Disclaimer: It's all Rowling's!
Moral Support
"But Prongs, you can't make us leave! We're your moral support!"
"Look, I appreciate the thought, Sirius, but-"
"Liar." Sirius stuck his tongue out. "You're just trying to get rid of us."
"Sorry James, but this time I'm with Padfoot. This'll be too good to miss," Remus added, wearing a slight smirk.
"You two can't be here! This is going to be one of the most important nights of my life!" James wailed despairingly. He knew he shouldn't have chosen a restaurant, but it had seemed so romantic at the time… How was he supposed to know his friends would call to find out where he had reserved a table? There were usually determined, but this seemed extreme.
"Don't be stupid, James. You used to get rejected by Lily all the time; this time it'll just be more spectacular, that's all," Sirius replied sagely, then deftly side-stepped the rather resigned swat James aimed at him.
Remus stepped in to take charge of damage control, saying, "Sirius is kidding. We're behind you a hundred percent. However, should anything go wrong, you may need a couple of mates anyway. And if it goes well, we want to see it!" Behind Remus' back, Sirius made a face that clearly stated that Remus wasn't speaking for the both of them.
James shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you two are doing this to me. Do I need to prepare myself for Wormtail popping up at any moment?"
"Nah, we knew he'd probably much it all up, unlike us. Come on, James, we'll even stay at the next table!"
"Oh, and that's a huge concession. Were you originally planning on sitting with us, too? And you know those puppy eyes don't work on me, so don't even try it, either of you." Both of their faces fell.
"James, be sensible," Remus chided. "You can't make us leave, it's a restaurant! Besides, asking her to move in with you is a big step. Padfoot's right, for once; you're going to need us for moral support!"
"Shit!" James cried suddenly. "Here she comes! Look, just go to your table, and don't say a word, or I'll torture you with every hex I've learned since the first year, got it?" he hissed menacingly.
Sirius just gave him a big grin. "Would we ever interrupt a romantic moment, Prongs?"
James just raised his eyebrows, and Remus quickly dragged Sirius towards their own table a little ways away before Sirius could antagonize his friend any further.
Considering that Sirius kept peering stealthily over his menu or around the corner of the wine bottle throughout the entire meal, James decided dinner had gone reasonably well. However, when Lily left for a moment to use the loo, both men took the opportunity to dash over to James' table and frantically urge him to hurry up and ask her.
James rolled his eyes. "Well, I certainly wouldn't want the two of you to get bored and leave, now, would I?"
"Good man," Sirius replied, whacking James on the back rather harder than was necessary. "Do it now or you'll lose your nerve; otherwise we'll ask her for you." The two eavesdroppers then returned to their respective seats.
When Lily returned, James could feel his stomach squirming anxiously. What was she going to say? Would it all go up in fireworks, as Sirius had predicted?
"Erm... Lily, we've been going out for a couple of years now, right?"
Lily raised her eyebrows curiously. "Last I checked, yes. Are they taking a census or something?" She nodded towards the two Marauders who immediately tried to look away, Sirius whistling innocently.
"Oh, you noticed them…" James winced.
Lily laughed. "How could I not? Don't worry, James, I won't hold it against you. Not many can control Sirius."
"Right… Um… Good. Look, what I was thinking… We love each other, right?"
"Of course," Lily reassured him, startled by how concerned he seemed. "James, are you all right?" She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You aren't breaking up with me, are you?"
"No!" James exclaimed, shocked. "God, no. Wouldn't dream of it. I mean, I don't ever…" James trailed off suddenly, as it hit him like a ton of bricks. He continued softly, as though surprised by the words coming out of his own mouth. "I don't ever want to break up with you."
Lily smiled. "Thanks, James, that's sweet of you to say." James continued to stare, dumbstruck. He wanted to be with her… Well, forever… "Were you going anywhere with this conversation?" she finally asked when the pause grew to an awkward length. Still James sat, the cogs of his brain whirring almost audibly.
Finally Sirius waved frantically at him. He was mouthing, slowly and obviously, "Will… You… Move… In… With… Me?"
Lily glances over for a moment at Sirius, then back at James. Taking his hand, she considered him carefully. "James, are you all right?"
"No!" James shouted suddenly. A few other tables turned and stared for a moment before returning to their own feasts. "I mean, no, I'm fine. But Sirius, I'm not going to ask her that."
Immediately, Sirius smacked his hand against his forehead, even as Remus let out a heart-felt sigh and sank back into his chair. "Idiot!" Sirius muttered.
"As that dunderhead probably informed you, I was going to ask you to move in with me, Lily," James began slowly. "But you know what? That's not what I want to do." He paused for a moment, carefully studying his girlfriend's reaction. Lily simply looked thoughtful, and maybe a little concerned, nodding at him to continue. James swallowed hard in attempt to keep his heart from pounding in his throat. "Because that's temporary, and I don't ever want this to end. I don't have a ring or anything… But…" Figuring it was traditional, James got down on one knee before her. "Lily Evans, will you marry me?"
Simultaneously, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin let out a triumphant yell, jumping to their feet and attempting to both high-five and punch a fist into the air at the same time. The result was that Remus' chair went flying backwards, tripping him in the process and causing him to end up sprawled across the isle between the two tables. Sirius sent the wine bottle flying clear off the table, where it shattered noisily on the floor. Everyone turned to look at the spectacle; the fallen Remus, the beaming Sirius, the kneeling and livid James, and Lily not having taken her eyes off James, just staring at him, slightly shell-shocked. As several members of the staff rushed out to remove the broken glass and Remus clambered awkwardly to his feet, he muttered, "Sorry, Prongs." Even Sirius began to look sheepish.
Slowly, Lily began to laugh. It began quietly, but soon grew to a sort of hysterical giggling session. For a minute James just stared at her, terrified. Still, as he stood and wiped some of the wine that had sprayed his face off, he had to see the funny side of the whole situation, despite the fact that he still felt he might throw up at any second to purge the butterflies from his stomach. Even so, Lily's laughter had always been contagious, and soon he found himself also shaking with laughter. The surrounding waiters stared at the two as if they were mad, both collapsed in their chairs laughing, even as Remus and Sirius looked on uneasily.
When Lily finally regained enough breath to speak, she shook her head at James. "My God, if this is what the engagement has been like, can you imagine what a mess they're going to make of our wedding?"
James leapt to his feet, even as his heart soared. "Is that a yes?"
"That's a yes, even if your friends are completely insane." James couldn't contain his excitement. Throwing caution and pride to the winds, he practically ran round the table, picked her up, and then span her around in a circle. When she finally had her feet back on the ground and had expressed her feelings further by thoroughly snogging James, despite the shocked restaurant staff and patrons, Lily grinned over at Sirius and Remus, still staring blankly. "So, do you want to kill them, or shall I?"
"Let's do it together, shall we?" James replied impishly, refusing to take his arms from around her waist.
Sirius glanced at Remus. "Told you he needed moral support."
Remus nodded his agreement, but added cautiously, "We should probably run."