The Marauders and Lily held their breath.

They were sure they had done it.

They were sure Umbridge would resign.

The week ended and the most exciting thing that happened was studying.

"She hasn't resigned yet?" James asked. "How long will she hold out?"

"Not much longer, if we can help it," Remus said grimly. "She only needs another shove. But we aren't doing it in class, I'm not getting involved in another one of those."

"Alright, but we need an idea first," Peter said.

"I have one," Lily said. She had come up from behind them.

"What?"

"In Charms, earlier this year, Flitwick had that lesson on manipulating weather in small quantities. I can figure out the charm, I just need your help to distract-"

"No," Remus said. "No more distractions."

"Sirius, you wanted to propose to Minnie, right?" James asked.

"Yeah, of course," Sirius said. "I was thinking a candlelit dinner-"

James interrupted to explained his idea. "What if we could get Minnie and Umbridge in the same room… we can do it at dinner! If Sirius proposes then, you can sneak up on Umbridge while she's distracted… Sirius can propose like he's wanted to-"

"And then Umbridge will quit and Minnie and I can be happy together," Sirius said happily.

"Good Luck with that," Lily said. "But that'll work."

"Brilliant. Tonight?" Remus said.

"This weekend. We'll end it then," Lily said.

It was Sunday night when the plan took action.

Sirius was dressed nicely, Lily knew the charm, and Peter had convinced James to lend Lily the invisibility cloak.

"If you get it confiscated," James warned her, "you'll be on the Marauders' hit-list for the rest of the time we're at Hogwarts."

"Relax, Potter, I won't get caught," Lily said.

"You'd better not."

Dinner began normally. The clatter of forks and knives filled the Great Hall. People chatted and ate.

Halfway through the meal, there was a distinct clink of a utensil being tapped against a glass.

The Hall continued to eat and talk.

The sound returned.

After twenty three tries, it became quiet.

Sirius stood, turning his gaze towards Minerva McGonagall. "Minnie, dear, I've been meaning to do this for a while now. Nothing makes me happier than you, nothing. So I ask, Minnie, will you marry me?" He went down on one knee and held up a golden ring Lily had lent him.

McGonagall blinked a few times before replying. "I'm flattered, Mr. Black, but I have to turn down your proposal-"

"Turn it down? Why, Minnie, we'll never be a proper family! What am I going to tell the kids?"

"The… kids?" McGonagall asked cautiously.

"James, Peter, and Remus are going to be so disappointed," Sirius said.

"You won't have to tell them anything, Mr. Black. They're right behind you," McGonagall said dryly.

"Minnie, please, if not for me, do it for them."

Students were beginning to giggle at how absurd the whole thing was.

"Can I have full custody of James? That might keep the two of you out of trouble," McGonagall said.

"What, no, Minnie, we're going to live under the same roof!"

"We've been living under the same roof since your first year."

"So you've accepted?"

"No, Mr. Black, I-"

Umbridge gave a shout from the far end of the staff table.

Sirius suppressed a grin.

A miniature storm cloud had been conjured above her head and was pouring rain. She was quite wet, and quite unhappy.

Back at the Gryffindor Table, James, Remus, and Peter were shaking with laughter. Umbridge looked like a cat after a bath: Wet, irritable, and uncomfortable. Very much the opposite of a toad, which she looked like on a regular basis.

"I thought toads like water," James said, struggling to breathe.

Remus corrected, "That's frogs, toads- hey!" A storm cloud had materialized above his head, and in seconds he was drenched.

"I didn't give you that for you to mess around, Evans!" James shouted.

The only reply he got was a cloud of his own.

"Please don't," Peter pleaded, but to no amend.

By the time Sirius looked back to his friends, Lily had gotten him, too. "EVANS!" he roared.

The Great Hall had delved into chaos. Some people left, noticing a seeming innocent Potter, Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew had been attacked. A number of people were gawping at Umbridge. A few others were still watching Sirius to see if he would continue to propose to McGonagall.

"I swear, I'm going to get her for that," James said, "She's on the hit-list now."

"Forget about that, how do we turn these off?" Peter asked, trying to use a empty plate as an umbrella.

"I dunno," James said.

Sirius went to join them where they were standing.

"Sorry it didn't work," Remus said.

"It was all Evans, she set me up. She told Minnie to say no, then to rub it in more chose to attack me. I know Minnie loves me, I know she does, if Evans hadn't interfered then we'd be a family," Sirius said dejectedly.

"I'm sure Minnie'll come around," James assured him.

It was nearly 10:00 when Lily returned to the Common Room to find the Marauders waiting.

She groaned. "I thought you'd be asleep by now," she said.

"Yeah, well, it's hard to sleep when you're being pelted with water droplets," James growled. "Give my cloak back and undo this."

"Fine," Lily said.

The boys all mumbled exasperated 'thank you's except for Sirius. He barely replied when she undid the spell.

"What's wrong with him?" Lily asked.

"Well, the love of his live just said no," Remus said.

"Love of his life."

"Yes, exactly."

"Minnie and I, we were going to be a family together. Us, plus James, Remus, and Peter," Sirius said with a dramatically forlorn expression.

"Come on, Black, she wasn't going to marry you," Lily said.

Sirius looked at her. "Evans, what Minnie and I have is unique, and she loves-"

A seventh year burst through the portrait. "Have you heard the news?" he asked.

"No," Peter said.

The seventh year grinned. "Umbridge quit."