you're made of steel, dear

“Lily’s sister and her brute of a bloke are going to be there. I need to look less–wizardy, y’know?” Petunia and Vernon were always a point of contention. They hated James the moment he stepped into their presence, and he was already sure that they would never accept him. It didn’t hurt to try at least. There were very few people in the world who James couldn’t schmooze.

"So no robe then?” Dorcas understood, particularly as a muggleborn, that there were parts of her that had to remain secret, as determined by law, but she also didn’t believe in masking one’s self expression. “You know you’re going to stand out no matter what you do when you go ‘round people like that. I say be bold, be yourself, and don’t let them suck all the air from the room, y’know? You have as much right to be there as they do.” 

“Yes, please. I’ve got a forty-five whole minutes before my next shift.” Hestia looped her arm firmer into Dorcas’s hold, dragging her along a little in her enthusiasm. “Ooh, this reminds me: I was visiting Mum in Brighton a bit ago, right, and old Jezzer decided to take us to this really cute, but weirdly fancy, cafe place on the pier and they had this strawberry and baby spinach salad with these balls of fresh feta that was just? bloody wild? best thing my mouth has ever tasted, ever!”

“A quaint cafe by the water that offers fresh and flavorful food? Girl, that kind of place is right up my alley. I am a sucker for the seaside. Bath is nice and all, the hot springs are great, but sometimes you just want to enjoy the ambiance of the beach. We should go sometime, yeah? We are two hard-working ladies and we deserve a break every now and then.” Not that either of them had jobs where they were given ample time off. Training was gearing up for Dorcas and there was always going to be someone that needed healing for Hestia. 

“Me?” James feigned innocence, although it was hard to disprove. His entire time spent in Hogwarts was build around his reputation for causing havoc, and having entirely too much extra money to bet with. “Lily’s parents. I’ve met them before, but it’s especially important that they like me this time.”

The this time in James’ response spoke volumes to Dorcas. “The first time didn’t go well then? Sometimes, the most you can do is put your best foot forward and hope that they meet you in the middle. You could go with the more conservative attire approach and come dressed in khakis and a polo shirt, but that’s so boring and suburban. There’s a fine line between impressing them and becoming them.” 

“Strawberry shortcake. Strawberry pie. Strawberry galette. Strawberry cheesecake. Strawberry  icecream. Strawberry milkshake. Chocolate-covered strawberries. Should I go on, or is this the perfect opportunity to grab lunch?”

"Now that’s a thought that I like. I gotta admit, I now have a hankering for a strawberry fields salad from that cute little street cafe down the street.” Dorcas looped her arm through Hestia’s. “Shall we?”

“Have you become an official beauty consultant? Do I need to start paying for this?” James mocked shuffling around in his pockets for money. “I’m afraid I’m all out. How about a free session?”

"Don’t pretend like you’re not a rich bitch, Potter.You’re lucky that I’m feeling generous enough to offer up my talents and my time without any strings attached. I could better cater my advice if I knew what the occasion was?”

“Sure, except that you’re wrong. Peach is wonderful, but is it better than strawberries and blueberries? I don’t think so.”

"Peach cobbler. Peach sherbet. Peach salad. Peach-glazed chicken wings. Peach salsa. Should I go on?” 

“Those are some fighting words, Dorcas Meadowes. Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?”

"I’m entirely certain. It’s not up for debate that peach is the best of the summer fruits. Period. End of discussion.” 

“We all know my best feature is Lily. I mean, my hair is pretty impressive, but the rest of me could use some work.” James turned, looking around the store. “Might be out of luck with any green. I could try purple. Or is purple too show-offy? Although, I think that’s what everyone expects. Maybe orange.”

"Purple certainly makes a statement. I, personally, advise the purple over the orange. You would look absolutely smashing in a mauve, for instance. Still flashy, but also soft. Let’s be honest, Lily will be swept away regardless, but it’s not very James Potter-esque to not stand out in the crowd and make himself known.” 

Chuckling, Fabian shook his head, but agreed. “Yeah, alright. Guess it’s not everyone’s cuppa.” He took a sip of the stout that Dorcas had just insulted, more or less, but his brow furrowed quickly as he thought of another he was eager to hear her opinion on. “There’s one that’s, er— Merlin, I forget the company, but it’s notes of dark chocolate and orange.”

"Okay, so you do admittedly have me a bit more curious about one that has fruity notes in it. I’m honestly not too big on stouts in general. More of a wheat beer girl myself. I think it’s the bitterness that gets me, but the one you’re talking about now would have to be a little sweeter, right?” Dorcas twirled her index finger over the lid of her Odell. 

“So you don’t think this blue looks good on me?” James looked in the mirror and was rather disappointed. He always figured that blue looked nice on him. Not that it really mattered, the only thing Lily cared about these days was what was on his feet.

“Blue, James, really?” Dorcas clucked her tongue, tease sprinkling into her words as she looked him up and down, smile tugging her mouth. “We all know green is more your color, am I right? It accentuates your best features.”