Chapter 5: A Proposal in the Making
A/N I really hope you love the chapter. It's so much better than the last one, in my opinion. Also, I sincerely apologize for the very long hiatus. I've had most of this chapter written for a while, but I never finished it. What happened is I was starting to lose enjoyment and a wanting to write. And since they say not to force yourself to write, I haven't been writing lately. I've been inspired to write again from playing Hogwarts Legacy (I really loved the game). And well here we are. Also, this chapter takes place in late July. Anyway, Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything in this story that appears to come from anything Harry Potter related. The only thing that I own in this story is my OC, Jasmine, as well as the plot of this story.
Summary: James has come to the stark realization that life if short, much shorter than he thought. This leads him to an important decision, but how is he going to pull off an amazing proposal with a war going on around them?
Several weeks had passed since the day the Marauders and Lily had gathered for their first Order of the Phoenix meeting. Throughout this time, their commitment to the cause had only deepened as they embarked on various missions, mainly focused on gathering intelligence. They often worked in pairs, watching each other's backs, especially on more dangerous assignments. However, there were moments when they went on solo missions, though not very often, that were exclusively for intelligence gathering.
While most of their missions revolved around collecting information, some proved to be risky and dangerous. On one such mission, James and Lily along with a few others were tasked with taking on a group of Death Eaters. Chosen for their exceptional dueling skills, James and Lily faced the dark forces head-on. They fought with everything they had, narrowly avoiding spells that threatened their lives. Thankfully, they survived coming out of it with only minor cuts and bruises that could easily be healed by magic. Though there had been some very close calls.
With each close call, every narrow escape, it had only served as a reminder that time was fleeting, and life was uncertain. The looming threat of danger hung over them on every mission, a constant reminder that any one of them could meet their end at any moment. So, by the time August rolled around, James came to a life-altering realization that would change his and Lily's lives together forever.
As the idea took root in James's mind, he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and nervousness. Having always known the importance of his parents' opinion and their unwavering support, James decided to share his idea with them to get their feedback. With Lily away on a crucial mission for the Order, James saw this as the perfect opportunity to visit his parents. If James did end up going through with his idea, he'd rather it still be a surprise to Lily.
Despite how close Potter Manor is to his and Lily's cottage in Godric's Hollow, James decided against taking the walk. Instead, he chose to apparate just outside of the Manor landing smoothly on the pavement. He took a moment to steady himself and took a deep breath. This was a big decision he was about to share with his parents and James was feeling a bit nervous with a mix of anticipation as he stood outside his family home. Now a bit calmer, James began walking up the path that led to the front door. He was really feeling the nerves and excitement as he got closer to the door.
James knocked on the door. He didn't wait long before he saw his mother standing before him. "James, honey!" Effie exclaimed, smiling at her son. "Come in. I'm so glad you are here. It's been so quiet around here without you or Sirius around."
James followed his mother into the house, closing the door behind him. They went to the sitting room near the door. Effie retook her seat in her favorite chair. James took a seat across from her. "So, where's Dad?"
It was now that Effie noticed that her son was looking rather nervous. This clearly wasn't just a social visit. "Oh, he's just in his study. I can go get him. I'm sure he'll be happy you stopped by." Euphemia stood back up and went to leave the room. "And when I get back, you can tell us what is on your mind, James."
James gave his mother a weak smile. He didn't even try to hide his nerves, there was no point. His mum always knew him better than he knew himself at times. That was why he felt he was closer to his mum than this dad at times.
It wasn't long before Euphemia returned with Fleamont in tow. "Before we get started, would you like any tea, James? I'm sure it would help calm your nerves a bit."
"No thanks, Mum." James declined, politely. "I'm good for now."
Effie smiled at her son and took a seat next to where Fleamont had sat on the sofa across from James. "Now what brings you here today? Not that it's not wonderful to see you, but I have a feeling you came here for a reason."
"There's something I want to ask you two about. I have this idea and I want your feedback about." James explained, rather cryptically.
"Why, James, my boy, of course," Fleamont said to his son after a glance over to his wife. "We are all ears. Whatever it is, you know we will tell you the truth. Now what is it that you want to talk to us about?"
"Yes, what your father said, dear." Euphemia agreed with her husband. "You can tell us anything. We're here for you, always."
James smiled at his parents. They really knew how to put him at ease. "Well, I've been thinking about things these past several weeks. And well, given our involvement in this war and the war in general, I've realized how short life can be. Which got me thinking about Lily and how even though we've only been dating for almost a year, I'm sure that I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I love her so much. And well, my idea is that I want to propose to her. Do you think it's too soon?"
Euphemia and Fleamont shared a knowing look, their eyes reflecting their understanding. They had watched their son love Lily Evans since he was 11 years old, even if Lily wasn't always receptive to his love.
Euphemia was the first to speak, her voice filled with warmth and support. "James, dear, I've seen how much you adore Lily and how that adoration has blossomed into love, especially since the two of you became a couple. I've seen just how much you care for her, and she cares for you just as much, I'm sure of it. From what I've seen, you and Lily belong with each other. So, it doesn't really matter how long you've been together. What really matters is that you believe in the love that the two of you share. If you think that you two are ready to take that next step, then ask her to marry you."
Fleamont nodded, his eyes shining with pride. "Like your mother said, Son, if your heart is telling you that you're ready to take this step, then we trust your judgment. Lily is a wonderful girl, and she would be lucky to have you as a husband."
James breathed a sigh of relief. He felt as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders as his parents' words of encouragement. Their support meant the world to him. "Thank you, Mum, Dad. I've been worrying that I'm moving too fast for Lily, but she's stayed with me this whole time. I really think she is the one, and I really want to show her just how much she means to me."
Euphemia smiled and suddenly a thought occurred to her. "James, my dear, I think I have something that might be of interest to you. I'll be right back. It's just upstairs in our room."
James smiled, eyes sparkling with curiosity as he watched his mother rise and head up the stairs to her bedroom. Moments later, she returned with a small velvet red box that Effie transfigured once she found the item she was looking for. She placed the box on the coffee table in front of James.
"In that box," Effie began, "is your grandmother's engagement ring."
James picked up the box and opened it. Inside the box resting on a small cushion was the most beautiful engagement ring he had ever seen. It was a stunning marquise-cut diamond, lifted above the band in a prong setting, sparkled with an ethereal beauty. It caught the light, creating a mesmerizing dance of brilliance. On each side of the center stone, two smaller round diamonds adorned the band, enhancing the ring's beauty and adding a touch of elegance. The band was made of 14k white gold, a perfect match for the radiant diamonds.
James stared at the ring. He couldn't take his eyes off it. This ring was the perfect ring to propose to Lily with. He could already imagine it glittering on her finger.
Effie's voice was filled with love and warmth as she spoke, "Your grandmother cherished this ring, and I know she would be delighted to see it continue its journey with you and Lily."
Fleamont stood up and placed a supportive hand on James's shoulder, a proud smile playing on his lips. "Son, your mother and I couldn't be happier for you. You have really grown up a lot over the years. You aren't that same 11-year-old boy sent off to Hogwarts all those years ago. We're so proud of the man that you've become."
Tears welled up in James's eyes as he closed the box, holding the precious ring in his hand. "Thank you, Mum, Dad," he whispered, his voice filled with gratitude and emotion. "This ring is more than I could have ever imagined. Lily is going to love it. I can't wait to plan the perfect proposal for her. I love you both. Thank you."
Euphemia and Fleamont exchanged a knowing glance, their hearts filled with pride for their son. They were confident that James's love and sincerity would shine through in his proposal, marking the beginning of a new chapter in his and Lily's lives together.
As soon as James returned to his and Lily's cozy cottage in Godric's Hollow, he felt a surge of excitement. He automatically knew that this cottage was where he wanted to ask Lily to spend the rest of her life with him. It was the perfect place, and he already had some ideas of how to make the proposal just as perfect.
Determined to create a memorable and meaningful proposal, James got some parchment and quill before he started jotting down ideas. He knew he had to include jasmines somehow as they are Lily's favorite flowers (ironically, Jasmine's favorite flowers are lilies). James looked around the room to decide where he wanted to put the flowers or how he would do it. It was then that he saw the camera. Sitting off to the side on a small table was the muggle camera that Lily gave him that past Christmas. And suddenly James knew exactly what he wanted to do, or at least he had a plan for how he wanted to decorate their sitting room to make this proposal even more special.
But before James could do anything more with his planning, the fireplace lit up green. Worrying that it was Lily, James quickly hid the parchment with his plans and not a moment too soon. Moments later, Lily came through the fireplace. Upon seeing her soot and blood covered face, James just knew that he was making the right choice. This was truly the women he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.
"What's with the dopey grin?" Lily asked of her boyfriend. "Are you planning a prank?"
"What? No," James defended. "What would make you think that?"
"Oh, I don't know," Lily pretended to ponder the question. "Maybe the many pranks you pulled while at Hogwarts. Just a thought."
James chucked. "I guess that is fair, but no, I am not planning a prank. Actually, I was just thinking about you and how much I love you."
"Aww, James." Lily cooed. "I love you too, but if you are lying to me, you better not be planning a prank on me, or I will kick your arse."
James smiled at Lily. "Wouldn't dream of it, Evans."
"Didn't think so, Potter," Lily says, leaning down to kiss her boyfriend who was still sitting on the sofa in the sitting room. James happily returned the short kiss. "I'm going to go take a shower. We can continue this when I'm not covered in dried blood and dirt."
As Lily left the room, James called after her. "You still look beautiful covered in dried blood and dirt." James wasn't able to see since Lily had her back to him, but she was smiling as she left the room.
As soon as Lily was out of the room, James took out the parchment that he had quickly hidden with his proposal plans. He quickly hid them in a secure place in the cottage that Lily didn't know about yet (aka a secret compartment in the desk in the office). Then he went back to sit on the sofa and wait for Lily, so they continued their kissing.
As James settled back onto the sofa, his heart filled with anticipation. He knew that in the coming days, he had a lot of planning to do for the proposal. Time was precious, and he wanted to seize the opportunity before anything unexpected happened. Little did he know that fate had a different plan in store as he wouldn't be the only one planning this proposal in a few days' time.
It was a few days later, and despite James's best efforts to keep his plans under wraps, the universe seemed to be working against him. James was hidden away in the office of the cottage where he had originally hidden the plans. Lily was out on a mission for the Order with Jasmine, so he knew he had time to plan without being interrupted or found out, or so he thought.
Unbeknownst to James, the fireplace in the sitting room crackled to life, announcing the arrival of his best mates. Sirius, unable to contain his excitement, barged in, calling out for James. "Prongs, mate! I brought Firewhiskey! Come on out so we can celebrate!"
Remus glanced at Sirius, a mix of curiosity and amusement on his face. "What exactly are we celebrating, Padfoot?"
Sirius flashed a mischievous grin at Remus. "Oh, just the fact that I managed to procure some top-notch Firewhiskey, Moony! Isn't that cause for celebration?"
Rolling his eyes playfully, Remus surveyed the room. "Where's Prongs? He must have heard you call out for him."
Sirius looked around as well. "I'm not sure, but we had best go find him. Can't let this Firewhiskey go to waste, now, can we?"
Meanwhile, James, who was focused on his plans, hadn't actually heard Sirius's entrance, so he remained oblivious to his unexpected guests. Instead, his focus was unwavering as he meticulously examined each sketch and scribbled notes on parchment, unaware of the commotion in the sitting room.
So as James sat in the office lost in his plans, the other Marauders searched the cottage for their missing mate. Sirius's enthusiasm only increased as they searched. Eventually they caught wind of James's voice. So, they followed the sound, which led them to the closed door of the office. Sirius, ever the impulsive and dramatic one, reached for the doorknob and swung the door open and walked right on into the room.
The sight that greeted them made them pause in surprise. James was hunched over the desk, surrounded by parchment covered in sketches and writings. He looked up, startled, as his friends barged into the room. "Padfoot! Moony! Wormtail!" James exclaimed, his surprise quickly morphing into a smile forgetting that he should probably hide his plans if he wanted to keep them a secret. "What are you lot doing here?"
Sirius grinned and raised the bottle of Firewhiskey. "We thought we'd pay you a surprise visit and bring some celebratory drinks. Little did we know we'd stumble upon your secret operation."
Remus stepped forward, curiosity twinkling in his eyes. "A secret operation, eh? Care to enlighten us, Prongs? You planning a prank without us?"
James glanced at the scattered plans on the desk and sighed. He knew his secret was out, especially since he was always a shit liar. He had never been able to hide anything from his friends back in their Hogwarts days, so why start now? Perhaps they could even help him with the plan. But James being dramatic, he wanted to beat around the bush a bit.
"Well," James began, a hint of sheepishness in his voice, "It's not exactly an operation or even a prank. I mean, it's just… I'm planning something special."
Remus stepped farther into the room. His curiosity was piqued. "Planning something special that's not a prank? Well, now you've got my full, undivided attention, James. Care to share?" The other two nodded in agreement.
James pretended to hesitate for a moment, contemplating whether he would tell them the truth. Then a wide grin spread across his face, unable to contain his excitement any longer. "Alright, you've caught me. I'm planning to propose to Lily."
The room fell into a brief moment of silence as James's news sank in. Sirius's eyes widened in excitement, and Remus's face broke into a warm smile. The three guests exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of surprise and joy. They were genuinely happy for James and Lily, especially considering how long it took to get them together and the journey to get there. It certainly was not easy.
Eventually the silence was broken by Peter, who found his voice first. He was unable to contain his excitement any longer. "James, that's brilliant! Congratulations, mate," Peter said, a genuine smile lighting up his face.
Sirius stepped closer to the desk and to James. Then he playfully slapped James on the back. "You sneaky devil! How long have you been planning this?"
"Just a few days actually. Went to visit my parents for advice and came home with my grandmother's engagement instead," James laughed.
Sirius joined his in laughing. Then he turned his attention to the plans scattered on the desk, eyes sparkling with excitement. "Merlin's beard, Prongs! This looks incredible! And you managed to come up with all this in just a few days?!" Sirius reached over and grabbed a parchment, holding it up for inspection. "You've really put a lot of thought into this, haven't you?"
"Have you ever known me to do anything halfway?" James beamed at the compliment. "Thanks, Pads. I want it to be perfect. Lily deserves nothing less."
Remus joined Sirius at the desk, studying some of the crude sketches. James was many things, but no one ever claimed he was a talented artist. "I think you've really got something here, James. I'm sure Lily will be amazed. Though, if you need any help, we are here." The other two nod in agreement. There was a silent decision made just then. This would be a group effort from here on out. The other Marauders were going to do everything in their power to help James make this a memorable proposal.
Throughout the rest of the day, the boys discussed ways to improve what James already had as well as making a few suggestions to make the plan even better. James was extremely grateful for the help. Despite the unexpected reveal of his plans to them, James was extremely glad that they had come by unannounced. He didn't realize how much he actually needed their help until they were here.
By the end, the boys had come up with a solid plan of how James was going to propose. They had been able to iron out most of the details. The only one remaining was how to keep Lily out of the cottage while James set up the proposal. Sirius was the one to provide a possible solution, albeit accidentally.
"Hey, Prongs." Sirius said to his best mate, who looked up from his parchment. "I know this is supposed to be a secret. And the less people that know, the less likely that Lily is going to find out. But I hate to lie to Mare. I'm sure she will feel left out too since we all helped you, but she couldn't since she's currently on a mission for the order. So, do you mind if I just tell her? I'm sure she won't tell Lily."
James looked at his best mate, contemplating his question. Then a thought occurred to him. "That's it, Padfoot!"
"Huh?" Sirius asked, confused.
"Jazzy! She can be the one to keep Lily away while I set up. She's the prefect person to do it too since she's Lily's best friend and cousin. Lily would never question Jazzy wanting to hang out with her randomly one day," James explained.
Remus chose now to pipe in. "That's brilliant, James! I hadn't considered Jaz as the best person to get Lily out of the house for the day."
Sirius smiled, glad that his girlfriend was being included despite not being present. "Great, so I can tell her about the proposal then?"
"Actually, I think I should be the one to tell her, don't you think?" James said.
Sirius nodded, understanding James's reasoning. "Alright. It's your call, James, but you better do it sooner rather than later. I hate keeping things from Mare and you know that."
"Don't worry. I'll come over tomorrow and tell her," James assured Sirius.
Sirius smiled. "Sounds good. I'll expect you tomorrow, so if you chicken out, just know I will just tell Mare everything myself."
"I'm sure you will, Pads," James laughed. "Don't worry though. I'll be there."
"Now with that out of the way, let's celebrate." Sirius said, changing the subject and taking out the Firewhiskey he brought over. "Afterall, this Firewhiskey shouldn't go to waste, especially since now we have something to really celebrate."
The four friends raised their glasses in agreement, toasting to the exciting news and the forthcoming proposal. Laughter filled the room as they reminisced about their adventures and mischief-making throughout the years. The Firewhiskey flowed freely, and eventually there was none left.
As the sun began to set, it was time for the boys to leave. Thankfully, they had sobered up enough to use the floo network and get back home. So, one by one, they stepped into the fireplace, disappearing in a whirlwind of emerald flames as they traveled to their respective homes.
The following morning, James planned to sneak over to Jasmine and Sirius's place without Lily knowing. He had planned to get up before Lily. Too bad James was never a morning person. By the time he woke up, Lily had already made breakfast for the two of them.
"Guess I'll just have to improvise," James thought. "Or just tell Lily and hope she doesn't want to come with."
As James walked into the kitchen, Lily smiled. "Good morning sleepyhead. Want some breakfast?"
"Always!" James answered. He then came over to Lily and gave her a peck on the lips. Lily smiled again and handed James a plate of pancakes.
"So, what do you want to do today?" Lily asked. "I was thinking about maybe taking a walk around and meeting some of our neighbors. I hear Bathilda Bagshot lives around here."
James smiled. "As much as I love that idea, I already made plans for the day."
"Well, then, what are we doing for the day?" Lily asked curiously.
James hesitated. He knew if he told Lily where he was going, she would almost certainly want to come along, which would ruin his whole reason for going to Jaz's place. James would never be able to get Jasmine alone if Lily came. Although, lying to Lily would likely get him a place on the couch when she found out and she would definitely find out. James isn't very good at lying most of the time, so she would spot a lie. So, James resigned himself to just telling Jasmine about the proposal another day. "Well, Sirius stopped by yesterday, so I was planning on going to visit him and Jazzy today."
"That's a lovely idea, James!" Lily exclaimed. "I know I only saw Mina yesterday, but I would love to go see her and Sirius. I can come with you, right?"
"You don't need my permission to go see your cousin, Lils," James said.
"I know that silly. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't intruding on anything. I don't want to come if I'm not welcome." Lily explained.
James was extremely grateful, but he didn't want Lily to feel left out. "No, you won't be intruding on anything, Lils." James smiled as Lily lit up. "I'd be happy for you to come with me."
Lily smiled brightly. "Great. Then let's go get ready and head on over there." Then Lily headed up to go get ready for the day while James finished off his breakfast. Once he was finished, he headed up to join her.
Lily came down dressed in a light pink floral sundress. It fell just above her knees. To complete the outfit, she put on a pair of white sandals with a low feal. She kept her accessories to a minimum. She decided to change out her necklace for once. Instead of wearing the necklace James gave her a couple Christmases ago, she decided to wear the necklace her parents had given her a few years ago. It was a delicate gold necklace with a pendant shaped like a lily flower, in honor of her name. Her hair was pulled back in a loose bread with a few stray pieces framing her face. Lily also decided to put on a bit of rosy, red lip gloss to give her lips a little more color.
Meanwhile, a few minutes later when James came down, he had opted to go for a smart-casual look. He wore a crisp baby blue button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, paired with khaki trousers. As for shoes, he chose a pair of brown leather loafers. He also put on a belt to coordinate with his shoes. For accessories, James only had on the watch his parents had given him when he became of age. It was a simple silver watch that had been his grandfather's.
Once they were both dressed and ready to go, they headed out using the floo. Within moments, the couple were stepping out of Sirius and Jasmine's fireplace, only to be met with the sight of said couple making out on the couch in front of the fireplace.
Upon seeing the sight James screamed, "My eyes!" He effectively broke up the kiss and ruined the mood at the same time. The couple immediately broke apart, startled by the intrusion they were quite annoyed at being interrupted, but upon seeing it was James, Sirius smiled.
"Really needed to go for the dramatics, huh prongs," serious said getting up from the couch to go over and properly greet his best mate. He hadn't noticed Lily yet, as she was still slightly hidden behind James. "So glad you're here though. I don't know if I could have..."
Seeing where Sirius was going, James covered his mouth to stop him from revealing anymore. "Yeah, glad we could make it, Sirius."
Sirius looked at him confused. Then James took his hand off Sirius's mouth and stepped to the side, fully revealing Lily. And that is when Sirius's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, Lily. Didn't see you there. So glad you could come over too."
Lily laughed at Sirius's expression. He clearly wasn't expecting her to tag along with James. "Hi Sirius. It's good to see you. I'm sorry for intruding and for James's antics. I'm sure you are used to them by now. Though, if it's a bad time, we can come back later. James said you invited him over yesterday but didn't specify what time. When he told me he was headed over here, I decided to tag along."
Sirius quickly adapted to the new circumstances but with a slight worried tinge in his voice. He was a slight bit worried that he gave Lily an inkling of James's plan. "Oh no. It's no trouble. Mare and I weren't up to much." Sirius glanced back toward his girlfriend who was still sitting on the couch. He gave her a sheepish smile before turning back to James and Lily. He had told Jasmine before that James would be coming over to tell er something, but he didn't know when. He had expected his mate to come over later in the day. "Anyway, it's good to see you too, Lily. I'm going to borrow James for a moment, though. We'll be right back." And with that, Sirius pulled James out of the room, leaving the girls unable to do anything but watch them go.
Sirius dragged James down the hall to the study, locking the door behind him and making sure they wouldn't be overheard. Then he turned to James with wide eyes and an exasperated expression. "What happened to just you coming over to tell Mare about the plan."
"What happened is I am not a morning person." James explained.
Sirius looked confused. "What does that have to do with Lily joining you instead of you coming alone?"
"Well, my original plan was to 'sneak' over here before Lily woke up, so I didn't have to tell her where I was going cause obviously, she'd want to come." James further explained. "Obviously that didn't happen as I am not a morning person. By the time I woke up, Lily was up and had already made breakfast. I didn't want to lie to her about where I was going. She did offer to stay home, but I didn't want her to feel left out or anything."
Sirius sighed. "Prongs, you are weak. But I get it because I would have done the same thing if it had been Mare." Sirius said. "So, now what? There is no way you are leaving here without telling Mare about the plan. Though as a last resort I could just tell her about it after you two leave."
"I don't think we will have to resort to that. Plus, I still think that I should be the one to tell her." James said. "So, I was thinking I could just ask Jazzy to talk alone while you 'distract' Lily."
"I guess that could work." Sirius agreed. "Though you're probably going to need to come up with a plausible reason to talk with Mare."
"Don't you worry, Pads. I got the perfect excuse," James said. That, however, did not reassure Sirius as he knew that James was a shit liar.
And with that, the boys headed back to the living room to rejoin the girls, who were chatting on the couch. Though instead of both joining the girls, only Sirius took a seat. James walked over to the fireplace and leaned on it. He waited for the girls to finish talking before putting his "plan" (if you could even call it that) into action. Instead of that happening, Lily noticed James still standing and motioned for him to join them. "James, come join us. There is no reason for you to stand there all day."
"Actually, I was just waiting for the opportunity to talk to Jazzy. I need to speak to her about something." And that is when Sirius realized that James somehow managed to lie to him because he didn't actually have an excuse planned.
Lily looked curiously at her boyfriend. "This had better not be about a prank on me."
"Don't worry, Lils. It's nothing like that." James flashed her a disarming smile then turned his attention toward Jasmine. "So, Jazzy, shall we?"
"Sure," Jasmine answered. She already knew James needed to tell her something thanks to Sirius, so she assumed that this was going to be his opportunity to do so. Though she wasn't quite sure why Lily couldn't know, she assumed James would explain that. So, without hesitation, Jasmine got up and followed James out of the room.
James managed to navigate his way back to the study, where he and Sirius had been earlier. "Is this a good place to talk without Lily overhearing? I don't want her to walk in on us."
Jasmine glanced around at the study. It was a good a place as any to talk, but just to be sure Jasmine locked the door. The study was rather far from the living room where Lily and Sirius were. And Jasmine doubted either of them would wander this far down since the bathroom was closer to the living room than to them. Plus, Jasmine assumed Sirius wouldn't let Lily down here anyway since he clearly already knew what James was up to. "It's as good a place as any, James. You should be good to tell me whatever it is you need to tell me that I am clearly going to have to keep from Lily. It better not be a prank on her because I can't promise that I won't tell Lily about that."
"Why does everyone keep assuming I'm planning a prank and on Lily nonetheless?! I would never prank her!" James said exasperated.
Jasmine gave him a look. "Seriously James? Do you not recall the I don't know, last 7 years from what I've been told?"
"Ugh, fine. I get it, but I would still never prank Lily. I'm sure I never pranked only here in any of those pranks." James said. "Anyway, I'm not planning a prank on Lily or anybody. I am planning something, though. And I'm going to need your help to pull it off, Jazzy."
"Okay, you have my attention." Jasmine said. "What are we doing?"
"I'm going to propose to Lily and I'm going to need you to keep Lily out of the house while I set it all up."
It was silent for a few moments as Jasmine processed what James had just said. "You're going to propose to my cousin?!"
"Yeah. And I know it seems soon and we haven't even been dating for a year, but I love her, Jazzy. I want to spend my life with her, especially since I don't know how long that is going to be," James explained.
Jasmine smiled. "I know you didn't ask for it and you don't need it, but you have my blessing." Jasmine couldn't think of a better person for her cousin and best friend. "So, what do you have planned? What exactly do you want me to do?"
For the next half hour James goes over the whole plan that him and the others fleshed out just last night. By the end if Jasmine wasn't already on board, she would have been now. She was absolutely floored by James's proposal plan. And she knew Lily would be too when the time came. "This is amazing James. Lily is going to love it. I just know she will say yes, especially given how she looks at you."
"You think so?" James was slightly nervous about Lily possibly saying no, but Jasmine's reassurance made him feel better about things.
"I know so." Jasmine said. "So, have you picked out a ring yet?"
"Didn't need to," James answered. "Went and saw my parents and my mum gave me my grandmother's ring. It's really beautiful and it's been charmed to fit any size finger so it will be a perfect fit no matter what."
"Wow! That's wonderful, James." Jasmine said. "Now the real question is, when are you planning to propose?"
"I haven't thought about that. This has all happened rather quickly. I was originally planning it myself, so I didn't expect it to be finished for a couple of weeks. Now that everything is all set up, I still have to make sure I know the right spells. I also need to get a few other things together. I want this to go off without a hitch. So, I was thinking sometime during the first week of September, but not the 1st.
"Don't worry James. If you want to wait to propose until September, you do that. I'll make sure we don't have any order related plans for whatever day you do decide on," Jasmine smirked. "I have my ways with Dumbledore. And if you need any other help getting things together, you know where to find me."
"Okay, well then, I guess September it is. I can tell the others and my parents. Could you let Sirius and Lily's parents know?" James asked of Jasmine. "You can wait to let Mr. and Mrs. Evans know until it is closer to September."
"No problem. I got you James," Jasmine said. "I'll let Sirius know after you guys leave."
"Great!" James said. "Now let's go join those two. I'm sure Lily is wondering what has been keeping us so long."
After James and Jasmine rejoined Sirius and Lily, they all talked for a couple more hours before James and Lily decided to head back home. Once the couple disappeared from the fireplace, Jasmine immediately turned to Sirius. Before she could say anything, Sirius spoke, "Can you believe James is going to propose to Lily?"
"I knew it would happen at some point, but he isn't wasting too much time." Jasmine said. "Also, he is going to propose like the first week of September. So, try to keep that week open. He's only putting it off so far in the future because of the things he has to get done in order for the proposal to go off without a hitch. I already told him I would make sure we don't get any order missions."
"Wait, what?!" Sirius exclaimed. "Since when is he proposing in September?
"Since today. I asked him when he was going to do it and he already had a timeframe in mind evidently."
"Wow, he really has this all worked out, doesn't he." Sirius said. Then a thought occurred to him. "Wait, how are you going to make sure none of us have any order missions? Do you have some kind of way of doing that that I don't know about?"
"You'll see." Jasmine winked and got up. She headed toward the kitchen effectively ending their conversation before Sirius could even bring up the topic of them possibly getting engaged in the near future.
A/N I wasn't originally going to end the chapter here. This chapter was supposed to contain the actual proposal, but then I looked at the word count for the chapter and it was quite long. And I want to stay somewhat consistent with my chapter lengths, so I guess I am going to be putting the actual proposal in the next chapter. But don't worry, I have most of the proposal already written and planned out. I just need to edit it some now that it is going to be its own separate chapter. Also, I managed to work out a timeline for the rest of this book. At the moment as long as no other chapters run long like this one, there should be a total of 17 chapters. I already have some of the later chapters written, especially the last 2, which are the ones that I am most excited for.
Also, I am sorry I didn't post this up sooner. I really tried to write it all in one day, but I guess it was just too important of a chapter to be written all in one day. And then my hyperfixations changed and I just couldn't find the motivation to continue this chapter. Plus, I've been busy at work that by the time I would get home I didn't really have the energy or the want to actually do any writing. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it though because I thoroughly enjoyed writing it. Also, please review. I really appreciate it when you do. :)
Magically,
Knk6700
PS I promise the next chapter will be up sooner rather than later. I have a good portion of it already written.