Sirius Black's Twin

Date

Lily and James had just left the Three Broomsticks and they were both very full with butterbeer. Lily had her hands in James' and they both pleasantly ignored the envious glares being sent their ways. Girls glaring at Lily and guys glaring at James.

"That was fun," Lily said, smiling happily. "But I think we should head back to the castle, I don't want to be caught wandering Hogsmeade after hours."

"But the dates just begun," James said, his eyes gleaming mischeviously.

Lily glanced at him. "But we were together for at least six hours, shouldn't the date end now?"

James didn't say anything as they both wlaked backup to the castle, but before Lily could go through the iron gates, James tugged her to the side. Lily looked at him in question.

"Do you trust me, Lily?" James asked her, his eyes wide with innocance.

Lily narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously but answered; "yes."

"Then would you come with me?" James said, gesturing to the trail that led to the lake.

"We'll get caught," Lily protested.

"I would never let you get in trouble," James said.

Lily bit her lip but nodded.

James led her down the trail and Lily admired the beauty of the night.

It was a perfect day to be on a date because the stars shone brightly in the sky and the wind was warm. Lily looked up at the moon. It wasn't a full moon but a crescent. Lily was glad that it wasn't a full moon, because she knew about Remus - and she could never have a good time knowing that Remus was out there turning painfully into a monstrous creature.

James approached the beach tree by the lake and led her around the thick trunk. She gasped at what she saw.

There was a silver blanket lain down between the tree and the lake and on the silver blanket was a light brown picnic basket. Small blue balls of light hovered a few feet above the blanket and gave the blanket a nice glow. Around the blanket there were flowers Lily knew weren't there the other day. When Lily inspected them, she found out that they were pure white lilies. She felt herself blush.

"You planned this?" Lily said, standing there as she watched James, happier then she ever seen him before, sit down on the blanket. "How did you know someone wouldn't come and mess it up."

"I got Wormtail to gaurd it," James said. "But don't worry, he left when he seen us coming."

Lily stared fondly at him for a moment before sitting down on the blanket next to him, very aware that her heart was fluttering nervously.

"I can't believe you did all this for me," Lily breathed.

"Are you kidding?" James grinned. "I've been waiting for you to say yes since the end of second year."

"I thought you started to like me in fourth year," Lily smiled. "You weren't very nice to me the years before."

"I didn't know how to express my feelings for you," James said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. He remembered the times Lily had worn her hair in a braid and the mutiple times he had pulled on it. "Sorry."

Lily laughed at his expression. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I started to like you in fourth year."

"You hated me," James said, his eyes wide.

"I only hated you because you made me like you so much," Lily said, knowing full well he wouldn't get it.

"I don't get it," James said, predictabley.

Lily shook her head and laughed. She leaned back against the trunk of the tree and gazed up at the small blue orbs of light floating above them. James leaned against the trunk too, his hand holding hers.

They talked for a while, about everything. James told her about his parents and how happy he was when Sirius and Lyra moved in and Lily told James about her sister, and how happy she would be when she finally moved out.

"How could anyone hate you?" James had said. "You're perfect."

"Nobody is perfect, James," Lily had said, blushing slightly.

"That's what I had thought," James had said, glancing at her under his eyelashes. "Until I met you."

Lily glanced at him under her eyelashes too, frowning slightly. "I'm sorry about your parents, James."

James seemed unfazed. Nothing could ruin this night. "They died happy, at least. I'm glad they're finally free from the war."

"Yes but just when you became Headboy. . ."

"I guess I was sad at first," james said truthfully. "But I don't think of my parents as being dead."

Lily looked at him warily, but he went on.

"I don't think the dead we loved truly leave us," James said. "And I know that when I'm finally out there, fighting with the other wizards to bring Voldemort down, I will remember my parents more clearly then ever before. They will be proud of me."

"They were always proud of you," Lily said, wrapping her arms around James and laying her head on his chest. "And that had to be the smartest thing I ever heard you say."

"You calling me stupid?" James joked.

"And there is you ruining the moment," Lily laughed.

"Claws said I had a knack for that," James said proudly.

Lily bit back the curiosity that was burning inside her. She wanted to know what those names meant, but she didn't want to ask them to tell her, she wanted them to tell her whenthey were ready.

"What's the picnic basket for?" Lily asked after a silent moment. "We already ate."

"It doesn't have food in it," James said. "I guess most guys would give a necklace or bracelet to their dates or. . . girlfriends." James glanced warily at Lily, to see if she would be angry - but she wasn't, so he went on. "But I'm not most guys and I know you're not that fond of jewelry."

"How did you know?" Lily blinked.

"I only ever seen you wear one necklace once in a while," James said. "Your about as fond as jewelry as Claws is skirts."

Lily laughed, remembering Lyra's face when the girls and Lily said that she had to wear a skirt on her date with Cormac Stars.

"And by the way you treat the cats in the castle I figured you liked them," James went on, opening the basket and taking out a small grey kitten with fuzzy fur. Lily's eyes went wide. "So I got you a cat."

Lily's mouth fell open. She had never knew James payed much attention to her, except those many times he tried to flirt with her. It shocked her that he knew things she never really told anyone, like her dislike of jewelry and her love of cats - Lily wondered what else James knew about her.

Lily took the cat from James with a smile. "Tuney hates cats."

"But you like them," James said. "And your sister can't stop you from having one."

Lily looked up from the cats grey eyes to James' hazel ones. "Thank you."

James smiled at her, and Lily couldn't stop herself from smiling back at him.