'd expected a barrage of compliments the moment he walked through the kitchen door but instead he got a surprised stare from Charlus and Dora, who had just turned about with the pan of bacon that had just finished magically cooking, gasped - not in a good way.
"James... what're... what're you wearing, son?" Charlus asked. He was trying not to laugh.
James looked down. It was a tuxedo, complete with tails, a nice blue cumberband and a matching bowtie 'round his neck. "Muggle clothes," James replied, "I'm going to the cinema with Lily Evans today. Remember? You said I could..."
Dora looked helplessly at Charlus.
Charlus's lips quirked at the corners. "So these are your cinema clothes, 'ey?"
James looked down at himself. "Too much?" he asked, looking back up.
Dora covered her mouth and turned away, her face red with the effort not to laugh.
"Just a wee," Charlus replied. "Here... c'mon upstairs, I'll help you."
"Thanks," James answered.
Dora called, "I'll keep the breakfast warm..."
Upstairs, James undid the tie and cumberband from himself and tossed them onto the bed. He was rather glad - the tuxedo wasn't very comfortable at all. He'd been worried about it. Charlus reached into James's closet and emerged a few moments later with a shirt, tie, and sweater set. "And you wear your jacket over that, since it's cold," he added. "And you'll want some cologne, I'd imagine."
"Alright," James said, and he started changing.
Charlus leaned against James's dresser, his arms folded, staring up at the ceiling, a far-off look on his face that James recognized as his strolling-down-memory-lane expression. He was doing up the tie about his neck when Charlus finally spoke, "Your first date."
"Third, really," James said. "I've taken Annalee McKinnon to Valentines and to Yule Ball..." he paused, "But... those don't really count, I don't reckon. I don't fancy Annalee like I do Lily Evans..." He stared up at his father. "Besides, it's not... not really a date, she said so.. It's just as friends..."
Charlus smiled, "That's how all the best dates begin."
James stared up at him with wide eyes.
"She wouldn't have asked you if she didn't like you, son," he said.
James hadn't considered that. What if this was a veiled attempt at giving him a chance without admitting that's what she was up to? What if he was being spectated, like when the scouts had come to the Ilvermorny-Hogwarts tourney to seek fresh blood for the future British quidditch teams? James suddenly felt a thrill of sickness run up throughout him and he questioned how he looked, peering down himself to inspect his clothes again. "Blimey, I'm really nervous, dad."
Charlus smiled, "Nervous just means you really care how it goes."
"What if I mess it up?"
"Then you'll move on," Charlus replied.
"Not from Lily," James replied. "I'll never move on from her." He sighed, "I've begged so much for this chance and I promised her once if she gave me a chance and she didn't like me that I'd never bother her on it again. I'm scared."
Charlus crossed the room and he put his hands on James's shoulders. At some point, his little boy had grown up and he was now nearly the same height as Charlus, just a wee bit shorter - but with a bit more growing left to do, too - and Charlus marvelled at the fact that he could look his little boy in the eyes like this. He remembered fifteen years ago, before they'd found out Dora was pregnant, how desperately they had prayed for a child. It seemed forever ago... yet also like it was just yesterday. Charlus took a deep breath. "James, you're going to be alright. You are one of the most incredible people I know, and that's not just because I'm your dad," he added, seeing the protect forming on James's mouth. "If you just be yourself, there's no way that she won't like you. I promise."
"Yeah?" James looked hopeful.
Charlus silently crossed his heart and smiled.
James took a deep breath.
"Come on now, there's bacon in the kitchen and it's calling my name," Charlus said, and he pulled his son into an awkward side-hug, dragging him along down stairs and back to the kitchen.
At promptly noon, James grabbed a handful of floo powder from the jar his parents kept on the mantel. He took a deep breath and looked 'round at his parents, who were watching with excitement for him. "Remember -- be yourself, Jamesie," Charlus said.
"Thanks dad," he said.
"And keep your tie tucked into your shirt," Dora added.
James checked the tie. "Thanks mum." He turned about and he tossed the powder in, the fire roaring green, and he stepped into it, "Leaky Cauldron!" he called out clearly and waved as he felt himself fall through the floo and into the network, zipping past other hearths linked to the network and he caught glimpses of other lives and places. Finally, he struck down and tumbled out of the floo in the lobby of the Leaky Cauldron.
He got up, dusting himself off, and several nearby parties looked over at him in curiosity. He smiled about awkwardly, checking that his tie was still tucked in, and was just straightening his glasses, when he heard his name called.
"Potter!" James looked about and saw Lily by the door, waving for him to come over.
She was splendid. As splendid as he ever could've pictured her, his palms sweating as he walked toward her... She was wearing a denim skirt that was shorter than her usual school uniform and a pair of pink tights. Her wool coat hung unbuttoned and her Gryffindor scarf was 'round her neck. James's own scarf hung 'round his and he felt a funny little affinity with her because they'd both chosen to wear the same scarf.
Fate, clearly, he thought.
He arrived before her and a grin crossed his face, "Evans."
There it was, thought Lily, that stupid tooth. She stared up at him.
"I'm really happy we're going," he said. "I've been looking rather forward to this..."
"Yeah, it's supposed to be a really great film, it was well reviewed on opening day, I checked the paper," Lily replied.
James hadn't meant the bloody movie, but he wasn't going to clarify that now. His cheeks felt a bit hot, though, just looking at her. "That's good," he said.
"Yeah," Lily nodded, then she said, "Alright, well shall we go, then? They're all waiting outside."
"They?" James asked, confused.
Lily nodded, "Yeah, c'mon."
James followed. "Who's they?"
"You know... Frank and Ali, and also my sister, Tuney, and some friend of hers..."
James blinked in surprise, "I thought it was just going ot be the two of us."
"Well it was, but then I thought that maybe Ali and Frank might like to come along and... well, I didn't want to exclude Tuney, so I asked her, and I told her she could bring along a friend if she wanted, since I was bringing three of mine..."
James nodded. He felt very disappointed suddenly and wanted to undo the die and throw it out. He was very glad he hadn't worn the tuxedo. He would've felt utterly ridiculous if he had. He sort of did anyway.
Don't be a dolt, he told himself, You knew this was a friends-only thing. You knew, so why are you so surprised?
He stared at Lily's hair as he followed her out the door of the Leaky Cauldron, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets as they stepped outside. Frank and Ali and Petunia and some girl were waiting just around the corner, where the muggles wouldn't have been able to see where Lily had gone - after all, they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all. Lily called out, "Here he is!"
"Hey James!" Ali called as Frank waved and Petunia looked over her shoulder at him. She took one look at James's messy hair and raised a skeptical eyebrow. Her friend smiled widely at him, her eyes sparkling like she was looking at candy and she was hungry. James recognized it as the look that a lot of girls about Hogwarts gave him - the look Annalee gave him more often than not.
Lily smiled about, "Alright, we're all here, then, let's go!"
James followed after her as she led the way down the street toward the cinema. Frank came up beside him, "Sorry if we're in the way... she didn't tell me it was a date until we got here. She only asked me to come along..."
"It's not a date," James replied.
Frank looked over his clothes.
"I was hoping," James answered the unasked question. "But I knew better."
Frank patted James's shoulder. "Sorry."
Suddenly Petunia's friend was at James's other side. "I'm Julie," she said.
James nodded, "Groovy," he replied, and he quickly sped up to walk a bit closer to Lily, not at all interested in Julie.