A/N: This is for a Hogwarts assignment, but first I must give a warning: if you are reading this collection and Unwanted Affections, there will eventually be spoilers (unless I can manage to finish my works in progress...I'm sorry to you all.) Anyway, you have been warned.

Task #1: Write about a character and an OC twin.

Restriction: You cannot write about any canon twins or brothers/sisters.

Quidditch Pitch: Now it was up to him.

Word count: 706


Evelyn sighed as she opened her eyes from the dream. His skin had felt so real. His words had felt so real. And then she woke up, remembering the awful truth. She hated Severus for what he had done, and yet she was still utterly in love with him.

Then she heard a knock at her door and groaned. Even more than she hated Severus, she hated her twin for ruining the one chance she had with the only man she had ever loved. Even two years after the fact and a year after school had ended, a part of her regretted repairing her relationship with James. Yet in the end, she knew she'd be happy they were finally close again, and it made her parents happy.

The knock came again and she sat up and shouted, "Just Alohamora it, I'll be out in a minute."

She forced herself out of bed and walked over to the closet. She honestly had no idea what her brother had wanted so early in the morning. Not expecting much, she grabbed a simple pair of slacks and a shirt she had just bought before walking out to meet her brother.

"You'd think that you would have been awake already, considering you've known about this for two days," James teased as she entered the living room. "I'm honestly surprised it didn't work with you and Sirius. You're very similar."

She rolled her eyes at the comment. Sirius, who had mooned over her for years, and then when she had given him a chance and left, jumped straight into Marlene McKinnon's arms.

"What on earth could require I set aside the whole day for you? Especially when you so charmingly remind me of people I dislike," she retorted.

"Later, for now, let's go. We're behind schedule. We'll have to get a breakfast to eat while we walk."

"James, wait, what are we even doing?"

He ignored his twin and walked out the door, waiting for her to follow.


They walked down a Muggle street, holding pastries and eating as muggles bustled by. Even in her summers playing with Lily, she had never been so surrounded by them. It felt odd they didn't notice just how out of place she and James really were.

"James, we have food, and we've been walking down this street for twenty minutes. What on earth are we doing?"

"Just hold on," he said, quickening his pace. "We're almost there."

And in fact, just a few meters later, he stopped and pulled her into a quiet shop. It had several redwood display cases filled with jewelry.

"James, what's this?"

Finally he turned and looked at her with a ridiculous grin. "I'm going to propose to Lily. I want your help picking out a ring."

Her heart stopped in its tracks. She wanted to be happy for him, for her best friend, and yet she felt anger. She felt envy and as if he was running his happiness in her fact. But she still smiled anyway. "That's great, James. She'll be so happy. But, why don't you use the ring mum offered you last year?"

"I want something more personal. I want one that screams 'James and Lily'."

Evelyn rolled her eyes but managed to smile more easily. "Then I guess we should get looking, shouldn't we."

His grin was all she needed to be happy for him.


An hour had passed and they had narrowed it down to three. Evelyn had given her opinion on each one. Now it was up to him.

"James, they're all lovely, and she'd love any of them."

"But it has to be perfect."

She shook her head.

"Go for the emerald then," Evelyn finally urged. "It's not traditional, and Merlin knows you two aren't. And the green will compliment her eyes. Not to mention, she positively adores gold."

He glanced at them once more. There was a lovely, simple ring with a diamond. Nothing fancy, but it had stood out to them. Another silver ring with a diamond and several smaller ones surrounding it. And then there was the emerald ring. It's good band curled elegantly like vines around the heart-cut emerald.

"I think you're right, Evie. That's the perfect one!"