Chapter 10 The Storm/ The Day of the Wedding

The day of Lily and James' wedding was sunny and clear, not a cloud in the sky. Severus and Sirius were staying in Severus' London flat, which was close enough to Potter Manor that they could apparate.

"I can't believe they're getting married," Sirius sniffed, wiping a tear with Severus' handkerchief. "My Prongs! All grown up! And Lily-flower actually said yes!"

Severus finished putting on his dress robes and checked that Sirius was suitably dressed. He replaced the handkerchief Sirius was using with another and ushered him out of the door.

"We'll be late if you don't hurry up. Have you got the rings?"

"Shit!" Sirius swore, and raced back into the flat. Severus smirked.

Sirius almost tumbled back down the stairs, ring box in hand, and Severus caught him at the bottom.

"Got them!" Sirius proclaimed, then pecked him on the cheek in thanks.

Severus took out his invitation and tapped it with his wand. The apparition coordinates appeared on the back. With a crack they both arrived in the hall of Potter Manor.

It was less of a manor, and more a castle, Severus thought as he eyed the glowing candlelit chandeliers and vivid tapestries.

"Welcome!" a house elf squeaked. "Just this way, sirs." Their invitations floated from their hands and into the house elf's spindly fingers.

They followed the corridor, decorated with flowers and lit by morning sunshine, until they arrived in a large hall. It was decorated similarly, with white and gold drapes hanging from the ceiling, and the air almost seemed to glitter. Severus took his seat in the second row on Lily's side, while Sirius made a bee-line for James.

The hall slowly filled up, many of their year mates taking seats, and some of Lily's muggle cousins. Minerva, Flitwick and Slughorn entered together.

"Hello Minerva," Severus greeted her as she seated herself next to him.

"Good morning Severus. I can hardly believe this is happening."

"They're a well suited couple," Severus allowed.

"So young," Minerva said wistfully.

Soon the hall was full, and a hush fell over the room as the Bridal party made themselves scarce, and Mr and Mrs Potter took their seats. A light and delicate tune began to play from an enchanted organ, vaguely reminiscent of the muggle wedding march.

Mrs Evans walked down the aisle, in a lovely navy dress, and took her seat. She was followed by Remus Lupin and Frank Longbottom, the groomsmen, smartly dressed in black to match the groom. After that came Sirius, looking very handsome, one hand hovering over the pocket that the rings were in; James followed, beaming widely, looking like the cat that got the cream, then Albus, as he would be the officiant. As a Chief Mugwump he was legally eligible to perform marriages. He was grinning, eyes twinkling and his sapphire robes, with silver moons and stars on, shimmered. The bridesmaids; Marlene McKinnon, Emmeline Vance and Mary McDonald, walked down the aisle in sky blue dress robes, with Alice Longbottom, the maid of honour, following them.

Finally, Lily walked down the aisle, her father escorting her. She was dressed in traditional white, her dress tucked in at the waist, with a lace train flowing behind her.

James' jaw dropped, and Severus would swear that his eyes glistened with tears. One could not doubt that it was true love. Mr Evans drew Lily's veil back, and kissed her on the cheek, before giving her hand to James.

"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today…" Albus began. Severus smirked as James and Lily gazed at each other, lost in each other's eyes. He glanced at Sirius, who was smiling at him, and smiled back.

"And now the vows," Albus said. "I believe you've both written your own?"

James nodded, and cleared his throat. He clasped Lily's hand in his own.

"The first time I saw you we were on the Hogwarts Express, going to school for the first time. The sun shone off your hair, and it looked as if a halo of fire surrounded your head. You were telling Sirius off for teasing Peter, and that was the moment I knew I was going to marry you.

"You rebuffed me at every turn, laughed in my face, burnt up my love letters, and scoffed at my poems, but I was not deterred. For years I would spend my evening plotting up new ways to make you fall in love with me too. My friends told me to give it up, that I was wasting my time. They said it would never happen, there were plenty more fish in the sea. But I didn't want any other of those fish, because they weren't you. Then, one brilliant amazing day in seventh year, I asked you on a date, and you said yes. Until today, that was the best day of my life.

"I love you Lily, I always have, and I always will, whether you're so angry your cheeks turns the same colour as your hair, or so ill they turn the colour of snow. You're my firebrand, and I would rather get burnt than let you go."

Lily beamed, and she wiped a single tear away. Severus couldn't help but feel emotional himself.

"When I first met you I thought you were an insufferable toerag. I still think that you are. But you're my insufferable toerag, and so much more, and I would never give that up. When I think of you, I think of someone who is brave enough to stand between me and a dementor, someone who is kind enough to hold me when I cry, and someone who is funny enough to make me laugh no matter how sad I may be.

"I read every single poem and letter that you gave me, even if I did burn them. I've kept a single flower from every bouquet I received, pressed between the pages of my diary. I admire your strength and perseverance, and I'm so glad that you never gave up. There's not a day that goes by that I'm not happy I finally said yes, as my life has only improved ever since. I love you, even when you're being a toerag, even when you puke all over my new shoes, and I especially love you today, the day that we are bound together for better or for worse."

"I love you too," James mouthed at her.

"The rings?" Albus said. Sirius fumbled them from his pocket, tears streaming down his face.

"I, Lily Anne Evans, take you, James Charlus Potter, to be my lawfully and magically wedded husband."

"I, James Charlus Potter, take you, Lily Anne Evans, to be my lawfully and magically wedded husband."

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride," Albus declared.

James swept Lily into a kiss, and she giggled and threw her arms around him. He pulled her off her feet and spun her around, as cheers erupted about the church. They broke apart and Lily beamed, before taking James' hand, and they ran out of the hall as everyone threw confetti, stars and flowers and hearts that glittered and shimmered as they were enchanted to dance around the room.

The reception was held outside in the sunshine, with several marques erected on the manor grounds. Smartly dressed house elves walked around holding platters of nibbles and drinks, while a Jazz band played before an empty dance floor.

Severus made his way over to Sirius after accepting a glass of champagne.

"That was beautiful!" Sirius proclaimed. Severus nodded his agreement.

"Shall we join the queue?" They walked over to the group of people waiting to congratulate the newlyweds.

"That was a wonderful service," Severus said.

"I'm so happy for you!" Sirius cried, before wrapping his arms around both Lily and James. Lily carefully pried him off them a few moments later.

"Thank you," she said, beaming. James watched her with a sappy smile on his face.

"My Lilyflower," he said dreamily.

"We'll see you later," Severus said, tugging Sirius away. "Let's not monopolise them."

"I just love weddings," Sirius announced, plopping into one of the seats available and pulling Severus into the one next to him. "They're so romantic."

Severus bit back his personal feelings on weddings and allowed Sirius to wax rhapsodic.

"Everyone's so happy and in love, and it's the best day of the bride and grooms' lives, and there's always cake and ample booze, and at the end of the night we'll get to dance… we should get married!"

"Mmm," Severus said. "Wait. What?"

Sirius turned to him with bright, eager eyes. "Let's get married!"

Severus jumped to his feet. "What! No!"

Shock and hurt crossed Sirius' face before fading into resignation.

"Is this about the age thing again?" he asked quietly. "Because I thought we'd got past that!"

Severus stared at him, jaw dropped. Faintly, in the back of his mind, the Prince Manor wards alerted him to someone apparating into the house-but everyone in the Order was attending Lily's wedding.

Everyone but Regulus.

Moments later Severus' galleon started vibrating.

"Severus!" Sirius snapped. "Are you listening to me?"

He looked at Sirius in horror. "I'm sorry. I have to go."

He turned around and walked rapidly away, heading toward the apparition point, disappearing with a crack.

Regulus was pacing Prince Manor's entrance hall.

"Severus! There you are! Where is everyone?"

"At Lily's wedding," Severus growled. "What? What is it?"

Regulus paled, and he clutched his left arm. "We're attacking Azkaban. Right now!"

Severus froze. He didn't remember anything like that happening in the original timeline, but he'd messed around enough that he could no longer rely on his memories. There were far more of Voldemort's supporters imprisoned there this time around, and the dementors had already defected.

"Fuck!" he swore, and then again even louder, "FUCK!"

"I have to go," Regulus pleaded. Severus shook himself.

"Yes, go, go."

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. He had a decision to make. Ruin Lily's party, possibly expose Regulus as a spy, and attempt to save the Aurors protecting Azkaban.

Or do nothing. Preserve Regulus' position as a spy, allow the prisoners to escape, and condemn the Aurors to death.

"Fuck!" Severus cried again, and picked up a vase to smash it against the wall.

There was a loud crack moments after the vase shattered, and Sirius arrived.

"What the hell, Sev!" he cried. He then glanced about, noting the shattered vase, and Severus' demeanour. "What's going on?" he asked in a softer voice.

"Death Eaters are attacking Azkaban."

Sirius paled. "What! That's madness!"

Severus shook his head. "The dementors have already sided with them, remember?"

"We have to go and help," Sirius declared. "I'll get the others, you send an alert through over the galleons."

"No," Severus said. "Fuck, no, we can't do it, we'll compromise your brother's position as a spy."

Sirius' face scrunched up and then crumpled in pain. "What can we do then?"

Severus paced, the vague beginnings of a plan forming in his mind.

"We'll tell some of the others. Our best duellers, withdraw them from the wedding, subtly. Get everyone kitted up and ready to go, and send Fenwick to the Ministry. The moment the Ministry is alerted Fenwick will let us know, and we'll go then."

They apparated back to the wedding and immediately Albus noticed their entrance. He ambled over and Severus grimaced at him.

"Can you collect Fenwick, Moody, Flitwick and Molly? Leave quietly, and meet back at the manor as soon as possible."

"What's going on?" Albus asked.

"They're attacking Azkaban."

The twinkle in Albus' eye faded. "Very well."

The Longbottoms, Lupin, the Prewett twins, Bones and McKinnon joined those Albus collected. They were milling about in the dining room, exchanging whispers as Severus walked in. He'd already sent Fenwick off to the Ministry.

"What's going on?" Gideon demanded.

"You're all here because you're the best duellers the Order has to hand, and we're about to be in for a fight," Severus said bluntly. Albus coughed and stepped forward.

"Death Eaters are attacking Azkaban, in the hope of freeing the prisoners. We're going to join the Aurors in keeping them contained, and perhaps even capture a few more. Everyone must be prepared. It is likely Voldemort and his Inner Circle will be there, and we'll be up against the dementors too."

A shocked silence fell over the room before they all surged forward.

"Let's go!" McKinnon said, and with a flick of her wand transfigured her dress into duelling robes, and her cry was joined by many others.

"We can't. We have to wait for the Ministry to be alerted, or our spy will be compromised, and his life lost," Severus said.

"Our spy?" Moody said doubtfully. "What kind of spy?"

Severus didn't bother answering that.

"Is it a Death Eater?" Bones said. "What if it's a trap?"

"It's not," Severus snapped. "The best we can do is get ready for a fight."

There was quiet grumbling, but everyone began either finding more suitable clothing or transfiguring what they wore. Several collected knives or spare wands, and they stocked up on potions.

A few minutes later Fenwick's eagle flew into the room. "The Aurors are leaving," it announced.

"Let's go!" Severus shouted, and with a crack he apparated to Azkaban.

It was raining when they arrived, torrential rain with black clouds so dark that it was almost impossible to see. Immediately Severus cast his patronus, Padfoot bounding forward as it lead the way. The red-robed Aurors they'd arrived beside eyed them with surprise, but Head Auror Odgen just huffed a laugh.

"Come on then," he bellowed. "Follow the Auror in front of you."

Azkaban was already split open, and prisoners were streaming out of the cracks in the wall. Voldemort was clearly visible, cackling wildly as he began casting a spell. Massive swathes of water leapt up from the sea and bore down upon them. Albus vanished the water, and the air collapsed around them with a boom that was louder than thunder, seeking to fill the space the water had been.

Albus stalked forward wand aloft, and engaged Voldemort, a spectacular light show flying between them. Severus looked away and ran toward the furious battle.

With a flick of his wand he cursed Avery, who dodged and grinned wildly and cursed Severus in return.

"You're pathetic, Prince!" Severus deflected an entrails expelling curse and countered with a bone breaker. "Your mother would be ashamed!"

"Doubtful," Severus murmured, vaguely amused by the insinuation. He wove his wand in a figure of eight, conjuring a whip of fire and sent it lashing toward Avery.

Avery cackled and conjured a spear that caught the flames and yanked them toward him. Severus stumbled but released the spell and cast flurry of disarming and binding charms to distract Avery. Sirius' bodybind slammed into him from the side and Avery tumbled to the ground.

"Take that, scumbag!" Sirius cried, racing on past. Severus took a moment to create a portkey that would take Avery to the cells of Prince Manor, before following at a rapid pace.

"Where the fuck are they getting their wands from?" Severus hissed as he disarmed a raggedy prisoner and blasted him into a wall. He took a moment to appraise the battle field. Death Eaters spewed from the walls of the fortress already armed.

He sprinted for the shadowed walls of Azkaban and then shifted, moments later leaping onto the battlements as a small black cat. He raced along the halls, following the vibrations in the stone, weaving in between the feet of prisoners too eager to escape to care about an animal.

He stopped just short of a corner and peered round it. Mulciber and the Lestranges were arming the escaped wizards with a pile of wands.

Severus transformed and cast the strongest incendiary spell he knew. Flames licked up the sides of the walls as the pile of wands exploded, throwing them all to the floor. Severus' head cracked against the cold stone, and then he knew no more.