Written for Kitty32383 in the Birthday Fic exchange forum. Happy Birthday, have a lovely day.
Prompts used: "You sir, are an incredible moron."
Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own it. If I did, I'd be filthy rich.
Her eyes were mesmerising, they captivated his heart, his mind, his soul. They say that your eyes are the window to the soul and James couldn't agree more. From the moment James Potter's eyes met Lily Evans', he fell in love, truly, madly deeply.
Her eyes reminded James of tropical ponds, bright and full of life. The way they sparkled when she was angry, sad or scared. James always could tell how Lily was feeling through her eyes. When she was angry, her eyes narrowed and the colour darkened, when she was sad, they were wider somehow, more beautiful, more vulnerable.
When she was happy, the whole room seemed to light up. Lily's eyes were like a beacon, leading him through the dark times. James always did regret acting like a juvenile bully – in the the hopes that it would impress her – it didn't. For Lily was a fiercely loyal lioness and when her friends were being threatened, she would pounce, ripping the proverbial throats of their attackers out and dressing them down.
The years passed and James made several attempts to ask Lily out – all unsuccessful of course. For Lily thought that James was a pompous, immature git with all the brains of a brain dead flobberworm. Fifth year passed and then 'The incident' happened, Snape uttered the unforgivable word and became estranged from his beloved Lily.
If James thought that meant that Lily would agree to go on a date with him, then he was wrong, Lily still seemed to despise James and that hurt. Remus, ever the wise one had suggested that maybe James should tone down the obnoxiousness a little, but James being James, didn't listen.
While James was despairing over his supposed unrequited love of Lily Evans. The object of his affections was despairing herself. She had been horrified when she realised that she was developing feelings for the obnoxious git. The way his hair fell into his eyes and he flicked his head effortlessly, effectively getting it out of his eyes.
His eyes, oh God his eyes. Hazel pools, flecked with gold that showed his every emotion. Lily pretended that she didn't notice as the eyes flicked with hurt, how his shoulders slumped and his mouth turned downwards. Lily would never say, but she found that adorable. Oh how James would use that against her.
James went home for Christmas a boy and came home a man. Quiet and contrite, James loped about without his usual easy grace and easy manner. Lily found out that James' parents had died, leaving him an orphan. Overnight, James had grown up. But Lily was still reluctant to show her true feelings about the hazel eyed boy; no man.
That all changed one night when she was on Head Girl duty, patrolling the corridors for miscreants out of bed. A snuffling sound from one of the classrooms piqued her curiosity. So raising her wand higher, she opened the door, ready to give students a severe tongue lashing.
She didn't find mischievous first years or snogging fourth years. Instead, she found James Potter, curled up on the floor, sobbing his heart out. Lily froze, completely and utterly shocked. James Potter never cried, not even when Lily had kicked him in his crown jewels. But now, here he was – sitting on the cold stone floor, sobbing his heart out.
Despite his six foot nothing frame, James looked small and vulnerable. His pyjama bottoms were rumpled and rose up his leg, his messy hair looked as if it'd been plugged into an electrical outlet and his whole body was trembling.
"Po- James?" Lily asked, advancing into the room and shutting the door softly.
Despite her bravado, Lily Evans cared deeply for James. No matter what he had done, seeing James so weak, so vulnerable brought out all of Lily's tenderness for the boy before her. James's head snapped up and his eyes locked with Lily's, her beautiful, green orbs, shining with tenderness and affection.
"Evans?" James asked, in a voice full of such hope that it broke Lily's heart.
"Are...are you okay?" Lily asked, crouching in front of him and taking his warm hand, ignoring the spark of electricity that shot through her.
"Yeah, it's just. Oh gawd I don't know. I miss my parents. I just can't accept that they're gone," James said hoarsely, squeezing Lily's hand tight.
"Oh James," Lily whispered, unsure of what to say.
Before she knew what she was doing, she had engulfed him in a warm hug, burying her face into his black hair. James clutched at her, breathing in the smell of cinnamon and apples, purely Lily. He cried and cried and Lily cried with him, feeling sick at the level of pain James was experiencing.
They seemed to melt into one person, sitting there and holding each other until dawn. It was that moment that Lily Evans realised that she was in love with James Potter, Truly, madly, deeply.
-xxx-
The orange light shone on her auburn hair, casting a myriad of colours upon the white walls of the small cottage, her eyes shone with an excited fervour, one free from the stresses of war, from the fear that you would get slaughtered in your bed the next day. It was pure happiness, pure Lily Evans.
When they had begun dating, they had become almost inseparable. They would take moonlit walks around the lake, hand in hand, just relishing the time they had together. Seventh year had ended and they decided to get a place together. Hopelessly in love, they found Godric's Hollow, which was the perfect place to bring up a family.
Lily didn't know it, but James was planning to propose to Lily. He couldn't imagine a better time to propose than now, when they had been talking about settling down. He had told Sirius and Remus but didn't tell Wormtail because he couldn't keep a secret to save a life. He, James Potter, was going to ask she, Lily Evans to be his lawfully wedded wife.
Christmas Eve dawned bright and early and James felt inexplicably nervous. Today was the day that he was going to propose to Lily. Today was the day that he would find out whether Lily loved him as much as he loved her.
Lily loved to entertain, for the past two Christmases, Remus, Sirius and Peter had been around, enjoying Lily's delicious cooking and James' easy banter. Christmas really was special in the Potter-Evans household.
The day passed by rather smoothly. In his nerves, James had gotten a little tipsy and as a result, was staggering around the living room with the waste-paper basket on his head. Lily was knitting and Remus, Sirius and Peter were sniggering at James' antics.
James stumbled and fell into Lily, making her lose her place in her knitting. She growled, she actually growled and poked a giggling James in the side.
"Lily Flower. I love you." James said, suddenly sobered up.
"I love you too. You idiot." Lily smiled fondly ay her boyfriend, who was kneeling at her feet, wait a minute! Wasn't that the marriage proposal position? Oh Merlin!
"Lily, from the moment I saw you, I knew you were the one. Your eyes captivated me. I will admit that I acted like a prat for the first six years and I'll always regret that because I never got to know the amazing woman that you are. Without you, my life would be incomplete.
"What I'm trying to say is, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to wake up to you and call you Mrs. Potter. Lily Evans, will you marry me?"
Lily's heart fluttered as James pulled a fluffy Haribo ring from his pocket and stared expectantly up at Lily. Her mouth twitched.
"Sorry about the Haribo ring. I forgot to order the ring I was going to get you. So watcha say? Will deux become uno?"
"You Sir, are an incredible moron," Lily said, taking the Haribo ring and slipping it on her finger, "But yes, I would be honoured to be Lily Potter."
James' face filled with happiness as he jumped up and grabbed Lily, whirling her around and kissing her. They stared into each others eyes, lost in the others happiness. They were totally in love, Truly, Madly, Deeply and nobody could change that. For James Potter had always been Lily Evans'.