The little coffee shop James suggested had a small menu, but it was casual enough to make Lily more comfortable. They sat silently at a small table near the window. James watched Lily eat, savoring their physical closeness, though knowing Lily took no notice of how much this dinner resembled a date. She was chewing her sandwich thoughtfully.

"Penny," James said after a while. Lily looked up at him.

"What?"

"You're not still thinking about those dress robes, are you?"

She shook her head, smiling. "No, I mean, it's not like I could ever afford it -- and even if I could, it's not like I would have anyplace to wear it. In my family a nice dinner means going to a local buffet in something other than jeans. Which is really all right. I mean, I don't think I could stand living large like this for a long time."

"It can be nice, but you run into the worst people."

"What do you mean?"

Noticing her expression, he added, "Not followers of -- of the Dark Lord." He lowered his voice a bit for the last part. "But people who have the same ideas that pure blood is the only good blood. They wouldn't kill for those beliefs, but they definitely voice them."

Lily's eyes were directed at her plate. She was stirring her salad slowly with a fork. "What do your parents think about that?" She meant her voice to be a little stronger than it sounded.

James's stomach twisted. The light quenched from Lily's eyes prompted a pain in him that he hadn't expected --

And he was bloody well not going to talk about this to her anymore. She did not deserve it.

"I don't really pay attention to their talk," he said lightly, shrugging. He drained the last of his water and put some Galleons on the table. "Listen, it's getting late, and if we must roll out of bed at five again tomorrow, we'd better go."

Lily nodded, pulling herself out of her reverie. "I am tired," she muttered, putting on her cloak. "All I want to do now is crawl in bed and sleep for a week." Her hand still hurt from scribbling notes all day.

"My bed or yours?" James remarked as they stepped out into the cold night street.

"Shut up, James," Lily said tiredly.