Prongs and the Blue Fairy Potion

From the Q&P Once Upon a Parchment Competition

Winner for Best Romance, Judge's Honorable Mention, and Runner-up for Best Retelling of a Fairytale

Beta Love: RooOJoy

Pairings: James Potter/Lily Evans and Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley

Rating: T

Song Recommendation: Make a Move by Gavin DeGraw

Sirius was sitting in his favourite armchair in the drawing room at Grimmauld Place when Harry finally found him. The older man was silently nursing a tumbler of firewhisky, his grey eyes lost to a world beyond the flames of the fire that held his gaze.

Even though Harry had been quiet, he knew Sirius' canine hearing had given him away when his godfather spoke, not bothering to turn his head towards the doorway where Harry stood.

"You couldn't sleep either, pup?"

Harry made a noise in the affirmative before sleepily shuffling to take the armchair opposite Sirius' own.

The Animagus picked up the bottle of firewhisky and held it out to the younger man, giving it an enticing little wiggle. Harry laughed but shook his head, knowing getting drunk was the last thing he should be doing before he went back to school the next day.

He just knew he would miss Sirius and wanted to bask in the loving presence of his godfather for every possible moment before he had to get on the train. The length of time between holidays seemed unreasonably long now that he had a little taste of having a family all his own to miss. And Sirius always welcomed him home with open arms, an offer of a drink, and a story.

This night was no different.

"Have I ever told you what happened to make your mum finally give old Prongs a chance?"

Harry screwed up his forehead, trying to dredge up the memory from the many tales he had heard of the Marauders' adventures, before shaking his head. "I don't think so. Hermione would be absolutely appalled that I never thought to ask about that." He looked chagrined but happy to be receiving another little piece of the puzzle that was his parents.

Sirius grinned. "I always took all the credit for how happy they were together because it was technically my fault things happened the way they did…"

"It was a day much like this one, cold and blustery and white all over. Prongs was going Christmas shopping. He always went alone, since he knew we'd take the piss out of him for whatever he bought Lily, and his parents thought it was sweet, how much he adored her, so they left him to his own devices.

"On this particular shopping trip, Prongs found the best gift yet. It was a pair of emerald earrings. They were the most beautiful jewellery any of us had ever seen, which is saying something, coming from a pair of little aristocrats like Prongs and me. Anyway, the emeralds matched Lily's eyes -" he paused, casting a warm glance in Harry's direction and tacking on, "- and your eyes - perfectly. It was after he left the jewellers, though, that things went wrong…"

James Potter hated Christmas shopping. All it did was remind him of how utterly hopeless he was. He had three friends who adored him - or at least put up with his endless moping and helped him live out his dreams of being one of Hogwarts' most fantastic pranksters. His parents thought the world rose and set over his miserable arse. He lived a great life! Why did he have this endless obsession with something - someone, really - he could never have?

He hitched his wad of shopping bags higher on his shoulder, feeling grateful for the strength Quidditch afforded him and thinking that he really wished he were more adept at Charms.

He tried not to let his thoughts go there, but his mind betrayed him. I bet Lily casts a brilliant feather-light charm. It wasn't entirely his fault. Lily really was good at pretty much everything.

He should know. He'd spent the better part of the past six and a half years watching, analysing, and worshipping her.

Most people had a conscience. James had a miniature voice of each of his best friends stuck in his skull. The Sirius voice in his head came out to mock him. And what good has any of that ever done you? Move on, Prongs! So many other birds to chase, mate.

"But I don't want any other birds, Pads," he muttered under his breath, pulling his scarf a little tighter around his neck as he thought of the beautiful emerald earrings he had picked out for Lily's late Christmas gift. He knew they would probably be rejected posthaste, like every other gift he'd ever given her, but that never stopped him from trying. "I just wish she could see me for who I am…"

"There's a potion for that, dearie," a shaky, wizened voice informed him.

James whirled around, caught off guard. "W-what?"

An elderly woman who lived up to every stereotype of the word "gipsy" stood in front of him, hunched over the counter of her booth. Her hair was so black it was almost blue and streaked with grey, all wild and curly. She wore about a million layers of clothing - all of them blue - but the visible ones were a flowy, tattered ankle-length skirt and a chunky knit sweater with matching scarf and hat. There was a glint of mischief in her eye - Marauders recognize that emotion anywhere - and a ragtag band of jingling jewellery peeking out at her neck, wrists, and ears. "You heard me, boy. That lady love of yours. She'll know the truth about you." She held out a potion, swirling it gently in its flask. "All you need is this."

He took it from her with care, feeling inexplicably drawn to the shimmering blue liquid within.

But his brain finally kicked in, and he realized that it sounded much too good to be true. He cleared his throat, feeling embarrassed at his own gullibility. "What does it do...exactly?"

The crone laughed. "They call this one the blue fairy. It will make your wish come true. If you decide to take it now, it will help your lady love see the truth about you, whatever it may be." She cast him a sideways glance and a grin with a mouth full of surprisingly white, straight teeth. "If your intentions are pure, she'll know it."

James nodded with earnest conviction. "They are. I...I love her." His ears and cheeks felt hot beneath the chill of the winter air. Though I'm not sure why I told you that, he thought to himself.

Her smile turned from secretive to businesslike, and she started writing up a receipt. "That will be fifteen galleons," she informed him without looking up.

That set off alarm bells in his head. That was a fair amount of money to waste on a fake potion. Then again, he thought, what is all the old family money good for if not love?

Sap, the Sirius voice in his head accused.

James fished the coins out of his pocket, placing them into the old woman's open hand and gently wrapping the phial of potion in a clean handkerchief before tucking it away in his coat pocket. He smiled at the old woman and waved in farewell. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome, deary. I haven't had an unhappy customer yet. They don't call me the blue fairy for nothing."

James' brow furrowed at the curious statement, but he was too cold to continue the conversation any longer. He cast her a confused smile and headed for home.

The train ride back to Hogwarts seemed to take an eternity.

James Potter sat in the Heads carriage, twirling the phial of sparkling, sapphire potion between his fingers. Lily was patrolling the cars, ensuring no members of the opposite sex touched, no pranks were executed, and a good time was not had by all.

He sighed, huffing out a bone-weary breath. If Evans is such a stick in the mud, he thought to himself, why do I like her so bloody much? He shook the potion up a bit, eyeing the thick, shimmering liquid with trepidation. No one should ever like someone so damn much when there is no hope that the other person will feel the same.

He sighed again, feeling so very tired of his perpetual role of lovesick schoolboy. He'd been in love with Lily Evans since first year, but she seemed to hate him more every time they saw each other until he was made Head Boy and she Head Girl. She had then tolerated him, polite but aloof, for the sake of their Head duties.

Leading the student body together meant that they saw more of each other than Lily would have ever chosen, and James knew that.

An enormous black snout appeared in midair across the carriage, quickly followed by an equally large dog, leaping through the air and becoming a wildly grinning Sirius Black mid-tackle. James yelped, protecting his most important bits in a last-ditch effort to keep his manhood intact amidst the assortment of dangerously flailing limbs that was Sirius Black.

Once he was finished terrifying James, Sirius rolled into a more comfortable position and settled on James' lap. "Such a sad sap, our Prongsie. You sigh more than a petty pureblood mother." His grin turned a little painful, but his voice continued on with confidence. "I would know."

James shook his head at Sirius' antics, not noticing until it was too late that Sirius was eyeing the phial in his hand with great interest. "What's this, then?" he asked.

James deflected. "Please don't leave the cloak just lying around for anyone to find." He shoved Sirius off his lap and bent to pick his invisibility cloak up off the floor and carefully fold it before stowing it in an inside pocket of his robes.

"Pro-ongs. What is this little potion for, hm? Did you finally allow your dad to send you something to fix that awful mop of yours?" He flourished elegantly towards James, continuing, "This, ladies and gents, is the up-and-coming generation from the family that brought you Sleekeazy hair products." He rolled his eyes, mimicking listening to the crowd's disbelief. "Trust me, I know."

The Sleekeazy heir ruffled Sirius' own perfect black curls, currently grown out past his shoulders. "Oi!" Sirius exclaimed. "Watch it if you know what's good for you, deer," he warned, chortling at his tasteless pun.

The Head Boy continued to ignore his best friend's teasing. "Where are Moony and Wormtail? I didn't see them on the platform, and I've been too busy trying to avoid Lily since we've been on the train to look for them."

Sirius eyed the phial again. "Is that what this is? A potion to make you forget your unrequited love?" He grimaced, feeling bad for rubbing the ever-sore-spot in James' face. "Sorry."

James had finally had enough. Sighing, he admitted, "It's something stupid that I picked up when I was Christmas shopping. It's probably a fake, and I feel stupid for buying it." He ran his hands through his hair, letting it stand on end. "Just forget about it, alright?"

That didn't sate Sirius' curiosity. "What's it do, then?" His jaw dropped incredulously. "You weren't going to drug her, were you? Not after all these years of honest effort to win your fair lady's hand."

Thinking that his face probably couldn't get any redder, James replied, "No. It's for me. It's supposed to prove to Lily that I'm sincere. And that I have good intentions." He rested his crossed arms on his knees, dropping his head down onto them to avoid whatever look was about to take over Sirius' face.

Unsurprisingly, Sirius was all over the idea of taking a mysterious potion of unknown origin, ingredients, and effects. "Give her a go then!"

James recoiled from his friend and the outstretched potion he was sure was only a hand's reach away. "No. I'm sure it's rubbish. I was just feeling lonely over the holidays and bought it in a moment of weakness."

"Don't tell me this was her Christmas present?" Sirius teased.

Burrowing deeper into his arms, James said, "You know it's not, Pads."

"Ooo, what did you get her, then? An engagement ring that she can't refuse? Maybe you should try that and the potion at the same time. Go big or go home, right?"

Groaning, James continued to hide but dug around in his pocket and stuck the box that contained Lily's actual gift in Sirius' general direction.

A soft huff of surprise escaped his mouth. "James, these are beautiful."

A pained groan came from where James was trying to smother himself. "I know."

Sirius shook his friend's shoulder, urging him back into a sitting position. "She'd have to be crazy not to love these, James."

"If only it were that easy to get her to love me," James complained.

Sirius brightened, slapping the phial back and forth between his palms in a manner that James truly did not appreciate - for the fear of wasting the fifteen galleons it took to buy the potion if nothing else.

The next instant played out as if suspended in time, and James watched as Sirius fumbled the tiny glass. He dove for the floor, hands stretched out in an utterly ridiculous rendition of a game-saving snitch catch.

But James was not the team seeker for a reason.

Even with glasses, his depth perception was not great with items this small. Quaffles, no problem. Tiny, flipping, flashing objects? Not so much.

He undershot his catch, and the tiny jar ended up falling just shy of his outstretched fingertips.

There was a flash of blue smoke as the glass shattered.

Then he just saw black.

"I cannot believe he took a potion from some back alley witch! Horace doesn't even know what this is, and that worries me. Not that we had much to go on, considering Black only saw it for a moment before this happened."

James groaned, trying to sit up in bed.

His entire body felt…

Stiff.

And not in a good way.

He reached up to ruffle his hair, but it was…

Hard.

"What the hell?" he muttered.

"Language, Mr Potter!" McGonagall snapped, and James pried his eyes open. The Transfiguration Professor and Madam Pomfrey were standing near the foot of his bed. Upon seeing that her patient was awake, the mediwitch rushed over to peer into his eyes and cast a barrage of diagnosing spells, but his Head of House continued, "Considering the current circumstances, I will not be docking house points. Watch your tongue in the future, if you would, please."

James frowned. Every muscle in his face felt weird. "Current circumstances? Am I dying? I knew that potion was a bad idea."

Madam Pomfrey perked up. "Do you know what the potion is? What's in it? Where we can find the antidote?"

He had never heard Poppy Pomfrey ramble so, even after the worst of Remus' full moon injuries, and that worried him.

A lot.

He cleared his throat. The entire school knew about his feelings for Lily, so he forged ahead. "The witch I bought it from said that it would help Evans see me for who I am." He blushed. "That she would know I truly care about her."

McGonagall's brow furrowed, but Pomfrey stilled. "Did she say anything else? A name? Or the potion's name?"

He thought for a moment. "Nothing about the potion, but she called herself the blue fairy."

The mediwitch's eyes grew wide, and McGonagall said, "I take it you've heard of her before."

Pomfrey nodded. "Years ago, when I was still finishing up my healer training at St. Mungo's, I helped treat a woman with a broken leg. She said a peddler called the blue fairy had overheard her talking to herself about how she wished she could find a man to love and take care of her. Said she looked like a gipsy if I remember correctly."

James nodded in confirmation.

"Anyway, the blue fairy gave her a pair of glass slippers and promised they would help her fall in love with the man of her dreams. Later that same night, she put on the slippers and got ready to go out. But she tumbled down her own front steps and had to Apparate herself to St. Mungo's with a broken leg."

James groaned. "Great. I bought a potion from a crazy lady with a knack for hurting people." He tried to flop back into a horizontal position, but it ended up being more like a slow creaking motion before his head heavily hit the pillow.

Pomfrey coughed. "Be that as it may, the story ended happily. Her leg was easily mended, and she ended up falling in love with the other healer who helped her that night."

James felt his jaw drop, like a hinge swinging open.

The strange sensations throughout his body finally urged him to take stock of what exactly was going on that had the mediwitch so concerned. He sent his fingers out to trace over his legs and chest, finally sliding them up his neck to his face. He could feel his eyes opening wider the more he explored what was supposed to be skin and bone.

McGonagall glanced at Pomfrey, who gave a short nod. "Wood, Potter. You've been turned into wood."

James groaned and let his eyes fall shut once more.

Wooden hands muffled his voice as he groused, "I just wanted her to like me."

The next morning found James in the Head Boy dorm room, holding unusually still while Remus helped him tie his tie and Sirius poked him every few seconds. Peter sat on the edge of the bed, looking confused and worried and sorry. They weren't good looks on the already mousy-looking young man, and they made James feel worse.

"Do I have to go?" James asked for the third time since Pomfrey had released him that morning, saying he appeared to be alright and "hopefully it will wear off," which was possibly the least heartening prognosis he had ever heard from a healthcare professional.

Sirius bounced on the balls of his feet, full of the nervous energy that came from being a canine Animagus and knowing that your friend being poisoned was almost entirely your fault. "Of course. Pomfrey said that going about your normal routine can only help. And who knows? Maybe this interesting new development will catch Lily's eye." He shrugged, trying to make the issue smaller than it was. "Stranger things have happened."

James groaned. "Oh, why did you remind me? I can't see Lily like this!"

Remus smoothed down James' tie, finally satisfied with his knotwork. His tactics were different than Sirius', as usual. "You're going to go down there and pretend like everything is normal - or like this is the greatest prank you've ever pulled, if that is easier. Lily will think you're just being your usual ridiculous self if she notices anything at all. It's your own fault that you bought the potion in the first place," he paused to smack Sirius in the arm, "and it is your fault for smashing it in his face.

"Now," he continued, helping James put on his school bag before slinging on his own, "Let's get this over with. Quick, like a Band-Aid. We'll visit the library between classes and see if we can find an antidote or counter-curse for whatever it is that did this."

They tromped down flight after flight of stairs, all the way from the Head dormitory to the Great Hall, in solidarity, with Remus and Sirius flanking James and Peter bringing up the rear. They claimed their usual seats in the middle of the Gryffindor table, and James let out a sigh of relief that no one had said anything when he heard a shriek.

"Potter!"

Why is she always yelling at me? James thought bleakly.

"Yes, Evans?" he replied, calmly buttering a piece of toast and wondering if his body was even capable of eating anymore.

"McGonagall told me you weren't feeling well, but this is… What happened to you?" She was still shrieking, but her volume had lessened from deafening to merely piercing as she drew nearer and sat next to him, unceremoniously pushing Sirius out of the way.

"Erm," he realized he hadn't thought of a good excuse yet, "prank gone wrong, you could say."

Before the words had finished leaving his mouth, the strangest sensation took over his nose. It almost felt as if it were...growing.

And since James could suddenly see it (without going at all cross-eyed), he knew it actually had. "What the hell?" he grumbled, wondering if his life could actually get any more embarrassing.

Lily was eyeing him with her best rendition of dagger eyes, her brows scrunched together adorably. "Are you made of…" she trailed off, apparently unable to finish. Her face was screwed up in a confused mix of mirth and what almost looked like concern.

Remus piped up from the other side of the table, nonchalantly putting his porridge on hold as he took a sip of tea. "Wood. Yes, he absolutely is."

"When you answered before, why did your nose grow?"

James' eyes flicked between the girl of his dreams and the looming presence of his nose just below his spectacles. "I have no idea."

Thankfully, his nose stayed put this time. James was a little scared to talk now, for fear of other body parts behaving strangely.

Sirius was hiding a snigger on the other side of Lily, saying, "Our Prongs always was a bit nosy. Now his outsides just match his insides."

Lily scoffed, apparently not appreciating his sense of humour. "Let me guess. You did this, didn't you, Black?"

Sirius looked affronted, putting a hand over his heart. "Your words hurt me. Tell your Lily-flower to be nice to me, Prongs."

"Why should I?" James raced through possible excuses for his ailment. "You were the one who hexed me!" His nose stretched out even further. "Damn it!"

Now Sirius was truly offended. Marauders lied to the rest of the world, but they did not lie to each other. "I did not! It was your own stupid fault for buying that potion -" he was cut off mid-thought as James reached around Lily to slam a hand over his friend's mouth.

"A lie," Lily murmured. She suddenly turned to James, touching him voluntarily for the first time in his life.

It was lovely, her hands all soft and cool upon his cheeks.

"Potter, look at me." He did so. "What colour are my eyes?"

Instincts kicked in faster than his brain did. "The most beautiful emerald green I've ever seen in my life."

Nothing happened.

Lily tilted her head in thought, considering something. "Now tell me my hair is...something other than red."

James frowned but mumbled, "Your hair is black, which is not nearly as exquisite as fiery red. For the record."

His nose grew again, and he whimpered.

Lily looked chagrined. "Sorry. Just had to be sure. You should be fine if you tell the truth for the rest of the day. I have to go to class now, but I'll see you at our Heads meeting later tonight."

She hurried away, the hair James worshipped so openly streaming out behind her.

The Head Boy sat on the bench, frozen, his breakfast forgotten.

For the first time that he could remember, Lily Evans had just told a lie.

There was no Heads meeting that night.

Why would she say there was?

The break between Defence and Potions found James alone in the dungeons. It was a relief to have a moment alone after a day filled with poking and prodding and insensitive questions that James opted to ignore instead of risking a lie and the possibility of watching his nose grow yet again. It already stuck out far more than usual.

His respite was short lived, though, for his favourite Slytherin was gliding his way down the Potions classroom corridor. James turned to put his back towards his old nemesis, but Snape had already seen him and the ridiculous appendage sticking out from his face. The Slytherin sneered as soon as he stood in front of James.

"Nice nose, Potter."

James shrugged. "It's a shame to mess with perfection. Potion gone wrong, you know. Happens to the best of us." His nose inched forward again, much to his chagrin.

"No," Snape jeered, "not to the best of us."

The Gryffindor bristled, spitting out the first insult that came to mind. "Don't worry, you're still the reigning tyrant in the realm of enormous noses. Not even this can put your beak to shame. All hail King Snivellus!" He swept a mocking bow.

Snape flushed a scarily Gryffindor shade of red. "I don't know what anyone sees in you. You're unintelligent, boring, and absolutely hopeless when it comes to taking hints."

"What's that supposed to mean?" James asked, puffing out his chest.

"Evans is never going to go for you, Potter. You are exactly the opposite of what she wants." He leered. "Trust me."

James paled but didn't back down. "Not like you'd know, Snape. She hasn't talked to you in ages. We both know you burned that bridge ages ago, so don't act like you know her anymore. She's far too good for the likes of you."

Snape was shaking with fury. "At least I actually care about her. I've apologized," he grit out from between clenched teeth. "A real man would respect the first of the million times she told you she wasn't interested."

"She's worth fighting for! I know that, so I never stop trying. I'm one hundred percent a real man!"

His nose grew. Again.

He slumped forward, defeated, and Snape laughed cruelly. "Guess we both know that's not true then?" he asked in parting, turning to head into the Potions classroom.

James allowed his tired, wooden body to slide down the wall and slump onto the floor, realizing at the last second that Lily had been standing behind him. He groaned. "How much of that did you hear, Evans?"

She shook her head, looking confused. "Enough."

James sat at one end of the plush couch in the common room he and Lily shared as Head Boy and Head Girl. He wasn't sure when she would be coming back for their supposed "meeting," so he opted on the side of caution and came to wait for her as soon as he was finished with his classes for the day.

He should have been at Quidditch practice with Sirius and the others, but Sirius had made a joke about how he might shatter if a bludger hit him just right, and he had quickly decided that it would be better for him to keep his feet firmly on the ground.

The box that held Lily's earrings was poking out from beneath his thigh, and he ran a nervous finger over the edge.

"What was I thinking, getting her these?" he asked himself aloud. "She's going to hate them, just because they're from me, and they're absolutely perfect. I'm hopeless."

Lily chose that exact moment to enter the room from the hallway portrait entrance, and she laughed and said, "Only now figuring that out, are you?"

James scowled and shoved the earrings farther beneath his leg. See if she gets any pretty, shiny things tonight, he thought vindictively. Heaven knows she doesn't deserve them if she's teasing me after the day I've had.

But instead of looking like she was laughing at him, Lily was smiling softly with something new in her eyes.

James felt his heart skip approximately three beats before it slammed back into action, double time.

He'd never seen that particular look in Lily's eyes before. It was gentle and warm and absolutely enchanting.

Lily joined him on the couch, sitting on the opposite side but turning to face him, legs curled up beneath her.

"This is a bit of an interrogation, Potter."

"A...a what?"

"You heard me. An interrogation. For the first time in my life, I am going to find out what's truly going on beneath that unruly mop of yours."

"Okay," he breathed, not sure whether this was a good thing or a really bad one.

"Let's start with what happened earlier. Why did your nose grow when you said you were one hundred percent a real man?"

The instinct to protect Remus' secret - and the collective Marauder secret of having various animal alter-egos - kicked in faster than James could counter it. "No idea."

His nose was now beyond ridiculous, jutting even farther forward after his last statement.

Lily's eyes were shrewd. "Tell me the truth."

James realised that his heart was now pounding out of fear instead of pleasant anticipation. What could he honestly say? Was the chance of winning her heart - finally, after six and a half years of pining - worth revealing this secret?

His instincts might have been biased, but they screamed YES. The Sirius voice in his head said, You're so whipped. Tosser.

James went with the instincts. They were usually more reliable than his Sirius-conscience. "I am not entirely human."

Lily's posture straightened. "Come again?"

James sighed and ran a hand down his face. "That is to say, I'm an Animagus."

The redhead looked as if that was the absolute last thing she had expected him to say. Her face was blank with a look of complete shock.

The clock on the mantel quietly ticked away a few moments before she whispered, "Show me."

He stood up, thinking, Here goes nothing, and walked behind the couch toward the open area of the Head common room. He transformed before he could think better of it, and Lily stared in awe at the stag that stood where the Head Boy had been only seconds before.

James didn't dare move, but Lily eventually stood slowly and made her way toward him. She reached out a gentle hand to brush down his muscled neck. "You're beautiful," she cooed. Prongs preened under her attention, nuzzling her upraised hand with his nose when she didn't seem to know where else to pet him.

She met his eyes, realising that they were hazel, just as they were in his human form. Her voice maintained its reverent quality as if she were afraid to break the spell. "Why didn't you tell me?"

He morphed back into the boy she knew so well but maybe didn't know at all, and her hand shifted to his cheek. "Would you have believed me? James Potter, the boy who lives to annoy and attempt to impress you?"

She shook her head, and he nodded. His nose was still big enough to deserve its own mailing code, but she didn't seem to notice. Her eyes stayed riveted on his own. Her words were quiet as a breath. "Who are you?"

James didn't know what to say.

His Remus-conscience finally decided to give his two bits. The truth.

Nodding to no one in particular, James said, "Just a boy, hopelessly in love with a girl."

His nose shrank. That was odd. Welcome, of course, but odd.

Lily's breath caught in her chest. "You...you love me? That's not just something you say? Some elaborate joke made up to make your friends laugh at my expense?"

James shook his head, not sure how he'd managed to so thoroughly mess this up. "Lily Evans, I love you. More than a teenage boy should ever be allowed to love a girl." He took a chance and twined his fingers through hers, holding both her hands like a lifeline between them. "I know I've gone about this all the wrong way, but - in my defence - I haven't had many chances to practice. I've been a bit too preoccupied with a certain redhead to have time to woo anyone else."

Suddenly, a glint of something gold caught his eye from over the back of the couch, and he snatched the jewellery box from the seat and offered it up on one flat hand, keeping her hand tight inside his other one.

"Lily Evans?"

She looked a little wary but mostly amused. "Yes, Potter?"

"James. You can call me James. It's only something I've dreamed of for my entire Hogwarts career." She laughed softly, even as he mumbled, "Forget I said that. I really care about you. I always have. Can we start over? Maybe pretend I'm not the total arse that I often am and give me a second chance to do this right? I don't think these feelings are going away anytime soon, and it would be really nice if you didn't hate me for the rest of my life -"

His rambling was halted by the feather-light touch of Lily's lips on his own.

He didn't even react at first, he was so surprised. She didn't deepen the kiss, only pulling away to say, "Yes. I'll even give you a chance to redeem yourself and give me a proper first kiss."

His heart was in his throat, his brain was racing, and his hands were starting to sweat. What is wrong with me? he thought, panicked.

His Peter-conscience quietly said, My mom told me once that that's how it feels when you're in love.

"James." He was jolted from his thoughts by Lily's voice. She sounded nervous. "Was it that bad? I mean, I don't have much experience either, but -"

This time he cut her off, kissing her like he'd never meant anything more in his life. His lips were slightly chapped, but hers were impossibly smooth and infinitely soft. He dropped her hand to pull her flush against him, sliding one hand into her hair, which was even softer than he'd imagined, and letting the other rest at her waist.

She let her tongue come out to tease his lower lip and he groaned but broke away, leaning his forehead down onto hers. His voice sounded ragged when he whispered, "Lily Evans, you're going to be the death of me."

She grinned up at him wickedly, pulling down on his neck to get his lips within reach again. "But what a way to go, right?"

He lost himself to the tangle of lips and teeth and tongues for a moment, chuckling at the whine of disappointment that came from Lily's mouth as he pulled away once more. "You almost forgot your present."

Lily raised her eyebrows. "Is it going to be better than that snogging? Because that was pretty fantastic."

James laughed again. He seemed to be doing a lot of that with Lily tangled up around him. Merlin, the girl made him happy. He wasn't sure what the right answer was to that question, and he wanted to make sure his nose kept shrinking so that it stayed snogging friendly. Finally, he found words that seemed simple but safe. "I think you'll like them."

One side of her mouth quirked up, and she let go of James long enough to take the gift. He held his breath as he cracked the small jewellery box open. She gasped, glancing up at James with eyes filled with awe. "James, these are beautiful."

He flushed but mumbled, "Eyes as beautiful as yours deserve jewels to match."

"Put them on for me?"

His hands shook, but he did as she requested, pulling her curtain of hair aside and tucking it behind her shoulder before fastening the earrings in place, admiring the way the diamond sparkled against her skin and the teardrop emerald beneath it glinted in the firelight. On a whim, he conjured a mirror and held it up for her to inspect her reflection.

Her eyes bored into his, and she whispered, "They're perfect." The emotion in her gaze made him feel weak and invincible and blissfully happy.

She vanished the mirror and pulled him close to her once more. "So. Your curse seems to have lifted," she pointed out, bopping his nose lightly. She was right. He was flesh and bone once more. "But will you tell me what really happened?" He had the decency to look embarrassed, but she continued, "I have deduced that it was neither a prank gone wrong nor a stray hex from your best friend."

He really didn't want to admit it to Lily, but the truth had gotten him this far, so he pushed forward. "I bought it from a back alley witch while I was Christmas shopping. She overheard me talking to myself...about you...and she promised that it would help you see me for who I really am."

Lily's eyebrows were nearly to her hairline by the time James finished his explanation, and he couldn't decide whether her look of shock boded well for him or not. But an explosive giggle took over the girl's frame, and he cracked a smile. "Think it's funny, do you?"

"Don't you? You were so angry about it, but it did exactly what she said!" She was nearly hysterical and clutched onto his shoulders to keep from falling over. She finally got herself under control when she said, "It's going to be a great story to tell someday."

He chuckled and claimed her lips once more, murmuring, "If you say so."

Sirius gripped his drink a little tighter as he finished telling the story. "Prongs told us every detail the next morning before breakfast. I'd never seen him so happy in all my life. Lily wore those earrings most days after that, including at their wedding. James offered to buy her something new and sparkly to celebrate their big day, but she wouldn't hear of it. She always just said, 'Why mess with perfection?' and gave him a cheeky wink. I've never seen two people so smitten with each other. James said it was worth every moment of pining once she finally returned his feelings."

Harry huffed a laugh, stealthily wiping the tears from his eyes. "Is it silly to wish I could have seen them?"

Sirius bounded from his seat, exclaiming, "I bet they're still in your vault!" He sat down slowly, realising the time. "We can go get them before you go back to school tomorrow if you like."

Harry considered his godfather's offer but slowly shook his head. "Maybe we can go see them, but I'd rather keep them somewhere safe."

Sirius nodded his understanding. "Smart lad. You got that from your mum. And maybe a bit from your dad." He winked.

Harry's laugh got lost in a yawn as the lateness of the hour caught up with him.

"Better get up to bed, pup. Busy day ahead of you tomorrow." He ruffled the boy's hair, grinning fondly.

"I know. Thanks for the story, Sirius."

"My pleasure."

The morning of Harry and Ginny's wedding dawned cold and bright. Their mutual love of the holiday season had inspired a wedding date just a few days before Christmas. They lay together, a tangle of limbs and cosy flannel pyjamas, as the sun came up.

"I should probably get back to the Burrow before they notice I'm gone."

Harry groaned. "Five more minutes, Gin."

She laughed. "Is it worth having Mum ruin your wedding day to get a few extra minutes of cuddling?" He nodded against the curve of her throat, and she bit back a grin. "Do you know how much I love you?"

Suddenly he pulled his head up and smiled down at her, a mischievous look in his eyes. "Slightly less than you're about to. I hope." With that, he sprang from the bed and rushed over to his sock drawer. He dug around until he found what he was looking for. "You know how Hermione always says 'don't judge a book by its cover'? I think that applies here."

Her brow furrowed in confusion, but she reached for the worn jewellery box all the same. She slowly opened the lid, and her mouth formed an "O" of surprise until she brought up a hand to cover it.

"Harry."

He grinned down at her. "Gin?"

"Are these the earrings? The one your dad got your mum for Christmas the year they finally got together?"

He nodded, and they just stared into each other's eyes for a minute. They both had tears threatening to spill down their cheeks, but it was mostly a good kind of sadness. One where they were grateful for everyone who had lived and died to get them to that very moment and the events of the day ahead of them.

"I wasn't sure if you'd like them, but I thought maybe we could carry on the Potter family tradition. If you want to wear them, that is."

Ginny pulled him back into bed, holding him tight enough that she forgot she was supposed to be rushing back to her childhood home and avoiding a famous Molly Weasley lecture.

"They're perfect."