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Just a quick hey… Hey. Thanks to my reviewers, FaithfulHPReader, ..Seraphina.x. and lovenmyownedward. Hope you all enjoy, Penny
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Chapter Twenty-Five: Countdown
Lily
I stood next to James. It was a few days into the New Year, I was a little loath to admit I couldn't actually remember ringing in the New Year, apparently I was very drunk. My birthday was at the end of the month but I wasn't really thinking about it all too much, except for the fact I'd be legally an adult in the Muggle world. I was also realising the depressing fact I was older then James, by two months but still, it made me miserable. Also because we were getting married in between my birthday and his I would be viewed a total paedophile to the Muggle world. Not that I cared, the wizarding world was my place. Even though I was trying to go to a Muggle university…
James and I were both staring down at the final guest list for our wedding. All the RSVP's were in and so this was it. None of my family would be there, not that I'd wanted them there so James' family alone made up the two hundred guests while the other fifty of our guests were names I recognised.
"Two hundred and fifty people" I hissed.
"Pureblood families are really huge Lils, you should be lucky she hasn't chucked the Weasley's on there or the Malfoy's" James said
"Huh?"
"You know that we're all like distantly related… Sirius is like my fourth cousin twice removed or something" James said
"But did she have to invite your whole family tree?" I asked
"That's not my whole family tree. That's like a quarter. I told you wizarding families are huge" James said waving the list in my face.
"What?" Mrs Potter asked I turned to face her and then gasped at what was behind her. We were currently looking at our reception hall but I had no idea it'd look anything like this.
"God, it looks like Cupid vomited" I muttered James could only nod.
"What do you think?" Mrs Potter asked James and I looked at her. "It won't be decorated like this for your reception obviously"
"Oh thank God" I said and James sighed in relief.
"No, I just asked the couple if we could see the hall but they'd already decorated" Mrs Potter said.
"Oh ok" I said
"Lily dear I noticed that when I was sending the invitations you didn't send any to your aunts and uncles or anything"
"Well I just figured since your all purebloods that you would do some sort of official magical ceremony and that would naturally risk exposure to my muggle family" I said
"No one in your family is magical?"
"That's what they tell me… although my cousin George is a magician but he only does kids party's" I said James sniggered. "I wrote down everyone who knows I'm a witch on that list"
"Yes but that only included your parents. What about your sister?"
"Oh I don't want her there"
"Well I invited her, good thing she said no" Mrs Potter said.
"Yeah good thing, I'd have killed her and we'd have to have had one of those depressing prison marriages" I sighed
"You'd look nice in a jumpsuit" James said I just put my hand on his face and shoved him away lightly.
"You seemed hesitant to invite your parents. They said no! Why on earth would they do that? You're getting married. If your parents don't attend how can your father walk you down the aisle?" Mrs Potter asked
"Uh… he won't" I said as if this were pretty obvious.
"That's so sad… excuse me for a moment" Mrs Potter said and left the hall.
"Was I being rude?"
"No. Well a little but mum just likes having family together you know. You're lucky you missed out on the annual Potter Christmas Eve party. Everyone comes, and I mean like everyone. Unfortunately we have to do it this year but who knows it might be fine"
"Why do I doubt that?"
"Because I said it in my doubtful voice. Now missy your birthday is coming up very soon. What do you want?"
"My birthday is seven days before the wedding I'll only want you" I said he smiled
"Aw do you know how long I've waited to hear you stay stuff like that?" he asked
"Hey I wanted to ask Kim something do you think she could come round some time."
"Well what did you want to ask?"
"Well I assume you'll have three groomsmen" I said
"Yes"
"Well I've only got two best friends. So I was going to ask her if she'd be a bridesmaid, that or you gotta chop one of your friends out and I think they'd hold a grudge" I said.
"You like Kim?"
"Yeah, she was really sweet when I stayed with her and seems like a pretty cool girl. I actually consider her a pretty close friend now. If she says no though I'm going to have to have Hannah Whilder there"
"That Hufflepuff girl who knocked herself unconscious with a Beaters bat during the Quidditch final?"
"That's her. She seems nice enough but my Hannah hates her" I said with a smile
"Is it because she feels she stole her name? Because I hate that James Lyon guy from Ravenclaw" James said making me laugh.
"Any way, ask Kim if she doesn't mind. Or I will whatever" I said
"I'm sure she won't and I think it's very nice. Now what do you think of Remus' fiancé as our flower girl?" James asked I laughed
"Aw she's so gorgeous" I said
"Remus doesn't like her" James said
"Why must you annoy your friends like this?" I asked
"Because it's so easy to do" he said taking my hand and leading me across the reception hall.
"We're not crashing are we?" I asked he shook his head
"Mum said they won't be here till five and its three thirty so we'll leave in a bit" he said and twirled me onto the dance floor.
"You have this uncanny knack for dancing to no music" I said he smiled.
"You know me Lils" he said as he twirled me round "I dance to my own beat, make my own rules" he pulled me close to him again and we continued dancing.
"You certainly do" I said
"Twenty days Lily" he said I smiled.
"The year kind of just flew by huh" I said
"Well with our rushed engagement I think it fits our quick yet epically romantic love story. We wasted no time falling for each other"
"You may not have, I took a good seven years to come round" I muttered
"There's no harm in making sure" he said I could only smile.
"Well I'm really sure" I said
"Really sure?" he asked
"I am super sure" I said he smiled.
"Super sure" he said
"Please stop repeating everything I say in that arrogant little tone you use when you've been proven right" I said he tipped me back making me squeal and giggle with laughter. He pulled me back up and twirled me again.
"Stop it I'm going to hurl" I said and he twirled me twice making me laugh.
"Ok we should probably go, I think that's the band coming in to set up" he said we both glanced over. There was indeed a band setting up so I let James lead me out of the hall and over to where his mother was waiting outside.
"The band was setting up so we figured we should skedaddle" James said I smiled at him.
"Oh all right. So this is a nice place?" Mrs Potter asked
"Yeah, it's good, big" I said nodding
"All right, because I can't change it now. Oh I'm so happy for you two" Mrs Potter said hugging us both. "You're going to look so beautiful, both of you"
She then hurried off down the street to go arrange some last minute catering things. James put his arm around me and we walked off in the opposite direction.
"So my lovely Lily what will you be doing with your time while I work so hard to pay our bills?" he asked
"I will be planning our wedding you goose, and if Hannah has her way I will be suffering through a terrible bachelorette party some time soon" I sighed.
"Aren't they fun? I know Sirius is going all out for my party"
"Ah bachelorette parties are like the anti-bachelor party. All girls do is sip tea and exchange wedding secrets while you guys get to go out hang out with strippers and get completely wasted" I explained
"That only happens when you invite old women, take young ones out and you'll get wasted" he said
"Do you know like any women at all?"
"Well it's just Andy's bachelorette party she wound up in Edinburgh so wasted she couldn't remember the night before carrying only a camera and some random guys underwear" James said
"I must remember to invite her then" I muttered
"You must" he said and hugged me close Apparating home.
"Hey guys" James and I glanced over to Peter, Remus and Sirius all sitting at the kitchen table.
"They all live here now don't they?" I asked
"Oh they'll only be here for a little while" James said
"You said that two weeks ago" I reminded him.
"Well if your friends ever want to stay they can. Besides I thought you'd like the company" he said. I had enough company… I'd been back with James, which was nice, one of the many things I'd missed while we were apart was falling asleep beside him, but in the condition I was back under his care I was now tailed by his security guards. Not a big change from when I wasn't around him except now I knew they were there, even when they all thought they were being clever with their invisibility cloaks. I hadn't so much as heard from Voldemort, mocking me or anything on how he would totally kill me and enjoy it, or his Deatheaters so I figured I was pretty ok. But I knew better then to leave my guard down, I'm not stupid.
"Don't even think for a second you can convince me that this is for my benefit" I said walking over to the bench so we'd have a little bit of privacy from his three friends.
"Are you ok?" he asked leaning on the bench beside me. I sighed
"I'm just frazzled you know… all over the place and whatever"
"Are you getting all nervous?"
"I was nervous two months ago, now I'm… whatever more then nervous is" I said
"Why?" he asked
"I don't know… its all official and stuff you know. It's like actually happening legitimately. There will be photos and proof not just black fuzz when we think about it" I said he laughed
"We can always shuffle that night away as our first date or something" he said
"Oh that'll be a nice one to tell the kids. What was your first date like? Can't remember sweetie I was totally wasted" I said Sirius laughed. I turned around and hopped up on the bench so I was staring at the three guys sitting at the table.
"Better then how did you and mum get together? Well she hated me but one day had a little too much to drink and we woke up married and now I've blackmailed her into staying with me even though she doesn't love me" James said his three friends all laughed.
"Personally I wouldn't tell them anything" Peter said
"Well I would tell them, just not everything. Kids like to know that stuff" Remus said
"No when they ask you simply gloat that Evans was madly in love with you and on graduation night she turned to you and begged 'Oh marry me, stupid'" Sirius said doing a very wonderful impersonation of me.
"And you replied 'fuck yeah'" Peter said James and I laughed.
"That's nice, put that one in the toast" I said
"Oh don't worry I'm sure you'll love what I've got" Sirius said I rolled my eyes at him.
"Knowing you it's something awful" I said
"I resent that" he said I smiled.
"You gorgeous boy have to go back to work and ask Kim to be my bridesmaid" I said turning to James.
"Now?" he whined.
"Yes now, I have to get her fitted for a dress you moron" I said
"Cranky" he said kissing me softly before disappearing.
I walked over to the table and sat down in front of the three Marauders.
"You're having Kim as a bridesmaid?" Sirius asked
"Yes because James had to have three friends while I only have two. I consider her a friend now anyway. And I think Peter would appreciate dancing with her more then my sister" I said
"Wait, we have to dance? I didn't agree to that" Remus said
"Oh you are so dancing! With Bec" I said he sighed
"So I get Hannah 'Psychopath' Yardley?" Sirius asked
"She's my maid of honour and you're the best man so… yeah"
"But, I dumped her, coldly that girl holds grudges" Sirius protested
"She won't on my wedding day because she's not that petty. Don't like it give best man to one of these two, they like Hannah" I said Remus and Peter both looked at Sirius.
"Sometimes it's hard being so attractive" Sirius sighed Remus snorted.
"Yeah that's your only problem" Peter said.
"I don't like you two… I'm going to sit with Lily, she's nice" Sirius said and moved to sit beside me.
"Isn't she the one your mad at?" Peter asked Sirius held up his hand.
"What cha doing Lily-flower?" Sirius asked
"Watching you guys be idiots. How on earth did you make it this far in your lives?" I asked
"I have no idea" Remus said I smiled
"It has something to do with my charismatic personality" Sirius said I hit him over the back of the head. I pulled out the large binder I had filled with all our wedding stuff and sighed. Now that we had confirmed all our RSVP's it was time to work on seating arrangements, Mrs Potter felt I should have some say in the wedding. So I got left with this.
"That thing is huge" Sirius said
"You clearly have no idea how much effort goes into a wedding" Remus said
"And you do? Who's the lucky lady?" Sirius asked
"Is it Prue? She seemed nice" Peter said
"Can everyone just not talk?" Remus asked Sirius snorted and began to laugh.
"Do you know like any of these people?" Sirius asked staring at the guest list.
"My God! You're right! I've never heard off this Sirius Black who on earth invited him?" I asked Sirius hugged me resting his head on my shoulder and stared down at what I was doing.
"I can't believe you're getting married" he said I laughed.
"Neither" I said softly.
"What I can't believe is that you're marrying James Potter" Remus said
"Why did you want him?" I asked Sirius and Peter laughed
"Ah she's finally turned on you Moony" Sirius said
"I doubt it" Remus said I smiled at him.
"So… what do you guys know about table arrangements?" I asked they all stared back at me blankly.
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James
"Uh-oh you got the anxious look. Eighteen days… nervous?" Kim asked sitting down beside me. I nodded mutely. The days were just passing so quickly now, I saw Lily for a little bit in the mornings where she would have a freak out over some wedding thing, then when I got home she was passed out on the couch sleeping soundly.
"She's not a bridezilla yet so I would relax" Kim said and picked up a packet of darts. She'd just attached a picture to the door of our favourite master of evil and was now going to throw darts at it.
"Where did you get that?" I asked
"Hogwarts year book class of 1945" Kim said pointing to the bookshelf nearby.
"Why do we have Hogwarts year books?" I asked glancing at them curiously.
"Because Chase and Gibbons were assigned to run a background check on old Voldemort and were able to find so much crap from his Hogwarts days they couldn't fit it in their own offices and had to chuck it here"
"Really? I would have thought he'd have tried to erase the fact he did not just suddenly appear as a twenty-something year old psychopath" I said
"Ok I wanted to see if any one from our department went there when he did and totally make fun of how dorky they looked in school" Kim said and threw a dart at the picture.
"Nice shot" I said she smiled. Seventeen year old Voldemort had dodged the dart and was now glaring at us from his picture. "It's weird he looks almost normal"
"So do you" Kim replied and threw another dart.
"Excuse me; I am not an evil dark lord"
"No but you look similar" she said and began to spin around in her chair and threw another dart. "oh that's just astounding" she cried out when even after spinning around in her chair a few times she still manage to hit the picture.
We were a little bored this afternoon, as we were only interns we weren't actually allowed to go help anyone, just write up reports and things. Do a few safe missions, but we hadn't been taken out for quite a while. Next year we would join the other cadets at the Academy and begin the gruelling four years of training as an Auror. Yeah the internship didn't even cut my training in half or anything; all it did was guarantee me a spot in the Academy and a job here when I graduated.
"So I have to get fitted for a dress tomorrow, for your wedding, and I'm meeting her two friends for the first time. What are they like?" Kim asked and threw another dart.
"Hmm? Oh Hannah and Bec? Went to school with them, they are really nice girls, Bec is a little more laid back then Lily and Hannah but Hannah is more inclined to get drunk then Lily"
"Ah so Lily's the old stick in the mud" Kim said with a smile.
"Yeah, yeah I guess. She was Head Girl at school and I was just… trouble"
"How did she wind up with you?"
"It's any ones guess" I said Kim laughed. I took a dart from her and threw it, hitting Voldemort square in the eye.
"Gotta be quick Riddle" Kim scolded and threw another dart.
"Riddle?" I asked
"Hm. Tom Riddle, that's what it says. Made Head Boy and everything" she said picking up the year book.
"Pretty important guy, hey he went to school with McGonagall!" I said then stopped "she was my head of house, I sware she had it in for me"
"Is she coming to your wedding?"
"Are you kidding? My mum invited everyone I ever met, this nice old lady I said hi to once in the street is coming" I said Kim laughed again.
"If I ever get married I hope my mum doesn't invite my teachers, I was a rather awful kid in school" she said.
"I don't remember a week I didn't have detention" I said she laughed
"You were not that bad"
"Yeah I kind of was, I used to hex random kids in the hall sometimes I got caught and other times they couldn't figure out who did it but blamed me any way" I said she shook her head a small smile on her face.
The door opened just as Kim threw another dart and we both froze
"Well look at that sir, you'd have lost an eye anyway" Chase said. Moody gave him a look and then pulled the dart out, his magical eye popping out of its socket with it. We all stared at the magical electric blue eye sitting on the end of the dart then at Moody.
"Did you want something sir?" Kim asked keeping her cool.
"Not having darts in my eyes is nice" he said and pulled his eye off the dart and popped it back in before chucking the dart. It landed right next to Kim's hand where she was resting it on the desk.
"Missed" Chase said
"Meant to. Where are the Todd reports?" Moody asked Kim held up the folders for him.
"Good work, stop slacking off! Constant vigilance!" he barked making Kim and I jump.
"Yes sir" we said automatically. He turned around and walked off; Chase began to laugh at us
"Best interns ever" he said and turned to follow Moody still laughing.
"Scheisse, das schrecklich war" Kim cursed
"German is such a beautiful language" I said "I've never heard you speak it before"
"I just threw a dart in our boss' eye!" she said and sat down miserably.
"Yeah" I said laughing she glared at me "it was funny!"
She rolled her eyes and threw some reports at me.
"We've done them all" I whined and just as the words left my mouth Nancy came in and handed us each a new stack.
"Damn" I muttered taking them from her. She smiled sympathetically and then left. Kim and I sighed miserably and then turned to our own stacks of files beginning to sort through them.
"There's too much writing, my hand hurts" Kim sighed. I gave her a sympathetic smile watching as she switched the quill from her right hand to her left.
"Oh you write with both?"
"Yeah, little party trick but handy if my right hand cramps" Kim said
"Not good for smudging though" I said she held up her left hand which was now covered in ink.
"Ah the perils of left-handedness. I don't know how people who actually are left handed do it" she sighed.
"Sirius is, he writes on the side so all his writing starts to go a bit diagonal" I said she turned her paper on the side and began to write.
"Oh legend!" she said triumphantly I had to laugh. She held up her paper entirely smudge free and grinned. "Awesome"
We were efficiently and quickly working through the various piles of cases speaking only to compare a few things or ask an opinion. I finished the pile in front of me and began to work on Kim's pile with her.
"Oh thanks James, I really don't want to have to bring all this stuff around with me tomorrow…" Kim sighed.
"Not a problem…" I said she smiled. We were both so engrossed in the files that we didn't notice Chase come in until he spoke making Kim scream and me knock over my ink.
"Oh sorry but Jimmy we need that Evans file" Chase said not even bothering to clean it up so Kim pulled out her wand.
"Why what happened?" I asked in alarm.
"Nothing happened" Chase said "Ok something happened but nothing to Lily
"Was another girl taken?" Kim asked
"No… you two need to relax, maybe Moody just likes her picture? Or maybe someone stuffed the file who knows, do you have it?" Chase asked I spun around in my chair to the filing cabinet behind me and pulled out the file on Lily's kidnapping and handed it to him. He flipped it open idly going through it to check everything was there.
"Wow, straight O student" Chase said I gave him a look and he took the hint and left.
"Did someone stuff up the file?" Kim asked
"I don't know but I hate being in here with file cabinets, reminds me of detention" I sighed.
"Just be lucky we don't have all the important ones or people would walk in and out of here all the time" she said. "I'm going for coffee, you want one?"
"Yeah sure thanks" I said she nodded and left. I sighed and leant back in my chair hitting my head on the open drawer behind me. Slamming it shut with an irritated sigh I turned back to the stupid files in front of me.
I would be given two days leave for the wedding, yes time to spend in a hotel, and then two weeks for my honeymoon in March. That break couldn't come soon enough.
Kim came back into the room holding two coffees. Her eyes were wide and her face was strikingly pale.
"What's up?" I asked
"Lily's a Muggle born right?" Kim replied. I don't like it when people answer my questions with questions, even though I often do it myself.
"Yes" I said nodding
"So if something happened to her parents the muggles would have to handle it right?"
"I guess so, yeah" I said
"Damn!" Kim said I frowned at her. "I feel so bad for you. I mean your life just sucks; your girlfriend is being threatened all the time. You weren't allowed to see her for ages… and now this"
"Now what?" I asked
"Well Chase wasn't lying, nothings happened to Lily"
"Bloody hope not I have my three friends with her at all times" I said
"Voldemort kidnapped her parents. And they're Muggles so those 'policemen' have to sort it out" Kim said
"WHAT! That's ridiculous" I cried.
Now I was not the biggest fan of Nathan and Amy Evans but they were Lily's parents and I would naturally have to do all I could to keep them safe. Even if Lily never wanted to speak to them again I think she would feel a lot happier about it knowing they're alive. "So what do we do?"
Kim gave me a small smile "hope is not lost James. Because Voldemort sent us a lovely little note, we can step in. Unfortunately we've got lots of Muggle red tape to step over but I am positive Moody won't leave them high and dry"
I nodded slowly. Someone was going to have to tell Lily, and there is no doubt she'd come raging in wand at the ready to kill something. I couldn't let her do it, she'd fall right into the so clearly laid out trap. But I had to tell her…
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Amy
I knew I was tied to a chair but my eyes were blindfolded. I could feel Nate beside me. His presence only a small comfort in this situation.
"Why are they blindfolded?" a voice asked.
"So they can't recognise you my Lord"
"How can they recognise me we've never met!" the first voice bellowed.
"Well still… you know…"
"Fine whatever, just go you three stay" the first voice said. A dozen or so footsteps sounded across the floor as various people left the room.
Our blindfolds were taken off and we stared at the four men in front of us. One of them I recognised at our neighbour Serverus Snape but the other three were complete strangers. The one in the middle, who I presumed was their leader stared down at us.
"Are you sure they're the right people?" he asked
"Yes" Snape said
"But they're blonde!"
"And you're father was a brunette your point?" Snape asked
"Don't talk back to me. It's just down right rude is what it is"
"Who are you?" Nate asked.
"I'm your worst nightmare. Most people just call me You-Know-Who but my victims usually call me bastard"
"Well what do you want with us Mr Bastard?" Nate asked
"Oh-hoh he's clever. Now I know where Lily got that fire from"
"What do you want with Lily?" I asked.
"I've never had someone escape me before, she has. Twice. I don't like that, so I'm just righting a wrong"
"If you think we'll just sit here and let you kill our daughter you're sorely mistaken!" Nate said
"Not a problem. You'll be dead by then…"
"She won't save us! Even if you don't hurt us" I said
"Yes she will… even after all the nasty things you said and she said… it's in her nature"
Nate and I knew he was right. Both of us sat wishing we'd done a little more to push her away from us. Not because we wanted to, God no, but because it seemed right now it'd save her life.
"We're so fucked" Nate said.
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I have been up all night, it's now 7:54 in the morning, and I should be getting ready for school hahahahahaha anyway. Just couldn't sleep with this all up in my brain so here it is. Kind mixed it up at the end there because I'm weird and I do silly things when I'm tired. Hope you enjoy it or whatever leave your thoughts, Penny
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