"Lily wait!"

"Shut it, Potter!"

"Merlin, Lily, just hear me out!"

In the middle of the Auror Department, nestled in the central-most part of the Ministry of Magic, a tall, bespectacled, jet-black haired James Potter was chasing a furious Lily Evans. The flush on her cheeks nearly matched her fiery red hair, and her emerald green eyes sparked dangerously.

What, you might ask, was the cause for her fury?

James Potter, of course. As if anything or anyone else could rile her up as much.

Lily rushed past the cubicles of her fellow aurors, practically sprinting in order to escape the lengthy stride that James had. She darted in and around the maze of aurors, all the while trying to block out James' voice.

"Lily for the last time, I didn't do anything! Will you just stop running so we can talk?"

Lily darted around the water cooler, where Sirius Black was currently lounging with Alice and Frank Longbottom, followed closely by James.

"Bet you 10 galleons they're snogging in 10 minutes," Sirius said to Frank.

"I'd give her eight. Lily is a sucker when it comes to James' puppy face. You're on Black," Frank calmly sipped his water, listening to the retreating footsteps.

"I wouldn't be too sure boys. Lily's really mad this time. She won't give in so easily." Alice popped her head up from her desk across the room, her eyes following the mad pursuit.

Lily continued to run, and James continued to chase.

"Lily…please! We've run around the department at least three times!"

"Brilliant…you've just noticed, have you? Congratulations you prat, you can count and run at the same time. Now leave me alone!" Lily whipped her head around at this last comment to glare furiously at James.

Now if she had only waited two more seconds to turn her head, or if she had chosen not to look at all, she would have noticed the imposing form of Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody step out of his office and into her path. If she had resisted the urge to glare at James, she would have been able to stop herself from colliding with Moody. However, fate was not kind to Lily Evans that day; instead she barreled straight into Mad-Eye, and causing them both to stumble. Only impeccable auror reflexes saved them from being in a heap on the floor. James, seeing the collision, slowed to a stop next to them.

"Potter! Evans! What do you think you're doing?!"

"I was just…" Lily began, at the same moment James said, "I was trying to tell…"

"Never mind. Do you realize you are disturbing the entire office? You are causing department wide distraction, and distraction is what gets you killed! CONSTANT VIGILANCE! Now, solve your little lovers spat like adults and get back to work!" Moody barked, his eye swiveling crazily. He grumbled more under his breath before stomping off to yell at Sirius and Frank to "stop dawdling and try to be useful for once!"

Lily huffed, crossing her arms, and turning her head to glare at the wall. Anywhere but James. Anywhere but James.

"Lily, please just let me ex…"

"Save it Potter. I know what I saw. Now let's just shake hands so Moody will be happy, and so I can get as far away from you as possible."

"Lily, you're being unreasonable. You won't let me…"

"Unreasonable? Unreasonable?! You are the one who is unreasonable, you cheating prat! I saw you feeling up that blonde witch from the Department of Magical Transportation this morning! If you expect me to be reasonable after that, than you're a bigger idiot than I thought!" She huffed, whipping her head to the side to stare at the wall, at the cubicles, at a lamp, anywhere but James.

"Lily, please, I wasn't feeling anyone up…If you'd just let me…"

"Explain? Explain?! James, if you don't want to date me anymore, you could have just told me! Don't let me find out by seeing you cheat on me! I thought you were…" Her words were cut short, however, by a very strong, calloused hand pressing over her mouth.

"Lily, please."

Those two words. If only he hadn't said them, she might have held her resolve. She might have been able to storm away from him. But those words, which he had so often uttered during their years at Hogwarts, brought back memories, both painful and wonderful. She knew when James said them, he really meant it, and she was doomed to allow him to speak.

"Fine. But make it quick, Potter. I have reports to file."

He noticed that she still wouldn't look him in the eye. Knowing her, she wouldn't until she was absolutely sure she could without breaking down.

"Back to Potter, are we?" He chuckled weakly, but continued on. "Lily, you have to know I would never cheat on you, and that I didn't. That blonde witch from the Department of Magical Transportation is a distant cousin of mine, Felicity, probably eight times removed. And she's already married."

Still not trusting herself to meet his gaze, she muttered furiously to the carpet, "Then explain why you were feeling her up?"

James sighed. He couldn't possibly explain this to Lily without ruining his surprise in the process.

"Listen, Lily. I didn't feel her up. I…dropped something on the floor, and as I bent to pick it up, she moved. Yes I ended up in a…compromising position, one that could be interpreted as being…" At this, he blushed, but continued on. "Do you really think if I haven't gone that far with you, I'd go there with my cousin?! Merlin, Lily, I thought we knew each other better than that."

"Oh, so now it's my fault, is it? You blame me for your…lack of…for your…" Lily blushed, her face turning a violent shade of pink, but pushed on. "You sound like you're blaming me for your lack of a sex life Potter!" She turned, and began to walk away but James reached out and caught her wrist.

"Lily, no, that's not…"

"Don't. Touch. Me." She hissed, trying to yank her arm out of his grasp. He pulled her closer, grabbing her other arm, effectively trapping her between the cubicle wall, and his body.

"Lily, listen to me." She refused to meet his gaze, glaring instead at a spot somewhere over his left bicep (she was too short to see over his shoulder).

"Lily!" His forceful tone, combined with the hand under her chin forced her to meet his gaze. Emerald eyes met hazel, and Lily could feel the beginnings of tears in her eyes.

"Lily" his voice was soft now, only meant for her to hear. "I did not cheat on you. I will never cheat on you. I was talking to Felicity about you…I was asking her opinion, as a married woman, and getting advice…"

"Advice about what?" Despite her stubbornness and resolve to not give in to his blasted charm, Lily couldn't help but soften at his words.

"Well, it's complicated…" His voice rose to a normal level, and he glanced at Sirius and Frank who were standing a few cubicles away now. "I would've asked Sirius, but I didn't want to screw up like I always did at Hogwarts…" (A few feet away, Sirius let out an indignant "HEY! My advice was solid! She dated you didn't she?" only to be cut off by Frank and Alice shushing him.)

Lily let out a small smile.

Encouraged, James continued. "So I thought I'd ask Felicity…she's one of the only girls I know who won't tell my parents right away, and wouldn't give it away to you, or hook up with Sirius or any of that rubbish, and I just wanted everything to go perfectly, only now I've completely ruined it, and you'll probably never speak to me again, and…"

"James." Lily's voice was forceful, but kind. Whatever it was that James was asking advice about, it was obviously making him nervous to ramble so much. "Just tell me. What were you asking advice for? Tell me the truth…I won't hold it against you, I promise."

'There goes my resolve to stay angry at him,'Lily thought.

James stared at her for the longest time. "Will you promise not to run away if I let go? What I'm about to tell you requires the use of my hands." He grinned lopsidedly. Lily nodded. James let go of her wrists, and stepped back.

"Lily, I went to Felicity to ask for advice…" His hand went into his pants pocket, and fingered something there. He cleared his throat nervously. "I wanted advice on how to ask you to marry me." He looked up at Lily, as he pulled the ring box out of his pocket. His eyes behind his glasses were unsure and questioning as he opened the box to reveal a simple gold band with a solitary small diamond resting in the center.

Lily's head was spinning. Marry…? She glanced from the ring to James several times before letting out a shaky breath. Dimly, she heard Sirius whoop, and Alice let out a gleeful shriek.

"James…I…" She glanced at him again, and her face crumpled and she began to cry. Putting her face in her hands, she sobbed as James stood there, unsure of what to do.

"I'm so sorry, James," she said behind her hands, and James felt his heart drop. She wouldn't forgive him. She was saying no.

"I should've believed you. You've been everything to me, and it's been almost too good to be true. When I saw you with Felicity, I thought for sure you'd gotten tired of me, and…and I…" She continued to sob into her hands.

"I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and never be away from you."

James stared at her in shock. She was saying…yes? She was saying yes!

With her hands still hiding her view of James, she missed the ecstatic grin that immediately sprang up on his face. He whooped, and took her in his arms to swing her around. Her hands came away from his face to circle around his neck as he continued to spin with her. He was laughing and she was crying, and then they had stopped spinning and James was kissing her. First one kiss, then two, then they began to blend together until someone (most likely Sirius) yelled out for them to "get a room already!"

And then the ring was on her finger and she was laughing and playfully hitting him and he took all of her blows good naturedly, because he was James and she was Lily and they loved each other. He was a prat, and a romantic, and not good with words, and she was stubborn, wishful, and smart, but together they were complete.

_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_

Many years later, they would have a child, a boy named Harry. They, through their infinite love, would sacrifice themselves to save him. Year after year, they watched from beyond, hands clasped together, as he grew up and conquered evil with love. But that, is another story entirely.

EXTRA

"So um…did anyone actually keep track of when they started snogging?" Sirius asked innocently an hour after Lily and James had left the office to go celebrate.

Frank shrugged, and Sirius grinned. "If my calculations are correct, dear sir, you owe me 10 galleons. It was at least 10 minutes after we placed our bet that they began to snog."

Frank sighed and reached for his wallet.

"Not so fast Frank, Sirius. It's you two who owe me money." Alice popped her head around the corner to the office, carrying three butterbeers.

"How do you figure, Longbottom?" Sirius asked, eyeing the bottles as she approached.

"It true that it took 10 minutes for them to stop fighting, but Lily and James didn't actually kiss until after 13 minutes. I bet it would take longer, ergo, youowe me. Pay up boys."

Frank and Sirius both sighed, and handed over the money.

Alice grinned. Lily and James were about as predictable as the weather in London in April. Sometimes it was just too easy.

She walked away, her pockets considerably heavier than when they day began, grinning.