RP: Dropping in (sort of) unannounced

[tt_james]

Date: 23. April 2002
Characters: James Potter & Lily Evans
Setting: Lily's house in Settlement 1
Content: TBD
Status: Open :: Private

Subtlety was not James' strong-suit, and so when he'd seen Lily's posting, he headed over to Shacklebolt's and ordered two of the dinner specials, he headed toward her house and wrote her back. Now he stood in her front yard, carrying two bags of food, and pocketing his datapad before letting himself in as she'd told him to. She really should be locking her door, especially with no magic to defend herself with, but he'd tell her that over dinner. No need to look too protective, right?

"Lil?" He called in to the house, automatically moving to the kitchen and setting the food down. He pulled down two plates and started putting out the food, hoping she liked the assortment he'd gotten. He should know what she liked, right? He shook his head and called again, "Lil, dinner is served," and searched through her ice box for sparkling water.

Comments

[tt_lily]

Lily came into the kitchen wearing shorts and a tank top, "You caught me off guard. I was expecting you in a few minutes," she said, finishing up pulling her hair into a ponytail. She moved across the kitchen to hug him. "It sure smells good." A silent thought was 'so do you.'

She definitely hadn't expected him so soon, and had planned on changing into other clothes when his voice rang out. Oh well. It wasn't too revealing, she hoped.

[tt_james]

Lily looked fantastic when she was dressed down, especially if that involved shorts and a tank top. James looked her up and down appreciating the view. "I think I'm glad I got here earlier. Though, to be honest, I was already on my way over when I messaged you." He laughed.

He turned and returned the hug and kissed her lightly in greeting. "Seeing as the thought of me cooking like a muggle might lead to a burnt down house, I thought this was a nice alternative?" He indicated the food he'd laid out.

[tt_lily]

Lily nodded, "Burning houses are no fun.. especially putting them out the muggle way. I do appreciate you coming over though. I missed seeing you recently," she said to him, and then peered over the food. "Anything that is off limits... as in... it's only yours?" she asked him.

She moved to her cupboards to take out plates and glasses. She then got out silverware after setting the plates down.

[tt_james]

With his arms still around her he nodded, "I've missed you, too, and somehow getting drunk with a whole mess of people at the pub just doesn't seem like quality time." He laughed a little at her, "Nothing's off limits."

"So have you seen much of Harry lately? I feel like... Well, like I don't know. How often should we bug him?" It was an odd topic, but one he could really only talk to Lily about, he felt.

[tt_lily]

Lily looked thoughtful as she looked over the meal, "Well. I don't know. I know if we were older and he was grown, it would be rare. Maybe we should ask Molly Weasley how often she sees her grown children. Maybe bring him around once a week for dinner? Every other week?"

The novelty of having Harry around hadn't worn off yet. She didn't think it ever would. Maybe that was just a mother thinking though. "I mean... we shouldn't thrust ourselves into every part of his life. That would be awkward and... I guess over bearing. I definitely don't want to do that. I also don't want to impede on our time together either.:

[tt_james]

James shrugged, "Yeah, I guess you're right. I mean, I was close to mum and dad but even though I'd just gotten out of Hogwarts, they were great about giving me my space, I guess this is kind of like the same? Except, I mean, I guess we're not like mum and dad..." He thought for a moment about the differences and parallels, confusing himself.

"Maybe we let him set the tone, then, yeah?" He concluded quickly and then grabbed a plate to dig out what he wanted. Without waiting for Lily - very much making himself at home - he headed into the living room and camped out on her couch.

"So, Quidditch match soon? They're really picking up now that all the teams are coming through." He called out to her through the house. It was a very James way to ask her out, especially when it came to Quidditch.

[tt_lily]

Lily put her food on her plate and followed James into the living room. "Let's let him set the tone," she agreed. Did that mean she shouldn't send him a message every so often? She'd just decide that one later.

"When is the first match?" She asked him. While she wasn't a very good player, she didn't mind watching it. She often wondered how Muggles went their entire life without watching such an exciting game. Football just didn't compare.

[tt_james]

James nodded when she agreed and smiled up at her. She really was the brains of their relationship, and he couldn't be happier about it. "How did I ever do anything before you?" He asked, his thoughts coming to the surface.

Shrugging again, he said, "I don't know. I imagine they'll announce games, right? I might have already missed it," he laughed.

"You wouldn't mind watching with your Quidditch crazed boyfriend and his equally insane and all knowing best friends?"

[tt_lily]

Lily grinned, "I don't mind watching Quidditch, it's playing it that gives me issues," she stated, eating a little of her food. "It'll be good to catch games again. It'll be like normal again. Are you going to try out for the league if they have try outs?"

That would definitely be interesting if they let outsiders join.

[tt_james]

"Why did you never get into it? It seemed like every other first year in flying class was itching for the chance to try out for the House teams..." He thought out loud. All those years he'd liked Lily, and even dating her in 7th year, it amazed him the things he still didn't know about her. Maybe a second chance - as she and everyone who knew them saw it - was a good thing after all.

"I, um..." James thought, confused. It hadn't occurred to him to try out. "I like the media center," he started, "but I always loved being on the pitch. I wonder if they'd let me? I mean, I doubt I'm pro material anyway, especially anymore." He shrugged again, something he found himself doing a lot around Lily, she had a habit of making him think. "When I got out of school I spent most of the year dealing with Mum and Dad's passing and then flying in my free time, but I was really just getting up the guts to take my Aurors exams, I think." He hadn't wondered about his motivations then, because he had never thought he'd had to. Especially after his parents, he'd been on a bit of auto pilot, as the muggles say.

[tt_lily]

"It was so ... foreign. Not normal for me. Mind you, I also couldn't fly once I tried." Lily grinned, it was a wonder she never broke a bone during their lessons. She was much more confident with feet on the ground. Now would she fly double with James? Yes. She trusted him steering.

"You were certainly good in school. I remember watching you fly. You did so well," she felt a bit like a 7th year with how she was talking.

[tt_james]

James nodded at her answer, he supposed it made sense, but he also couldn't actually understand flying being foreign to him. "I just can't imagine having never known about it, you know? What was it like when you got your letter? I know your sister never took it well, jealousy and all of that, but like... What did you feel? Other than flying, it seemed like you'd had a wand all your life, in classes and around school. You were the best in all of our classes, had it all, really," he complimented with a charming smile before digging into his dinner.

When she complimented his flying, he set down his dinner and moved closer to her, "Are you telling me you watched me fly, Miss Evans? The arrogant git who made your duties as Prefect and Head Girl so hair pulling-ly annoying?" His smile grew.

[tt_lily]

Lily blushed a deep red and nodded to his mock question. "I did like watching you. You were quite adorable... looking so determined and what not." She tried to dispel her blush by focusing on his first question instead. "I was really in a state of shock when I got my letter. It wasn't until I actually got to go to Diagon Alley and buy my items did I really believe it and get excited. It could have been a joke for all I knew." Lily thought back to all those years ago; she had been so nervous on the train, but so excited too. She was afraid people wouldn't like her. She must have read and re-read the letter a million times though.

"Was it ... un-exciting to get your letter, knowing you were already a wizard?" Lily then snuggled up to him.

[tt_james]

James noticed her change in subject and noted it. Shaking his head at her question he couldn't help his next comment, "Are you kidding? I knew from birth I'd be a Gryffindor," he made it sound so blase, so... boring, really, when it was all he'd ever wanted.

"I mean, I just... Well, with our family, I guess with my laziness and wealth they could have stuck me in Slytherin or something, and I was certainly a mean enough git at 11 to get that, but I wasn't particularly... manipulative I guess. The rules were never our thing, but I think I came to that thanks to the guys," he laughed, figuring his role as ring leader and loudmouth made it seem the opposite of everything he'd just said.

"But I wanted Gryffindor, I wanted to fly for the House team, and I wanted to be just like my dad, really." He admitted.

[tt_lily]

"Doesn't every boy want to be like his dad - the exception being Sirius?" Lily questioned. "And you were a rather big git at 11. I remember you at 11 quite well. You didn't stop until you were 17, I swear," she admitted to him. But she was grateful she had seen the change - or allowed herself to see him differently.

"You're not so bad now," she said, blushing once more.

[tt_james]

"Oh you remember me well, do you?" He took her dinner plate and set it on the table with his own, moving closer to her as he spoke, "Do tell, what were doing watching such a git so closely all those years?"

He wrapped his arms around her and snuzzled her neck while he waited for her answer.

[tt_lily]

Lily started to giggle; she couldn't help herself. "I wasn't watching you closely... you made yourself known," she said squirming in his grasp. but she wasn't trying to move away. "I do know that you always seemed to find me where ever I was." Lily honestly did not know about The Map.

[tt_james]

"I made myself known? Perhaps I was trying to catch the eye of the most brilliant witch in our class? Ever think about that?" He asked, and kissed her just below her ear with a smile. "Maybe I was following you, totally in love from day 1 of first year."

"Do you know that I remember the very first time I ever saw you? I had met up with Remus on the train, our first ride to Hogwarts, and we had together run into Sirius and we were all trying to find a compartment that wasn't already in use by the older students... And sitting with a book, already in her robes, was the prettiest girl I had ever seen. I looked in through the door window, and the guys shuffled me on seeing the compartment already occupied, but I remember it."

[tt_lily]

"Well, you caught my eye in a good way finally," Lily said, laughing some. She hated her ticklish nature. "How do you remember that? I remember feeling sick up until I got sorted. However, I first recall meeting you after being sorted and in the Common Room. You made fun of me because I was friends with a Slytherin."

Lily turned and kissed him. "But I remember our first kiss well... now that was a nice memory."

[tt_james]

"And how did I do that, tell me the story of what finally changed for you..." He asked with honest curiosity.

"And you must tell us about that first kiss, too," he grinned, kissing her neck lightly, delighting in her giggles.

[tt_lily]

"Well, since the beginning of Seventh Year, you hadn't been real show off-y or anything; I did notice that. And a certain mutual friend kept saying how you weren't the same. And I saw how you had changed; you were nicer to me, and left Severus well enough alone too. You weren't being a git to others, and... you had just changed ... and our first kiss was the Hogsmeade trip before Christmas." Lily sighed softly remembering. "It's a shame you don't know a lot of other firsts for us," Lily kissed him again, snuggling up to him more.

[tt_james]

Kissing her softly on the lips, James sighed. "I'm sorry, sometimes, that you're the only one who has those memories. But we have lots of firsts we can have all over again, can't we?"

He thought for a moment, his face close to her, "How did I propose?" The question even caught James off guard, but he found himself wanting to know the minute the words escaped his lips.

[tt_lily]

"Well, it wasn't particularly romantic. You know, being rushed and all, and the whole 'You-Know-Who-wants-us-dead-thing'. But it was late one evening, and I was over practically all the time anyway. But we were lying in bed and you just said out of nowhere, 'we should probably get married'. I remember feeling really confused so I asked why. You said it was because we felt right together and it was the first time you said you loved me." It was another memory Lily would never forget. There were several ingrained in her memory. As she said, it wasn't the most romantic, but it was sincere.

[tt_james]

James smiled at her recollection. It seemed a very 'him' proposal - this him or any other, really.

"Was it how you'd wanted it? Don't little girls dream of how things like that will happen?" Suddenly, while he knew it was his style, in his other life, he wondered if she'd been happy. "Were happy? With our life? I mean, other than the war and the fear..." He shook his head and kissed her collar bone, suddenly feeling very serious.

[tt_lily]

Lily shrugged, "I'm sure if it was a different life, I would have been rather put off with that proposal. Besides, it was you. I didn't expect flowers and a real mushy proposal; perhaps loud, but not overly mushy. Your personality shone through with it. I loved it."

Despite not having to really think about his question, she did anyway. "I was happy, yes. I was really scared but you made me feel safe. Was I 100% happy all the time? No. But that's normal. I kicked you out for a week when I was pregnant."

[tt_james]

James laughed and sat back with a mock look of surprise and hurt on his face. "What on earth did I do to deserve being kicked out? And where did I go? I imagine our home was the one everyone came to when they needed a safe haven, but what was my safe haven?" Part of him couldn't help but imagine what Lily must have been like when she was pregnant, but another part of him didn't want to at all. To have a son, now older than himself, that he didn't know... He just had so much trouble wrapping his mind around it all, too often.

[tt_lily]

"In my little pregnant brain, I was 500% certain you were shagging our neighbor - you weren't of course, but I was erm... very sensitive. I was only 4 or 5 months along but felt three times my normal size. You went to Remus' where Sirius was called in as well. After about, 5 days, of me not talking to you, you decided to sit next to our front door until I would let you in. This was before we went to Godric's Hollow." Lily blushed telling him all this. Despite the fact it happened to him, it felt so... weird.

"And yes, our home was the safe haven for others."

[tt_james]

"Well then, remind me never to shag a neighbor," he concluded, grinning goofily. Sobering a bit he said, "It always was. Everyone was always welcome with my mum and dad, did we keep that going? At Godric's Hollow or anywhere else?"

Where this intense curiosity had come from, he had no idea, but James was suddenly so happy to be hearing these stories and from Lily of all sources.

[tt_lily]

Lily shook her head, "We really couldn't in Godric's Hollow. Once Sirius became our Secret-Keeper, it was really hard. Remus came around twice to visit. Sirius couldn't come around all that often either. We knew our neighbors, but kept our distance." That was such a hard way of living. They could go out a little, but cabin fever built up quickly.