The Truth Behind the Veil ✔️

Class of 1978

"Hello," he began his voice shaking the slightest bit, "As you know, I'm James Potter—or at least I hope you know. We have been at school together for a few years now." The audience chuckled. "That being said, I think we all know that I am not the blueprint of responsibility, certainly not the first choice for a Head-Boy."

Maybe his first few years of school that would have been true but a lot had changed. Becoming an Animagus to help his best friend, defending Lily against Snape's insults and yet not attacking him due to Lily's request, always being there for each and every person who needed him in any form; James, at least now, was the perfect choice for this position.

"But," he continued, his eyes darting to the students behind him in his peripheral vision, "I hope I did the position justice. Despite my class-clown ways I did try really hard to take this responsibility seriously—no pun intended... maybe a little bit intended." There were some eye rolls and half-hidden grins. "Anyway, I am here to make an inspiring speech so I'm going to attempt that now."

"YOU'VE GOT THIS PRONGS!"

  "Sirius," Fawn hissed, swatting his arm lightly. "Shut up!"

James grinned at Sirius before facing his attention back to the main crowd. "Thank you mate. Okay, so, Hogwarts is the best place I know. I've made so many memories here that I wouldn't trade for anything. I made the best friends—brothers and sisters—here, I scored my first goal here, I became the leader I've always wanted to be, I pulled my first prank, and...I found the love of my life here."

Lily's face was flaming red at his words as she stared at the pink-manicured hands resting in her lap.

"Hogwarts is a place for opportunity. Hogwarts is where I discovered who I was—though it took me a while if how I acted for the first five years is any indication." More eye rolls and amused scoffs rang out among his peers.

"I have nothing but good things to say about this place. Which is why, I want to take the next big step right here, before I need to say goodbye."

  James turned, facing Lily, holding out a hand to her. "Lily Evans, my fellow Head Girl, will you please join me for the rest of this speech?"

His girlfriend's eyes went wide while the crowd went silent in anticipation. "A-Are you serious?"

  "Well technically I'm James—" She hit his hand away. "Yes, love, I'm serious."

Lily gave him an unimpressed look as she got to her feet, ignoring the cheers and wolf-whistles that arose as she did. In his right hand, Lily's hand rested in his own, in a tight, nervous squeeze. His left hand gripped the podium, his wand now placed in a stand.

"As many of you know, I have fancied Lily Evans for a long, long time."

  "Damn right you have!" cried Marlene.

"At first, it was just an infatuation." He laughed. "In fact it all started when I asked for help studying for a potions exam and she kept saying no. Eventually she suggested someone else to help me but I would never in my wildest dreams at that time even dare to consider such blasphemy." Lily huffed. "Anyway my final resort—thanks Sirius—"

  "What did I do!"

  "—was to offer Lily a date if she'd help me."

Lily laughed at the memories while James' calm hazel eyes rested on her flushed face lovingly.

"We were thirteen and she had standards so of course, she said no. I retaliated by saying; 'well fine, you're not that pretty anyway," like a blasted idiot. When she left, completely unbothered by my opinion of her, I muttered to myself; 'she is kind of pretty,' and thus, my infatuation was born."

Fawn smiled at the story; she'd never heard that one before. The tale seemed so on par for a thirteen year old James Potter.

"Over the next few years I got my flirting advice from Sirius—a terrible idea now that I think about it."

  "Hey!"

   "Sorry mate, it's true."

Sirius huffed indignantly, looking even more offended when Fawn whispered something to him.

"Anyways," James laughed, "after years of being called an arrogant toe-rag and many, many rejections later, I finally began to grow up." Some students could be heard commenting otherwise.

"In the middle of sixth year, Lily and I became friends. Just friends. She was very clear on that part." Lily chuckled softly, adoration gleaming in her jade-green eyes. "But eventually, things started to shift. I don't know exactly when Lily started to return the feelings, but she did. And here we are," he waved his free hand, "eight and a half months of dating later and I've never been happier."

James kissed Lily's temple which she shied away from embarrassedly. Lily was not one to enjoy the spotlight. "Until today."

"Bet that he's proposing?" Sirius asked.

  "He definitely already told you," Fawn whispered back, "Besides, you're loaded enough without my poorly spent ten extra galleons." Sirius' lips turned down into a pout but said nothing more, knowing Fawn had won.

James was still speaking.

"... Lily Jane Evans, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You are so much more than I could have ever imagined, and I fall in love with you all over again every second of every day."

Lily had let a few stray tears cascade down her cheeks but the smile on her face was beaming.

"So," James kneeled to the floor, rummaging in his trouser pocket, "Will you, Lily Evans, the love of my life... marry me?"

Lily was frozen in her spot and the panic took over.

"I-I know we're really young but with everything going on with the war I just didn't want to waste any time and I've known I wanted to spent the rest of my life with you for a really long time and I know we're only eighteen so if you want to wait that's fine. I know I'm probably not as mature as you need me to be so if we want to wait or—"

"Yes."

James stumbled over his words for a second later before looking up at his fiancé like a deer in the headlights. "Y-You said yes?"

  A watery laugh escaped Lily's pink glossed lips. "Yes, James Fleamont Potter, I said yes."

A second later she was twirling in the air under James' grasp and the audience was going absolutely insane.

"SHE SAID YES!" screamed Peter as if the hugging, kissing and crying wasn't enough of a tell.

  "I have a sister in law," said Sirius.

"We're getting married!" James announced loudly over the crowd as he slipped the goblin-made diamond ring on his future wife's finger with a passionate kiss.

Fawn was crying, Marlene was crying, Alice was crying, the boys were crying but Remus was the only one openly showing, Peter and Sirius were hiding their faces in each other's shoulders while they pretended to be hugging in glee.

James and Lily were getting married. The Potter family was starting. Happy graduation Hogwarts class of 1978.

End of 7th Year
(Suggested Reading Break)