Lily hurried from Herbology, books in hand, not wanting to be stopped by anyone. The clouds looked heavy, threatening to release buckets of rain onto the Hogwarts grounds. Being a seventh year, Lily took no notice of the weather and kept on walking. It wasn't until she heard footsteps sloshing along side her that she looked up from her shoes to check her surroundings. She smiled slightly, seeing the familiar black mess of hair, bobbing close by.

"Lils, it would be so much easier to be your boyfriend if you didn't hurry from class to class as if the world is going to end if you are late," James said, finally stepping in front of her, forcing her to stop walking.

"Yeah, I suppose so, huh? Sorry, James. I've just had a lot on my mind lately."

He looked puzzled. "Yeah? How come I haven't heard about it?"

"Oh, I just haven't felt like talking about it, really. Don't worry, my girl friends don't know anything either." Lily sighed and looked up at the sky, seeing as it had started to drizzle a bit. She shielded her books from the rain.

"What's up, Lily?" he asked, putting his hands onto her waist and pulling her closer to him.

"Oh, its just Petunia."

"That's specific. You and her fight all the time. How can she be making you this upset? You're never this upset when you fight."

Lily could feel tears starting to build in her eyes. It was stupid to be so emotional about this. She and Petunia hadn't been okay since she got her Hogwarts letter, seven years ago. So something like this shouldn't bother her so much. The two of them had had plenty of fights before, and none of them were as bad as this one.

"Yeah, I know," she finally said. "She's getting married, James."

He was lost. "So? Shouldn't you be happy for her? I mean, even if you don't like the guy, you shouldn't be upset. She's your sister!"

"I am happy for her. Vernon isn't too horrible." She hated Vernon Dursley, but that still wasn't why she was so upset.

"Then what's wrong? What's bothering you?" James pulled her closer yet to him. The rain was still coming down, soaking through their clothing. He shook his hair out, splattering water all over his glasses and Lily's face. He leaned down and kissed her forehead gently, urging her to just say whatever was bothering her.

"I'm not invited."

Those three words were the final knife that cut the relationship between Lily and Petunia in half. Lily didn't receive an invitation to the wedding that was to take place in four months. When the sisters were little, they had planned their weddings. Each was to be the other's maid of honor. Instead, Petunia had chosen Vernon's sister, and Lily was to remain as far away from the wedding as possible. Petunia didn't want her presence near the Dursleys at all. As far as Vernon's family was concerned, Petunia didn't have a sister.

"What?" James asked, shocked. "I know you two aren't close anymore, but you're her sister! What do you mean you aren't invited to her wedding? Are you sure that the owl didn't just get lost or something? Maybe your invitation is still coming."

Lily nearly laughed. "James, Petunia and my mum had an argument about this. Petunia put her foot down and I'm not to be at the wedding at all. Mum wrote me a few days ago telling me. She apologized on Petunia's behalf and wishes for me to come anyway. Knowing that I'm not welcome, though..." She trailed off, looking at the sky again, trying to blink away tears that were threatening to fall again. Instead, she just got rain in her eyes.

James didn't know what to say. He and Lily had been dating for a few weeks now, but he knew her well enough to know that she was going to respect her sister's wishes and not go. He chewed the inside of his cheek, trying to come up with comforting words, but not much came to mind. They stood in silence for a few more moments, before James spoke.

"Well, screw Petunia. She doesn't understand that she's missing out. If she doesn't want anything to do with you anymore, then its her loss. Lily, you are the most amazing person, and you don't need her if she doesn't need you."

Lily let her tears fall. Hearing James say this made her happy, but she was sad that it had to be said at all. She and Petunia used to be best friends. She was defeated, and there was nothing that she could do to try and fix the relationship with her sister anymore. Petunia issued the final blow, and she didn't even have enough heart to write Lily herself. Crying somehow made Lily feel better, though.

James pulled her to his chest. He was warm, and Lily felt safe in his arms. Her tears were mixing with the rain that was already soaking his robes.

"Don't cry, Lily. You can go to the wedding if you want. And no one will have to know you're there. You can tell your mom, but you don't have to see your sister."

Lily lifted her head, confused. She reached up to dry her face a little bit. "What are you talking about James?"

"You're forgetting about my cloak, Lils. I can let you borrow it. You can go to the wedding and be invisible the whole time."

"Why would I do that?"

"I don't know. So you can be there without your sister knowing. I can tell you want to go whether your sister wants you there or not. You wouldn't be this upset otherwise. I think you should go. You can't miss something like your sister's wedding. Think about it, okay? You really should go."

Lily shook her head, smiling slightly again. "Yeah, maybe," was all she could say. She buried her head into James's chest again. He wrapped his arms tight around her and kissed her wet hair. Standing together was the only way that they weren't shivering. The rain wasn't freezing, but it wasn't a warm summer rain either.

Lily pulled back slightly to look at his face. "Thanks, James."

"Its my job, isn't it? Being your boyfriend and all."

Lily smiled again, "Yeah, I guess."

He grinned at her and pulled a stray piece of hair from her face.

Lily suddenly realized that it would be the perfect time for every girl's childhood dream to come true. To be kissed in the rain. Sure, she had been kissed before, but there is something about the rain that makes a kiss extra special.

"Do me a favor, James?"

"Sure, anything."

"Kiss me? In the rain."

James got a sly grin on his face. "I thought you'd never ask." He leaned and pushed his lips against hers, holding either side of her face, just under her jaw line. Still holding her books, she pressed herself into him, smiling.

He pulled away too soon. She bit her lower lip, and rested her head against his shoulder, feeling better already. "ScrewPetunia," she thought to herself in his words. Lily liked how he always knew what to say to make her smile again.

"I love you," she whispered to him, for the first time.