Chapter Text
Chapter 6: The Perfect Proposal
James Potter stood in the living room of his and Lily’s cottage and couldn’t help but wonder where the time had gone. It was as if he blinked and suddenly the summer was gone, replaced by the crisp air of September. Those weeks he spent preparing for this moment had flown by quickly. And now he was just a day away from putting his plan into motion and going through with asking Lily to marry him. Thus, the reason for the nervous energy that was pulsing through him. James just hoped that he had prepared enough that tomorrow night would go off without a hitch.
As James thought about all the work he had done since he had finalized his plan, he couldn’t help but remember that it hadn’t all been as easy as he thought it would be, especially when it came to some aspects of his plan. There were parts of his plan that required some late nights spent over at Sirius and Jasmine’s. Jasmine had been a real help to him as he was preparing now that he thought about it.
There was one night that stood out in James’s mind – the first night he had gone over to Jasmine and Sirius’s to ask for help. There had been a part of his plan that required Jasmine’s help and he had no idea where to start.
Flashback
It was already mid-August and James had finally figured out what spells he had needed to use to set up for part of his proposal plan. He was extremely grateful for his friends’ help in finding the spells. With all of them working on it, they had found the right spells quite easily. As soon as he knew what spells to use, James had set to work on practicing them when Lily wasn’t home or at least away from Lily so she wouldn’t be asking what he was doing practicing the spell that he was practicing. It wasn’t a spell that was going to aid them in their fight against Voldemort, that’s for sure.
Within a week, James was confident in his ability to do the spells. And now that that was out of the way, he had one major part of his plan that he still had to learn how to do. And since it had to do with something muggle, James knew he would need Jasmine’s help. And that is where he was at the moment.
After James had gotten back from a particularly successful order mission, he immediately headed over to Sirius and Jasmine’s place via the Floo Network. It was the first moment that he had when he knew neither of them were busy. Plus, he knew Jasmine would be home. So off he went.
As soon as he stepped out of the fireplace, he was greeted by two of his best friends.
“Prongs,” Sirius greeted. “Glad you came over. Always nice to see my best mate.”
James laughed. “Good to see you too Padfoot.”
Then Jasmine walked in from the kitchen having heard Sirius. “Is that James?” She looked over to the fireplace and saw the man in question. “James, glad you could make it. I’m happy to help with your dilemma. I have plenty of experience doing this sort of thing.”
See James had owled Jasmine ahead of time to see when she would be free as he knew he would need her help. She had let him know when she was free, and they had decided on a day and time to get together. That day just happened to be today.
Sirius, slightly unaware of the reason for James’ visit, was curious. “So, what are we up to now? I’m guessing this has something to do with the proposal.”
“You would be correct, Sirius.” Jasmine said smiling at her boyfriend. “Since this is a muggle thing, James needs my help. I have spent quite a lot of my life living like a muggle after all, despite being a half-blood.”
“And that is why I came to you for help, Jazzy.” James smiled. “And I really appreciate the help. I’m not sure I could have gotten this done without you.”
“You’re welcome.” Jasmine said. “But I will warn you, this may take some time. I can’t guarantee when this will be done. So, you will need to be patient.”
“I can do that.” James said. “I just hope it will be done by the time I plan to propose. I mean if they aren’t, I guess I will just have to push the proposal back.”
“I’m sure that everything will be all set for your big proposal.” Jasmine reassured James. “Have you picked a specific day you’re going to propose yet? It would be nice to know what day I am supposed to convince Dumbledore to give none of us Order missions.”
“I have. I plan on proposing that first Saturday in September. I figure a weekend date is much easier for everyone to be free for.” James answered. “Speaking of which, will you let Lily’s parents know to come by on that date. I want them to be there for the celebration afterwards. At least I hope there will be a celebration afterward.”
“I got you, James. Don’t you worry. I’ll make sure my aunt and uncle are there. They definitely wouldn’t want to miss their daughter getting engaged.” Jasmine said. “And stop worrying about Lily saying no. That girl loves you.”
“I’m not worried.” James stated. Jasmine didn’t buy it and to be honest, neither did James. He was just nervous about it being too soon. He knew Lily eventually wanted to marry him, but they hadn’t even been together for a year yet.
And with that James and Jasmine got to work on the final part of James’s plan. The part that would probably take the longest to complete.
End of Flashback
That was just one of the instances, but it was the one that James had been the most worried about when it came to his plan. That last part that Jasmine had helped him with had only finished just the other day. But thankfully James had everything in order for when he proposed tomorrow night.
James was still amazed that Jasmine was even able to get them all out of having to go do anything for the order tomorrow. He had no idea how she had done it, but she had. He would have to ask her later just what she had done to get them all out of their Order duties. There were 6 of them, so that was taking 6 of them out of helping the order. James was surprised Dumbledore had even said yes. There already weren’t that many members to begin with.
As James thought about how Jasmine got them out of their Order duties, his mind began to wander. Suddenly, thoughts about the proposal tomorrow and everything that could go wrong flooded his thoughts before he could stop them. He knew had a great plan, but that could all change if one thing went wrong.
As his mind continued to spiral, the weight of what he was about to do tomorrow settled on his shoulders. He couldn’t help thinking about the possibility of Lily saying no, despite Jasmine’s many reassurances. It was the one thing in his plan that he couldn’t plan for and that worried him greatly.
As James continued to spiral down the hole of what-ifs, it occurred to him that he should not be alone right now. With Lily currently on an order mission, he made the decision to head to Sirius and Jasmine"s house before he could entertain the notion of postponing the proposal. So, he walked over to the fireplace and threw some floo powder saying the name of Jasmine and Sirius’s place as he did.
As soon as James felt his feet were on solid ground again, He burst out of the fireplace in a panic. Not seeing his best mate or Jasmine anywhere in the vicinity, he called out for them. “Sirius, Jazzy? Are you guys here. I could really use some help right now. I think I might not be ready to propose to Lily tomorrow.”
The couple, who had been getting ready for bed, heard James calling for them. They headed down to greet him, wondering what he was doing there so late. Then they heard that last statement and started rushing down the stairs.
James looked toward the stairs as he heard footsteps coming down them. He was relieved to know that his friends were still home. He really needed them right now.
Jasmine was the first one to make it down the stairs. She was a bit furious at James for suggesting he would postpone the proposal, especially after she had managed to get them all to be free tomorrow. She had even arranged for her aunt and uncle to come over as well. That took a lot of work, and she did not need James ruining that. But then she saw the look on James’s face and could tell he was really worried. Upon seeing just how nervous James was, Jasmine was no longer mad but rather she realized that her friend needed her help.
Right behind Jasmine was Sirius. He was just worried about what was going on in James’s mind. There were very few times James had sounded as worried as he did when Sirius heard him call out. One of those times being when Sirius himself showed up half dead on his doorstep the summer before their 6th year. So, Sirius wasn’t surprised to see James pacing back and forth in their living room. He only stopped when he saw Sirius and Jasmine standing in front of him.
Sirius stepped forward, concern etched into his features as he approached James. lacing a comforting hand on James’s shoulder, he asked, “James, what’s going on? Why are you so worried?”
James looked up at Sirius, the mix of anxiety and uncertainty he was feeling was written all over his face. “I don’t know, Pads,” he admitted. “One minute I fine, making sure that everything was set for tomorrow, the next I was starting to doubt everything. What if Lily says no? What if everything goes wrong and the proposal is ruined? What if I mess it all up?”
Jasmine stepped forward, standing next to Sirius. “James, what are you even going on about.” Jasmine said, her tone gentle but firm. She met James’s eyes with unwavering determination. “You love Lily, and you know she loves you. That is all that matters. Everything else is just noise.”
Sirius nodded in agreement. “Mare’s right, Prongs,” he said reassuringly. “You and Lily are meant to be together. You have been sure of that since you were 11 years old, why doubt that now?”
James listened to his friends’ reassuring words. As he let those words sink in, his doubts started to fade away. Eventually, his nerves settled. “You’re right,” James said. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I love Lily. She means everything to me. Of course, she’s going to say yes. And if something does go wrong, that’s what I will have you guys there for.”
Sirius laughed. “Of course, Prongs. I’ll be over there as soon as I can to help you with setting up and making sure everything is perfect.” James smiled brightly at his best mate.
“Plus, I’ll be there bright and early tomorrow morning to whisk Lily away for our girls’ day. I’ll be sure to keep her out of the house as long as possible to give you plenty of time to get everything ready.” Jasmine told James. “Don’t you worry, James. Everything is going to great.”
James was glad he had these two for friends. “Thanks, you guys. I really appreciate that.”
Seeing that James had calmed down now, Jasmine added, “And if you tried to postpone that proposal, I would have kicked your arse, James Potter. Do you know how much work it took me to not only arrange for Lily’s parents to be there, but to get us all out of Order duties tomorrow. I’m not sure if I could do that again if you postponed this proposal.”
James laughed. “Don’t worry, Jazzy. I don’t plan on postponing anymore.” James assured her. “Speaking of getting us out of Order duties, how did you actually do that? I’ve been wondering.”
“Don’t you worry about that,” Jasmine said. “That’s for me to know, and you to never find out.” Jasmine winked.
“But—” James started.
“Nope,” Jasmine interrupted. “I’m not telling, so you might as well go home and get some rest before the big day tomorrow.”
“Fine.” James had resigned to not finding out tonight. He decided he would ask Sirius how she managed to do it when he got the chance. So instead of pushing the issue, James took some floo powder and said his home address. Then he was gone as suddenly as he came.
As soon as James had disappeared, Sirius turned to Jasmine and said, “Why didn’t you just tell him that you told Dumbledore about his plan to propose, and he automatically gave us all the day off?”
“Now where’s the fun in that?” Jasmine smirked.
Sirius laughed. “Can’t argue with that.” Then the couple headed back up to their bedroom.
The next morning finally arrived and with it a beautiful autumn day. Not long after James and Lily had gotten up and had breakfast, Jasmine and Sirius appeared out of their fireplace. Lily quickly ran upstairs and got ready for the day. Both girls were bubbling with excitement for their day out on the town. Jasmine’s enthusiasm exuded out of her as she whisked Lily away, leaving James and Sirius the chance to begin setting everything up. Eventually the other two boys came over to help James and Sirius. In no time, everything was ready for the big proposal. All they would need now was Lily. So, while they waited for the girl to come home, the two sets of parents, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter all hung out in the kitchen. Since none of them knew when Lily would be coming home, they thought it best to stay in the kitchen lest Lily see them and ruin the surprise.
Lily had just come home from hanging out with Jasmine all day. They had gone shopping all over London. It had been a great day. Now Lily was looking forward to a quiet night in spent with James, possibly with them cuddling on the couch. As soon as Lily stepped int he doorway of their home, though, those thoughts disappeared.
The living room was decorated with jasmines, Lily"s favorite flower. There were bouquets of them scattered throughout the room in various shades. On the floor was a pathway of jasmine petals. Also, around the room were a few magical pictures of them, but there were a lot of regular "muggle" photos hanging around the room hung up on a string and being held by clothespins. Lily could only assume those were the photos that James had taken with the muggle camera that she had given him last Christmas.
The room was not lit as it usually was either. Instead, it was lit with several floating candles that were scattered about. It reminded Lily of how it was in the Great Hall at Hogwarts.
As Lily stared at the scene in front of her, taking it all in, she couldn’t help but wonder what the occasion was. Lily knows it’s not their anniversary (that’s later this month), so she’s not sure what would warrant such a display from James. Also, Lily wasn’t even sure where James was. He was nowhere to been seen in the living room.
Just as Lily was about to call out to her boyfriend that she’s home, James entered the room coming from the kitchen. “Oh, your home,” James said upon spotting Lily. “I thought you’d be out a little longer.” In reality, James knew Lily would be home soon as he had gotten a note from Jasmine saying they were heading out. He was still a little nervous, but not nearly as much as yesterday thanks to Jasmine and Sirius’s reassurances.
“Oh, um, well…” Lily stuttered. She still wasn’t sure what was happening, so words were escaping her at the moment.
James gave Lily a bright grin. “It’s no trouble, Lils.” James walked over to where Lily was still standing by the front door as she had apparated just outside their home. He took her hands and led her to the middle of the room. He was still grinning down at her (James being several inches taller than Lily). Lily grinned back at him, absolutely melting from his grin. She loves James’s smile. Everything that followed will forever be etched in Lily’s mind till the day she dies (and maybe even beyond).
While grinning, James gets down on one knee. At this point Lily is still a bit confused as she thinks “James can’t possibly be proposing. We haven’t even been together for a full year yet.” But then James pulls out a ring and that effectively shuts up Lily’s thoughts. She is stunned. With her mouth slightly agape, she listens to James propose.
“Lily, I know we haven’t been together too long, but I’ve loved you since I was 11 years old. And since we’ve been together, I have been happier than I ever could have imagined, even with a war going on. You are incredible, and I adore every part of you. I know this is rather sudden and fast, but we are fighting a war, a fact that has only become clearer to me over these past few weeks.
“I don’t know what the future holds for us. Nor do I know how long this war is going to last. But what I do know is I want to keep fighting with you by my side for the rest of my life, however long that will be. You have shown me the power of love, resilience, and compassion. Together, we can face whatever challenges lie ahead. Our love has already endured so much, and I believe it can withstand anything.
“So, Lily Evans, in the midst of chaos and darkness, I am asking you to be my light. Will you marry me?”
Lily’s eyes well up with tears as she takes in James’s words. Her heart swells with love for him, and she feels a rush of emotions overwhelming her. She takes a moment to compose herself a bit, her gaze never leaving James’s earnest expression.
Unable to find the words to reply, temporarily, Lily reaches out and cups James’s face in her hands. She leans down and kisses him. Lily tries her best to convey her answer in that kiss before pulling away.
After that passionate quick kiss, Lily is finally able to find her words, which carry a mix of emotion and conviction. “James Potter, you have filled my life with so much joy and love. I can’t even begin to express how much you mean to me,” Lily says, her voice quivering with emotion.
Lily takes a deep breath, her eyes locked with James’s as she continues. “In this, chaotic time, you’ve been my anchor, my source of strength when I feel weak. Your love has given me hope and the courage to face whatever comes our way.”
A tear escapes down Lily’s cheek, but her smile remains, unwavering. “James, I love you with all my heart. Yes, a thousand times yes, I will marry you.”
With those words, James stands up, his eyes shimmering with tears of joy. He pulls Lily into his arms, their lips meeting in a passionate and celebratory kiss. This kiss is different from the other one, filled with not only love, but also with overwhelming joy and the promise of a shared future.
As their lips part, James pulls away slightly, a sparkle of excitement in his eyes. He reaches into his pocket and retrieves the ring box once again, holding it delicately in his hand. With a soft smile, he opens the box, revealing the breathtaking ring nestled inside.
Lily"s eyes widen in awe as she takes in the beauty of the ring. The center diamond shimmers with a captivating brilliance, and the band glows softly in the candlelight. She can"t help but marvel at the elegance and uniqueness of the ring that now holds so much meaning for them.
With a gentle touch, James takes Lily"s hand and slowly slides the ring onto her finger. It glides on smoothly, as if it was always meant to be there. A perfect fit, symbolizing the seamless connection between their hearts and souls. Plus, the magic that is imbued in the ring helps to make sure that the ring will always fit as it changes sizes to make sure of that.
Lily"s breath catches in her throat as she admires the ring, her eyes glistening with tears of joy. She looks up at James, her voice filled with awe and love.
"It"s... it"s absolutely stunning," she whispers, her voice barely audible in the room. "James, it"s perfect. Where did you find a ring like this?"
"It was my grandmother"s ring," James tells her. "My mother gave it to me when I told her about my plans to propose."
Lily smiled, but before she could respond, a collective gasp filled the air coming from the direction of the kitchen. James and Lily turned. Lily"s eyes widened in surprise and delight, to see the Marauders and Jasmine, James"s parents, and her own parents stepping out from the kitchen where they all had been hiding. The room erupts in cheers, applause, and happy laughter.
Fleamont and Euphemia Potter approached the couple with Effie walking right up to the couple with happy tears in her eyes. “Oh, Lily, dear.” Euphemia started. “I’m so happy for you and James. I always wanted a daughter, and now I’m getting one.”
Lily beamed at her future mother-in-law “I’ve always thought of you like a second mother, Euphemia.”
Effie offered a teary smile. “I couldn’t ask for a better daughter.” Euphemia replied. “And thank you for taking care of my sone. You are good for him. I remember the first time he wrote home from Hogwarts. He told us he met the girl –”
“Woah, woah, woah.” James interrupted. “Mum, there is no reason you need to tell Lily that story so please stop.”
Effie did not stop as James requested. Instead, she continued on as if her son hadn’t interrupted her. “James had written us to say that he had met the girl he was going to marry. Now Fleamont and I assumed he was exaggerating. He was only 11, so we assumed he wasn’t serious. We assumed James would be writing us about a different girl eventually or multiple girls even. Well, here we are now, and James was right. He had met the girl he was going to marry.”
“Aww.” Lily cooed. Then she turned her head to glance at her fiancé. James’s cheeks were a deep red, which only made him cuter in Lily’s opinion. “You’re just a big romantic, aren’t you?” Lily kissed James on his red cheek.
Sirius, who had been chatting with Jasmine, spotted James and his red cheeks. So, he approached the group, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. Jasmine followed him knowing just what that look meant. “What are we talking about over here?” Sirius asked, joining the conversation. “We talking about how much of a sap Jamesy is?” Sirius threw his arm over James’s shoulder, only to be pushed away by James.
“No, that’s not what we’re talking about,” James denied.
“You sure? ‘Cause your cheeks say differently,” Sirius teased.
“Stop teasing him, Sirius.” Jasmine said.
“Thank you, Jazzy.” James smiled at the girl, but he spoke too soon.
“You can’t tease him without me.” Jasmine adds, earning a ground from James.
Lily laughed at what her cousin said. “Hey Mina, want to go talk about the wedding.”
“I’d love to,” Jasmine said. The two girls headed to another part of the room leaving James and Sirius to amuse themselves as James’s parents had already left to talk with Lily’s parents. “So how are you feeling?”
“I just can’t believe it.” Lily admitted. She was still in a bit of shock over everything that had happened. Then she looked down at her hand and saw the ring. She smiled at the sight of the beautiful ring that now rested on her ring finger. “I’m engaged, Mine. To James.”
Jasmine smiled warmly. “I know, Lils. I didn’t think this day would ever happen. I can still remember you first telling me about James and how arrogant he was. He’s come a long way, both of you have.”
Lily laughed. “It’s true, we have changed so much. He definitely isn’t that same arrogant boy I met on the train all those years ago.”
“He’s not even the same boy who helped me with our trunks when I first came to Hogwarts.” Jasmine added. “I’m so happy that you two made it work though. You seem really happy.”
“I am happy,” Lily said, but she couldn’t help but wonder about her cousin’s own relationship. “So, how’s it going with you and Sirius.”
“We are doing great.” Jasmine smiled, her gaze drifting over toward her boyfriend. “I love him so much. I’m just so grateful that I found him.”
“I’m happy you found him too.” Lily said. “But do you ever wonder if Sirius will propose soon? I mean you two have been together longer than James and I have. Plus, you are wearing matching promise rings. You have to wonder if he’s going to be proposing soon.”
Jasmine’s shoulders tightened as she tensed up. Despite how much she loved Sirius and how much she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, she really hoped he wasn’t thinking about proposing soon. She didn’t think they were ready to get married quite yet. “Umm… I don’t know. Probably not. I don’t think we are ready for that kind of commitment.”
Lily could see how tensed up her cousin had gotten so she decided not to push the issue. Although Lily believed the two were more than ready to tie the knot, that was not her place to say. “Whatever you say, Mina.” Jasmine smiled, glad to change the subject.
While the girls continued to talk about the wedding, the other boys were congratulating James.
“Congratulations mate,” Remus and Peter both said.
“Thanks, you guys.” James said. “And I really appreciate the help in putting this all together. Not sure I could have done it alone.”
“Anytime, Prongs,” Sirius said before changing the subject. “After all these years, you actually got Evans, Prongsy,” Sirius joked. “I don’t know how you managed that.”
“I guess I did make my dreams a reality in the end.” James laughed.
“I don’t know how you did that,” Sirius teased.
“Guess I finally wore her down with my good looks and charms,” James jokingly boasted.
“That is not at all how it happened,” Lily added as she approached the boys with Jasmine. The girls had decided to rejoin the boys. “If anything, that actually really slowed things down.”
James looked at his fiancée curiously. “Then what could have possibly won you over if it wasn’t my dashing good looks and charm.”
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Lily said. And to prevent James from pushing it, Lily placed a kiss on his lips. James responded immediately and forgot all about needing to know how Lily fell for him.
As the night continued, James’s and Lily’s cottage was filled with laughter and conversations. Joy and celebration could be felt throughout the cottage. James and Lily were grateful to have so many loved ones to be able to share this momentous occasion with. And as they stood there with their friends and family, the couple couldn’t help but be grateful. This was the best night of their lives, and they weren’t soon to forget it.