Yay! My first Harry Potter fic! And it's not even about Harry! No Winter, you haven't completely lost me yet …
JASMINE
Four Little Words
October 25, 1977
Lily walked down a deserted corridor in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Although she was no longer a student, having graduated two years earlier, the school was now the base of an elite military team, above the wizarding government. The Minister of Magic had no knowledge of their work. In fact, the only people with positions of power who had any idea what kind of operation was being run out of Hogwarts were Albus Dumbledore and "Mad-Eye" Moody. This was to be kept this way, a secret to all those who didn't need to know. They were called the Order of the Phoenix.
It was a small group of the strongest fighters, most just a few years out of Hogwarts themselves. Frank Longbottom and his new wife Annie Longbottom (formerly Prewett), Martin McKinnon, and Leslie Bone, lead by Arthur Weasley and guided by Moody, made up the Raiders, the first of two groups made of five amateur "soldiers" each. The second group was the Marauders, made of old friends. Guided by Arabella Figg, lead by James Potter, the group consisted of the other three boys (men? Did they ever grow up?) from Potter's Hogwarts dormitory; Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and added in for good measure was Sirius' long time girlfriend, Lily Evans.
The Marauders had already had their name before they were formed. It was natural to use that name, the title they had held for so long. Their code names were already chosen as well: Prongs for James, Padfoot for Sirius, Moony for Remus, and Peter was Wormtail. The only on who got a name after the group was formed was Lily, afterward known as Jasmine, for the pink and white exotically scented flower. They used these code names almost as much as their real names when they were amongst each other, although their purpose would be defeated if the so called soldiers used them in public. Still, all of the Marauders had become accustom to being called by their "names", and no Phoenix thought "Moony? Who the hell ... oh, that's right! Remus!" anymore, if someone used the names in a casual setting.
Lily for one, had begun to think using the names, her thoughts that day running something like ... "What next? Well, I really do need to drop by the store for some groceries, and the icebox wants cleaning ... who knows what's growing in there ... but I have to meet Prongs for drinks at five to report what I found this morning outside the Malfoy estate ... which of course, can't be used as evidence with the Ministry because it was taken illegally ... damnit! After all that work! But I couldn't just leave it there ... Malfoy might have cleaned up after himself for a change ... And tonight is out as well. I have a date with Padfoot ... I guess I could cancel, but for groceries? And it has been so long since we really went out ... I am looking forward to it ... It'll have to be tomorrow then ... if I can find the time ... When did I get so busy?"
"Lily!" someone whispered just loud enough for Lily to hear, tearing he from her thoughts. "Jasmine!"
She spun around, looking for the one who had called her. She knew who it was ... she could tell by the voice. Where he was happened to be another matter entirely.
That didn't take long. Someone came up behind her and slapped her right on the back pocket of her jeans.
"Why, you little bastard!" she cried as she spun around. A dogish man, tall dark and roguishly handsome, gave her a light grin, but seemed to not acknowledge that she said anything at all. He pulled her very close, and began to kiss her, going first along her collar bone, then working his way up the side of her neck.
"Not right here Sirius!" Lily told him, but she was giggling in a giddy sort of way, and wasn't putting up a fight. She desperately hoped tha no one would choose to came down this corridor, especially not a student. "I ought to hex you right here and now."
"Oh," he said softly. "But you're so much better at charming me." He pressed his lips against hers, finally getting her to melt into him. Her body pressed against his, and she ceased to exist as a separate person.
Finally, they pulled apart. They stood in the hallway, Lily leaning against Sirius.
"Where have you been?" she asked. Her voice was breathy as she tried to slow her heart.
"Here and there," he replied. "South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, various countries in the Americas. It's amazing how many places you can go when you can apparate." His voice was very nonchalant. He grinned, but then his face faded a bit. "I saw the most beautiful sunrise on a beach on the Gulf of Mexico. I've never wished so much that you were with me. It was as if I was seeing the first sunrise ever, and there was no one there for me to share it with. It felt wasted."
"I wish I had been there," she whispered. Her hands fiddled with the short hairs on the back of his neck.
"Did you wonder what I was doing in all these places," Sirius asked after a moment.
She thought for a moment. "That's right!" she said looking up at him with a sudden look of realization. "You had time off! What did you do without me for two whole weeks?" she demanded.
"I took a good long look at my life."
"And what did you see?"
"You."
"But I thought you were looking at yourself—"
"I was. And I saw you."
"Sirius, I think you're getting at something, but I must say, I'm confused."
"Lily, there are four words that will change your life forever, and I want horribly to say them." She looked at him without a trace of understanding, but found a moment later, that she had to look down to see him. He was on one knee on the floor. He pulled out a little black fuzzy box covered with lint from his pocket, looked up at her, and said softly, "Will you marry me?" He opened the box, revealing a diamond ring.
It was a very small diamond on a simple gold band. Nothing fancy: none of them had money, except for James, but his was in the from of an inheritance, and he wouldn't get a knut until his parents died. Lily thought of her sister's fancy wedding, and her huge ring. She thought of her dreams about her wedding, how it was full of flowers and fancy meals. For a moment, she stood there and thought. She had never imagined getting married dirt poor, which is what they certainly were.
But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that the wedding was just one day. Years later, what happened on her wedding day wouldn't matter. What would matter was that she was with him, which was more important to her than anything else.
Lily lowered herself to her knees, so that she could almost look him in the eyes. "Of course I will." She was smiling, but a few tears managed down her cheeks. She held out her hand. "'Of course I will.'" She ticked off a finger for each word. "That's four words too."
Sirius reached out and threw his arms around her, pulling her close. The ring and lint covered box fell to the floor, forgotten. "I was so afraid you'd say no," he whispered into her ear.
She pulled back. "No? Do you think I could? I love you."
"Well, then you best have this," Sirius told her, locating the box that held the ring. He was just slipping it on to her finger when Remus and James came around the corner.
"Padfoot, we've been—" James stopped talking the moment he saw them. Both he and Remus stared, and them Remus burst out laughing.
"Wait till they hear this!" He cried as he began to walk back the way he had come.
"Wait till who hears what?" Lily asked.
"The world!" Remus called back. "Sirius Black getting married!" They heard the echo of his laugh as he walked away.
"Congratulations you two," James said with a wan smile. Lily got the impression that something was bothering him, but she had no idea what it could be.