The Marauding Maps: A Collection of Oneshots

When They Knew (Part 3 - When They Gave In)

A/N - ok, I realise this isn't exactly a "one shot" but this is the last part. I promise.

James Potter had always fancied Lily Evans, everyone knew that much, but it wasn't until after Easter in their sixth year that he realised that he was completely, utterly, irrevocably in love with her.

Lily Evans had always tried to ignore James Potter. That was a well known fact. But something not even she knew until her seventh year was exactly what she felt about him.

James and Lily had always been soulmates, but that wasn't always known to the public. It wasn't until the Christmas of their seventh year that they knew they would be together until the end of time.

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James Potter was in the Quiddich changing rooms giving another of his motivational speeches.

"Ok, team here's the plan. If I get the Quaffle at the whistle, I'll pass it back and to the left, that's where you'll be, Aludra. Eeri will fly to the far right, into the scoring area and I want you to throw it to him. I'll distract Acamar while you two go for the goal. If I don't get it, interception is key. Aludra, if you mark Jacobs, Eeri, take Clarke, that'll leave me open to intercept Roberts.

"Sirius, protect Michelle. Jen, I need you to keep an eye on Crux, he is vicious and smart.

"Now, Michelle, your job is arguably most important. Hooch is fast, and she's good, but I need you to be faster and better. You can't let her get the snitch, but you can't catch it before we're at least 30 points up. Fast swoops and distractions are key.

"Jake, stay on the ball. You're our last line of defence. Come on, Gryffindors, let's make McGonagall proud."

What James didn't know, however was that said speech was overheard by a certain Lily Evans. She had gone down to wish him luck before the match and, maybe, declare he undying love for him. But, as she heard the speech, she knew that he couldn't afford for her to distract him.

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All through the match, all Lily could think about was how she was going to talk to James in private. Maybe she might be able corner him at the after match party in the common room, but he was the captain of the team and would most likely be surrounded by his team. She might be able to leave it until tomorrow, but that was unlikely. It had taken all her strength to leave it until after the match. She would be able to hold out much longer.

By the time the game was over, with Gryffindor winning against Ravenclaw with a score of 40-230, Lily had decided what she was going to do. In fact, she was already half way down the stairs by the time the whistle had blown. She was the first of the fans to run on pitch to congratulate the team, and she headed straight for James. Before he had even dismounted his broomstick, she had him by the neck of his robes and had pulled his face up to her own.

"I really fucking love you, James Potter," she breathed into him, before mixing his own breath with hers in a long awaited kiss. James didn't kiss her back, so she pulled away, blushing. Had she misread his signals??

It had apparently, however, only taken him a moment to register what had happened, because he was on solid ground and pulling her back towards him, lips parted, within half a second.

The kiss lasted for what was quite possibly to long, ending only when the pair had needed to come up for air.

"Will you marry me, Evans??" James whispered.

Lily laughed. "Sod off, Potter," and with that the dream like state only the two of them had inhabited fell away, and the mayhem of the Quidditch field came rushing back to them. "I only just confessed my undying love for you, and now you want to marry me??"

"Oi, that's not fair," James protested. "I was caught in the moment. Besides, I've been in this relationship a lot longer than you have. I confessed my undying love back in fourth year."