Dear Mariam,

I hope you have a very merry christmas, filled with all things Jily and Harry Potter!

From your secret santa,

Imi x

Hogwarts always looked prettiest when it snowed. That was, of course, in Lily Evans' opinion. For her, the Black Lake iced over and the twirling towers of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry topped with snow was when it was at its most beautiful. The traditional season of snow ran from November to January, with light coverings at the beginning and end. However, in deep December, it fell thick and fast and you could barely step out of the Hogwarts Entrance Hall without being pummelled with a million snowballs from every direction. In the year of 1978, it snowed in late March. It was unusual but not unheard of and it was on a certain day, in this particular snowfall that our love story truly begins.

Lily Evans looked out of her window in her private dorm especially for the Head Girl, thinking just how much she loved Hogwarts in the snow, when she heard a noise from behind her. She smiled, guessing who it was moments before the familiar arms snaked around her waist.

James Potter looked out at the grounds over his girlfriend's shoulder, understanding why she loved it so much in an instant. Taking her hands in his, he squeezed them three times briefly before pulling her towards him. He kissed her softly and slowly, but broke apart, far too soon for the girl's liking, with a smile on his face. "I have something for you," he whispered, his breath tickling her lips as he spoke. He stepped away and said, "wrap up warm," before leaving the room and heading into their shared common room to get his coat.

The Head Boy was almost shaking with excitement as he found his coat and a pair of gloves. He had waited for this moment since the day he first set eyes on Lily Evans on Platform Nine and Three Quarters seven years ago. James had planned it over and over in his head, thinking of different ways to do it and never giving up hope no matter how many times she publicly declined his dates. When she finally went out with him, James thought he was the luckiest man alive and when she told him she loved him, he knew he was. Now the day had come. The day he would propose.

The sound of footsteps from behind him reached James' ears and when he turned around, Lily was standing beside him. He smiled and took her hand, not saying a word, and led her from their common room, through the castle and down to the entrance hall.

Lily gasped as she stepped into the white wonderland. Overnight the snow had fallen far heavier than she had thought and the sight was so much more beautiful when you were in it, than above it from a window. A smile stretched over her face and James' soon followed as he saw just how happy she was.

"Come on," he tugged on her hand with a smirk that Lily knew only to mean he was plotting something, "It's this way." As she followed him around the grounds, she wondered what he could possibly have for her in the snow. Her hand tensed in his as she froze in place. It was an ambush. That would be so typical of the Marauders. To drag her out into the snow and pummel her when she had no way to defend herself. Lily loved the guys and all, but sometimes they just went too far.

"James, where are Sirius, Remus and Peter?"

"I have no idea," he replied, praying to Merlin they had done as he asked and were waiting for them. Shit, does she know something, he thought.

"They aren't going to attack me with snowballs, are they?" As the question left, Lily Evans' mouth, her boyfriend breathed a sigh of relief. He smiled and closed the distance between them, putting a gloved hand to her cold cheek, "No, I swear." Lightly, he touched his lips to hers and smiled; she knew nothing.

James took her hand in his once more and began to head towards the Forbidden Forest. Of course the boys had never followed rules too closely, they were more the kind who coloured just outside the lines, but Lily always seemed as straight-laced as it was possible to be. The day she had taken James into the forest to a little clearing a few hundred metres through the trees, he began to question just how much of a goodie two shoes she really was.

Since that day, early on in their seventh and final year before they were officially together, the clearing had become their place. James had taken her there for a picnic as their first date and they had carved their names on an old oak on Christmas Day. It was the place they had laughed together, kissed each other, the location of some of their fondest memories, a place of peace and calm and tranquillity. It was theirs.

A smile began to form on Lily's face as she realised where they were headed and soon the couple were weaving through the tall trees towards the place where the clearing was located. The snow now lay in patches on the forest floor, the firs and oak branches were merely acting like an umbrella for the majority of the white flakes, but some had slipped through the net.

The lopsided trademark smirk of a Marauder widened on James' face as the clearing came into view. The guys did good, he thought as he spied the snow covered clearing, illuminated by lanterns suspended in the air, making a mental note to thank them later in the form of a good few bottles of firewhiskey.

Before Lily could catch a glimpse, James turned and took his wand out of his sleeve. "I'm going to blindfold you," he warned briefly before waving it and muttering "Obscuro", producing a patch covering her eyes. Taking both of the Head Girl's hands, James carefully guided his girlfriend into the centre of the clearing.

From the inside it had evidently been magically expanded, decorated with detail and perfected with talented wandwork. Sirius must have had a field day on it, and Remus would have had his work cut out making sure he didn't go too over the top. The picnic basket of champagne and brownies had to be Peter's touch; he knew just how to get the best out of the Hogwarts elves. Maybe they deserve a bit more than some firewhiskey...

Turning back to Lily, James took a deep breath and reached into his pocket, removing from it a small velvet box. Opening it, the cluster of diamonds sparkled in the lantern-light, telling him that his grandmother's engagement ring, a Potter family heirloom, was nestled in the folds of silk. He got down onto one knee and looked up at his girlfriend before saying, "you can take off the blindfold now."

Lily lifted her hands to her face and removed the scrap of fabric covering her eyes, her mouth dropping in shock as she took in her surroundings. Finally her eyes fell to her boyfriend, kneeling in the snow, with a sparkling diamond ring in his hands.

"I know we've only been together for a couple of months, but I've loved you since the day I first set eyes on you. I know there's a war going on and I know we're going to fight, but we have to live every moment to the fullest. Lily Elizabeth Evans, would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

The redhead just looked at him. The girl, who always had something to say and always had the last word, ever since the day they had met on the Hogwarts Express in their first year, was utterly speechless. Her hands rose to her mouth as she struggled to keep the tears from flowing.

After a few moments, Lily gasped and blurted, "Oh James, of course I'll marry you!" He stood and took her in his arms, kissing her hard on the mouth as she wrapped her legs around her waist in excitement. She could no longer hold in the tears of joy which fell freely from her eyes. James put her back down and placed the ring on her left hand, the smile on his face irremovable.

"I love you so much, Lily."

"I love you too, James."

Thank you to Em (jily-everywhere) and Olivia (infalliablesnaps) for reading it through for me.