A/N: Hey y'all! This was written for Hogwarts. Prompts are below. :)
Word Count: 1476
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Those rights go to JK Rowling.
Hogwarts:
Beauty Therapy Task 9: Write about trying to make something last/stay (in this case, keeping James and Lily's relationship where it is)
Enjoy!
Lily stared down at the letter in her hands, her green eyes filled with tears that she was desperately trying to keep at bay. She reread the words her sister had written, her heart heavy.
Do not contact me again… I need to keep my family safe, and you said yourself that danger is following you… I won't allow any reckless behavior on your—or your boyfriend's—part to endanger the life I have worked so hard to construct… I cannot make time for your futile hopes anymore.
Lily bit her lip. Petunia had made it clear that their relationship was officially over. Lily knew it had been toxic for a long time now, but in wartime she had wanted her sister by her side more than ever. That was ruined now.
She brushed the tears from her freckled cheeks and wiped the water on her violet shirt. She tucked the letter in her pocket and stood up—she could hear James coming home.
"Will you marry me?"
Lily turned to look at James in surprise. He wasn't on the ground, and his voice was soft and uncertain, unlike his usual self. She studied him for a moment.
"Are you—are you being serious?" she asked.
His dark brows shot up to his hairline. "Yes, I am. I thought… the world is changing around us. Nothing is certain. I thought it might be a good idea to put down some roots—a foundation. So… will you?"
Lily hesitated. "...no." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "We've only been dating for a year and a half, James. We're eighteen."
He slouched, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I've loved you for longer, though."
Her face softened, and she stepped forward to put a hand on his shoulder. "I know. But… things are good the way they are. Why rush into something we might regret?"
James looked up sharply at that, his hazel eyes hurt. "You think you might regret marrying me?"
"I think it's too soon to take such a big step, when there's really no pressure to." She looked away. "I'm sorry."
James sighed. "You don't need to be sorry. If you're not ready for this, the last thing I want is to guilt you into it." He smiled weakly at her. "I guess I'm just afraid that… that this our only chance."
Lily feared that too. She was terrified that if they didn't take the leap, they'd lose their only opportunity to do so. But her fear of falling was just as strong.
She put her hand on James' arm. "Things are good now," she murmured. "Let's enjoy it while it lasts."
James walked through the door, swinging the keys to their car around his finger. Lily felt a pang when she saw him; ever since his proposal a month ago, she couldn't help but think that she was letting him down.
"Evening, love," he chirped, shooting her a grin. Then he caught sight of her face, which must have been awfully pale. "What's wrong?"
Lily shook her head. "It's nothing, James. How was the Auror office?"
"They're idiots as usual. Really, Lily, what's the matter?"
He looked so concerned that Lily felt her resolve crumbling. "Just a… letter from Petunia. She doesn't want me to contact her anymore."
James cursed, looking furious. "Merlin, Lily, I'm sorry."
"Don't be," she muttered. "It isn't your fault."
But it was another thing changing, another thing she couldn't control. Everything in her life was moving so swiftly that she was glad James wasn't pressing the issue of moving forward—selfish though she was.
James watched her for a moment before furrowing his brows determinedly. "Let's go out for a night. Have a drink, dance a bit. Just some fun for once."
Lily bit her lip. "Is that really a good idea?"
James walked over and pecked her cheek. "Of course it is. Come on, you'll have a good time."
She relented, letting him drive her to a nearby Muggle pub. They parked and walked through the slightly frozen mud as the cool air nipped at their skin.
Once inside, James ordered their drinks and sat next to her at a table in a mostly-secluded corner. James put a hand over hers and tilted his head to the side. "I'm sorry about your sister. I know that your relationship meant a lot to you."
Lily smiled bitterly. "It clearly didn't mean as much to her as it did to me."
James blew some hair out of his face. "That's her loss, Lily. I mean that."
Lily smiled gratefully at him and squeezed his hand. "Thank you, James."
James nodded, but then his eyes grew worried once more. He dropped his gaze to the table. "This isn't just about Petunia, is it? You've been quiet ever since I asked you to marry me." James brought her knuckles to his lips and kissed them gently. "You know that I'm not upset, right? If you're not ready, we'll wait."
Lily looked at the table. She hated lying to him, even though this wasn't technically a lie. She wanted to marry him—she felt ready to take the next step—but she didn't want to go for it only to realize that she hadn't been prepared at all. She didn't want to risk change.
"I just… Everything's changing, James. Everything. I don't want us to change, too."
James raised a brow. "By… getting married, you mean?"
Lily's green eyes were wide with frustration and fear. "Yes! If we're married, we'll be tied to each other. This is war, and we won't be able to escape each other if things get to be too much. They're… they're targeting me, James. Things have been bad so far, but I don't want you to give everything up if things get worse." Lily looked away. "You've already given up so much."
James snorted in disbelief. "What have I given up to be with you?"
"Your safety in this war. Time with your friends. Connections that could have gotten you a higher place in the Ministry."
James stared at her for a long moment. "First of all," he said quietly, "my family has been full of blood traitors for generations. I was a target long before I met you. Secondly, my friends all love you—they don't mind that I spend time with you. We're not actually attached by the hip, you know."
This elicited a weak laugh from Lily, and James smiled before continuing.
"Third of all, why would I want to work for small-minded idiots? If those things are the cost of being with you, then it's been worth all the sacrifice."
"They'll try to kill us both," Lily reminded him, "and we'll be judged from every angle. Could you handle that?"
"That's what we're fighting against, Lily."
"That's not an answer, James."
"I'm just saying, if you hate something, then change it! Maybe some families will look down on us, but we're fighting against that mindframe—we're working to prove them wrong. I can handle anything on that journey, Lily. It's what I signed up for."
He was slowly tearing down all her defences. All the arguments she'd come up with to defend her decision were turning to dust.
"You don't have to make up your mind now," James told her. "I'm happy to wait, remember? But I know that we can handle anything that comes our way—this isn't a game to me, Lily." James stood up and made his way over to her, extending his hand. "Now… how about a dance?"
She took his hand without a word and let him lead her to the dance floor. James was an abysmal dancer—not that he let that deter him—and Lily soon found herself laughing at his enthusiastic attempts. They did this for hours, and Lily felt some of her worry melt away. Halfway through the night, she realized that she would be happy doing this for the rest of her life.
Maybe… maybe it wasn't about how long they had. Maybe it was about fighting to make sure they had as long as possible with each other, in any way they wanted to be together. That, Lily thought, would be worth the sacrifice.
The song changed to something slower. James pulled Lily closer, his movements much more coordinated. "About them… they will not have you… not while I breathe," he whispered in her ear. "I promise that I'll do whatever I can to make sure we have each other as long as possible… and I know you'll do the same for me."
"James Potter, here to save the day," she joked softly.
He grinned. "That's right. And you know, at the end of the day, we're the ones who are right."
She kissed him chastely and rested her head on his shoulder in response. She couldn't argue with that, and she didn't want to.
A/N:
Writing Club:
Disney Challenge: Themes 3. War — Write about someone deciding something's worth fighting for
Showtime: 6. God's Arms are Always Open — (object) key
Amber's Attic: Prompts 13. (action) dancing
Liza's Lyrics: 10. 911 - Moving on — "It's been worth all the sacrifice."
Angel's Arcade: 8. Aveline — (trait) moral, (dialogue) "They will not have you… not while I breathe.", (theme) sacrifice
Lo's Lowdown: 8. (plot point) losing someone you love/best friend
Bex's Basement: 7. "Will you marry me?" / "...no."
Film Festival: 24. "I'm just saying, if you hate something, then change it!"
Seasonal Challenges:
Days of the Year: 16th April — Write about someone stressed out
Spring: 30. (quote) "Spring will come, and so will happiness. Hold on. Life will get warmer." - Anita Krizzan
Earth: 10. (word) mud
Amanda's Challenge: Characters 16. Violet Baudelaire — alt. (color) violet
Magic Kingdom: Main Street: 9. Uptown Jewelers — (event) proposal
Gym: Level 1: Push-ups — Write 1000 words on your OTP (Jily is part of my three-way tie :P)
365 Words: 22. Reckless
Insane House Challenge: 226. "Are you being serious?"