With This Buttercup
"Tulips or sunflowers? Roses or lilies?" James had been firing question after question as he and Lily strolled through St. James Park.
She furrowed her brow; clearly, this question was harder to answer than it sounded. "Merlin, James," she said after awhile. "I don't know… buttercups?" She smiled, dazzling him as she always did.
"Buttercups, eh?" he laughed. He squeezed her hand. "I'll keep that in mind." They followed the path that went round the blooming gardens, stopping occasionally to observe a flower more closely.
"This one smells real sweet." Lily bent down to inhale the flower's scent. James leaned down beside her to sniff as well. Without warning, she had pushed him and he toppled over like the Tower of Babylon.
He fell flat on his face into the flowerbed. "What was that for?" He yelled, though his warm hazel eyes twinkled behind his glasses.
"Me? I didn't do a thing," Lily said, her eyes too wide to be innocent. "Can you not read what the sign says? Please stay out of flowerbeds."
"Har har," he said dryly, still on the ground, flattening the flowers. "C'mon help me up." He reached out his hands.
"No. Help yourself." She turned her nose up at him and began to walk away. She was over fifty feet away and he still hadn't budged. Muttering beneath her breath, she walked all the way back.
As soon as she was within arms reach, James stuck out his arms again. "Please Mum!" He whined.
Finally she gave in. "Oh, alright, you lunkhead. Up you go." She grabbed his hand and then suddenly- "OOF!"
James had quickly tugged on her hard and she fell right on top of him. "Please stay off out of flowerbeds," James mimicked her in a very high-pitched voice.
"You're squashing the flowers!" She said crossly, though a smile played on her lips and her eyes betrayed her amusement. "And you did not sound like me. You fail dismally in imitating my voice!"
"Love, no one can perfect your beautiful voice," he whispered huskily into her ear, his breath tickling her, forcing her to giggle.
"No cheesy lines, Casa Nova."
"I'm sorry, but I'm… what's his name again? Mr… ah yes, Mr. Darcy." He smirked. "And you're my Elizabeth."
"Eurgh. You're abominable."
"Whatever… Lizzie." He grinned.
"Sod off, Potter." She glared. How he thought giving her then nickname Lizzie was amusing was beyond her. In the first place, why did she tell him about the comparison between their relationship and Jane Austen's fictional characters.
"Back to last names now, are we, Ev-"
"OFF THE FLOWER BEDS!" A voice rivalling Madam Pince's screeched. "Are you two pillocks blind?" The lady continued to shriek. "Always breaking rules, young people are. From the library to a public place."
The pair of them shot up from the patch, startled by the voice. They sprinted away from the shrills that were murdering their ears. As they ran, James grabbed Lily's hand and pulled her along as he took the lead. "This way!"
He led her off the winding path and trampled through even more flowerbeds.
"James!" Lily tutted as they continued to rampage through St. James Park. He just grinned back at her.
He came to a halt at a fountain Lily had never seen before. It was the most gorgeous fountain Lily had beheld. It was made out of solid gold and it gleamed in the early morning sun.
"It's magnificent, James," she said at last. "But why'd we have to run all the way here?"
He just shook his head and laughed. "I don't know… I felt like it?" There was a brief pause. "Anyway, did you hear her voice? Sounded like Pince, if you ask me. Bloody hell, my ears are sore." As if to prove his point, he began to massage said body parts.
She smiled. "Y'know, I wouldn't be surprised if it was her. The Hogwarts library did have loads of books about gardening."
"Well, I'll be damned," James muttered. He brightened up. "Anyway, have I told you about a tradition of mine concerning fountains?" She shook her head. "No? Alright." He stuck his hand in his pocket and took out two gold Galleons. He placed one of them in her hand and continued to explain. "Each time I come across a new fountain, I toss in a Galleon and make a wish. The second time, I throw in a Sickle, and the third-"
"A Knut," Lily followed.
"Exactly. Now, you can only make a wish in a fountain three times. Y'know… kind of like what those muggles believe about genies and stuff. Three wishes."
"But why are you holding a Galleon?" She questioned him. "Surely you've wished here before since you led me here."
"Uh uh," he said. "Remus told me about it. So it's my first time. Well, technically it's my first time wishing here."
"Oh, I see." She made to flick her Galleon into the tinkling water.
"WAIT! Er, I mean hold on," James cried as he stopped her motion.
"What?"
"See, you have to do it a certain way."
"Sweet Merlin, what's the difference?" Lily rolled her eyes. However, she lowered her arm.
"Good. Okay. I'll demonstrate." He felt extremely nervous now. He hadn't gotten up to this part of the plan. "Er… you close your eyes, of course," he said slowly. C'mon brain. Improvise you nitwit. "And then you wait five seconds before making your wish silently. And then you have to, er, wait another five seconds after making your wish. Next you have to spin around three times. Then you toss it in. If there are levels, like this one has, you have to get it in the highest level… got that?"
Lily just stared at him.
"Okay… erm.. I'll demonstrate then."
He closed his eyes and counted to five under his breath. Say yes. He waited another five seconds and then spun around, feeling extremely foolish. He stopped, hoping he was facing in the right direction. He took a deep breath and chucked his Galleon into the fountain. He opened his eyes. "See? Simple?"
She nodded.
"Okay, ready?"
She nodded once more before repeating his exact movements.
While her eyes were closed, he quickly snuck out two blades of grass that he had stuffed into his pocket. Using his hand, he silently transfigured them into simple buttercups. He hurriedly slipped something sparkly inside one of the flowers. All of this done in a matter of ten seconds.
Lily had felt a slight whoosh behind her as she followed James' instructions but thought nothing of it, assuming it to be a light breeze. She felt utterly absurd as she went through the motions, but she thought she ought to try it. The oddest things tend to work. I wish this was true love. After five long seconds, she twirled around. She steadied herself, took a deep breath, raised her arm, and released her Galleon.
It landed right next to James', which was on the second highest bowl.
"Wow, nice aim." James said admiringly, wrapping his arms around her in a loving embrace, pressing his forehead against her wavy auburn locks.
"Thanks," she whispered, closing her eyes again and deflating inside his hold.
"Hey, look at this," he murmured in her ear. "Open your eyes."
She cracked them open, expecting to see some breathtaking sight. However, her eyes focused on two austere buttercups. She smiled as she remembered his earlier questions. "Now where did you find buttercups?" She asked softly.
"Magic, love." He released her and handed over one stem.
She looked confused. "What do I do with it?" she asked as she made it pirouette in her slender fingers.
He smiled, holding up his buttercup at her face level. He tugged lightly on one of its yellow petals and it floated to the floor. "She loves me," he said tenderly, never breaking eye contact with her
Her eyes flashed with intuition as she realized what they were supposed to do.
"He loves me." She delicately plucked one of her flower's petals, her lips curving upward.
Together, they uncovered their flowers. Their voices blended beautifully, like a harmony in a concert choir. As their flowers grew naked by the second, Lily never took her eyes off James', not even to check on her buttercup.
"-loves me…" they trailed off as the two once full blossoms were parted with their last petals.
He was the first to break their gaze as he observed his own flower. Following suit, she lowered her own eyes. Her breath hitched as she saw the sun's bright rays being shattered by some glittering object balancing on her flower. "James…"
Suddenly, his throat was dry and his words were trapped inside his heart. "Lily, I-"
"Do you mean it?" She whispered hoarsely. She too had trouble voicing her thoughts. "Do you love me?"
"Yes." He whispered back. "I love you. I've always loved you."
"James, but it's too fast." Her logical brain answered, trying to force herself not to rush into things, not to just jump in head first, not to tie herself down without seeing the world, albeit a world with Voldemort. "I ..."
He reeled from her reply. "But… what if it's true love?" His desperate, despondent words pierced her heart. Her wish, her heart screamed at her to remember her wish. True love. "Won't you take the gamble? Wouldn't you risk it all?"
She felt tears burst from her emerald orbs. He was right. She would risk her life for James, so that meant she loved him. She recalled a bible passage that she had memorized as a child; There is no greater love than giving one's life up for one's friends. "Yes. Of course. It's worth it. You. Me. Yes. Yes, James. Yes." She waited for him to drop down on his knees and say dramatically, `Lily Marie Evans, will you marry me?'
Instead he suddenly started singing, "I need you, more than anyone darling," his voice cracking from the strain of their conversation. He felt that it was the best reply he could give to her heavenly yes.
Through her tears, she laughed. "James, stop joking."
"I'm not," he gave her a watery smile. He was also on the verge of tears. "It's true."
"I hate that blasted song," she joked.
"I thought you liked buttercups, buttercup."
"You didn't even ask me to marry you."
"I did."
"Did not."
"You said yes."
"I said `Yes, I love you.' I didn't say, `Yes, I accept,' or, `yes, I'll marry you.'"
"There. You just said it now."
"Just ask me properly."
"But you already said you'll marry me."
"Just ask already."
"Marry me?" He flashed her his winning smile.
"James Potter, I'm serious."
He grinned as she groaned, knowing that she had set herself up for the unavoidable, "No, you're not, Sirius is-"
The Unforgivable Pun was lost inside Lily's mouth, as she tiptoed and kissed him full on the lips.
"Lily." James breathed as they broke away.
"Yeah."
"Will you marry me?"
-->