While I was avoiding my family I spent my time 'cleaning' out my 'Finished' folder on my computer. And I came across this. I wrote it a long long time ago, its last saved in June of 2007, but I think it was written earlier.
I hope you like it and please review!! :)
The warm July sun sparkled of the Black Lake and the squid lazily waved its tentacles. I thought back to just a few years ago when we were all at school and the whole school would be gathered around the lake, some swimming, some wading, some just enjoying the day. James, Remus, Peter, and I, sometimes Lily too could have been found under the tree laughing and joking and have a good time, enjoying each other's company. In fact, you could have found us under the very tree Lily and James are under now. Lily, clad in a floor-length white dress, is staring up at James, who, if I do say so myself, looks quite dashing in a tuxedo. Behind them Dumbledore is speaking,
"Do you, James Harold Potter, take this woman, Lily Marie Evans, to be your lawfully wedded wife? In sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do." James spoke those fateful words, revered by some, despised by others.
"And do you, Lily Marie Evans, take this man, James Harold Potter, to be you're lawfully wedded husband? In sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do." Lily echoed James, smiling up at him, her green eyes shining.
"By the power vested in me by the British Ministry of Magic, I now pronounce you man and wife. Mr. Potter, you may kiss the bride."
Grinning James lent down and kissed Lily amidst the cheers of their friends and family.
Grinning like a maniac I went over and clapped James on the back, "Finally mate! I thought you'd never get her!" I cried joyfully, winking at Lily, who giggled. I placed a kiss on her cheek, "Congratulations Mrs. Potter!" I whispered in her ear, she smiled shyly at me.
"I like that name," she confessed.
An hour later we were all gathered in Hogwart's Great Hall. Lily and James were seated in Dumbledore and McGonagall's' usual seat. I, being the best man, was to the right of James, with Remus and Peter next to me. On Lily's left was Alice Longbottom, the maid of honor, and Marlene McKinnon, her bridesmaid.
I glanced at Alice, indicating that she should start. She stood and clanged her glass, "if I could have everyone's attention please!" she called and immediately all eyes were focused on her.
Taking a deep breath she began, "I met Lily on the first day of school, we were about to enter this very hall when I, being so graceful," a chuckle went through the crowd, Alice is not know for the gracefulness. "Tripped over my robes and crashed straight into Lily's back. I apologized profusely then introduced myself. We've been friends ever since, and Lil had kept me from falling quite a few times since then.
"I watched as James went from an eleven-year old who still believed girls had cooties to a thirteen-year-old trying to impress the girl he liked. Unfortunately James showed off, and Lily got a little mad at him." Another chuckle swept through the crowd. Lil and James' fighting matches were infamous. "I watched Lily as a sixteen-year-old stop lamenting the woes of James Potter everyday, and begin to blush every time he approached her. And I watched Lily and James as seventeen-year-olds go from friend who would bickered good naturedly to a couple who'd squabble like three year-olds, then make up moments later.
"Now, I have a secret about James that Lily doesn't know." Pausing for dramatic effect Alice grinned. "The first Hogsmeade weekend that Lily and James started going out, which by the way happened on the same day, James and I went off alone. We appareted to Diagon Alley, sorry Professor, I know that's against the rules, but we are talking about James Potter here." She flashed a quick grin at McGonagall, who shook her head in reply, smiling. "We went to a store together. A store that sold jewelry, more specifically, jewelry that was engagement rings. I helped James pick out a ring for Lily that he carried around every single day for six months until he proposed. I think that James knew he was going to marry Lily since before she even tolerated him." James grinned sheepishly as Lily kissed his cheek and mouthed the words, 'that's so sweet'. "I am absolutely, 100% sure that Lily would have killed James if had told her this, so I would like to propose a toast to James, who knew to keep his mouth shut at the right times, and to Lily, who said yes to James for the second time in her life!" Grinning, Alice sat down and everyone toasted to the bride and groom.
A few moments later I stood up. "Alright everyone!" I barked. "You just got the fairy tale version of James and Lily, and I'm here to inform you of the cold, hard facts!" I grinned and smirked at James. "I, like Alice, met James on the first day of school, and I, like Alice, crashed into James. But, I crashed into him, not because I am a klutz, but because I was running away from Peter, who was chasing me because I put a chocolate frog in his shirt. I apologized and the two of us walked into the nearest compartment. Now I don't know if you remember this Lily, but that moment was the first time that Jamesie ever laid eyes on you. And do you know what he did? He made fun of her. No lie," I assured the audience. "I think James and Lily's relationship started out on a very good note. James had no Lily-issues, as we came to call them, in first year. We were all happy-go-lucky innocent kids. Second year it began. It started with James constantly making fun for her, her hair, her height, how smart she was, the only thing he left alone was her eyes, he was fascinated by them, still is. Third year James asked Lily out, she responded with a 'go away Potter!' and one of her infamous looks. Throughout the rest of the year James asked Lily out a total of one hundred and sixteen times. Every single time the answer was 'no!' sometimes a slap was thrown in for good measure. Fourth year James asked Lily out a total of one hundred and thirty-nine times. If you don't believe me, there's a tally on my old bed upstairs. The answer was always the same. Fifth year was a monumental year; James asked Lily out a grand total of two hundred and forty-four times and was slapped forty-seven times. But, fifth year was when James finally realized that he loved Lily. It was after the 'Lake Incident' and we were all sitting in out dorm. Remus was reading, Peter was eating some chocolate, I was stealing Pete's chocolate, and James was lying on his bed, face down. Suddenly he mumbled something. None of us heard him, so we asked him to repeat it. Sitting up he said with the most serious face I've ever seen on him, 'I love Lily Evans'. Remus closed him book and calmly regarded James, I crashed my head into the headboard I sat up so fast, and Pete spit his chocolate all over my pillow. None of us questioned James' statement; we all knew it to be true.
"Sixth year James and Lily became those friends you see in the corridor and awkwardly say hello to. Seventh year James and Lily were Heads together. When James told his mum he was Head Boy she said to him 'Shut up, James. I am too old to handle your jokes.' 'No Mum, I'm serious!' I, of course added my wit to the conversation with everyone's favorite pun. After James had shown Mrs. Potter the letter and we checked that James hadn't stolen it from Remus, Mrs. Potter passed out. No lie, she was out cold. Seventh year Lily fell in love with James, and blah blah blah, they lived happily ever after. Until the day James decided to propose. I had to physically tie that boy to a chair and force a calming drought down his throat. That's how nervous he was, apparently he had had a dream that Lily had said no and slapped him, just like all those times at school. But, everything went relatively smoothly and here we are celebrating the union of these two beautiful people. Actually, Lily's beautiful, James is just ugly. But I would like to make a toast to the nine years that Lily and James, and all of us who were in the general vicinity of these two, managed to survive, and the journey we all took with Lily and James. And to the five hundred and one times Lily said no and the two, more important, times she said yes!"
I raised my glass to Lily and James, then took a sip. Lily had tears running down her cheeks and James was wiping his eyes. Standing up James pulled me into a hug, "thanks mate." He whispered.
Lily, too, stood up and threw her arms around my neck, "I don't know what to say," she sniffed. "Would it be awkward it I said that I loved you?"
I chuckled and hugged her back, "I love you too, Lils." I responded.
An hour or so later Lily and I danced together, "About earlier…" she began, trailing off awkwardly.
I chuckled, "I know. Your 'I love you' wasn't an 'I want to spend the rest of my life as your wife' I love you. It was an 'you're my best friend in the entire world' I love you. I get it, I love you like I love James and Remus."
Lily smiled, "I knew you understood, I just wanted to make sure."
"Oy! What are you two talking about?" James said loudly, walking across the dance floor towards us.
"Oh, nothing." I responded airily, giving my hand vaguely. "Just how Lils and I are going to run away to Timbuktu together."
Lily nodded earnestly, as some of the guests around us chuckled nervously. "Thank God!" James cried, looking relieved.
"That gives me the opportunity to get with the maid of honor!" he winked over at Alice who was sitting at a table with her husband Frank.
Alice was laughing at our antics, a usual for the three of us. "I'm glad nothing has changed," James said quietly.
"What do you mean?" Lily asked, leaning against his chest.
"I dunno, I was kind of worried that our relationship as friends would change after today, but I don't think they will."
"Except you and Lily will be doing the nasty-nasty together," I added wickedly, laughing at the matching shade of red they both turned.
Thanks for reading and please review and have a happy weekend!!