"Shivers!" I swore as I knocked into a waiter, carrying glasses and a bottle of wine on top of a tray. "I'm so sorry."
The waiter gave an easy smile, flashing white teeth. "It's fine."
I gave an apologetic smile, before making out to go towards the house where a frantic Alice was hyperventilating. "Actually I need this." I grabbed the tray off him." I'm a bridesmaid." I nodded as he opened his mouth, presumably to interject.
I attempted to run (although in my long pleated silk dress that was a little difficult) but decided Alice needed alcohol too much to risk the bottles untimely demise towards the ground. Ignoring the bustle that was the dining room (where Franks mother was barking orders at everyone and anyone) , I walked up the stairs of the manor that served as Franks home.
They had decided to have the wedding at the Longbottom Manor, which was practical considering its enormous size.
I carefully balanced the tray, making my way up to where Alice had her rooms for preparation on the third floor, which was on the right side of the manor, which according to Mrs Longbottom, was the best place, as she had placed Franks rooms as far away as possible, making sure they didn't see each other before the wedding, observing tradition.
Knocking on the door, I heard Alice having to tell her cousin Hestia to breathe, which I found highly amusing. Alice opened the door grinning at the sight of the champagne bottle. "Excellent!" She grinned, pulling her parted lips up into a charming smile.
She wasn't in her dress yet, although her make up had been done and she had asked me to her hair up into a half braided bun and fastened it with the tiny jewelled blue pins. She definitely had what one would call 'pre wedding glow'.
The room exploded in squeals as the to be bride brought the bottle of champagne out and cheers were bestowed upon me as Lila blew me a kiss and practiced her 'raunchy' wink. I laughed as Hestia downed a whole glass in one gulp.
In the room was Leila (Alice's friend from Hogwarts), Alice, Hestia (Alice's cousin), Frank's sister Audrey (who had done Alice's makeup, as she had the steadiest hand) and me.
It was a rather small crowd, especially for a bridal party, because dear, sweet, Alice was an orphan. tragically, as her parents were old when she was born, they had passed on when she was three and she had gone and lived with her Aunt, Hestia's mum, who she had grown up with as a sister. Unfortunately her Aunt was out of the country as her husband had fallen ill and needed help from Healers out of the country.
It was strange but as Leila and Audrey argued light heartedly about the proper height of heels at a wedding I found myself pondering over what exactly we were doing. I mean sure, we should have fun, and Alice and Frank should be getting married as soon as possible, but what were we doing now? While a war raged outside our doorsteps, we were drinking champagne and laughing as innocent people died. And then all of a sudden I started to see the Prophets flashing. The headlines. The obituaries. The mass murders and gruesome tortures. And the fact that no one was safe, despite the Ministries stupid pamphlets they kept sending out. That all those terrible, terrible things could happen to any of us.
"Lil you okay?" Leila gave a frown. While she might be a bit loose and a party girl, she genuinely cared about a lot of people.
"Yeah. I just have . . . a bit of a headache." I managed to mutter out. "I'll go perform a charm outside. The air will be good."
"Shh! I can't hear of your law breaking ways!" Leila held up a hand dramatically, before lowering her voice. "You sure love?"
I nodded, giving a slight smile, before walking out, leaving my purse and wand inside it behind.
Okay I may be a Gryffindor, but I'm still a bit of a wuss. I know Alice and Leila and Audrey and Hestia were all like yeah, it's fine, but I didn't like the idea of my magic being registered. The whole mansion automatically recorded spells every spell performed in its grounds and the wand it was performed by. That was beyond creepy to me, and therefore (even if I really did need a healing charm) I was kind of nervous to perform any spell.
I decided to go back out into the garden (taking the back exit to avoid the now psychotic Mrs Longbottom). I walked around the back of the mansion, where a set of rusting swings over looked a large pond (or a small lake). To my surprise as I went to it down, I heard someone call me from behind. "Lily?"
Damn. I have got to work on those spy skills. Naturally, I turned around as quickly as possible only to see . . . Frank?
"Hey Frank." I grinned. "Aren't you meant to be getting ready?"
"Hey Lily. You look wonderful." He grinned, but thanks to my honed spy skills (my basic human nature) I could tell that he was nervous as anything.
Frank. Sweet Frank was kind and gentle, perfect for Alice, who although sweet and good, often acted on impulse alone, causing unfortunate situations.
"You nervous?" I asked, resulting in beating myself up, over my lack of tact. Sometimes there was such a thing as being too much of a Gryffindor.
"Lily, today I'm pledging to spend the rest of my days married to the woman of my dreams. Why would I be nervous?" Frank crossed his arms, shifting awkwardly.
I rolled my eyes and gave a (ladylike) snort. "And my summer home is the Taj Mahal."
"It's just . . ." Frank sighed, sitting down on the rusted swing next to me. "She's . . . incredible. It feels right you know? But . . .what if she doesn't feel it?" He ruffled his hair in that way guys do. Like most guys (well the few I knew) he wasn't comfortable showing any emotions or venerability.
"Frank. Alice loves you so much . . . you just have to wait, what three hours, and you will start the beginning of the rest of your lives together." I said, giving a slight smile. How poetic. maybe I should reconsider the whole career as a spy thing and become a singer. Like Stevie Nicks. Or you know. Skip all that and become the next Oscar Wilde.
"thanks Lily." Frank let out a chuckle. "Though I have to ask - which sixteenth century poet did you steal that from?"
"I didn't steal that from anyone!" I shouted incredulously, playfully swatting his arm.
"Sure, sure." Frank said, giving me a light nudge in the stomach. "Though, Lil, why are you out here instead of clucking about with Alice and my mother?"
"Well your mother is quite busy with . . . pastries or something equally important." I said as poshly as the daughter of a housewife whose bedroom bookshelves were filled with 'The Joys of Sex' and other accompanying works of fiction could. "It's jet . . . .all of a sudden all of it seems so much more real. The war. The elitists. And I feel scared. I'm meant to be a Gryffindor, but God. I mean heck, there aren't even laws preventing half of what they're doing!" I tried to calm down, feeling the tears gather in my eyes. "All summer, I've felt like I could finally get away from it all and it wouldn't, couldn't be real . . . but all of a sudden . . . it just seems so much more real. And it's wrong."
"lily, you know we care right?" Frank said awkwardly. "And you're always welcome in my house . . . for whatever reason." I felt like I was talking to my grandmother, or boyfriends parents. "There are ways however of umm . . . well there has been rumours of resistance."
"Resistance?" I asked curiously. From what I had heard, the majority of the Wizarding World agreed with everything the fanatics were saying until someone got killed and then they waved it off as 'extremists'.
"A couple of people coming together. Trying to take down You-Know-Who's followers. Writing letters. Trying to pass protection laws." Frank shrugged. "At the moment there are only whispers . . . but if you want - I can tell you if it gets more serious?"
My mouth dropped open. I'm the first to admit to automatically obeying authority figures. I suppose I always figured they were in those positions for a reason. But recently I had observed that (in the Wizarding World at least) the reason was more to do more with blood and heritage than their intellectual wealth and hard work at gaining leadership roles. "I'll think about it." I gave a smile, standing up.
"Lil - you know it's going to be okay right?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing.
"I can only hope so."
"Alice!" I found myself squealing like a third grader over her first crush.
I wrapped my arms around her tightly, which she returned, giving a delirious laugh. "Lily I- I I'm so glad you managed to come."
I stepped back, grinning at her rosy face. She was married. As in she had pledged to give the rest of her life to another person. Her white dress was sparkling, the air was glowing and her beam set face her face alight and glowing.
"I'll talk to you later okay?" She said, before allowing herself to be drawn into a conversation with her Aunt Prewett.
I grinned and waved at Ella Montgomery from across the room, a woman who had been good friends with Alice's mum and worked with a lot of charities and campaigns.
I quickly found myself at the drink table and quickly picked up a champagne flute. I definitely deserved it. After I had forced Frank to go back into his room where he was meant to be getting ready, I went back to Alice's rooms.
In around twenty minutes Alice managed to have a nervous breakdown, followed by one of Hestia's, which caused her to knock over the bottle of champagne I had fetched. Which splattered onto Leila's skirt hem which caused all of us to freak out before I remembered I could perform magic (hello, we are witches), Alice got into her wedding dress and proceeded to break down into tears over how her mother wasn't here. Then about ten minutes later it was time for her to walk the aisle.
I loved the song. It was untraditional (and Mrs Longbottom had been appalled), muggle but it was Frank and Alice. Here Comes The Sun. And the funny thing is, when it becomes a classic years from now Alice will be able to say it was the song she played on her first date, the song she danced to at graduation and the song she walked to, while it was still ageing.
So I threw back my glass of champagne, hoping that the alcohol (the largest amount I had ever had) would drive away the aches in my feet.
"Wow, Evans, didn't know you were such a drinker." A drawl came from behind me and I turned around suddenly.
"Sirius?" I asked (rather stupidly) taking in my attractive (heck even i could admit it) peer. "Sirius!" I threw my arms around him, rather in a hugging mood. Sirius seemed to stiffen underneath me, before he awkwardly patted my back.
"Evans throwing yourself at guys I see."
"It's so good to see you!" I exclaimed. I tried not to let out that I was relieved. Sirius didn't have the most . . . stable family background and I always worried over the holidays that there was a chance that I might not see him again. We were friends I suppose, drawn together over our isolation from our families.
"It's good to see you too love." he grinned, releasing me from his grasp. "How's your summer been?" He asked with a smirk.
I gasped and hit his shoulder. "You scoundrel! You know! He told you!"
"What you thought he would of kept quiet?" Sirius gave a smirk.
"You loser!" I glared, crossing my arms and putting a pout on my face.
"Don't be so immature!" Sirius gave a harsh laugh, picking up a glass of red wine.
"Aren't you a little young for that?" I asked, my laughter barely held back.
"Love, whose going to stop me?"
"Whatever." I grinned before he put the glass down.
"How about we go have some fun?" Sirius smirked, grabbing my hand and pulling me with him.