Title: I Didn't Say Yes!
For: Erin
Prompt: towel
Canon or non-canon: canon
Character: Lily Evans Potter

*****

"Remind me again why Padfoot is throwing a 4th of July picnic?" Lily asked James as she charmed her braids to be red white and blue.

"Because he's Padfoot and doesn't realise it's a purely American holiday." James and Lily slowly gathered the things they would neeed, James complaining as they packed their contribution to the picnic ("Why can't we just use the food charm Carso taught us in seventh year?")

Finally they left their cottage for the lake where Sirius was throwing this bash. On the way out, James grabbed a ratty old towel.

"Why do you need that James?"

He just kissed Lily's hand and pushed her out the door to the end of their Anti-Apparition wards.

***

The party/picnic was great. Despite it being an American holiday most of Wizarding Britain seemed to be there and that was a Sirius accomplishment. Or so said Sirius.

James stood on the pavement section of the beach, grilling hot dogs with Moony while Padfoot and Wormtail entertained their dates a few feet away. Lily walked up to James dripping wet, still fully clothed and looking murderous. She asked him for a towel and James arched an eyebrow.

"Alice ad Frank threw me in. Now give me a bloody towel!" she shouted as the offending Alice and Frank walked up behind Lily, Frank's arm around Alice's small waist. James smirked and tossed her the ratty towel from the top of their pile of things.

"Here ya go."

"What the hell is this?"

"Oooh, testy," Alice muttered.

"I heard that Alice Young!"

"Just use the towel Lils," Sirius told her.

"Don't call me that Black!" she snapped but unrolled the towel. She vaguely noticed James taking out his wand but she mostly concentrated on the tiny glittering object that had fallen from the towel and seemed to bounce along the ground in slow motion, emitting a small clink each time it hit the ground.

James picked it up and held his wand to his throat. "Attention, attention please," his voice boomed and everyone quieted. He turned to Lily, getting on one knee and offering the ring to her. She stood there petrified and shivering in her wet clothes. "Lily Rose Evans, I've loved you since the day we met, the day you first called me an arrogant toerag…" this elicited laughter from the crowd and Lily relaxed a bit. "Will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

Cheers erupted from the crowd and as people began to shout their congratulations and swarm James, the scene developed in Lily's mind like she was watching a film at the cinema.

"Wait!" she shouted and everyone turned to her. "I haven't said yes." James smile dropped instantly and he turned away, blushing scarlet and mumbling something about moving.

"Yes."

***

That night they watched the fireworks throw patterns across the lake's surface from underneath a ratty towel.

*****

So there's number three… Review if you liked, hated, wanted to submit a prompt or anything really… I just like reviews.

~DancingWithRoses