Lily felt James' gaze upon her and turned away from Mary, scanning the crowd in search of him. A moment later her eyes found him over her friend's shoulder where he stood a little ways apart from the others with Dumbledore and Sirius. They were all smiling and she saw James give his friend a light shove before he looked up and their eyes met.
She felt as if she hadn't seen him in days though it had barely been one and she wished that they could be alone, away from the prying eyes and expectations of their families and friends.
Lily made to cross the space between them but a moment later a giant shadow fell over her and her path was blocked by a large, familiar figure.
Hagrid had already pulled out one of his tablecloth sized handkerchiefs and was blowing his nose loudly into it. He was dressed in a horrible hairy suit and if she hadn't seen Hagrid before, what with the suit and the huge, shaggy beard she might have mistaken him for some cross between a giant and a bear. As it was, Lily could see that several people were throwing him frightened looks and cutting wide paths around him. Those who knew him were merely careful not to get bowled over. Professor McGonagall was standing behind him with a disapproving look on her face as she talked with an old man that Lily didn't recognize. She gave Lily a curt nod and a small smile when their eyes met before turning back to her conversation.
"Hello Hagrid, Is everything alright?" Lily asked slightly confused about any reasons that he would have to get emotional so long before the ceremony was even due to start.
She felt the urge to duck and run for cover as one of his large hands came down upon her but she didn't want to hurt his feelings and endured the friendly pat on the head with gritted teeth. When he pulled his hand back she couldn't help but wonder if she had gotten shorter.
"Jus' look at the two of ya' " he blubbered. "Getting married an' all. No matter what horrible things are going on in the world there'll always be love."
Lily grimaced. She reached out and patted his arm, as she couldn't reach any higher than that though she wasn't even sure that he could feel her touch through the hairy mass that was made up to look like a suit.
"Thanks Hagrid" she replied. She took a step to the left, peering around Hagrid's bulk but James was nowhere to be seen. Sirius had started up a conversation with Mary and Dumbledore was conversing quietly with Mad Eye Moody a short distance away. He didn't look happy and she hoped that whatever had happened would not be so horrible that it would ruin the day. Moody's eye spun out of sight as she watched and she had the feeling that it was looking at her. James was still nowhere to be seen and she guessed that he had been swallowed up by well wishers. She offered Moody a quick wave in the case that he was looking at her and turned away.
"Alright there, Lily?"
Turning on the spot she hugged her friend tightly. Remus looked slightly surprised as she pulled away, as she had never done anything quite like it before but she was feeling particularly light and airy and she didn't care. Peter hovered behind him and she couldn't help but notice that there were grass stains on the knees of his trousers and he had a large dirt mark on his nose, as if he had fallen on his face. Remus was also dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, and she couldn't remember seeing him looking so well in some time.
"How are you feeling?" he asked pleasantly. He smiled and she noticed that she seemed to be bouncing up and down a little. She couldn't seem to stay sill.
"Fine" she gave the automatic reply she had been using all morning on everyone from her parents to James' most distant cousin but Remus was different, her answer was not one that you offered a friend, causing him to raise an eyebrow quizzically. "Excited" she added, grinning back in spite of herself. "Really excited. But how are you Remus?" she asked meaningful and he knew of course that she was not just exchanging pleasantries.
"It's been a good month" he told her with a look that was somewhere between a smug smile and plain relief.
"Oh good, and your work for the Order? You've been really busy lately." she asked, leaning in closely.
"Everything is fine Lily, you shouldn't worry about it today. Really."
"Lily darling?"
She turned to find her mother standing behind her looking rather awkward. She had met very few of the assembled people and as such it was more difficult for her to have extended conversations with them than it was for her husband, who seemed to be fascinated with every aspect of the wizarding world and could never seem to get enough of it or the people in it.
"Good morning, Mrs. Evans." Remus offered his hand politely to her mother who seemed not to have seen him there. She reached out her own and shook it.
"Remus. Peter."
Lily wondered if she was imagining that she saw her mother's hand shaking slightly throughout the exchange and a look of concern and determination cross her usually pleasant face. Had Petunia shared what she had heard about him with their mother? If Remus had noticed anything he didn't acknowledge it or perhaps he was just used to it. A moment later someone else had called for her mother's attention and she turned away, looking rather relieved. Lily sighed. Remus continued to look pleasantly impassive.
"Lils!!"
She felt arms around her waist and a moment later she was being lifted into the air and swung in a circle.
"Sirius, put me down." The arms around her waist disappeared and she fell to the ground. She jumped up with a growl. Remus was shaking his head, Peter was laughing and Sirius had a sloppy grin plastered across his face.
"So? Mary shoot you down then?" she asked innocently. His smile was replaced instantly with a scowl.
"She has a boyfriend." He scuffed one shoe in the dirt and Lily was reminded of a little boy caught doing something naughty. Sirius had probably perfected the look at a very young age.
"Wheres James'?" she asked. Where Sirius and the other marauders were, James was usually not far off.
" Oh right, he sent me to get you lot. I am his best man and I do his bidding and yours m'lady." Sirius bent low in an exaggerated bow, then straightened up, his eyes sparkling. Any disappointment about Mary would be forgotten until the next time that he was turned down.
" I think he was getting sick of all the attention. Mind you, he's going to have a lot more of that to deal with seeing as it's his big day and everything."
"Now then, if you please miss, right this way."
He offered an arm that he wound through hers and led the way through the crowd of people, across the yard and through a gap in the hedge that led into the backyard. Sirius waved one hand regally in a sweeping gesture and Lily gasped with amazement.
The yard had been transformed. Rose bushes and flowers overflowed in the gardens, covered in twinkling lights with fairies flitting among them. A great white tent was set up over a dance floor that was currently covered in row upon row of delicate white chairs with an elegant walk way leading down the middle from the back door of the house. Streamers and lanterns hung from every tree and pole. Everything looked just right. Her previous distaste over having such a grand, elegant wedding evaporated. It was perfect. Not that it mattered what their wedding looked like anyway.
A movement out of the corner of her eye caught Lily's attention. Looking around she saw a handsome boy with messy dark hair, glasses and hazel eyes. Like his friends he was dressed in regular muggle clothing with a blue button up shirt and jeans. He was watching her with an uncomfortable look of insecurity on his face.
"I know you just wanted to elope or something. But my mom you know...there was nothing I could do... He ran a hand through his already windswept hair looking thoroughly concerned, the other hand clutching his wand tightly. Maybe he thought that she didn't like it or that she would have changed her mind upon seeing it everything.
Grinning stupidly, Lily ran and threw her arms around James' neck. She could hear him chuckling softly as he pressed his face into her hair, hugging her back with one arm. A moment later Sirius' barking laughter was cut off with a squeak and his other arm was around her too.
HOPE YOU LIKED IT. MORE COMING SOON!!!
