It was a joy to write this! Thanks for everyone who stuck with me :]

And a special thanks for those who favorited!

Please, review if you can! (As you can see below I am quite fond of reviewers!)

Shout out to: JaneEyre161 and NoseBitingTeacup!

JaneEyre161: First off, thank you! I'm really glad you like it, especially what you said about point number 4. Wasn't sure if that was too much for something that was intended to be a humorous piece. And as for Lily knowing about Prongs...well, I imagine they called themselves by the names often enough that Lily just caught on eventually (like the part in the next chapter about where she teases them for it). That's not to say that it's exactly common knowledge though, which is why Snape never recognized the names years later on the map, but I figured some of the Gryffindors (namely those who hung around them a lot, like Lily or Mary) might have noticed.

NoseBitingTeacup: Aww, that was very nice... I'm blushing :D Thanks so much! You are absolutely amazing :]

And sorry about the bad poetry...

And fluff. So much fluff.

You kept me guessing and your distance

Were it not for my persistence

We would never have been lovers.

The Lucksmiths, Great Lengths

Attempt number 64:

I woke up, as giddy as ever and went to breakfast expectantly. Nothing happened. I saw James but he merely waved at me with a smile. I didn't even sit with him. Instead, Mary and I sat with Jake, who was being very studious and had to tell us (politely) to shut up or else he was going to murder both of us. Stupid NEWTS. Mary had been laughing up a storm ever since I told her about Potter's idiotic plan. She spent the entire day guessing ways he might do it.

By the end of the evening I was admittedly very disappointed when nothing had happened at all. It was 10 o'clock and I looked to James pitifully to find he wasn't even paying me any attention. The four marauders were playing a rather long game of exploding snap and while they hadn't really been ignoring me (Sirius had been winking at me all day, Remus was as friendly as usual, and James had been irritatingly polite) they were certainly not thinking of me either.

I had forestalled going to bed for as long as my pride was willing. Usually I was in bed by nine reading for an hour before I fell asleep. I looked around the near empty common room before getting up as slowly as possible to head upstairs, feeling absurdly sad. As soon as I reached the first step to the girl's dormitories a loud bang went off followed by a series of fireworks that in a blazing fire spelled out: Lily Evans, Go out with me!

Half the commons burned down, but I got a wonderful snog from it and the satisfaction of saying a very half-hearted no to a very soot-covered face and fogged up glasses. He had simply laughed as McGonagall pulled him away to detention, telling him if he wanted to impress Miss Evans he might try not getting detention for the rest of the year as there was only 2 weeks left to go.

Potter rose to the challenge and declared that if it would prove his love he would do just that.

For the next two weeks nobody was caught in any of the pranks that the marauders did, cementing most of the school's belief that the marauder's got caught on purpose.

I was impressed, but not enough to cave in.

Attempt number 80:

The hot water burned my hands slightly as I scrubbed at the pan. I couldn't sleep and so had decided to do the dishes that I had been planning on leaving for Petunia. Just because she skipped dinner didn't mean she could skip out on chores. Besides that was rude of her to not see my parents tonight. She wouldn't be seeing us for two months.

We left for Ireland in the morning, for which I was eternally grateful. Petunia was furious at me for all of the owls that kept coming around. When she announced that she couldn't bear to be separated from Vernon, a walrus of a man that she met at work, and so could not possibly go to Ireland I had been very relived. Two more months of owls seemed like it might put my sister over the edge.

As in she might just grab a drill from the company she worked at and slice me with it. Wand or no wand. And that was straight from the horse's mouth. ...Petunia looking like a horse, is just a coincidence, promise.

Today an owl hadn't arrived. My mum suggested that James had forgotten I said we were leaving tomorrow and so his owl was currently at the house rental in Ireland. I knew James wouldn't forget though.

No, it was much more likely that he had given up. Still, that rang falsely in my mind and for a moment I feared for Hermes' safety. What if the owl had been attacked or...? Stop it, Lily. You're being a worry wart. I bent back down to continue scrubbing the pan again when I dropped my sponge.

There, in the soap suds, was a message.

"Date me? Love, James."

It was a bit short as the letters written out of the soap were quite large. As usually this kind of thing required the spell caster to be near, I looked out into the dark window but only saw the black of the night. Oh well, if I'd seen Potter's face I probably would have screamed and woken the neighbors.

I imagined I could respond in kind, so I rubbed the soap together, erasing his letter and wrote out my response.

"No. Love, Lily"

I realized, startled, it was the first time I had signed off with "love". James must have realized too, as I distinctly heard a whoop before a shh that sounded suspiciously like Remus. I smiled as I rinsed off the pan letting the soap bubbles collect in the bottom of the sink.

Attempts number 105 and 106:

I was miserable. Yesterday we'd been out sightseeing when it started to pour. My parents, clever as they are, had decided to call it quits and go back to the house. I, determinedly stubborn, had insisted on continuing my hike. I came back a wet mess and not even Potters wet and soggy paper airplane that he'd sent could please me.

The ink had all smudged together anyway and I could hardly make out the poem he hadwritten. Plus, I sneezed all over it, which probably hadn't helped much.

That next day I was downright feverish. James must have somehow figured that out. Maybe my lack of response yesterday had confused him.

He sent over chicken noodle soup, delivered from a nearby restaurant. As I ate I realized that the noodles were letters. They spelled out: Love you, James. And although that didn't really count as asking me out, there were no other attempts that day, and I added it to the tally anyway.

The next day, feeling somewhat better, after my parents had left I decided to tackle one of the puzzles that had been left by the owners. You know how when you rent a place they leave weird books and things? Well, I was bored enough to try out a 1,000 piecer.

Okay. I lied. I love puzzles. They are amazing and fun and I don't care if that makes me sound like a twat.

Something was weird about this one, though. It was supposed to be of a basket full of kittens. I know, I know, that's a rather lame puzzle. But the kitties were so adorable! How could I resist? And yet, instead of those darling kittens, there was another badly written poem at the end. I'll have quite the collection by the end.

"Dearest Lily,

My lovely flower...

They say that love is the strongest power.

And so my sweet, as from illness you do recover,

Please take this token from your ever faithful lover:

For I do love with a passion pure and true

And that is more powerful than the strongest brew

Of Amortentia.

So, if you can, find it in your heart

To give our relationship its belated start

Then please my darling, my lovely Lily.

This waiting around is getting silly.

If you would be my girlfriend, my one and only

Then I would not be so lonely.

And from me you would have the happiest man.

Darling Lily, if you can...

Say yes!

And go out with me.

We're perfect for each other, you must agree.

And see

How Happy

We

Could Be.

Forever and Faithfully Yours,

James"

This was my response:

"Not yet. Wait till the fall.

I promise then, I'll no longer stall.

Yours soon,

Lily Evans

PS Thanks for the soup!"

...10 poems later...

Attempt Number 154:

I had come back from vacation anxious to meet James, but I couldn't find him anywhere. On the Hogwarts Express I searched every room, hoping to catch a glimpse but ultimately failed.

Finally, resigned to the fact that the head-boy was going to be mad at me if I arrived much later I walked over the the prefects' compartment to plan the meeting with the Head Boy. I wondered blithely who it might be. I had thought Remus originally, but he had been in the marauder's compartment and told me it wasn't , when I'd asked where James was they had all started laughing. Idiots.

Despite not knowing, mostly my thoughts were occupied by that bushy haired young man who I had thought would have met me right away. He knew I was going to say yes. I had promised.

And even if I hadn't I would have said yes anyway. I had wanted to for the last thirty times. Where was that boy?

I barged into the head's compartment, feeling quite angry, but knowing I owed the head boy an explanation for running late. Girl problems? Was that too awkward. Definitely too awkward.

The room was empty.

What an arse! I ignored the hypocrisy of being mad at someone for something I had just been about to apologize for and slumped next to the window looking forward to brooding a bit before he arrived.

And where the bloody hell was James?

Staring out the window I was quite startled to see letters start forming in the fogged glass.

"Go out with me..."

"James?"

Suddenly in a flash of movement James was standing there holding a silvery cloak. I gasped.

"Is that an invisibility cloak?

"Answer my question first."

"It wasn't a question," I bit back as I grabbed his cloak. I swept it around myself, marveling at how my limbs all disappeared. "This is spectacular!" He rolled his eyes.

"That's all you have to say? Honestly! I've been asking you out 100-some times and all you do is grab my bloody cloak! Lily..." I cut him off with a kiss.

"It started with a cloak, may as well end with one." I grinned up at him and he reached for his clock, but I pulled it out of reach. Then, widening my eyes as best I could, I went for my best James Potter impersonation.

"You want me to keep this... all night?"

He grinned back at me.

"I didn't say that you handsome hunk."

"Hey! I did not say that to you!"

"It was something like that."

"No, it wasn't!"

"Lily," he nodded towards the window. "So..?" It was my turn to roll my eyes.

"Obviously! Yes! Yes, I will go out with you James Potter!"

We began snogging again, but I quickly cut it off with an anxious cry.

"Get out! You have to get out! The head boy is already a half hour late! He'll probably be here any minute!" James started laughing and I hit him lightly across his head.

"This isn't funny, you dolt!"

"Yes it is..."

"The head boy will think I'm a slag."

"The head boy would never think such a thing!"

"Don't say that with such odd determination. If you prank that boy I will..."

"I wouldn't prank him! He's too good at pranking."

"Remus? He told me he wasn't."

"I say good at pranks and you go straight to Remus? Geez, Lil, give a bloke a little self-esteem here..."

Then I noticed it. The badge. On his chest.

"No..."

"Hey. Once again with the esteem bashing."

"No... I mean... no..."

"You already said yes," he smirked.

"Why didn't you tell me!"

"I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Ugh! You dolt."

"No... I'm a hunk remember?"

"I didn't say that, you said that."

"Me pretending to be you, it still counts."

I stared up toward the ceiling, praying, as I had countless times before for a little help with the bush haired, bespectacled boy in front of me. My boyfriend. The boy I fancied. The one and only James Potter.

"Are you going to say anything?"

"What else is there to say?"

"Good job, boyfriend. Fancy that. You are amazing."

"I am not going to start calling you boyfriend, James."

"You really should, girlfriend. It gets the word out much quicker."

"As if you hadn't already told all your friends."

"Of course they know. I mean everyone else."

"I'm sure you'll find a way. Because if you start calling me girlfriend I will probably have to murder you."

"Wouldn't want that. Finally she says yes and then is sentenced to Azkaban... would really put a strain on our relationship I think."

"No more than the you being dead part, I think you forgot why I went to Azkaban."

"You went to Azkaban?" An adorable first year was sticking their head into the door and blushed furiously when we both turned around to stare at her. She had blond hair pulled into two braids.

"Nah. She never got caught," James winked at her.

I ignored him.

"What's your name?"

"Melanie..."

"I'm..."

"I know who you guys are. You're James Potter and Lily Evans." I nodded, somewhat disconcerted. How did she already know who I was? A second year would know, maybe, and that's only because I was prefect and too close in association with the infamous James Potter to blend into the background.

"Er... you have a sibling who goes here?" She looked confused. Potter looked suddenly nervous. I became immediately suspicious." Then how did you...?"

She pulled out a paper from behind her back. It was something called The Daily Marauder and on the front page was a moving photo of me taken last year before I went to Ireland. Potter was next to me in the picture kissing my cheek. The title was: At last! Boy snags beautiful soul-mate: James Potter and Lily Evans finally together. Then in sub-print, "She said yes!" Skimming through it I was dismayed to find several testimonials from "close friends" including Mary, Marlene, all of the Marauders and... Jacob!

"'I knew they would get together. At least I got one date in, eh Potter?'" I read in disbelief.

"I know! Can you believe that bumble! Flirting with you in our getting-together testimonial. What nerve."

"Getting-Together article?"

"Yeah. Check the inside. Sirius writes a moving piece on couple names."

"You guys have a newspaper...?"

"Just recently. Wicked, huh?"

I turned to give the little girl back her copy, but she had already ran off. I sat down onto onto the seat once more and Potter fell in next to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. I lay my head onto his shoulder and he looked surprised.

"You're not mad?"

"Might as well get used to it if I'm going to be dating you, yeah?" He grinned and nodded. "I mean after all those spectacular ways of asking me out I'd be a fool to not know that you were over-the-top about dating."

"Yeah and just imagine how difficult actually proposing is going to be? I'm going to have to top myself! And with how long it took to get you to just go steady with me or what not, can you imagine how long it will take to get you to be Lily Potter! What am I saying, of course you can! You're probably planning a million excuses not to. I still have that adorable little poem you wrote me..."

"James!" I choked, "We're not even adults yet!"

"Speak for yourself." I scowled. "Calm it, I'm not proposing...yet. We just started dating for Merlin's sake."I eyed him for a few moments, waiting for him to start laughing or admit he was kidding around. He remained startlingly serious and grinned at my frowning stare.

"You know you're being crazy right?"

He shrugged.

"That's all subjective, my dear."

"Well, I vote you're insane."

"If you want to admit that your boyfriend is insane, then go ahead."

I smiled up at him and we kissed once more, forgetting for the moment about the uncertain future that lay ahead.

Besides, it was far too soon to be talking engagements. I hadn't even admitted I loved him yet! And... yet... I wasn't quite terrified about the prospect. Nervous? Certainly. Confident that he was right about how long it would take? Of course. But also quite sure that one day my last name might match the weirdo beside me?

Definitely.