"Does being my girlfriend mean you have to go along with my shenanigans?" James asked.

James and Lily were standing in the hallway, having just snogged the life out of one another.

"Girlfriend?" Lily looked up at him, slightly startled by the name.

"Oh right, I forgot. Will you be my girlfriend?" He kind of assumed when they agreed to go out, that made her his girlfriend, but maybe he was wrong. He was pretty out of practice. Amelia was just there one day. He didn't have to fight for her.

"Yes. Now, what shenanigans?" She smiled. James Potters Girlfriend had a nice ring to it.

"I'll tell you on our date." James grabbed her hand and ran back into the great hall.

Lily yelled as James pulled her down the halls. He was a foot taller than her and therefore much faster, so she was sprinting as he ran.

"Do we want to tell everyone?" He asked as they reached the Great Hall's doors.

"They'll find out anyway. Might as well." Lily said, grabbing her boyfriends hand and dragging him to the Gryffindor table.

As soon as their friends saw the couple holding hands and smiling with swollen lips, the reaction was chaos.

Money was passed around at an alarming rate. Sirius pretended to faint. Remus and Peter high-fived. Marlene laughed. Dorcas screamed. Emmeline pumped her fist in the air. Exactly as one would suspect.

"Fucking finally! I don't have to listen to James's constant pining anymore." Remus yelled happily.

"Except now you have to listen to every detail of their relationship." Marlene pointed out. James could never keep is mouth shut.

The rest of the day was spent chattering about the new couple, both inside the friend group and out. It was the plot twist of a lifetime, Lily Evans actually liking James Potter.

That night, the door to the girls dormitory was knocked upon around dinner time.

Lily, who was alone in pajamas, opened the door. On the other side was James, dressed in muggle clothes with a bouquet of baby's breath.

"What are you doing here?" Lily asked, not able to help the smile creeping onto her face.

"Taking my girlfriend on a date." James replied as if it was obvious, hoisting the flowers into Lily's hands.

"You didn't tell me you were taking me out?" She said, taking the beautiful flowers.

"I am nothing if not spontaneous. Now, get dressed. We're going on a date." He winked, standing back so Lily could close the door.

She giggled as she walked around the dorm, finding an outfit she deemed suitable for wherever they were going. She ended up in a bell-sleeved top with a deep v-neck and a tie at the front, along with a pair of jeans and platform shoes.

"You look gorgeous. Let's go." James kissed his girlfriend on the cheek when she opened the door once more.

He grabbed her hand and led out of the dorms, across the castle and up the Astronomy Tower. Atop the tower sat a blanket, illuminated by the crescent moonlight. A picnic basket was alongside the blanket, packed full of food from the elves. Lily walked around the tower, basking in the starlight.
The inky black sky was splattered with white glowing stars, dancing around the moon. The constellations she had learned about in class were clear in the sky, in perfect little clumps and designs. The starry night was beautiful all the way out in the country where Hogwarts was, and atop the Astronomy Tower was the best view of them all. Although, James Potter would be inclined to disagree.

Sure, the moon and stars contrasting against the dark sky was breathtaking, but it was nothing compared to what he saw before him.

Sure, he saw the moonlight, but the beauty was all in the girl in front of him, smiling and spinning around the balcony; cloaked in the darkness, basking in the faint glow of the starlight.

Eventually, the two sat on the blanket, eating the cheeses, crackers and other confections the picnic basket had to offer.

"It's truly so beautiful out here. The city rarely has this many stars." Lily sighed, resting her head on her boyfriends chest. She was seated in between his legs, arms wrapped around one another, only partially for warmth.

"Not as beautiful as you." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, before both broke out in riotous laughter.

"Merlin James, that was so cheesy." Lily lightly slapped his hand, both cracking up.

"I know, it was horrible. I am so sorry I subjected you to that." He laughed.

The spent the majority of the night just talking, discussing the future, their families, movies, music, and everything in between.

They talked about their friends for a while, about how Remus and Sirius were smitten for one another, guessing when Emmeline and Peter were to be engaged, joking about Marlene and Dorcas's poor attempts to hide their relationship.

The discussion quickly moved to pranks, Lily asking if certain recent ones were the doings of the marauders, as everyone thought. James confirmed that most of them, in fact, were.

"Speaking of pranks, what shenanigans were you talking about earlier that i must help you with? Surely the boys can help you as well?" Lily wasn't scared to get into a little trouble, as long as she didn't get caught for it.

"Peter is helping. The other two cannot though, thus why I need your help." James began.

"Why can't Remus and Sirius help?"

"Because the plan is to get them together. You in?"

"Oh, fuck yes."

a/n
damn this chapter is short. also, the book will come to an end fairly soon, all that's left is the camping trip (which was my original plan for where jily would get together but when have I ever planned a book and it worked out.) so im anticipating maybe 4 more chapters? yeah that sounds about right. anyway, our favorite couple is finally together!! i really hope you all enjoyed this chapter, i had a fucking blast writing it. bridgerton + popcorn + writing is a damn good combination. love you all!! see ya soon
~ brynlee