D/C: I don't own Harry Potter.

Hello! I apologize for not having updated in such a long while, but lately, I've sorta been getting writer's block when I wrote anything other than a one-shots. It's really been bugging me. Anyway, thank you for the reviews you've sent me, and without further delay, I'll let you read the eighth chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 8:

'Where's the blushing bride?'

Lily whirled around as Sirius walked into the room. She glared at him; she seriously wasn't in the mood for this. James was late...very late, in fact. It was already twenty to eleven, and there was still no sign of him, and the wedding service was planned to be exactly at eleven. She had wanted everything to go smoothly, but it didn't seem like her wish was going to granted; all the guests were here, and the vicar was waiting...but the groom was still not here.

She saw him taking a step back. 'Er...you look very pretty,' he told her.

She threw up her arms in exasperation. 'I don't understand why he's so late, Sirius!!' she exploded. 'He should've been here at ten o'clock in the very maximum! Just what kind of bachelor party did you throw him last night?'

'Erm...the unique kind,' he replied, and took another step back when she looked suspiciously at him. 'I'll go look for him now, shall I?'

In a flash of a moment, he had Disapparated from the room. Groaning, Lily slumped down on a nearby chair and put her face between her hands, and her mother hurried forward to soothe her. Petunia, who was sitting on a chair across the room from them, was wearing a very smug smile on her face...despite the fact that Remus's Disapparation had scared her out of her wits' end for a moment.

'Looks like we have a runaway groom,' she said in a sing-song voice.

Lily glared at her. 'I swear, Petunia, if one more word about James gets out of those lips of yours, I'm gonna whip out my wand and curse you,' she hissed, and Petunia recoiled slightly. Lily smiled; she had to admit that threatening her sister had made her feel a bit better. She looked around at her mother. 'Mum, he's late!!'

Her mother squeezed her shoulder gently. 'I know, sweetheart, I know,' she said gently. 'But he'll be here. James loves you, and you know it. He would never do anything to hurt you. He'll be here in time for the service. Don't worry about it.'

Lily sighed. 'I really hope so,' she said unhappily.

-

Sirius Apparated back again in James's apartment. He looked around frantically for a sign of the groom. He thought he heard a sound of rushing water coming from the bathroom, and he hurried forwards towards it. He knocked at the door.

'Yes?' came an irritated voice from inside the bathroom.

'Oh, thank God!' Sirius exclaimed, relieved. 'James! Have you got any idea about the time now? You're late for your wedding!!'

The sound of gushing water stopped, and the door flung open. James stood in the doorway, dripping from head to toe, while he held a towel around his waist. He was looking extremely panic-stricken. 'Don't you think I already know that?' he mumbled. 'Is Lily mad?'

Sirius remembered how Lily looked. She was blushing, alright...blushing a deep shade of magenta. He didn't think he had ever seen her looking so angry before, and he could understand why. He had to admit, that for some reason, this was his fault.

'Steaming,' he replied.

He glanced at the clock which was hanging on the wall opposite to them. 'Ten forty!! God, I can't believe I slept through the alarm!' he groaned. He hurried to the bedroom, went inside and slammed the door shut behind him. 'Is every one there?'

'Yeah, everyone's there,' Sirius shouted back through the closed door. 'Even that great bulk Lily's sister calls a fiancé is there!'

Sirius heard him groan again, and he chuckled as he made his way to the kitchen. Knowing James, he was bound to find something good in the fridge. However, when he went in there, his brow furrowed when he saw the six-pack of beer lying there on the counter; James wasn't the type to buy six-packs. He checked the cans, and was a tad surprised when he found that they were all empty.

James then came into the kitchen, in his boxers and shirt, while he hastily tried to do his tie. 'Sirius, do you know how to fix this?' he said irritably. 'I've never had to wear ties before in my entire life!'

Sirius came forward and started doing the tie. 'Have you been drinking last night, mate?' he asked casually.

James's eyes moved to the empty six-pack. 'Yeah, I have,' he said, giving a nonchalant shrug. 'It's really no big deal, anyway.'

'It is a big deal if you're drinking by yourself on the night before your wedding,' Sirius argued, and James frowned. Sirius finished doing the tie with a quick tug. 'It means that you're having second thoughts about your marriage, and that's definitely not good.'

'I'm not having second thoughts about my marriage!' he protested. He sighed. 'Look, I was just feeling thirsty last night when I came home, and I had some beer.'

'Six whole cans?' Sirius said incredulously.

'Erm...I was very thirsty?' James replied, and Sirius scowled at him.

James's shoulders slumped in defeat. 'Okay, okay, so I might be a little bit worried...okay, very worried,' he added as Sirius raised an eyebrow at him. 'But...it's just that married couples tend to have too many problems between them! They argue about bills, they argue about work, they argue about everything!! I've never argued with Lily, and I don't want to start doing it now! Not after being together for more than five years!'

'Oh, come on!' Sirius said, exasperated.

'I'm serious!' the latter insisted. 'Now that I think about it, Lily's going to be with me 24/7 from now on and...and I'm really not sure I could handle that!'

Sirius sighed. 'You know, James, when I saw Lily before I came here, she wasn't sitting there and wondering how she's going to spend her life with you and worrying about it...she was just angry because you're keeping her waiting...and she doesn't want to wait; she wants to get married to you as soon as possible...and she'd deal with the consequences later,' he told him, and James scowled at the last words; they weren't exactly a compliment. 'You do love her, don't you?'

'Of course I do!' he said quickly.

'And you do want to spend the rest of your life with her, don't you?' Sirius went on. James nodded vigorously. Sirius chuckled. 'What are you waiting for, then? Get your ass to the church, you lazy bastard! You mustn't keep your bride waiting!'

James laughed. 'Right. Okay, I'm going right now!' he announced.

Sirius was about to shout something encouraging, but then he noticed that his friend wasn't fully dressed yet. 'Er...James? You might want to put on some pants first,' he suggested.

James looked down, and a faint blush crept into his cheeks. 'Pants...right,' he murmured, before hurrying back to the bedroom.

-

'James...ah, you're finally here.'

James had to strain to retain his composure as he ran into the room where his father and Lily's father were waiting. True, he had Apparated here at the church, but he had had to run around looking for the room where he was supposed to meet his in-laws before heading out to the altar. He doubled up, panting, for a few moments, before finally straightening up and pushing his hair back with both hands.

'Sorry...I'm...late,' he gasped.

Lily's father gave him a rather disgruntled look, but his father came forward and thumped him cheerfully on the back. 'That's alright, m'boy! We all have our little mishaps!!' he assured him. 'Why, on my wedding day, I lost the wedding rings! And the vicar had to postpone the wedding four whole hours while we looked for them! In the end, we found them in the garbage bin back in my apartment! Your mother, dare I say, threw a fit back then!'

'Well, anyone would throw a fit if your husband-to-be threw the wedding rings in the garbage!' said his wife, as she and Mrs. Evans came in though a door from behind them. She looked at James, who was hastily looking through his pockets for the rings. 'Don't worry, sweetheart, the rings are in there with dear cousin Philly.'

James sighed in relief. 'I'm really sorry I'm late; I...over-slept,' he said, and only when he said it did he realize how lame that sounded. 'I swear I had set the alarm and everything, but I just slept right through it!'

The Evans all looked rather irritated with him, because Mrs. Evans shot him a disdainful look. 'Lily had been up since five o'clock in the morning,' she informed him.

James was about to point out that that was expected, since the bride would naturally have to get up early to get herself ready, but his mother shot him a warning look. 'Well, he's here now, isn't he? And right on time, too. There's really no point in bickering about it,' she said. When no one said anything, she smiled warmly at them. 'Shall we proceed with the ceremony, then?'

James was getting butterflies; he really wasn't ready to face the irritated mob of people waiting out there. He took in a deep breath, and went through the door which led inside the church. Without looking at any of the guests who were filling the pews, he made his way straight to the vicar, who was standing near the altar. Next to him stood Sirius, who gave him an encouraging smile, Remus and Mr. Potter. Across from him, the bridesmaids stood, all wearing flowing gowns of lilac-colored silk.

He glanced at his wristwatch just as it striked eleven. It was time.

The huge oak doors at the end of the chapel opened, and through it walked Nymphadora Tonks, looking exactly like the way he'd imagined her to be; with blue eyes and blond curls and a white dress. She was holding a basket full of flower petals and was sprinkling them around on the red carpet.

But James wasn't looking at her anymore...he was looking at the beautiful woman who had come walking behind her, arms linked with Mr. Evans. James had to strain to stop his jaw from dropping as he stared at Lily. There was only one word to describe her; stunning. She was wearing a beautiful white dress with a long train, and he noticed that she had enhanced it with a bit of magic, so that it sparkled as if it were covered by diamond studs. Her red hair had been pulled up and made into beautiful curls which reached down her bare back, and there were wispy tendrils strewn at the sides of her face. She didn't have than much make-up on her face, but she still looked totally beautiful.

James felt totally shabby compared to her.

When she reached his side and he extended his hand towards her, he expected her to shoot him an angry glare or something like that, but instead, she giggled. 'James, you can close your mouth now,' she whispered, taking his hand.

Damn! It is hanging open, then! Blushing, he quickly clamped his mouth shut. He smiled at her and squeezed her hand gently. 'You look gorgeous,' he said softly.

Lily's cheeks became tinged with pink. 'Thank you,' she replied. 'You look very handsome yourself.'

The vicar cleared his throat and they both looked away from each other and stepped up towards him. They were still holding each other's hands, though, and both could feel the tension and the anticipation in the other.

The vicar started the ceremony. 'Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to...' he was saying.

But James was too busy stealing glances at his bride to notice what the man was saying. He had never imagined that Lily could be this beautiful. Not that she wasn't beautiful before, but seeing here now in the wedding gown...she looked like she was an angel who had just came down from Heaven. Sirius was right; he shouldn't have even worried about the whole thing from the beginning.

He was still looking at her when he felt a sharp stab at his foot. 'Ow!' he hissed, just as Lily withdrew her foot. She smiled sweetly at him. 'What?'

'Ehm,' the vicar said from behind him.

James whirled around, and saw the man frowning at him. 'What did I do?' he said anxiously, and there was a ripple of laughter around the church.

The vicar raised an eyebrow. 'I was saying...do you, James Potter, take Lily Evans...' he said, and James felt his face flaming up; they'd gotten to that part already? '...to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and cherish, in sickness and in health?'

James nodded. 'Y-yes, I do,' he said, still feeling flustered. He felt a nudge against his thigh, and he looked down to see his cousin, Philly. He frowned at him. 'What do you want?'

'The rings?' his cousin reminded him, while he gave him an irritated look; when did this kid become such a brat?

James hastily picked up the ring from the red cushion the boy was holding up for him, and slid it around his bride's finger, under her own condensing glare. 'Did I mention how beautiful you look?' he whispered, but she continued to scowl at him.

Lily, then, turned to the vicar. 'Do you, Lily Evans, take James Potter to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love and cherish, in sickness and in health?' he asked her.

Lily was looking totally dignified. 'I do,' she replied in a smooth, crisp voice, before she picked up the second ring and slid it around James's finger.

The vicar smiled at them. 'With the power invested in me, I know pronounce you husband and wife,' he said, before turning to look at James. 'You may now kiss the bride.'

The newly-wedded couple turned to face each other, and they took a few steps closer to each other. James smiled at his wife and stroked her cheek; he could tell that she was still a bit irritated with him. 'I love you,' he said softly.

Lily's anger seemed to melt away, and she smiled. 'I love you, t...' she said, but never got to complete her sentence as his lips closed in on hers, and they leaned against each other, kissing while the guests around them cheered and clapped.

They were married!!!

-

A/N: Done!!! Wow! I can't believe I got over with the wedding part! Lemme see...one more chapter left to go!! Yup!! Just one!! Reception, wedding speeches, honeymoon suite...it's going to be pretty funny, I believe! Well, until then, would you please review? Thanks!!

- S. N. B.