Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 9 - Make it Perfect

A high pitched something or other echoed through the large halls of Godric's Hollow at, what Sirius Black had determined, an unearthly hour.

He jammed his fingers in his ears as he sat lazily at the kitchen table, trying to eat his breakfast in peace. Next to him, Remus merely smiled cheekily and took another bite of his toast as he continued reading the paper.

"At least he sounds happy," Remus finally voiced to his friend as Sirius' face darkened and the noise (which no one would really define as whistling except the person actually making it) started getting closer.

"Nikkie used to say that the only person who enjoyed whistling was the person who actually was whistling," Sirius said in a huff. "And I'm beginning to believe her."

Remus just chuckled and continued reading the Daily Prophet. He only looked up again when the whistling abruptly stopped.

"You think he hurt himself?"

"Maybe he popped his own ear drums."

"Well, we can only hope..."

The next moment, James Potter strode into his own kitchen, happy as can be, but stopped short upon seeing two of his best friends sitting at his kitchen table. He frowned and they both seemed unconcerned at his confusion. Remus merely continued reading and Sirius was finishing off a sticky looking pastry.

"Wait," James pointed to the both of them. "I am in my house, aren't I?"

Sirius stood up and took his dishes to the counter. "You didn't put up your wards last night," he pointedly said.

"And we heard you were going to go on your first date with Lily tonight," Remus added, folding up the newspaper and gulping the last of his tea down.

"Where's Peter?" James went over to the cupboards and pulled out an apple for himself, taking a bite out of it.

Sirius shrugged. "Who knows? We went by his flat this morning but he wasn't there. His parents say he's trying to get some new job, but apparently doesn't want people to know about it yet." He turned to James and looked at him hard in the eyes. "What's all this news about you and Lily going on a date tonight?"

James grimaced and turned away. "Does everyone know?"

"James, please. It's a national phenomenon."

"Haha, funny, Remus."

"We were actually just wondering how you got her to say yes."

"That's a long story, which I'm sure you two know a lot of anyway," James smiled at his friends as they tried to look clueless.

Sirius faked a feint and put his hand to his heart. "Why, Prongs, whatever do you mean by that?"

James just rolled his eyes, pulling a small device out of his pocket and throwing it on the table as he went to make himself some toast. "You, Padfoot, stink at stealth and secrecy."

--*--

"First date. First official date. First official date where she doesn't hate your guts. First official date where she doesn't hate your guts and she most likely will let you kiss her at the end."

"First kiss. First official kiss. First official kiss where she won't slap you. First official kiss where she won't slap you and then hex you into oblivion."

James flicked an article of clothing towards both of them as he reached to try on another outfit. "I don't need definitions, guys. Believe me, I know them."

Sirius reached down to pick up a tie and started putting it on himself, studying himself in the closest mirror. "To true, James."

"That hurt!" James yelled from behind the muffled closet doors.

Remus laughed at both his friends and skimmed through the next page of the book he was reading. "Here's a good one, James. 'Glamour glitter. Makes the wearer's faults become less obvious to the beholder'...oh, but it takes a few months to make...what's the use of that?" he flipped through a few more pages with no more luck.

"You should go on your old charms, James," Sirius called to him through the fury of clothes.

"Padfoot, she HATES the old charms. The old charms are the reason this is our first date rather than our 50^th."

"Only 50?" Sirius scoffed. "That's an unfit number for a Marauder, James.."

"But not for Lily, and she matters more than you do." James stepped out of the closet wearing a whole new set of dress robes; this time they were dark green. He actually looked reasonably good, except for his hair, of course, which never looked good.

"James," Remus finally set down the book and leaned back on the bed. "I believe this girl has changed you."

"Changed for the better I hope," James pushed Sirius away from the mirror where he was still admiring himself and started straightening his robes.

"Jeeze, James! Do you even know that we're here anymore?" Sirius said half angry half amused.

James turned to the both confused. "Sorry, Sirius. What did you say?"

Sirius' eyes went wide and for a moment no one said anything. James finally lost it though and he cracked a small smile. The next second Siruis let out a loud "HA!" and lunged forward, tackling James to the ground. Remus was startled for a moment when he heard them wrestling together but then laughed out loud when James finally jumped up and ran out of the room, a large black dog galloping after him.

--*--

Lily bit her lip nervously as she paced back and forth in her bedroom, trying, for the 47^th time to convince herself that everything was going to be okay.

"Oh! How can everything be okay!!!?" She finally let out in frustration.

Nikkie, who was currently doing her own nails on Lily's bed didn't look up but laughed cheekily. "I told you, Lily. Did I call it or what?"

Lily stopped pacing momentarily to glare at her friend. "I do not need any 'I-told-you-so's' right now, Nicole."

Nikkie still didn't look up but shrugged her shoulders and picked up a different nail file.

Lily rolled her eyes and started pacing again, muttering to herself. "How? How did he do it? Once again I let him through! Oh, I bet he just does it to see me get all agitated like this!" She walked briskly over to the window and started peering out as if she thought that James and his friends would be there, peeking through the window, laughing their heads off.

Of course, they weren't.

"Lily, will you chill?" Nikkie had finally looked up and was shaking up her latest color of nail polish. "Don't you remember all those things you said right after you came home from the ball?"

"I must have still been under the influence when I came home!"

"You don't drink."

"That's beside the point!"

"Then what is your point?"

Both girls stopped and glared at each other, daring one another to speak first. Finally, Nikkie spoke.

"You came in here less than 12 hours ago, flying on cloud nine because you and James had actually had a civilized conversation and he had asked you out again. I leave to let you get some sleep, and now that I'm back you're having second thoughts!!?" Nikkie huffed and blew on her wet nails a little bit. "Look, Lily. You may not have accepted it yet, but James is different. There's a reason you said yes to him last night."

Lily looked down, collapsing into the nearest chair as she let out a deep sigh. Both of them sat in a less hostile silence, but no more comfortable.. Nikkie finished doing all her nails by the time Lily spoke.

"What was my reason again?"

Nikkie looked up at her with the first confused expression she had worn all morning and answered her very bluntly.

"Because you love him, of course."

--*--

As the clock struck seven, James straightened his robes one more time and took a deep breath. He turned to his three friends who were all standing around him, emotional support he supposed.

"Well, here I go," he said simply.

Sirius clapped him on the shoulder. "It'll be just like old times, James.."

"Only better," Peter added with a grin.

"What if I mess up again?" James asked them, more worry in his voice than his friends had ever heard.

"You won't."

Remus always seemed to know the right words to say at the right time.

James managed a smile and nodded his head. "Right."

"Just remember that she is probably still a bit apprehensive about you," Sirius said in all seriousness.

"So don't be scared if she doesn't want to hold your hand or something," Peter added.

"Because that just means she's as nervous as you are," Remus finished with a grin.

James nodded at them and stepped back a bit, taking a deep breath. "Wish me luck?"

"You're gonna need it," Sirius said with a smile and a wink.

James smiled at his best friend. "Not what I was hoping for, but all I really expected. Thanks guys."

They all waved as he disapperated with a pop.

--*--

"Come on in. I just have to grab my purse."

James nervously wiped his already sweaty hand on the inside of his robes as he stepped into Lily's small flat. She gave him a smile and disappeared into a back room. "I'll just be a minute."

James glanced around noticing that this was the same type of flat that Sirius owned, but rarely lived in. Of course, Lily's was MUCH cleaner, and, if he could say so, quite tastefully decorated. She seemed to like the color green, for it was almost everywhere and seemed to be the recurring theme in the two rooms that he could see from where he was standing. He was just trying to make out the pictures that were sitting on a nearby shelf when Lily came back.

"Sorry about that," she said with a smile that made his stomach jump. "Nikkie was over here all day, hardly giving me time to get ready." She stepped back and held out her arms. "I hope I'm dressed alright for wherever we're going?"

James nodded dumbly. She was dressed in a knee length kaki skirt with a plain white top that had a small design embroidered on the edges. She grabbed her black robe that hung by the door and started pulling it on. Snapping back into reality, James stepped forward to help her finish putting it on. Lily seemed to freeze for a moment when he first touched her, but they both managed to get through the moment.

"Um...thank you."

"Don't mention it."

James stepped back and looked her over again. She smirked.

"So where are we going?"

"Trony's," James said shortly.

Her eyes widened noticeably. "Serious?"

James paled slightly. "What? Do you not like that place?"

"Oh, no! No, that's not it. I just...I've never been there. From what I've heard it's rather..."

"Expensive?"

She bit her bottom lip, the blush rising to her face.

James shrugged it off and held out his arm. "It's not big deal."

"Are you trying to buy me, James Potter?" Lily said suspiciously as she took his arm and he led her out the door.

James smiled down at her. "Is it working?"

He dodged as she went to hit him and they both ended up laughing.

"Don't start with me, James," she warned playfully as they turned the corner onto one of the main streets of Diagon Alley. James was just grateful she lived so close to the restaurant. It made traveling accommodations less backbreaking.

"Oh, I wouldn't dare," James promised, giving her one last smile.

Maybe this date won't be so terrible after all...

--*--

"Pretty girl, James. Reminds me of someone..."

James grinned and snatched the two chilled butterbeers from the bartender. "Lay off, Geb. You want me to mess up again?"

Geb laughed heartily and started wiping off the already too clean counter with a rag. "I can't believe she said yes again."

James rolled his eyes and leaned forward, trying to talk over the blasting music of the restaurant. "So the whole world really does know, huh?"

"What kind of bartender would I be if I didn't know the latest news," Geb said with a raised eyebrow, reaching under the counter to pull out some drinks for a passing waiter.

"Where's Trony?" James asked, looking around.

"Got the flu last week. Or so he says."

"Very nice of you to cover for him."

"What are brothers for?"

"More than covering for each other at work."

"What do you want, James. Sick of our waiters already?"

James shrugged. "Sick of being rich is more likely."

"Parent's leave you too much money?"

"Well, Sirius isn't complaining."

"Who would?"

"I would."

Geb dropped his rag down on the counter and leaned down toward, James. "What do you want, Potter. I got business."

"Geb, this place wouldn't have done nearly so well if my parents hadn't helped you all those years ago..."

Geb snorted and leaned back, flicking his wand to a sink with dirty dishes, which jumped and started cleaning themselves. "Look, I don't got a flower shop in the back or anything...."

He trailed off when he turned around and James was pushing a bag of gold toward him with a knowing grin on his face. Geb looked up suspiciously.

"Just make it perfect. It's as easy as that."

Tipping his head to Geb and gripping his two butterbeers, James walked back to the table.

--*--

Lily sat nervously at the table that James had led her to, her hands running along the sides of the menu that she was currently trying to read. She couldn't imagine so much food! It was actually only one page but every time she flipped it, it changed to a different group of food. What shocked her even more were the prices she saw listed. She wouldn't spend this much on a week's worth of food. The suspicion that James was trying to buy her was growing. How in the world could he afford this? She knew his parents had been rich, but she didn't know they had been this rich.

She glanced up and looked around for James. He had excused himself right away, said he was going to get their drinks, but she didn't really buy it. Waiters were everywhere and considering the credibility of this establishment and the price of the food, she figured they could at least serve them the drinks themselves.

She finally spotted him talking to one of the bartenders, a burly man who looked almost out of place as he wore his fancy dress robes. James was clutching two butterbeers in his hand and was smiling as they talked. Lily studied him for a moment, noticing the changes that she hadn't spotted while he was wearing his stiff Auror robed. She saw how easy the two of them were talking and realized that James probably knew people in this place, which would be the only explanation for their getting reservations. Lily once heard that this place was booked until the next millennium. Of course, that might had been an exaggeration, but something told her it wasn't.

She looked back down at her menu and was once again overcome with the selections. She kept flipping the page until finally at the bottom she saw a small box that said: RANDOM FOOD CHOICE.

Frowning, she tapped it with her wand.

Similar to the old school sorting hat, the menu suddenly started talking with her.

"Allergies?"

Startled, Lily just sat with her mouth open.

"Allergies, young lady?"

"Um...peanuts," she finally got out.

"Meat preference?"

Lily's eyebrows just got higher. "Chicken?"

"Is that a question or a response?"

"I would like chicken please."

"Any dislikes of vegetables?"

Lily looked up seeing that James was now making his way back to the table. She looked back down and quickly said, "No tomatoes or broccoli."

"Rightio..." The menu flapped back down and went silent. Lily carefully reached down and picked it up, flipping it over to read. It showed three different chicken plates with no peanuts in them, no tomatoes, no broccoli and no peppers.

"I didn't say peppers," Lily whispered suspiciously.

"But you were thinking it," a voice from the menu said.

Lily's head jerked up and she saw James slid in the seat across from her..

"What did you say?"

James pointed to the menu. "You did the random selection thing, right?"

Lily nodded.

"Its knows what you're thinking. Kinda like the old school sorting hat."

Lily smiled. "That's exactly what I thought of when I saw it."

"Great minds think alike."

Her face dropped as she thought. "But then, why does it ask you questions, if it already knows?"

James shrugged. "Well everybody has a chance to get out their choices, huh?" he picked up his own menu and started looking it over. She frowned and saw that he had brought them both a butterbeer.

"Nothing more fancy?" she voice as she picked up her bottle to open it.

James looked up hurriedly with a worried expression. "What? Did you want something different?"

Lily shook her head and frowned. "No. I just figured you would get something really fancy to try and impress me."

James just shrugged and put down his menu, fiddling with the tablecloth. "Would it impress you if I did get something fancy?"

"No."

"That's what I figured."

"But you could afford it, so why not?"

James leaned farther back and heaved a deep sigh. "So I'm rich, so what? Does that matter?"

Lily frowned suspiciously. What was he up to? "You act as if it doesn't matter to you."

"It doesn't."

"You're not serious."

"Why would I lie about that?"

"To im-"

"-Impress you? Look, Lily. I don't like being rich. I never have. This has nothing to do with you. I've been like this for a while. Besides, I know that lies don't impress you. " He laughed shortly. "I did pay attention before, despite how much you think I didn't." He looked up at her and caught her eye with a smile. "I remember everything."

"Everything?"

"Everything."