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It’s six on a Saturday morning when he slide the small, velvet box across the table to her. No other Gryffindors are at their table, and the rest of the people in the Great Hall are too tired or preoccupied with other things to notice what was going on across the room.
Lily looked at the box, then at him briefly before resting her eyes on the unopened box in front of her plate.
“James,” she said softly, “What are you doing?”
“I was planning on doing it last night, before dinner, I was going to ask you to take a walk around the lake with me and that’s where I was going to do it,” he said instead of answering her question, “But then all that stuff with the Slytherins happened and then you were so upset and I just couldn’t do it then.”
He knows he’s rambling but he just can’t seem to stop.
“And I know you’re still upset with me about what happened last night but I just need to ask,” he took a deep breath but before he could ask, she looked up at him and spoke.
“You know I’m upset but do you know why?” she asked, and without waiting for an answer, she said, “It’s not because I think you should let Sirius fight his own battles and it’s not because I think you aren’t being the best Head Boy you can be, it’s because I asked you to walk away and you didn’t. And I’m pissed about that, James, I really am.”
“I was walking away, Lily, really,” he insisted, “But then,”
“Then what? Why didn’t you just keep going?”
They were talking about you, threating you, I couldn’t just walk away after what they said,” James exclaimed, running a hand through his hair, his mind replying the violent words that spewed out of Avery’s mouth.
“So what?” she said, crossing her arms over her chest, “They say shit like that all the time. “
“It was different this time, Lily, they meant it,” he said, “And I couldn’t let that go, not when it’s about you.”
“I wish you could just ignore it, I know it gets to you,” she said, “But I wish you would just block it out.”
“Are you honestly telling me it doesn’t bother you when you hear what they say?” he demanded, “That you just block it out?”
“James, it happens so often I barely hear it anymore,” she said softly.
That got him, like she probably knew it would. They were both quiet for a second. He wasn’t sure what to say anymore but there was so much he wanted to say. He watched as Lily reached for the box and opened it.
“It’s pretty,” she said, as she took it out of the box, the diamond shinning in the light.
“It should fit, I had Hestia take one of your rings for sizing,” he said, watching her carefully.
She smirked slightly, “I’m surprised that she was able to keep that from me.”
James let out a small laugh, “I was too, to be honest.”
The smirk fell off her face and her eyes softened, “Were you really going to ask last night?”
James sobered instantly, “Yeah, I really was.”
“It doesn’t matter to you that we’ve only been dating for five months? And that we’re both barely eighteen?”
“I know that I love you and that I want to spend the rest of my life with you,” he said, taking one of her hands in his, “What does it matter that we only eighteen?”
“People will think you’ve knocked me up,” she pointed out as she threaded her fingers with his.
He snorted, “I don’t care what other people think of us.”
“What if I care?” she countered, raising one eyebrow at him
“We can have a long engagement then,” he said, “Wait at least nine months so everyone can see you’re not pregnant.”
Lily pulled her hand from his and put the ring on. She was quiet as she studied the ring on her left hand, tilting her hand back and forth to watch the diamond glittering in the light. “How does it look?” she asked, looking up at him.
“It looks beautiful,” he said, “You’re beautiful.”
Lily rolled her eyes at him, “You didn’t even look,” she pointed out.
“Don’t need to, you always look beautiful,” he said, grinning at her.
She smiled slightly before slipping off the ring and placing it back in the box. She held out the box to him, waiting for him to take it.
At once, his smile slipped off his face and his stomach dropped, “You’re saying no?”
“Technically you haven’t asked,” she said, at the look on his face, she added, “I’m saying not right now.”
James took the box from her, he fiddled with it for a moment before asking, “Why not now?”
“Because I’m not ready to say yes now,” she said simply, “I’m still a little upset about last night and I need time, James. I love you but I need time to make sure I’m ready.”
James nodded and put the ring in his clock pocket, “I love you too. And I’m sorry about last night, really, truly sorry.”
Lily smiled and leaned across the table to brush her lips against his. “I know you are, love, and I’m sorry for ruining your second idea for a proposal.”
He smiled at her and kissed her again, “S’alright, I ruined my first one on my own.”
James started to butter his toast as Lily settled back in her seat and opened the Daily Prophet.
“James,” she said, as she started to scan the paper, “Keep that ring on you, ok?
James looked up from his toast and smiled at her, “Ok.”