The Bug Collector | marauders

The Serpent in the Garden

Rose watched the proposal from the nearby forest line. She was out of earshot, but had a clear view.

Once James returned with Lily she gravitated towards her paints. She had already begun posing James when he pointed at the basket next to them. Lily's face seemed to light up further at the prospect of food and wine.

She reached into the picnic basket and pulled out a small fresh-baked loaf of bread that was wrapped in parchment paper. When Lily pulled it out of it's paper shell Rose squinted to see that it was circular with a dusting of flour atop it.

Along with the bread there was a basket of strawberries. James had an affinity for strawberries, so much so Rose had considered teaching him how to grow his own.

He had already taken his pose by this time, though he broke his stillness to point at the basket again. Lily reached into it and took out a single berry, placing it in his mouth.

To which the absolute menace ate the whole thing, leaves an all. Rose could see Lily mouth a very clear "James Potter!" before they both laughed. James took his pose again, his usual confident smirk back on his face.

Rose sat restlessly as Lily painted James. She took care with each curl, and spent ample time on his eyes. She captured both the beauty of them, and the smallest reflection of herself on his glasses.

Though, Rose couldn't see those details from the bushes.

James held the ring in his hands for quite some time before Lily noticed it. In fact, she was so focused on his face that she'd practically finished the portrait when she actually saw it. She'd took a quick glance down at his hands and her world seem to stop.

Lily didn't burst into tears or reach over her painting to hug him. Lily tapped her paintbrush into a small cup of paint water, and sat it down gently. She then stood up and made her way over to him, and there she practically collapsed in his arms, hugging him and murmuring what looked to be "yes" over and over again.

It was yes.

Once everyone was together again at Hogwarts the lads celebrated for days.

Lily's mates were all happy too. They'd decided upon Mary as the perfect maid of honor, even Rose gave it the "younger sister seal of approval". Marlene was definitely in the running for the position, but it was rather unanimous that for the actual "wedding planning" part Mary would be the best option.

Their sister Petunia had gotten married a few months before the new year had begun and neither Rose nor Lily were a part of the ceremony, let alone the planning portion.

Lily did attend their sister's wedding, she even brought James along, but it did nothing to fix their sisterhood. In fact, it seemed to put the final nail in it's coffin.

When James met Petunia and her awfully boring husband Vernon he kept making mistake after mistake. After a few disagreements and petty comments by Petunia's new husband the night ultimately ended with Lily in tears and her sister more upset than ever. James' ego had not fully recovered from the event, but Lily's love for him had not faded.

She had lost a sister though. A sister who, at one time long ago, had shielded her and Rose from their parents incessant bickering. Keeping the girls close and out of their family mess. She'd protected them when they were small.

At one time.

—

While Lily's mates planned for the wedding, Rose's had begun planning for war.

Late night talks between the boys almost always ended in talk of revolution, fueled by the support Headmaster Dumbledore was giving them.

Rose hated it, she hated the idea of them graduating and immediately going off to fight, but they seemed so sure of themselves.