James didn't know why, but a sudden feeling of foreboding swept over him the moment he stepped into the Evans household.

Lily had warned him, of course, about the trivial challenges he might meet during his week-long stay.

Her sister wouldn't take too kindly to his appearance, especially since her fiancé was also visiting. Her mother would be all of a flutter, excited because she had heard so much about James. James was ready for those interactions.

However, it was Lily's father he dreaded meeting. Lily had forewarned him that her father was judgmental, and would not accept him until he had proved himself worthy. Lily advised him to speak to him cordially, and to not behave childishly.

James's thoughts were cut off abruptly, as a woman dashed into the hall.

He began to greet her, a sentence already forming in his head, when she gave him a gigantic hug.

James returned the hug. Mrs. Evans pulled away ever so gently, and once she got a proper look at him, she gasped.

"Lily, you never told me that he was this good-looking! Look at him, Graham, isn't he handsome?"

James's gaze shifted behind the woman, and for a second, he thought he was seeing double.

Lily was standing there, beaming, but it was the man beside her that made James's stomach twist itself into a knot.

Graham Evans looked exactly like his late daughter, with vivid red hair that was receding, and bright green eyes. He was staring at James, his gaze unreadable.

"Petunia, darling, our special guest is here!" trilled Mrs. Evans.

A few seconds later, 'Petunia' entered the hall. James's first impression of her was that she was fairly good-looking, but that was stretching the truth. Petunia looked like a horse.

When she caught sight of James, she donned an expression which only made her horse-like features more pronounced.

There was an extremely tense silence that followed Petunia's arrival. James was feeling uncomfortable, so, in order to break the silence, extracted a velvet box from his pocket.

"For you, sir," he said politely, extending it to Mr. Evans.

Mr. Evans eyed it warily, and then accepted it cautiously. He prised open the lid.

His eyes enlarged to the size of the item in the box.

"Lily tells me you like golf, sir, so I brought this for you," he said, trying not to appear too excited at Mr. Evans's reaction.

Mr. Evans lifted the autographed golf ball into the air, looking like he was holding a piece of history. Mrs. Evans was still waiting expectantly for her gift.

"And this, madam, is for you." He pulled out another velvet box, this one smaller than the one he had given to her husband.

She opened the box. Inside was a pair of earrings, adorned with gleaming amethysts.

"Oh James, they're perfect!" cried Mrs. Evans.

James could tell that he had won her over, so he turned to Mr. Evans. The man was clearly still in shock.

James's gaze landed on Petunia. She was watching him carefully, her arms crossed haughtily over her chest. Their eyes met, and James assumed immediately that her feelings towards him had not changed one jot.

They all trooped merrily into the kitchen, Lily expressing her joy to James. James promised her that she would receive her gift later, but only when they had some privacy. He didn't want to show off how much money he had.

Mrs. Evans directed him kindly to the dining room.

A revolting stench greeted him and almost made him gag. A porky, oversized man was seated in one of the chairs, which seemed to be much bigger than the other chairs. James guessed instantly that this was Lily's future brother-in-law, the one she had talked about with a disgusted look on her face.

The man merely grunted in greeting when he walked in. James sat in the chair farthest from him.

Lucky for him, Mrs. Evans bustled in, saving him from having to initiate an awkward conversation.

"Oh good, you have already acquainted yourself with Vernon," she said cheerfully.

So that was the name of that pig.

Mrs. Evans set down the tureen she was carrying.

"That smells amazing, Mrs. Evans," he complimented.

"Thank you, James, and I'd prefer if you'd call me Rose. We are one big family, after all!" she said, with a large smile.

One by one, the rest of the Evans family sat down. Lily slid in next to James.

Then, the interrogation started. Each question James answered, the family began to like him more and more, save for Petunia and Vernon. By the end of the meal, the four of them were chatting enthusiastically. James was going over the finer details of Quidditch to Mr. Evans. Petunia and Vernon had disgruntled looks on their faces. Every so often, Vernon would try to slip in a comment about his high position in his business, but no one was acknowledging him. Finally, Petunia stood up, setting her fork down loudly. Everyone looked up.

"I'm sorry to break up this cozy little gathering, but Vernon and I have places to be. Thanks for the dinner, Mum, it was splendid."

She was breathing heavily, her nostrils flaring with frustration. She marched out of the room, Vernon trailing at her heels. His piggy eyes zeroed in on James, and he cast him a disdainful look. James returned it, with pity.

The Evans family, or what remained of it after their eldest daughter's abrupt departure, stared at each other. James shifted, unable to come up with something to say.

Luckily, Mrs. Evans interrupted the heavy silence. "Well, that's a shame that they left so early. I haven't brought out dessert yet!"

The dessert turned out to be vanilla soufflé, which was scrumptious. Then they all retreated into the living room. James was fascinated by the television, which he had never been introduced to. He and Mr. Evans sat on the couch, Mr. Evans briefing him on its uses.

Lily sat contentedly in an armchair, watching the two men with a soft smile on her face. Mrs. Evans kept coming in and out of the room, setting up the necessary ingredients needed for hot cocoa.

The four of them settled comfortably in seats. Eventually, Lily and Mr. Evans switched places, and Lily rested her head on James's lap. The general atmosphere was peaceful. For a few minutes, James almost tricked himself into believing that there wasn't a war currently raging in the Wizarding World. It felt so safe here, he almost wanted to believe that he was a Muggle.

But that wasn't true. He couldn't turn back, not now. He had outlined his destiny when he had decided to become an active member of the war.

Almost as if she was reading his thoughts, Lily snuggled closer to him, and he placed an arm around her waist.

But the peaceful atmosphere didn't last. Soon, there were two loud cracks, and Mrs. Evans screamed.

ooo, a cliffhanger! Wonder what'll happen next. Only I know (evil laugh). Review, review, and review!