DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the content referenced/quoted. Warning for swearing.
29. The Wedding
"He stopped on a picture of his parents' wedding day. There was his father waving up at him, beaming, the untidy black hair Harry had inherited standing up in all directions. There was his mother, alight with happiness, arm in arm with his dad."
Lily Evans becomes Lily Potter on a beautiful spring afternoon in 1979. It is a quiet affair, despite the fuss both the bride and groom's parents kicked up about the ceremony. Sirius serves as best man, with Remus and Pete beside him. Marlie, Cass and Alice walk as bridesmaids and Albus officiates the ceremony.
It's a quiet affair, but it's a beautiful one.
Em plays photographer, snapping pictures as Lily walks down the aisle, as Euphemia Potter sobs loudly into a handkerchief, as Mr Evans hands Lily over to James.
The green thing that dug its roots into her chest contracts, blossoms gently and leaves her feeling warm. If she didn't know any better she'd say there are lilies in her bloodstream.
She's not normally a happy crier but the sight of her friends' glowing faces sets her off like a water fountain.
And then there's Remus. Handsome, clever, beautiful Remus. He smiles at her over the top of Lily and James' heads, his eyes sparkling, and she can't help but grin widely back at him.
Lily was right, she thinks as the bride and groom pose arm in arm for the camera, the wedding is a well-needed break.
Sirius controls the music until Marlie kicks him, and his beloved rock records, off the speakers. 'The Kick Inside' then blares across the dance floor as the teens cheer loudly and raise their glasses in a toast to the new bride and groom.
Em doesn't remember much about the ceremony, what the decorations looked like, what food they had, what they drank; she remembers the way James held Lily in his arms like he was holding his whole world, the way Sirius and Pete broke out their dance moves in sync on the dance floor, the look in Remus' eyes as he spun her around to 'Wuthering Heights'.
It's a beautiful affair, but it's a brief one.
They all know that come tomorrow, the war will creep right back in. That the newly wedded Potters will forego a honeymoon because James is set to undergo another mission with the Prewett brothers just days later. All they know is now.
So if Em clings to Remus even more tightly that night, if he reaches for her hand more often, if Sirius looks back to make sure they're still there, if Cass pulls Em out onto the dance floor more than she normally would, if James and Lily disappear while the night is still young, well, who could blame them?
All they know is now.
