Prologue: Chapter One

It all began on a warm fall day. The leaves on the trees had just begun to change to their beautiful fall colors. In the Muggle world, families were strolling around the streets, gazing into windows of shops, laughing merrily, completely oblivious to the dangers surrounding them. Their small children were running ahead of them to throw leaves at one another and to run all the way to the end of the streets. Yes, this was a wonderful day in the Muggle world.

But all was not well in the other world, known to only a few Muggles as the Wizarding World. Panic and fear was striking deep in the hearts of many a wizard. And all of this fear was caused by one immortal man; the one man that was feared by all except his followers; the one man whose name many people chose not to say; the one man whose goal was to rid the world of Muggle-born wizards and witches and have pure-bloods run the Wizarding world; the one man who was known by many names: Tom Riddle, You-Know-Who, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, the Dark Lord, and the most feared name of all: Voldemort.

He killed many a wizard and witch on his way to the top, and he tortured Muggles for pure enjoyment. This was a man that you didn't want to get involved with. The followers who were caught were immediately sent to Azkaban to stay there for the rest of their life.

But these were not the woes of one particular witch. These problems could be put on hold for one day. For today was a special day. This particular witch was finally getting married to the person she loved more than anything else......

Lillian Evans sat in an armchair in her parents' house, a silver bathrobe wrapped about her. Her mother had gone to iron her dress for the tenth time, and her father was making sure everything was ready for the wedding. Her sister had been hiding from her for eleven years, ever since her note had come from Hogwarts.

She sighed deeply. For being her wedding day, she sure didn't look very happy. Her mother had put her glamorous red hair up in a fashion that Lillian had to put it up herself. When her mom had left the room, she had gone to the mirror and had fixed how it looked with a wave of her wand. Now it was put up in a beautiful ponytail, two large curls were cascading down the sides of her face. Her hair had curled perfectly. She had drawn a clip in the air to put in her hair. She made it a shade of green that matched with her emerald eyes.

But no matter how much she thought about getting married, her mind was still thinking about Voldemort. She knew that he was after her, and there was nothing she could do about it. As she was about to get up, her mother came bustling in with her wedding dress. Lillian plastered on a smile and stood up.

"There!" her mother cried, her green eyes twinkling. "Finished." She smiled at Lillian. "Well, go put it on, Lily!"

"Alright," Lily replied, keeping the forced smile on her face. As she walked away from her mother, tears welled in her eyes because she knew what would happen. It had happened to so many others at school and she knew her turn would be coming at any moment. She stepped inside of her old bedroom to find Petunia, her sister, sitting there, waiting for her...

Back down in the family room, Brooke stood in the same place. Her smile had faded, as did the twinkling in her eyes. She looked sorrowful. She knew what her daughter's worries were, but she knew that nothing could ruin this day. Nothing...

Back up in Lily's old room, Lily stood in the doorway, her wedding gown clenched in her arms. Petunia sat on Lily's old bed, her fists clenched.

"You." Petunia breathed.

"Yes me," Lily said coolly. "Now what do you want with a freak like me?" Although Lily didn't consider herself a freak, she was talking in her sister's terms for her.

"You ruined this day for me!" Petunia cried.

"What did I do?" Lily said, her face growing red with frustration and anger. "Made you miss a 'walk' with your boyfriend, that fat, ugly brute?"

Petunia's face went completely pale. "How—how—you didn't!" she said to Lily.

Lily smiled. "I have my ways of knowing things without doing magic." Petunia shuddered at the word 'magic'. "This is my special day, and you should be there."

"YOU DIDN'T INVITE ME!" Petunia screamed.

"Only because you told me not to," Lily said calmly. "If you want to come, then come! I don't care if you're there or not!" Petunia glared at Lily and stomped out of the room, going down the stairs to the family room. "You'll just have the same fate as the rest of them," she muttered, sighing. She closed the door...

Fifteen miles away, James Potter sat in his tuxedo waiting patiently for his best friend to arrive. After a few minutes of stony silence where his parents were getting ready for the wedding, he heard a loud pop from the front door. James quickly walked over to the door and opened it up. His best friend had arrived.

"Nervous?" his friend asked.

"Not really, Sirius," James replied. "Just anxious." His smile faded a bit. "I'm sure Lily feels the same way."

Sirius looked at his friend. "The last time I saw her, I could see worry behind her eyes," James said. "Worry that even I can't undo or make disappear." James looked into Sirius's eyes. "She knows what is to come, Sirius. She knows."

Sirius's eyes traveled across James's concerned face. He knew what James meant. Lily knew that her family would be killed by Lord Voldemort. He knew that nothing could stop Lily's worry.

"Her biggest fear that she told me," James continued, walking Sirius into the family room area and sitting down, "is that Voldemort will come to the wedding and kill her family. On the most important day of our lives, she fears he'll come and kill her family right in front of her." James clenched his fists. "And I can't do anything about it..."

Three Hours Later...

James stood at the top of a small hill, underneath a decorated awning. A hundred chairs were lined up, relatives of both families sat on either side, a small path split the chairs in half. He waited patiently, with Sirius (his best man) at his side, for Lily to walk down the aisle.

Time seemed to have stopped for James. His heart skipped many beats at a time. He was paling every second that went by. He wanted his anxiety to end. Sirius patted James on the back as he motioned towards the aisle between the chairs.

Lily stood at the far end of the rows, her red hair was cut short and flipped out, making her look much younger than she actually was. Her dress shimmered in the sun, and her train was stretched out behind her. Slowly, she made her way up the aisle towards the blue-faced James.

Quickly, Sirius poked James in the side, who began to breathe once again. As Lily turned around to face James, they both smiled nervously at one another. They both turned towards the elderly man, who stood waiting to begin the ceremony.

"Dearly beloved," the man said, gazing at the couple before him over his half-moon spectacles. This man could only be Albus Dumbledore. "We are gathered here today to unite James and Lillian in holy matrimony." He turned to Lily and smiled at her reassuringly. Lily smiled a nervous smile back at him. "Do you, Lillian Evans take James Potter to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Lily turned and gazed into James's hazel eyes with her emerald ones.

"I do," she said.

"And do you, James Potter, take Lillian Evan to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Dumbledore asked James with a twinkle in his eyes. James, in turn, gazed into Lily's eyes.

"I do," he said.

"Does anyone here have any reason that these two should not become married? Speak now, or forever hold your peace."

Not a single person in the crowd said anything. Not even the disgruntled Petunia.

"Then by the power invested in me," Dumbledore said, grinning, "I now pronounce you husband and wife." He gazed at Lily and James, who were smiling, and he said in a soft voice, "you may kiss the bride."

James and Lily slowly came closer to one another until their lips met. They remained there for only a second, then they withdrew from each other, grinning. As they crowd clapped politely, the parents gathered up where the bride and groom were. Sirius clapped louder than any other person and looked three times as joyful as James and Lily.

Swiftly, James slipped his arms around Lily and leaned his head onto hers, gazing into her eyes. Lily grinned and leaned into his embrace. Slowly, possibly to drag out the moment, their lips met and James slowly dipped Lily until he could hold onto her no longer.

Today was a day for celebration, not pain. If Lily's fear would have come true, she wouldn't have been as sad now that she had James to support her......

HAHAHAHA! I FINISHED BEFORE I GO AWAY! I'm leaving for three days, but I'll be back.

And by knowing, I do not mean the real knowing, Kris and Mel and Ag and Katy and anyone else who knows. Not the Vanilla knowing.

And I really don't know if wizard marriages are any different than normal, so I just kept it the same. And the vows may not be exact. I couldn't find them anywhere!!! Bear with me!!

To get an idea of how Lily looked in the wedding dress, just think of Jean Grey's hair in the second X-men movie. And however else you think Lily should look.