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Epilogue

James stared at the redhead sitting beside him, the recently-christened Lily Potter. He was supposed to be drawing up that map for the Order, but the firelight did the most interesting things to Lily's hair…

He had been captivated by Lily ever since his first year when he had started Hogwarts. Of course, when you were eleven, you just didn't talk to members of the opposite sex. So he had watched her from afar.

In second year, they had matured somewhat and the boys and girls talked to each other to ask, "Can you please pass the potatoes?" This was a huge leap in maturity for them.

In third year, James had gotten the Marauders to play many pranks on Lily. It was his way of showing affection, but Lily didn't understand. She avoided him and didn't speak to him when he spoke to her.

It was fourth year that the girls became obsessed with the boys and vice-versa. Everyone started 'going out' with each other, but all they did was sit with their 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend' at lunch and in classes. James had asked out Lily many times in that year, and had always gotten the same answer. "NO! Leave me ALONE, Potter!"

Apart from Lily, James had never hurt for female attention and he was considered hot because he was a Marauder and had the whole 'tall, dark and mysterious' cliché working for him. This attention caused James' head to swell to enormous proportions. He had dated many girls that year, while at the same time proclaimed his 'love' for Lily.

Sixth year had been a disaster. Though James had stopped dating random girls and had focussed his full attention on Lily, he was still a completely immature prat. Though he had been sixteen, he had courted Lily like an eleven-year-old.

Seventh year was the golden year. The year Lily had finally become his girlfriend. Funny, he hadn't even tried very hard. He had been in a coma for their first kiss. Ah well. There had been many more to come.

Suddenly, Lily looked over at him and quirked an amused eyebrow. So she had noticed his staring.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, her green eyes dancing, because she knew the answer.

"You," blurted James truthfully, feeling his ears heat. It was ridiculous that Lily could still make him blush when he was an adult.

"Oh really?" she moved closer to him and leant against him and his arm was already curled around her shoulders before he even knew it had moved. "I think you should take a break from work tonight."

"I think so too," said James, smiling contentedly as he breathed in the scent of strawberries emanating from Lily's soft red hair.

For five minutes, they stayed that way, in silence, committing the memory of the firelight washing over them as they sat together in their hearts forever.

"James?" Lily asked suddenly. "Do you remember how we got together?"

James looked at her and smirked. "Though I was hallucinating and unconscious for most – if not all – of it, I definitely remember."

Lily blushed. James grinned delightedly. He loved it when Lily blushed. It made her nose look redder and her freckles showed up more.

She slapped him upside the head. "Stop being an idiot!" she chided, still smiling. "Do you ever wonder what would've happened if Sirius hadn't given you that messed up Felix?"

James smiled. "Lily darling, I would've won you over with or without any Felix Felicis! Why, how could you not fall for my looks and my charm and-"

Lily slapped him upside the head again. "James," she said sweetly, "you are still a conceited git after all these years, you know that? And I still love you." She kissed him softly.

Once they had broken apart, James gave her a lopsided grin. "When you put it that way," he said, with laughter in his voice, "I think I'll be conceited all over again."

Lily snuggled into his chest and they sat there, perfectly content. James sighed happily.

Yes, he thought, I was really was six thousand, nine hundred and seventy second time lucky.

EL FIN.

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Winky: The end of our little fic!

Dobby: That's all, folks!

Winky: -----sob----- I can't believe we finally finished it!

Dobby: For the sequel, read the entire Harry Potter series.

Winky: Love it? Hate it? This is your last chance to REVIEW!

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