Lilly opened the paper and looked down. It was the property listings out of the Daily Prophet. There were a few properties circled, but one, in the center of the page was circled so many times the paper was worn through.
"James—you aren't serious…" Lilly said, looking at the small flat that was circled on the paper.
"Lilly, how long have you known me? I'm always serious…"
"Huh? Who's calling me?" Sirius rolled over and looked at James, "What do you want mate?" James chuckled and waved his hand at Sirius.
"Never mind Padfoot," With that, Sirius rolled over and wrapped his arm back across Jessie's waist.
"Well? What do you think?" James asked, turning back to Lilly. "Look, I know—I know you're upset that I haven't proposed to you…"
"What?!" Lilly yelped, "No, oh no, James." James smiled as Lilly tried to deny it. He put his arms around her shoulders and kissed her forehead.
"It's okay, I've been talking to Beth. She says you've been a little off ever since Sirius and Jess announce their engagement, and I've got to say, I've noticed too. Lilly, it's not that I don't want to marry you, because I do, I do more than anything…I just want to make sure we'll be okay. I want to make sure we're both settled, and have jobs, and are ready to—" He cleared his throat and blushed slightly, "—and we're ready to raise a family." He paused for a minute, loosened his tie, and gently took the paper away from Lilly. He put it on the sofa between them and pulled a small silver ring out of his pocket. It wasn't much—a silver band with an emerald and two small diamonds in the center. He slipped it on her finger. "This way we'll be engaged to be engaged." He whispered, "It was my mother's, and her mother's before that, now I want you to have it." Lilly smiled and kissed his cheek.
"Thank you James. Thank you so much, you don't know how much this means to me. I can't believe we're engaged!" She squealed, cuddling closer to him and looking at the ring.
"I know it isn't much, the flat that is, but I thought we could start out small, you know, just the two of us. It'll be great Lil."
"I know it will, James. Thank you, for everything. I don't know what I would do without you." She put her arm across his waist and sighed, "I'm going to miss this couch." She yawned.
"Me too," He tapped her on the shoulder and she looked up at him.
"Hmm?"
"Lils, what would you think if—you know, we erm—we opened that shop you're always talking about?" James said, running his index finger over her arm. He knew she'd always wanted to open up a book shop/ café. She loved books and she loved coffee, and she constantly talked about the little shop she would hopefully own one day.
"We couldn't afford it, don't worry, I'm still working on it anyway—" Lilly muttered.
"The flat is over an empty shop in Diagon Alley." Lilly's eyes fluttered open and she, once again, sat up quickly.
"James—you're joking! I get my shop? Oh, James!" She threw her arms around his neck and started laughing and crying into his shirt. "This is too much, way too much!"
Lilly laughed so loudly, everyone else was soon awake and wanting to know what was going on. So James and Lilly repeated their story, smiling and holding hands and glowing.