"James."
"Uh, no, actually it's Nigel."
Her pompadoured boyfriend was in front of her - down on one knee no less - but her attention was caught entirely by the familiar face she could see walking towards her over Nigel's blond pouf.
"No - I mean - yes, I know - I mean...James," she sputtered, "is standing right behind you."
"Lily," James said.
"What are you doing here?"
"I need to ask you a question."
"Uh, actually, I was just about to ask her a question myself-" started Nigel, rising from the ground and fumbling back into his chair across from Lily.
The Day Before
Marlene McKinnon to Sirius Black
MM: We've got a problem
Sirius
Sirius Black
Missed call to Sirius Black from Marlene McKinnon
YO, BITCH, THIS IS SOME SERIOUS BUSINESS
Missed call to Sirius Black from Marlene McKinnon
HEEEEEYYYYYYYYYY
SB: mckinnon
doll
sweetface
you do realize we are on a tropical vacation
and my sexywolfishmoonybf is here
who i was TRYING to seduce
btw
in case you were wondering
MM: Babbington is going to propose to Lily
SB: asdkjhfgkjdfgsadfkjfh
MM: She's going to say yes
Sirius Black call to Marlene McKinnon
"I haven't seen you in months," she said as James approached the table
"Alright, I guess I'll just let you borrow her for a moment," Nigel said sarcastically, "want to borrow my chair too?"
"Yeah, that'd be great," said James, sliding into his chair and knocking Nigel out of it easily and in one motion, but his eyes never left Lily's.
It was completely unfair, she thought. He had shattered her heart and left her alone and yet here he was, out of nowhere, looking like that. He was sharp lines and ruffled edges. His warm eyes were boring into her and she wanted to climb into their hazel depths. Underneath them were deep shadows which did nothing to dampen the bright hopefulness that overcame is face. It wasn't fair, that he still have this much power over her.
It probably wasn't fair to Nigel either, but that thought got buried far beneath the others.
"Lily," he said again, "I still love you."
She made a noise, or maybe it was Nigel; all her senses had gone pretty James-centric.
"I love you too," she said, because she did.
A crash sounded from somewhere to her right that probably was Nigel.
"Don't you dare!" and Sirius.
"These past few months have been horrible, miserable without you. And I know it's my fault, but I thought that this was for the best, that I was giving you a chance for a better life."
Lily knew this of course, she'd been there when they'd argued, then cried, then argued again, and then finally said goodbye. She knew that it'd taken Marlene days to get her to leave the apartment, that she'd finally said yes to going out again, that she'd run into an old flame at a bar and they'd been getting along well enough, that a few moments ago he'd been about to ask her an important question, and that he was currently being restrained by a giggling Sirius Black.
But goddammit, James Potter comes walking in and nothing else matters.
Lily Evans to Marlene McKinnon
LE: Thanks for setting Pads on me
MM: np
LE: I know you guys think you're helping, but this is good, I promise
MM: I bet you three pina coladas that that you can't say he isn't a boring blob of a human to my face
LE: I can buy you a piña colada without you shitting on my almost-fiance.
MM: SHIT. THE MAN STUDIES SHIT FOR A LIVING. THAT IS WHO YOU ARE SIGNING UP TO BE BURIED NEXT TO
LE: I'm getting engaged, not dying.
MM: the fact that you don't see this as relevant proves that you are not thinking straight
LILY WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS FOR GODSSAKE
LE: I'm glad we're doing this over text, I can save this conversation to show my kids
MM: I THINK I JUST VOMITED
LE: thanks
MM: Lily this whole rebound thing has gone too far, maybe you should talk to him
LE: Stop
Don't you dare
He has nothing to do with this okay
You know me, I want to get married and have kids and do the whole domestic thing. So what else would a reasonable person do when a nice, good-looking guy comes along who's willing to do all that?
MM: Lils
You deserve SO much better than 'willing'
LE: Look Marly, I already found the love of my life. It just wasn't meant to last the whole of my life. And that's fine, right now I want someone who wants what I want.
MM: But you want more than 2.5 kids and a white picket fence
Besides, Babbington is not the only fool with a pompadour willing to get domestic with you
Honestly, what is it with you and guys who are into their hair
Hell, there are plenty of interesting POMPADOUR-LESS guys out there.
LE: Ha
MM: Lils, I love you. I don't want to see you make a mistake.
LE: that's the thing though, I do love him.
I love James
FUCK
NO
FUCK YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN
BABBINGTON
FUCK
NIGEL
MM: I'm taking this as permission btw
LE: FUCK FOR WHAT MARLENE
MARLENE MCKINNON WHAT ARE YOU DOING
HEY
Missed call to Marlene Mckinnon from Lily Evans
"James…" she didn't know what'd she meant to say, if anything.
"But then I realized, we are the best thing. Us, together. You have made me such a better person, and damn it all if it isn't my goal in life to make you happy."
"You make me better too."
He grinned, "I like to think so, but you weren't the one accidentally set that garden shed on fire."
She smiled back, "But you weren't the one who came up with your alibi."
"MAKEOUT ALREADY!" yelled Marlene, reminding them they had an audience at the other table and probably, after Nigel's scuffles and her outburst, the entire restaurant.
"Lily, what I mean to say is, what I came all the way out here to say is, well..." he was starting to ramble, "I think we should go at it together from now on -" Marlene whistled, "Life, I mean, we should go at Life together, and well, everything."
Sirius Black to Marlene McKinnon
SB: We could kidnap one of them
MM: Who?
SB: Lily, Babbleton
James
Though I think he'd just come
MM: Hmmmm
SB: Where are you? I'm waiting at the bar
MM: Look left
SB: YOU MINX
THIS IS UNJUST
REMUS GOT PISSED AT ME AND WENT TO JOIN THAT PING PONG TOURNAMENT
HOW ARE YOU EVEN HAVING THIS CONVERSATION AND STICKING YOUR TONGUE DOWN HER THROAT AT THE SAME TIME?
MM: like this
SB: Heartless
Get a room
MM: text james
SB: thank you my daring partner in crime this plotting session is adjourned you were most helpful im sure victory is within our grasp
or your grasp
GET A ROOM
His gaze was piercing through the layers of pragmatism and apathy she'd hidden behind for weeks on end. Her face was warming and she might have been melting into the seat, but the rainstorm outside meant it had nothing to do with the tropical climate.
"Lily Evans," he stood up and positioned himself in front of her, kneeling down,"Will you-SHIT!"
"What?" she said, shocked out of her reverie.
"Where is it?" he muttered to himself patting his various pockets frantically, like he was on fire, "I had it in my room out of the safe and then...oh FUCK."
"James?"
"Dammit, Lils, I left the ring on my bed at home."
"You sure you didn't just forget it in your luggage?" she suggested.
"I don't have any luggage, I just grabbed my passport and wallet and got on the plane."
"You just got on the plane?" she asked.
Sirius Black to James Potter
SB: prongs this is it
JP: What?
SB: are you sitting down its important
JP: I'm walking out of the subway
SB: okay ill wait
JP: ah shit
Is someone hurt?
Is Lily okay?
Do you need a medevac or something I can call Mom because she knows people
SRIS BALCK IMRUNNNIN TEHSTREETTT
SB: prongsy
chill
just tell me when you're home
JP: For FUCKS SAKE PADFOOT
I thought Lily was in trouble or something
I'm home now
SB: wow, glad to know how much you care about the rest of us
but actually lily is in trouble
JP: SIRIUS ORION BLACK I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU
SB: okay shes not in physical danger
although if you ask me any time spent with beeeblllton increases the risk of getting knocked out but that gelled solid hair pouf
JP: can you get to the point
SB: pompadoofus is going to propose to lily and shes going to say yes unless you get your ass down here and do something about it
prongs
james
are you there
do i need to call mia?
JP: I'll see you in a few hours
"DAMMIT POTTER, YOU HAD ONE JOB!" Marlene exclaimed.
"Do you wanna borrow this one?" asked Sirius, wrenching a velvet box from Nigel's hand.
"Hey!" he cried helplessly.
"I don't think that glorified rhinestone is gonna help his case," said Marlene.
James paid them little mind; he looked pitifully off his rhythm. Lily realized, for all his bravado, he was nervous. "I'm so sorry, Lily," he said, "I tried to be spontaneous and romantic but I just messed up."
"No, you haven't," she said, "Keep going." If he could fly all the way to this island in the middle of a storm to ask her a question, she could meet him part of the way.
He looked up at her from his empty hands and smiled at the hopefulness he saw in her face. Without a ring to hold he took both her hands in his.
"Lily Evans, will you marry me?"
"Yes."
Wedding Announcement, New York Times
Lily Evans, James Potter
Lily Evans, daughter of the late Steve and Peggy Evans, married James Potter, son of the late Fleamont and his surviving wife Euphemia Potter, this past Sunday, June 3rd, in a private ceremony in the Potter's family penthouse overlooking Central Park.
The bride wore a classic white dress designed by a longtime friend of the couple, New York socialite and part-time designer, Sirius Black. Black, who was ordained under the Universal Life Church for the occasion, also officiated the ceremony. Ms. Evans was escorted down the aisle by Mrs. Potter, restaurant mogul and the couple's only surviving parent.
Others in attendance included close friends Marlene McKinnon, who claimed responsibility for the event coming to fruition, and Remus Lupin, currently studying medicine at Cornell, who did not make any similar claims but expressed his best wishes for Ms. Evans and Mr. Potter. Mrs. Petunia Dursley nee Evans, the bride's sister, also attended the ceremony.
The couple had been school sweethearts, only to briefly separate early this year. A romantic reunion earlier last month in the Bahamas preceded this week's happy nuptials.
The new Mr and Mrs Potter, having recently been in the tropics, will honeymoon to the Scottish Highlands in the castle of an old friend.
Obituary, New York Times
Nigel Babbington
Sanitation Reseacher
Nigel Babbington, formerly of New York City, died this past Tuesday, June 4th, in Minsk. He had recently moved from the City, where he worked as a Researcher for the Sanitation Department, to further his studies in Belarus.
Cause of death was as a result of multiple burn wounds and deep lacerations received from a dragon attack. Ignacio, the dragon in question, has diplomatic immunity and refused to comment.
Babbington has no surviving relatives. His estate will be auctioned off in coming weeks and its proceeds donated to the New York Landmarks Conservancy.