A/N: Guys I'm so sorry I haven't updated!!!! Like in a month and two days!! See, I wasn't supposed to be so mean, I mean I had it written and everything! Then (this is like 2 weeks ago) I went to save it, and it froze! The whole effin' computer froze! And it killed my 3 hours of pooooor writing! And since then, there have been exams, so I haven't gotten to writing it over! Well, the old version was probably better, but I tried to remember as much as I could for you. Please try and understand. So thank you, and without further ado, here is chapter 20, just in time for Christmas.

Christmas Eve meant the big Christmas Ball and Dinner. At 6 P.M., James, Kemmy, Sirius, Lupin, Peter, and I, all dressed in our best, descended to the Great Hall.

The ceiling, being reflective of the weather outside, was black with some snow flurrying down. The candles floating above the Hall were lit to provide the only dim light. The four house tables were rmeoved, and in ther place were numerous round tables that seated about 12 people each.

20-foot-tall trees encircled the tables and the dance floor, all bedecked in fairy lights, moving ornaments, and the like.

"Beautiful!" I sighed.

"What, you?" grinned James.

"You got it, babe," I smiled.

"And I got you, too," he whispered in my ear, circling his arm around my waist. "God, you're so pretty."

Damn, James could still make me blush.

"That's an attractive look on you," he said.

"Is that sarcastic in any way?" I asked.

"Nope, I'm serious. Your cheeks all red to match your hair..."

"Oh, shut up, James..." I turned even a deeper shade of red.

At the perfect time, the band started playing a slow song.

"Care to join me?" asked James.

"I'd say so, considering that you're already practically on me," I replied.

"It's not my fault you're so damn irresistable," he said, placing his hands on my hips and beginning to move with the beat.

"But it is your fault that you are," I swiftly answered. James was looking, oh, say heavenly, in his tux.

I was wearing a sleeveless, black dress with a plunging neckline. My stomach was showing in the tiniest bit, but anyone who didn't know I was pregnant would just think I didn't have a supermodel-flat stomach. Then the bottom of the dress ruffled out in different layers down to my knees.

"My heart's pounding just looking at you," he said quietly.

"I get that feeling when I see you," I admitted. "Like all the blood starts rushing to my head and I get so dizzy and I'm like, 'Man I love this guy.'"

"Yeah, blood rushing to the head... Same here, but not the same head as you..."

"Eww! James! That was an inappropriate comment!"

He threw his head back and laughed. "You're acting like we haven't done anything together... I mean, look! You're going to have a baby!" His eyes lit up as they always did when the baby was mentioned, and he gently patted my stomach. "I love you, Lily."

"I would say I loved you, too," I started, "but that's not even nearly enough. I way more than love you."

"Awww... how sweet," said Sirius from behind me.

James closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Sirius, could you at least pretend like you have a life for once?"

"I've been telling him the same thing for months," said Kemmy, dragging Sirius away by the arm as he spluttered and protested in his defense.

"Who did Remus and Peter go with?" I asked.

"Remus- well, he still hasn't gotten over the fact that Lucius raped Narcissa. He's just hanging with some guys. And Peter- the only person who'd go with him was Dolores. You know, in Ravenclaw."

"Oh yeah," I replied. "Umbridge. I hear she's a real bitch."

"Yeah, I heard she's best friends with Skeeter, and that can hardly be a promising sign."

"Well, there's Cissa," I said, pointing to a spot a few metres away.

"Bad crowd," observed James. "I mean, Malfoy only hangs out with Bella Black, Rodolphus Lestrange, Snivellus, Theodore Nott, and Bertha Jorkins," he said, counting them off.

"They're going to be Death Eaters, every single one of them."

"How much do you want to bet they already are?" asked James.

"I wish there was a way to get Cissa out of that mess," I said.

"I just don't think you can. And it's all Remus ever talks about. Poor mate is pining away."

"Such a tragedy..."

"Let's get a drink," said James as the band struck up a faster beat.

We made our way over to the punch table where Remus stood alone.

"I thought you were with some people," said James.

"Amos, Dung, and Kevin just left with their dates," he replied. Clearly, sadness was etched in his face, even visible in the dark. And if that wasn't enough, his voice was proof of how depressed he was.

"All right, we're going to find you a girl," I decided, taking him by the hand out to the floor.

"No, Lily, really it's fine," he stammered, trying to free himself from my grip.

"No, it's quite not fine," I replied. "Aha! I spot Amelia!"

Remus groaned as I dragged him through the crowd.

"Amelia!" I cried out to her. "Would you be a darling and dance with Remus? I don't think he's got the courage to ask you himself!"

"I- don't- want-"

"Stop acting like a 12-year-old and go and have some fun!" I whispered in his year, pushing him forward and going back to James.

"Did it occur to you that he really doesn't want to?" he asked.

"I know, but I just couldn't stand and watch him be by himself."

"Here's your punch," he said, handing me a drink.

"Thanks," I said, but my eyes never left him.

"What?" he said, watching me watching him.

"I was just thinking... about Voldemort and the baby and everything that's supposed to happen... God, James, I don't want to lose you!"

"Hey, it's okay," he said, taking me into his embrace. "Everything will be solved eventually. I can't promise you anything because, well, I just can't. But there is one thing I can promise, and that is that I'll do anything just to be able to be with you and nothing will take me away from you, only death, and I don't even want to think about that because it's awful. But yeah."

"I don't want you to die..." I whispered, trying to fight back tears.

"Lily, stop it! It's Christmas Eve and you should be happy! So forget about all that and we can discuss it later. And you're going to ruin your makeup."

"I'm sorry," I laughed. "I didn't know you cared."

"Even if I didn't care, you would. You'd be yelling at me later. 'Why didn't you tell me my mascara was smudged?' But of course I care. It makes you beautiful."

"I thought I was always beautiful, even without makeup."

"You are..." he said. "It's just that you're even sexier with that makeup on."

"But you still love me either way, right?"

"Of course, Lils!" he grinned. "Just playing with you."

"Attention!" called Dumbledore as the band finished a tune. "We have a couple more songs and then dinner will be served!"

Everyone let out a cheer at this announcement and the band continued its show.

"This song is dedicated," began a lower female voice from the band. "Dedicated from us to you, dedicated to all the love that you feel tonight. This song is dedicated to everyone who loves someone out there. Enjoy."

James and I got lost in each other's arms for that whole four minutes, just staring into each other's eyes, completely in love. In love, in love, in love....

And after ten minutes, we returned to the table for dinner.

Dinner went quite all right, and the food was excellent, and we danced some more after that, but it really all went by in a flash because of how much fun we were having.

At around midnight, we (the Maurauders) dragged ourselves to the Head Dorm for another one of those infamous sleepovers. Except we all just dropped in front of the blazing fire, not to be awoken for hours.

At around ten o'clock on Christmas Day, I opened my eyes to see everyone else around me asleep. So I decided to close my eyes and wait a few more minutes.

"Hey," whispered James. "Good morning."

"Oh, I thought you were asleep."

"No, just waiting for you. Happy Christmas!"

"Shut up," groaned Sirius. "That was such a good night's sleep and you had to go and ruin it."

"I've been awake," said Remus.

"Me too," said Peter.

We waited for an acknowledgement from Kemmy but none came.

"KEM!" screamed Sirius in her ear.

She jerked awake and slapped Sirius. "God, do you not have any decency?!?"

"PRESENT TIME!!!" shouted Sirius.

"I thought he was tired," I whispered.

"I am," said Sirius, overhearing, "but presents are so much better!"

"Who's first?" I asked.

"The guys can go; I'm too tired to move," said Kemmy.

"I'm not getting up," said Remus.

"Me neither," declined Peter.

"Fine, then me and James left," said Sirius. "James, you can go."

"Okay, okay. So my present to Lily first." He crawled over to the tree he and I had decorated and dug under it until he found a tiny box he had hidden among the others.

No- it couldn't be! Was it? A proposal?

"So!" he said. "Let's get this thing over with." He crawled back over to me and kneeled by my side.

I was practically about to faint at this point.

"Well," he said, twirling a piece of my hair between his fingers. "Well. Lils. We have gone through a lot together. I think. And every time something went wrong between us, we always fixed it. Well, at least I tried to fix it because everything has to be perfect between us. And if it's not I always feel awful. Because I love you, Lily. And hopefully you love me too. And I always want to love you. And I always want everything to be perfect between us. So if you want to be with me, like forever, tell me now."

Here he opened the box and took out a ring- except it was the most magnificent ring ever. The diamonds shone and split the light and rainbows gleamed from it.

"So, I'm asking you Lily Elizabeth Evans, do you want to marry me?"

I burst out in tears immediately. It was the happiest day ever!

"It wasn't that bad, was it?" asked James.

"No, no!" I sobbed, throwing my arms around him. "Not at all! Of course I'll marry you! I love you, James! Nothing could ever change that!"

"Well I'm glad that's settled," said Sirius.

OH YEAH!! GO ME!! I FINISHED THE CHAPTER!!! It's not as good as the old one, but oh well. So PLEASE REVIEW!!!! and the next chapter will be up.... oh say within a month. Hopefully. It all depends. I love you all! Thank you!