Seriously Yours
It was a stormy winter day in 1977, one that found the stained-glass windows of Hogwarts castle practically rattling with gale force winds. Although nature provided weather that had everyone trapped indoors, it was nothing compared to the tension within the nearly empty Gryffindor common room. Hiding behind his Charms textbook, Remus Lupin was tempted to cast a Silencing Charm on his friends before their tempers really took hold. Already Lily was staring at the crackling fire in the grate with clenched fists. Watching James eyeing his girlfriend in frustration were the three Marauders: Peter sniffling in the corner, Sirius enjoying the show and of course Remus, torn between playing peacekeeper and blocking the whole thing out.
"Watch what you say, Prongs," Sirius warned him. "We've all seen Evans on the warpath."
"Shut up, Padfoot," James snapped, hands raised warily as he stepped up behind the fuming redhead. "Lily, will you please just explain to me what I did this time?"
"If you really don't know, then I don't know what to tell you, Potter," Lily hissed, whirling around when his hand touched her shoulder. "Just don't! Why don't you go chase after Mary McDonald, like you so obviously want to?"
"I'm sorry…what?" James stammered, looking so genuinely confused that Lily had to lower her gaze before it softened. For most of this school year, things between them had been running smoothly. Between losing Snape's friendship in fifth year and James maturing enough for the responsibility of Head Boy, she hadn't regretted letting her guard about him down. "Where the hell did you hear that?"
"Alice says she saw you on the last Hogsmeade trip," Lily told him, glaring for good measure. It had been a while since Lily Evans had unleashed her infamous temper on him and she didn't miss how he physically flinched.
The way her bright green emerald eyes glinted in rage was incredibly distracting and it took a moment for James to respond. "I don't know what Alice thinks she saw but it certainly wasn't me!"
"Then why did you have to hesitate?" she challenged, turning away before the dismay on his face cracked her façade of rage. "I really thought things were different now."
"Lily, come on," he groaned, one hand reaching up to ruffle his already catastrophically messy hair. What Lily used to find arrogant, she now knew was a nervous habit and she quickly turned her back again, cursing herself for giving James Potter the power to destroy her. "I hesitated because the whole thing is totally ridiculous." He stepped up behind her and snaked his muscly arms around her waist, staring into the blazing fire. "I love you, Evans. I don't need anybody else and I never will."
"Evans, how can you resist our boy? I'm falling in love with him here," Sirius called from across the room and both James and Lily glared at him while Remus abandoned his book and shook his head in exasperation. "Besides, you guys are about to give Wormtail a nervous breakdown."
"That part might actually be true," Remus agreed, moving from the couch where he had been trying to study to the corner where Peter sat. "Calm down Wormtail, I'm sure they'll figure this out."
Lily watched the mousy boy shuddering in dread for a moment and it suddenly gave her a pretty evil idea. Drawing in a deep breath, she looked up at James with a serious look on her face. "Potter, I don't see how this is going to work if we can't trust each other. I think it would probably be better if we just ended this now." There was a collective gasp from the other three Marauders while James just stared at her, too gob-smacked to speak. Lily turned to see Sirius gaping at her in pure horror and it wasn't long before Peter broke down somewhere behind her.
"What the hell, Evans?" James demanded. "You can't be serious! I'm not going let you do this over some bloody rumor that's not even true."
He was too agitated to even notice that her eyes were sparkling mischievously as she swept towards him and clamped her hand over his mouth. "Well that was so worth it," she giggled, watching his hazel eyes widen in confusion. "Of course I'm not serious, you idiot! He is," she said, nodding over her shoulder at Sirius, who leapt to his feet looking prouder than she had ever seen him.
"Did you just make The Pun, Evans?" he said, beaming in delight at her smirk. "That's it, Prongs, if you don't marry this girl, I will."
"One more word and Prongs might kill you, Sirius," Remus told him, suppressing his own grin. "If I may, James, she's a freaking keeper for that one."
"Everybody, shush!" James ordered the room at large, his first words since recovering from the awed shock when Lily removed her hand from over his mouth. "That," he said, stepping dominatingly closer to her; "was very rude, Evans. You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"Aww, don't I do that just by existing, Potter?" she winked teasingly.
"She's got a point there, Prongs," Sirius laughed. "Damn Evans, your sass bone had a growth spurt over the summer."
"Sirius, shut up." This time it was Lily herself who rolled her eyes at the teasing and told Sirius to keep his mouth shut. With the other three Marauders watching dumbstruck, she turned back to James. "Clearly the audience is here to stay, so they may as well all hear this: I am yours, James Potter and I trust you with everything I am. Thanks for growing up; you not so arrogant, former toe-rag."
No sooner were the words out of her mouth than James grabbed her shoulders and dipped her backwards, strong hands pressing against the arch of her back while his lips found their way to hers. Their spectating friends watched in silence for a few moments, but it was a little squeak of excitement from Peter that finally broke the spell. "Guys, you might want to stop before Wormtail wets himself over there," said Sirius coolly.
James and Lily turned to see Remus patting Peter on the back. "Don't worry Wormtail, this is just a little taste of what's to come. You're all invited to the wedding," promised James, slipping his arm around Lily's shoulders and pressing her close. "And you," he added to her; "don't ever do that again, you evil creature! I love you too much."
"The wedding, huh?" Lily repeated, laughing at the suddenly sheepish look on his face. "Bit presumptuous of you Potter, don't you think?"
"Well, I…" he stammered, trailing off awkwardly and going red in the face. Lily grabbed his hand before it could leap to his hair again and pressed a gentle kiss to his knuckles.
"Flustering James Potter has got to be my new favorite activity," she told their friends triumphantly and all three of them cheered approvingly. She let James pull her close and relished the feeling of his arms around her while her head rested just high enough to hear his heart pounding. "The Chaser has made his catch," she said softly. "And unlike your stupid Snitch, I'll never leave this deliciously comfy spot right here."
"Sirius puns and Quidditch analogies?" said Sirius, sounding completely awed by her attitude. "I swear to God, Prongs, you better hang on to this one!"
"Oh, I plan to," said James fervently. "Excuse us, boys. I need to teach Evans here what happens to girls who make such cruel jokes."
Whispering something in Lily's ear that made her blush furiously, he took her hand and dragged her in the direction of the boys' dormitory. When they were out of sight, Sirius leaned back against the plushy couch cushions with a dramatic sigh. "What a show, he so needs to keep that girl."
"I think we've safely established that he has no plans of letting her go," Remus pointed out reassuringly. "Hey, do you want to sneak down to the kitchens to get some vinegar with me? I need to practice that spell which turns vinegar to wine."
"Sure," said Sirius gamely, getting lazily to his feet. "On one condition, though: You have to let me drink it. After that display Prongs and Evans just gave us I need it."
"You certainly have a lot of faith I'll nail the spell," said Remus, beckoning to Peter to come with them as they approached the portrait-hole.
"Spells are the only thing you ever nail," said Sirius, making Peter laugh wheezily. "Of course I have faith in you, Moony. Now let's go before the lovebirds come back down here, there's only so much PDA I can take in one day." Outside the castle, the stormy weather raged on but the three Marauders on their mission for alcohol were now oblivious to it. They knew that curled up in James' bed up in the dormitory was the representation of their very core, a love that could overcome the darkest of times. And somehow, no matter what happened, it gave them all hope.
A / N Holy shit, this is literally my first pure HP fic in five years. It was the gateway fandom to fic writing for me and remains loaded with nostalgia so I hope everyone enjoys this little piece inspired by something on Tumblr xx