Disclaimer: I am not J. K. Rowling and none of her characters are mine.

This was written for Lolaaaa's "Your Favourite Couple: Scenarios Challenge/Competition Speed Writing" challenge. I hope you enjoy!

There she was, glowing with happiness. The diamond on her finger sparkled, the light refracting throughout the room. Everybody was crowded around them, offering their congratulations. She looked beautiful. Clutching onto James' arm, her smile wide, she waved at her friends. Some looked on jealously, for who wouldn't envy that sort of happiness? But, as a rule, people were delighted for the pair. Even if it was unexpected.

"Well, I always knew we were made for each other," James said loudly, his arm wrapped loosely around her waist.

"I'm glad someone did," she replied, shooting him a cheeky grin. Guffawing, Sirius slapped him on the back.

"I don't know about the rest of you," he roared, "but I'm looking forward to the stag night!" Only three others understood the reference, unsubtle as it was, and all acted accordingly. Peter tittered nervously, whilst James rolled his eyes. Remus, on the other hand, looked uncomfortable.

"Don't you think, you're getting a little too into this?" he asked his friend, voice low.

"Not at all, Moony," replied Sirius, taking a large swig of butterbeer and turning to the sandy haired prefect, "it has to be convincing, after all."

"Yes, but it's breaking her heart." Remus jerked his head towards the corner. Sitting there, face pale, a girl was watching the proceedings without a glimmer of a smile. Sirius appeared unsympathetic.

"Maybe, but she's already broken his."

"Well," said Remus forcefully, standing to his feet, "I'll say it once and I'll probably say it again… it's an awful plan." Leaving Sirius, he headed over to the girl, determined to say something. Sirius mouthed wordlessly after him. Clearly, he objected to the term "awful". Even if it was accurate.

"Everything alright?" he asked her, feigning nonchalance. It was a stupid question. Everything was not alright, he could tell. She stared up at him, misery clearly written on her delicate features.

"Why is he doing this?" Lily Evans asked. On the other side of the room, James danced exuberantly with a dark-haired girl. She tried to ignore the light reflecting off the diamond, the ring that should have been hers. "Does he love her?" she continued, the pain evident in her voice.

"It's not my place to say," Remus said, desperately wishing he could tell her the truth. Unfortunately, the others had jinxed him, knowing his conscience would be tested. Suddenly, an idea occurred. "Why don't you ask him?"

"What?" the redhead looked at him, shocked. "I can't ask him that."

"Trust me." She stared, tears glistening in her emerald eyes, and then – seemingly on impulse – made a decision. To Remus' surprise, she stood on her chair. "Lily," he began, his voice laced with confusion.

"James Ignotus Potter," she shouted, waving her wand manically. There was a loud bang, everyone falling silent. James Potter, the James Potter, was hanging by his ankle and Lily Evans, the Lily Evans, had cast the spell. Everyone watched, transfixed.

"Lily! What the…" She cut him off.

"I have," she said, with awful finality, "been irritated by you for years. You have asked me out precisely three hundred and twenty six times. Ten of these have involved a musical accompaniment and two, most unfortunately, have involved Sirius dancing." Sirius affected a look of outrage. However, he couldn't quite pull it off. "In the face of numerous rejections, you remained stubborn. I thought you were an idiot."

"I'm pretty sure he is an idiot," Sirius muttered, earning himself an elbow in the ribs.

"No one else could possibly have angered me as much as you did, no one else managed to make me feel so furious. In fact," Lily's voice quavered slightly, "that's always been the problem. No one else has managed to make me feel the way you do. No one. And somehow, between the arguments and the serenades, I fell in love with the boy who made me feel like that. I saw he wasn't a complete idiot. I saw that, despite outward appearances, he was a thoroughly decent boy, a thoroughly decent man. And I loved him for it."

There was a stunned silence in the room. Eyes flickered from Lily to James, his pretty fiancée forgotten. Their attention was entirely taken by the screaming Head Girl.

"But what do you do," she asked, red hair flying, "when I finally fall in love with you?" James made to speak. "I'll tell you what you do," she continued, ignoring him, "you get engaged… to someone else? In seventh year? What on earth," Lily demanded, "were you thinking?" He tried to say something. "I'll tell you what you were thinking," she yelled, cutting him off for a third time, "you weren't thinking at all! Because if you were, you'd realise that we're meant to be." She stopped, breathless.

Climbing gracefully off the chair, head held high, she walked towards the portrait hole. With a flick of her wand, she let James down, hurrying from the common room. As she went, however, Remus swore he heard a quiet sob.

After an awkward quiet, the room burst into life. People were gossiping amongst themselves, abandoning the celebration to discuss the latest scandal. If they had bothered to pay attention, they would have seen Sirius and Peter exchange a surreptitious high-five. Surprisingly, James' fiancée seemed remarkably unaffected.

"Go on then, Potter," she declared, pushing him gently towards the exit, "put her out of her misery." He didn't need telling twice. Shoving a handful of galleons at the brunette, he ran after Lily, pulling from his pocket a piece of blank parchment. Muttering under his breath, he stopped besides a particularly faded tapestry, tapping the parchment with his wand. Inky lines snaked from its tip and he peered at them intently. Evidently finding what he was looking for, he rolled it up and dashed down another corridor.

He could hear crying.

Rounding a corner, he stopped short. There, curled in the shadow of an imposing suit of armour, sat a girl. Lily Evans looked up at him, her face tearstained. "What do you want?" she asked, making no move to run.

"This," he breathed. And without pausing to think, he leant down and kissed her. For one glorious moment, he felt her kissing him back.

And then she slapped him.

"Merlin, Lily!" he said, clutching his cheek. "What was that for?"

"You have a fiancée," she hissed.

"No I don't." Lily stared at him, confused.

"Yes you do," she said finally.

"No I don't," he repeated. A broad grin spread across his features. "It was a ruse."

"A ruse?" echoed Lily.

"It was Sirius' idea," James said conversationally, taking a cautious step towards her. "He said the only way to find out how you truly felt was to make you jealous… and he was right!" He couldn't keep his euphoria under control. Lily Evans loved him.

"So this, this was a trick?"

"Kind of," James said. He was suddenly aware that Lily's face was hardening.

"Do you mean to tell me," she growled, anger seeping into her tone, "that I embarrassed myself in front of the entire house, for a trick." James back-pedalled furiously.

"Not, not quite. You did it," he continued quickly, "because you love me. And," he plunged recklessly on, "because I love you. Right? A slightly pleading note entered his voice. If this hadn't worked, if it made her hate him… He'd murder Sirius. He really would. James watched her in trepidation.

"You, you love me?" That wasn't the reply James had expected. But he took it anyway.

"Yes," he said simply, "with all my heart."

She looked at him for a long moment, her green eyes blazing. And this time, when they kissed, Lily did not pull away.