reckless living • wolfstar & jily

Florean's Advice- JILY

"James, why are you sulking?" A tanned man with a black walrus mustache asked James in a Mexican accent. He stood behind the counter top, an array of vivid coloured ice creams behind him. It was fairly quiet, seeing as everyone had nobody really wanted an ice cream in the cold weather they were having recently. Yes, it was cold in summer. That's just how Britain is.
"I can't do it, Flo. Lily still doesn't like me back." James groaned, his head on the table. Florean was one James' buddies, he had obtained a strong bond with him as every summer, James would go there and buy an ice cream. When he was bored, he would just tell his parents he was going out for a walk but he would really jut use Floo to get to Florean's parlour.
"How would you know? It's still summer." Florean asked while polishing an ice cream cup Muggle style. James hadn't ordered anything yet, he just wanted a good ol' catch up with Flo.
"She's not replying to any of owls!" James' muffled voice sounded from the table he was sat at.
"Here, have a Hazelnut Crunch. I know they're your favourite." Florean said while levitating one over to the sulky boy. James pulled out a pouch.
"How much again?" He asked, jingling his coins about.
"On the house, James. You probably want it for the news I'm about to give you," He said, putting on a sad face and Janes braced himslef for the worst. "she was in here last week with one of her friends, talking about a certain James Potter. Any clue who that is?" Florean smirked happily when James' head shot up from the table. He ran to Florean and yelled
"What did she say?! FLO, TELL ME PLEASE!" He begged. The boy's eyes were dancing with eagerness and Florean had to stop himself from laughing.
"She said that 'he's sending half decent letters, but I can't be bothered to reply. It'll only inflate his overly large ego even more, if that's possible.'"
"Oh, I'm hopeless!" Complained James and Florean shook his head.
"No, no, no, no, no. She thinks your letters are half decent, she just thinks you're a bit, err- big headed. That's not how to impress a girl. They want careful loving."
"I'm not big headed! I just have such a beautiful face and body that I can't help but glorify it!" One of Florean's eyebrows cocked up.
"You like her, no?" James nodded, "You want to please her?" James nodded again, wondering where this was going, " You've got to love her like a girl then! Trashy pick up lines will make you use the girl. Compliment her. Talk about her hair!" Florean rambled, coming up with the first thing that came to mind.
"How to I compliment like a normal person would then?!" James snapped. He knew Florean's advice would work, he just wanted to be the best he could.
"Take a guess, Jamie."
"Hey, um Lily. You look really nice today." He said with a smile and Florean jumped up in delight.
"Yes, young man! That is how to charm a girl! James, you're in luck! That girl will be with you by a year. It should be in your nature by the time you get to school if you keep thinking about her." James returned back to his seat to eat his ice cream (which never melted). Just then, a tinny sound of a bell was heard and the powder blue door swung open.
"Hey, Florean." A soft voice rung out in the airy room and James recognised it instantly.
"Hello, Lily! The usual?" Florean offered while James just sat, lips slightly parted. What luck did he have for them to both be having ice cream at sunset, in a shop, while nobody else was there?
"Rasberry Fudge, yep!" She grinned. She clearly hadn't notice James yet.
"Why don't you sit with James? Somebody hexed my shop the other night and that's the only table I'm certain has nothing wrong with it." James grinned at this lie. Oh, how he loved Florean!
"Who?" She turned around to find a beaming James and his hazelnut ice cream topped with honeycomb.
"Here you go, miss. I'll just pop to the back for a second, out of Dragon Breathers again." Laughed Florean, and just beofre he left, James could've sworn he saw him wink.
"Lily, you can sit down if you want." James gestured to the empty seat in front if him and Lily reluctantly sat on it.
"You look really nice today. No, really you do." The warmth of his smile made Lily believe him.
"Thank you. How's your summer been so far?" Lily asked politely, fiddling with her spoon.
"Oh, really good. Mum and dad just haven't been home much. You know, they have Auror missions. It's fine though, Sirius is always home. Yours?" James looked up at Lily who was looking at him intently. He instantly knew that she knew he was hiding something. He was proud of his parents fighting Voldemort and his Death Eaters but was constantly worried sick if they would be okay when they returned.
"My holidays... they've been the usual." She said, not lying. It had been usual but it still didn't fully answer James' question.
"You're not enjoying it, are you?" James said as if he read her mind. Lily looked at him utterly gobsmacked. She had always gotten away with saying that, how could Potter tell the difference?
"Well, no, but I'll deal with it." Lily finally admitted after an intense staring battle. She honestly was not enjoying it and she could not deal with it any more. Petunia was constantly bragging about her new fiancè Vermin and the new damned car he has. It's not even her car! Why is she just like 'Oooh, Verny has a brand new red car. Freak, do know what a car is?'?
"Go on then. Tell me." He said while slightly poking out his spoon. He was acting like a civilised human for once. Strange. She assumed Sirius was going to pop out any minute and blindfold her then take to a ransom shack then wait for her to rot.
"I- she calls me Freak. Like, that's my new name. My parents nearly never say anything. I-I do understand why though." She added after James' quizzical look. Petunia was jealous of her sister's ability to perform magic and wished she could go to a school were she was special. She was loved. She was unique.
"With as little offense as possible, do your parents even care?" James asked angrily and Lily felt that anger rising in her again. But this time was different. Did her parents really care? They always said sorry to her after Petunia called her a rude name or something daft like that, but once Petunia was called stupid and her parents consoled her for about 4 hours. Tears, tissues and too many hugs later, Petunia didn't even say thank you!
"I'm sure they do care, thank you very much. They just... my sister needs it more." He voice wobbled towards the end.She knew for a fact that Petunia thought that she, her freak of a sister, was more loved than she was. On the other hand, Lily thought that her siser was more loved... and deserved it.
"Well then, I'll talk to you. I solemnly swear that I will not be a prat to you during seventh year.... or ever again." James said with a grin, popping his and his friends' map casually in to the conversation. Lily cocked an eyebrow up at him.
"I'm serious. Actually, that's my dear brother." James sighed and put a hand to his chest lovingly.
"Suuuure." Lily dragged the word on but she was smiling.
"By the way, if it's so bad at home, why don't you just go to Marlene's or something like that?"
"Oh, I'm staying in the Leaky Cauldron now. Got there today. Don't exactly have the best rooms, but I'll live." Lily didn't really think it was too bad, but she did find a cluster of dead spiders which scared the living daylights out of her. She almost screamed, but only because she thought it was a cat's shedding ball and stuck her hand in it.
"I would love to offer you a place at my house, but you would just try to kill me." He chuckled. Lily felt a twinge of regret, but not enough for her to feel fully bad.
"Correct you are, James." She said, emphasising his name and his jaw just dropped.
"Did you just- nooo, I don't believe it. Have you eaten the real Lily Evans?" James spluttered, not believing it was real.
"Lily Evans just thinks that you've stopped acting like a prat and has assumed that you won't tell the whole of Hogwarts about it. And by you, she meant you and all your little chums." Lily smirked, "Well, I'd better get going. Also, send letters to Room 775."
"Oh, of course." Lily left after waving at James and after she turned the corner James sprung up from his seat.
"FLO, WE NEED TO CELEBRATE! GUESS WHO GOT LILY? GUESS!" James whooped, way too pumped about everything.
"A Butterbeer is all we're getting. I'd not really want to get you home sodden drunk."

maybe florean actually gave harry free ice creams because he knew his dad, not because he was the chosen one? he gave his dad free ice creams and he couldn't resist giving it to his son, who looked almost identical to james. i find that really heart warming actually. because of this, i feel like florean is my new favourite character. wow, i'm getting gassed about my own one shot. somebody kill me pls. also, i was thinking of doing a modern texting au between moony and padfoot. maybe when this story ends. would you like that? it's been a dream of mine for quite a while, but i'd really like your opinion on it.
see you next millenium.