It was the end of the year, and everyone was heading off to get ready for their graduation. The girls were packing their gear, and trying to look good, while the boys whined and waited for their dates. Lily and James looked around the Heads' Room, and hugged each other while Lily's eyes started to tear up gently, and James rubbed her back.
"This has been our home all year, and Hogwarts for 7. I don't want to leave. What's going to happen, James?"
She cried gently into his chest, while he comforted her.
"Well," he said, "We'll go out into the world. We'll become aurors, and fight Voldemort until he has nothing left. Then, we'll get married and have 76 children."
Lily looked up, imagining the idea he had just placed in her head, and laughed. "I love you James Potter," She said as she kissed him.
"I love you, Lily Evans," as he kissed her back.
"But we'll go our separate ways," she said, "I don't want to move back home with my sister. After everything that's happened, I can't move back home! Where will I live?"
He looked at her sweet face and pulled it towards his. He looked her in the eye and said, "With me." She gave him a confused look to which he responded with, "I love you, Lils. I have always loved you. I have wanted you to be with me day in and day out ever since I saw you put the Sorting Hat on. I want to wake up and fall asleep with you. Lily, I love you so much…Will you-umm, Lily, w-will y-you m-marry me?"
Lily looked into his deep eyes, and he looked back into her emerald greens. She smiled at him, "I've fallen in love with the Potter's charm after all haven't I?"
She laughed. "Is that your way of saying yes?" He added hopefully.
She laughed again, and kissed him with more passion increasing with every second. "Yes, James, yes, I will marry you. But I want to wait a little while. I want to get started on being an auror, and you too. Plus, I think we should graduate!" She laughed again and hugged James.
He pulled out of his pocket small velvet box, and inside a beautiful emerald ring to match her eyes. She gasped at its beauty, and let him put it on her ring finger. They kissed, believing that there really is no place like home, as long as you're with the one you love. Nothing else existed in that moment.
"Lily!" Lily heard her name behind her. Alice ran up to her, all giddy and childlike. She looked like she was going to explode.
"What, what is it? Why are you so jumpy?" She asked with a laugh.
Alice sealed her lips and then exploded. "I'm ENGAGED! To Frank!"
Lily and she jumped up and down, followed by Skye and Ariel.
"Hey, wait a minute, Lily!" Alice exclaimed. Skye looked down at where Alice was pointing. There, sat an emerald ring on Lily's ring finger. Skye screamed and shrieked and picked Lily up. She ran to tell Sirius, who told Remus. Sirius had already run over to James, picking him up and twirling him around in his arms.
Finally, after all of the excitement of a double engagement, it was time to graduate. Everyone walked up to shake hands with Dumbledore, and to receive a certificate from the job industry. The ministry sent out letters at graduation for who would be taking which job. Lily and her friends, except for Ariel, got letters for the preparation of being an auror. Ariel got a letter for being a healer. The odd thing was, that James Potter's name was not called. He looked around in a confused state, while Dumbledore resumed the post. He looked at James, and smiled. Then, he began to speak.
"For many years have I watched students grow and learn throughout their time at this school. This year, is no different, but then again, this year is completely different from all of the rest. A dark lord is rising, and only 8 students out of this entire audience have battled with him, and lived. One of these eight, has made extraordinary progress throughout the 7 years he spent here. Not only as a person, but academically as well. I would like him to speak on behalf of what he has learned, being the top in the class and as a person, what he cherishes, and most importantly, words of advice to you all. Ladies and gentleman, James Potter."
The whole crowd cheered, with the exception of the Slytherins, and stood from their seats. James looked around before beginning to talk.
"Wow. I, uh, never thought that I would be the top in the class. I guess I'll talk to you about the main things I've learned here at Hogwarts. First, I've learned about hard work. For my first couple of years at Hogwarts, I was known as a prankster. I played pranks on the school and on friends at school throughout my career as a student here. My friends and I, the Marauders, that is Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, had a lot of fun coming up with different pranks. Most people who stand up here would say that all of the hard work of studying paid off. But I am here to tell you, that academics are not the only things that can satisfy a person. I learned that through working hard, very hard, I could achieve complete bliss here, and I learned to call this place home. I gained friendships, great friendships, with my Marauders, and with the Divines. The Divines are girls in Gryffindor who are as much attached to each other as my group was. In the end of my sixth year, when one of the Divines, Emily Stradford, was murdered by Voldemort, I learned to be more compassionate about those that I love. Life is short, and we shouldn't take it for granted. We should live each day as if we know it's our last. These days, it could be," he added quietly.
"There's just one more thing that I would like to talk about. This school creates opportunities for many people. If I had never gotten my letter in the mail, I would not have learned any magic, and I would not be where I am today. I have an opportunity to help fight the evil in this world, alongside my better half. Lily Evans and I have been together since October. I have, however, been trying to get her to go out with me for 7 years. For 7 years, I have been in love with this girl. She made me want to be a better person, and I changed who I was, the bad part of me, to a much better person. She helped me get through tough times, and kept me grounded. I just want to say that, I love you Lily, and I can't wait to marry you."
There was a gasp from the audience and everyone began to clap. James walked straight to his beauty, and held her tightly as he kissed her passionately. Sirius, hugged his best friend, and everyone else hugged him as well. This had been the perfect day.