L'Amoureuse
Lazy Days
Summary: A series of L/J centered one-shot/drabbles, each of which will be based upon a quote. There will be fifty total. A response to my own challenge, 50 Phrases.
Disclaimer: No, I am not JKR. If I was, there would be a Marauder novel, Harry would have stopped whining, and Snape would not be dead. If that just spoiled DH for you, too bad.
Based on quote number 5, 'Will you marry me?' Enjoy!
Chapter 1- An Honest Mistake
James ruffled his hand through his hair, and from far away, Lily sighed. Lily had learned, in the three years that they had been together and in the year, nine months, and four days (yes she had been keeping track) that they had lived together that it was a nervous habit. When James was nervous, off-balance, shy, or upset, he ruffled his hair.
He hadn't stopped bloody ruffling his hair all weekend, and Lily was dying to know why.
'Alright James, what the bloody hell is going on?'
'What do you mean?'
'You've been running your hand through your hair since Friday night, and if you keep going, it'll be as oily as Snape's.' James looked faintly repulsed, and then blushed.
'It's- well it's nothing. Don't worry about it.' His hand flew to pat his pocket, as if searching reassurance. He'd been doing that too, as of late. How very odd.
The truth was, James Potter was holding a trump card in his pocket. Well, not really, but what was in his pocket would change his life forever. It was, as you may already have guessed, an engagement ring. He'd been looking for the right moment all weekend, but hadn't found it. At their would-be romantic candlelit dinner Friday night, Padfoot had turned up, knocked soup down Lily's favorite blouse, and somehow set fire to James's eyebrows. At breakfast Saturday morning, James choked on his orange juice right before asking and ruined the moment. All weekend, little honest mistakes were popping up, preventing the perfect moment.
Maybe, James reasoned, there was no perfect moment. Maybe he had to just bite the bullet- a strange Muggle expression he heard Lily use often but didn't understand; what on earth was a bullet?- and go through with it. Maybe, with some luck, it would work out.
James had forgotten that he had no luck.
'Will you marry me?' Horrified, he clapped a hand over his mouth and ran into the bedroom, locked the door with five different spells, and barricaded himself in with a desk.
Honestly, he hadn't meant for that to come out so abruptly. He hadn't even shown her the ring or anything! He had just blurted it out from the floor where he was collecting clippings about Death Eaters. There had been no candles; there had been no ceremony. He hadn't even gotten to use his prepared speech, which was lovely and went a little something like this:
'Lily, you know that I love you. I've loved you, and only you, since I was fourteen. Well now I'm twenty and I'm sick of waiting. I'm sick of only being your boyfriend. What I'm trying to say, Lily, is that I want this to be something more. I want you to marry me and make me the happiest wizard on this earth.'
It was perfect. Romantic, witty, with just the right touch of nail-biting worry at what was going to come out of his mouth. Of course he hadn't been able to deliver it. The bloody world hated him with a passion. He must have killed kittens in a past life, for crying out loud!
So now he was hiding in his room- their room, he corrected himself- waiting for the yelling. Because he had butchered what was supposed to be 'the most perfect and magical moment of your life' according to Lily's non-moving girly magazines. Yes, he did read them. He needed the advice, after all. Where that had gotten him, he wasn't sure.
All of a sudden, he realized that Lily was sitting next to him.
'You forgot to put an anti-Apparition charm on the door, idiot.'
Well if she was using pet-names, they were fine.
'Look, Lily, I'm sorry I mucked that up. I had a speech and everything, but Padfoot ruined dinner Friday, and I choked Saturday morning, and I just never got the words out. But I realized that there really is no perfect moment. You have to make it. So with that in mind… Lily Evans, will you marry me? I've wanted to marry you since I was fourteen, and I reckon that six years of waiting is long enough. Oh and- there's this. It's not much- I know, but it took me forever to find.'
The ring was simple but beautiful, which was why he bought it. It reminded him of Lily. A thin gold band, with a solitaire diamond on it. At the base of the diamond were two tiny emeralds- tiny but beautiful and the exact color of Lily's eyes.
He clumsily held it out to Lily, hoping she'd take it, and feeling like she most likely wouldn't. When he dared to look up at her, he realized that she was smiling at him with the softest expression he'd ever seen on her face- or at least that's what she thought. But it was the same expression she had when she watched him sleep, and he'd peeked at her doing that before.
'James Potter, the question isn't if I'll marry you- it's if you'll marry me. Will you marry me, James Potter?'
'Of course I will.'
So the moment wasn't perfect, but amid the five different locking spells and the furniture piled against the door, Lily and James kissed and laughed and made love, the careless and carefree fiancées.
X
Author's Note: Don't worry, I'm not abandoning Hard To Find. I just couldn't resist this challenge since I created it… well for me if I'm perfectly honest. Please read and please review if you have a minute. It doesn't take long and it really does make my day.