AN: Not a week! Dedicated to Glittering Moonlight, who wanted Lily to be on good terms with her sisters :) Not really James in this chapter, but I've made up for it with a tidbit about their past. There's an important AN at the bottom, please read it!

Chapter Nine: The Wedding, Part One: All or None

The alarm went off. Lily rolled over, groaning when memories of the night before assaulted her senses. Damn Potter. Damn him to the bloody fires of hell -

She poked one toe out gingerly. Almost immediately she withdrew it, shuddering. Waking up in winter was horrific. It was six a.m., and the sun had yet to rise. She cursed her lack of foresight in not having placed a dressing gown at the foot of her bed last night.

Well, this was going to be like pulling a splinter out: the faster it was done, the less pain it involved. Lily staggered out of bed and grabbed her wand from the bedside table.

"Accio dressing gown!"

The folded, fluffy white object zoomed out of her trunk. She snatched it out of the air. Alice and Arabella were still asleep, the lucky bitches, so Lily took Alice's pair of bunny slippers and shuffled to the bathrooms.

A shower with the water dial turned to the hottest possible setting did wonders to wake her up. She dried her elbow-length scarlet waves with an incantation. No doubt it would be properly styled once she got to Malfoy Manor, so she left it as it was and pulled on a jumper and jeans as quickly as possible.

Lily walked to the Great Hall for breakfast. The steaming plates of food were all set up, but nobody was up at this hour. She was the sole occupant. As she nursed a mug of hot chocolate she wondered if Potter and Black had already eaten or were yet to come. She suspected the latter.

Ah, Potter. Lily disliked the multitude of emotions his name called up within her. She hated him, she knew she did, and what he had done That Night was unforgivable. The passing years had only made him crueller. His role in what Rookwood had done only evidenced that.

And yet...She recalled the curious expression on his face as he had said, Some people don't have a choice. Maybe he had a point. She had heard of Charlus Potter, met him on several occasions, and he was even more charming, manipulative and ruthless than his son. That was saying something.

But James Potter's father hadn't forced him to do what he'd done four years ago. That particular bit of sadism had been all him and Sirius. Lily bit into a croissant to combat the faint nausea as a white-hot memory flashed into being.

"She's here," Potter said. Even at thirteen he was arrogant and handsome, and he walked like he owned the world. But his gorgeous features were dark and twisted, a feral light in his eyes. "What shall we do with her?"

Sirius gazed at Lily uninterestedly. "Well, this one wasn't meant to be here," he said. She bared her teeth in a useless show of defiance. Her hands had been bound behind her back, and without her wand she was powerless to undo the tight Muggle knot.

"I want her," Potter said decisively. "She'll be good fun. Any objections?"

"Course not," her cousin said.

Potter, he who was the devil incarnate, swished his wand. "Crucio!"

Lily screamed.

She shook away her dark thoughts with a sip of scalding chocolate and stood up. What had happened, had happened, and a girl was dead because of it. S

Lily didn't know why she was thinking of That Night today of all days. She usually tried to keep it buried in the farthest reaches of her brain, but her mood was odd and mercurial. Her slender fingers unconsciously came up to play with the Black pendant.

There was still half an hour before she was due at Dumbledore's office. She went back to the dorm, moving slowly, her mind forcedly fixed on lighter things. But James Potter's cruel, striking face still hovered on her heels.

~#~#~

"Spider Mallow," Lily told the gargoyle.

It squinted at her then allowed her through. She knocked on Dumbledore's door, tongue flicking out to moisten suddenly dry lips.

"Come in," he called. She did so. A duffle bag was hitched over her shoulder, trainers silent on the thick carpet as she glided over to where Dumbledore was seated behind his desk.

"Good morning, Miss Black," he said cordially. "Please have a seat. Mr Potter and Mr Black have yet to arrive, although unless I am much mistaken..." He cocked his head to the side. Sure enough, there was a rap at the door, and in what Lily considered an example of the heights of rudeness it was shoved open before the professor could answer.

Sirius entered first. His raven hair gleamed in the candlelight, irises more silver than grey. A backpack was slung over one shoulder. Potter came in next, and before Lily managed to force herself to look away she took in his sleepily heavy-lidded eyes and trademark windswept locks. Her heartbeat quickened. Hastily, she focussed on a corner of the desk.

What was wrong with her? Hadn't she been ruminating on him just this morning?

"Good morning, boys," Dumbledore said. "This is the Portkey." He indicated a brilliant golden feather on his desk. Most probably it had come from Fawkes, Lily thought, glancing around for the phoenix.

"It will take you to Malfoy Manor. On Sunday morning it will return you to my office, so remember not to be late. Ah, here it comes."

The feather had begun to glow blue-white. Lily stretched out a finger to touch it, shifting so that Sirius and Potter could fit on too. She noticed that they were careful to keep a distance between them.

Her navel jerked, and they were off.

Lily had travelled by Portkey before. She despised it, preferring Floo powder, but had to admit that in some ways it had distinct advantages. An invisible force had glued her fingertip to the feather to prevent her falling off. The time was brief and lasted for only a few seconds. As her feet found purchase on the ground she stumbled sideways into a hard body.

"Get off," Potter said. His voice was low and harsh.

Glaring, Lily silently snatched herself away and blinked away her dizziness. They were in one of the sitting rooms of Malfoy Manor. A fire burned in the grate and the curtains were pulled to reveal the slowly lightening sky. Fawkes' feather lay on the floor.

"Good to see you again," a voice said.

She jumped. In her perusal of the room, she had missed the person sitting in an armchair in front of them. Rabastan Lestrange was a few years older than her with black hair that hung in his equally dark eyes. He was the spitting image of his older brother Rodolphus - Bellatrix's husband.

Lily had always liked him and she smiled, noting that he had directed his comment to her. "You too, Rab," she said. "Everything ready for the big day? How's my sister?"

"Cissy's had about ten mental breakdowns since waking up the same number of minutes ago," he replied with an eye-roll. "She always was the drama queen. Lucius is better at hiding his anxiety." Rabastan stood. "Hello, James, Sirius. Haven't seen you two in quite some time."

"You know how it is," Sirius said airily. "So much to do, so little time..."

"I hear that congratulations are in order," he said. "Rodolphus tells me you two were the masterminds behind the Rookwood killings."

He said it so casually, and Lily was reminded of how it was nothing to them - the murder of Muggles, children. Yet Rabastan at least was so kind to her. She knew what a good person he could be. How could she reconcile that with the man who spoke so easily of such cruelty?

Her mood had soured, or maybe it had never been all that good in the first place, and she coughed loudly. "Nice as all this is can we get a move on? I want to see Cissy and my room."

"Course," Rabastan said, winking at her. "Right this way."

He led them out of the room, and Lily could not shake her feeling of unease as the eyes of Lucius' ancestors followed them.

~#~#~

"Lily!" Bellatrix said exultantly, crushing her younger sister to her bosom. "Look how tall you are!"

Bella had never been one to do things by half, Lily reflected as she laughingly tried to wriggle away. Either she was joyous or heartbroken, raging or sobbing. That was the curse of the Blacks; either they were like Lily and Narcissa and were detached and impervious, or like Bellatrix and Sirius swung from one extreme to the other. She wondered if there had ever been a Black who could express emotions normally. She doubted it.

"You need to eat more," Bellatrix said critically. "I always did say Durmstrang had richer food, but Father point-blank refused to send us there - "

"I'm fine, Bella," Lily assured her. The two of them were standing in the sumptuous bedroom the redhead had been given for the duration of her stay. Bellatrix was currently winding her flaming hair into an elaborate do.

"Cissy wanted to see you, but I said not till I'd done your hair," she confided. "She isn't allowed to see Lucius so naturally she's been a bit nervy."

Lily hmm'ed. "How's Rodolphus?"

"With Lucius. There, all done!"

Lily looked into the gilt-edged mirror. Two curls had been allowed to spring free to frame her oval face, the rest swept up to the top of her head and pinned in place with a large diamond. She smiled and got to her feet.

"What now?"

"To see Mother and Cissy," Bellatrix said. Her eyes flashed down and she added almost abruptly, "I'm glad to see you've taken my advice."

With a start Lily remembered. "Bella, what did you mean in your letter? You said I should wear my pendant at all times - "

"Not here," she hissed. Her voice was low and urgent. "It can't be spoken of now, it's not safe. I promise I'll explain in greater detail later. Okay?"

"Fine," Lily said reluctantly. "Let's go."

Druella Black, nee Rosier, was sitting majestically on the bed as her youngest and oldest daughter entered her middle daughter's bedroom. She had Veela roots that had passed down to Narcissa but her eyes were not the same cold grey. She looked up as they came in.

"Delilah," she greeted crisply.

Lily straightened her back and clasped her hands behind her back. She played this part around everyone from her family but most particularly when with her vehemently anti-Muggle parents.

"Mother," she said. "You're looking well."

Druella raised a silvery-blonde eyebrow. "As are you, Delilah. How's school?"

She knew where this was leading. "Good, Mother. I'm getting Os in nearly all my subjects."

"How are Sirius and James? Still up to mischief?"

For incomprehensible reasons, Lily's mother adored the only Potter heir. She hid her scowl. "Yes, even though their friend Remus Lupin is Head Boy."

"Lupin," Druella repeated. "Pureblood?"

"Yes, but they're new money."

"That explains it. Practically nobodies," Druella dismissed. "What about you, Delilah? The McKinnon girl and the Longbottom boy?"

The contempt in her words was impossible to miss. Lily fought the urge to say something she knew she would regret. "They're fine," she said shortly.

"I hear Gryffindor's lost the Quidditch Cup to Slytherin for nearly a decade now," Druella said slyly. "Your House is hardly doing well, is it?"

"I'm Gryffindor Seeker now," Lily said. "So maybe we'll be getting better, if I'm anything like Sirius."

She saw her mother's surprise before it was hastily hidden and felt a stab of triumph. It took a lot to crack the Black mask Druella had managed to cultivate after her marriage.

The exchange between them was signalled as over as Druella deliberately turned her head away. Narcissa spoke, something she had known better than to do while her mother conversed with her sister.

"Well done, Lily," she said. "I'm sure you'll gain your House lots of points. Come here, we need to fit you with your bridesmaid's dress." She floated over to the expansive wardrobe and pulled out a hanger. Attached to it was a silky black confection decorated lavishly. Lily wrinkled her nose.

"Those are the bridesmaid's dresses?"

"We thought they would be ironic," Bellatrix put in. "Since I'm maid of honour, and you and Regina Malfoy are bridesmaids. Lucius' side of the family are dressed in white."

Lily acquiesced. For the next few hours she allowed her sisters and a whole range of professional people to fit the dress to her, cover her face with makeup, redo her hair (Bellatrix looked furious) and perform a variety of other activities.

After that, she handed her wrapped wedding presents to their mother who spirited the parcels away.

"Can I go now?" Lily asked, struggling not to yawn.

Narcissa was busy having her eyelids painted glittery green. "Of course," she said. "Go and explore the house or something. If you're hungry, ask Rabastan to show you to the kitchen. The house-elves will whip something up for you."

Lily nodded and made her escape.

~#~#~

James Potter certainly looked good in a suit.

Lily blushed when she thought it, defiantly embarrassed. The black blazer outlined his lean, hard muscles almost as well as her clinging silk dress did to her curves. He looked powerful , standing there surveying the crowd with his tie loosely knotted.

She hadn't been able to take her eyes off him the whole time.

Lucius and Narcissa would be leaving for their honeymoon in a few hours. Right now the guests were busy talking, laughing, drinking and eating. A few couples were on the dance floor. Bellatrix and Rodolphus were among them.

Lily nibbled at a prawn. She was bored. She didn't like the champagne, and wasn't about to go for any of the more hardcore drinks, although she had seen both Sirius and Potter guzzling down some beer. Sirius at least was already of age. Potter turned seventeen two months after her.

She tapped one of her high heels against the floor.

"Dance with me, cousin dear?"

Lily blinked and narrowed her eyes. Sirius was standing in front of her, one hand outstretched. His words rang with mockery. A no was on the tip of her tongue, but then she caught sight of her mother's glare, and sighed.

"Very well then."

She stood up. He led them both onto the dance floor. Potter was sitting at one of the tables, talking to some blonde, and Lily quashed the strange feeling that clawed at her when she saw him touch her arm. What was wrong with her today?

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen such a perfect example of hypocrisy."

Lily tore her gaze away and lifted her eyes to Sirius. "Whatever do you mean?"

The contempt on his face was unmistakeable. "No, really, it stuns me. You do everything in your power to let everyone know that you aren't like the rest of us blood purist Slytherins, then when it suits you, you take up our mantle. Your slyness honestly impresses me. Clearly you were Sorted into the wrong House."

Lily still didn't know what he meant, but the fact that he was disgusted did not escape her. Her grip on him tightened. They had all but ceased to dance now. Instead they were leaning closer to each other, words hissed lowly.

"Are you talking about the pendant? Because it tells everyone I'm a Black?"

"Hallelujah. She finally gets it," he said.

Her anger flared. "You don't know what you're talking about. I'm only wearing it because Bella told me to! Unlike you, I have a good relation with my siblings."

Throwing in the fact that Sirius and Regulus were like cats and dogs was admittedly a low blow. His lips thinned, but he managed to get out a taunting laugh. "You're so clueless, my little cousin, it's almost adorable. It's all or none: either you're with us, or you're against us." His hands on her waist were so harsh they almost pained her. "You can't have it both ways, Lily. Hiding behind our name while you preach for Muggles. Soon the time will come when you'll have to make your choice. Be sure to make the right one."

She dug her nails into his skin. "Explain, Sirius, how honouring my sister's wishes makes me a hypocrite."

"She didn't want you to know," he said thoughtfully, "but I think I'll tell you all the same. Then you won't have an excuse. You see, Lily, your haloed Bellatrix is one 0f the Dark Lord's most faithful servants. She's done things that make what James, Rookwood and I did look like child's play. She's planning something big to appease him, and she wants you protected. That's why she told you to wear the pendant."

He released her and stepped back. "Well, Lily? Knowing that, are you going to be showing everyone what a little hypocrite you are, or are you going to make a name for your own?"

Lily could only stare blankly at him. She'd known her sister had done terrible things - what member of her family hadn't? But... she'd never been so involved before. Usually they were incidents she read about in the newspaper and sneaking suspicions she never voiced.

It had to be something big indeed if Bellatrix was telling her to wear the Black pendant.

She whirled around, pushing remorselessly past people. Out. She needed to get out. Somewhere she could breathe, where the blood that drenched everyone's hands but her own wasn't so close, so almost visible. She couldn't brush it all under the carpet anymore like she had been doing for the past six years.

Something needs to give.

It's all or none: either you're with us, or you're against us.

After a while Lily realised she had stopped running. She was standing on a balcony, bathed in moonlight, looking down at the beautiful and expansive Malfoy grounds. Her fingers brushed over the burnished gold of her pendant. They traced the embossed lines of the coat-of-arms and motto. Toujours pur: always pure. How could she in good conscience wear it when she didn't agree with what it stood for? Yet how could she take it off and break so many hearts by renouncing her heriatge?

A footstep alerted her, the brush of cloth. Lily turned around. Somehow she wasn't surprised to see him.

"Hello," James Potter said.

AN: Me again! So, I was thinking about doing a story about either Narcissa or Bellatrix. Lily won't be their sister. They may or may not be AU. I'll update chapters alternating between this story and that one. Please tell me which sister's story you want, then I'll post the summary next chapter :)