Match
The candle flickers as he moves closer to me. I can see the look of hunger on his face, the look of undisguised passion.
I meet him halfway and our lips meet in a kiss that leaves me breathless, as clichéd as that sounds. I smile against him, and he pulls away for a moment, leaning his forehead against mine.
"I missed you," he whispers, smiling.
"I missed you more," I tease, and he smirks.
"Oh, really, now?"
He captures my lips again, and I can feel the fire, the heat. Like a match coming to life, the heat is instantaneous.
"You were gone too long," I sigh against his lips, and he pulls away, looking ashamed.
"I'm sorry. If I… if I could have, I would have written! I swear-"
But I cut him off. "It doesn't matter," I whisper, and I kiss him again. "I know."
He's been gone for the Order of the Phoenix, and I know that one of his greatest goals in life is to help bring down Lord Voldemort. No… Not one of the greatest. His absolute greatest goal is to defeat him. And who can blame him? The bastard killed the only real family he's ever known, the Potters, and so many other families have been ripped apart. How could I blame him for wanting to fight?
"The only regret I have," I add, breaking off our kiss, to his disappointment, "is that I can't join myself."
He looks crestfallen. "Mary, you know you can't-"
I wave him off. I can feel tears welling up. "I know. The baby, and all that." I pat my stomach, grimacing. "But, Sirius, come on! People are dying, and what can I do? Nothing but make sure my boyfriend doesn't die, and I can't even do that properly." A tear escapes, and I angrily wipe it away.
He smiles softly, and I can see the boy I fell in love with those years ago. The war, as young as it is, has changed him, has changed us all. His face looks older, more mature, and I'm sure mine does as well. "Hey, I'm not dead yet, am I?" he teases, grabbing my chin and tilting it.
"No," I sigh resentfully. I hate when he's right.
He wraps me in a hug, and I breathe him in. He smells like Sirius, warm with just a touch of honey—perfect. I know why he was one of the most sought-after boys at Hogwarts, though he never seemed to live up to what everyone else wanted. "I love you," he promises, and I bite my lip. I can't help but to believe him.
"I am hopelessly in love with you," I retort, daring him with my eyes to one-up that.
He grins. "Well, I want to spend the rest of my life with you," he teases, and I roll my eyes, pursing my lips.
"Don't get my hopes up, Sirius," I tease back, and the look in his eyes changes slightly.
"Who… who says I was kidding?" he asks shyly. It's a stark contrast to the previous mood, but I can't honestly say I don't like this side of him.
I'm beginning to understand. "W-What?" I ask anyway. If he's really saying what I think he is, I want him to say it good and proper.
"Willyoumarryme?" he asks, all in one breath, and squeezes his eyes tightly shut.
"W-Seriously?!" I ask in disbelief. It's like I'm in a dream world; everything seems fuzzy and distant, but at the same time completely sharp and focused. I want to remember this forever.
"Er… Depends. Are you… saying yes?" he asks cheekily, but a bit hesitantly. I can see that he really doesn't know what the hell I'm saying, and I can understand that. I'm not sure myself. But I see a spark of Sirius ignite in him, and that sends me over the edge.
"Yes!" I shout, without thinking. I don't have to think. I know.
He grins so widely, I swear, I think he's going to split his face in half. He picks me up and spins me in a fashion worthy of a Harlequin novel.
"I love you," I whisper.
"I love you, too. Mrs. Sirius Black-to-be," he says, and elation fills me. I'm going to be a wife! Sirius' wife, to be exact.
Who knows about the future? Maybe he'll go to jail tomorrow, or maybe we'll break up. But it doesn't matter, at least not right now. Because he loves me, and I love him. We're a perfect match.
And that's enough, for now.
"Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, 'till death do you part?" the wizard asks solemnly. I smile, and shut my eyes tight. I'm glad Wizarding marriages keep some Muggle traditions; they're so simple, and yet so lovely. I want to remember this moment for all eternity.
"I do," I squeal, and I can barely hear the wizard as he goes on.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Sirius does just that, earning himself quite a few wolf-whistles from the best men. (He decided, as he couldn't choose, to have three best men: James, Remus, and Peter. James got to stand up front, however, as he was really the closest to Sirius.)
"Mrs. Sirius Black," he says again, just like that night he proposed. It still feels surreal, honestly. I never really even had time to get used to being engaged; we got married 2 months after he proposed. In these times, we couldn't afford to wait. Not with him in the Order.
Not that I regret anything. Never. I love Sirius, and I know he loves me, too. The fact that his parents aren't there doesn't matter, nor does the fact that his brother's spot is conspicuously vacant despite the invitation we sent him. All that matters is us.
He gets a look of sadness in his eyes that I can recognize. "Hey. Don't look so sad," I whisper, tilting his chin up with my thumb. "You got married today. You have to at least pretend to be a bit happy about it, or I'm going to get insulted."
He rolls his eyes. "Like anything could insult you," he teases back, but the look is gone. For now, at least. He wraps a hand around my waist, tickling me lightly, and we walk over to our friends.
Lily's there, with James, and she gives me a soft smile, though it's devoid of any real emotion. I'm fairly certain that James had to insist just to get her to show her face. I realize these things on one level, but I stamp them down. I don't want to think about any of that today, and thankfully Sirius makes it so I don't have to.
"Prongs!" he shouts, clapping James on the back, and Lily's eyes flicker away from me. "Mate… I'm married."
"Yes, Sirius. I realize," laughs James in response, pulling him in for one of those 'manly'-hugs. "Congrats! And same to you, Mary," he adds, turning to me and giving me a hug. I hear a soft 'hmph' coming from Lily, but ignore it. This is my day. Well, mine and Sirius'.
I grin widely and turn to look at Sirius. "Well, I'll have him straightened out in no time."
He looks genuinely offended. "Excuse me, but if I recall, you were the one who was shouting about how she wanted to piss off the Aurors…"
I shrug. "What can I say? They're annoying."
James clears his throat, and I bite my lip. "No offense, Prongs!" I smile. "You know I love you. It's some of those other jerks that… Well… let's just say, don't make me incredibly happy, like you do."
James rolls his eyes. "Nice save."
"I try," I grin.
"So… What say you we get some food?" asks Sirius from behind me.
I gesture to my dress. "Sure, I can eat in this. Just let me cut off several layers of the fluff…"
"Ah, Mary, you'll be fine," breezes James. "Just cast a cleanliness spell, you'll be good!"
That boy is a smart one. "Why didn't I think of that?!" I mutter the incantation, and the dress glows for a few seconds, then dims. I all but run to the food table, stuffing my face with all that I can see.
Sirius puts his arms around me, breathing into my ear. My eyes flutter shut, and he chuckles. "You truly are my wife," he breathes.
"Damn straight," I manage around a mouthful of chicken. When I'm done swallowing, I turn to face him, putting my arms around his neck. I lean in and kiss him. He's warm, and I can smell his cologne. It's amazingly intoxicating, and I lean in, wanting more.
"Whoa! There are kids here, guys! Jesus, save some for your honeymoon!" I look around to see Remus, standing with his hands up and looking scandalized, but otherwise just like him… Or, rather, a more spiffed-up version of him.
I disentangle myself from Sirius and go to hug Remus. He's several inches shorter then me, however, and he gets a face full of tulle. I laugh and drag him over to the rest of our group. Lily seems happier, though I've only been gone a moment. She's holding a glass of firewhiskey, which probably accounts for her good humor.
"Hey," whispers Sirius, sending chills down my spine, "what say you we get out of here?"
I look up at him, crinkling my nose. "What do you mean?"
"You. Me. James. Peter. Remus. Lily. Get out of here, maybe go somewhere?"
I study him for a moment, and then nod. It's probably unorthodox, to leave your wedding reception, but when have we ever done things by the books?
"I've never… had sex," slurs Lily. I roll my eyes and take a sip, along with everyone else in our circle. I'm drinking water, as I don't want to hurt poor little… whatever her name is, but everyone else is far past sloshed.
"I've never skydived," I announce, and to my surprise Peter takes a sip. He's the only one, which makes him blush, but I don't notice. "When'd you go?" I ask interestedly.
"Erm. A couple of summers ago, with my Mum," he answers in that soft voice of his.
"That's awesome!" I proclaim. "Hey, let's go!"
Lily turns to glare at me. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Let's all go skydiving!" I say again, beginning to love the idea. "We can take the classes, cast spells, and-"
"Oh, come on, Mary! That's the dumbest idea I've ever heard," she scoffs. "I mean, how'd we do that? I can't believe you graduated Hogwarts with such a stupid mind."
It's my turn to scoff. "Oh, because the great Lily Evans is so much better then me, is that right?"
She smirks. "Of course. I mean, I'm smarter, funnier, prettier-"
"-more narcissistic, self-absorbed, bitchy," I finish in the same tone as her. Remus laughs, and the look she gives him makes the phrase 'if looks could kill' run through my mind.
"Hey!" snaps Sirius, coming to the realization that someone insulting his wife is not good. He puts his arm protectively around me once more. "I mean, who the hell made you Head Bitch?"
"Lay off her, mate!" snaps James. A stare-off begins, and I bite my lip. They're both drunk as can be, and any miniscule fight could escalate. "I mean, she's right!"
This sets me off. "Excuse me? So I'm dumb, because your precious girlfriend says so? We all know she only went out with you because she felt sorry for your ass. At least Sirius and I are happy together, and one of us didn't marry the other because we 'felt sorry' for them."
"I'm leaving," announces Lily, getting a prissy look on her face. She gets up, and looks at James. "You coming?"
James glances at Sirius, and I can see a message pass between them. A message that even I can understand—this is the end of their friendship. "Bye," grumbles James.
"Good riddance!" shouts Sirius, after they've Apparated. "Good… fucking…" He trails off, just shaking his head. I look around, but I suppose Remus must have left as well, as he's no longer here.
"I'm sorry, Sirius," I whisper, pulling him into a hug. "This was supposed to be the happiest day of your… of our… lives, and now…"
"'S fine," he mutters, pulling me into a rough kiss. I wince; I don't like him when he's like this. But I give in, giving him a kiss. I have to, I can't stand when he's depressed.
I truly love him, and I can't bear to see him sad. "Hey, honey," I say, smiling and nuzzling his neck. "Mr. Mary Werth," I tease.
He pushes me back on the couch, kissing me. I'm pinned underneath him, my dress completely crumpled, and I try to push him back, to no avail. "Sirius," I manage to murmur around his mouth. No help. "Sirius!" I shout, kicking him.
He flies backward. "What?" he asks, breathing ragged. "It's our wedding night," he reminds me, and I don't like the look of his dark eyes. "Come on."
I bite my lip. I know what I want to do, and I know what I should do. But I can't make myself do either, and so I get up. He follows me, grabbing my wrist. "Sirius, you're smashed," I tell him with difficulty.
"So?" he challenges.
I smile sadly at him. He always gets like this on big holidays. I know why, which is why it's so bloody hard to tell him what I know. His family was never around, and whenever he sees other families, he drinks. A lot more then he should. He says Muggle alcohol doesn't affect him, but that's because he never remembers anything after the initial stages.
He's almost passed out, and I feel my eyes welling up. I'm startled by the rush of anger I feel. What the hell gives him the right to do this, wreck our wedding night? I thought it was supposed to be a happy occasion?
I should probably put him to bed. But instead I turn on the spot, leaving him for the night. He won't miss me, I tell myself.
I show up at Remus'. "Remus," I plead when he opens the door. "Just let me stay here, just an hour or so."
He nods without question, giving me a hug. "You okay?" he asks the top of my head.
I nod, but I can feel the tears falling. Snot drips out of my nose, and I wipe it away lazily. "Sirius doesn't care," I tell him, not caring that I sound like a whiny teenager. "He never cares. He just takes, and takes, and never wants me to do anything he doesn't like. And when he's drunk, he wants sex. But I don't want that. You know?" I search his face for an answer. I need to know that someone knows what I'm saying, that someone agrees with me.
He nods. "Mary, honey," he starts, biting his lip, "maybe you should have thought of that before you married him."
I groan. "I know. But I do love him! And I know he loves me. He just… can't handle anything remotely celebration-y." I'm suddenly completely exhausted. I look at my watch; it's only been ten minutes. Sirius is probably passed out by now.
"I can't leave him," I say grudgingly, giving Remus another hug. "I'll see you sometime, okay?"
Remus nods, and I leave again.
Sirius is gone.
"Sirius? Honey?" I call through the house, searching rooms. No answer. Oh, shit, I think. Where could he have gone?
The Binding spell! I remind myself. All Wizarding weddings have them; it's a way to track the person you're married to. I close my eyes, relaxing. Sirius, I think, and I see him. He's in an alley, walking quickly. I Apparate there, only realizing after the fact that I'm still wearing my veil. I throw it off, trying to find him. "Sirius?" I call. Something's bad, I just can't tell what.
Then I see him, at the end of the road. "Sirius?" I say in confusion, running to him. It's like my feet are bags of sand; I can't go fast, and I kick off my heels to gain speed.
I hear Peter- Why is Peter here? He's with his Mum - say something soft, and call Sirius' name once more. He turns, and in that second I see Peter pull out his wand, winking at me. I see Sirius' lips mouth No, hear a gush of wind accompanied by a green light, and then I know nothing.
I die with the sound of laughter in my ears.