Chapter 6

A loud bang echoed through the house, causing Isabelle to bolt upright in her bed, wide-eyed. She ran over to her bedroom window, and peered outside. A small army of workers and caterers were scurrying feverishly around the backyard, setting up for the wedding later that evening. Lily, still in her bathrobe, stood in the middle of everything, shouting directions.

She giggled and hurried back to bed, throwing the covers over her. As long as she was quiet, maybe she would be forgotten in the fray. The wedding frenzy began in earnest last week, and everyone's nerves were getting worn. She heard a quiet knock, and Regina let herself inside, locking the door tightly.

"Can I hide with you?" she whispered.

Isabelle nodded. She tiptoed to the other side of the bed, sitting down gingerly, and drawing her knees to her chest. They listened to the chaos downstairs for about a half hour until someone pounded on the door. They groaned loudly as Sirius poked his head in the doorway.

"Busted," he said cheerfully. "Mummy P's looking for both of you. She's downstairs."

Giving him an incredibly dirty look, they shuffled past him and down the staircase. As soon as their feet touched the landing, they became caught up in the swirl of last-minute wedding preparations. After putting on her junior bridesmaid's gown, Isabelle walked into Lily's room. She gasped and put her hands to her heart.

"Oh, Lily," Isabelle breathed. "You're so beautiful."

She turned to her little sister, tears in her eyes, dabbling at them with a handkerchief. "Thank you."

"I bet Mum's smiling down from heaven."

"I hope so. Ready?"

"Ready."

Lily took a deep breath, and headed downstairs. The house was eerily quiet – a complete change from earlier in the day. She peeked out the kitchen window. The white cliffs made the ideal backdrop to for the fall ceremony. The only thing that would've made the day even more perfect was if her parents were here. She looked at Isabelle, and gave her a quick hug before sending her out the house and down the aisle.

"You can't go down the aisle, crying. What will my brother think?" Gina joked.

She fought back her own tears, thinking about her own wedding and subsequent failed marriage. Sirius kept her secret well, so her pain remained completely her own. That was little consolation as she watched her best friend shed tears of joy.

"Welcome to the family, Lil," she said, disappearing out the door.

Isabelle watched Regina march somewhat stiffly down the aisle. She reached the wedding party, smiled briefly at her brother, and took her place beside Isabelle. Suddenly, James grinned widely as the guests stood up for the bride, who decided to walk down the aisle alone. Lily floated past the guests, never taking her eyes off James.

"We have come together here in celebration of the joining together of Lily Evans and James Potter," the official began. "Marriage is a bond to be entered into only after considerable thought and reflection. As with any aspect of life, it has its cycles, its ups and its downs, its trials and its triumphs. With full understanding of this, Lily and James have come here today to be joined as one in marriage."

"Others would ask, at this time, who gives the bride in marriage, but, as a woman is not property to be bought and sold, given and taken, I ask simply if she comes of her own free will and if she has her family's blessing. Lily, is it true that you come of your own free will and accord?"

"Yes, it is true," Lily beamed.

"Whose blessings accompany you?"

Isabelle gulped. This was her big line, and she didn't want to blow it. She looked at Sirius, who winked at her encouragingly. She smiled, and stepped forward confidently.

"She is accompanied by her family's blessings," Isabelle projected. The official nodded, and she stepped back, relieved.

"Please join hands with your betrothed and listen to that which I am about to say."

This was an open invitation for Isabelle to daydream through the vows and exchanging of rings. The sun was making her sleepy, and besides, this part of the wedding was just like Petunia's. She fought the urge to yawn as the official began the handfasting ceremony, which has been part of wizarding weddings for centuries. Now curious, she peered around Regina to get a better view.

"As you seek to enter this state of matrimony you should strive to make real, the ideals which give meaning to both this ceremony and the institution of marriage. With full awareness, know that within this circle you are not only declaring your intent to be handfasted before your friends and family, but you speak that intent also to your creative higher powers. The promises made today and the ties that are bound here greatly strengthen your union; they will cross the years and lives of each soul's growth. Do you seek to enter this ceremony?" the official asked.

"Yes, we seek to enter," Lily and James answered together.

"I bid you to look into each others eyes. James, will you cause her pain?"

"I may."

"Is that your intent?"

"No."

"Lily, will you cause him pain?"

"I may."

"Is that your intent?"

"No."

"Will both of you share each other's pain and seek to ease it?"

"Yes."

"And so the binding is made. Join your hands." The official draped a cord across their hands.

"Lily, will you share his laughter?"

She looked at him, thinking of all the practical jokes he'd pulled through the years. She grinned crookedly. "Yes."

"James, will you share her laughter?"

"Yes."

"Will both of you look for the brightness in life and the positive in each other?"

"Yes."

"And so the binding is made." The official draped a second cord across their hands.

"Lily, will you burden him?"

"I may."

"Is that your intent?"

"No."

"James, will you burden her?"

"I may."

"Is that your intent?"

"No."

"Will you share the burdens of each so that your spirits may grow in this union?"

"Yes."

"And so the binding is made." The official draped a third cord across their hands.

"Lily, will you share his dreams?"

"Yes."

"James, will you share her dreams?"

"Yes."

"Will you dream together to create new realities and hopes?"

"Yes."

"And so the binding is made." The official draped a fourth cord across their hands.

"James, will you cause her anger?"

"Oh, I will, for sure," he answered to the stifled laughter of the guests.

"Is that your intent?" the official asked with a smile.

"No, and I apologize in advance."

"Lily, will you cause him anger?"

"I may," she managed to choke out, trying not to laugh herself.

"Is that your intent?"

"No."

"Will you take the heat of anger and use it to temper the strength of this union?"

"We will."

"And so the binding is made." The official draped a fifth cord across their hands.

"Lily, will you honor him?"

"I will."

"James, will you honor her?"

"For eternity," he said softly, looking in Lily's eyes.

"Will you seek to never give cause to break that honor?"

"We shall never do so."

"And so the binding is made." The official draped a sixth cord across their hands, and tied all six chords together.

"The knots of this binding are not formed by these chords but instead by your vows. Either of you may drop the chords, for as always; you hold in your own hands the making of breaking of this union." He smiled, untied the chords, and continued.

"Spirit of Love, may Lily and James know great love together, and may they live in the desire to attain that best which each may win more richly because of the other.

May they strengthen one another in all sorrow, share with one another in all gladness, and be companions to each other in times of silence. May their home help to make the world more homelike.

And wherever they are placed by changing fortune, may they be united not in word and outward form alone, but by the presence in the hearts of each, of the deepening love they share. May the benedictions that rest on those who truly love, rest on them, and fill them with love's grace, now and forevermore. You may now kiss," he said to the newly married couple.

James lifted Lily's veil, and kissed her passionately, egged on by the whistling and catcalls from the guests. They flashed each other thousand-watt smiles, and walked back down the aisle.

By the time the reception started, Isabelle was exhausted. After taking what seemed like hundreds of pictures, she politely greeted the guests in the receiving line along with the rest of the wedding party. As people passed by, Remus made a running commentary that had her fighting to keep a straight face. There was David Pratt, whose nostrils flared like a bull when he was angry, and Lauren Bullock, who kissed like a flubberworm. Finally, all the guests walked through the line, and the party began.

"So, Mrs. Potter, can I have this dance?" James whispered in Lily's ear as the music began.

"Certainly," she replied with a grin.

They walked to the middle of the dance floor, and began dancing like they were the only two people in existence. Isabelle sighed, falling into a chair. Right then and there, she decided that her deepest, darkest wish was for someone to love her the way James loved Lily. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Sirius coax Regina into dancing.

"I don't want to do this," she said through clenched teeth.

"Oh, it's bad show if the best man and maid of honor don't share a dance. Can't have that, now can we?"

"You're insufferable."

"I try. Was that a smile?"

"No."

"Good. Better watch out, or you just might find yourself having a good time," Sirius said, laughing at the look on her face.

"I consider myself warned."

The dance ended, and she stormed off the floor, teary-eyed. She didn't know if she was more upset that she missed Severus terribly, or that she was enjoying herself without him. Sirius watched her dramatic exit unconcerned. He was used to her mood swings by now.

Across the room, James walked over to Isabelle, who was still sitting alone in the corner. He sat down beside her, and loosened his tie a bit before talking. He hated formal attire.

"Hey, sis." Isabelle positively beamed at the idea of being related to the wonderful Potter family. He put his arm around her. "Anything the matter?"

"Oh, no. I'm just watching everyone," she said happily.

"Well, I was wondering if you'd dance with me."

"Sure."

She jumped up, eager to show off her newfound dancing ability. James led her through a traditional Irish dance, to the clapping and cheers of the growing crowd. As the music got faster and the dance became more complicated, everyone stopped and stared. Isabelle owned the dance floor, and she knew it. As she turned, she caught a glimpse of Sirius, who was cheering and smiling proudly. The applause was deafening when the dance finally ended.

"Beat that," James shot at Sirius. They tended to compete over everything.

"No problem." He extended a hand to Lily. "What do you say?"

"Stand aside, little sister, and let me show you how it's done."

Lily carefully removed her veil so that there was no danger of tripping, and made sure the train on her gown was bustled tightly. She and Sirius spun around, making dizzying turns to the rowdy support of the crowd. No one could honestly decide who danced better, so the dance-off was called a tie, much to the disappointment of James and Sirius.

The reception continued into the night, with the atmosphere becoming progressively more casual. After being covered in confetti, silly string and birdseed, Lily shot James a look that clearly indicated that she was more than ready to leave before her dress suffered any more damage. They went back to the house to change, said their goodbyes, and disapperated to Hawaii for a weeklong honeymoon.

~~~~~


Regina looked around her to make sure no one was around, and took out a vial from her cloak pocket. Over Christmas holidays, she suffered a minor relapse. She passed it off as the flu. Only her cardiologist at St. Mungo's knew the truth, and she was barred from telling anyone because of patient confidentiality rules.

She carefully drank the bitter liquid, making a face. Luckily, she only had to take the potion once a week to bolster her immune system. Dr. Carson strongly urged her to stay indoors, especially during the springtime allergy season, but the day was just too beautiful not to enjoy it. She bit the end of her charcoal pencil, trying to decide weather to sketch the waves crashing against the white cliffs or an interesting gnarled tree.

"Nice day, isn't it?"

She nearly jumped a foot off the ground. Sirius laughed and sat down beside her.

"It's not polite to scare people like that."

"Well, if you weren't off in your own little world, you would've heard me coming a mile away."

"I like it there." Her eyes looked far in the distance. As time went by, the sting of her divorce from Severus dulled to an ache. But, she still loved him dearly, and often reflected on the happier memories of their time together. She closed her eyes tightly, fighting the urge to cry.

Sirius put his arm around her shoulders, and gently brushed away the two tiny tears that escaped from her troubled eyes. She swallowed, and shook her head, as if to clear it of all her thoughts.

"Enough crying already. It's over, and wallowing in it won't make any difference," she told herself forcefully. It was time to get on with life, she decided. "How did the raid on the LaSalle house go?"

"Pretty well. Frank arrested the LaSalles while James and I searched the house. We found a lot of illegal Dark stuff, for lack of a better term. But, Remus said that we missed the majority of what we were looking for."

"Why didn't he go with you on the raid? Oh, yeah – because he's the Ministry's best super secret spy man. Our very own James Bond," she joked.

"Now I have 'Secret Agent Man' in my head," Sirius groaned. "The WWN really needs to stop playing Muggle music on Saturday mornings."

"There's a man who leads a life of danger," Regina sang teasingly. "To everyone he meets he stays a stranger. With every move he makes another chance he takes. Odds are he won't live to see tomorrow."

Sirius plugged his ears, which inspired her to sing even louder.

"Secret agent man, secret agent man. They've given you a number and taken away your name," she shouted, bursting out with her first real laugh since coming back to Dover.

"Don't quit your day job. Speaking of, how's it going?"

She sighed, exasperated. "Since the wedding, I've been absolutely flooded with requests for gown designs. Last week, I made arrangements with a tailor in London to do the actual construction of the clothing. Even so, I'm backed up until early June."

"That's great."

"Yeah, at least something good came out of going to New York." She looked at Sirius, and squeezed his hand. "Thanks for being such a good friend about everything. I don't think I could've made it through these past few months without you."

"No problem." He looked in her big blue eyes, and melted. Just friends wasn't exactly the relationship status he wanted with her, but he would take it any day over nothing. Or her still being married and unattainable forever.

~~~~~


Lily tossed and turned fitfully, unable to sleep. She turned on her bedside lamp, and leaned her head against the headboard.

"Why are you up in the middle of the night?" James yawned from deep in the recesses of his pillow.

"I can't sleep."

"Obviously." He managed to sit up. After rubbing his eyes for a minute, he put on his glasses and looked at his wife. "I'm all ears."

"Actually, you're all hair, mop head," she laughed, ruffling his already unruly hair. He frowned. "Sorry. It's Isabelle."

"What about her?"

"Well, she turns eleven next month, and I just don't know what to do about her schooling next year."

"Isn't she going to Hogwarts?"

"That's the problem. I have no doubt that she's magical, and will be accepted to Hogwarts. But, her ballet teacher told me yesterday that the Royal Ballet School wants her to participate in their lower school program. She can only go to one school, though. On the one hand, she's a witch, and she should be trained. But, on the other hand, she's a dancer, and a brilliant one at that. Remember last Christmas when she was Clara in The Nutcracker?"

He smiled proudly. "She danced like an angel."

"I know. James, what should I do?"

Suddenly, he had an idea that just might work. "Why can't she do both programs?"

"What do you mean?" Her brow furrowed.

"When we were at Hogwarts, Mum got permission for Gina to take art lessons, right?"

"Right."

"So, why can't we hire someone from the Royal Ballet School to go to Hogwarts and teach Isabelle ballet? It wouldn't be much more work than she's already doing now."

"That's true." Lily turned the idea over in her mind.

"Now that that's settled, onto other business." James leaned over and kissed her.

"I do believe you're getting fresh with me, Mr. Potter."

"Guilty as charged. Can I help it if you're irresistible?"

"I guess not," she replied with a seductive grin. They looked at each other, knowing that going back to sleep was completely out of the question.

~~~~~


The soft summer breeze dried Regina's tears as she stormed across the backyard. She sought refuge in her favorite spot – under an old tree at the edge of the cliffs. Its large branches provided shade for most of the day, so she often took her sketchpad outside to work. She flung herself down and curled against the tree trunk and cried.

It had been nearly two years since she left Severus, and the memories were beginning to get fuzzy, like a faraway dream. Work kept her busy, and time somehow began to mend her broken heart. The scar would always be there, but she finally felt ready for another relationship.

That was the problem. Everyone seemed to be setting her up on dates, but nothing ever worked out. Not only did every guy fail to measure up to Severus, they failed to capture her attention at all. It seemed like she was destined to be alone, which is what she shouted at the kitchen table a few minutes ago before running out the door.

"Hi, there."

Sirius. She should've figured he would come after her. He had become her rock, someone who was always there, always listened, but never asked prying questions. She longed to tell Lily everything, but couldn't bear her friend's disappointment in her. So, she had turned to Sirius for comfort these past two years.

"Hey." She wiped her tears on her robe sleeve. "Sorry about losing it at dinner. I guess I just snapped."

"Did you mean what you said in there?"

"Yes."

He took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "You don't have to be alone if you don't want to be."

"What are you talking about?" She looked at him curiously.

"I love you, Regina. I always have, but I remember the exact moment you stole my heart. My father was supposed to come home on my fifth birthday to take me somewhere, I can't recall exactly where. Anyway, he didn't show, of course, and I climbed up the tallest tree in the yard because I didn't want James to see me cry."

"And I climbed up that tree after you with Chocolate Frogs and tissue," she recalled.

"It wasn't the last time you did that, either. And you never told anyone, even James. That's just one of a million things I love about you, like the way you bite your lip when you're thinking, or the look on your face when you finish a design. I don't know why I didn't tell you before – guess I didn't want to risk losing you."

"Oh Sirius, I—" She got a lump in her throat and flung her arms around his neck.

"It's ok, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to. I just want to make you happy, no matter how you feel about me. If you don't—" She interrupted him with a kiss that quickly became incredibly passionate.

"If I don't what?"

"I forgot what I was going to say," he said honestly.

"By the way, the rumors about you are true. You are quite talented at snogging." She could see him blush, even though it was dark, and began laughing hysterically. "Sorry, couldn't resist. Come on, I don't want Lily to worry."

Although he'd much rather stay outside, he followed Regina to the house. A minute later, Isabelle scrambled down the tree where she saw and heard everything. Her lower lip trembled slightly as she stared at the sea, thinking.

~~~~~


For the second time that evening, Sirius walked to Isabelle's fort to think. Surprised, he saw Isabelle huddled inside, with her knees drawn to her chest. She clenched her jaw and didn't look at him as he sat down beside her. Although she didn't exactly know why, she was angry with him for being with Regina. Sure, he had other girlfriends, but nothing serious. And she had a sinking feeling this relationship was going to be different.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

She didn't respond for a minute, trying to decide whether to tell him or not.

"I'm scared to go to school," she replied, talking quickly. "What if I don't like it there? What if I'm lonely? I'll miss you so much, that I'm not sure if I can bear it!"

"Well, you know what? Look up at the sky. Do you see that star up there?" Sirius pointed.

"Yes," Isabelle sniffled.

"You see, that star is the brightest in the sky, because it's the closest to earth. And, I happen to be named after that star. So, whenever you get sad or lonely, look up at the sky, and remember that I'm always close to you, just like the star, even if I seem far away. And just because it's daylight doesn't mean that the star isn't there. I'll always be there when you need me," Sirius told her.

She looked at him adoringly and gave him a huge hug. He was her hero, after all.

"Alright, time for bed. Trust me, tomorrow's going to be a long day."

They walked back to the house together, and tried to get some sleep. Sirius woke at the crack of dawn. Isabelle left for Hogwarts today. In his mind, he knew that she was mentally and emotionally ready, but he wasn't ready to let her go. She was his little girl.

And this is just the beginning, he thought miserably. First Hogwarts, and then she'll graduate and move away. Then, some incredibly unworthy guy will win her heart, and she'll be gone forever.

Depressed, he walked downstairs to join the rest of the family for the trip to King's Cross station. When they reached Platform 9 ¾, Isabelle hugged everyone goodbye, and stepped on the train. She waived as the station disappeared out of view.

~~~~~

That's it for Part 1, folks! Onto Part 2 shortly...

Thanks for the fabulous review melockerty! Sorry the HP boards are temperamental...they act up for me a lot, too. More than a lot. They drive me nuts. Anyway...Thanks for reviewing Liliana-Suger! Glad you stumbled on my fanfic universe. Hope ya like it...

As usual, I'm a junkie for feedback, so all is welcome...*grins*