A/N: Hello, ! Been a while. So I found this in my notes app. I wrote it about a million years ago, when PotterMORE released the description of Vernon. Enjoy!

Lily Evans has never been a fan of the calm before the storm. She didn't particularly care for surprises, especially surprises where she knew nothing good was going to happen. While her boyfriend might be thrilled when Sirius sent down owls from his dorm to the Great Hall with notes saying things like Middle of Hogsmeade, three o'clock in the morning, don't bring your wands, it's a surprise, Lily most certainly was not.

That was why she didn't agree to this evening out with Petunia, her horrid fiancé Vernon, and James, sweet James, who had no idea what was in store for him.

"It'll be fun!" he said. "It's a double date. It's brilliant. The lads and I do it all the time."

"James, the four of you going out to the Three Broomsticks is not a double date."

"'Course it is, we sit across from each other, don't we?"

Lily had sighed, knowing he was trying to loosen her up, get her in a better mood, but it was just like she told her mother: this could only go one way.

"Nonsense, dear," she had laughed. "And Petunia desperately wants to meet with you!"

"Mum, I know that's not true, honestly," Lily said, ignoring the fact that she so very much wanted it to be. She missed her sister. They had been best friends when they were younger, braiding each others hair, baking biscuits together Sunday afternoons, daily trips to the market in the summer hols for ice lollies, and laughing, laughing all the while long.

But her sister had become someone else. She hadn't laughed in front of Lily in nearly seven years.

"There's no point, Mum," Lily said wearily. "Honestly, it's not like I haven't tried! Why can't you just let it go?"

"When you have two daughters who refuse to speak to each other, you tell me if you're willing to 'just let it go'," her mother said, temper rising slightly. "You're going, you'll bring James, Petunia's going, she'll bring Vernon. That's final."

And so here she was, sitting with James on her right, and Tuney and Vernon across.

They had ordered, Vernon and Petunia looking at James like he was a madman when he casually mentioned it was a shame there wasn't any Firewhiskey on the alcoholic menu.

"Well, I don't blame you at all for being late," Vernon said, breaking the silence, and starting the storm. Lily put her fork down.

James nodded, giving Lily a funny look. "Thanks."

"After all," Vernon said, in a rather loud voice, "it is the four hundred."

Oh, sweet Merlin.

"Sorry?" said James, being perfectly polite.

"The four hundred."

"Er... yeah, I heard you."

Vernon raised his eyebrows.

"You mean, you've never heard of the four hundred?" Petunia said, in a voice filled with what Lily knew was a mocking horror.

Lily glared at her sister. Of course he didn't know, she knew full well he didn't. Petunia avoided her sister's gaze.

"Er, no, I haven't, sorry. What is it?"

Vernon looked as if James were some sort of animal.

"Is it... a computer?"

"It's a car, James," Lily said. "Just his car."

"The Ferrari 400," Vernon said importantly.

"Oh, a car!" James said enthusiastically. "Oh, yeah, I love cars. They're so funny. I don't have one. My mate Sirius has got a motorcycle, though."

"Hmm," Petunia said.

"And do you ride along the back?" Vernon asked, venomous sarcasm and contempt dripping from his voice.

Lily was about to signal for the waitress to bring over the check-who cares if she had barely started on her appetizer-when James said, eyes narrowed, "No, I have the Nimbus 1001."

"The-what is that, Italian?"

"English. They make them in Bath."

"Bath? What company makes cars-"

"Brooms."

"Sorry?"

"Brooms. I fly a Nimbus 1001 broomstick."

Oh, God.

Lily couldn't even bring herself to look at Vernon and Petunia's faces.

"You..."

"I fly a broomstick," James said in a slightly louder voice.

Lily still didn't look.

"I'm captain of Gryffindor's Quidditch team," he said.

Not looking, not talking, Lily thought. Can't make it worse if I don't do anything at all.

"You... have a broomstick?" Vernon said faintly.

"Live on it," James said, grinning.

Lily put her head in her hands.

"You live on your broomstick?" said Vernon and Petunia at the same time.

"Just about, yeah."

"And-and what about your parents?" Vernon sputtered.

"Well," James said, "I reckon my mum prefers to be indoors, but, er, yeah. Them too, I guess."

"Well," Vernon said. "I guess we know who's paying for dinner, eh, Petunia?"

Lily, who was reaching for her glass, put her hand down. As Petunia tittered, she felt positively ill.

"Not to worry, though," Vernon said. "I'm already making twenty-thousand a year. And I'm expecting a promotion."

James nodded. "My dad used to make thirty-thousand in Galleons each year, but he's retired now."

Vernon and Petunia looked at each other, then back at James.

"On top of the family fortune," James said, looking at Lily.

She couldn't meet his eyes. He was trying to gain approval in their eyes, she knew, and she loved him for it, but he couldn't win at their game. That was the game.

"Are you mocking me, Potter?" Vernon said.

"Wha-? No!"

"Petunia, I warned you we shouldn't have come-think you're funny, do you?"

"Yeah, but that's not-"

"My, God-"

"I'll get the car-"

"He didn't do anything, for God's sake!" Lily shouted, standing up, finally bursting. She clenched her fists and they shook. "He's been trying since we sat down and every time you go and one-up him with your stupid four hundred and one dinner, Petunia, one dinner was all Mother wanted-"

"What Mother wanted!" shrieked Petunia. Lily thought the vein in her forehead would burst. "What would you know about what Mother wants! You're up in Scotland running around with-with all those people; you're barely part of our family! You've not spoken to our grandparents in months, off doing God-knows-what, and if this is the kind of riffraff you're doing it with... good riddance, I say!"

And with that, they stormed out of the restaurant.

Lily fell back in her seat and burst into tears. She felt James wrap his arms around her, and felt the eyes of everyone in the place on them.

"Right," he said softly. "Right, Lils... Let's get out of here."

Lily let James lead her out to the parking lot. He held her tightly and they Disapparated back to Hogsmeade.

"We don't have to talk about it," he said. "But you should know you're the greatest person I've ever met and I would be so, so honoured and thrilled to be your family one day."

Lily smiled and wiped her eyes.

"I'm kidding," James said. "Obviously, I already am."

Lily laughed, tears still pouring down her cheeks. James wiped some away and kissed her.

"You don't... need her. You'll be okay."

Lily looked up at him. "Let's just... walk back."

"Okay," he said. He was quiet for a moment. Then he said softly, "I'm sorry."

"No, James..."

"I shouldn't have reacted, I should've tried-"

"I don't put the blame on you for a second, James-"

"Well, I don't care who the blame is on, this was important to you, and now you're upset. You're crying. And it's my job to keep you happy, so I'm putting blame on myself here, for this."

Lily wiped her eyes again. "It was over before it started," she said, voice shaky. "It's been over for years. So you never really stood a chance."

"I'll make it up to you," he promised.

"You don't have to even bother with them."

"Yes, I do. She's your sister. It's important to you and that makes it important to me."

"I love you," she said. "Thanks. For even coming."

"No," he said. "Don't even... whatever. I love you too."

"Good."

"Yeah.

"Yeah."

"Well... Should we race to the carriages?"

"Erm, no."

"No?"

"No."

"Okay. But just so you know... I would win."

"You would not," Lily said.

It was arguments in the snow, which wasn't exactly ice lollies in the sun, but if there was one thing Lily Evans knew for certain it was that different didn't always mean bad.

That, and she really, really loved a hurricane-haired, tree bark-skinned, forest-eyed boy.

A/N: Hope you liked that! I'd love it if you would leave a review. Or come talk to me on Tumblr lilyevenspotter.