(Disclaimer: I own nothing.)
(Author's Note: Here are my thank you things for all my reviewers since chapter 34 because I haven't been able to write the names down. Thanks to *Britz*, dummygenius, Lily Luv, Elham, Lily Luv (again), dummygenius (again), Harry and CO Fan, Harry and CO Fan (again), Myanda, dummygenius (again!), Olivia Wood, dummygenius (again!!), Siriusly in love, Harry's Hunny, Harry and CO Fan (again!), Allison, ~*Taylor*~, and Watkin's angel for your reviews! Thank you so much! You guys will never know how much I loved these reviews! Thanks a bunch again! Later babes and stay crunk w/ lotsa love from Sea Chelle!)
(Author's Note #2: Sorry guys, I miscalculated how long these chapters were going to be. I was trying to have this story end at chapter 40, but it seems as if that's going to be a bit hard…umm…it might end up only a few chapters passed that many, but I'm trying to make these chapters longer and filled with more stuff. Ok? K. Bubye!)
(Author's Note #3: About the sequel: Yes, it will take place during Harry's years. It will tell about what Remus did before he was a teacher at Hogwarts (don't you love Remus? He's such a sweet guy…but it won't go into detail about what he did. He did I think two things. The first one is planned, the second one I'm on at the moment) and how Hallie's kept busy while Sirius was gone. It's about some of Sirius' thoughts in Azkaban and after he escapes. There's another plot and it will have to do with Harry and the gang. New romance I guess and old characters popping up once more! Hmm…what else is there to say…I'm not sure about the ending of that story so it'll take me a while to start writing it and a while to finish it. I don't think it'll be as long as this story.)
Chapter Thirty Eight
Sirius blinked his eyes open and sat up with a yawn. He sighed and peered out the window. It was a beautiful day. Slowly, he got out of bed and got his glass from his bedside table for a drink of water. It was then that he noticed a letter beside the cup. His name was scrawled on the envelope.
Dear Sirius, (the note read,)
I hate to say goodbye in a letter, but I felt that this was the best way. I wrote this note for you because it would hurt too much to write it to Hallie. The reason for this letter is that I'm leaving. I cannot stay and endanger you or my daughter. As you probably know, Voldemort is after me. If I stay, he will be after you both as well. It cannot be so.
I know my daughter has feelings for you, and you have some for her, so please, watch after her for me. I think I know you well enough that you will take good care of her, but don't worry, I will not be gone forever. I have left before, but this time I hope it won't take me as long to find my way home.
Hallie will be looking for me soon, for she comes to my room every morning to say a simple 'good morning, dad.' (Here, there were a few blotches making the letter hard to read.) I'd like you to tell her that I love her with all my heart and that I'm sorry. Tell her that I never wished to hurt her by leaving, but that it was the only way. Also, please tell her that I promise I'll come back, that I swear I will. She carries my love and I will miss her.
Thank you, Sirius, and I hope I do not burden you with a great weight. I will try my best to keep in touch, but as much as I hate to admit this, it would also be best if we do not make much contact. That includes Hallie as well. Thank you again, I will forever be in your debt.
Sincerely yours,
Requillo
Sirius' heart stopped and his breathing became slow and uneven. His eyes were wide and his mouth was gaped open. He looked to the door in dread. It pained him that he had to tell her the news. To him, it seemed as if it was only yesterday that Requillo and Hallie had found each other. And now…now he was gone again.
He sat back down on his bed and wondered how he would tell her. His eyes were stuck on the door, just waiting until she would come in.
A while later, he heard her voice. "Dad? Where are you?" She walked towards his room and he could hear her footsteps on the marble floor.
His heart pounded unbearably in his chest and his eyes burned with blistering hot tears. The doorknob turned and Hallie peeked her head in. "Sirius? Are you awake?" she whispered.
"Yeah," he croaked. He quickly composed himself and cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'm awake." She smiled at him but her eyes carried a look of wonder.
"Are you all right?" she asked him. He grinned and nodded, holding out his arms to her. She smiled and came over. He gave her a big hug and kissed her forehead. With a laugh she said, "What's this about, Sirius?"
"Well," he swallowed. She was looking at him in concern now. "Hallie – er, it's about – about your dad," he said softly.
She grasped his hand. "What about him? Do you know where he went? Is he all right?"
"Yeah, he's all right. He just," he cleared his throat again, "He had to leave." Her eyes widened and her expression changed to one of disbelief and shock.
"Leave?" she asked, her voice ended in a squeak.
"He wrote me a letter and – and he said that Voldemort's after him…that he had to leave to keep us safe." Sirius looked at her somewhat in dread at how she would react. Would she break down or become something like a living zombie? "He said he loves you with all his heart and he never meant to hurt you by leaving. He also wanted me to tell you he's sorry and that he promises that he'll be back, and he swears to it. You carry his love and he'll miss you." He looked at her carefully. Her expression hadn't changed but she had looked away. "Hallie?" he said quietly.
The tears came. They left scorching trails down her cheeks and dripped down her chin. He brushed them away and pulled her close to him. She cried silently into his shirt and buried her head into his shoulder. He whispered sweet words into her ear and rubbed her back like his mother used to do to him when he was little. "It's all right, Hal," he said. "Requillo said he'd stop by sometimes to see you." She nodded but didn't respond.
Sirius closed his eyes and rested his head on hers. Everything was crumbling down in the world and it was all because of Voldemort.
~*~
"Mordecai, the prophecies," snapped Voldemort. He was in a very bad mood and it didn't help that he had lost the location of Requillo. The hooded man bowed and retrieved the pieces of parchment. He handed them to his master who gazed at them in distaste.
He who reeks disaster
Is to whom defeat will befall,
The brave, bold, and valiant
Will conquer all.
The hero will defeat him,
The Dark One will be gone,
And here ends Fate's story,
Fate's story will be done.
Upon the rising of the whole moon
Shall the evil one meet his end,
The hero and his flower will be betrayed,
By none other than he whom they called their friend.
The night will come when he will return,
A death a sorrow two hands become one,
The hero, the old, the man of grace,
Will come again to meet with his son.
Voldemort made a sound of anger. "But what does it mean?" he yelled. "The hero and his flower…" He shook his head in aggravation. "I don't understand! I know I'm the Dark One, but who is the hero?" His mind swirled. Who could it be?
~*~
The days drew near until Frank and Sarah's wedding was there. "Hallie, are you done yet?" Sirius called up the steps.
"Almost!" she yelled back.
"Can you hurry up please? We're going to be late."
The door opened. "Don't rush me," she told him, and then she closed the door again. He shook his head with a grin and heard the doorbell ring. When he opened the door, he was face to face with James and Lily.
"Sorry we're late," said Lily. James' hand was on her waist and hers around his. Sirius smiled and let them in.
There was a flash of light and Remus brushed the soot from his dress robes. He grinned at them. "Floo powder is definitely not the way to go," he said.
"Ok, ready," said Hallie coming down the steps. Sirius looked up and grinned at her. He took her hand in his and then they were ready to go. "Is the ministry limousine outside?" she asked Sirius.
"Right on time," he replied.
Hallie smiled. "Wait, where's Peter?" The group shrugged. She walked to the door to look outside to see if he was coming and there was Peter.
"There you are!" she said.
He grinned. "Sorry I'm so late, I couldn't find the present I bought for Frank and Sarah." She laughed and patted his cheek.
"That's okay." They went into the limo and it flew off.
Soon, they arrived at Frank and Sarah's home. "Sarah said that she and Frank were going to the University of Aurors," said Lily conversationally.
"Really?" asked James. She nodded.
Peter looked at her. "But that's dangerous! You-Know-Who's on the uprise and it's not safe for them to be aurors at this time!" His expression was deeply troubled and held a hint of another expression the others could not decipher.
Remus nodded. "Still, the Ministry is in need of people to fight him. Voldemort is gaining more supporters every day." Peter flinched at the Dark Lord's name.
"But why can't anyone stop him?" asked Hallie. "I mean, he's only one man, isn't he? Can they still not find his hiding place?"
Sirius shook his head. "He's done well in keeping himself hidden."
"And we don't really know who to trust or not, do we?" Hallie wondered.
James shook his head. "We can never tell who's a Death Eater or not." There was an awkward silence.
"Let's not talk about this anymore," Lily said. "It's too horrible to think about. We're at a wedding, let's be happy for Frank and Sarah." The rest nodded.
They took their seats and waited for the procession to begin.
The music started to play and Frank walked out, looking handsome in his suit. His face was filled with happiness and joy was present in his eyes. He looked as if he could never want anything more in his life. When Sarah walked up, she smiled at him and he steadied himself by holding onto the podium. She laughed. He grinned sheepishly. Sarah was beautiful, to put it simply. Her eyes reflected the same emotions present in Frank's and she couldn't seem to take the smile from her face.
By the end of the ceremony, Lily had tears streaming down her face. James grinned and held her to him.
And then it was over. The reception was in a great hall, which was very elegantly decorated. Hallie caught sight of Frank and screeched with joy. "Frank!" she exclaimed. He turned around in puzzlement and laughed. He motioned her over and she practically ran. She jumped up to give him a hug and he swung her around.
He held her out an arm's length. "My, my, Hal, I do think you've grown!"
She raised a brow. "Grown?"
"You're not the Shorty I used to know!" She laughed and hit his shoulder.
Sirius came over with Sarah. She went over to her husband and he smiled, putting his arm around her. Sirius did the same and put his hand on Hallie's waist. Frank's eyebrows shot up. "Oh my," he whispered.
Sarah laughed. "I told you! I told you so!"
"Oh, my," repeated Frank. Hallie and Sirius shared a confused look.
Sarah rolled her eyes at him. "Don't mind him," she said. "So…you guys are a couple now, are you?"
Sirius grinned and shot a look at Frank. "I should have known this would come up," he said.
The older boy pointed at him, and then to her, opening and closing his mouth without sound. And then he burst into laughter. "I'm guessing it's been working between you two because of no broom rides," he said with a straight face.
Hallie swatted at him. "Not funny," she said to him.
Sirius shrugged. "I don't know, Hallie…it has been a long time since you've been on a broom…"
"Not true! That is so not true!" she said to him.
"When was the last time?" Frank put in with a smirk.
She sent a glare his way and then turned to Sarah. "I give you my blessing to hit this boy when ever you feel like."
The girl laughed. "Thanks, Hallie, I'll keep that in mind."
Frank looked from one girl to the other. "Is there some sort of hidden meaning in that?" At the looks he got from them, Sirius broke into a round of laughter. He doubled over and Hallie swatted him upside the head.
"You got detention for doing that, remember?" he asked between laughs. She rolled her eyes.
~*~
That night, they all went back to Hallie's place. Sirius and Hallie were in the kitchen trying to make dinner and Remus and Peter were in the living room playing a game of Wizard's Chess in which Peter was losing very badly.
Lily sat next to Peter, trying to help him. James looked at her, and then to Remus who shot him a quick and reassuring grin. He stood up and walked to the kitchen.
"Are you sure? That's a lot of sugar…" said Hallie, looking at the recipe for the crème pie.
"Of course I'm sure! Besides, sugar is good," he said raising his eyebrows up and down. She laughed and rolled her eyes.
"If you say so." She pointed her wand at the drawer and it opened producing a cup. It dipped itself into a bag of sugar than poured its contents into the bowl. The wooden spoon started to mix by itself. Sirius came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She laughed and pecked his cheek with a kiss.
"Er – if I'm not interrupting…" said James with a small grin.
Sirius looked at him and sighed, but grinned back. "I'll be back, k, Hal?" She nodded and waved them off. "Nervous?" he asked James once they were outside.
The boy's eyes were wide and he was chewing on his lip. "You could say that," he replied. Sirius laughed. "I just-I don't know what to say…" He looked at Sirius with eyes growing wider at the moment. In a horrified tone his said, "What if she says 'no'?"
The other boy rolled his eyes heavenward. "Oh, please. Do you really think she's going to say that?" James gulped and looked ahead. They were outside and walking along the streets. "Do you think it would be best? I mean, if-if-," but his friend laughed.
"Oh, honestly!" he exclaimed. And then at the look on his friend's face, he said seriously, "Yes, James, I do."
James stopped and took his friend by the shoulders. "It means a lot to me, Sirius, your judgement. Please be serious about this, please."
Sirius, his face turning grave, looked at his best friend. "I am serious about this. You and – and her," he smiled. "This is me speaking to my best friend, one on one, okay? And-and I think you should go for it. There is nothing I would recommend more than for you to do this."
James smiled and laughed. He and his best friend embraced. "Thanks, Sirius, you don't know how much this means to me."
The other young man grinned. "Oh, I think I do."
~*~
The moon shone brightly down and the stars sparkled like specks of crystals in a navy blue ocean. He held her hand in his and she looked at him in confusion.
James bent down on one knee.
Her eyes widened. "James," she whispered.
He smiled and took something from his cloak pocket. "Lily, I was never good with words, so I can't give you a long speech about love. And I was never good with music, so I can't give you a wonderful love song. But I believe that I was always good when anything had to do with you. I-I know how life is, when it comes down to you and me. And – and though my world is crumbling down around me, I know I can find serenity and tranquility in my heart, with you." Tears shined in her eyes and in his. "I know no other way to tell you how I feel in my heart, than to say, Lily, I love you. I couldn't live without you." He paused and took a deep breath. "Lily Evans, will you marry me?"
Her lips moved, but no sounds came out. Finally, she smiled down at him and wiped away her tears. "What am I supposed to say?" she whispered. "I do?"
He laughed. "I think a 'yes', would be appropriate."
"Then, James, yes!"
"Really?" he exclaimed. She nodded vigorously and he slipped the beautiful ring on her finger. "Lily," he said after a while. She looked down at him with a happy smile. "Please, tell me I can get up, I don't think I can stay in this position any longer."
She noticed the strain on his face and that he was still kneeling. With a laugh she said, "Get up, James." He did so and they embraced.
Suddenly, there was a loud round of applause. They turned to look and in the doorway stood the rest of the group, watching them with broad smiles. James looked at Sirius, Remus, and Peter. 'Thank you' is what seemed to be said.
~*~
"Please! Help!" said Lily.
Hallie laughed and took a seat next to her. "Help with what?"
Lily looked ready to pull the hair from her scalp. "Dresses! Please oh please help me pick out a dress design for my maids of honor!"
"Hmm…okay, let's choose a color first, shall we?" Lily nodded. "I rather like the color periwinkle…" The other girl laughed. "Okay, how about sun-gold yellow?"
Lily thought about this for a while. "No, not sun-gold yellow."
"Green?"
"Ugh, definitely not green! Could you imagine green dresses at my wedding?"
Hallie laughed. "You're right, ugh." They flipped through the pages and Lily suddenly screamed. "What? What is it?"
"That one! That one! That's it! That's the one I want!" It was a beautiful dress, lilac purple, a soft color.
Hallie looked at it. "Perfect choice, Lily, it's beautiful."
Lily looked at her best friend with a smile. "And, Hallie, I'd be honored if you'd wear the dress and be my maid of honor." The other girl looked shocked and then they both engaged into fits of hugs and screams.
The door suddenly opened and Sirius stumbled in and James soon followed. The two girls looked at them with raised brows. "Where's the fire?" asked Sirius cocking a brow.
Hallie went over and knelt by the two boys who had fallen on top of each other in the rush of trying to get into the room first. "You two should untangle yourselves. It gives people the wrong impression about your friendship." Lily burst out laughing. James reached to pull her hair and Sirius reached for his wand, but both couldn't keep straight faces.
~*~
Remus walked in looking haggard and unusually pale. Hallie smiled and welcomed him in. Her smile faltered at how sickly he looked. "Remus, are you all right?"
He forced a smile and nodded. The young man plopped himself on the couch and closed his eyes placing a hand over his closed lids.
Hallie bit down on her lip and went into the kitchen. A short while later, she came out with a hot bowl of noodle soup. "Remus, are you awake?" she whispered.
He blinked his eyes open and grinned. "Yeah."
"Here," she said and handed him the bowl. She set it onto the table and gave him the spoon.
"For me?" he asked.
She smiled victoriously. "Yep, and I made it all by myself."
He shot a grin her way. "It was the heat and mix kind, wasn't it?"
She pursed her lips but smiled anyway. "Yeah, but I'm working on it," she said defensively.
He waved a hand. "I didn't mean anything by it. Thanks, Hallie."
She looked at him carefully. He felt her eyes on her and looked up. His handsome face was lined with stress lines that should not have been present on such a young man and his eyes bore pain and strain from his rough past. "Remus…" she started but he just shook his head.
"Really, I'm fine, don't worry about it."
She looked doubtful but said a soft, "All right," and then went back into the kitchen.
Peter suddenly came in. "Hallie?" he called.
She poked her head out of the doorway of the kitchen. "Peter?" she called back.
He laughed. "Um, I won't be able to come to dinner tonight. I just wanted to stop by and tell you." He didn't look at her as he said this, but gazed at the floor in a kind of bashful way.
"All right, thanks for notifying me," she said with a smile. "You okay, Peter?"
He looked up at her and then back down again. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Er – I-I'll see you guys later, okay?" He then left.
Remus shared a look with her. "Something's up," he said. And Hallie had to agree.
~*~
James and Lily apparated to Hallie's house after they finished their butter beers. They took seats on either side of Remus. James laughed. "Got hungry did you?" he asked the other boy sighting the empty bowl on the table.
"Yeah," said Remus with a secret smile that he shared with James.
"You feel okay now?"
He nodded. Lily looked confused. "Are you sick?" she wondered.
He grinned. "Nah, just something passing through I guess."
A while later, Sirius suddenly appeared with a letter. He ran into the kitchen. "Another attack," he whispered urgently.
Hallie looked at him. "Attack?"
He nodded and swallowed. "Dumbledore sent a letter. He didn't want to worry you or anything, but your dad was just there." Her eyes widened. He hugged her. "He's fine though, nothing happened to him." She sighed in relief. They went out into the living room.
"What is it?" asked Lily, noticing her friends' troubled looks.
"There was an attack in Hogsmead, near the Three Broomsticks," Sirius explained.
James' brows became knit together in confusion. "But that can't be, Lily and I were just there."
~*~
"Yes, Minerva, I do fear the same," said Albus.
She looked out the window. "But why, Albus? Why would You-Know-Who be after them?"
The ancient man sight and stroked Fawkes affectionately. "There are many possibilities, each one as unlikely as the next," he replied.
"But-but they're safe, at the moment, aren't they?"
He looked at her with a grave expression. "I don't know, I just don't know."
~*~
The wedding's set date was for the upcoming spring, May 17th. The invitations were sent out early during that winter and the reservations for everything were set.
"Spain?" said Sirius.
James thought about it for a few short moments before saying, "No, not Spain."
"Ok…uh…what about…" he flipped through the pages. "How about Hawaii? The Americans like it…"
"Ugh, too long."
"Floo powder…"
"Oh! Right!" laughed James. "I don't know…but it has to be perfect…" Sirius nodded. "France!" James suddenly bellowed. Then he got up and looked out the door to see if Lily heard. She was no where in sight. "France," he said again in a quieter tone.
"France?" repeated Sirius.
James smiled and nodded, "France."
~*~
James and Lily looked at her. "What, what did I do? I swear it wasn't me, it was – er – Sirius."
They laughed. "That's not what we want to talk to you about," said Lily.
"It isn't?"
James grinned. "No, we wanted to know if you'd perform for our wedding."
Her eyes rounded. "Wow…"
"You're going to say 'yes', aren't you?" said someone behind her. Sirius wrapped his arms about her waist and rested his head on the crook of her neck.
She laughed. "Yes! To both questions. I mean, yes, I'll perform and yes, I'm going to say yes. Er, oh, never mind it."
~*~
"Lily? James?" asked Hallie. They looked at her. "You guys trust me, right?"
James raised a brow. "What did you do?"
She laughed. "No, I mean, you trust me, though, right?"
"Of course we do, Hal," said Lily.
"Do you guys trust me enough to do whatever I want for the wedding performance?" she asked, biting down on her lip. James shared a look with Lily. "Oh, honestly! I'm not looking to ruin my best friends' wedding!"
They laughed at her. "Of course we trust you."
She smiled. "Thanks guys."
~*~
The day of the wedding had come. It was a beautiful outside and the terrace where it would take place was elegantly decorated. It looked like a setting out of a fairytale. The birds sand their daytime song and the breeze rushed by with whispers of happiness to the trees that swayed to and fro. Laughter and smiles filled the place and no one was seen with an unhappy face.
Inside, Hallie said to her best friend, "You look beautiful."
Lily smiled. "You do too, Hal."
"No, no, don't talk about me, this is your day." They embraced.
~*~
"Scared?" asked Sirius softly.
James stopped pacing to look at him. "Why would I be? I mean, I'm only getting married today…" The other boy laughed. "Sirius, this isn't a laughing matter! This is my wedding day!"
He immediately stopped laughing but the smile remained on his face. "Just remember you love her."
James looked out the window and smile. "How could I forget?" He sighed and then looked to his best friend. "Thanks, Sirius, for always being there."
The other young man shook his head and waved a hand. "No matter of concern today. Come on, it's almost time."
With wide eyes, James followed him out.
~*~
He stood looking at the priest with wide eyes as he bit down on his lip. "Relax, lad, you're getting married," said the priest.
Thanks for your concerning words…thought James to himself with an inward grin.
James looked absolutely handsome in his suit. His messy hair was still a horrible mess, but it didn't ruin anything for him. It actually added. His face held many expressions. Delight, nervousness, excitement, dread, but most of all, love. The man's eyes utterly glowed and when Lily came out, they rounded to the size of tea saucers.
She looked – and there was no other word for it – beautiful. Her red hair was clipped and tied up with curls dangling around her face with flowers decorating her French bun. His knees went weak at the sight of her, but one smile sent his way was enough to reassure him.
Their eyes locked and 'I love you' seemed to be said between them.
All throughout the sermon, their eyes never left the others' and their smiles never left their faces. It was as if the world was finally put in course and everything and everyone was carefree. The day was wonderful.
And soon, they made their vows and placed the rings on their fingers. The kiss was short yet sugar sweet and when they parted, there was such an explosion of happiness that tears came to everyone's eyes. It was true love.
They went into the dining hall for the after party. The wedding planner came out and introduced Hallie to sing Lily and James' wedding song. They expected a remarkable performance, but they would get an extraordinary one.
She smiled around at the guests and then to the side stage at Sirius who gave her a special smile.
The music started to play. James led Lily out onto the dance floor and everyone watched in awe at the beauty emitting from them both.
"When the visions around you
Bring tears to your eyes
And all that surround you
Are secrets and lies
I'll be your strength
I'll give you hope
Keeping your faith when it's gone
The one you should call
Was standing here all along
"I love you," James whispered into her ear. She smiled and leaned against him with a happy sigh.
"I love you too."
"And I will take you in my arms
And hold you right where you belong
'Til the day my life is through
This I promise you
This I promise you."
The key changed and Hallie's smile broadened.
"I've loved you forever,"
Lily and James' eyes widened. Hallie was singing no longer, but looking to the right where some one was coming out from side stage. Sirius grinned with a slight blush on his cheeks as he came out.
"In life times before
And I promise you never
Will you hurt anymore"
Lily and James shared a secret and loving look. This was their day.
"I give you my word
I give you my heart
This is a battle we've won
And with this vow
Forever has now begun"
Sirius took Hallie's hand in his. Together they sang:
"Just close your eyes
Each loving day
And know this feeling won't go away
'Til the day my life is through
This I promise you
This I promise you"
They held each other close, looking to each other's eyes.
"Over and over I fall
When I hear you call
Without you in my life, baby
I just wouldn't be living at all."
James touched Lily's face gently, but neither said a word. No words needed to be said.
"And I will take you in my arms
And hold you right where you belong
'Til the day my life is through
This I promise you."
Together, Hallie and Sirius sang:
"Just close your eyes
Each loving day
And know this feeling won't go away
Every word I say is true
This I promise you
Every word I say is true
This I promise you
I promise you."
Courtesy to 'NSYNC
For "This I Promise You"
