Author's Note: It's getting close to the end…
Title: Love and Flashbacks
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Erm… Possibly.
Summary: Lily and James remember the events that led to their romance.
Disclaimer: As much as I'd love to own Harry Potter and its characters, I don't.
Setting: This story takes place when the Marauders are at Hogwarts.
*** = setting change
*~*= begin flashback
~*~ = end flashback
[…] = time
italics = emphasis
~The Proposal~
James was pacing around the dorm room, staring at the floor. He was muttering unintelligibly to himself.
Sirius said, "Prongs, stop it. All that pacing is giving me a headache."
The now eighteen-year-old boy looked up at his friend. "Do you think she'll say yes?"
"Yes, James, I think Lily wants to marry you," Remus told him.
"If she doesn't, then I'm Professor McGonagall," Sirius put in.
James grinned. "Well, then Lily definitely wants to marry me."
***
"Psst. Charlotte."
The brunette turned to see who was calling her. "James?" she said when she saw the distinctive glasses. "What is it?"
"I need to talk to you about something."
"Well, is it important? Because I have to study."
"Believe me. It's really important." James pulled her into an empty classroom. "Look." He took out the ring he had bought to propose with.
"Oh my God." Charlotte picked it up. "Jeez. You're going to propose to Lily, aren't you?"
The young wizard nodded. "I need to make sure the timing and everything is right, though."
"Anytime you give her this ring is the right time. This must have cost you a fortune."
"No. Just a part of it." He grinned at the exasperated look on the girl's face. "Whatever. That's not the point. I just want to make sure everything is perfect when I ask her."
"What do you want me to do then?"
"First of all, don't tell her. Or Koren, for that matter. The whole thing will be ruined if Lily finds out ahead of time."
"Then why are you trusting me with this information?"
"Because you can keep a secret. I mean, I know Koren tries her best, but she's not exactly the best secret keeper in the world."
*~*
[5th year]
James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were passing notes to each other in class.
So first you couldn't stand her, and now you can? –S
That seems about right. –J
That's kind of weird. –P
Yeah. –R
Hello? We're the Marauders. We specialize in weird and stupid, and this is a little of both, I think. –S
Lily looks so pretty today. –J
I'm going to barf at the mushiness of that statement. –S
Me too. –R
When did you get so mushy, Prongs? –P
It's not mushy! I can't think she looks nice today? –J
I bet you think she looks nice everyday. –S
Shut up. –J
I didn't say a word. We're writing. –S
You know what I mean. –J
Lighten up, James. It's not like she's going to find out. –R
Yeah. –P
You used to say she was ugly, dude. That's inconsistent. One day, she's not pretty, and the next day, she is. What's up with that? –S
Things change, I guess. –R
What he said—er—wrote. –J
I don't want to scare you guys, but I think she's looking this way. –P
"What?" James hissed. He looked at the other side of the room, where Lily was sitting next to Charlotte. The redhead turned her attention back to the front of the classroom when she saw him looking at her.
Thanks, Wormtail. –J
No prob. –P
Jumpy, aren't you, Prongs? –S
I am not jumpy! –J
Yes, you are. –R
Et tu, Remus? –J
Guess so. –R
Anyway, back to the original issue. Jamsie thinks Lily looks pretty today. –S
Is that a crime? –J
It may be. I don't know. –S
You're stupid. –R
Thank you. –S
What is the big deal? So I think she looks good today. So what? Maybe she did something different with her hair today. –J
It's down, though. –P
Yeah. It's down, like usual. There's nothing different about the way she looks today. You just can't stop thinking about her, huh? –S
Stop badgering him. –R
I don't see any badgers around here. Well, I saw one this morning in Transfiguration, but that's not the point. –S
You know what I mean. –R
Maybe I do, maybe I don't. –S
What is the big deal? She's not an ugly troll or anything. –J
That's not what you said two days ago. Just admit it, James. Tell Lily
Sirius dropped the piece of parchment on the floor. He bent to pick it up, but someone had already done that. He looked up into a pair of bright blue eyes.
"Thanks, Koren," he said as she handed him the parchment. He dropped it again when she smiled at him. The sixteen-year-old wizard (AN: Yeah, he's sixteen because it's after his birthday.) tried to pick it up again, but somehow he couldn't get a hold of it. The blonde girl laughed. She took it and held it out toward him when she noticed something and pulled it back to get a closer look at the parchment. She started giggling as class ended.
The blond girl ran over to her best friends and showed Lily the parchment.
"Sirius!" James exclaimed. "What's the matter with you? Now she's going to find out."
"Sorry!" Sirius lowered his voice. "I just got… distracted."
"Distracted? What do you mean, distracted?" James hissed as they walked out of the classroom.
"Well, she was kind of hypnotizing me with her eyes, and she has a really nice smile…" (AN: I think I like this flashback the most… It's so cool! All right, I'm done complimenting myself… Go on with your reading.)
Remus grinned. "Padfoot's greatest weakness—girls."
The redhead ahead of them turned to look at the Marauders (mainly at James, of course). She smiled slightly, then looked back at her friends. The three girls started giggling again.
James was blushing with embarrassment, and Sirius was kind of red as well. Remus and Peter shook their heads and pushed the two boys down the corridor, since they couldn't seem to walk by themselves.
~*~
Charlotte smiled.
"Okay. So just tell me when Lily's not stressed or sad or mad or at any emotional extreme, okay?"
"All right. I'll let you know when the time is right. Oh wait. Who else knows about this?"
"The guys."
"Koren is going to feel so left out when she finds out."
James grinned.
***
[4 days later]
Charlotte slipped James a piece of parchment on the way to Care of Magical Creatures. "It's about Lily," she whispered.
"Hey, what's that?" Koren asked, peering over the boy's shoulder.
"Nothing," he replied, a bit nervously.
She asked, "Why are you acting so nervous then?"
Charlotte came to the rescue. "I was just returning James's Transfiguration notes. I thought I lost them, and he needs them for our next exam. But I found them, so I was just giving them back to him."
"Okay." The blonde dropped the subject and moved forward to walk next to her boyfriend.
"That was a close one," James muttered.
***
James opened the note during class when Lily wasn't looking.
You should ask her tonight. She's been in a pretty good mood for a few days, and we don't have any really important tests or anything that she needs to study for.
Charlotte
"I'm doing it tonight," he told the other Marauders, seeing the expectant looks on their faces.
The three boys grinned at him.
***
"Lily, can you meet me in the common room at midnight?"
"Why?" the redhead asked. "That's kind of late."
"It's important. Can you do it?"
"But—" She sighed, seeing the pleading look he gave her. "Sure."
"Great." James turned and gave his friends a thumbs-up as his girlfriend turned to go upstairs.
***
[Midnight]
Lily came down the stairs to find a romantic-looking common room. James was standing in the middle of the room, smiling at her.
"Good evening," he said. (AN: Reminds you of Dracula, doesn't it?)
Lily laughed. "James, what is this?"
"Just come here. Sit."
"Okay," she said slowly, sitting down in a comfortable chair.
James got down on one knee (AN: Okay, old-fashioned, but it's cute.). Lily gasped.
"Oh my God," she said.
"Lily Evans," James began.
"Oh my God."
"Will you—"
"Oh my God."
"—marry me?" he finished.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Author's Note: Aha! Cliffhanger! Sorry, folks, but I have a very good reason for it. And to any of you who think this fic is too happy, well, it won't be next chapter. Woo hoo! I finally got some J/L in here! That's all I have to say. Bye! I really gotta start working on Role Reversal again…
