It started to rain a little bit as they were walking back through Godric's Hollow to the market. James was a couple of steps again, walking backwards on the cobblestone, facing Lily as they walked and talked. "Be careful," Lily laughed when he nearly tripped on a loose stone on the sidewalk by the old church, "You'll fall and hurt yourself, and then what?"

"Then you'll need to nurse me back to health, Evans," he replied.

"Or else leave you for dead," she shrugged.

"One or the other," James agreed, falling into step beside her and walking properly now.

Lily took a deep breath, trying not to feel the electrical currents that seemed to travel between her hand and his as their palms swung at their sides. She kept her eyes straight ahead, afraid if she looked down she might grab his hand and never let go. "So what sort of food do you lot usually take on camping trips?" she asked.

James shrugged, "Usually mum makes us a roast or something, all wrapped up nice-like. Or else whatever Peter can nick from the kitchens."

Lily laughed. "If I'd had more time, I could've asked my mum to show me how to make a shepherds pie."

"I love shepherds pie," James announced. "Especially when my mum crumbles little pieces of bacon on the top of the potatoes." He smacked his lips, "Literally, best dish ever when you think on it. What more could you possibly ask for? Meat and corn and potatoes and bacon." He grinned.

"My mum adds a bit of cheese and some onions," Lily said.

"I mean cheese can go into literally anything and it can only be an improvement," James said, smiling.

Lily shook her head, "It would be terrible in a pie."

"What the hell d'ya think a pizza is?"

"What?"

"A pizza pie!" James said, doing his best Italian accent, "Mama mia, Lily-a!"

Lily laughed, "You're so far off on that accent."

James continued on in it, "Whadda ya talkin' about-a, I'm'a really gouuuda. Which by the way is anothaa cheese-a!" Lily laughed and pushed his shoulder and he pretended to trip, though she hadn't pushed him hard enough for him to, and his eyes sparkled as he grinned down at his feet. "What's your favorite food?" he asked finally.

Lily replied, "Lasagna." 

"AAAYYY! Itsa more-a my-a Italiannooo!"

"Stooop!" she laughed, "You bloody idiot."

James grinned.

They'd passed the fountain and were coming up on the market, and James ran ahead to open the door for her, tripping on his own feet as he did it. He bowed as she walked through, then swung himself in after her as she selected a cart from the pen of them by the door, and pushed it into the vegetable section.

James walked alongside her, and when she went to get a bag of grapefruits ("for breakfast," she explained upon her return), he leaned against the handle of the cart, propping one foot up on it and hopping along on his other to push. 

"I'm not sure what we could and could not cook on the trip," Lily commented, looking over the contents of the shelves. "Like, do you lot have skewers and that sort of thing?"

James raised an eyebrow, "Well, you see, love, that's the beauty of being a witch and wizard, isn't it? You can cook anything you like, anywhere you like with the right spell, yeah?"

Lily flushed, "I s'pose that's true. It's just that some things are easier than others."

"What about some sausages?" James suggested, "Those are always a hit."

"Especially with Remus and Sirius, I'd imagine," Lily quipped.

James choked on literally nothing in surprise. "Evans!" he laughed.

Lily winked and turned to pick up a loaf of bread off the shelf, adding it to their cart, along with a jar of peanut butter and some strawberry jam. She took up a bag of apples, and a box of instant rice and some potatoes. There were biscuits and marshmallows, and bags of tea and hot chocolate and even a can of ovaltine for Remus.

"Whoa, calm down there," Lily said, when James scooped up about fifteen chocolate bars from the shelf, "Nobody needs that much chocolate."

James shook his head, "You've got no idea how much chocolate Remus Lupin consumes on a daily basis, clearly... I was just thinking this wouldn't be enough."

Lily looked at the ridiculous amount of chocolate in the cart. "Bloody hell, how does he not weigh three hundred stone?"

James replied, "A mystery, indeed."

"I imagine he must work himself quite broke with a chocolate habit like that," Lily said.

James shrugged, "I keep him in it, mostly." He wasn't looking at her as he said it. He was studying his trainer on the bottom rung of the cart.

"You do?"

A smile quirked up his lips, but he kept his gaze down, "There's this hollowed out book on his shelf that he keeps his chocolates in, and I reckon he must think it's some sort of magical replenishing box or something, as every couple days I refill it. He doesn't think anybody else knows about the book. It's rather hilarious really, he gets so bloody excited over this damned book." James chuckled, remembering the look on Remus's face the first time he'd found his supply replenished.

Lily was smiling, too, staring at James with admiration. "Well, that's very nice of you."

James looked up, "It's just a little thing, not a big deal."

"I think it is," Lily answered, "A big deal, I mean."

James shrugged, and pushed the cart to change the subject.

Lily laughed suddenly.

"What?" James asked.

"It's just -- Remus," Lily laughed again, "Believing he has a magic chocolate book."

"Yeah," James laughed, too. "Really does, though. He really, really believes it."

"That's so bloody funny to me!" Lily said, "He's literally a genius, he is, and he bloody believes his box can just... produce chocolate."

James was smirking, "You know, for a genius, he can actually be really thick sometimes."

Lily looked up at him with one eyebrow raised. "Remus can be thick?"

"Yeah," he said.

"Oh well that's rich, coming from you," she laughed even harder.

James paused pushing the cart. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

Lily looked up at him, "Oh Potter. If you have to ask..."

"Are you saying I'm thick?" James asked.

Lily smirked, "From time to time you are a bit, yeah."

James said, "How am I thick?"

Lily laughed.

"No, really," he pressed.

Lily flushed a bit, "It's just that, well, sometimes... sometimes certain things are right in front of you and you sort of... miss the point of them."

James stared at her. "Really? What things?"

"Just things," Lily replied, staring up at him.

James stared down at her. "How long have you thought this about me?"

"Always," Lily answered, "All the time. Every single bloody day." 

James asked, "Is there anything thick I'm missing... now?"

Lily licked her lips. "Well."

James's eyebrows went up, "There is, isn't there?"

"A little."

"What?"

Lily stared at him again.

"What?" James asked.

Lily shook her head, "You're too much, Potter," she said, and she turned and walked on down the aisle.

James stood for a moment, thinking, and then jumped both feet up on the back of the cart and rolled toward her, pushing himself along like a funny sailboat with one foot... James wondering what he was being so thick about, as he watched her walk, wondering what he'd missed, and if she was going to tell him whatever it was...

They walked up and down the aisles, getting other things for the trip. At the check out, the cashier asked if they were interested in buying a paper butterfly for St. Mungo's and Lily saw James give over some extra galleons and they watched as a charm set on the butterfly turned it a brilliant sapphire blue and it fluttered it's way up to the ceiling, where it fluttered about along with a good load of other paper butterflies of varying colors.

Heading back, James carried the bag that had been magically packed with all their selections, and Lily looked around at all the little shops. "I really like Godric's Hollow," she commented. "It's nice. It reminds me of Diagon Alley, but calmer, less pushing and shoving." She smiled, "It's quaint."

"Yeah," James said. "You should see it at Christmas. Loads of string lights criss cross over this way, and the fountain here, it lights up red and green. Positively radiant."

Lily paused at the fountain this time, looking up at the statue of Godric Gryffindor for a long moment. Godric held a sword and a wand, wore a kilt, and beads in his beard. He looked a bit like a cross between Dumbledore and Hagrid, thought Lily with a laugh - a big, wild man, with wisdom in his eyes, and kindness in his face. She reached into her pocket for a moment, fishing about, then turned to James. "Do you have a knut?" she asked.

James felt his pockets, then pulled out a sickle. "Here," he said.

Lily turned the little silver coin over in her palm. "How's this work?" she asked.

James reached in his pocket and pulled out a second sickle. "You hold the coin tight in your hand, like this." He held it so it was pressed between his index finger and his thumb. She imitated him, squeezing it equally tight. "And you think of your wish... just as hard as you can now. Really gotta concentrate on it, really picture it in your mind."

"Okay," Lily whispered, closing her eyes to picture her wish.

James was staring at her, his eyes wide with meaning as he spoke, "Really just.. see it with all your heart, that thing you're wishing for." He paused, letting her think, and said, "Then, when you're  good and ready... just..." He leaned a little toward the fountain, and Lily watched as he tossed his coin in, and it hit the water and sank just a little to  the left of where Godric's sandal was. He looked back at her as she watched it sink.

Lily clutched the coin for one last moment before tossing it into the fountain.

James turned to Lily. "I hope it comes true for you," he said thickly.

"Thank you," she answered.

The water fountain gurgled and the water shimmered as the light rain they'd come from the Dumbledore house under started to quicken and the drops got thicker. James reached into his jumper and pulled out his wand. He looked up and down the street - there was only a couple scattered people, running to get into shops and the pub. He shook the wand and his umbrella charm exploded out from the tip, and he held the umbrella up over her. All of this happened without either of them breaking eye contact with one another.

Lily blinked up at him, her bright green eyes seemed almost pleading... and he stared back into them with his chocolate brown ones...

"We should get back," he whispered, "To the lads."

"Yeah," Lily replied, also whispering.

"Yeah," he repeated.

They both continued to stare at one another.

"Godric's Hollow really is lovely," Lily complimented it.

"Yeah," he agreed.

"I like this fountain," she said.

"I like it, too," James answered.

"What did you wish for?" Lily asked.

James stared at her. "What did you?"

Lily stared up at him.

"Evans?" he asked, very quietly, barely a breath.

"Potter?"

His eyes were searching hers. "What is it that I'm being thick about?"

Lily took a step closer, took a deep breath. "Potter, I just want you to know my intentions when it comes to you," she said, echoing his words from a hundred years ago.

His face paled.

"...I want you to know that they're not for a kiss in a burger shop," Tears came to Lily's eyes as she spoke, and her voice shook, afraid of the look on his face, "My intentions aren't just to be the one you go to for a good time and a snog."

James eyes were wide. There was a long, long pause, then, "What are your intentions, Evans?"

She reached out and she took his hands, putting his umbrella-wand to the side, the grocery bag 'round his wrist... and she held them. Her hands were shaking, his were clammy. "My intention is that when I have my .. my first kiss with you that... that'll be the last first kiss," she answered.

The rain was coming down all around them, making her hair hang stringy and his hair even messier than usual, and it hung down on his forehead, and they stared at each other.

Lily whispered, "So... so I want you to take a good look around, James Potter. I want you to take a deep breath."

James did. He took a deep breath and his eyes broke from hers and he looked up at Godric Gryffindor, at the water in the fountain, all those coins, dark beneath the dancing water.

"I want you to remember this moment," she said.

He looked at her out of the corner of his eyes.

"And I want you to stop... being... so... thick..." she said, her voice breaking, "And realize... that... that I --  I really -- I really like you --- and ---"

James turned quickly.

There was no time to prepare.

His mouth was on hers.

He dropped the bag from his wrist and it hit the ground with a thunk and a crunch and he put his hands up on her face, in her hair and he stepped toward her and she could feel the solidness of him, and her hands went to splay across his chest and she gasped into his mouth as he kissed her, harder, his eyes closed and an intensity in him that made all the prior kisses seem like meaningless pecks. They'd never been real before, not the way this one was... and Lily could feel the intention, feel the deep magic bubbling...

Their lips broke a part and he stood with his face close to hers, both of them breathing hard, both their hearts racing, their noses nearly touching still.

It seemed like hours, though it had been only a few precious seconds.

"Oh hell," he whispered and he turned, grabbing the bag from the ground, "They're waiting for us."

Lily blinked in surprise at his sudden turn, and she grabbed the umbrella, which he'd nearly forgotten. "James," she said.

He paused.

She held the umbrella out. "Don't forget your wand."

"Right, my wand," he said. He took the umbrella and shook it so it folded back up into the wand. They'd already been rained on, they didn't need the coverage anymore. He felt dizzy - as though everything was spinning, and he looked up at the statue again, at Godric Gryffindor, smirking down at him. He looked at Lily again. 

"Are you alright?" she asked him, for he had a wild, sort of panicked look in his eyes.

"Yeah, yes," he said, nodding quickly. "Yes. Blimey. Yes."

"You're sure?" Lily asked, feeling very self conscious. 

"Yes," James said again. "Yes, I'm just -- I suppose I'm processing."

"Processing?" Lily asked.

"Yes," James nodded, "Yeah. Processing." And he turned and walked on.

Lily watched his back a moment as he walked along the road, past the little cottage she'd admired earlier, and on down toward the old Dumbledore house, behind which were Sirius and Remus, waiting for them to return. "Bloody processing," she shook her head, whispering under her breath so that he couldn't hear her, "You really are thick." She ran after him, her feet splashing through the puddles.