Fiancé

Chapter 2

Proposing Possibilities

"Marriage is a three ring circus: the engagement ring, the wedding ring, and the suffering." -Anonymous

"What?"

"Oh, my!"

"When?"

"Really?"

"Is she pregnant?"

"NO!"

"Oh, thank God!"

"Hey!"

"Lily!"

"You, shut it!"

"Eek!"

"WHAT?" I repeated myself more forcefully the second time in case no one heard me. I turned in my chair to face James angrily.

He squirmed in his seat as he felt the glares of every person at the table staring at him. James twitched nervously and ran his fingers through his hair. "Uh, Lily and I are engaged," he repeated, though this time it sounded more like a question.

I looked over at everyone to try to gauge their reaction. My father looked speechless. He was still holding his wine glass, and he glanced down to make sure that it was still in his hand. I noticed that his forehead looked crinkly from all the lines that were forming in it. It looked like one of those wavy crisps.

Petunia's face morphed from dumbfounded to comprehension, to quizzical, to disbelief, and to disapproval. Right now, I was quite certain that she had settled on unbridled fury. Her blue eyes were full of malice as she stared at James like she was trying to kill him where he sat. If the way she was ripping her napkin in two was any inclination, James was not going to go peacefully. Good. Frankly, at the moment, I approved. I wondered if Tuney wanted any help.

She then turned and gazed at me. A little scared of the way her blue eyes narrowed into infinitesimal slits, I quickly moved my eyes to Vernon, who kept turning his head to stare at James and Petunia with a flabbergasted expression that even seemed to make his mustache seem surprised.

Mum, of course, was filled to the brim with excitement. The eagerness in her eyes was that of a child who had just been told that he could take any animal from the zoo home with him. And she wanted the lion. A slow smile formed at her lips that spread across her whole countenance until a hearty exclamation of congratulations finally erupted out of her mouth. "That's wonderful!" she squealed, breaking the silence.

The energy in the room changed immediately.

"Isn't that wonderful, Henry?" Mum prodded as she looked pointedly at my father.

He put down his glass and removed his glasses from his face before resting his hand against its temple. "It's unexpected," he managed to choked out after a beat.

"And to think, both of my girls married! Oh, Petunia, it looks like you're not the only special one here after all!"

Petunia's head zoomed towards Mum. "But, Mum! I'm still the one getting married!"

"Oh, but now your sister is, as well! Can you just imagine it? Lily and James Potter!" Mum cooed happily as she stood up from her table. She walked over and threw her arms around James. "Oh, I'm just so happy."

Petunia made a clicking noise with her tongue as she watched Mum with disdain.

I hid my face in my hands and waited for the nightmare to end. After a few seconds, I settled for kicking James roughly in the shin so at least he would remember to wake up.

"Thanks, Mrs. Evans," James yelped.

"Oh, James, dear, call me 'Mum,'" she said sweetly. "We're family now."