The Proposal

Lily Evans was a proud Hogwarts graduate, and an excited adult in the magical world. She had turned 18 only a week ago and in the six months that she had been a Hogwarts graduate Lily had gotten a flat with her friend Marlene McKinnon, secured a job making much needed potions for the Auror Department, and enjoyed a successfully deepening relationship with her boyfriend, James Potter. Throughout all of this she had been as active a member of the Order of the Pheonix, a group dedicated to defeating the dark wizard Lord Voldemort and ending the current magical war, as much as she could afford. As she sat across from James in the Leakey Cauldron she tried not to blame herself for being in such a good mood, she deserved to enjoy herself, she was sure of it.

James, for his part, was not focused on any of that. He wasn't worrying about whether or not he should be in a good mood for two reasons, one was that he never worried about those things. Work hard play hard was in his DNA and he was known to forgo sleep in favor of a late night at a pub with friends, especially after an Order mission. The second reason was that he was too nervous to worry about something like that. As if the ever present bulge of a jewelry box in his pants weren't enough, his friends were being about as obvious as one could get and constantly dropping hints. Thankfully Lily, tired after a week of potions brewing, didn't appear to notice.

"Well I propose," Sirius said loudly, slamming his drink on the table and winking towards James. "That we all make our way back to the flat for some firewhiskey and the rest of Mrs. Potter's cake!"

"I too propose," Remus said with a devious smile. "That Sirius, Peter, and I go take care of the bill with Tom while you two go back to the flat."

Peter was giggling uncontrollably and James groaned, his friends were idiots. Complete and total idiots. Positively dense. "You do whatever you want to do," He said, standing and helping Lily out of her bar stool. "We're going to head on home."

"Yeah you are," Peter said, causing Sirius to bark with laughter.

Noticing that Lily was beginning to question the Marauder's odd exchange, Remus decided to speak up and usher the couple out of the pub. Fun and games was great and all, but they had no intention of ruining James and Lily's night. After all, it was supposed to be a rather big night for the two of them.

"Okay, okay, that was fun but Lily dear, you look like you could use a lie down," Remus said, slowly moving the two of them to the door. Once they were outside he clapped his hand on James' shoulder, "You take care of her, you hear?"

To most, Remus would sound like a concerned, but amused, friend but James knew better. Remus had been friends with Lily for years as well, and the statement meant more than 'don't let her puke on the street'. James nodded, his jaw set for a moment before he turned to grab Lily's hand. The couple walked in silence for the first little while before Lily spoke up.

"So.. I'm going to sound crazy, but are you planning to propose?" Lily asked, biting her lip nervously. She felt absolutely ridiculous for asking. They had just reached the outside of James' building and she had had to ask, the question shoving itself out of her chest. She knew what he'd say, no, but with an odd twinkle in his eye. He'd been proposing to her since she was 13, and when they had gotten together he'd taken no time to let her know how serious he was. Regardless, they were 18 and in the middle of a war. He was constantly gone on some mission or another, having worked full time for the order for about a month since he'd gotten angry with a fellow Auror and quickly quit. Still, with the odd phrasing of his friends and excitement in him she was wondering if maybe he didn't care about all of that. He had always been more romantic than that, and she doubted war would stop him.

"Goddamn it," James said, grumbling as he held the door open for Lily and walked with her up the stairs. "Those idiots only-" When they reached the door to his flat, James stopped Lily for a moment. "Can you just pretend you have no idea what's about to happen?"

Lily's heart rate had increased exponentially at James' response. At first she was worried that she had scared him, but it quickly became apparent that she had guessed right. This is it, he's going to propose! She was giddy with anticipation and could only nod at James' request. She couldn't help it, James was a grand and romantic man, and a man she loved wholeheartedly, she could barely guess what he had planned. She bit her lip softly, trying to suppress her excitement.

James opened the door wide for Lily to see the room he'd spent hours preparing. For the first time since they'd moved in, the Marauders common room was clean. He'd lit the room with floating candles, and the ceiling of the room had been charmed to see the starry night above. A floating quartet set played music on their own, leaving the happy couple to their privacy as James shut the door behind them.

"It's beautiful," Lily said, astounded. She'd seen James and his friends do all sorts of amazing magical feats, but she couldn't help the surprise she felt. She felt her eyes tear up and cursed her habit of happy tears. "James, it's- it's just wonderful."

James grinned, pride, fear, and excitement battling for control in his chest. He knew she would say yes, but he couldn't help the irrational fear that she'd say no, that she'd laugh at him. She was perfect, far too perfect for him. Certainly she would realize that and run far away from a life with him.

Not giving himself time to whimp out, are you a Gryffindor or what?, he knelt down to one knee. As he took a deep breath and prepared to propose, he remembered her father when he'd asked for his blessing.

"Hullo, James, how can I help you?" Mr. Evans asked, sitting in the common room of the Evans' home after his wife welcomed the young man into their home. At the nerves so clear on his face, Mr. Evans had an idea as to why James was there, but he didn't say anything. "I don't imagine you're here to pick of Lily, she's been moved out for a little while now."

James chuckled nervously, running his hand through his hair out of habit. In the wizarding world, a man asked for a father's permission with his parents alongside him, as proof that the woman would be well taken care of and respect for the older generation. Muggles, he'd been told, didn't have such tradition. The man asked his significant other's father alone, no support system behind him. It could be worse, Mr. Evans did like James. Still, it was a precocious thing to ask, and James felt every bit like an 18 year old as he stood before the accomplished man.

"I'm here to ask your blessing," James said, ignoring the pounding in his gut as he did so. He was brave, damn it, and he'd fight obstacles far more dangerous than this for Lily. "I would like to ask for Lily's hand in marriage, and I am hoping for your blessing before I do so."

Ah, he'd been right. Mr. Evans smiled warmly at the young man before him, he remembered when he'd asked his father in law the same question. Though he hadn't asked so eloquently, and he'd been wearing ripped jeans and a leather jacket when he did so, not an amused but wholehearted attempt at muggle professional attire. "And if I give it?"

Though Mr. Evans had full intention of giving James his blessing, he wasn't going to do so without talking to him first. This was his youngest daughter he was talking about. Still, James was already doing better than the whale, Vernon, who hadn't even spoken to him about his intentions to propose to Petunia, much less asked for his blessing. And Vernon had been 23 at the time, not 18.

James felt his heart sink, but he tried his best not to show it. His father had warned him "Mr. Evans won't just give you his blessing," he'd said. "He's going to want to talk to you first about your intentions with Lily, you need to prove to him that you're going to do right by his daughter." He hated that his dad was right, but he couldn't blame Mr. Evans. Lily was precious, and her life was not to be taken lightly.

"Then I will do everything I can to make her life the best it can be," James said with confidence. "Though," He smiled warmly, "I'm sure I'll never make her as happy as she makes me."

"Somehow I doubt that, son," Mr. Evans said with a smile. "I've known Lily her whole life, she's never been as happy as she is with you." He gestured to a seat, there was no need for James to remain standing. "Please, sit," Mr. Evans smiled as James rushed to do as he asked. "Now, Lily tells me you're going to become a police man?"

James bit back his usual quip to that assumption, Aurors weren't mere coppers. He wasn't an Auror anymore though. He'd made it through training, but though they were excellent wizards, the Aurors simply weren't doing enough for the war. It had driven him mad, and after a fight with a fellow Auror about their ineffectiveness in the war efforts, he'd quit. Assuming Lord Voldemort was brought down, James was going to be an Auror again one day, but for now...

"No, actually," James said, unwilling to lie to Mr. Evans even though he knew Lily would support it. "As you know, there is a war going on against You-Know-Who. I joined the Aurors, but my efforts are better put towards fighting the war. "

Mr. Evans was surprised to hear James talk like he did, jaw set and eyes determined. He'd never seen a man so... proud to be jobless. "So you're unemployed?" He asked flatly, unable to hide his disappointment in that. He had no expectation that Lily would be a docile housewife anytime soon, but with marriage came children, and if James was jobless...

"Yes sir," James replied, his voice calm but his throat closing in fear. "I am a full time volunteer in an organization dedicated to fighting the war."

"A vigilante?" Mr. Evans had asked, "So you still live at home with your parents?"

"No, a warrior," James said. "In the wizarding world we-" he didn't know how to put it, he was worried about being condescending, but Mr. Evans' response made it clear he did not understand. He knew it would kill the point of what he was doing, but he wished Lily was there. "Most of what I do is as a first responder, which isn't a paid position. It's needed, though. And to answer your question, no, I don't live with my mum and dad. I live with my Hogwarts roommates, Remus and Sirius."

Mr. Evans remembered James' three friends when he'd picked up Lily at the end of her 7th year. Though he liked James, and James clearly made his daughter happy, he felt a growing concern about the young boy before him. Unemployed with two roommates and fighting separate from the government...

"Mr. Evans, you don't need to worry about me providing for Lily," James said in a rush, earning a raised eyebrow from the man in front of him. "The Potter's are... relatively wealthy and I will go back to being an Auror as soon as this war is over. I can't divert my attention right now, You-Know-Who is attacking muggles and muggleborns. I can't put any less than all of my attentions to that, sir. With all due respect I'm doing it for Lily, and you, sir."

Mr. Evans nodded, he'd fought in war himself, participating in the end of the second World War. It hadn't occurred to him that the wizarding world wasn't using an army like the muggle war had. It seemed that the war was fought by volunteers, and he could hardly argue against the nobility of what James was doing.

"I understand, and I'm sorry I questioned you like that." He said, ignoring James' insistence that an apology wasn't needed. Feeling the weight of danger he hardly understood and definitely could not control, Mr. Evans changed topics with a mischievous, boy like smile. "So once you're married, Lily will move in with you and your friends?"

"Of course," James replied without thought. He could think of nothing better than living with his friends and wife, except maybe if Peter were able to join them.

Mr. Evans laughed, deciding to leave that argument to the children. "Well, you seem to have a solid head on your shoulders. You have my blessing, son."

James grinned widely, "You won't regret this, sir."

"Lily Evans," He asked, taking her attention from the beauty in the room to his kneeled stance on the floor. "Will you-"

He was interrupted by her kiss, her arms wrapped around him as she knocked him down. She couldn't believe it, she was marrying James Potter!

"Lily!" James almost yelled, laughing as he did with a grin on his face. "You have to let me finish!" He felt himself laugh again when he saw her face, not giggle, as that was certainly not manly. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes!"She giggled, not worried about being mature, before kissing him again. This time he didn't fight her, pulling her close he ignored the rambunctious noise of his Hogwarts friends coming in and setting off fireworks. They could burn the flat down for all he cared, he'd done it, and now he was going to marry Lily Evans!

Authors Note: Well, James got through the proposal, now the two of them just have to plan a wedding. A wedding for the Potter's and all of their friends, as well as the muggle Evans', in the middle of a war. No trouble, right? :) Don't worry, this isn't going to be an angsty fic. Very very fluffy and light. All of their parents are alive, and the chapters will revolve around the wedding, not the war. I'm not going to ignore it, but don't expect the tone to stay serious for very long.

So for those of you reading Rebuilding Ourselves, don't worry, this story shouldn't interfere. Where Rebuilding Ourselves is difficult and dark, this is going to be a pretty light fic.

Anyway, let me know what you think and I'll do my best to keep the story updated!