Chapter Two - Uncomfortable
They met outside the Leaky Cauldron, memories of their time together at Hogwarts flooding through him as soon as he saw her on the pavement. He couldn't believe he was going out to dinner with her, only it wasn't a date. They were there strictly as partners, as members of the Order of the Phoenix charged with gathering information that could protect any number of lives.
Dumbledore felt that Orsino's restaurant itself was the place for them to start. He had heard rumors of the owner, Giovanni Orsino, being targeted because he was a successful Squib who moved both in magical and non-magical circles. As a restaurant that catered to both Muggles and wizards equally, the entire establishment offered more than the perfect opportunity for a devastating hit on both worlds. Never mind that any other number of Order members could gather information together with far less uncomfortable history between them; apparently Dumbledore was determined to see them working together from the start.
Sirius was probably right: Dumbledore most likely wanted them to get past any awkwardness as quickly as possible so that they could move on and work together for the common good of the Order and the people they were trying to protect. James hated it when Dumbledore was right, but he had never been able to argue with his former headmaster and win; it was better to just go with whatever grand scheme Dumbledore had set in motion and learn whatever it was he was supposed to learn from it.
He just hoped that whatever lesson he learned this time didn't hurt as much as some of the ones he had learned in the past.
Lily was waiting for him, hands tucked into chocolate brown robes, red scarf and hat fending off the chill of a cold winter evening. Her cheeks were pink from the wind, and James wondered if she had been waiting long. She didn't seem to mind, however, for she smiled broadly when he finally arrived.
"You came," she said without preamble, and he thought she sounded relieved. "I wondered if you'd ask one of the others to come instead."
He gave her a very bland look in response, even though he was slightly embarrassed that she had guessed his thoughts so accurately. "Give me a bit of credit, Evans. I'm not scared of you."
"That's good," she replied, falling into step with him as they left wizarding London. "I wouldn't want for this to be uncomfortable." Orsino's Italian Restaurant was only a short walk away. It was a fairly upscale restaurant, well known and well liked, a place where both wizards and Muggles could go and enjoy the best of both worlds. Orsino might have been born a Squib, but after immigrating to London, he had quickly found himself settling into a successful role as a restaurateur who was now quite well known across cultural lines.
"Oh, it's uncomfortable," James replied with a small shrug. "But what can we do? If Dumbledore wants us to work together, then we work together."
"It will be nice to have a da…dinner together someplace that isn't Hogsmeade," she replied, and James was fairly certain she had almost slipped on the word 'date.' Surely she wasn't thinking of it that way? He wiped the thought from his mind and nodded; he couldn't even go there. It was hard enough already.
"Orsino's is a great place. I used to come here with my parents. Have you ever been?" She shook her head, and he grinned, knowing she would love it. As they walked up the short path to a set of revolving doors, he leaned close and boldly whispered, "It's much nicer than any date we had at the Three Broomsticks."
Lily shot him a quick look of surprise before she stepped inside and gazed around the restaurant, nodding in appreciation. The foyer was large and simply decorated in deep mauves and greens. It was open on either side to two large banquet rooms. On the left was a room that sparkled beneath a crystal chandelier, white tablecloths gleaming in the light; on the right aged oak tables stood bare beneath yellow sconces scattered throughout the room. The left-hand room featured muted murals of scenes from the Italian countryside adorning the walls; the room on the right was covered in ornate carvings of a large forest, a castle, and various animals, including some magical.
"It's lovely," said Lily, and she sounded delighted. "I'm so glad we're here." She stopped and her hand flew to her mouth. "Not that I'm glad something bad might happen, of course."
James agreed. "It's much better than hiding out under a cold wet bush in the middle of the night, trust me." He was just about to direct her toward the right when Orsino himself came bustling through two double doors at the back of the entryway. He stopped when he saw them, grinned broadly, and hurried over to greet them.
"James Potter, it's been a while. You've grown up quite a bit," he said, his voice a deep bass that resonated throughout the foyer. He clasped James's hand with an iron grip. "Does your father know you've gone and turned into a man?"
James laughed. "Yes, and I'm sure he's glad I'm not causing trouble anymore."
Orsino raised a thick black eyebrow. "I rather doubt that. He had more stories to tell about you and your friends than most of my customers combined. So where can I seat you? And how is Harrington? He hasn't been here in several months."
James inclined his head toward the right and followed Orsino into the darker dining room, known as the Oak Room. "He's doing all right, just slowing down a bit. I'll tell him you said to come by for a free plate of calamari."
Orsino laughed as he led them toward a table in the center of the room. "Absolutely. I would love to see him back. Now, how does this table suit you?"
James shot Lily a look, and she shook her head; it was an obvious a location for two people who would be spending several hours simply watching and listening to the tables around them. They were in agreement, then; her instincts were good. He stepped closer to Orsino and lowered his voice. "How about the back corner? We'd actually like to be able to keep an eye on things. Just in case."
Orsino narrowed his eyes but nodded. "I see. I'd ask what you are up too but I've heard the rumors myself."
James followed him to a table in the back. It allowed them to see all of their dining room and into the opposite one where Orsino tended to sit Muggles. James had often wondered if there was a subtle spell on the right dining room that encouraged Muggles to always request the Crystal Room as opposed to the Oak Room, but his father had told him that Muggles and wizards were welcome to sit wherever they liked; it just so happened most wizards chose the right, and most Muggles chose the left.
"Would you like to start with a glass of wine?" Orsino asked as they sat down. He poured them some water and set out their menus.
It was still early and the restaurant was only half filled, but James glanced around, noting who was where, trying to identify any known suspects or other potential dangers. He sized up the situation quickly, then shook his head at Orsino. "No, unfortunately not."
"Have to keep your wits about you, then," Orsino murmured.
"Something like that," James replied with a rueful smile; he would definitely prefer a glass of mead. "But I'd just like some Gillywater."
"And I'll have some hot chocolate," added Lily.
Orsino gave her a small bow and a roguish wink. "Anything you like, my lady. I will return with your drinks shortly."
Lily smiled as she watched him leave, then glanced at the menu. She leaned across the table, her eyes a bit wide. "This is expensive. Is the Order paying for us to sit here and enjoy this?"
James opened his mouth to reply, then closed it. Of course the Order wasn't paying, but he didn't want Lily to know that and figure out that he was, so he simply nodded. She continued.
"It's much better than the Hag's Rest, isn't it?" she said, looking around curiously. "I mean, I've never been there, but Remus said Peter has to go there fairly often to pick up information, and that it's not that much better than the Hog's Head."
"Oh, anything is better than the Hog's Head," James replied with a snort as he set down his menu. "The problem with the Hag's Rest is the people. Nasty crowd of sympathizers. I don't know how Pete stands it."
"Remus said he's good at just sort of blending in and listening, picking up on things." Lily said. She glanced down at the menu again and was quiet for a moment. "Is the chicken parmesan good?"
"Quite," said James. "It was my mum's favorite." He swallowed an unexpected lump in his throat. His mum had passed away over a year and a half ago, but sitting with Lily at one of him mum's favorite restaurants while she ordered one of his mum's favorite dishes suddenly brought back all sorts of memories and saddened him. He imagined her sitting across from him, his dad to the right, smiling and laughing, glasses clinking…
Lily reached out and touched his hand. "I'm sorry."
"Thanks, but it's okay. She really loved this place." James shook his head and pulled his hand away. "So really, I'm glad I get to show you. We just have to keep our eyes and ears open."
Lily nodded, placing her hands back in her lap. "Right. So tell me more about what we're here for."
"You probably know as much as I do--more if you were paying attention last night." He gave her a crooked grin. "I know Moody mentioned it, but I wasn't listening."
Lily raised her eyebrows at him. "Sounds just like Potions," she said, and they shared a laugh. "He said there have been rumors of an attack on either Orsino himself or the restaurant. He didn't say why, just that the Order would be looking into it."
"There never is a why," James replied absently as he glanced around the room again as another couple sat down nearby. "We'll be looking for any suspected Death Eaters, of course. Not that they would necessarily be involved, but they always bear closer surveillance." Lily nodded in understanding and he continued. "Also watch for anyone who glances around nervously, or anyone who seems to be meeting in secret with a lot of whispering. Anyone who just sends a warning down your spine, really."
"And what do we do?" Lily asked. "While we're watching and listening, I mean."
James shrugged. "We eat, we talk, and we just hope nothing goes wrong on our watch. Ever."
Lily raised an eyebrow at him. "We hope nothing goes wrong? What happened to the James Potter I knew at Hogwarts? The one who couldn't wait for adventure, for excitement--to run off and fight for the Order of the Phoenix?"
James was silent; he was saved from an answer when Orsino returned with their drinks and took their order. When the friendly owner had left, James scanned the room once more, mostly to avoid Lily's eye. But she didn't let it go.
"You didn't answer, you know," she pointed out as he took another sip of his drink, the bubbly taste of pomegranate mixed with a hint of vanilla filling his mouth. "Is it so bad, being in the Order?"
"No," he finally sighed. "But it's a lot harder than it looks. It's not always exciting and adventurous. It's dangerous."
She nodded. "Yes, I've seen plenty of you come through St. Mungo's to know that. You could have died at Christmas."
His eyes flew up from the table to meet hers, and she reached across the table to grasp his hand once more. Merlin, he wished she'd stop doing that, stop touching him. It was as if she were teasing him with her touch, even though he knew she was just offering her support.
"But you didn't. And I'll be fine, too, James," she said softly. "Honestly. You don't have to worry about me."
He just stared at her before he pulled his hand away again and gave her a forced grin. "Who said I was worried. You told me last night you can take care of yourself."
"Then stop acting so anxious," she admonished. "Relax."
Now it was his turn to raise a skeptical eyebrow. "This is not a job to relax on, Lily. People get hurt. I've seen people die."
"I know," she replied. "I've seen people die too. I didn't mean it like that." She paused, as if she were trying to find the words for what she wanted to say. "I just meant…I don't want it to be so difficult between us if we're going to be doing this. It sounds cliché, but I want to be friends. I really do."
She sounded so concerned, so sincere, that he knew then he would have to try harder to hide everything he was feeling inside. She was too good at reading him, at knowing exactly what he was thinking from just from a look or a touch, a laugh or a sigh. So he nodded and forced himself to smile, lower his shoulders, and relax. He was on duty, yes, but he was also having a nice dinner with someone he cared about, so he might as well try to enjoy it, even if it wasn't everything he wanted.
"Friends it is, then." He took another sip of his drink and mock-frowned. "So what do friends talk about at dinner while also watching for surreptitious Death Eater activity at an elegant restaurant in the heart of London?"
It had the effect he had hoped for, in that she laughed. And her laugh encouraged him and set him more at ease, until they were talking and laughing over warm bread and cheese, chicken and pasta and even dessert, almost as if they had no worries, no cares--no history between them.
It was one of the easiest assignments he'd had since joining the Order, and yet one of the most difficult.
* * *
Honestly by Gmariam
Chapter Endnotes: This chapter was getting too long, so I split it. Hopefully finishing the next one won't take too long. And if you've an eye for detail, you'll pick up as we go that I've set the story a week or two earlier--the Order meeting in the first chapter is no longer set on Valentine's Day (that's the middle of the week, after all), but earlier in February. Gives me some wiggle room too. ;) Thank you for reading and reviewing!