Lily found herself waking slowly, calmly, soothed by the sound of rain pattering against the glass of her bedroom window. Her eyes opened to the sight of the ceiling above her, painted a soft, cream white, unblocked by maroon bed curtains of her four poster bed she'd almost expected.

It was the day of Petunia's wedding.

As much as she had made it a goal to make this holiday break positive, she was failing. Her mind replayed the fight she'd had with Petunia. She was no longer Maid of Honor, being stripped of her duties. Not even allowed to stand up with her sister at the altar.

Lily swallowed hard, rolling over onto her side to look at the alarm clock on her nightstand. Nearly eleven o'clock.

Had she still been Maid of Honor, she would've been up ages ago, already dressed, helping her sister get ready, and doing… other Maid of Honor-ly things.

But no, that was Molly's job now.

Lily could sleep a little longer, if she wanted. She could take a lazy shower and shampoo her hair for as long as she desired. There was no need for her to rush and hurry and be nervous, she thought selfishly. Why waste time fussing over someone else when she could get more sleep?

Her stomach growled then. If there was a reason to get out of bed…

As she forced herself into a sitting position, she could hear the sounds of the other girls in Petunia's room as they all got ready. Lily knew her sister had hired a hairstylist to come and do their hair. They'd even hired someone to do all the bridesmaids makeup.

Which meant Lily was left to her own devices, sneaking past the open doorway undetected so that she could go have a bowl of cereal for breakfast in peace.

Another round of laughter filtered through the hallway towards her and she frowned, taking a large spoonful into her mouth to crunch the cereal in a satisfying manner. She looked up when her mother entered the kitchen, fastening a pair of earrings on. "You're not ready yet?"

Lily took another bite of her cereal, slurping the milk from her spoon. "Nope," she said.

Rose looked over her shoulder, hearing a bout of laughter from the bedroom. "You can use my shower, since they'll be in and out of the main one."

"Thanks," she said casually, but was truly grateful. She didn't want to have to deal with the bridesmaids more than necessary. Her mother left to check on the girls' progress.

A burst of loud giggles exploded from the other room, the sound grating against her ears.

She stood, pushing away the rest of the half-eaten cereal and taking care to clean the bowl and spoon before putting the clean dishes away. One of the benefits of being booted, she thought wryly, was that she no longer was nervous about walking in front of everyone, having the weight of being Maid of Honor.

No, now Molly Bloody Parnell got to worry about that.

As offered, Lily took a shower in her mother's bathroom, taking her time to wash her hair thoroughly, combing it through with her fingers to gently brush out any knots. She borrowed her mother's bathrobe, wrapping her hair up in a spare towel.

Once again, she walked past her sister's open doorway unnoticed.

From the farthest reaches of her closest, she was able to find it – the black dress she had worn four years ago to her father's funeral.

It was just as soft as remembered in her hands, the material a blend of polyester and cotton. She had only worn it once, and had dreadfully hoped she'd never do so again.

Today, Lily had no other choice. There was no need for fancy dresses at Hogwarts, and there had been no need to purchase a dress for any other occasions. It would have to do, she surmised.

Bitterly, a small part of herself found it appropriate to wear – her relationship to her sister appeared to be dying today, withering away that last of what she and her sister had had.

She tossed it onto the bed, smoothing out the creases as she stared down at it, her lips turning down into a frown.

My God, am I morbid, she thought.

Her actual bridesmaid dress, pink and full, was hanging on the back of the door, an ominous, almost sentient, being. After a long stare down, Lily grabbed it roughly and stuffed onto the floor of the closet, snapping the door shut tightly.

Undressing quickly from her robe, she pulled the black dress over her head before turning around to look at her reflection in the mirror, stuffing her arms through the sleeves.

Obviously, it fit much more snuggly than it had before – she twisted in front of the mirror, studying herself. She had certainly grown in the past four years.

The fabric stretched across her chest a bit more tight than she would have liked, while the skirt fell a little too high above her knees, but the bell sleeves still fell just past her wrists like it had before – and the waist nipped in just right to compliment her figure.

She turned this way and that, testing the length before deeming it appropriate (just enough so). The wedding guests would already be talking about the dismissal of her position, who cares if they talked about her showing too much skin?

Lily picked out a simple silver necklace and a matching set of earrings her mother had given her the three years prior. Throwing caution to the wind, she put a light amount of eyeliner and mascara on, then coated her lips with a light gloss.

Her face was pale, though, and so she tried to pinch her cheeks to bring back the color in them.

The blush faded away in seconds.

A knock at the door disrupted her low thoughts and she welcomed the distraction happily, opening the door to find (unsurprisingly) her mother behind it.

"We'll be leaving shortly," her mum said, trying her best comforting smile, her eyes dropping to study the dress her daughter wore. She noticed the recognition dawning on her mum's face almost immediately.

Lily tugged at the hem nervously.

"You look lovely," Rose Evans murmured, teary eyed, moving forward to wrap Lily in a tight hug, rubbing circles on her back. "Not my first choice in dress, but, as we don't quite have much of a chance for a last minute trip over to the shops..."

Lily barely succeeded in blinking away her own tears, returning the hug just as tightly.

"Here," her mum said, pulling away. "I've got the perfect shoes for you. You'll need to wear stockings though."

Lily nodded obediently, absentmindedly noting the sound of rain still loud against the window – no doubt it would soon become freezing sleet in the winter air.

Rose returned from her room, carrying a pair of strappy heels that looked a little too tall for Lily's taste. "Try these on – we're the same size. If they're not comfortable, we can chuck 'em."

As directed, Lily grabbed a pair of nude stockings from her sock drawer and slid them on quickly, sitting on the bed to try the shoes on.

They fit almost perfectly, the straps lacing up just above her ankles. Lily stood and tested them out carefully, surprised by the stability. She caught the glint in her mother's eye, knowing this must have been planned.

"Mum," she complained, but was unable to stop herself from admiring them in the mirror.

"Early Christmas gift, love," Rose said with a smile, placing a kiss on the side of her daughter's head. "Treat them well." Lily scoffed, her mother knowing very well this would probably be the only time she wore the pair of heels. "Better go and make sure Pet's doing alright – we've got about twenty minutes before the cars leave."

"Love you," Lily murmured as her mother departed and shut the door, leaving her alone.

Not ready to face the rest of the wedding party, Lily sunk into the chair at her desk placed in front of the window. Though it was just early afternoon, the dark clouds overhead made it seem much later than it really was.

Wistfully, Lily reached into the top drawer of her desk, pulling out her wand from its hidden place within a large tin pencil box. The wood was warm and familiar in her fingertips, causing her heart to suddenly ache for how much she missed Hogwarts and her friends.

She was struck with the realization that in just over a month, she would be an of-age witch, old enough to do magic on her own outside of the school. She could apparate straight to Hogsmeade, walk up to the castle, and be in her dorm room – much quicker than taking the Hogwarts Express.

Lily placed her wand back into its hiding place, for fear of being caught by one of the others in the house.

Distantly, she could hear the excited chatter move to the family room, Marge's authoritative voice ringing out louder than the others. Mentally gearing herself up, Lily stood, ready as much as she could be to face the masses. She forced herself into a pleasant smile, hoping to convince the others just as much as herself.

It fell into hushed silence when she entered the room, a mixture of disdain and indifference – but the small group soon quickly became disinterested and returned to their duties of grooming Petunia. Lily's smile dropped easily, glad to fall into the background.

The process of getting everyone into the awaiting vehicles was near chaos – Tara had forgotten her makeup compact and had to run back into the house, Marge nearly ripped Petunia's veil from stepping on it, and Felicia had nearly left behind Pet's purse, now taking over Lily's Maid of Honor duties.

All the girls would not stop whining about the rain.

Petunia was practically in tears from it all, fearful she was going to be late to her own wedding.

"We've got plenty of time," Rose soothed, brushing a loose curl from her eldest daughter's face. Lily tried to give her own comforting smile, but failed – Petunia paid her no mind anyways.

The three Evans women were given their own town car, the four other bridesmaids piling into a second vehicle. A quarter till two, the wedding party departed for the church.

The ceremony was beautiful, Lily thought idly, if a little over decorated, having taken her spot in the church pews, rather than by her sister's side. Her mother had been holding onto her hand a little too tight, but Lily let her, feeling comforted that she wasn't alone.

Lily's eyes couldn't leave her sister's face, finding herself slightly disconcerted by the look of love and happiness in Petunia's pale eyes. It left her unsettled, reminded of how separated she had become from her sister, and how much it left a pain in her stomach.

The crowd around her (much larger than Lily had expected) clapped politely when the groom kissed the bride, signaling the end of the ceremony. Vernon and Petunia made their way back down the aisle; he was accepting handshakes and pats on the back like a politician, while Pet smiled bashfully behind her bouquet.

The wedding guests followed them out, tossing rice and rose petals as the newly married couple exited the church and made their way into the wedding limousine, rain be damned.

Lily stayed behind, just inside the church's doorway as she watched the limousine depart, cans and bottles clinking loudly against the asphalt.

"Only one left," her mother teased, coming back up the church's steps to wrap an arm around Lily. "Who can I marry you off to now?"

"The Prince of England," Lily replied glibly, wrapping her own arm around her mother's waist.

"I'm sure we can arrange it," said Rose in amusement. "I'd definitely have to clean the house."

"I'm positive the in-laws won't mind the state of it," Lily said. "Besides, I'm sure we'd be spending most of our time at Buckingham."

"I'm sure," Rose agreed, squeezing Lily in a one-armed hug. "Now come on, open bar to the bride's family. I'll even let you have a glass of champagne."

"Oh, a glass," Lily replied in faux shock, bringing a hand to her heart. "What will the Dursley's think?"

"We'll be sure to get there before them, then," Rose answered, leading her towards their town car.

They were not, as Lily's mother assumed, there before the Dursleys. The reception was being held at a town hall a couple blocks away; a classic victorian styled building with a greenhouse attached at the side.

Lily was thankful to find that while the church had been covered in tulle, flowers, and lace, the decorations here were much more subtle.

The wedding guests had already settled into cocktail hour happily, milling about with a drink in hand and chatting conversationally. Lily noticed it was a much older crowd, but was able to recognize plenty of her sister's university friends. Some had even approached her, some remembering her from primary school.

Lily hadn't given any thought on answering questions about her schooling – many were wondering about the school she had been accepted into, what types of classes she took, what was she planning on doing after she graduated?

"Mostly focused on sciences – chemistry, really. Some advanced maths," she answered, having memorized the generic answer. Most didn't question it, nodding politely.

"Thinking about medicine," she would say next about her future, making it up on the spot. Maybe the years in Divination were handy. "I hear the research for the cure of leprosy is coming along in leaps and bounds." The man she was speaking with edged away slowly.

She nearly collapsed with relief when she caught sight of her mother walking her way from across the hall, notably carrying two champagne flutes. Lily turned back to the woman who had just asked what her plans were after 'university'.

"Marry the Prince," Lily answered pleasantly. "We've been corresponding daily. Charles and I are madly in love and plan to elope soon."

The woman (who she learned was a friend of Vernon's great aunt's 2nd cousin named Grenda) strained to smile politely, struggling to not look overly concerned for Lily's sanity.

Lily, for her part, did her best to keep the most serious look on her face as Grenda chose not to question Lily's future plans. She waved politely as Grenda instead turned away slowly, excusing herself.

"What was that about?" asked Rose, finally reaching her. She didn't look wholly sure of her own actions as she handed over the glass of champagne to Lily, who accepted it happily.

"I was just letting her know that she was in the presence of future royalty," Lily said mildly, taking a small sip and grimacing. The taste was bitter on her tongue.

"You are gloomy," noted Rose, taking a sip from her own glass. "Understandably," she quickly added in a soft voice, catching sight of the pained look on her youngest daughter's face.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, catching sight of her sister in her white gown, making her rounds. "She looks happy. She is happy. You can tell she's very much in her element."

Her mother hummed in agreement, as she placed an arm around Lily, pulling her closer. "She is quite the host." She hummed, pressing a kiss to her temple. "I love you, Lily-love," she said. "You have greater patience and poise than I have ever been able to dream of."

"Mum," she groaned, but did not resist as her mother pressed another kiss to her hair.

Rose's voice was sincere as she hugged her closer. "I don't say it enough, Lily, but your father would be so proud of you."

"Mum." Her own voice was a little watery. "Lay off the alcohol," she teased, trying to subtly blink away the beginning of tears.

It took her a moment longer than she cared to admit.

Her mother pointed her free hand towards the bar. "Who are those two blokes trying to get your attention?"

Curious, Lily turned to follow her mother's gaze and found something that made her stomach flutter and drop simultaneously.

James Potter and Sirius Black stood at the bar, both dressed smartly in black tuxedos and identical grins. They had been both waving manically in her direction, trying to catch Lily's eye as overtly as possible.

A wave of emotions rolled through her: anger, shock, and most surprisingly, a pleased feeling that made her cheeks warm.

Lily glanced around wildly to see if anyone noticed them, as if the two boys had been wearing their school robes and waving their wands about dramatically; but the rest of the wedding guests milled around them, unaffected (for the most part).

"Oh, wait. Don't I recognize them?" Rose asked aloud, nudging her with her elbow. "Isn't that –"

"Bloody mad," Lily said in growing fury, looking around the town hall, searching for a sign that said, 'Wizards are in your presence! Beware!'. She tossed back the rest of her champagne and handed the empty glass to her mother impatiently.

Lily fought against the flow of the crowd to get to them, casting furtive glances around her as she searched for Petunia. While unrecognizable to her sister, Lily had the feeling that if she saw them, she would somehow just know who they were.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed hurriedly, seizing them by the elbows like errant toddler boys that were running amok.

"Lily," Rose chastised from beside her and she jumped, not realizing that her mother had followed her closely behind. "Manners."

"Sorry, Mum," she muttered, dropping the grip on their arms.

"Yes, Lily, no need to be rude," Sirius said with a teasing tone, already reaching out a hand towards her mother. "Sirius Black," he introduced, accompanied by his charming smile.

Rose accepted his hand, shaking it firmly with her own smile. "Rose Evans," she supplied. "I assume you're here because of Lily?"

"Moral support," acquiesced Sirius.

Lily's mother turned towards James then, extending her hand as well. "And you are?"

"James Potter," he said with a genuine grin. "It's wonderful to meet you, Ma'am."

Lily saw her mother cast her a look from the corner of her eye, having recognized the name as he said it.

Rose patted his hand kindly before letting go. "It's wonderful to meet both of you," she said. "I think Lily is glad to have someone here to keep her company. You know, other than her mother."

But Lily was still nervous, scanning the crowd for Petunia in her white dress.

"Don't worry about Pet. I'll deal with her. Have fun," Rose said into her ear, giving her a quick one-armed hug before releasing her. She reached between the two boys towards the bar to grab a flute of champagne, eyes glittering mischievously as she bid them farewell and disappeared into the crowd.

It only lessened Lily's worry marginally. "Come on," she said, gesturing towards the doors that led to the greenhouse. "Let's chat."

Surprisingly, they followed her without a fight. Lily felt a bit embarrassed as distant cousins and family members watched her curiously.

When the door was closed securely behind them, Lily whirled to face them with a suspicious expression. "Okay, spill it. Why are you here?"

They both looked equally guilty and sheepish.

"Remus told us you weren't having the best hols so far," James said and she avoided watching the stretch of fabric across his shoulders when he raised his hand to his hair.

"Remus?" she interrupted, confused.

"Marlene got your letter," he explained. "She told Remus and he happened to tell us."

"It was James's idea, really," Sirius cut in. "We were stuck at home, nothing better to do… and James here thought you might need a visit – then, well, we both thought, what better way to have fun than to crash a muggle wedding?"

She rolled her eyes. "How'd you even find me?"

James grinned. "Marlene, actually. She found your sister's wedding invite in your dorm. Sirius apparated us to Diagon Alley." He pointed somewhere in the direction towards the south, where she assumed he came from. "We walked the rest of the way. Probably will never do that again."

Lily wasn't sure how far away 'home' was for them, and while she probably should've been annoyed by their disruptive presence, she was actually very, very grateful. Maybe even a little touched. Embarrassingly, she felt her eyes tear up slightly.

"Ah, now, come on," Sirius said awkwardly, thumping her on the shoulder. "No need to be so pleased to see us. And I've already had to cast two drying spells on us today."

She punched his shoulder back, earning a pained, 'Ow!'

James laughed aloud, the sound echoing.

Lily shivered, wrestling to clear her throat till she felt she could trust herself to speak. "I'm just actually really glad to see friendly faces," she admitted, trying to sound unaffected. "It's been a bit stuffy, you know. Family and all that. Shall we head back inside then? I'm sure Mum can nick us a couple more glasses of champagne."

Sirius looked excited at this prospect, opening the door for them. "Sounds like a woman I admire."

"Sirius," Lily warned with disgust, using a hand to punch him in the same shoulder.

"Only joking," he trilled, rubbing the sore spot. "Could you stop hitting me?"

"Only if you behave yourself."

"I'll do my best," he said with a smirk, straightening his bow tie.

James laughed, raising a hand to rake his fingers through his hair once more. "And I'll do my best to keep him in line."

She pointed a finger at him threateningly. "I'll hold you to that," she accused, before turning to lead them back into the reception hall and to a table near the bar, out of sight from the bridal table. "They're about to start serving food, I think."

"Thank Merlin. I'm starving," Sirius said, collapsing into the seat she indicated. Lily sent him a glare at the wizarding term, but he was too distracted by the party around him.

James pulled back the chair beside Sirius for her and she slid into it as gracefully as she could.

"Thanks," Lily said quietly as he slid into the chair beside her. "Hopefully it's up to your taste."

"It's food," Sirius said blithely, waving her off, eyes still scanning the large room with a bit of awe. "A much more lively affair than I imagined, right, Prongs?"

James was studying the room as well, his keen eye filled with interest. "Much more vibrant than Lestranges' wedding." His eye caught Lily's, who had been watching him closely. He grinned and nodded his head towards the bar, where a large swan sculpture stood erect, glistening in the low lighting. "Is that some sort of Muggle tradition?"

Lily snorted and shook her head vehemently. "Definitely not. Pet suggested it awhile back, but I thought she was joking."

"I would've chosen a Hippogriff," Sirius commented. "Much more menacing."

"I don't think that's the point of the decorations, Padfoot," James mused, craning his neck to view the hanging streamers and lace ribbons that hung from the ceiling.

Sirius was plucking restlessly at one of the centerpieces, tearing off one of the fake petals of a silk flower. "Not very tasteful, is it?"

Lily swatted at his hand, showing hers off in the process. "Blood, sweat, and tears went into those, you know. And like you know anything about decorating Muggle weddings?"

He dropped the petal, feigning offence. "I'll have you know, we helped decorate the Common Room for last year's Cup celebration. Remember that?"

"You mean the ones that accidentally caught fire and nearly burned off Delphine Lightwood's hair?" she asked, deadpanned.

"Exactly!" Sirius smiled excitedly. "And that wasn't accidental. They were meant to light up."

James snorted, leaning back into his seat and casually draping an arm on the back of Lily's chair. "And that's why Padfoot's not allowed to try his hand at pyro-mancy anymore."

It appeared that he had done it - placing his arm there - probably out of natural comfort and so Lily tried not to seem too affected by it, forcibly ignoring the nearness of it against her back.

Sirius scoffed, taking a sip from one of the ice waters set at the table. "If I recall properly, I seem to remember why McGonagall no longer allows transfiguration spells involving candles in class anymore."

"That was you?" Lily asked, shocked, turning in her seat to face him more. Her shoulder bumped against his arm, and he let it drop, his warmth gone with it. "I thought that was a 7th Year that caught her cloak on fire!"

"That was an accident," he insisted, glaring at Sirius from over the top of her head. "And McGonagall forgave me."

"Right. That's why she doesn't follow you with a stern glare everytime you enter a room."

James grinned, placing his arm back around the edge of her chair. "She's just keeping an eye on her star Chaser."

This time, Lily couldn't tell if he had done it on purpose, his movements casual in his usual manner and fashion, like he always was. Did he normally do this to other seats at school? The dinner table didn't count – the benches didn't really allow the chance for him to drape his arm around her – anyone, she correct hastily. She thought back to their joined classes. Had he ever purposely moved his arm around her?

Lily took a quick drink of the chilled water in front of her, suddenly feeling warm and off-kilter for so drastically analyzing his movements. Why the hell should it bother her so? Did it bother her?

She took another long drink, trying to focus on how her mind gave a sound, 'No' to her mental question.

"Is that the food?" Sirius asked suddenly, pulling her from her thoughts.

Both Lily and James turned their heads in the direction he was pointing, where a girl in a waiter's uniform was visibly straining to push a cart forward.

"That's the cake," Lily answered, relaxing back into her chair.

"Are they normally that…" James struggled for a word.

"Extravagant?" she supplied.

"Yeah," he breathed, studying the tiered cake as the girl pushed it towards the swan sculpture. The pink and white frosting glistened in the low light and Lily had to admit that she was rather excited for the sweet cake.

"Is that the food?" Sirius repeated, still referring to the cake.

Lily laughed. "No, just the dessert. I think we'll have leftovers for days."

"Days?" James asked incredulously. "That thing should last months."

"The Dursleys' are a rather… large family," she murmured, crossing her arms.

"Ah, they're fat," Sirius said in understanding.

Lily glanced around surreptitiously. "That's not what I said," she said quickly, feeling her cheeks warm.

"But that's what you meant," Sirius winked, taking another drink of his water.

"I thought you were supposed to be controlling him," she groused, leaning towards James so he could hear her quiet words.

"I meant his actions," clarified James. "I can only dream to control what comes out of Sirius's mouth."

"I'm sure that's not what you only dream about, Prongsie," Sirius said, smirking.

"Sirius," Lily complained, to which she was sure they were thinking she objected to his lewd tone, and had no true idea of how adverse she was discussing dreams today. "I'm going to find my mum real quick."

"Okay," James said, a bit bewildered by her sudden tone, dropping his arm again as she pushed her chair back. "We'll save your seat."

"Behave," she ordered them with a stern look, before running her hands over her dress to fix the wrinkles and hem. She caught James' gaze as he followed her movements out of curiosity, his brows slightly furrowed.

She tried to not be affected as she realized how warm she felt under his stare.

"Aye, captain," Sirius saluted, his gaze still surveying the room about them.

Lily left them then, rounding the tables towards the red hair she recognized as her mother's. She was near the greenhouse doorway, chatting with people that Lily barely recognized.

"Lily," her mum greeted, catching sight of her quickly. "This is Antonia. You remember her?"

"Of course," Lily responded pleasantly, reaching forward and shaking the woman's hand. "How are you?"

"Doin' grand, dear," responded Antonia with a thick Welsh accent. "How's school been treating you?"

"Very well," said Lily with a smile. "I hope all is well with you! Mind if I grab my mum from you?"

"Of course," she said, waving energetically, before turning to speak with her companion.

"Who was that?" Rose asked in a low voice as Lily led them towards the bartop.

Lily's eyebrows rose. "You think I know? You told me her name was Antonia!"

"I only knew that because her husband said it. I had no clue who they were."

Lily snorted. "Didn't you look over the guest list?"

Rose shook her head, gesturing to the bartender she wanted another glass of champagne. "I certainly thought I did, but you know Pet. She must've snuck out more invites." She accepted the flute of champagne graciously from the young bartender. "But you certainly seemed to recognize her." She handed Lily the glass for her to take a drink.

"Mum," she complained, taking a quick sip, then a second, before handing it back. "I thought that's what we were supposed to do at weddings. Chat 'em up and look normal."

"You could never be normal," Rose said with a nostalgic sigh, fixing a loose curl around Lily's face. "Speaking of normal, where are those two dashing young men who are accompanying you?"

"Don't even start," she warned, glancing over her shoulder towards their table, pleased to see that the boys were still in their seats. She turned her back around when she noticed James's start to turn towards her. "And they're at the table I've seated them at. Towards the back and away from Pet."

"You didn't have to do that," Rose said, turning her own head towards where Lily had looked.

She was horrified as her mother raised her hand and waved genially in their direction. It took all her power not to snatch her mother's hand down.

"Don't encourage them," Lily hissed, feeling her cheeks warm, glad her back was turned towards the boys.

"I certainly see how much of a rise they get out of you," her mum smiled into her glass. "That Potter boy sure seems gentlemanly. Dressed quite smart, as well."

She groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead. "I think you've had a bit too many of those glasses."

"I don't think you've had enough," Rose said mischievously, raising her hand to get the bartender's attention once more.

"Mum," Lily said scandalously, but couldn't deny her curious excitement as the boy – maybe in his low twenties, made his way back towards them.

"What can I help you with?" he asked with a sincere smile, his eyes skimming over Lily's face quickly.

"I'll need three more of these please," Rose said, clinking the glass in her hand with a fingernail.

"Of course, Mrs. Evans," he answered, turning to collect an unopened bottle. Rose winked at her daughter, taking a small sip of her glass.

The bartender made quick work of the bottle and grabbed three champagne flutes with practiced skill, giving Lily a confident smile as he poured the liquid into the glasses. Lily glanced away from his flirtatious look, feigning naivety.

"Here you go," he said, placing the three glasses in front of them. "Is there anything else I can get you?" he asked, his question aimed towards Lily.

"She's taken," Rose said slyly, taking one glass with her free hand and prompting Lily to take the other two.

"Mum," she gasped, feeling her cheeks redden at the boldness of her mother "Sorry," she murmured with embarrassment, grasping the two champagne glasses. The boy looked rightfully chastised, already turning away and working his way down the busy bar.

"What?" Rose said innocently, already weaving her way towards the table where the two Gryffindor boys sat. "He should know better than to flirt with the bride's younger sister in front of her mother."

"God, could you be any more embarrassing?" Lily whined, following her mother's steps with less enthusiasm.

"Embarrassment is a mother's job," she replied with certainty as they arrived at the table.

"Absolute fact," Sirius said, agreeing with her mother's words. "You should hear the stories Prongsie's mum likes to share."

"Of which you will never, ever, hear," James said quickly, giving Sirius a warning look.

"There was this one time, where James's mum found him in his father's study, looking at –"

"Mrs. Evans," James said loudly, changing the direction of the conversation. "We were just admiring the decorations. Did you help pick them out?"

"You're too kind," she said, handing him a flute of champagne.

He looked unsure of accepting it, catching Lily's gaze quickly. She gave him a quick nod and so he took the class from her mother, giving a sincere smile of thanks.

Rose returned it. "The pink is a gorgeous color – I just hadn't realized how much Pet wanted."

Lily snorted as she handed Sirius the other glass in her hand, which he accepted without hesitation, taking a large drink. "I don't think there's enough pink for Petunia," she said quietly, taking a sip of her own glass.

"Well, I do think the food is actually going to start soon. I hope you're having a good time," Rose said, patting James's shoulder. "I'll be back to check on you kids later."

"Thanks, Mum," Lily said, moving to take her seat between the boys once more, feeling oddly embarrassed as James repeated his earlier actions and pulled the chair out for her.

Rose sent her an approving look, before turning and leaving Lily with the two boys.

"I love your mum," Sirius sighed happily, taking another large sip of his champagne.

"I thought you loved my mum," James said with a laugh, setting his glass down on the table in front of him.

Sirius waved him off. "Of course I love Mia. But she doesn't give me free glasses of champagne."

James laughed again, the sound light and warm. "Because free housing and food isn't good enough."

"She created you, so there's that," he replied dryly, finishing the glass. She laughed.

"Oi," James complained, not truly offended. "You would miss me if I didn't exist."

"Would we, though?" Lily couldn't help but tease, taking another sip of her champagne.

James mockingly glared at her, pointing a finger in the same way she had done to them. "I thought we only had to control what Sirius said."

"Then I guess that's not the only thing you'd have to dream about," she said, tongue-in-cheek. She'd blame it on the champagne later though.

His eyes narrowed at her, seemingly trying to read her mind, but she merely smiled pleasantly, taking another sip to give her an excuse to avoid his gaze.

"Quit your flirting," Sirius complained, nodding his head towards the back. Lily turned her head to glare at him, glad that James couldn't see her face. "Looks like they're actually going to start serving!"

Lily looked around to see that the rest of the guests seemed to notice this too, finding their designated spots amongst the tables quickly. Lily was glad she had chosen this table – an unlabeled table meant for those who failed to RSVP. Only a couple other guests meandered over to the table, sliding into the open seats across the teenagers.

"They still have to pass it all out," Lily informed him quietly, still annoyed at his earlier 'flirting' comment. Objectively, she knew her response could've been seen as flirty, but gods, he didn't have to call her out on it.

"What does that mean?" James asked curiously, leaning comfortably back in his seat, unaffected by Sirius's comment.

"It's a three course meal," Lily explained, twirling the liquid in her glass. "They have to bring the salad out first to serve. Then I think Petunia picked a soup – then there's the main course they have to plate. We've got to wait for them to hand out the plates."

"Wait?" Sirius whined, shifting to cross his arms over his chest to show his displeasure, causing his jacket to bunch up, his bow tie now crooked. "They can't just, you know," he snapped his fingers, "make it appear?"

Lily glared at him, glancing at the guests across the table who were pulled into their own conversation. "No, they've got to serve it."

She glanced at James, who gave her a, 'don't look at me' type of look.

As their table was near the back, they were one of the first tables to be served (besides the bridal table of course), and the trio dug in happily. Lily was glad for an excuse to not talk.

The rest of the three course meal occurred without incident, and as soon as the main entree was finished, guests already stood to continue visiting with each other. The band picked up some pretty music, quiet enough that it wouldn't stilt the conversation.

"I'm stuffed," Sirius sighed happily, patting his stomach.

"Got enough room for cake?" Lily asked, but leaned back, copying his movement.

"Obviously," he said immediately. "Prongs and I always have room for pudding."

"Oh," she said with disappointment. "I forgot – they have to have the first dance and things before they can cut the cake and serve it."

"How long will that be?" Sirius asked curiously.

Lily glanced across the room, towards the bridal table, where Petunia and Vernon were leaning close together, Pet spoon feeding his new husband another bite of the potatoes. Objectively, Lily could recognize the gesture as sweet, Vernon's look of adoration as he accepted the spoonful, gravy and bits of potato stuck to his mustache. Petunia used her napkin to wipe it away patiently, lovingly.

Lily looked away, an unfamiliar feeling rising in her throat.

"That long, huh?" James joked, grabbing her attention. She turned her head to look at him, his eyes catching hers easily.

It was a beat before Lily smiled weakly. "Yeah, it'll be a while," she responded, glancing back at the newly wedded couple. Blissful and happy.

Jealousy, Lily realized, with a sunken stomach. She was feeling jealous.

Not that Lily had never felt jealousy before. Oh no, she dealt with it almost on a daily basis. Emmeline's results on an exam. Marlene's ability to run a mile without losing her breath. Dorcas's easy laugh whenever they were stressed. Alice's ability to learn any spell quickly and blow the rest of them out the water.

Hell, even sometimes she felt jealous of the Marauder's themselves. Their bond and easy banter.

But no, Lily had never felt such a dark feeling of jealousy as she looked on at her sister and her new brother-in-law. Maybe it was the fact that she felt she was now losing her sister, having taken the final step out the door from being involved with Lily's life. Or maybe it was how lonely Lily herself had felt since having returned home.

But the feeling burned cold in her stomach, unbidden and overwhelming.

"I'm going to get some air," she told the two wizards, pushing her chair back abruptly, not even having the energy to act apologetic when her chair jostled James's in her hasty escape.

She just needed some air.

The music had started up as she wove her way around the tables and stray guests, heading back towards the greenhouse doors that she had pulled James and Sirius into earlier that night. She tried to shut the doors as soft as possible, but the sound of the snapping shut echoed in the quiet room.

It was muggy and humid, but pleasantly warm. She wrapped her arms around herself regardless, taking a few steps further into the darkened room, the outside light filtering in between the branches and odd leaves around her.

Lily took a calming breath, reaching out to touch the petal of, coincidentally, a purple petunia, soft and delicate against her touch.

"They're magicked," a voice said behind her, causing her to jump.

She turned, surprised to find James standing in the greenhouse. His fringe shadowed his eyes, but she could still see light glancing off his glasses.

"How do you know?" she asked curiously, dropping her hand away inconspicuously.

"Not in the way that it'll attack you," James clarified with a chuckle, having caught her movement. "But it's spelled to stay warm. To help it grow."

Lily was stunned for a moment, caught off guard by how, once again, her Muggle life seemed to collide with the wizarding community. She glanced around her now, recognizing signs of life that shouldn't be possible in the middle of winter. "How could you tell?"

James shrugged, stepping closer to her to point at the potted plant, neatly maintained within its enclosure. "You can tell by the color at the root. It's too green, and see here? It's got six petals, instead of the normal five."

She looked at him, a little slack-jawed by this unexpected bit of knowledge he shared.

He shrugged again. "My dad dabbles a lot with herbology and plants. For his work and stuff."

"Oh," she said, glancing back down at the flower.

"Yeah," he replied, and she could tell he was still watching her. After another long moment, he asked softly, "You okay?"

She raised her shoulder in a noncommittal way. "What did Marlene tell Remus?"

"Just that… you could use company. Your sister was giving you a hard time."

Lily grinned derisively. "A hard time," she repeated, turning away from him to continue walking down the aisle of greenery. "You know I was supposed to be the Maid of Honor? She… gave me the boot."

James hummed, trailing behind her with enough space to allow her to feel comfortable but that they could still talk. "I wondered," he admitted.

"I accidentally spilled wine on Vernon's mum," she explained bitterly. "And Petunia acted like – no, he acted as if I nearly Aveda'd them all. As if I could hurt them. Like I could curse them at any moment for all eternity."

"He sounds like a prick," he inserted helpfully.

"He definitely doesn't think before acting on it," she agreed, unconsciously reaching up to trace her collar bone, recalling the night he had threatened her and shoved her against the wall of her home. "Vernon Dursley is… a prick," she agreed.

James didn't speak for a moment, appearing to think something over in his head. "But you let your sister marry him," he pointed out.

"I told them they shouldn't."

"You didn't." He looked somewhat impressed.

That shouldn't have pleased her as much as it did. "But she loves him," she shrugged. "And I guess… he makes her happy."

"Which makes you happy… even though you hate him."

"I don't… hate him," she said carefully. "I can't hate him when he makes Pet happy."

"A conundrum."

"A conundrum," she agreed. She twisted to look towards the doors. "We should probably go before my mum notices I'm missing."

"Right," he said immediately, sidestepping to allow her to walk past him.

"Thanks," she said awkwardly, not sure if she was thanking him for moving – or for listening to her.

"You're welcome," he said earnestly, letting her lead the way back to the reception.

They had started the toasts. So as not to gain any attention, Lily stayed by the doorway, halting James's movements forward by throwing an arm out to stop him and gestured for him to hush while the first speaker – Molly Parnell – took up the band's microphone.

Feedback screeched and echoed in the hall. Lily winced at the sound, catching sight of guests doing the same, some covering their ears at the noise.

"S–sorry," Molly said, wincing, too. "My apologies –" It screeched again as she adjusted the handle. "I–I'm here to give first toast, which I'm so – hap–py," she hiccupped and blushed, covering her mouth.

"Merlin," James murmured sardonically, rubbing at his face to hide his amused smile, then moving to cover his eyes as the microphone gave off feedback once more.

Lily glanced at Petunia, who looked less than impressed. She wondered if she was regretting her decision at swapping out her Maid of Honor.

Now, Lily knew she herself was no Prime Minister, but she could give a pretty good speech…

Or at least certainly better than Molly.

Listening to the rest of her shaky, nervous speech made Lily wince multiple times – but her heart went out to the older girl. There was a certain pressure to be perfect, especially when it came to Petunia and her expectations.

In between Molly handing off the microphone to the best man (Lily couldn't remember his name) and his speech starting, Lily and James took the long way around back to their table.

"Where've you two been?" Sirius asked in a wry voice.

"Shut it," James said, rolling his eyes, taking his seat beside Lily.

"My apologies," Sirius replied, too busy with making eyes at another girl their age a few tables away.

As soon as the toasts and speeches were over, the happy couple moved to cut the cake quickly, still looking as sickly in love and blissful as before, despite the less than satisfactory speeches. It was on to their first dance, a song that Lily didn't recognize, that the servers started to serve the cake to the guests.

"Bloody finally," Sirius murmured.

Her mum suddenly appeared over her shoulder, gifting each of them another glass of champagne.

"Thank you," Sirius said, pleased. "Have I said how much I love you?"

"How sweet," Lily's mum said, patting him on the head. "You try to be quite the charmer, don't you?"

Both Lily and James snorted, trying to cover the sound as Sirius glared at them.

"What'd you think of Molly's speech?" Lily could help but ask her mum.

Rose looked down at Lily, setting a comforting touch to her shoulder, reading the needs of her daughter effortlessly. "Needs some work. I can think of someone who could've done a better job."

Lily smiled weakly.

"You going to join the dancing?" Rose asked the trio, nodding her head towards the dance floor where the frontman of the band had called the dance floor now open.

"Nah, I don't think so," Lily said, taking another long sip.

"Well, then, I'm off to ask a damsel for a dance," Sirius said, already out of his seat and heading towards the table where the girl he had been silently flirting with earlier sat.

"I'll dance with you," James said nonchalantly, standing from the table. He held out his hand.

"Oh, no – I mean it, I'm okay –" she was cut short by her mum bumping her hip into the back of her chair.

"Go," her mum urged, grabbing Lily roughly by the elbow to get her to stand. "Have a dance. Have fun."

"Mum," she protested, feeling her mum's hands on her back as she shoved her towards James. She took his hand somewhat shyly, trying not to appear too embarrassed.

The dance floor was slowly but surely beginning to fill up. James led her to the ledge, wisely away from the newly married couple in the middle of the tiled floor. He raised the hand he was already holding to shoulder height, placing his other free hand lightly on her waist.

"Is this okay?" James asked softly.

She nodded jerkily, but played it off with an air of relaxed composure, as if they did this all the time and wasn't something to think too hard about.

But Lily tried not to think of his hand on her waist, how warm it felt through the fabric of her dress. And possibly for once, she was thankful he was taller than her – he wouldn't be able to see the flush of her cheeks. She wondered if he could feel the blisters on her right hand, the burns still red and raised from her fight with the hot glue-gun, as her hand rested in his.

Sirius was dancing with the same girl as before (she now recognized her as a distant cousin from Easter celebration the Evans' held quite a few years ago) and though it was a slow song, his steps were fast, not quite matching the beat of the music.

Lily stifled a laugh, watching the girl's face as she tried to keep up.

"You can't take him anywhere," marveled James. His breath fluttered the hair around her ear and she shivered.

"You really can't," she agreed, watching as he dipped the girl backwards, the two of them nearly tumbling to the floor. Lily laughed again, not bothering to try and hide her mirth.

James's shoulder was shaking beneath her palm as he laughed too, watching as Sirius spun the girl away from him. She bumped into one of the Dursely's, who gave the girl a dark look in return. Embarrassed, the girl, instead of returning to her place as Sirius's dance partner, fled the dance floor without even apologizing, making a beeline straight for the ladies loo.

"Well, that was a bust," Sirius said with a happy grin, as he came closer to James and Lily.

"You nearly took the poor girl out," Lily scoffed, self consciously dropping her hand away from James's shoulder.

"It's not my fault she couldn't keep up," Sirius returned, his gaze flitting between the two of his companions. "But it's a good thing I've got a back-up, eh?"

"Oh, no –" she protested. Involuntarily, the hand holding onto James's own tightened. "I am not going to dance with you – not after what I just saw!"

"Please?" Sirius said with a pleading look, just as the slower song ended and the band took one up with an upbeat rhythm. "I don't think your dance partner would mind. Would you, Prongs?"

"Padfoot," James warned with narrowed eyes, but let go of Lily's hand and lightly pushed her towards Sirius, as if bargaining her from having his friend say more.

"Traitor," Lily threw back at him, grimacing as Sirius took her hand tightly. "See if I ever go easy on you in the Game again," she was able to say to James before Sirius spun her wildly away.

She could hear James chuckle from the edge of the dance floor. "As if you've made anything easy."

Before she could bite out a response, Sirius pulled her back towards him. Whether it was her normal clumsiness or from the champagne, she stumbled into him, knocking her chin against his collarbone as they collided.

"Oi," Sirius complained, but spun her back away, slower, so that she didn't stumble again.

"I didn't attend a cotillion, you know," she said with a grumble, falling into step with him.

"I could tell," he teased, breaking into a jive that caused Lily to tilt her head back and laugh. "This is much more lively than any wedding I've been to."

"I'm glad," Lily said, trying to match his move, but not too wildly to catch the attention of other guests. "And I'm happy you guys are having fun."

"James's certainly is," Sirius said with a smirk.

Unwilling, Lily's eyes moved to find the boy mentioned, finding it back at their table. A girl, one Lily couldn't recognize, was seated next to him, leaning close to talk over the music.

A feeling, not so dissimilar from the one she felt earlier when looking at her sister and her new husband, rushed through her. It was obvious she was flirting, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder.

Lily's teeth clenched. Why the hell did Petunia have to invite so many people?

"Being here," Sirius continued casually, "spending time with you."

Her eyes turned back towards his face, finding his unnerving 'I know what you're thinking' smirk on his handsome features.

She rolled her eyes, scoffing. "I don't know what you're hinting at."

"I'm not hinting at anything," he replied breezily, taking her hand and spinning her again. "I just think it's adorable that you can act like you're not affected by anything." He spun her once, twice, three times, before pulling her back towards him. "When it's obvious that you're bothered by my boy James chatting up a rather attractive wedding guest."

Though his fast turns dizzied her, she glanced back over at the table, catching sight of the couple easily. She scoffed again. "He can do what he wants – It's not like, like –"

"Like what?" Sirius smirked.

She huffed, glaring up at him. "Shut it," she murmured, her gaze going back to James's form.

Sirius laughed loudly at her words.

As if trained by the sound, James's head turned up, his eyes finding them easily. His eyes locked with Lily's, and embarrassed at being caught looking at him first, she turned back to look at Sirius's tuxedo bow tie, thankful that the dance floor was lowly light to hide her blush.

"Oh, poor Prongs," Sirius said with faux pity.

Lily purposely dug the heel of her shoe into his shoe on their next twist.

"Ow," he cried, and Lily could tell he would've shoved her away if he wasn't in the presence of a bunch of wedding guests. "I meant 'cause of the bird – look, she left him."

Lily did not look though, feeling that it was a trap set up by Sirius to make her feel even more embarrassed. "Can you not be such a sod?" she said through clenched teeth.

"I think it's time I found another dance partner," he replied with a smirk, releasing her hand.

"Berk," she threw over her shoulder, already retreating from the dance floor and towards her mother who was back at the desert table.

"Everything okay?" Rose asked her daughter, offering a chocolate strawberry.

"Of course," Lily said immediately, turning to glare again at Sirius, but he had already found his next victim – Molly Parnell.

"You look a little flushed," Rose noted.

"Just warm from dancing," she insisted, accepting the chocolate. And certainly not from Sirius's teasing or whatever.

Lily purposely tried not to locate James again, choosing to focus on her conversation with her mum. She felt, Lily realized, a little guilty at having left her mum alone for most of the night, but also realized how not-so-miserable the night was turning out to be. All thanks to the two Gryffindor boys who had decided to show up and keep her company.

It was all a little too unsettling…

By the time the reception was winding down, Lily had two more glasses of champagne and found herself back at the table with the boys, purposely shoving aside all abnormal feelings and just choosing to relax and listen to the jazzy music the band now played.

"Can't wait to do this again," Sirius sighed, leaning lazily back into this seat.

Lily snorted, rather unladylike. "What, crash a wedding?"

"Call it a new hobby," Sirius replied easily.

"I'll let you know when I know someone else is getting married," Lily said with a laugh, leaning forward to set her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands.

"You do that," Sirius said with a tone that made her glance at him out of the corner of her eye. He wriggled his eyebrows so that she could only see, sending an overly obvious glance between her and James.

She glared. "Alright," she said abruptly. "I'm going to go say goodbye to Pet. I think they're leaving soon."

"You'll be back?" asked James.

"Yes," she confirmed, standing and heading towards the bridal table, where many of the party had scattered, leaving Petunia with Vernon, his sister, and one of the groomsmen still lounging.

"Hey," Lily said awkwardly, once she had come closer. Petunia looked up at her, and Lily was pleased to see that her happy smile didn't dim when she saw that it was her younger sister who had spoken. "You guys leaving soon?"

"In about ten minutes," Pet said, her arm looped tightly around Vernon's. When Lily looked closer, she could see the glossy look in Petunia's eyes, evidence she had enjoyed the champagne herself quite a bit. "Just waiting for the limo."

"That's brilliant," Lily said, avoiding Vernon's stern gaze. "Everything was beautiful, Pet. Everyone had a great time."

"Of course they did," Marge spoke up snobbishly, having eavesdropped. "The Dursleys never throw a disappointing party."

"Right," said Lily with a smile she hoped didn't look too fake. "Well, I just wanted to say… goodbye before you left."

Petunia was quiet for a moment, glancing up at Vernon's face, who was still glaring at Lily with a wary look. "Bye, Lily," she said, her smile lessening marginally.

"Bye, Pet," Lily said softly, turning on her heel and walking towards the hall's entrance, needing a moment to recollect herself before returning to the table.

The rain had let up somewhat, coming down in a soft drizzle that somewhat soothed Lily's frazzled mind. She stood in the entrance's awning, rubbing her hands over her arms to keep herself warm.

"Hey," her mum's voice broke her concentration. "I saw you come out here. You thinking of leaving soon?"

Lily nodded jerkily, not quite trusting her voice to respond yet. Her mum stepped through the door fully, handing Lily her own purse. "I figured. I saw you talking to Pet. They'll be leaving soon anyways, and the party's over." Her mum wrapped her arms around her youngest daughter. "You okay taking a taxi home?"

"Sure," Lily answered. "I've got some cash. I'll be okay."

"You going to say goodbye to Sirius and James?"

"Right," she said. As if she could forget. "Yes."

"Good," Rose said, waving the two boys through the door. "They said they needed to head out anyway."

"Hey," James greeted, Sirius closely following behind him as they joined mother and daughter beneath the awning.

"It was lovely meeting you boys," Rose said, shaking their hands once more. "Thank you for keeping my daughter company tonight – but I best get back to my other daughter before Vernon steals her away completely."

"Good bye, Mrs. Evans," Sirius said smoothly, holding the door open to let the woman through, before he stepped out into the rain. "Come on, Prongsie. I could go for a cuppa before bed."

"Bye, Lily," James said, half-raising his arm to – she wasn't sure. Touch her shoulder? Repeat her awkward one armed hug from the station? But Lily couldn't help how much more genuine his tone sounded over her sister's.

She stepped into it anyways, returning the awkward, single-armed hug.

"Bye, James," she said quietly, watching his back as he stepped into the rain to join Sirius.

She followed him out into the rain, heading towards the street's curb. There was enough traffic to indicate the city's night was far from over, but less cabbies than she expected. Lily raised her hand in a wave, hoping to hail a cab quickly.

From a few feet away, she saw James turn back to look at her, his expression unreadable

"I'll make sure she gets back," she could hear James say.

"What're you, her dad?" Sirius returned teasingly.

James ignored the jab. "You okay to get home on your own?

"I'm seventeen, aren't I? I can apparate."

Lily scoffed, still holding her hand out to catch the attention of a cabby. Sirius could certainly be catty when he wanted to be.

A black taxi finally noticed her, weaving its way over to the parking lane. Still curious, she glanced back in the direction she had seen the boys go and jumped, finding him back at her side.

She glanced behind James, catching sight of Sirius walking casually down the sidewalk, unaffected by the light rain.

"I've got a cab," she said lamely, and James smiled, opening the door for her and allowing her to slide in. He motioned her to scoot further in "Potter. You escorting me home?"

"Can't have you going home alone, can we? You'll probably get murdered," he replied smoothly, sliding in after her.

"Ha, ha," she bit sarcastically. "Have you been in one of these before?" she asked curiously once they settled and gave the driver her address.

"Once," James replied, only a slight tension in his shoulders. "With Remus, last Christmas actually."

"I can't wait to apparate," she sighed quietly, sure that even if the driver heard her, it wouldn't have been the strangest he'd heard.

"Me either," James agreed, his eyes scanning the landscape as they moved further away from the reception hall. "You've got your examination already scheduled?"

"Of course," she said immediately. "Next month."

They fell quiet then, looking out their respective windows to watch the people and buildings pass by the windows. Soon enough, the cabby was entering Lily's borough.

They were parked in front of her house before she could think twice about how weird it was to have James in her home.

"Thanks," she said to the cabby, feeding money through the glass opening to pay for the fee.

She felt nervous suddenly, as she unlocked her front door and gestured James in through the doorway. "Home, sweet home," she joked, shutting the door behind her.

He was studying the living room, not without a critical eye, his eyes pausing at the photos along the wall and above the sofa, looking at the television in the corner of the room with interest.

"It's nice," he complimented.

"Thanks." Lily felt awkward, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Where's your room?" he asked out of curiosity. "I've always wondered if Lily Evans was compulsively clean or messy."

"You've seen our dorm," she reminded him, as a combination of self-conscious courage trilled through her, leading him down the small hallways towards her room. "When you Marauders pulled that prank that changed all our uniforms to bright pink?"

"That was second year."

"Not much has changed," she informed him, pushing open the door to her room.

"I disagree," he murmured behind her, so close she could feel the warmth of him.

Living in a dorm had made her not feel so odd about revealing her sleeping/personal space. However, she was suddenly nervous. She was keen to view her room from a stranger's perspective. James.

She watched as his gaze swept over the room, eyes catching on random things; the cream colored paint, the posters taped up to the wall, the odd-end knick knacks that sat on her shelves that she'd meticulously chosen and took care of.

He took a few more steps further into the room, reaching his hand up to trace the back of her desk chair, his fingertips skimming over the wood. He touched the chocolate frog card on her desk. Circe. It was the one her mother had gotten when she was last here.

"That's amazing," he said, quite reverently.

"You can have it," she said unexpectedly. "I don't collect them, so I don't have much use for it."

"Are you sure?" James asked incredulously, meeting her gaze and holding it.

She looked away, shrugging. "Have it." The small space of her room felt suddenly warm. She owed it to the champagne. "That reminds me," she said. "I've got your gift."

"Not this card?" he asked wryly.

"No," she chuckled, moving past him to kneel at her desk, reaching to pull open the bottom drawer. It stuck, like it always did, and she needed to force it open with more exertion than normal, the underneath of the top drawer catching on the small box hidden.

A bit embarrassed by the dent, made more pronounced against her poor-wrapping job, pushed her to hand him the gift without looking at his face, unexpectedly shy. "Here."

James accepted it with careful hands. "Can I open it here?" he asked, his voice oddly quiet.

The noise that escaped the back of her throat must've sounded as an affirmative. He took a few steps backward until the back of his knees met her bed, where he dropped into a seated position with the small gift in his hands.

It was all a bit bizarrely funny. Here was James Potter, the boy with wild hair who drove her absolutely mad, sitting on the soft comforter of her full-sized bed, dressed smartly in a tuxedo.

She couldn't stop the bubble of laughter that fought its way out of her throat.

"What?" he asked with an amused smile – the same easy, casual smile that made her heart suddenly ache.

Maybe she did have a little too much champagne.

"Nothing," she waved him off.

He gave her a look like he didn't believe her, but didn't push.

She sank into the chair at her desk, swivelling to face away from him as she heard the paper crinkle.

That familiar tightness around her rib cage returned. Curiosity won out. Lily turned back to watch him.

With slow, gentle movements, James untied the ribbon around the gift, plucking away the attached letter before it could fall to the ground.

"You don't have to read that now," she insisted, suddenly wishing she had written something more meaningful than what she had. It felt trite.

"Of course I do," he returned, eyes catching hers as he slid a finger beneath the fold of the letter, tearing it open. He slid the card out – one side had been painted with a large Christmas tree, covered in gold and red tinsel and ornaments. He flipped it over to the other side, blank except for what she had written:

Happy Christmas, James!

Your friend, Lily xx

She had felt a little bit like a prat for writing it that way, but she had hoped he'd sense the sincerity in her words, your friend.

When she looked up from the card in his hands, James was giving her a look as if he knew what she had meant, understanding the earnest truth in her closing sentiment. The genuine smile he was giving her made her stomach flip unexpectedly.

Luckily, before her cheeks started to turn pink, he turned his attention back towards the gift on his lap. The paper around it tore easily and he still used gentle movements to lift the lid off of the box.

"A snitch," he said, surprised, but pleased.

"I noticed you hadn't been messing about with one this year," she explained quickly. "I don't know if you'd lost the previous one or what, but I figured you must've been missing it."

He was watching her intently.

She looked away, fighting down the flush that was working its way up her chest. "Hooch was actually about to throw it out – 'it's not quite up to par,' she said."

He chuckled softly. "You didn't just nick it?"

"Of course not," she said. "If you'd just ask her, she would have been willing to give it to you."

"Right," he said in a way that made Lily wonder if he had asked in the past and had been told no.

"I've charmed it so that it won't fly too far – and Accio should work on it, if needed."

His slender fingers plucked it from its cushion, the golden silver wings popping out and expanding as if to test their own strength. They began to flutter, the sound quiet in her room, but he did not let it go.

"I know it's not much," she said. "And really, I didn't even pay for it..."

"It's bloody brilliant, Evans," he murmured genuinely, twisting it in his hands.

They watched as he released it, the snitch's humming wings the only sound in the room for a moment before he reached forward and snatched it securely.

"I didn't get you anything," he said regretfully.

"That's okay," she insisted immediately. "Honestly, you showing up at the wedding was a gift, itself. I'm not sure how I would've made it through without you there, as painful as it was."

He chuckled.

"But don't tell anyone I said that."

James smiled at the jab, but still looked abashed.

"It's not Christmas quite yet," she added slyly. "Shops are still open."

Her tone brought back the smirk. "Yes, they are," he acknowledged, dropping his gaze back down onto the snitch in his hand, his free hand jumping to his hair. "But I'm not sure I could top this."

He wrapped his hand around the snitch more securely, the small wings tucking themselves back around its body. He returned it to its place on the cushion and neatly closed the lid, smiling as he caught her gaze.

"It's brilliant," he repeated sincerely. "Thank you."

They both jumped at the sound of the front door opening and closing. "Lily? Did you make it home?" her mother's voice called.

Suddenly alert, the two teenagers jumped up from their seats, but Lily relaxed, smiling at him timidly.

"Yeah, Mum!" she called. "Be out in a minute!"

"Is she going to be mad?" James asked, gesturing between them in her room.

Lily shook her head in mirth. "No, it's alright. She trusts me."

Merlin, who'd have thought she'd be in this situation? She suddenly realized how close they were standing together. Her mouth felt dry (that damned champagne!).

"But we probably should head out there."

He nodded and allowed her to lead the way out of her bedroom. She could hear as he fiddled with the box in his hands as he tucked it inside of his tuxedo jacket.

"Everything go okay?" Lily asked her mother as they came into the living room.

Rose had already kicked off her shoes and dropped her purse onto the couch. In her arms was a large white box.

"Cake?" she offered, holding it out. It teetered precariously in her grip and Lily wondered just how much she had brought home.

"Let me take that," James offered, taking the box from her mother's hands smoothly.

Lily felt a bit pleased at his manners, watching as he brought the cake into the kitchen and set it onto the table. Then shook herself. It's not as though she wanted him to impress her mother to earn her approval.

"Thank you," Rose said gratefully. "And yes – everything went off without a hitch. Pet and Vernon left in the limo. I'm so glad we paid extra for the clean-up."

Lily smiled wryly. "I told you none of the wedding party would stick around to help."

Rose tutted. "Well, thank God it's over. James, please feel free to have a piece. Plates are in the cupboard to your right."

He looked a bit surprised at her offer. "Oh, it's alright, Mrs. Evans. I'm good."

"Please," she insisted in a tone that left little room to decline. "And dish up a plate for Lily and I."

Lily bit back a laugh as James looked to her, as if asking for permission to rummage through her kitchen. She nodded. "Please," she repeated her mother. Cake did sound wonderful. "I'll grab some milk."

And then, it was the three of them sitting in the Evans's kitchen, quietly eating the leftover wedding cake that tasted just a bit too sweet.

While it wasn't an uncomfortable silence, Lily still felt off-kilter sitting with James and her mother, as if this was something they did for dinner every other night. Her mother seemed to sense this.

"Right," Rose said, setting down her fork. "This is too rich for my blood." She pushed the plate away.

"But you love cake," Lily said in amusement.

Rose patted her stomach. "I've had enough. I think I'm going to call it a night." She stood from the table, pushing her half-eaten cake towards Lily. "James, lovely to meet you. Thank you for coming to the wedding."

"Of course," he said immediately, giving her mother his smile.

Rose bent to press a kiss to Lily's temple. "Night, love." She dropped her voice lower. "Don't stay up too late."

"Mum," Lily complained, feeling her cheeks burn. "Get out of here."

"Good night, James," said Rose with a smile and a wave, before she left the kitchen.

"Good night, Mrs. Evans," he replied and Lily felt a little better that his cheeks still flushed.

"Merlin, that woman," Lily muttered, rubbing her hands over the heated skin of her cheeks.

James laughed easily, his fingers threading through his hair once more. "You should talk to my parents – they're worse."

"I think you've forgotten I've met your mother."

"And she hadn't told you the garden story?"

"No," Lily giggled, shaking her head. "But I suppose it's only fair. I've met your mum, now you've met mine."

"Sirius mentioned my mum can share some pretty embarrassing things – but I'll have to keep you away from my dad as long as possible. He's made it a goal to embarrass me. Luckily, Sirius, Remus, and Peter pretty much already know everything."

"Now I feel as though I have to meet your dad," she said forlornly, a smile pulling at her lips.

"Hang on now. I think we're moving a bit fast," he teased.

She let out a stuttering laugh as he appeared to immediately regret the words.

"That's not – what I meant," he tried to recover.

"I should probably walk you out," Lily said instead, "It is getting late."

"Right," he said briskly.

"Especially if I want to avoid losing your dad's approval before I've even met him," she murmured in a wry voice, rising from the table.

"Oh, I think you already have his approval," he countered, following her movements to stand.

"How's that?"

He chuckled, pushing his chair in. "He knows you're one of the top potioneers of the year – and pretty much every other class."

"And how does he know that?" she asked with a grin, looking back at him as she led the way back through the living room to the door.

"From me," he said honestly, holding the door open so that she could step through first.

She wanted to ask what else he's said about her to his parents, but her gaze turned towards the dark street. "How will you get home?" she asked curiously. "You're not seventeen yet, are you?"

"Not yet," he said, stepping out beside her, his warmth radiating. "March."

It had begun to snow, the snowflakes falling in large, heavy lumps.

"Right." Lily smiled in amusement as she closed the door behind them. "I'm older than you."

"I know," said James with an easy smile, catching her eye as he turned back towards her.

She looked away, tucking a piece of hair back behind her ear as she gazed at the snow that had accumulated around their feet.

"I'll take the Knight Bus," James said. "Not my favorite mode of transportation – but it's fast."

"So I've heard."

She wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing at her arms as she followed James's lead. They walked together down the pathway towards the edge of the driveway, leaving two sets of footprints in the snowfall.

He moved to raise his wand arm.

"Thank you," she burst out, as if it was forced from her against her will.

"For?" he asked curiously, turning his head to stare down at her.

"You know. For you coming here. And Sirius."

He lowered the hand holding his wand, turning his head slightly to stare down at her. "Any time," he murmured.

Almost reluctantly, she raised her eyes to meet his, a little stunned by the intense expression across his face.

Without breaking eye contact, he raised his wand in a sharp wave.

They both jerked when a loud bang ripped through the air as a bright purple, double-decker appeared before them.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus!" a short, portly witch grinned. "I see you stuck out your wand hand – come on a board, you two!" She waved them forward. "I ain't gunna bite! Name's Hilda."

"Just going to be me, Hilda," James clarified with a grin. He looked back down at Lily, his lips turned in a farewell smile. "See you back at school, Lily."

A feeling suddenly welled up inside of her. As if she had no control over her limbs, Lily tugged at the elbow of his sleeve before he could take another step, then wrapped her arms around his neck when he turned back to face her.

He nearly stumbled under the unexpected weight of her, his hands touching her waist haltingly. There was a beat of time, before they slid around her and he hugged Lily back.

He was warm, heat radiating over her as she sunk into the hug tighter, breathing the smell of him deeply. This was a better hug than the Station hug, she decided. She shut her eyes tightly, glad he couldn't see her face.

But Hilda could.

Lily's eyes popped open, cheeks flushed as she caught sight of the older witch looking at them with a teasing grin and wink.

She let her arms fall away from his shoulders as she stepped back quickly, feeling his hands reluctantly drop from her waist.

"Thanks again," she said, knowing she couldn't blame the cold for how red her cheeks were. "See you at school."

"Yeah," he replied, his tone rich.

He looked a bit dazed, if she were honest.

"Hop to, love," Hilda cut in with a bright smile.

She watched as James stepped onto the Knight Bus with less smooth movements than she knew him for, turning to give her one last wave before the whole double-decker disappeared with another loud bang.

Lily wrapped her arms around herself once more, no longer feeling cold.

She was… definitely in trouble.