Introspection
Chapter Four: Life-Long Proposals
"Stupid James," Lily laughed happily as she looked admiringly at the beautiful diamond ring on her finger. It had been newly washed. "Only you would think – or not, as it were – to put it in the pudding."
He was blushing; she had swallowed a spoonful of pudding and choked on the expensive ring. It had been the most comedic, least romantic way of proposing to true love and life-long commitment that she could think of. The Christmas dinner had been partially ruined, or enhanced, depending on how she looked at it, by the use of the Heimlich maneuver, but laughing had been restored by the discovery of the ring and the scheme behind it.
Dumbledore smiled at them, his blue eyes twinkling behind the half-moon spectacles that were perched on his large, crooked nose. "My best wishes," he told them in an earnest but mild voice, "but I'm afraid that I called you here on a rather grave matter."
His piercing stare was boring into them.
"As you know, the self-styled Dark Lord, Voldemort, is gaining more and more power. His army of Death Eaters…"
Lily felt a surge of completion. Here was her chance to regain her courage and honor and prove it to herself. She'd never forgotten the ordeal in the Forest.
"Will you two join the Order of the Phoenix?"
The answer was a resounding "yes" from both of them, at the same time.
"This will change you lives and is not a decision to be made lightly," Dumbledore said, a look of warning in his eyes.
"Like marriage?" James teased, endeavoring to lighten the mood. Then the mischief went from his hazel eyes, matching his former Headmaster's in sobriety. "We know."
"And the answer is still yes," Lily said stubbornly, grabbing James's hand and lacing her fingers into his. "It always will be."