Emma's parents threw a party in honour of her daughters engagement, iy was also their first proper chance to meet Sirius and question him about why he thinks he's good enough for their daughter. Sirius had passed the test with flying colours using his charm mostly.
Dumbledore had attended the party briefly to give him congratulations, but couldn't stay longer then a few minuets as he had things to do.
"I love Christmas, it's my favourite time of year." James said he was in the Auror Headquarters with Lily, Sirius was off doing something.
Lily sighed, "I wish my parents were here, it's a time for family."
James put his arms around her, "you're my family." James said.
Lily snuggled into him, "thanks" she said, "but we should get back to work before someone notices we're skiving.
James reluctantly let go of her, "oh, I almost forgot, my parents are having their ball again this year, and seeing as I have to go I bringing you with me."
"What if I don't went to go?" Lily asked, but James to looked at her with his big puppy dog eyes and her will melted. "Fine."
James smiled, " see you later, I've got a progress meeting with the Head Auror." He kissed Lily on the cheek and left.
She sat in her cubical finishing off her paper, it had to b in by the end of next week, that's when they got time off for Christmas. They didn't get long off, they had to work right up to the day before Christmas Eve, they had said it was because they needed more Aurors so they had to get their training done as quickly as possible. That was the reason they were compressing a three year course in to just one and a half years.
Lily didn't mind this one bit, she couldn't wait to be an auror, but she could tell some other on her course were struggling slightly, not that there were many people on her course.
It seemed not many people wanted to be an Auror while Lord Voldemort was around, but who could blame them? It often scared Lily how powerful he was getting, it seemed no one would be able to stop him.
She was also at greater risk then any of her friends, she was the only muggle born amongst them, the kind of people that Voldemort was trying to wipe out. But then again James would never let anything happen to her, and plus she could look after herself.
Peter sat at his small desk in the Muggle Relations department in the Ministry, he was filing papers into alphabetical order. He was so bored at the moment he thought that watching paint dry would be more interesting.
He looked longingly at the door to Jess' office, that's all he really did, it was nearly lunchtime now, maybe he's ask her to go to lunch with him, then she'd fall in love with him and they'd get married.
He banged his head on the table causing all his papers to fly out of order, he was so dumb. He'd have to do it all again just because he was day dreaming about something that would never happen.
He scrambled under his desk and gathered together some papers.
"Peter what are you doing down there?" Jess asked, she had just come out of her office.
Peter jumped and banged his head, "oh shit." He muttered to himself.
Jess compressed a small laugh, "you OK?" She asked.
"Fine," Peter muttered going red in the face, "I just dropped all these papers that I was putting into order.
"Oh," Jess said, "well I was going to ask if you wanted to join, Lily, Sirius James and I for lunch, but you'll probably be doing that." Jess said sincerely, "maybe some other time."
"Yeah." Peter said and he watched as Jess walked away and he mentally kicked himself.
Christmas was drawing nearer and nearer and everybody was frantically buying Christmas presents and decorating their houses.
The girls had erected a small Christmas tree in their living room, they had wanted to get a big on, but there was simply no space to put it. The hall ceiling was covered in fairies that sparkled I the dark, it wasn't much but it would look a bit ridiculous if they overfilled the place with decorations, like the muggles when hey put up all the lights outside their house. Less is more they thought.
"Are you getting Peter a present?" Emma asked Lily as they walked down Diagon Ally .
"I don't know, I haven't really seen him lately, maybe we should just get him something from all of us." Lily suggested as they stepped into another shop.
"We could, but what do you get him, he's not really an easy person to but for." Emma said.
"Let's just give him money, you can never go wrong with money." Lily said, "plus after today I'm not shopping again for at least a month, my feet are killing me."
"I know what you mean my feet have swelled to at least twice their original size while we've been here." Emma said wincing slightly.
"Are you sure you should have come out, you have been quite sick lately?" Lily said thoughtfully, she had tried to persuade her to stay in but Emma wouldn't hear of it.
"I'm fine it's probably just a bug, I just need fresh air, stop worrying." Emma said.
Lily just frowned, "you are the healer."
"Actually I'm not a healer yet." Emma said.
"You know what I mean, let's go and get a drink." Lily said and they linked arms and walked out of the shop.
The stopped in a small café for a little while, it was cold out so they were in no hurry.
They ordered to coffees and went and sat in the corner by the fire and warmed themselves while they drank.
Lily noticed a middle aged woman sitting on the table next to them that kept staring at her.
"Is it just me or is the woman staring at me?" Lily asked Emma.
"No it's not just you," Emma said. "Excuse me," she said to the woman, "would you mind not staring at my friend."
The woman stood up, she was quite short with a ash blond bob and thick framed black glasses, she made her way over to their table and perched on an extra chair.
"I'm sorry but I noticed you when you walked in." The woman said and she reached for a business card from with in her bag. She handed it to Lily with her perfectly manicured red finger nails.
"I'm a scout for model witches, and I think you have the right look, I think with the right training you could go far."
Lily just looked at Emma wither her mouth slightly open.
"My numbers on the card, give me a call." She said and she left the café.
"Oh my God you're going to be a model." Emma said all excited.
"Calm down, you don't want to be sick again." Lily said.
Emma hit her on the arm, "I'm just excited that my best friend is going to be famous, and rich, but then again James' is rich already so that doesn't mater."
"I'm not going to be famous, I'm not going to be rich, and I'm not going t be a model." Lily said.
"What?" Emma asked.
"I don't want t be a model, I want to be an Auror." Lily said and she threw the card on the table.
"But it's like very girls dream." Emma said.
"Well it's not mine," Lily said exasperatedly.
"Well I think you should at least give it a chance." Emma said.
"No Emma, would you just give it a rest." Lily said trying to keep her anger under control.
"What's gotten into to you?" Emma asked.
"Nothing, I'm sorry, it's just every since my parents died I promised that I'd do something worth while and stop other people going through the same pain as me." Lily said.
Emma put a hand on her back. "I'm sorry," Emma said, "but there is no reason to get all worked up."
"I know." Lily said running her hand through her hair.
"You know if you became a model you wouldn't have to give up your career."
Lily just looked at Emma, "OK, I was just saying." Emma said holding her hands up in defeat.
"Come on lets go home." Lily said, "I want to wrap these presents."
They got up to leave the café and, when Lily wasn't looking Emma pocketed the card the scout had given them.
The week before Christmas arrived and Emma and Laura sat at home, they had longer off as there wasn't such a shortage of Healers.
Emma had been sick all morning, and it didn't seem like she was going to stop anytime soon.
"I don't think this is going to be a very fun Christmas for me." She said pulling her head out of the toilet.
"Don't worry, you've been sick for a while now, It should get better soon." Laura said handing her a glass of water, "I'll see if I can make a potion to help."
"Thanks," Emma said gratefully.
Emma made her way out of the bathroom and into the living room.
There was a crack and Sirius appeared in the house.
"Sirius what are you dong here?" She asked.
"I'm just skiving off for a while to see my beautiful fiancé." He said going in for a kiss.
"I wouldn't if I for you, you're beautiful fiancé is sick and she doesn't want to pass it on to you." Emma said, and instead she just hugged him.
"Are you OK?" He asked worriedly, putting his hand on her forehead.
"I should be fine, don't worry." Emma said, "Now get back to the Ministry, I don't want you getting in trouble."
Sirius nodded, kissed her on the head and apparate back to the Auror Headquarters.
It was Christmas Eve, under the tree was crammed full of presents from various people. It was dark outside and all the girls were rushing about the house getting changed for James' family ball.
They all needed a shower but just as the first person came out the hot water decided to stop running. Jess had tried to fix it with her wand but fixing boilers wasn't her strong point.
Emma was still feeling a bit queasy, but so far she had only been sick once and she was determined to enjoy herself and not stay at home asleep.
It was after seven when they got to the Potter's house, James answered the door and beamed at them with his school boy grin.
They came into the house, it looked just as it had the last time, "welcome." James said.
They wandered into the ball room where there music was playing and there were many couples dancing.
James and Lily went over to their own little table in the corner of the room.
"You look stunning." James said to Lily.
She blushed slightly and smiled, she was wearing a set of gold robes was green trimming, and her hair was curly and up in a bun with a few loose bits hanging down.
"I must say you don't look too bad your self." Lily said.
"Lets dance." James said and they took to the floor.
They had been dancing for quite a long time when Sirius tapped Lily on the shoulder.
"Emma's been sick again." He said.
Lily frowned before going to find her, she was out in the toilettes looking rather traumatised.
"Are you OK?" She asked, although she knew the answer.
Emma just looked at her but couldn't say anything.
"What's wrong?" Lily asked.
Emma just shrugged, "I'm fine." She said.
"I think I should take you home," Lily said. "I'll just go and tell James."
She went back into the ball room where James and Sirius were sitting talking to Remus.
"I'm going to take Emma home, she's not feeling too good." Lily said.
"What! No!" James said jumping up. "I mean you can't go, not now."
"But I have to take Emma home." Lily said a little puzzled at James' reaction.
"I'll take her," Sirius said.
"And I help him." Remus said.
Lily looked at them suspiciously. "What's going on?" She asked.
"Nothing," James said a little quickly, "I just want to spend some time with you that's all."
"OK then, but just look after her she's a little frail." Lily said.
"Will do." Sirius and Remus said.
"Come on lets going for a walk." James said and he and Lily walked hand in hand out into the grounds of the house.
They came to a chair swing, they same one that had shared their first kiss on one year ago.
They sat on and James turned to Lily.
"Do you know what we were doing this time last year?" He asked.
"How could I ever forget?" She answered back.
He smiled at her and he reached into his pocket and pulled out a flat square box.
"Open this." He said.
Lily did as he said and inside she found a sprig of mistletoe.
"That is the same mistletoe we shared our first kiss under this time last year." James said and he took it from her hands and tied it to the top of the bench.
"You kept it?" Lily asked amazed.
James nodded and took a deep breath before reaching into his pocket, this time pulling out a smaller square box.
"I've been in love with you ever since the first moment I met you." He said looking into Lily's eyes, while Lily felt tears welling up.
"I love everything about you, even the fact that you're too smart for your own good," he joked, "and I've wanted to ask you this question for so long now, but I've waited for tonight."
He got off the bench and down on one knee, he opened the box to reveal a glittering gold ring with a diamond sparkling on it surrounded by emeralds.
Lily's breath caught in her throat and a tear ran down her cheek.
"Lily Evans, will you marry me?" James asked.
"Yes." Lily said tears of happiness streaming down her face, James placed the ring on her finger, and they kissed under the mistletoe once again.
I'm so sorry that it's taken so long to update but I've been really busy! I went skiing, then when I came back I had to do a project on it, and I've got exams now and with everything else I haven't had a chance to update!
Also the internets being turned off until Friday coz were changing something so there won't be another update until after then. But I have nearly finished the next chapter.
Anyway, I hope you like this chapter and don't forget to review!