Sorry it took a while to update... Finals are making me crazy! Anyway, here's the rest... enjoy!
CHAPTER SEVEN: The Whale's Wedding
Lily looked at the letter in her hand, and carefully tore it open, acting as though if she opened it too quickly, something might jump at her. She couldn't remember the last time Petunia had tried to contact her, and she felt as though this one-time communication would only bring forth bad news. She began reading.
Lily,
Firstly, I would like to say that I hate this mail system with your freak people. Ruddy owls, the mess is unbelievable. Why can't you just use the Post Office? Do you know how many places I had to look for an owl that delivers mail? Secondly, who is this Potter bloke, and why are you staying with him? Anyway, the only reason I'm writing to you is because Mum and Dad have made me. They feel you should 'be present' at this joyous occasion. Well, I'm getting married. Vernon finally proposed to me, and I said yes. He's just the perfect man, kind and courteous, and he has all the qualities that you should try to find in a man too. Well, Mum and Dad are making me invite you to the wedding next Thursday, so if you want to come you can. Vernon knows about your lot, but don't talk about the 'm' word in front of him- it disturbs him (as it rightly should).
Petunia
"Well that was kind of her," Lily snarled, handing James the letter in answer to his quizzical look. He skimmed it through.
"Oh, your sister's getting married. Do you know the bloke?" asked James.
"Yes, Vernon Dursley. His personality is even worse than his name. Big, fat bloke, I used to call him the whale when I first met him. He talks about nothing but drills, and trying to hold a conversation with him is just about as much fun as eating Cockroach Clusters." said Lily, surprised at her impressive summary of Vernon.
"Oooh, exciting!" said James sarcastically, grinning. "So are you going?"
"I really don't want to see Petunia, but it'll be nice to see Mum and Dad again. But that'll mean I have to last through the wedding, which might be bearable if..." Lily strayed off, and then smiled sweetly at James.
James looked taken aback, but a few moments later, he understood what she was asking him.
"What? Lily, no! I can't. I don't even know them. Plus, you're not supposed to show up with more of 'our lot', remember? I'm just a big reminder of the 'm' word." said James, waving the letter in the air.
"Well, you're not the only one whose told their parents. Mum and Dad would love to meet you!" she said, but James only shook his head. Lily sighed, but there was a look in her eyes that simply said, I'm going to get what I want.
"And don't you want to show Petunia how much better you are than Vernon, and tell her that I have found a man with all the qualities of her standards?"
James looked at her, and groaned. Bingo.
"You are a terrible person, you know that right?" he said, his grin slowly coming back on his face.
"Yeah, I've heard." said Lily triumphantly, before laughing.
After spending Christmas day with the Potters, Lily and James prepared to leave for Surrey, which was where Petunia's wedding was taking place. After making a quick stop at a dress store to buy appropriate Muggle clothes for the wedding, James and Lily Apparated on the Evans' front porch. There, they were greeted by Charlotte Evans, who in her own way, was as doting as Alice Potter.
"Lily, darling! How are you? It's so wonderful to see you again! How is school dear? And you must be James! My, you're very handsome, aren't you! Lily's told us all about you, dear! Come in, come in, I've just prepared some tea!" said Mrs. Evans, motioning the kids to come inside the house.
James, who like Lily when she had met Alice for the first time, silently took all of this in, and glanced at Lily, who smiled reassuringly as if to say, All mothers are like that. James laughed, and Lily grabbed his hand and led him inside the modest house. There, she introduced him to Colin Evans, who was a quiet, yet thoughtful and and gentle man. Then, Lily led him into the backyard, and James finally got a look at Vernon and soon-to-be Petunia Dursley.
The look on James' face said it all. Petunia was nowhere near Lily in looks, her eyes didn't twinkle and shine like her sister's, nor did her hair achieve that careless bounciness so present in Lily. Long necked and horse faced, there was absolutely no resemblance between the two sisters. James tried to compose himself, so as to not show his surprised feelings, but failed. The 'whale', was just as Lily had described him. Vernon was short and stout, and James, who was younger, could still tower over him. He had a big mustache, obviously kept to give the appearance of maturity and seriousness. In James' opinion, however, he just looked like a purple rhinoceros with blonde facial hair.
Still though, this couple was related to Lily, so James put on his best face, and stuck out his hand.
"I'm James Potter. It's nice to be able to finally meet you after all Lily's told me." he said, careful not to mention exactly what Lily had told him.
Vernon looked at James' hand as though touching it might burn him. He reluctantly shook the side of James' hand with his thumb and forefinger for the briefest moment, before smiling a forced smile that made his ugly face look, well, uglier.
"I'll bet you're happy to be normal people, eh?" said Vernon.
James looked taken aback. He glared at Vernon, but then softened his expression.
"Well, we were, but you'll have to do." James smiled sweetly.
Lily tried to (unsuccessfully) stifle her laughter, and James winked at her. Vernon looked livid. Petunia addressed James.
"So you're the Potter I had to send that God awful owl to. Are you two, like, together?" she asked in a snotty voice, pointing her bony fingers at them.
"Yes. We very much are." said Lily defensively.
"Look how sweet Vernon! She found another tosser at that freak school of hers." said Petunia, to which Vernon chuckled.
Lily opened her mouth, but words came out of James' as he pulled out his wand.
"Yup, that's us. Two wizards who attend Hogwarts School of Whichcraft and Wizardry to do magic and learn spells." said James toying with the wand in hand, a vindictive smile on his face.
He pointed his wand at Vernon, muttered a spell, and soon, Vernon's blonde mustache had turned hot pink.
Petunia look shocked and froze on the spot. Vernon turned even more purple (as if that was possible) and looked like he was having a seizure. Lily closed her eyes, and began to silently shake with laughter. Pretty soon, her laughs became audible, and tears were streaming down her cheeks. Vernon seemed to finally come out of his stupor, and began shaking violently.
"You. Fix. This. Now." he said, enunciating every word.
"No, I think it compliments your skin. And with the tuxedo, you'll look smashing." James winked.
"You fix this now, you freak!" screamed Petunia.
"Oi! No need to get your knickers in a twist!" said James, and he pointed his wand once more at Vernon, ignored his flinching, and returned the color of his mustache to blond. Petunia, though thoroughly disgruntled by what had just happened, tried to shake it off, and smiled at Vernon.
"Come on, dear. Let's go look at the floral arrangements." she said, acting as though looking at flowers was the perfect remedy to the traumatic incident he had just faced.
Vernon only grunted, but allowed Petunia to drag him back to the house. Lily, who was silent through all of this turned around to James, and smiled widely in awe.
"You're amazing." she said.
"Yeah, I've heard." he quoted, and laughed.
Lily and James walked into the marquee for the wedding on a gloomy and dark Thursday. James found the weather to be rather symbolical saying that "This is how the rest of their lives will be too." As they reached their table, they saw more of Vernon's relatives, who looked exactly like him, causing there to be fives times the ugly. The couple mostly kept to themselves, seeing as how no one from Vernon's family could possibly be better than the man himself.
Once the wedding vows were over, Vernon asked Petunia to dance, who, in turn, burst into tears and dramatically accepted. Lily rolled her eyes, and nodded at the dance floor, raising her eyebrows in question. James grinned, and led her there. They wrapped their arms around each other, and James looked down at Lily.
"You know, when I pictured our wedding, I--"
"Didn't picture it to be an ugly parade?" said Lily, finishing his thoughts.
"Yeah," he smiled. "And I wouldn't--"
"Make it a huge deal? Have a be a small do with a few people?" said Lily, smiling.
"Wow. And you said you hadn't thought about this," said James.
"Well, not about our wedding. Our kids, I have. Speaking of, I feel so sad for their child. He'll end up being--"
"A pig in a wig." said James, doubling over laughing. He regained composure before saying, "Unlike ours, though. Our's will be a handsome ginger boy with bright green eyes like his mother."
"No, ours will have a mop of black hair, and hazel eyes like his dad." said Lily.
"Fine, we'll compromise. He can have my hair, and your eyes."
"Sounds good," said Lily, laughing. "And we'll name him--"
"Harry." said James, surprising himself.
"Why Harry?" asked Lily.
"I don't know. It just sounds like a name of someone who'll be great."
"Well, with parents like us, he will be." Lily smiled. "All right then. To our son, Harry Potter.
James and Lily smiled, and they both laughed at the though of their hypothetical child. Lily realized that they had never straight out talked about their lives together after Hogwarts, and the prospect of being able to do so seemed out of this world.
"Yeah, that's it. Harry Potter." said James, smiling.
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