Recap: Petunia Evans has agreed to be Lily's maid-of-honor, while not
giving up her abhorrence of anything or anyone magical. The boys threw a
stag party for James, which left the groom and his best man somewhat crispy
on the following day. Now, it's time for the rehearsal, the wedding and a
proposal.
Evening of the Rehearsal
Vernon Dursley glared at the bellhop. "Never mind. I'll take care of those." Hmph. He didn't need some cheeky, little bugger to carry his two small cases to his room, only to hold out a hand for a tip. He checked his watch. Time enough to settle into his hotel room and get a quick nap before he had to head off to the rehearsal dinner. As he stood at the front desk, the roar of a large motorcycle shook the windows at the front of the building. Vernon frowned at the woman behind the desk. "Surely you're not renting rooms to gangs of leather-clad hooligans, are you?"
She smiled brightly at him. "No, sir, most everyone booked here for the next few nights is attending the Evans-Potter wedding." With fake concern she added, "I suppose the bride and groom *could* be members of a some sort of gang, but the manager didn't give me any indication of that." She winked.
Vernon's eyes narrowed. 'Was she one of Them?'
His attention was distracted by the two young men who came through the front door. They immediately turned to the right, half hidden by a display of tourist brochures. A moment later they came back into his sight, each carrying a suitcase. Vernon could have sworn that there had been nothing in their hands when they came through the door. That thought was banished by the realization that both men were wearing leather jackets. And the taller one was also wearing leather pants. Hooligans. Definitely.
Believing that it was always best to establish one's rights and territory before anyone else took advantage, Vernon stepped over to the men and interrupted their check-in process.
"Were you driving that loud machine I heard a few moments ago?" He said sternly.
Mr. All-Leather turned to him. "If you mean the motorcycle, yes, it's mine." He smiled and started to say something. "Are you here for---"
"Well, I certainly hope you won't be riding around on it at all hours disturbing the other guests' sleep. I work hard for a living, I'm only here because my fiancee's sister is getting married tomorrow and I don't need to be kept awake all night by that racket." He glared fiercely, his mustache bristling with indignation. It didn't help his mood to realize that the man he was addressing was probably only a few years younger than himself, several inches taller and very good-looking.
The other man at the desk now looked at Vernon. "Oh, you must be Petunia Evans' fiancé. How do you do? I'm Remus Lupin and this is Sirius Black." Remus extended his hand, smiling.
Caught out by this display of politeness, Vernon felt he had no choice but to respond in kind. Grudgingly he quickly shook hands with both men, muttered several insincere pleasantries and decided to beat a retreat to his room.
Remus glanced over at Sirius as they walked to their own room. "Lily will be pleased to find out you resisted hexing her sister's intended, in spite of provocation."
Sirius smirked. "Note I also resisted kissing you in front of him. I can wait for my revenge. Somehow I think old Vernon won't be at all happy to find out I'm the best man."
The wedding rehearsal went off with only a minor Sirius-induced hitch. Lily couldn't help keeping an anxious eye on his interactions with Petunia . The first time Petunia was required to take his arm she stared at it as if she expected it to fly off his body and turn into something designed to frighten small children. Sirius, Lily saw, blithely overlooked Petunia's hesitation and, instead, gave her one of his million-candle smiles. He managed to strike exactly the right level of charm, without veering into smarminess. It took a while, but Petunia gradually seemed to relax and even smiled occasionally at Sirius' quiet jokes. Maybe Lily was mistaken, but she would almost swear she saw Petunia bat her eyes once or twice at her tall, attractive escort. The butterflies in her stomach settled down quietly.
The minister walked them through the ceremony, making sure everyone was comfortable. Lily stood at the altar between Petunia and James, with Sirius to James' right. The minister quickly outlined what he would say and do, and indicated at what point Sirius should have their wedding rings at hand. A rather guilty look flashed across the best man's handsome features as his eyes locked with James'. "Rings? James, you didn't give me the rings last night, did you?"
James' expression mingled disbelief and horror as he attempted to keep his voice low and under control. "Yes, I did! Don't tell me you've lost them!"
Lily sensed Petunia's posture stiffen next to her. A bewildered Sirius reached up one hand to scratch behind his ear and then he smiled beatifically at them. "Oh, here they are! I knew they had to be somewhere." He brought his hand down in front of them, and there, lying on his palm, were the two gold rings.
"Idiot," mumbled James unconvincingly, aware that he had been taken in by the oldest wedding joke in the book. Lily glanced quickly at Petunia and saw she was staring hard at Sirius. Lily couldn't be sure if that was because she didn't like the joke, or if she believed that Sirius had indeed conjured the rings out of his own ear. Either way, it threatened the fragile balance she had with Petunia and Sirius needed to be reminded to behave. She loudly cleared her throat, glaring at him. He feigned innocence. She frowned. He smiled.
The minister saved them all. "At this point I will lead you in saying your vows, you will place the rings on each other's hand and we'll complete the ceremony. Then the bride and groom will lead the wedding procession to the church doors. Alright, turn and off you go down the aisle." As Lily walked towards the church doors, her arm linked through James', she could here the low murmur of Sirius' voice behind her, followed by what sounded like a giggle from Petunia. She resisted the urge to turn around to look at them, waiting until they formed a receiving line at the doors. Petunia stood calmly next to Sirius, gazing raptly up at him. Sirius caught Lily's eyes and winked. She was left to wonder. Did he talk his way back into Petunia's good graces or had he perhaps placed a mild Cheering Charm on her? Several of her stomach butterflies took flight once more.
Back at the Hotel
James, Peter, Remus and Sirius sauntered into the hotel lobby after a blessedly uneventful rehearsal dinner. They paused, looking through the door into the bar, but then wordlessly agreed that the wine they consumed at dinner was more than enough for one evening. As they turned towards the stairs to their rooms, Vernon Dursley stalked in. He nodded stiffly at them, glared at Sirius, and marched purposefully up the stairs.
James raised his eyebrows at his best friend. "You didn't do anything to Petunia that escaped my notice, did you?"
Sirius frowned. "Like what?"
"Oh, I don't know. Pinch her, kiss her, leer suggestively at her."
The other three regarded James with some concern, as if they thought he had lost his mind.
"I was the perfect gentleman. And she seemed fine to me, except when she had to hide her disgust when doing revolting things like taking my arm when we walked down the aisle." Sirius looked blankly at Peter and Remus. "Why would he think I'd have any possible desire to kiss her!?"
The others snickered. "Maybe because Vernon doesn't seem to like you very much," Peter suggested. "You're better looking than he is. And towards the end of the rehearsal, Petunia seemed a bit smitten with you."
Remus agreed. "Vernon probably thinks you've cast a spell on her with your blue, bedroom eyes so you can steal her away from him."
Sirius shuddered at the thought. "I'd be more than happy to put his mind at rest by shagging you senseless right in front of him, but, since we made that promise to Lily, I guess Vernon is just going to have to deal with it."
As they entered their room, Remus turned to his mate and pushed him up against their door, the weight of their bodies slamming it shut. One hand reached out to lock the door, and then slide around Sirius' back. The other hand swept up to the back of his head, grasping the thick, black hair and pulling the dark head to him. Their lips met in a long, moist kiss. "What was that you said about shagging me senseless?" Remus murmured against the hungry mouth that savored him.
"Umm.I said something about doing it in front of Vernon." Sirius pulled his head back, an impish grin on his face. "Want an audience, do you, you kinky boy?"
Remus stepped backwards, pulling Sirius towards the bed. "I want you. Just you. Now. Especially since I couldn't have you last night." Their hands worked quickly to remove each other's clothing.
Falling onto the bed beneath Remus' persistent onslaught, Sirius chuckled. "You could have done anything you wanted to me last night. I was incapable of getting up the strength to resist you." He sighed with pleasure at the feel of Remus' skilled hands and tongue traveling across his flesh.
Remus nipped at his shoulder. "You were so drunk you couldn't get anything up worth mentioning."
"Then let me redeem myself.."
In the room one floor above them, Vernon Dursley fretted alone in his bed. As he tried to get comfortable, he heard disturbing noises in the darkness. Low, gasping moans, and half-formed words uttered in two distinctly male voices. Vernon flung the covers over his head to drown out what he knew were the sounds of two poofs engaging in lewd, disgusting behavior. "Probably both wizards." he snarled.
Vernon couldn't decide which was worse, poofs or low-life scum that would try to steal another man's betrothed. He growled with annoyance, thinking of the expression on Petunia's face, *his* Petunia, when she looked at that black-haired devil. That freakish, leather-clad git, with his long legs and long lashes and long.whatever. Petunia seemed to genuinely like him. And after years of whining about her sister and how horrible it was to be exposed to magic. Now, she was practically panting to run off with that wanker. Vernon knew the type. Love 'em and leave 'em. Probably left a string of broken-hearted women wherever his loud, offensive motorcycle took him. Motorcycles. Hmmph! Undoubtedly some sort of over-compensation for whatever was lacking elsewhere.
Vernon's ruminations were interrupted with a man's half-smothered cry from below. "Oh, God, that's it! Yes! Yes!"
Vernon buried his head under the pillow.
The Wedding
The morning light had an extra glow, as if to gild the ceremony uniting Lily Evans and James Potter. The sun reflected fire from Lily's hair and ice from the glittering jewels on her gown. Petunia walked down the aisle, feeling almost pretty. She caught Vernon's glance and smiled warmly at him. Then her eyes turned to the man standing next to the groom, waiting for her. Her smile broadened and she imagined, just for a moment, that this was her day, and she was about to wed a devastatingly handsome man, making her the envy of everyone she knew.
With a sinking feeling, Sirius smiled back, a friendly, completely platonic greeting devoid of any romantic overtones. His stomach sank because he recognized the look Petunia bestowed on him. He had received that look countless times in his life. Petunia, like others before her, had obviously constructed some sort of scenario about him in her head. If his luck held, she wouldn't follow up The Look with anything more than a bit of flirting. If luck turned against him, he'd have to act oblivious to her. It made him feel vaguely guilty. Maybe he could avoid these complications if he tattooed a note on his forehead "Unavailable for love or sex. Already taken - Countless times."
The ceremony proceeded smoothly. Once Lily and James were at the altar, all eyes, including Petunia's, were on them. Lily was radiant. She shone from some incandescent inner light that fired the very air around her. James, too, blazed with the force of his emotions, giving him an almost regal bearing that even his perpetually messy hair could not diminish.
As they recited their vows to each other, Sirius felt a lump form in his throat. He forgot all about Petunia. He was filled with the stark, beautiful solemnity of the meaning of those vows. In spite of the darkness in the world that swirled around them, these two brave, wonderful people insisted on walking together to face whatever dangers lay in wait. He could not imagine that any evil force could withstand the combined brightness of their love and joy. He glanced towards Remus, suddenly wanting nothing more than to bound down the altar steps, grab Remus by the hand and haul him up in front of the minister to speak their own vows. Remus stared back at him with a look that took his breath away. Petunia's gaze had been full of warmth; Remus' burned his soul.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
And, suddenly, the wedding was over. They were all gathered at the back of the church waiting to greet the guests and well-wishers as they left the building. Sirius had time to wrap James in a bear-hug, muttering a strangled, "Congratulations, Prongs." They stared at each other, their ability to speak stifled by their emotions. Sirius then hugged Lily, being careful not to mess up her gown. "Congratulations to you, too, Lils."
She kissed him. "Thank you so much. For everything." she said fondly. She held him firmly by the shoulders, a knowing smile playing about her lips. "Any chance you'll be saying those vows sometime soon?"
He grinned. "Toss me the bouquet and we'll see what happens!"
Petunia looked at him questioningly. Neither Lily nor Sirius enlightened her.
The Reception - and a Proposal
The wedding party posed for pictures at the church. Everyone was in high spirits, although Sirius had an increasingly hard time escaping the grasp of Petunia's claw-like fingers. Finally, they sorted themselves into the waiting limousines for the ride to the reception. Sirius tried to arrange to sit next to bridesmaids Fiona Kavanagh or Anne Crenshaw, but somehow, Petunia managed to lurch onto the seat next to him. The other members of the wedding party in the car were devising a betting pool on who would catch the bouquet and left Sirius to deal with Petunia. As the car started off, Sirius knew he had to say something, if only to jar Petunia out of her increasingly obvious fascination.
"Well, Lily certainly looked beautiful, didn't she?" Mentally, he kicked himself for his precipitate fall into wedding triteness.
Petunia nodded slowly. "Yes, she did. Well, she's always been pretty. And smart. And talented at what you people.do.or.conjure.or...I'm not sure what the proper word is." Her voice trailed off.
She had spoken without rancor or jealousy, and Sirius felt a twinge of sympathy for her. Petunia was not pretty. He had no idea how smart she was or what sorts of skills she had. All he knew for certain about her was that she had always been close-minded about wizards. But, maybe she was fearful because she simply didn't understand.
The limo banked too quickly around a sharp turn, causing Petunia to lean against Sirius. As the car straightened out, she sat back, but did not move all the way to her original position. Her thigh rested against his. Acting as natural as possible, he inched away from her. Several moments later, her thigh followed him. Glancing past her, Sirius saw Remus watching them surreptitiously. His mouth was twisted slightly in an expression Sirius recognized. Remus was biting the inside of his lip to keep from laughing. A silky, golden-brown brow cocked inquisitively at Sirius, silently asking how his raven-haired mate intended to extricate himself from potential Petunia entanglements. Sirius noted sourly that Remus offered no assistance, and instead, appeared to be anticipating a measure of entertainment from Sirius' predicament.
He opted to travel the obvious route. "What will you do once you and Vernon get married?"
"Vernon?" For a crazy moment, Sirius got the distinct impression that she had no idea who he was talking about. "Oh, Vernon. Well, he's got a job at Grunnings. They make drills. In Surrey. We'll get a house and raise a family."
"Do you intend to have a career?"
"I'll take care of Vernon and the house and our children." She didn't seem particularly excited at the prospect. Her leg slid away from his. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
The Seddington Arms was done up from the floor to the rafters with wedding decorations. The guests were already seated in the banquet room and rose to welcome the wedding party as they were introduced. James and Lily started the first dance alone, moving to the strains of one of Lily's favorite Muggle songs. The tune was vaguely familiar to Sirius, but he couldn't remember the title. As the rest of the wedding party joined the newlyweds on the dance floor, Sirius asked Petunia if she recognized the song.
She looked at him as if he had gone mad. "It's 'As Time Goes By.' From 'Casablanca.' " The look on Petunia's face was even more appalled than when she had first had to touch him at last night's rehearsal.
"Oh, right. That movie. I've never seen it." At least, he hoped it was a movie. Petunia's glare softened, so Sirius assumed he'd said the right thing. She moved closer to him, and he deftly spun her in a gentle circle. She was delighted until she sensed that he had used the maneuver to change the position of his hands. Now, being the stronger of the two, he was able to subtly push back against her to keep that precious sliver of daylight between their bodies. The song ended, and the band immediately launched into another tune. Sirius felt a hard rap on his shoulder and turned to find Vernon Dursley impatiently waiting to cut in. He reminded Sirius of an ill-tempered walrus simmering at a half-boil. Smiling graciously, Sirius relinquished Petunia's hand and fled towards the bar.
A familiar, wise voice chuckled behind him. "Are you fortifying yourself for the toast, Sirius, or are you simply glad to get out of that woman's clutches?"
Sirius turned to the white-haired man who had appeared from nowhere. He grinned at Albus Dumbledore, resplendent in a tuxedo with a bright purple cummerbund. "Headmaster! I believe this is the first time I've seen you in Muggle clothing. You look quite dapper."
"Thank you, my boy. I knew I had to leave the dress robes at home. But, I don't mind climbing into this get-up every now and then." His twinkling blue eyes turned sober. "How do you like working at the Department of Mysteries?"
Sirius was about to make a standard, run-of-the-mill answer, but then he stopped. Dumbledore had always tried to foster his students' desire to learn, although he also had to temper that desire with discipline where the Marauders were concerned. He was well acquainted with Sirius' own brand of invention and unorthodox problem-solving. So, Sirius answered him honestly.
"It's frustrating. People come to us with problems to solve, or questions about whether specific spells or charms can be adapted to unusual situations, or issues about developing new applications, and we never seem to go anywhere. My assignments always require me to look into new ways to do things. I do, and my supervisor gravely nods his head and decides that we should stick with the status quo. I'm wasting my time. Magic is static in my department. It should be alive and growing and changing. Especially now, with all that's happening. We seem to be burying our heads in the sand, hoping that the Death Eaters will get bored and go off to the Caribbean for a permanent holiday."
Dumbledore laughed gently. "I confess, I was worried about you when I learned where you were going to work. I've heard a few things about the people running that Department and I was afraid that a great deal of their time would end up being devoted to smothering your imagination."
"Couldn't you have warned me?" Sirius asked wistfully.
"My information was second-hand, and thus, could have been wrong. Plus, I didn't think a stint at the Ministry would do you any real harm." His eyes twinkled again. "But, since the Mysteries people obviously don't know what to do with you, perhaps you would be interested in making a change. Perhaps you'd like to come and work with me."
Sirius was horrified. "I'm not qualified to teach! I'd hand out detentions to students for *not* breaking the rules. Professor McGonagall and I would probably come to blows."
Dumbledore chortled briefly, no doubt amused by the vision of Minerva and Sirius engaged in a Wizard Transfiguration duel, but his expression quickly turned sober. "No, not as a teacher. I work with a number of talented witches and wizards whose main concern now is in fighting Voldemort and his followers. Not necessarily through direct armed confrontation, although occasionally that happens. Rather, we gather intelligence, research new spells, develop counter-curses, and generally find ways to defeat the Dark Arts."
Sirius' drink rested on the bar, forgotten, as he listened to his ex- Headmaster. Albus noted how intensely the young wizard focused on his words. He remembered the student very well - intelligent, impulsive, imaginative, a talented youth with great, latent power. Now he was a young man who was just beginning to come into his own. Albus had high hopes for this one.
"Sirius, we work in almost complete secrecy. And some of what we do is very dangerous. We have lost people to injury, torture and death. I guarantee that the risk to all of us will only increase as Voldemort gets stronger. I guarantee more of us will die." He paused, assessing the effect of his words. Sirius' eyes never wavered.
"But, I believe this is a fight that must be fought. And, I believe we can use someone with your skills. Do not speak of this to anyone, not even Remus or James. But, if you are interested, come to Hogwarts on the first day of July. I will tell you more at that time. If you decide not to accept my invitation, all I ask is, again, that you do not speak of this."
Sirius nodded slowly. "I'll see you on July first."
Dumbledore smiled. "Well, then, that's settled. Where is Lily? I promised to tango with her." He turned and moved across the room.
TBC
Evening of the Rehearsal
Vernon Dursley glared at the bellhop. "Never mind. I'll take care of those." Hmph. He didn't need some cheeky, little bugger to carry his two small cases to his room, only to hold out a hand for a tip. He checked his watch. Time enough to settle into his hotel room and get a quick nap before he had to head off to the rehearsal dinner. As he stood at the front desk, the roar of a large motorcycle shook the windows at the front of the building. Vernon frowned at the woman behind the desk. "Surely you're not renting rooms to gangs of leather-clad hooligans, are you?"
She smiled brightly at him. "No, sir, most everyone booked here for the next few nights is attending the Evans-Potter wedding." With fake concern she added, "I suppose the bride and groom *could* be members of a some sort of gang, but the manager didn't give me any indication of that." She winked.
Vernon's eyes narrowed. 'Was she one of Them?'
His attention was distracted by the two young men who came through the front door. They immediately turned to the right, half hidden by a display of tourist brochures. A moment later they came back into his sight, each carrying a suitcase. Vernon could have sworn that there had been nothing in their hands when they came through the door. That thought was banished by the realization that both men were wearing leather jackets. And the taller one was also wearing leather pants. Hooligans. Definitely.
Believing that it was always best to establish one's rights and territory before anyone else took advantage, Vernon stepped over to the men and interrupted their check-in process.
"Were you driving that loud machine I heard a few moments ago?" He said sternly.
Mr. All-Leather turned to him. "If you mean the motorcycle, yes, it's mine." He smiled and started to say something. "Are you here for---"
"Well, I certainly hope you won't be riding around on it at all hours disturbing the other guests' sleep. I work hard for a living, I'm only here because my fiancee's sister is getting married tomorrow and I don't need to be kept awake all night by that racket." He glared fiercely, his mustache bristling with indignation. It didn't help his mood to realize that the man he was addressing was probably only a few years younger than himself, several inches taller and very good-looking.
The other man at the desk now looked at Vernon. "Oh, you must be Petunia Evans' fiancé. How do you do? I'm Remus Lupin and this is Sirius Black." Remus extended his hand, smiling.
Caught out by this display of politeness, Vernon felt he had no choice but to respond in kind. Grudgingly he quickly shook hands with both men, muttered several insincere pleasantries and decided to beat a retreat to his room.
Remus glanced over at Sirius as they walked to their own room. "Lily will be pleased to find out you resisted hexing her sister's intended, in spite of provocation."
Sirius smirked. "Note I also resisted kissing you in front of him. I can wait for my revenge. Somehow I think old Vernon won't be at all happy to find out I'm the best man."
The wedding rehearsal went off with only a minor Sirius-induced hitch. Lily couldn't help keeping an anxious eye on his interactions with Petunia . The first time Petunia was required to take his arm she stared at it as if she expected it to fly off his body and turn into something designed to frighten small children. Sirius, Lily saw, blithely overlooked Petunia's hesitation and, instead, gave her one of his million-candle smiles. He managed to strike exactly the right level of charm, without veering into smarminess. It took a while, but Petunia gradually seemed to relax and even smiled occasionally at Sirius' quiet jokes. Maybe Lily was mistaken, but she would almost swear she saw Petunia bat her eyes once or twice at her tall, attractive escort. The butterflies in her stomach settled down quietly.
The minister walked them through the ceremony, making sure everyone was comfortable. Lily stood at the altar between Petunia and James, with Sirius to James' right. The minister quickly outlined what he would say and do, and indicated at what point Sirius should have their wedding rings at hand. A rather guilty look flashed across the best man's handsome features as his eyes locked with James'. "Rings? James, you didn't give me the rings last night, did you?"
James' expression mingled disbelief and horror as he attempted to keep his voice low and under control. "Yes, I did! Don't tell me you've lost them!"
Lily sensed Petunia's posture stiffen next to her. A bewildered Sirius reached up one hand to scratch behind his ear and then he smiled beatifically at them. "Oh, here they are! I knew they had to be somewhere." He brought his hand down in front of them, and there, lying on his palm, were the two gold rings.
"Idiot," mumbled James unconvincingly, aware that he had been taken in by the oldest wedding joke in the book. Lily glanced quickly at Petunia and saw she was staring hard at Sirius. Lily couldn't be sure if that was because she didn't like the joke, or if she believed that Sirius had indeed conjured the rings out of his own ear. Either way, it threatened the fragile balance she had with Petunia and Sirius needed to be reminded to behave. She loudly cleared her throat, glaring at him. He feigned innocence. She frowned. He smiled.
The minister saved them all. "At this point I will lead you in saying your vows, you will place the rings on each other's hand and we'll complete the ceremony. Then the bride and groom will lead the wedding procession to the church doors. Alright, turn and off you go down the aisle." As Lily walked towards the church doors, her arm linked through James', she could here the low murmur of Sirius' voice behind her, followed by what sounded like a giggle from Petunia. She resisted the urge to turn around to look at them, waiting until they formed a receiving line at the doors. Petunia stood calmly next to Sirius, gazing raptly up at him. Sirius caught Lily's eyes and winked. She was left to wonder. Did he talk his way back into Petunia's good graces or had he perhaps placed a mild Cheering Charm on her? Several of her stomach butterflies took flight once more.
Back at the Hotel
James, Peter, Remus and Sirius sauntered into the hotel lobby after a blessedly uneventful rehearsal dinner. They paused, looking through the door into the bar, but then wordlessly agreed that the wine they consumed at dinner was more than enough for one evening. As they turned towards the stairs to their rooms, Vernon Dursley stalked in. He nodded stiffly at them, glared at Sirius, and marched purposefully up the stairs.
James raised his eyebrows at his best friend. "You didn't do anything to Petunia that escaped my notice, did you?"
Sirius frowned. "Like what?"
"Oh, I don't know. Pinch her, kiss her, leer suggestively at her."
The other three regarded James with some concern, as if they thought he had lost his mind.
"I was the perfect gentleman. And she seemed fine to me, except when she had to hide her disgust when doing revolting things like taking my arm when we walked down the aisle." Sirius looked blankly at Peter and Remus. "Why would he think I'd have any possible desire to kiss her!?"
The others snickered. "Maybe because Vernon doesn't seem to like you very much," Peter suggested. "You're better looking than he is. And towards the end of the rehearsal, Petunia seemed a bit smitten with you."
Remus agreed. "Vernon probably thinks you've cast a spell on her with your blue, bedroom eyes so you can steal her away from him."
Sirius shuddered at the thought. "I'd be more than happy to put his mind at rest by shagging you senseless right in front of him, but, since we made that promise to Lily, I guess Vernon is just going to have to deal with it."
As they entered their room, Remus turned to his mate and pushed him up against their door, the weight of their bodies slamming it shut. One hand reached out to lock the door, and then slide around Sirius' back. The other hand swept up to the back of his head, grasping the thick, black hair and pulling the dark head to him. Their lips met in a long, moist kiss. "What was that you said about shagging me senseless?" Remus murmured against the hungry mouth that savored him.
"Umm.I said something about doing it in front of Vernon." Sirius pulled his head back, an impish grin on his face. "Want an audience, do you, you kinky boy?"
Remus stepped backwards, pulling Sirius towards the bed. "I want you. Just you. Now. Especially since I couldn't have you last night." Their hands worked quickly to remove each other's clothing.
Falling onto the bed beneath Remus' persistent onslaught, Sirius chuckled. "You could have done anything you wanted to me last night. I was incapable of getting up the strength to resist you." He sighed with pleasure at the feel of Remus' skilled hands and tongue traveling across his flesh.
Remus nipped at his shoulder. "You were so drunk you couldn't get anything up worth mentioning."
"Then let me redeem myself.."
In the room one floor above them, Vernon Dursley fretted alone in his bed. As he tried to get comfortable, he heard disturbing noises in the darkness. Low, gasping moans, and half-formed words uttered in two distinctly male voices. Vernon flung the covers over his head to drown out what he knew were the sounds of two poofs engaging in lewd, disgusting behavior. "Probably both wizards." he snarled.
Vernon couldn't decide which was worse, poofs or low-life scum that would try to steal another man's betrothed. He growled with annoyance, thinking of the expression on Petunia's face, *his* Petunia, when she looked at that black-haired devil. That freakish, leather-clad git, with his long legs and long lashes and long.whatever. Petunia seemed to genuinely like him. And after years of whining about her sister and how horrible it was to be exposed to magic. Now, she was practically panting to run off with that wanker. Vernon knew the type. Love 'em and leave 'em. Probably left a string of broken-hearted women wherever his loud, offensive motorcycle took him. Motorcycles. Hmmph! Undoubtedly some sort of over-compensation for whatever was lacking elsewhere.
Vernon's ruminations were interrupted with a man's half-smothered cry from below. "Oh, God, that's it! Yes! Yes!"
Vernon buried his head under the pillow.
The Wedding
The morning light had an extra glow, as if to gild the ceremony uniting Lily Evans and James Potter. The sun reflected fire from Lily's hair and ice from the glittering jewels on her gown. Petunia walked down the aisle, feeling almost pretty. She caught Vernon's glance and smiled warmly at him. Then her eyes turned to the man standing next to the groom, waiting for her. Her smile broadened and she imagined, just for a moment, that this was her day, and she was about to wed a devastatingly handsome man, making her the envy of everyone she knew.
With a sinking feeling, Sirius smiled back, a friendly, completely platonic greeting devoid of any romantic overtones. His stomach sank because he recognized the look Petunia bestowed on him. He had received that look countless times in his life. Petunia, like others before her, had obviously constructed some sort of scenario about him in her head. If his luck held, she wouldn't follow up The Look with anything more than a bit of flirting. If luck turned against him, he'd have to act oblivious to her. It made him feel vaguely guilty. Maybe he could avoid these complications if he tattooed a note on his forehead "Unavailable for love or sex. Already taken - Countless times."
The ceremony proceeded smoothly. Once Lily and James were at the altar, all eyes, including Petunia's, were on them. Lily was radiant. She shone from some incandescent inner light that fired the very air around her. James, too, blazed with the force of his emotions, giving him an almost regal bearing that even his perpetually messy hair could not diminish.
As they recited their vows to each other, Sirius felt a lump form in his throat. He forgot all about Petunia. He was filled with the stark, beautiful solemnity of the meaning of those vows. In spite of the darkness in the world that swirled around them, these two brave, wonderful people insisted on walking together to face whatever dangers lay in wait. He could not imagine that any evil force could withstand the combined brightness of their love and joy. He glanced towards Remus, suddenly wanting nothing more than to bound down the altar steps, grab Remus by the hand and haul him up in front of the minister to speak their own vows. Remus stared back at him with a look that took his breath away. Petunia's gaze had been full of warmth; Remus' burned his soul.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
And, suddenly, the wedding was over. They were all gathered at the back of the church waiting to greet the guests and well-wishers as they left the building. Sirius had time to wrap James in a bear-hug, muttering a strangled, "Congratulations, Prongs." They stared at each other, their ability to speak stifled by their emotions. Sirius then hugged Lily, being careful not to mess up her gown. "Congratulations to you, too, Lils."
She kissed him. "Thank you so much. For everything." she said fondly. She held him firmly by the shoulders, a knowing smile playing about her lips. "Any chance you'll be saying those vows sometime soon?"
He grinned. "Toss me the bouquet and we'll see what happens!"
Petunia looked at him questioningly. Neither Lily nor Sirius enlightened her.
The Reception - and a Proposal
The wedding party posed for pictures at the church. Everyone was in high spirits, although Sirius had an increasingly hard time escaping the grasp of Petunia's claw-like fingers. Finally, they sorted themselves into the waiting limousines for the ride to the reception. Sirius tried to arrange to sit next to bridesmaids Fiona Kavanagh or Anne Crenshaw, but somehow, Petunia managed to lurch onto the seat next to him. The other members of the wedding party in the car were devising a betting pool on who would catch the bouquet and left Sirius to deal with Petunia. As the car started off, Sirius knew he had to say something, if only to jar Petunia out of her increasingly obvious fascination.
"Well, Lily certainly looked beautiful, didn't she?" Mentally, he kicked himself for his precipitate fall into wedding triteness.
Petunia nodded slowly. "Yes, she did. Well, she's always been pretty. And smart. And talented at what you people.do.or.conjure.or...I'm not sure what the proper word is." Her voice trailed off.
She had spoken without rancor or jealousy, and Sirius felt a twinge of sympathy for her. Petunia was not pretty. He had no idea how smart she was or what sorts of skills she had. All he knew for certain about her was that she had always been close-minded about wizards. But, maybe she was fearful because she simply didn't understand.
The limo banked too quickly around a sharp turn, causing Petunia to lean against Sirius. As the car straightened out, she sat back, but did not move all the way to her original position. Her thigh rested against his. Acting as natural as possible, he inched away from her. Several moments later, her thigh followed him. Glancing past her, Sirius saw Remus watching them surreptitiously. His mouth was twisted slightly in an expression Sirius recognized. Remus was biting the inside of his lip to keep from laughing. A silky, golden-brown brow cocked inquisitively at Sirius, silently asking how his raven-haired mate intended to extricate himself from potential Petunia entanglements. Sirius noted sourly that Remus offered no assistance, and instead, appeared to be anticipating a measure of entertainment from Sirius' predicament.
He opted to travel the obvious route. "What will you do once you and Vernon get married?"
"Vernon?" For a crazy moment, Sirius got the distinct impression that she had no idea who he was talking about. "Oh, Vernon. Well, he's got a job at Grunnings. They make drills. In Surrey. We'll get a house and raise a family."
"Do you intend to have a career?"
"I'll take care of Vernon and the house and our children." She didn't seem particularly excited at the prospect. Her leg slid away from his. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
The Seddington Arms was done up from the floor to the rafters with wedding decorations. The guests were already seated in the banquet room and rose to welcome the wedding party as they were introduced. James and Lily started the first dance alone, moving to the strains of one of Lily's favorite Muggle songs. The tune was vaguely familiar to Sirius, but he couldn't remember the title. As the rest of the wedding party joined the newlyweds on the dance floor, Sirius asked Petunia if she recognized the song.
She looked at him as if he had gone mad. "It's 'As Time Goes By.' From 'Casablanca.' " The look on Petunia's face was even more appalled than when she had first had to touch him at last night's rehearsal.
"Oh, right. That movie. I've never seen it." At least, he hoped it was a movie. Petunia's glare softened, so Sirius assumed he'd said the right thing. She moved closer to him, and he deftly spun her in a gentle circle. She was delighted until she sensed that he had used the maneuver to change the position of his hands. Now, being the stronger of the two, he was able to subtly push back against her to keep that precious sliver of daylight between their bodies. The song ended, and the band immediately launched into another tune. Sirius felt a hard rap on his shoulder and turned to find Vernon Dursley impatiently waiting to cut in. He reminded Sirius of an ill-tempered walrus simmering at a half-boil. Smiling graciously, Sirius relinquished Petunia's hand and fled towards the bar.
A familiar, wise voice chuckled behind him. "Are you fortifying yourself for the toast, Sirius, or are you simply glad to get out of that woman's clutches?"
Sirius turned to the white-haired man who had appeared from nowhere. He grinned at Albus Dumbledore, resplendent in a tuxedo with a bright purple cummerbund. "Headmaster! I believe this is the first time I've seen you in Muggle clothing. You look quite dapper."
"Thank you, my boy. I knew I had to leave the dress robes at home. But, I don't mind climbing into this get-up every now and then." His twinkling blue eyes turned sober. "How do you like working at the Department of Mysteries?"
Sirius was about to make a standard, run-of-the-mill answer, but then he stopped. Dumbledore had always tried to foster his students' desire to learn, although he also had to temper that desire with discipline where the Marauders were concerned. He was well acquainted with Sirius' own brand of invention and unorthodox problem-solving. So, Sirius answered him honestly.
"It's frustrating. People come to us with problems to solve, or questions about whether specific spells or charms can be adapted to unusual situations, or issues about developing new applications, and we never seem to go anywhere. My assignments always require me to look into new ways to do things. I do, and my supervisor gravely nods his head and decides that we should stick with the status quo. I'm wasting my time. Magic is static in my department. It should be alive and growing and changing. Especially now, with all that's happening. We seem to be burying our heads in the sand, hoping that the Death Eaters will get bored and go off to the Caribbean for a permanent holiday."
Dumbledore laughed gently. "I confess, I was worried about you when I learned where you were going to work. I've heard a few things about the people running that Department and I was afraid that a great deal of their time would end up being devoted to smothering your imagination."
"Couldn't you have warned me?" Sirius asked wistfully.
"My information was second-hand, and thus, could have been wrong. Plus, I didn't think a stint at the Ministry would do you any real harm." His eyes twinkled again. "But, since the Mysteries people obviously don't know what to do with you, perhaps you would be interested in making a change. Perhaps you'd like to come and work with me."
Sirius was horrified. "I'm not qualified to teach! I'd hand out detentions to students for *not* breaking the rules. Professor McGonagall and I would probably come to blows."
Dumbledore chortled briefly, no doubt amused by the vision of Minerva and Sirius engaged in a Wizard Transfiguration duel, but his expression quickly turned sober. "No, not as a teacher. I work with a number of talented witches and wizards whose main concern now is in fighting Voldemort and his followers. Not necessarily through direct armed confrontation, although occasionally that happens. Rather, we gather intelligence, research new spells, develop counter-curses, and generally find ways to defeat the Dark Arts."
Sirius' drink rested on the bar, forgotten, as he listened to his ex- Headmaster. Albus noted how intensely the young wizard focused on his words. He remembered the student very well - intelligent, impulsive, imaginative, a talented youth with great, latent power. Now he was a young man who was just beginning to come into his own. Albus had high hopes for this one.
"Sirius, we work in almost complete secrecy. And some of what we do is very dangerous. We have lost people to injury, torture and death. I guarantee that the risk to all of us will only increase as Voldemort gets stronger. I guarantee more of us will die." He paused, assessing the effect of his words. Sirius' eyes never wavered.
"But, I believe this is a fight that must be fought. And, I believe we can use someone with your skills. Do not speak of this to anyone, not even Remus or James. But, if you are interested, come to Hogwarts on the first day of July. I will tell you more at that time. If you decide not to accept my invitation, all I ask is, again, that you do not speak of this."
Sirius nodded slowly. "I'll see you on July first."
Dumbledore smiled. "Well, then, that's settled. Where is Lily? I promised to tango with her." He turned and moved across the room.
TBC