AN: And we're in the home stretch I believe. If I had to guess, I'd say that there are seven chapters left? Does that count as the home stretch? Maybe eight. We'll see.

Anyway, I hope you like this chapter! Let me know!

The next morning, after Lily thanked and hugged everyone as they left the castle looking, somehow, utterly pristine, she wandered up to her room and collapsed onto her bed, her heart feeling full to the brim.

Normally after a party that involved a bunch of royals and nobles, Lily felt drained and tired, but last night had been amazing. Being around all those girls, feeling their love and support as she got ready to enter this new stage in her life, it meant the world to Lily and she didn't know how she was going to manage to repay them. Gift baskets just didn't seem like it was going to cut it.

She was full of adrenaline and nowhere near falling asleep, but she still felt as though she was pulled out of a trance when someone knocked on her door.

She waited a moment to see if it was Amelia and Gwen, but when they didn't just walk in, she got up and started toward the door. "Who is it?" She called, not wanting to just open the door and have Bertram standing there, ripe for another photograph.

"It's me," James called out. "We've a game to play, princess."

Lily pulled open the door to find James in sports gear and spinning a badminton net around. She laughed.

"And we have to be quick about it, because Emma wants us for something. Go and change," He reached out and spun her around, pushing her lightly toward the closet.

"Alright," She looked over her shoulder. "I think the sweatband is a bit much,"

"I'm a serious athlete, Evans." He was keeping a straight face, which only made what he said that much more ridiculous. She laughed and skipped into her closet.

Actually bloody skipped. She was so in over her head here.

Luckily, they made it to the court before Emma found them, and despite her claims that she would wipe the floor with him, she fell pretty far behind in the first half of the game because James kept making her laugh and she couldn't concentrate on what she was meant to be doing.

"Look, darling, I know that I'm better than you at badminton, but this is just abysmal." James ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. "Are you even trying? What happened to all the trash talk?"

"I should be furious with you," Lily was smiling though. "But I don't think I could be furious about anything right now if I tried."

"I highly doubt that," James smirked at her, now tossing the birdie up and down with is right hand as he looked at her.

"Alright, I could try and be upset but I don't know, I'm not feeling all that competitive. I just feel happy and full."

"Of cake?"

"Oh, I am definitely full of cake, but no. I mean that I feel full in a different sense. I know that not everything is perfect, but yesterday was a lot of fun and today has started out pretty great-"

"You're losing terribly-"

"And I just feel really happy."

James cocked his head to the side and stopped throwing the birdie. "Have you been sneaking champagne?"

"What? I'm not drunk, James." She laughed.

"I'm just checking," He held his hands up, palm out. "You've got that look on your face, the one you get before you start telling me that everything is sparkly and go lusting after pastries."

"I didn't tell you that everything was sparkly, I told you that your eyes were sparkly. And the pastries." Lily took her stance and swung her net around. "Alright, let's give this another go, I promise not to collapse into a fit of laughter."

James grinned, "We'll see."

"We will,"

Lily lost spectacularly, and for the first time in her memory, it didn't smart or sting in the slightest. They walked back inside, and James picked up his water bottle, taking a drink before he turned to her.

"You know, you're going to be claiming that this game didn't count come tomorrow." James didn't look nearly as tousled as he had after their last game, probably because he hadn't needed to try nearly as hard to beat her, but Lily still liked the look of his hair. It was slightly more wild than usual, thanks to the headband he had pulled off a moment ago, and there were a few strands stuck to his forehead.

She reached up and pulled them free, pushing her fingers back to comb them in with the rest of his hair. She heard James swallow and looked down at him. "I really don't think you're right. I'll kick your arse at badminton when I want to." She shrugged a shoulder and James licked his bottom lip.

He was going to kiss her.

Actually, he was taking too long so she was pretty sure that she was going to kiss him. They were so much closer than she'd realized, and she felt like there was a ball of light expanding in her chest. Her hand dropped to his shoulder and she was smiling.

"There you two are!"

She was going to kick Emma in the shin.

They both spun toward the new voice. "James, your parents got in thirty minutes ago and we've looked like complete arseholes because we couldn't find you or Lily. That's not the kind of impression- I should have checked the bloody court." Lily's stomach dropped.

"It is what we do on Sunday mornings," James agreed.

"Your parents," Lily said, feeling rather dim. "I forgot that they were coming in today."

Emma shook her head. "No you didn't, that's why we're doing a brunch."

Lily also hadn't known that they'd settled on a brunch, but she didn't want to admit that to Emma, so she just nodded.

"Where are they?" James laced his fingers through Lily's and started down the corridor after Emma.

"You both need to change before you go and see them."

"No we don't," James waved off Emma's concerns.

"Yes we do!" Lily stopped walking. "I don't want to meet your parents looking like this," She gestured to her sports attire. She wasn't even wearing a real bra at the moment!

He looked a little amused as he looked down at her. "You're not nervous, are you?"

"Of course I'm nervous," She crossed her arms over her chest and started tapping her foot against the floor.

"You're their princess, Lily. They already love you."

"Because of national pride and whatnot, but they don't really know me. I want to make a good impression. I've already mucked things up with Sirius, I don't want to do the same with your parents."

"You didn't muck things up with Sirius," James insisted falsely, "And you wearing joggers and an old uni jumper isn't going to make my mum and dad dislike you."

Lily chewed on her tongue for a moment.

"Well I'd like her to change." Emma spoke up.

"And I'd like to change. It'll only take a moment."

"I've already got her outfit ready." Emma nodded. "And yours. If you hadn't run from me earlier, then we wouldn't be rushing around right now."

James gave her a look as the three of them continued to remain sedentary in the middle of an empty corridor. "Alright, fine. We'll go and change and then we'll go and meet my parents. You do realize that when I met you, I also had to meet the Queen, yes?"

"And were you nervous?"

"Of course I was, she's the bloody Queen!"

"Well I'm nervous to meet your parents as well," Lily shrugged. "Now go and get dressed. I don't want to leave them waiting any longer than we have to."

James laughed, but did as she asked and jogged off toward his room.

She was ready in less than ten minutes, but she was sure that her racing heart had more to do with nerves than the speed in which she wrestled into her clothes. She was wearing loose grey slacks, a white blouse and a soft pink blazer. They'd done her hair half up, in an elegant looking messy bun and she'd put on a small amount of makeup. It was more formal than her usual Sunday outfits, but she was meeting her in-laws and it never hurt to put forth one's best self in these situations.

She chewed on her tongue as she walked to the stairway and when she saw that James wasn't there yet, she looked over at Emma and crossed her arms over her chest.

"He'll be here in a moment. I'm texting Arden." She said, looking at her phone. "Apparently James has said multiple times that everyone just needs to calm down. Arden thinks he's nervous too."

Lily let out a huff and shrugged her shoulders. "Of course he is, because he was acting like this was no big deal a moment ago. He thinks his parents aren't going to like me, doesn't he? Sirius got to them first and told them how terrible he thinks I am and now they're not going to like me."

Emma looked away from her phone with raised brows. "Really, Lily?"

Lily looked at her, surprised that she'd gotten this kind of response.

"Almost everyone who meets you instantly falls in love with you, how are you still always so worried that people aren't going to like you?"

Lily bit down on her tongue again. She had quite a few answers that she was keeping at bay. Her father had not been in her life because she hadn't been important enough to him, her mother no longer talked to her unless it was necessary, her sister was choosing to go on vacation instead of coming to her wedding… not everyone liked her. Some people knew her very well had decided that she wasn't worth the trouble. Some people who should have loved her unconditionally had chosen to not even visit her, only writing her a few sparse notes and one letter over the course of sixteen years. And her Gran, who she loved dearly, had only acknowledged her existence when it was necessary to the security of the country.

Lily had quite a bit of baggage when it came to being enough for someone.

"I think you know why,"

"But all the numbers-"

"I know what the numbers say. But the public doesn't interact with me on a personal level. And the numbers are much lower when people actually interact with me."

Emma shook her head. "Don't let parliament give you a complex."

"It's not parliament." She muttered, kicking her toe against the railing.

Emma shook her head again. "You're amazing Lily, the Potter's are going to love you as much as their son does."

Lily felt her cheeks flush and was about to argue against Emma's claim, but she heard footsteps and turned to see James walking toward them. He was in slacks and a navy blue button down.

"How did it take you longer to get ready?" Lily asked, uncrossing her arms, attempting to appear calm and collected. As though she hadn't just acted like a vulnerable, angsty, teenager. Like Emma hadn't just offhandedly said that he loved her.

She knew how to make a good impression. Emma was right about that.

James shook his head. "I started fixing my hair, but then I decided against it. Then I couldn't find my glasses- It's fine. I'm here now.

"I thought you said that there was nothing to be nervous about."

He paused and looked at her, as though he was realizing how he was acting just then. "There isn't." He ran a hand through his hair. "My mum just likes to give me a hard time about my hair, so I was going to avoid that, but then decided not to since she'd give me a hard time about having fixed it as well." He shrugged. "They're going to love you and they'll tease me. Everything will be fine."

He sounded sure and then he put his hand on her lower back and led her toward the stairs. She took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright."

"Well it's about time, you two show up," Lily's heart skipped a beat at the sound of Sirius' voice. "I mean, I know that you'll be king and queen in a week or two, but honestly, our time is important too."

"Sirius, that's enough," A tall and elegant looking woman stood up as she chided Sirius. She had long black hair that was meticulously braided down her back, thick rimmed glasses, and hazel eyes the same color as James'. She was quite obviously his mother.

"What are you doing here?" James asked, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Sirius.

"Wow, I'm happy to see you too,"

"You just berated me for being late, you don't get to be a-"

"Boys," Both of James' parents spoke at the same time and James and Sirius stopped immediately.

"I was just surprised to see you. I did not know that you planned to come with mum and dad. Thought you were coming with the lads."

"Well I'm your brother, aren't I? Why wouldn't I come with family?"

Lily took a deep breath, trying to be subtle about it, and then stepped forward. James quickly stepped up beside her.

"Sorry," He muttered. "Mum, dad, I'd like to introduce you to Princess Lily. Lily, these are my parents, Monty and Mia."

Lily smiled at them and held out her hand, first to his mother and then his father. "It's so nice to finally meet you two in an informal capacity. James speaks very highly of the both of you and has promised me that the two of you will tease him quite a bit over the next week. I can't wait."

Monty laughed, and it was James' laugh. Deep and rumbly, all the way from the belly. Mia offered her a smile. "Well, perhaps if he combed his hair every now and then, we wouldn't have as much to tease him about." James gave her a pointed look, but she kept her smile aimed at his parents.

"I'm sure we'd find something," Monty shrugged. "But I think that might take away a lot of your material." Sirius was standing behind them with his arms crossed over his chest, looking as though he was waiting for her to say something to him. Like she was about to fail some kind of test.

She turned to face him and gave him a tight smile. "Sirius, it's nice to see you again."

"Yeah, I'm sure you're thrilled that I came early." Then his eyes cut to James. "Same as you, mate."

"Why don't you all sit down so we can pour the tea?" Anita spoke up from behind them and Lily spun to find her eyes on Sirius. She certainly wasn't thrilled that Sirius had decided to come earlier. Though that was probably Lily's fault. She might have complained about him a fair amount to her Gran, leaving out all the bits about how Sirius was completely right to be suspicious of her and to think that she wasn't good enough for James. The last time he was here, she was hardly speaking to James unless she had to.

But things were different now, and she wanted to get Sirius to like her, because she didn't want his brother to be married to someone that he couldn't stand.

She knew what that was like.

"Yes, yes," Mia and Monty took their seats quickly, but Sirius loitered about so that he could make his way over to James' empty side. "I know that we saw you a few days ago, but there were too many people in the house for us to sit down and have a nice conversation and I know that you must have so much to fill us in on."

"Yeah," Sirius nodded. "Why don't we start with those pictures of your fiancé and Bertram?" Mia cut Sirius a look, her lips pressed together, and her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Lily almost smiled to see the same look on James' face. "Just to clear the air!" Sirius held up his hands. "I know that we're all curious."

"Well, there's really only one picture," James said. "And there's not much to say about it."

"We clearly have a mole in the castle," Anita interjected. "And we're doing our best to find out who it is, but they're doing slightly better at covering their tracks and contorting innocuous situations. Our head of security will have everything taken care of shortly."

Mia nodded and then looked back at her son. "Only one picture?"

Lily saw James' ears turn a bit red, as he nodded. And she probably wouldn't have thought much of that question had it not been for his reaction. She did her best to keep herself from blushing as she sat up straighter.

His mother was asking him, slyly sure, but she was still asking him if Lily had been caught sneaking out of James' room in the second pictures.

She felt the need to correct the implications that went along with that, but James was her fiancé. What did it matter if people thought that they were sleeping together? Sure, it was a little extra weird because this was James' mother, but the entire country thought that the two of them were in love, completely besotted with one another, they all probably assumed that they were intimate. People probably thought about those things, even though it made Lily squirmy and sweaty.

Monty cleared his throat. "Have you two made any plans for where you'll go for your honeymoon?" He asked, and Lily bit the tip of her tongue, because they had talked about their honeymoon only once, and very briefly. And not really in the context of it being a honeymoon, only a break from reality.

James shrugged a shoulder as he reached for his tea. "We've talked about going up to the mountains, our cottage." He looked over at her. "I think we could both use a bit of a break from all of the cameras and crowds after the wedding." Lily nodded.

Mia nodded, "The mountains are beautiful this time of year. And I can understand not wanting to do something too extravagant. I can't imagine how difficult it must be for you to do things privately."

Lily smiled at her and nodded, "People are a bit more excited as of late. I'm sure sometime down the road we could plan a bigger trip if we wanted to."

"That's smart," Anita smiled, taking a sip of her tea.

"Holy mother," Mary's voice sounded from the doorway and everyone turned to look at her. She looked as though Emma had dressed her, and combed her hair for that matter. "Fu-" She cleared her throat. "Sorry I'm so late. I spilled something on my blouse and had to change." She glared behind her, where Lily was sure Emma was hovering. "Twice, if you can believe it." She turned back to her audience and smiled widely, "I'm Mary MacDonald, Lily's best friend slash sister. Though if anything happened to her, Gran would not let me near the throne."

"At least you understand that," Anita shook her head and waved her into the room. "Come sit, pet." She motioned to the empty seat on her left, Monty's right.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mary." Mia smiled at her.

"Yes," Mary nodded. "Thank you, I've been so looking forward to meeting you and Mr. Potter- Lord Potter? What do you want me to call you two?"

Sirius snorted and Mary's gaze snapped to him. She had somehow not noticed that he was here. She frowned. "What are you doing here? I thought I didn't have to see you until next Wednesday."

"I couldn't stay away, love," Sirius winked.

She turned toward Anita. "Emma said that I couldn't bring, Reggie."

"You can have your fun later, Mary. Don't be rude."

She did an excited jump spin back toward James' parents. "Sorry about that, Sirius is- well you know him, so I probably don't have to tell you. What should I call you?"

Mia and Monty exchanged a look and then Mia smiled, "No need for formality. Monty and Mia are fine. That goes for you too, Lily." Lily nodded.

"Monty and Mia? I love the alliteration! So cute." Mary tucked her hair behind her ear and grabbed her teacup, dumped about a cup of sugar into it, and then took a big drink.

"Mary supposedly has a boyfriend named, Reginald." Sirius interject, "I've tried to tell her to dump the blighter but-"

"Sirius," Mia repeated. And like the first time, he stopped talking immediately. Lily wondered if she could learn how to do that.

"Reginald Fitzwilliam Cattermole." Lily whispered, leaning closer to James. He laughed, covering his mouth with his hand.

"MacMole." He whispered back.

"Something to share?" Sirius asked.

"I'm just looking forward to you meeting the blighter later on today," Lily smiled at Sirius.

Sirius smiled back at her, but it was not a real smile. She certainly had her work cut out for her with him.

"Anyway," James cleared his throat. "How was the rest of your birthday, mum?"

The conversation went on in a more normal tone after that, Mary and Sirius played nice, even when Sirius would make a snide remark about or directed at Lily. Mary threw in a few of her own directed at Sirius, but everyone else at the table pretended that they didn't notice.

Eventually the conversation looped back around to the wedding.

"When will your parents be arriving?" Monty asked, to which Mia elbowed him. He looked confused. Lily smiled at them.

"My mum will be here at the end of the week," Lily said. "She's bringing my stepdad with her." She decided against mentioning Petunia.

"Who's going to walk you down the aisle?" Mia asked, her long fingers folded around her teacup, again, just like James. She wondered if he knew how many of his mother's mannerisms he had.

Lily shifted uncomfortably and shrugged. "I suppose I hadn't thought much about that." They were in the dining hall, and a portrait of her father was hung near the fireplace. She looked toward it for a brief moment and then back at her soon to be in-laws. "I suppose I'll walk myself down the aisle." She'd never had any dreams about her father walking her down the aisle.

"I was hoping you'd ask me, but sure, be independent." Mary clicked her tongue and Lily hummed the first few bars of Miss Independent.

"Can I ask about the dress?" Mia leaned forward, and she looked so excited, but Lily had absolutely no idea what her dress looked like. Luckily, Anita jumped in.

"Her final fitting is on Thursday. You may come with us if you'd like."

She lit up, but then shook her head. "I don't want to intrude. I'm sure that we'll become friends, but I don't want to-"

"I'd like you to come if you'd like to be there," Lily interrupted.

"Yes?"

Lily nodded and Mia lit up again. "I'd love to come! I've gotten stuck with three men and they don't offer me the opportunity to fawn over lovely gowns all that often. And wedding gowns are just divine!"

"Didn't know you were so disappointed that we weren't girls, mum." James laughed.

"Fine boys I got stuck with, but I wouldn't have minded a girl as well." She smiled at Lily. "But that's what weddings are for, yes? Expanding families and all that? I'll have a daughter come the end of the week." Lily felt like her smile was more wobbly than she wanted it to be.

"Yeah, speaking of, we didn't realize that Dory was James' cousin, so we're rather excited about that addition," Mary interjected, finally attune to Lily's about-to-cry tells.

"Yes, she's my sister's daughter," Monty smiled. "She's grown into quite a fine young woman, though I don't know how she manages all those children and appears so graceful all at once."

"She inherited your mother's patience, that's how." Mia grinned.

"And her command," Anita added. "Everyone always started behaving whenever you mum walked round the corner." Monty laughed, and nodded.

"That's true. Mum had a firm hand. That trait must have skipped a generation," Then he looked at James. "Or two." James shrugged.

"It doesn't hurt that all of those children are in love with her," Lily smiled, thinking about little Elodie and Elena.

"They are, Dorcas is a special young woman." Monty smiled. "And we're very lucky to be adding another to the family." Lily smiled at him.

"Two," Mary cleared her throat, leaning slightly closer to him. "I mean, I'm sitting right here and I'm rather hard to ignore."

He laughed, "Yes, of course, my dear. I didn't mean to forget to include you."

"She doesn't handle not being included well." James shook his head at Mary. "Quite like someone else we know."

"Sounds like you're just listing reasons why, MacDonald and I are perfect for each other." Sirius shrugged.

"Sirius, darling, I don't think you're going to make friends with Reginald later." Mia frowned.

"That's the plan." He smirked.

"Prat," Mary muttered.

About an hour later, Lily was sitting on her couch while James walked around the room, looking at all the pictures of her and Mary on the walls. "Why were you so nervous?" She asked him, knowing very well that he might end up flipping the question around on her.

He glanced at her over his shoulder and then turned back to the picture where her and Mary are on their bikes. About ten years old, both in pigtails, brightly colored crewnecks and chunky sneakers, they look as though they should be on the cover of a Kidz Bop album.

"I don't know."

"Yes, you do," Lily argued, crossing her arms over the back of the couch and watching him. "You didn't touch me once the entire time we were having brunch."

"Maybe we should talk about why you noticed that instead of why you think I was nervous."

"You've never not held my hand when you're next to me. Except for the few times that you were upset with me. It was very noticeable."

James tilted his head back and forth. "Alright."

"Alright."

"I didn't know that Sirius was going to be there." He turned back to her with his arms crossed over his chest. "I suppose that kind of threw me for a loop. I mean, I knew that he'd probably talked to mum and dad about everything, but- I don't know."

"Your mum asked you if we'd slept together."

James ran his hands over his face, pushing his glasses up. "You caught that, did you?"

"You said that we had."

"No," James uncovered his face and walked toward her. "I just confirmed that it was my room that you'd been sneaking out of."

"Which led her to believe-"

"Yes, I know. But I wasn't going to spell out the situation for her in front of everyone."

"Which is fair, and I appreciate that. A lot. But is that part of why you were nervous? Because beforehand-"

"I know that I told you not to be nervous." James interrupted. "And then you weren't and I was. We flip-flopped."

"I was a little nervous. But I always get all worked up beforehand and then things usually work out and I feel-"

"In control?" He guessed.

"You have got to stop interrupting me, dear." She teased, "But yes, I do like to feel in control. I didn't know what to expect before, but when I got in the room, and I found my footing. Even with Sirius there and glaring at me every few minutes, I was fine."

"Aside from the fact that I wasn't holding your hand."

"That kind of broke my heart," Lily nodded solemnly and then smirked at him.

James shook his head. "Don't say that. Not even as a joke." He let out a quiet chuckle and then walked around to join her on the couch. He pulled one leg up on the couch and reached out to take both of her hands in his. "We've had quite a… unique go of things. I didn't want my parents to get a false idea of what we are to one another or-" He huffed. Lily squeezed his hands.

"This is so weird." She grinned. "We've switched places."

James almost rolled his eyes, but then shut them instead and leaned his head against the back of the couch. "You had a moment in there. Mary jumped in. I noticed."

Lily bit her tongue. "I wasn't nervous. Your mum was just being nice to me."

James frowned and sat up. "She's very nice."

"Yes, she is." Lily agreed, not sure if she wanted to give further explanation. "She was very welcoming. I appreciated it."

James squeezed her hand. "Alright." He could tell she wasn't telling him something, but he wasn't going to push. "Are you alright with her going to the dress fitting? I can talk to her if you want me to."

"I wouldn't have said she could come if I wasn't alright with it." Lily promised. "I mean, I didn't know that I had a dress fitting on Thursday, but it's fine. I know absolutely nothing about our wedding."

James nodded. "Me either. No, that's not true, I know where it is. I have an idea of what time it'll be. I know what role I'm going to play, I have an idea of what you'll be wearing-"

"Shut up, James. That hardly counts."

"It doesn't count for nothing though."

"It might." Lily countered. "Are you feeling better now? Calmer?"

"Yeah," He let go of her hand in favor of messing with his hair, which seemed to contradict his answer. "I mean, mum seemed to really like you. Which I knew she would, but I was just worried I guess. About what Sirius would tell them."

"I'm going to win him over." Lily promised. "I'm not sure how. I might have to use Mary to do it, but I will. I promise."

"He's not being fair, it's not all on you." James pushed his glasses up his nose and shifted on the couch.

"Okay, but I don't want to be the cause of you and Sirius not getting along. Or him stressing you out. I hate my brother-in-law and now I don't get to see my sister or my nephew all that often. I'm not going to do that to Sirius." She squeezed his hand. "Or you."

He smiled at her, a gentle, warm smile that made her feel as though she'd just said all the right things. She meant them too, they weren't just words. She was going to fix things with Sirius, even if he made it difficult.

"I appreciate that," James was still smiling. "But it's on him too. And he can be difficult."

"So can I, you know that" She scoffed. "Give me two days, and I'll have fixed everything."

James' brow shot up. "That's very ambitious."

"Is it? I think if I said, 'give me till the end of the day,' that would have been too ambitious." He laughed at her, and she leaned against his should and took his hand again. "It'll all work out, James." She promised.