an: This is just a fun story that I started writing thanks to a prompt I got on Tumblr. I got it all written and put out in less than a month, which is quite an accomplishment for me and I'm glad that so many people are still enjoying it years later.

Remember, reviewers are golden.

oOo

First date

Location: Three Broomsticks, Hogsmeade, Scotland

Time: 11:47 am

Lily and James sat across from each other at a small booth in the back of the Three Broomsticks, both holding Butterbeers in their hands with a plate of chips between them. Lily pursed her lips and tapped her fingers against the side of her mug while James sat stock still on the other side of the table, looking anywhere but at her.

So far she had attempted to start six different conversations (two of which had had to do with Quidditch) with no luck. All he would give her were one word answers or non-committal grunts and frankly, she was getting quite bored. And of all the things she thought she would be on this date (annoyed, angry, frustrated, embarrassed) she hadn't even thought of a scenario in which she would be bored while on a date with James Potter.

She reached out for another chip and sighed, inspecting James' face for any sort of reaction. There wasn't one. She sighed again, and pushed her hair behind her ear.

"Are you going to say anything?" Lily asked, trying not to sound mean. She may not fancy the bloke, but at the moment, she pitied him. "Or do anything entertaining? Lite someone on fire? Throw a dungbomb at a Slytherin? Flirt with the barmaid? What if I start snogging the nearest Hufflepuff? Will that make you say something?" James' eyes snapped to hers at the last suggestion, looking afraid that she might actually reach out and pull a Hufflepuff into the booth with them. Lily smirked, thankful for the reaction.

"I- you- Wh- Ergh." He dropped his head against the table, causing a bit of his untouched Butterbeer to slosh up over the side of his mug and spill onto the chips. Lily laughed and grabbed a napkin.

"You know, I was expecting this date to be a disaster." Lily said honestly, tossing the napkin and taking another sip of her own Butterbeer. "Just in an entirely different way." James rolled his head to the side and looked at her over the top of his glasses.

"I know." He muttered, half of his mouth still pressed against the table.

"That's two words." Lily smirked, "Things seem to be looking up." James smiled a bit and rolled his head back over.

"I don't normally crack under pressure." He said to his feet. Lily lent forward, resting her arms on the table, so she could hear what he was saying. "But I went in knowing that I was going to fail and I've never done that before."

"What do you mean?" Lily asked, encouraged by his use of a complete sentence.

"I mean," James picked his head up off the table and rested it on his fist instead. "I'm in a lose-lose situation right now because you've already made up your mind. If I try anyway, then I fail despite the fact that I tried. If I don't try and I fail, then I'll spend the rest of my life wondering what would have happened if I had tried. Even though," He sighed, and ran and hand through his hair. "We both know that nothing is going to happen if I try."

"So you're doing nothing?" Lily asked, picking up another chip, one of the drier ones. "What's that going to accomplish?"

James lent his head to the side and ran his hand along his jawline. "Why did you have to say 'yes'?" Lily laughed, thinking that this was a rhetorical question, but James just looked at her until she stopped.

"You have to know the answer to that." She said, tapping at her mug again. "You ask me out all the time. Ever since fifth year. I wanted it to stop so I said, 'yes.'"

"Why did you think that would work though?" He pressed. When she opened her mouth to answer, he started talking again, because this time, it was a rhetorical question. "Did you think I was going to go on a date with you, see you sitting across from me at a table eating chips, laughing and smiling and decide that the clenching of my stomach was just my imagination? That I was going to get to be close to you and convince myself that my heart wasn't actually beating too fast, that my palms weren't really sweaty and that I don't fucking blush whenever you say something that could be interpreted as nice to me? Did you really think that letting me spend time with you was going to make me come to the utterly laughable conclusion that I don't fancy you?"

Lily stared at James, her lips pressed tightly together. "Before that little speech of yours, it seemed like a good idea." James gave her a lopsided grin and rested his chin on his fist again.

"So you didn't think that I actually fancied you?"

"I had no doubt in my mind that you thought you fancied me." She said, chewing on the inside of her cheek. No matter how uncomfortable the topic of conversation, it was preferable to the silence. "I still have no doubt, but I'm not sure that you do fancy me. You hardly know me at all. This," She gestured between the two of them. "Is the longest conversation we've ever had, and the longest amount of time we've spent together alone."

" That may be true," James allowed. "But I think I know all the important stuff." He gave a partial shrug, using the arm that wasn't propping his head up. "And if not, I know enough of the important stuff to know that I fancy you." Lily looked down at her mug and tried to come up with a way to ask him what he thought he knew about her in a polite way that didn't make it sound like she was fishing for compliments. "You can just ask if you want." James grinned again, picking up a chip and tossing it in his mouth.

"Alright," She looked back at him, gripping her Butterbeer a little tighter. "What do you think you know?"

"There's the generic stuff, you know; you're smart, funny, beautiful and confident, kind and generous, but, while I think those qualities are important, I like other things about you too. I like that you're sarcastic all the time, especially when you want to keep something to yourself. I like that you don't always care to make sure that your stockings match or that your hair is perfect, but then you always have time to tutor younger kids and help your friends with their homework. You stand up for what you believe in, even when no one else is standing with you-"

"How could you know something like that?" Lily interrupted, crossing her arms over her chest and sending him a dubious look. "Do I make it a point to start rallies in the corridors or something?" James sat up straight and ran a hand through his hair, pausing at the base of his head to rub his neck. He looked at the corner of the table as he spoke.

"We were in potions class last term and Slughorn asked us a question about our assignment, everyone thought the answer was bulbous root or something, but you said it was something else and you were right. You didn't even let yourself think for a moment that you were wrong. That's not some light thing either. People almost always go with the majority."

"I knew I was right-"

"Even if they know that they're right."

"I'd done the reading. It's not some hidden character trait its-"

"You're stubborn as hell too." James grinned. "It doesn't always bode well for me, but I like that about you."

"Alright." Lily sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, almost ready to wish that he had never started talking in the first place. Or that she had just gotten up and left after the first half hour of silence like she had wanted to. She took a deep breath, willing herself not to argue the point any further. "For arguments sake, let's just say that you do actually fancy me." She put her mug down and wiped her hands on her skirt.

"Alright," James lent his head forward, prompting her to continue.

"I wasn't going to say anything else." Lily said. "Let's say that you fancy me and then move on to a different topic." James chuckled and took a sip of his drink.

"What do you want to talk about then?"

"Oh no." She shook her head, letting out a humorless laugh. "I've already tried to start a conversation with you about half a dozen times. It's your turn."

"Fair enough. Where are you from?"

"Cokesworth. You?"

"Presteigne. Favorite band?"

"Wizard or muggle?"

"Both."

"Imprinted Souls and Queen."

"I approve of the first, never heard of the second."

"That's inexcusable."

"I'm a wizard."

"Do you know the definition of inexcusable?"

As the date went on, James realized that he had decided to try and Lily realized she was laughing far too much for a girl who was meant to only be doing this to rid herself of her date. Eventually they finished their chips and their drinks and James asked if Lily would fancy taking a walk around town before they had to head back up to the castle. It was very cold outside, despite it being October, but Lily agreed. She wrapped a thick knit scarf around her neck and pulled on her mittens, stuffing her hands into her pockets when they stepped outside.

"Would you like to see something neat?" James asked, pulling a knit hat down over his ears.

Lily unburied her face from her scarf just long enough to say, "Of course."

"Follow me then." He led her towards the edge of town, away from the few students traveling between shops in the bitter cold, where there was a small creek. The creek was small, only a meter or two wide, three at its widest point, and it meandered about behind a few of the lesser-known shops. "Don't get too excited. I said it was neat, not remarkable." He looked slightly nervous again and it made Lily smile into her scarf. "You remember how everything unfroze and then refroze a couple of days ago?" Lily nodded her head. "Well, it made the creek swell and then drain rather quickly. Look what happened."

Lily turned her gaze away from James and towards where he was pointing. Around all the trees that were in the bank of the creek, about a foot up the trunk, were rings of ice with small icicles hanging down from them. They glittered spectacularly in the afternoon sun and Lily grinned. "It looks like the trees are wearing skirts. How did you find this?"

"I took the long way to meet you at the pub." He said to his shoes. "You know, because I had worked myself up so much. I thought it would help if I walked off some of the nervous energy." Lily's grin widened and she rolled her eyes.

"I don't think taking the long way did anything for you." James bumped his shoulder against hers. "It took me threatening to snog someone to get you to even speak to me."

"Well… I'm not even sure how to defend myself." James shrugged.

The date ended on a much better note than either party had anticipated.

"So," James asked, as they walked up the last flight of stairs leading to the Gryffindor common room. "How did I do?"

"Shaky start, but I think you finished alright." James laughed and nodded his head.

"Now, you realize that I have to ask," He took a deep breath and Lily rethought, for the last time, the decision that she had already came to. "Do I get a second date?"

They stopped in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady and Lily turned to him smiling. "How about the next time there's a Hogsmeade trip, you can ask me out again and I'm telling you now that my answer will, probably, be yes." James grinned. Lily was glad that he was happy with that answer, because while she had had fun, she still didn't fancy him. He was still Potter, and she hadn't quite forgotten all of the reasons that she didn't normally speak to him.

"That sounds like a much better answer than the one I thought I was going to get." James shoved his hands in his pockets and turned towards the portrait, giving the Fat Lady the password.

"Yes well," Lily walked through the porthole ahead of him. "It went a lot differently than I thought it was going to."