Lily cuddled closer to him, soft music playing in the background. Most likely 'Moon River', her personal favorite. She finally had him all to herself.
He was going to be crowned soon, and he had been swamped with so much last-minute training and other such things, he barely had time to notice her.
And they sat, cuddled up in silence, watching the fire slowly burn before them. He had his arms around her waist, and her arms were limply resting on his. It was definitely the best Christmas she had ever had.
"Nice, isn't it?" He asked after a moment.
"What?" She murmured, her eyelids fluttering a bit.
"This vacation." He replied softly. "It's nice."
"Yeah." She whispered huskily.
"Want to go play in the snow?" James asked with a grin.
"Not now, baby." She muttered, falling asleep. He smiled at the top of her head, kissing it softly and following her example.
"Wake up!" Lily shook her boyfriend awake.
"Bagel with lots of cream cheese and hot cocoa." James whispered hungrily.
"Gotcha." Lily bounded over to the kitchen. They were at James's mother's place in Godric's Hollow. She came back only a moment later and James noticed she was completely dressed to play in the snow.
"After breakfast, I think I'll take up that offer of yours." Lily said quietly handing him a plate and a mug. "I'll go get you a sweater."
James watched her leave the room. He reached into his pocket and found the scarlet velvet box immediately. He opened it to reveal a platinum band with four three-carat diamonds that formed a heart.
At first he felt the heart was too much of a cliché, but he realized that the heart was the only thing he could think of to express himself if the words couldn't come out.
Snape's engagement ring was definitely a cliché. The whole Lily thing. It was her name, not who she was.
In his other pocket was the emerald velvet box with the wedding bands in it. They were both platinum, with ten tiny three-carat diamonds an equal distance apart, studding it.
He closed the box softly and put it back into his pocket.
"Here you go." Lily chirped as she bounded back into the room, handing him a blue chenille sweater she always said looked good on him. She scowled. "You haven't touched your breakfast. We're not going outside until you're done."
With that, she went to go get her own breakfast. After he quickly finished off the bagel and hot chocolate, he went to brush his teeth. In the middle of the process, he looked at himself.
"Tomorrow, you're going to be engaged, mate."
Lily was in the bathroom brushing her teeth when it occurred to her that it was the day after Christmas. A year since she had run away from James on an empty street in London. And now?
She didn't know what now was. But she knew she liked it.
She looked herself over. The town was definitely more Muggle now, as the odder residents had flocked either to Gryffindor or Hogsmeade. So, she was dressed like a Muggle. She wore a cream-colored cable sweater and her hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail. She applied a bit of lip gloss, and smiled at her reflection. Today was going to be a good day.
"Over here." James said firmly. They stopped at a more secluded and snow-covered hill.
Lily started the winter fun by throwing a good, large snowball at him. He threw another back.
"Bring back any food-like memories?" She whispered, and with that, the actual fight began. He aimed for her hair, and she stuffed one down his shirt.
There was snow on her neck, and one was aimed at his 'family jewels', and he flung one at her backside. That started a bit of 'wrestling', when James found himself on top, and Lily's form was making an impression on the snow below her. He had pinned her arms down and he leaned in for a kiss. She giggled.
"I want to remember this moment forever." Lily whispered as he started on her neck.
"You will." He murmured breathlessly. "Because I want you mine forever."
He propped himself up, still pinning her down. "Lily Evans, I'm asking you to marry me."
She sort of stopped breathing for a moment. "Doesn't that require some sort of getting down on one knee movement?"
He grinned at her. "Last time someone did that to you, you bopped him on the head with your purse. The time before that, Sirius tackled him. Either fate I'll go through, if you just say yes."
She smiled back, wriggling free of his grasp. She sat up and kissed him with a full-force. When she broke away, she was smirking. "I guess I'll have to get my purse and owl Sirius."
She creeped out from under him and threw a snowball at his amazed face.
"Don't I even get to see the ring?" She asked playfully, another snowball in her hands.
"Never a direct answer from you, huh?" He asked, and she threw it at him.
"Nope. Diplomats always have to be polite and vague." She reminded him, her hands on her hips. "Now, slip the darn thing on, I want to see it."
He smiled. Lily Evans was finally his for the keeping.
To Be Continued