Written for the Monthly One-Shot Exchange

Written for Valerian Candidate.

Prompts: James Potter/Charlie Weasley, Time-Travel, (Dialogue) "This may be the wrong time to ask, but will you marry me?"

The Unexpected Proposal

"Look Hermione," Charlie said, clutching the chain in his hand. "I've lost most of my family in this war. You should understand, you've lost people you care about too. Wouldn't you do anything to have them back? Well, you won't even remember they were gone, because I'll fix all of this."

Hermione stared at Charlie Weasley - the one she had considered the calmest and most laid back of all the brothers... save for Bill. Clearly she didn't know Charlie as well as she had thought.

"I... if it changes, I might not have become friends with Harry and Ron," Hermione said. "I can't let you, Charlie. We've done it, we've defeated Voldemort. The war is over. Who know what will happen if you tamper with time."

"Well, come over here and stop me," Charlie said. Hermione approached, and he grabbed her, spinning her and pressing her back against his chest. Her wrists held firmly in one of his large hands, he used the other to drape the chain around her neck.

"I'm going to do this whether you like it or not," he said to the struggling girl. "You decide right now if you're in or if you're out. Because in doing this, means your parents won't die."

She stopped trying to free herself from his grip, instead staring down at his hand, which contained the time turner.

Hermione nodded. "I'm in," she whispered.

...oOo...

James watched Lily Evans from across the table, sighing to himself every few moments as her gaze drifted across the hall to the Slytherin table, before she caught herself.

She was too busy staring at Snivellous to pay him any mind. It was completely unfair! He had been good - he had been pranking less in the previous year. he had been nicer.

But she only had eyes for Snape.

He sighed again, wincing as an elbow hitting the side of his ribs. He glared at his dark-haired friend.

"Cut it out," Sirius told him. "Some of us are trying to eat."

His attention turned back to the Wizard facing, and James rolled his eyes. Sirius was too busy playing footsie with Remus under the table to eat.

The doors opening drew all of their attention. The sorting had already finished, and all the staff were already in the room. Two people walked into the hall, confidently heading towards the staff table where Dumbledore stood.

Whispers broke out, but the man walked to the table, leaning over and whispered to Dumbledore, the girl in her plain robes looking around curiously whilst this happened.

Finally Dumbledore nodded and walked to the podium. He looked around, making sure all eyes were on him.

"Students, I would like to announce the arrival of our new Care Of Magical Creatures Professor, Charlie Granger."

James stood up, trying to get a better look, and it wasn't long before brown eyes found him. Even at that distance across the hall, he could feel the man's full focus on him for a moment.

He sat down again, slightly dazed.

"Uh, guys," he murmured.

"Yeah?" Sirius asked. Remus looked at him curiously.

"I think I'm going to marry him."

There was a pregnant pause.

"You know he's a bloke right?" Sirius finally offered.

"I know," James replied, defensively. "I'm still going to marry him."

"What?" Lily said, staring at him in horror. "But... I thought..."

"He found a prettier redhead," Sirius crowed excitedly.

"And our new student, Miss Hermione Granger," Dumbledore finished. "Whom we will be sorting in a moment."

The whispers were even louder. There had never been an exchange student before after all. Sirius leaned around Remus to get a better look.

"If she's Gryffindor, me and Remus will take good care of her," he muttered, a smirk playing on his lips.

James looked at Remus, waiting for him to scold his boyfriend, but Remus was looking in the girl's direction too.

"Can we keep her Moony?" Sirius asked.

...oOo...

The girl walked confidently towards the Gryffindor table, taking a seat on Remus' other side, facing Lily. She smiled around the table. "I'm so glad to be here," she told them, though James wasn't paying much attention as his gaze was on the Professor's table. "I've heard that Hogwarts Library is amazing, and I've read 'Hogwarts, A History' more times than I can count."

Remus looked at her for a moment before turning his gaze to Sirius. "Yes we can," he said, before smiling at Hermione. "It really is," he replied.

"Me and Remus will be happy to show you around," Sirius insisted, shooting the witch his most charming smile. She smiled back, seemingly unaffected.

"How kind of you," she said. "I should be getting my schedule at breakfast, it'd be nice for someone to show me the way to the classes."

Sirius and Remus exchanged smiles.

...oOo...

James kept his eyes on the head table, watching the red-headed wizard take a seat on the end next to Hagrid. It wasn't long before the man was chatting with the Grounds-keeper, showing him something on his arms.

James was instantly jealous. How did they become friendly so quickly? He hoped that the new Professor would be able to laugh and joke so easily with him too.

He didn't eat much more, lost in thought as he headed to the dorm-room. He barely paid attention to his friends and the witch that was walking between them. He barely cared that Lily was scowling over the lack of attention being paid to her.

He had usually said something nice about either her hair or her tits by now after all.

But this was new. Professor Granger didn't have tits, though he did have nice hair. James decided that he'd have to think up an amazing compliment before his next Care of Magical Creatures lesson. He really wanted to impress this man.

...oOo...

"Maybe we could just write to her and ask her?" Sirius suggested.

Remus snorted. "Yeah, that'd work. What would we write that wouldn't make it sound like we're after a threesome?"

Sirius toyed with the quill, frowning in thought.

"Hey guys? I thought we were talking about my growing love for Professor Granger?" James stated, looking between the pair.

"Oh, still on that?" Sirius asked. "James, are you sure you like him? It's just that months ago, you were convinced that you were straight as a ruler. How you're sounding as straight as Remus!"

"Hey," Remus muttered.

"Not my fault that James wants the new hot professor to play with his wand," Sirius muttered, trying not to smile.

"Like I said, I'm going to marry him," James informed them, a dreamy smile on his face as he thought about the gorgeous red-head that had been teaching him and Sirius Care of Magical Creatures.

Sirius nodded. "So, start talking?"

"How do I impress him?" James asked, frowning at his friends. "I've tried doing well in class, I've tried pranking him. I've tried finding reasons to stay behind in class, but I can't see to get his attention. What am I doing wrong? Do blokes and blokes do things differently than girls and blokes?"

"Blokes and blokes?" Sirius sniggered. "Maybe he just doesn't fancy you?"

"Or maybe it's because there are rules against professors and students and he would lose his job if he made any move on you before you graduated," Remus suggested.

James quickly brightened. "So you think that once I graduate, he'd be interested in me?"

Remus shrugged. "There is still the question of his sexuality," he stated.

"I believe that everyone is bisexual," Sirius began. "Even the ones that claim they would never -"

"We know what you believe," James interrupted, not wanting Sirius to rant for twenty minutes or more on the subject. "But we need to find out if he's gay!"

"If who is gay?" Came a voice, and the three looked up as the Professor standing in the doorway. James jumped to his feet, his hand running through his hair.

"We're just trying to work out if there's anything behind Sirius' belief that everyone is bisexual," Remus said. James shot him a grateful look. "Fancy weighing in on the subject?"

Charlie leaned against the door-frame, thinking for a moment. "I think it's rubbish - no offence Mr Black," he said, looking between them. "I mean, I have zero interest in women after all, so there's no chance I'm bisexual."

Fireworks went off in the back of James' head.

"That's good to know," he managed, his voice not even shaking.

"And you're both bisexual, considering your interest in my little sister," Charlie added, his eyebrow raised at Sirius and Remus. "But I haven't got a peg on you yet..." he trailed off, studying James for a moment. "Well, I'm late for my meeting, I hope you're having a good Christmas."

With that, he disappeared, the boys following him from the room. He headed into Charlus' study, Hermione following him in and the three stared at each other in shock.

"What are they doing going into an Order meeting?" Sirius demanded.

"Hermione's the same age as us, it's not safe," Remus added.

"He's trying to work out if I'm gay," James said, looking at his friends. "If he's trying to figure it out, that's a sign. A great sign!"

"And you're not wondering about the Order?" Sirius asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Dad said that I can't join, I'm too young," James sighed. "Maybe I'll have a word this evening."

...oOo...

James was fascinated by the Professor teaching the class. Professor Granger had led them to a clearing, setting bait for various magical creatures to see what would turn up for the class.

"You're already ahead of the lesson plan," Charlie had told them. "We're just going to observe for now."

The class took notes as various creatures approached, but jumped when the stack of meat closest to them began to disappear. Charlie wasn't shocked, nor was Hermione.

Remus and Sirius glanced at her notes, to see the word 'Thestral' written at the bottom, and Remus gave her a sympathetic look, though her eyes were fixed ahead of her.

Charlie reached out, gently touching the creature. "Can anyone else see it?"

A couple of students nodded their heads.

"They are quite friendly," Charlie said. "Any brave Gryffindors willing to come here and pet it?" He glanced around in hope, his eyes falling on James.

James was quickly on his feet, edging forwards, not knowing where the creature was. Finally he was standing next to Charlie, his hand hovering in the air, searching.

Charlie took his wrist, leading James' hand down until it met the bony back of the Thestral, and James' eyes widened. Partially because he had half expected not to feel anything.

Partially because Charlie hadn't taken his hand off James' wrist.

"So," James whispered, hoping he sounded smooth. He opened his mouth to give one of the pick-up lines he had spent hours thinking up. "This might be the wrong time to ask, but will you marry me?"

Nope. That's not what he had planned to say at all, but he realised that it was too late to do anything except wait for an answer, a reaction - anything.

Charlie stared at him for a moment, a smile slowly crossing his lips.

"Ask me again after you graduate," he murmured, not letting the rest of the class hear their exchange. He let go of James' wrist. "Because my answer is no right now, but once you're not a student, that will change." Charlie's eyes met his. "Plus, there's a lot you'd need to know about me first, and you won't be able to find out until you've joined the Order."

James almost jumped for joy. He turned to his best friends, looking at Sirius trying to snuggle against Hermione as she talked softly to Remus and decided to talk to them later.

Graduation was only a couple of months away, and he had big plans for him and Professor Granger... Charlie, once he had graduated.

This was very strange to write. I hope anyone who had read this has enjoyed it.

Review Please :)