The Next Great Adventure (A Marauders Fan Fic)

Chapter Fifty Five

“Yeah you’ve told me once or twice.” James glared at her and she clapped her hand over her mouth. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

“Okay yeah well… er… so there’s nobody else in the entire world who makes me as happy as you do and so I just thought maybe…” James looked down intensely for a moment as he stuck his hands in his pockets, avoiding Lily’s eyes, before he knelt on the ground. Lily’s hands, still covering her mouth, only half concealed her gasp as her eyes widened. “Maybe if you wanted to… we could… um… you know… get married?” He pulled his hands out of his coat pocket and held a velvet box up in between them. “Oh wait I should probably open that,” he mumbled to himself as he pulled the lid up and held it back up again.

Lily nodded wordlessly before she finally pulled herself together, swiping hurriedly at her eyes. “Yes. Of course. Yes.”

“Oh good,” he grinned, “because it would be a bit awkward if you’d said no. Also now I can stand up again-"

“No wait,” she said, making James sigh. “What is it?” he asked.

“I just want to fix this in my memory so that I’ll be able to remember it forever.”

“Oh come on Lily!” he moaned. “My knee’s getting soaked. I’m kneeling in snow for god’s sake! Can’t you remember this when I’m standing up?”

“It’s pretty! Besides, you’re an idiot. Or have you forgotten that, as an over-age wizard carrying a wand in an area completely devoid of Muggles, you are perfectly capable of casting a drying spell once you stand up?”

“Yeah but it’s cold now,” he grumbled, still kneeling on the floor. “Nobody else had to kneel this long when they proposed.”

“Nobody else was proposing to me.”

“I take it back. I don’t want to marry you. You’re cruel. Frank didn’t kneel at all when he proposed to Alice.”

“Too late, I already said yes. You don’t have a choice. No take-backs.”

“What does that mean?” He was still looking up at her but now his brow was furrowed in confusion. The snowflakes caught in his black hair were illuminated by the streetlight which cast a yellow halo around them, and his glasses had drops of water clinging to them where some had melted. She had never seen him looking so sweet as he frowned at her, his hand still raised to show her the ring which was glinting in its box.

“Oh nothing, it’s a Muggle saying. Here, come on, get up.” She held her hand out and hauled him up before drying his trousers off for him. He held the box out silently and she took it gently, pulling the ring out and turning it over in her hands. It was a round diamond surrounded by emeralds - much like every other piece of jewellery James had given her - and she smiled at the obvious connection. “My mum gave it to me last time she saw me… which was quite a while ago. I think she’s been planning this for a long time.” He rolled his eyes and Lily giggled, still gazing at how it glinted. “Wait, aren’t I supposed to put it on your finger?” he asked.

“Well you can,” she said as she gave it back to him, “but I mean-"

“No. Take your gloves off.”

“It’s cold!”

“I know! Give me your hand!” She held it out and he pulled her glove off, stuffing it in his pocket before slipping the ring onto her finger where she looked at it in amazement. She had never expected them to end up here after all those years of intense dislike. Here they were though, standing so close to each other that she could feel the heat radiating off him. His hazel eyes gazed down at her and he smiled gently as she felt her face begin to crumple again; her heart was swelling with happiness and she didn't think she could contain it. It had taken them so long to get to where they were - nearly six years at the very least, which was when she had begun to see past her years of dislike - and even now that James stood before her, she almost didn't believe that it was real. "Oh James," she murmured as she tore her eyes away from the ring on her finger and looked up at him. "It's perfect."