Title: Jar of Hearts
Warnings: AU
Pairings: Sirius Black/Alice Longbottom, James/Lily
Rating: T
Word Count: 1,009
Summary: Sirius needs to stop a wedding.
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.
Notes:
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: Speed drabble thread – Prompts Used – Tablecloth, Frustration, Chilled, Snap, Wasteful
Het Pairing Boot Camp: Prompt Used – stone
As Many as You Want Competition: Prompts Used – Falling Leaves, Incredibly Stupid, Wish upon a star, Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri, Sirius Black, James/Lily, "You know you love me.", "It's been canceled", Valentine's Day, "This isn't happening.", It was a beautiful day for a wedding, It shimmered like butterfly wings, Gold, Wedding, Lavender
It was Valentine's Day and somehow there were falling leaves. All in all, it was a beautiful day for a wedding. Not to mention romantic.
Sirius tossed the stone into the water, his frustration evident in the throw. A gust of wind blew and he shivered, feeling chilled all of the sudden.
He heard a crunch of leaves and in a snap, Sirius was up and facing the intruder. He wasn't surprised to see James. Why would he be? Who cared that his heartbeat had been faster and he hoped, prayed. All he felt now was incredibly stupid. He was a little more surprised to see Lily behind him. They held hands, and Sirius felt an ache in his heart for what could have been.
"You shouldn't be so wasteful with stones," Lily quipped, but there wasn't any happiness behind the joke.
"Ha, ha," Sirius deadpanned. "What are you two doing here?"
Lily and James looked at each other, holding a silent conversation and he wished he had that kind of familiarity with a person, a girl. A specific girl actually.
James spoke up. "Well, we were wondering how you were doing."
Sirius turned away and stared out over the water. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"
He heard leaves crunching and felt a soft hand on his shoulder. Lily. "We know your heart's broken. It's okay."
Sirius knew he could deny it, but what was the point? James was very much aware of his feelings, and ever since James and Lily became JamesandLily, whatever James knew, Lily knew. It was a fact of life. "Do you know what I did last night?"
Silence.
"I actually wished upon a star. I wished for this wedding to never happen, and I feel awful for that because I want Alice to be happy. I just wish she could be happy with me."
"Have you told her to not marry Frank? To be with you?"
Sirius turned to face the pair. "How can I ask her to sacrifice her happiness for mine?"
Lily smiled in a way that made Sirius think he said something especially nice. And when she hugged him, he was sure of it. "That's probably the sweetest thing you ever said," Lily mumbled into his shoulder.
"Um, thanks," Sirius said, feeling awkward when Lily pulled back.
"And for your information, if Alice was aware of your feelings, she'd be with you. All you have to say is 'choose me.'" Lily paused, as if contemplating her next words. "Alice told me she's settling for Frank. Even though he's a nice guy, her heart has already chosen you, but she feared you didn't want to be with her for the long haul. That's why she's marrying Frank."
Sirius felt a smile bloom on his face. "Really?" he asked excitedly.
Lily nodded.
"Where is she?"
"At her house. Go."
Sirius left and out of the corner of his eye, he saw James wrap his arms around Lily, kissing her neck. Don't lose her, Prongs, Sirius thought as he raced to stop a wedding from happening.
Sirius walked into the manor and then he quickly went to what he knew was a guest room. He remembered Lily saying something about where Alice would be getting ready, and he wondered if Lily was setting the stage for this. After a short knock, he strode into the room. When he saw her for the first time that day, his breath was taken away by the sheer beauty as she turned to him, looking away from the mirror where she had been gazing at her reflection.
Her dark hair was in a fancy bun with curls that framed her face. Her bright blue eyes showed her surprise and he noticed there was very little eye makeup. She didn't need it anyway. Her full lips had a touch of pink lipstick with a little blush in a matching shade. Her white dress clung to her curves before it fell to the ground in waves. It shimmered like butterfly wings and gave her a sweet, angelic look.
"Sirius?" she breathed.
Sirius quickly averted his eyes to a table that was covered in a gold tablecloth. It hurt to see her wearing a wedding dress as she got ready to marry a man that wasn't him. "Alice, you look gorgeous."
"Thank you," she said. She paused, and then asked, "What are you doing here?"
Sirius took a deep breath. It was now or never. "Don't marry him," he said hurriedly. She didn't say anything and in a panic, he continued, "You know you love me." He wasn't really sure if that was true, but he was counting on the fact that Lily was honest and wouldn't have set him up for a fall like this. His eyes finally met hers again. "Please. I know Frank probably deserves you a lot more than I do, but I love you. When you say 'I do,' I want it to be when you're facing me, not some other guy. Please, don't do it. I'm begging you." He tried to get all his feelings across when he looked at her and hoped she understood how much he meant it.
"It's been canceled," she stated simply.
All Sirius could say was "This isn't happening."
"Disappointed?" she asked, amusement clear in her voice.
"No, just surprised." He took her hand and pulled her into his arms. He rested his chin on her head and breathed in the scent of her hair; it smelled like lavender.
"I realized I couldn't marry Frank. Even if you didn't want me, I couldn't lie to him. I couldn't let him believe I loved him. He deserved better, someone who was truly in love with him, and I knew that would never be me. The fact that you told me you want me is just a bonus, but it makes my decision all the more sweeter."
"I love you," Sirius whispered.
"I love you, too." Alice said and tilted her head up, claiming his lips in a gentle, exploratory kiss.
