A/N: Unrequited love. It's very simple.

Dear James,

I've always loved you. Did you know that? Obviously, you didn't. I don't think you ever will know because I simply won't send this letter to you until perhaps after when you and Lily are happily married. I don't think Lily will be too happy to hear that one of her friends confessed her husband, but I think I deserve the right to at least tell you one day. But right now, I need to be getting the two of you together. I need to find out what kind of flowers Lily likes. Her favorite sweets, too. You are planning the best proposal ever after all. I know you've been working on it in secret since your HB duties take up a lot of day time. You, Sirius, Remus, and Peter asked me personally to help them since you guys know me as the girl Chaser from the Quidditch team. How could I refuse? Everyone knows you guys are meant to be. If I didn't help you, it would be as if I opposed your relationship with her. How could I do such a thing when you love her so much? Not to mention, I know firsthand how much Lily has come to fancy you too.

I do wonder at times if I'm just being pathetic. I'm not chasing after the boy I've loved for seven years (you). In fact, I'm encouraging your relationship with one of my best friends. Is that pathetic? Well, to me it's not. It's just the right thing to do. Even if it hurts, it's the right thing. Who am I to get in the way of mutual love? Plus, you'll appreciate me for being the one to help you out. I rather like the idea of you appreciating me. You don't notice me too much outside of Quidditch. I'm just L's friend. But still, I've been content for seven years just loving you from afar. I can take it.

Even if it wasn't mutual, you would never have fallen for someone like me. I've already accepted that. I'm not as smart as Lily. I'm not nearly as beautiful. I don't mind too much anymore though. I just wanted to tell you that I've loved you through a letter when I'm off and gone and you're happily married. You don't know yet, but once we graduate, I'm set to leave Britain and be married off to some respectable half-blood family. My parents have set me up with a nice man who works as a Head of some department for the Bulgarian(?) Ministry and I think I'll be happy enough. He's about twenty-eight now.

I'll probably still think about you. I'll probably send letters to Lily about you. Maybe when you get this letter, you'll have a hard time remembering me. Merlin knows, really. I'll be married by then. None of you will be there for the wedding. It's a bit hard to believe that within the year, I'll be married in some other country and never see you guys again. Maybe Lily will have forgotten me too. I'm a forgettable person. That's why I've always seen Lily as my role model. She was like a dazzling light, and I was just one of the many moths admiring her and chasing after her.

Anyways, I decided. I think I'll have someone or the post office send this letter to you when I'm dead. That way, I don't have to deal with the consequences. With my death, I'll leave an impression. You'll remember me as that plain girl beside L. You'll remember me as the girl who helped you ask Lily out. You'll remember me as the other girl who loved you.

I reckon Lily won't be happy with me once you tell her (which I know you will). But since I'm dead, I suppose she can't really do anything to hurt me.

Ah well, I'll end this on a depressing note. I wish you all the best and I do hope you and Lily get together before the year ends. Merlin knows how much the school wants you two to get together already.

Sophie G.

After James finished the elegantly scripted letter, he felt his mind blanking out. Sophie. That was Gregory, who'd been a valuable Chaser during his time as Quidditch captain. He remembered her, though her face was a bit fuzzy. He recalled reluctantly asking the girl for her help during his seventh year when he would ask Lily out for the last time. It was mostly Pads and Moony who suggested it, but he had gone along when they decided to ask.

He hadn't seen her since graduating, and that was only about a year and a half ago. Judging from the last couple of paragraphs, that implied that she'd already died.

"James? James?" Lily's panicked voice called out. James hurriedly hid his letter in the pocket of his robes. The gorgeous young woman entered their bedroom in a state of apparent distress. "I've just gotten a letter from Marlene saying that one of my friends died."

James paled. His suspicions were confirmed.

"Do you remember Sophie? She-She went to Bulgaria after graduation to marry a bloke she said she met during Hogwarts. Marlene's just told me that she was m-murdered by his husband's mistress. I-I—"

Lily's voice cracked, and her sobs broke through. She embraced her beloved husband and sobbed into his shoulders. James absently wrapped an arm around her shoulder while whispering words of comfort into her ear.

He didn't know what to think. But he knew he would remember.