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It was midmorning, nearing lunch time, and the Potters were all busy preparing for the impending party.
Lily stood at the dining table, preparing to begin icing the cake, while her husband was in the connecting living room, decorating it with streamers and balloons for the upcoming party. Harry was in his room getting dressed.
All in all, it was a serene morning. Moments like these, the absolute domesticity, were what brought Lily the most contentment in life. The quiet joy of simply existing alongside her little family was an incomparable feeling.
It was her only son's sixteenth birthday, and Lily wanted to make it perfect. Truth be told, she felt that way about every one of his birthdays.
Years ago, being involved in a war had brought James and Lily very close to the brink of death. In times like these, when they were nearing milestones, she remembers those few months they spent in hiding, fearing for their lives. She remembers the utter dread, the terrible outcomes she'd envisioned; and the massive relief when they finally made it out of the nightmare. Every birthday or anniversary that rolled around only served to remind her to cherish every moment with her family.
Lily smiled at the thought of her son. He was a brilliant boy, the best of her and James. He had James's good looks, her ambition and both of their goodness.
As she set about filling the piping bag with icing, she was alerted to the sound of approaching footsteps.
Harry walked into the room, his hands in the pockets of his jeans and his eyes fell on the buttercream icing. She batted his hand away from the bowl holding the icing. With a cheeky grin at her, he plopped into a chair at the dining table.
"Alright birthday boy?" James called out to him.
Harry hummed as he took in the decorations James had been putting up and replied, "That's the best you can do? I knew I should have taken up Sirius's offer."
"You don't like it? What more do you want?" asks James, part offended, part genuinely curious.
"Eh. Could do with some more...flourish I suppose. Bit more dazzle." said Harry.
"Oh - Paper chains. Paper chains is what's missing here. Ginny's good at making those. She made them last Christmas. Surely you saw them? At the Burrow?"
Lily exchanges an amused look with her husband at that. He had been doing that a lot, mentioning Ginny. More specifically going on about how amazing, and great Ginny was.
"Oh is that so?", says Lily with a raised eyebrow. "Well then, we will make sure to ask her for tips on it. She'll be coming around for the party right?"
"Duh," says Harry.
"Hey you can't blame us for asking, you two weren't always so close were you?", says James, sitting down at the table too.
While Ron and Harry had been the best of friends from the age of eleven, Ginny had always been shy around Harry, not even speaking around him. However in the last couple of years, she seemed to have gotten over the overbearing crush and had become one of Harry's close friends.
"No," Harry agrees. "But we are now. She's awesome. Hilarious. Amazing Quidditch player."
"Makes great paper chains too," Lily points out, her lips twitching, earning an eye roll from her son.
James says, "Ah, the whole package then. So when are you going to ask her out?"
"Ask her ou- what, no, we're just friends" Harry splutters, his cheeks reddening.
"Yeah, sure and you're mother and I are siblings,"
"Gross. I am a product of incest."
Rolling her eyes, Lily chimes in saying "No you're not. Just like you and Ginny aren't just friends. I have seen the two of you together - that's not what just friends act like."
Ignoring Harry's indignant look she continues, "No use denying it, it's quite evident that there's strong attraction, at least on your part. You act just like your father did when he had a crush on me. All that goading into silly competitions, messing up your hair when she's around? I know what I'm looking at - a Potter man with a crush."
James grinned at that while Harry spluttered.
"That's not-I don't-"
"Harry, don't bother denying it, we know you. Your mother and I think it's great actually," James says, pausing to look at Lily who gives him a nod in response.
"Ginny is a nice girl, from a good family - ugh- I sound so cliché- yeah, she's a great girl. She suits you. You seem very happy when you're around her, so why not ask her out?"
"Do you have any idea how long it took to be her friend? If you think I'd endanger that for a little crush – which I don't even have, by the way – you're crazy" says Harry.
Ah. So that's what he was worried about. What a sweet, gentle boy, Lily thought endearingly.
"You really are your father's son Harry," she murmurs and a look of confusion arises on Harry's face and his eyebrows furrow.
"What do you mean? I mean you two have been together forever. " Lily scoffs at that.
"That's right, Harry, we have." James agrees, nodding along.
"But the thing is, well, your mother didn't always fancy me. For a while, your mum didn't quite like me. The first time I asked her out, very shabbily, mind you, she turned me down calling me an arrogant toerag - that's a story for another time. Needless to say we weren't together. I worked on myself, pulled my head out of my arse and then your mother and I became friends. Good friends. We got on like a house of fire. Obviously I was still crushing on her and wanted her so badly," he says, with a slight bashful smile in Lily's direction that makes her heart soar. She takes his hand over the table.
"Were you worried? You must have been right?" Harry asks eager to relate to his father. "What if you asked her out, and she said she didn't feel that way, you would ruin the progress - ruin the friendship you have and might end up with nothing?"
"I was," James assures him.
"So what did you do then? Just took a risk and asked mum out?" Harry asks thoughtfully. "I don't think I could do that."
"Not exactly," says James patiently. Harry looks at him very seriously awaiting his advice. "I mean, it's always a risk, asking someone out, because they can always say no, but there are a few things you can do to make sure things work out in your favour."
"What's that?" he asks urgently.
"Well for one, don't be oblivious. Your mum dropped a thousand hints before I figured out she might have been interested. Takes away half the trouble when you know they're interested in you too."
"How do I do that? Not be oblivious? It's not like I chose to be oblivious."
James does not seem to have an answer to that. So Lily answers him instead.
"I guess you've just got to be perceptive. When someone likes you..they sort of send signals, you know? Little things like offering to accompany you to places or doing things just to be in your company?" Harry nods slowly.
"Right," James agrees. "Now even if you don't catch on to her hints, no problem.
You can always just be the one to make the first move and ask her yourself."
"Yeah?" Harry says warily.
James nods encouragingly.
"Now I know this may seem nerve wracking, but it's all about communicating clearly. What I did was, one day while we were hanging out together, I built up some courage and told your mother that I fancied her and asked her if she would like to go with me to Hogsmeade."
Harry looks at him, as if expecting him to elaborate and when he doesn't he exclaims, "That's it? I just go and ask her if she'd like to go on a date with her? I mean shouldn't it be, I don't know, more romantic?"
James grins, "Yes, that's pretty much just have to let her know that you like her and would like to take her out on a date to see how it goes. Crisp and clear."
"As for the romance, that's more for the date. You let her know you'd like to take her on a date, if she says yes, then you can start planning the romantic date." says Lily with a laugh.
"And if she says no…" James trails off.
"Then I wish her a good day and go back to my room and eat loads of chocolate and get over it right?"
"Spot on," says Lily as James beams at him.
They stay quiet for a moment, as Harry seems to ponder over the advice.
"Thank you," he tells them with a smile, rising from his chair. "I better go and…" he gestures awkwardly.
"Yes," Lily agrees, getting up herself. "I need to get back to finishing this cake."
"And I need to start planning a wedding."
"Dad!" Harry cries exasperatedly, before leaving the room.
Lily turns to James with her hands on her hips. "You and Sirius better not tease him about this."
James holds his hands up in mock surrender.
"All right. I won't. It can be very useful though. Very character building," he says, walking behind her and wrapping his arms around her. As he reaches out to make a swipe at the icing she bats his hand away and guides them towards her lips. She places a soft kiss on his knuckles.
"You're a good father," she murmurs, looking up at him.
"For teaching him the art of wooing?"
"Oh I wouldn't call it wooing, more like, basic dating strategies."
"Uh-huh.", he says, nuzzling her neck and pressing soft kisses.
Life was good