Chapter 35: All Grown Up

Disclaimer: Same

Note: Some Pottermore spoilers if you're not already on there, but I imagine that's not really a big deal anymore. Enjoy!

Days passed and Gen didn't think about Remus or what she heard him say. Lily was beginning to need help pulling everything together for her fast approaching wedding, and Alice was still being indecisive. The girls went to Lily's final dress fitting together. Neither Alice nor Gen had seen her dress, and as they sat in Madame Malkins waiting for Lily to unveil it Gen and Alice sat talking about her own wedding.

"What about a strapless one?" Gen asked in reference to the dress she would wear as her Maid of Honor. Alice made the face she always did – contemplation. Gen couldn't help but laugh inwardly, shaking her head.

"You must hate being my Maid of Honor," Alice said.

"I do not! It's just," Gen paused, "haven't you been dreaming about this since you were little?" Gen asked. Alice shrugged.

"I guess. But you know I'm not a details person, it was always just about being in love and being with that person forever," Alice answered. Gen nodded. "Do you have all the details of your wedding planned?"

"Duh," Gen responded, faking an attitude. It made Alice laughed and then Gen gave a serious answer. "I have a general idea of what I would like."

"Do you think you'll marry Sirius?" Alice asked after a long pause.

"Jeez Alice, we just got together," Gen said, feigning annoyance.

"Yeah, but you don't need eighty years to figure out if you could marry someone. And, frankly, you two have been going at it for more than a week," Alice answered, looking Gen head on. Gen thought, considering everything there was about Sirius. Her mind flooded with different emotions as she considered his tenderness, intelligence, and his tendency to be obnoxious. She kept flip flopping in believing she wanted him to be happy with her. She even knew that, at the end of the day, he made her happy and she was thankful for him.

"I don't know, Alice," she said, finally looking at her friend. Alice was grinning.

"Then why can't you wipe that smile off your face?"

For three weeks it had been raining. Gen went to bed in the rain, woke up in the rain, and walked to work in the rain. She was seemingly always wet or trying not to get wet. It was making her stir crazy. Even her sun catcher wasn't casting its glittering light.

It had started when Lily and James returned from Petunia and Vernon Dursley's house. They entered the girls' apartment in bitter silence, Lily's eyes red from having been crying. She didn't utter a word before slamming her bedroom door in James' face.

"They're terrible, Lily! It wasn't my fault!" he cried to the solid wood. Gen and Alice went to the closed door, looking at James.

"What happened?" Alice asked with worry in her brown eyes.

"They're so stuck up, and they look down on her like she's vermin. They think we're freaks and I just wanted to show them how wrong they were," James said, running his hands over his face and scratching his head. Gen opened the door quietly and entered the room alone. Lily was sitting on the floor beside her bed, tears coming down her face again. Gen sat down across from her, crossing her legs under one another and reached out to take Lily's hands.

"Jealousy is a hard thing to deal with, but it's a hundred times worse when you're jealous of a sibling," Gen said, speaking softly. "Whatever they did, or whatever she said to you, or didn't say, it happened because you are unbelievably special Lily." Lily looked at Gen, eyes narrowed in criticism. "You are special, and you've been told that your whole life. She's never been special to anyone except you. Imagine, for a moment, that you had to go to ordinary school and, judging by his name, marry an ugly man because he's the only one in your entire life who has made you feel important."

A fresh wave of tears washed over Lily and she leaned forward so Gen could hold her.

"She's not coming to my wedding," Lily sobbed. Gen wrapped her arms around her friend. "Both of them have refused to come. My own sister."

"Shh," Gen crooned. "The most important person is coming to your wedding."

"Who?" Lily asked.

"Me." Lily laughed softly and wiped at her face. "No, I'm kidding. James, silly." Lily sat back up, and Gen began wiping at her tear-stained face. "No jealous anyone could take him away from you, and even if he was away he loves you more than the Moon loves the Earth. All that matters is that you know you love Petunia, and forgive her bitterness. It's hard for a flower to grow in another's shadow."

"You grew just fine," Lily said. Gen half-smiled.

"That's because I got out of his shadow. I got to go to Hogwarts," Gen answered.

"I love you, Gen," Lily said after a few moments.

"I love you, too, sweets. Now, James is outside. I suggest you talk to him, he's very upset. Besides, I won't always be around to fix your marital drama." Gen rose and held her hands out to help Lily up.

"Do you know what I heard?" Lily asked as her thumbs wiped at her cheeks again.

"What?"

"Georgina is writing for the Daily Prophet," she said. Gen stared at Lily, not certain if she was joking or not. Lily smiled. "She started two weeks ago."

Well would you look at that, Gen thought to herself.

"That's good, I guess."

Lily gave her a weak smile.

It rained for three weeks.

Then, on March 15th, 1978, the rain stopped and the sun came out. It was unusually weather for March, and it didn't get very warm, but the sun shone long enough to mostly dry the ground and to ensure that the walk out of the church would occur sans umbrellas.

Gen and Sirius elected to get ready at the Potters with Lily and James. Petunia was going to be Lily's Matron of Honor and Lily hadn't replaced her. Later, Gen would believe it was because Lily hoped Petunia would come anyway. Nonetheless, Gen helped her do her hair and pull on her dress. When the two were giggling excitedly a knock came at the door. Gen went to it in case it was James, but it wound up being Sirius.

"May I see the blushing bride?" he asked. Gen allowed him in and she saw how they smiled at each other. There was a time when Lily thought the worst of James, but in that moment Gen was sure Lily never held contempt for Sirius. Not that she ever liked him or even wanted to be with him, but had come to terms a while before that they would have to share James eventually. Gen backed out of the room to give them some privacy, walking to sit on the stairs that led down to the kitchen. She rested her head against the wall and smiled to herself – her friends were getting married today. Who could ruin such a happy moment? She wagered not even Voldemort could, because if he showed his face Gen would destroy him with her happiness.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed while Sirius and Lily talked, but James showed his face at the bottom of the stairs. They didn't say anything to one another - Gen just shared the warmth and pride he was emanating. The door up the hall opened and closed and Gen listed as Sirius' footfalls approached her.

"Ready?" he asked James. James nodded and turned.

"Dad, you ready?" he asked, walking out of her view. Sirius started down the stairs. Coming into her line of sight he leant forward so his hands were on the step and kissed her forehead.

"You're beautiful," he whispered. Gen smiled and touched his shoulder.

"Go on, you great monkey," she said with a smile. He turned and continued down the stairs.

"Your great monkey!" he called. Gen laughed at him and headed back to Lily.

The chapel near the Potter's home was quaint and quite perfect. Gen met Lily's mother and father, and when Lily was comfortable she went to the pew where Alice and Frank had saved her a seat.

"How is she?" Alice asked.

"Wait 'til you see her," Gen answered. Then, the music struck up and the small ceremony began. Alice and Gen held hands when Lily passed them and there may have been only a few dry eyes when the vows were said. It all happened so quickly that Gen was clapping and outside before she knew it. They looked unbelievably happy and when the rice had been thrown and they had gotten in the car to head back to the Potter's. Gen felt a little dazed. She stood, smiling at the small band of people who had come to celebrate. Suddenly, she was enveloped in arms from behind and she relaxed into Sirius's chest.

"I can't believe it's all done now," he said. Gen nodded.

"I know, I haven't been waiting as long as you and I'm relieved it's over," she said. Sirius chuckled, releasing her from his arms. He came round into her line of sight. He looked happier than she had seen in a long while. He held out his hand to her and she took it willingly.

"This time next year half of our friends will be married," he said with contemplation in his voice. Gen sighed and shook her head.

"I can barely wrap my head around that. We're so young," she said, the second part coming out as a whisper. Sirius' hand tightened around hers a little, but when she looked at him his focus was on the dirt path they we walking on.

"Does it really matter when you love someone?" he asked.

"I don't know," Gen answered. She looked up the path at the steady trail of wedding guests. A few hundred yards ahead was the one girl Gen hadn't really been looking forward to seeing. She caught a glimpse of her face before her fabulously golden head whipped around like a person caught staring.

The reception was in the Potters' house in a great room that was mostly glass. Gen sat at a table in the corner of the room, sipping on some delicious smoking cocktail Lily had conjured for their special day. The gathering was cozy, and filled with candle light. There was a small gathering of deep shades of purple on each table, something Gen was admiring with Alice when there was a faint clinking of glass.

Sirius stood in the center of the room, in front of where James and Lily were seated. Others began tapping their forks, knives, or wands against their glasses and a couple started calling out "speech!" Gen smiled proudly as Sirius cleared his throat and set down his fork.

"For those of you that don't have the good fortune of knowing me, I'm this ugly cad's best mate Sirius," he began. Everyone laughed, and Sirius turned to Mrs. Potter, "sorry Mrs. Potter, he's a lovely boy. James and I have been friends since we got to Hogwarts, where some of you may remember that we were shining examples to our fellow peers and were never reprimanded for any wrong doings." The chuckles continued as some of the other guests rolled their eyes. Sirius smiled at the floor for a moment before he continued. The part coming was the one that Gen hadn't heard – Sirius has been very secretive about his speech in the weeks leading up to the wedding.

"What many of you don't know is that James Potter saved my life. There was a time in my life when everything was absolutely wrong, and I had no one else to turn to but James. I was afraid he wouldn't understand how much anger and I hurt I had built up inside my heart. But, of course, I had been afraid for no reason. What I didn't understand was that James was already my brother. He was going to show me what it took to be a man that could care for more than myself. When I understood that, I realized how lucky I was to have him for my brother. Ladies and gentlemen, before you is the most perfect couple you could find, because like how James never gave up on me, these two will never give up on each other. The love that Lily inspires in James is honest and unwavering. And she has taught him so many things I couldn't. Look after him, Lily; he's the only brother I have. To the bride and groom!"

The glasses were lifted into the air and a resounding "to the bride and groom!" filled the room. Applause was had and the couple rose to hug Sirius. Alice tugged on Gen's hand as she wiped her eyes.

"You look baffled," she said. Gen met her eyes.

"I am. I didn't know he was going to say all that." Gen's eyes darted from Alice to Sirius, who was just releasing James' mother from his grasp. She was patting the side of his face, her expression one of pride. As Gen watched him leave his surrogate mother and locate where his girlfriend was sitting, Gen smiled and gave him a tiny wave. He smiled back as he wove his body through the tables and chairs. Gen rose to go to him, a foreign but not unwelcome feeling of what she would call "mushy." His sharing of emotion and experiences made her so happy, and she wanted him to feel how he had warmed her heart. She met him a few strides from the table and wrapped her arms around his middle. He gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"How did I do?" he whispered. Gen looked up at him and smiled.

"You were wonderful," she said, giving him a squeeze. He rolled his eyes.

"You're making fun of me," he said. Gen reached up and ran her thumb over his cheek.

"Not even close." He leaned forward and pressed his lips against her. It was brief, but a confirmation that he believed her. He led her back to where she had been sitting. He sat and then pulled her into his lap. She, in turn, slung her arm around him, smiling gently.

"I haven't told you how beautiful you look," he said. Gen felt her face go a little pink, but smiled.

"I tried today," she answered.

"For the wedding?"

"Sure," she replied, looking away from him and shifting.

"For the guests of this wedding?" he asked. Gen smiled sheepishly at her hand in her lap.

"Yeah."

"Don't worry, darling, you've already made her jealous," he said, mouth on her jawbone.

"You think so?" she asked.

"Know so. She's the only other person who can't that their eyes off you," he said confidently. She furrowed her brow at him.

"Who…?"

"Me, dufus," he whispered.

Lily and James were gone on their honeymoon for what felt like forever. Things were exactly the same as they were before the wedding for everyone else. Gen and Sirius were having quiet weeks at work and in the Order, but they didn't mind. When James and Lily came back all they talked about was their time in Paris. They looked happier than ever, a happiness that was contagious to everyone.

Soon enough everyone was back to their normal routine. Lily had moved out of their apartment. This made Gen realize that in the coming months she would have no roommates. And she would have to move, because there was no way she could afford their apartment by herself. Getting new roommates would prove challenging, but she tried to prepare herself to offering the rooms to people from work.

The idea made her cringe.

Moody had been going through lulls, which made work either very tense or very relaxed. Gen did her best to not let it bothered by it, but Sirius didn't respond to it well. There were many days when they would have cross words with one another.

"I don't know how you deal with that," Lily mentioned one afternoon as their shouts followed them up the hall. Gen shrugged.

"It's just how they are. Moody has been strange lately," she said. Her mind flew to the search of Rosier's house. She smiled softly to herself, but knew that she shouldn't.

"But that has to cross over when you leave work," Lily said. Gen smiled at her friend.

"You're worried I have to deal with a less than pleasant Sirius Black? Aren't you sweet?" Gen teased. Lily laughed in response. Their laughter stopped when Sirius stormed into the room. Lily patted Gen's shoulder as she left. Gen's grey eyes watched Sirius as he gathered his things. Slowly the irritation faded from his face. She smiled gently again as she rose. Walking behind him she wrapped her arms around his middle and pressed her cheek against his back. His hands stilled for a moment before they covered hers. They stood like that for a few moments, just still and silent. Gen occasionally worried that she wasn't affectionate enough towards Sirius. She knew he needed to feel it or he would shut her out – something Gen needed to avoid at all costs.

After a while he turned to face her, his hand sliding over her hair to her shoulders.

"Sorry I yell at Moody all the time," he said. Gen laughed, looking up at him.

"I couldn't care less, babe. As long as it doesn't get you kicked out of the program or yelling at me I have no worries," she replied. Sirius grinned before leaning down. He tilted her face by pulling her chin, and then touched his lips to hers. She loved when he did that, and leant into his body as her fingers pressed into his abs.

And so life continued, the stress in Alice's world mounting as her wedding day approached. Gen worked hard making sure everything was going to fall into place, and Alice had morphed from being incapable to making a decision to certain about all the details.

One night in May, just as the weather was starting to turn better, Gen and Sirius sat in Gen's apartment enchanting some place cards to cycle through the guests' names, their seating location, and a thank you message from Alice and Frank. Sirius sat with Gen's feet in his lap; they were talking about Quidditch and the Scottish team's record when there was a pounding at the door. Both their heads snapped to the sound, and then their eyes met. Sirius gently pushed her feet aside so he could stand. He opened the door and there was a lot of shuffling. Gen peered around the couch to see Lily trying to hold up James, Alice in tears.

"What the hell?" Gen cried, standing. Sirius was settling James in a chair at the kitchen table, so Gen went to Alice. She locked her hands on either side of her friends face so the crying girl would focus.

"He was there," Alice said, brown eyes still wide with some fear Gen hadn't know.

"What?" Gen asked.

"You-Know-Who," Alice said. "He was there at St. Mungos, in the morgue."

"Who?" Gen asked. "Vol-"

A hand flew over her mouth before she could finish the word.

"Don't!" Lily cried. "That's how they find you!" Gen looked wildly from Alice to Lily, trying to understand. There was fear in Lily's eyes, too.

"Merlin, Lily, stop holding her like she's a hostage," Sirius muttered from the table. Gen looked over to see Sirius working on a gash James had over his shoulder.

"Who did that to James?" Gen asked calmly.

"The Death Eaters," Alice responded. Gen turned her attention back to Alice, who was still shaking but seemed more focused.

"Who was at St. Mungos?" Gen asked. Alice nodded.

"They showed up when Moody said his name," she began again, eyes glassing over. Gen moved her hands to her friends shoulder, rubbing in order to comfort her.

"What the hell was he doing at St. Mungos?" Gen asked.

"Dunno," James said from the table. "We went with Moody to go check out a rumor from the Order that a Death Eater had been spotted around the building. We almost didn't even check the morgue, but Moody wanted to make sure. There he was, trying to cast a spell over one of the dead bodies."

"And then we were surrounded by Death Eaters, in a dual with all of them," Alice said. "But we were outnumbered."

"Then we heard his voice inside our heads," Lily whispered. She winced as she remembered it. "He was asking us to join him – telling us he could do all these things, promising we'd be more powerful than we ever thought possible." There was a trembling in her voice that made Gen turn to see her. They locked eyes and Lily let Gen embrace her.

"Moody was the one who told him to shove it," James said, with a sardonic laugh, "and then we made a run for it. I barely know how we made it out of there alive."

"Where's Frank?"

"With Moody," Alice replied, "he should be here any minute."

When Frank arrived Gen had made some food and Sirius had just finished transfiguring some of the couch cushions into beds for their friends. They ate and then the apartment was quiet. Gen and Sirius sat at the table, trying to piece together all that their friends had told them. Neither of them has said anything since bidding their friends goodnight nor exchanged any glances.

"Come on, sweetheart," Sirius said softly, "let's go to bed. We'll have to help Moody tomorrow at work." Gen looked at him.

"How are we supposed to sleep?" she asked. "I wasn't even there and I'm worried." Sirius rose and crossed to her. His hands wrapped around her legs and around the small of her back. Lifting her up, Gen tried to smile as she put her arms around his neck.

"Do you think I'd let anything happen to you?" he asked as he turned to her bedroom.

"It's not me I'm worried about," she replied.

After that Gen resolved that Alice and Frank's wedding would be everything that her friends needed. Sirius silently accepted her determination. As the end of May passed and the second of June arrived Gen thought of little else than the fear that was in Alice's eyes that night. Gen watched as Alice pulled the last pieces of her big day together – the fear had subsided in her, but Gen could tell she was struggling to keep it at bay. Gen knew that it would be harder for her once the wedding was over.

The morning of June 2nd was beautiful, as it should have been. The air was dry and it was getting warm fast as the girls made their way up the hill to the Prewett's home. Gen carried their dresses as Alice hummed her way up the hill.

Gen smiled as her friend seemed light hearted in the morning sunshine.

"Genevieve," Alice said, "you can't wait forever to get married."

"Oh, I'm sorry, do you have a schedule for me?" she asked, smirking.

"Don't you want our children to grow up together?" Alice asked. Gen nodded.

"Of course I want that, but I also want a pearl necklace and for the Atlantic Ocean to not be so large, but you can't get everything you want." Alice gave her a cross look, clearly not amused by her answer.

"Not funny, Gen," she muttered. Gen laughed a little and put her arm around Alice's shoulders.

"All I want is to be happy, and to see all my friends happy, darling. Sirius and I haven't even said 'I love you' yet, so do me a favor and stop trying to rush us," she said in a gentle manner. Alice smiled.

Alice was a stunning bride. The dress she had finally chosen had cap sleeves that dropped over her shoulders and the dress fell away from her body ever so slightly. The finishing touch was a floral belt that Gen and Mrs. Prewett stood admiring as Lily gazed at herself in her mirror. They could hear the rest of the guests finding their seats in the garden, but Gen wanted to hang on to this moment for a while longer. When Alice seemed to be ready, Gen walked her best friend downstairs and scooted to the back door while Mr. Prewett and Alice had a moment. He wasn't well according to Mrs. Prewett, but seemed so happy that he could have fooled Gen.

Everything came together so perfectly and Gen could see all the efforts she had made over the last months. But, as she stood beside her best friend as she married the love of her life Gen couldn't help but sense uneasiness in her gut. She knew she wasn't the only one, either. There was a tension between her shoulder blades she couldn't shake, and maybe she was a little on edge. Her eyes sought out Sirius in the small crowd, and when she found him he gave her a tender smile. She smiled back at him, happy that she could call him hers.

The ceremony was beautiful, and Gen was so happy to be in the sunshine that she had been able to drive her uneasiness to the back of her mind again. As the tables were being set and Alice and Frank were taking photos and greeting their guests Sirius found Gen. She put her bouquet of flowers down on the stone bench nearby and wrapped her arms around him.

"You all right, beautiful?" he asked. She giggled.

"Yeah, I'm fine. She looks beautiful, doesn't she?" she asked, nodding towards Alice. Sirius looked at the bride again.

"She always looks pretty," he answered. Gen looked up at him.

Cheeky.

"You have the hots for her? I knew I was your last resort," Gen jibbed, pretending to be hurt.

"Hate to break it to you, Proctor, but Alice Longbottom is the one that got away from me," he said smirking. Gen shook her head and they were soon taking their seats with Lily, James, Peter, Remus and Alice's cousins Molly and Arthur Weasley. When it came time for Gen to give her toast the sun was still high and a soft breeze had kicked up.

"Sometimes there are couples that don't have a story," Gen began. "Sometimes couples that have been together since the dawn of time like Alice and Frank don't have a romantic and charming beginning. They've always gone together for most of us, and I know that I've been waiting for this day to some for what feels like a thousand years." She smiled lovingly at Alice and Frank while chuckles rippled over the tables. "Sometimes the story is about what they've done together, like how even though they weren't the first people I met at Hogwarts when I transferred, they were my first friends. Alice and Frank welcomed me with open arms, and soon enough I was apologizing to Frank for kidnapping his girlfriend all the time. Sometimes, the story is about who they are without each other, like how Alice is the sister I never had, always guiding me and telling me what I needed to hear. But, most importantly, their story is about the happiness they've given everyone here and the happiness they have in front of them. Be good to one another. I love you both." She lifted her glass to them and a loud "to the bride and groom" sounded behind her. Alice embraced her for a long while, and Gen understood what she was telling her through that hug. She then embraced Frank and eventually everyone returned to their seats.

As the night carried on Gen and Molly began talking about anything and everything. Molly was a spitfire, and Gen admired her spirit. Arthur, on the other hand, was a tad quieter, and spent a lot of time talking to Lily and Remus about his job at the Ministry. All was happy, and all were merry. Little did they know what awaited them with the summer storms.

I hope you enjoyed it! Reviews and comments are always welcome.