Harry Potter or any other characters associated with the book are the sole property of J. K. Rowling. Any original character created solely for this story belongs to me, Little C.
Reviews, comments and even flames are welcome. A big thank you to my beta reader Dorothy.
The Things We Never Did or Said, Chapter Eight
It was still dark outside when James heard a low rumbling sound coming from outside. He and Remus got up from the table in the kitchen and walked into the dining room. Looking out through the French windows they saw a huge motorbike drop out of the sky.
"That isn't who I think it is, is it?" Remus asked disapprovingly.
"Oh, I think it is," James answered amused.
They went outside just as Sirius turned off the engine on the motorbike. In the sudden silence they could hear an owl hoot in the distance.
"This is your idea of keeping a low profile?" Remus asked Sirius, who had just dismounted.
"What?" Sirius asked questioningly. "Muggles use them all the time!"
"But they don't fly," Remus objected.
"Why didn't you just Apparate?" James asked.
"Had you kept the wedding at your parent's place I would have," Sirius said to James. "But since this isn't your parent's place I didn't want to take any chances."
"You're calling this not taking any chances?" Remus exclaimed, obviously still upset over the flying aspect of the motorbike. "You might as well have shown up on a dragon."
"That would have attracted more attention than a flying motorbike," James commented.
"And put me in the express lane to Azkaban," Sirius said, "I have never seen a real Dementor and I like to keep it that way."
"I reckon it would be a good idea," Remus said sounding cross, "force you to grow up."
"Why don't you go howl at the moon," Sirius shot back.
James felt moved to intervene before anyone said or did something that they would regret later on.
"Calm down," he said getting between Remus and Sirius, "today is a wedding and there will be no squabbles. Besides, we are the Marauders; we don't fight amongst ourselves."
"True," Sirius said, "though we seem to be one member short."
"Peter said he was going to be a bit late," James said as he ushered Sirius and Remus towards the house, "but he would be here for the ceremony."
"You are holding the ceremony here?" Sirius asked a bit surprised. "Wherever here is?"
"This is Lindsey's house," James said locking the door as they got inside. "Lily thought it would be best to keep the wedding and reception on neutral ground, keeps people from getting too comfy and make a scene."
"I can see why," Sirius said, "this is, after all, a mixed marriage."
"Very funny, Padfoot," James said. "Remind me to laugh at it later."
"So Lindsey is our humble hostess," Sirius said with a smile, "where is she by they way?"
"Still asleep," James said.
"And I wouldn't speak to her if I were you," Remus said.
"Why not?" Sirius asked.
"She is stressed out," James explained, "the other night she discovered a speck of dust on the mantelpiece and went ballistic. It took hours for Lily and her mother to calm her down."
"Whoever owns that combustion-driven bicycle out on the street had better move it to the garage," a voice yelled and James looked up to find Lindsey standing on the stairs to the second floor. She was dressed in ordinary Muggle clothes.
"It's a motorbike," Sirius said, sounding a bit offended.
"I don't care if it's an enchanted pumpkin," Lindsey said sounding indifferent. "It goes into the garage."
"I put an anti-theft Charm on it," Sirius said, "so you don't have to worry about that."
"That is exactly what I'm worried about," she said and threw him a key that he deftly caught. "Now put it into the garage. Remus, be a good boy and help him."
James unlocked the door and Sirius, followed by Remus, trudged outside to put the motorbike in the garage. Closing the door he followed Lindsey into the kitchen where he found her in the process of making tea.
"Is Lily up?" James asked her.
"She is and you are not to see her," she said, "I told you yesterday that it is bad luck to see the bride twenty-four hours before the wedding."
"Muggle superstition," James scoffed.
"Lily is Muggle-born," Lindsey said, "and I suggest you don't try to see her either if you want to get married with all your limbs intact."
"My, my," James said, "we are cranky this morning."
"You try hosting a marriage in your house and let's see what it does to your mood," she said removing the whistling kettle from the stove.
"We could have had it at my parent's place," James said.
"I have already told you why I offered to have it here," she said as she took teacups from a cabinet. "Besides, Lily wanted it here."
"So she said," James said.
Lindsey placed a teacup in front of him and seated herself on the opposite side of the table, sipping her own tea.
"Lindsey!" they heard Lily's mother's voice coming from the hallway.
"Coming," Lindsey called and got up from her chair, "if she asks me one more time if her dress looks like the one I saw in my vision, I'm going to strangle her."
James shook his head in amusement, sipping his tea as she left the kitchen. Sirius and Remus entered the kitchen and joined him at the table.
"What I don't understand is why there are no signs of a wedding here." Sirius asked. "Shouldn't there be decorations or stuff like that?"
"Lindsey has a schedule taped on the fridge," James said and pointed.
Sirius got up from his chair and walked over to the fridge to look at the schedule. He paled slightly as he looked at it.
"I'll never understand a female's ability to cram so much into so few hours," Sirius said. "Half of this would take me at least a day."
"Well, she has us to boss around," Remus commented.
"Or she could always use her wand," James said, "she is, after all, a witch."
"Where is she, by the way?" Sirius asked.
"Upstairs strangling Lily," James said and they both looked at him with alarm. "Lily has been pestering her about the wedding dress. You might remember the vision she had on the day of our N.E.W.T.s and that she said she had seen our wedding."
"Vaguely," Remus said.
"She didn't see our wedding," James said, "she just wanted to distract Lily."
"And now Lily is asking Lindsey if her dress is the one she had in the vision," Remus said.
"Precisely," James said. "Lindsey has assured her a hundred times that it is the dress but Lily keeps pestering her."
"Since she seems to be occupied," Sirius said and sat down at the kitchen table, "I want to take the opportunity to ask your opinion about this."
He put a slender, yet sturdy looking gold ring on the table. It was sort of reminiscent to an engagement ring but instead of a stone it depicted two hands holding a crowned heart.
"It looks like a ring," Remus commented.
"It's a Claddagh ring," Sirius said.
"On whose finger do you intend to put it?" James asked though he was pretty sure he knew the answer.
"Lindsey's," Sirius answered.
"Are you planning to propose to her?" James asked.
"Not really," Sirius said, "it is more of a possibility that if we are both alive and well when Voldemort has been defeated maybe we could, if we want to, perhaps get married."
"Technically that is a proposal," Remus said, "although in a very vague sense of the word."
"I'm sure she will love the ring," James said with a smile, "and the sentiment that goes with it that one day, maybe, perhaps you will ask if you want to."
"I'm not in a hurry," Sirius said picking up the ring from the table.
"Let's just hope that she has the same loose attitudes as you towards marriage or you'll be in big trouble," James said.
There was a knock on the front door.
"Seems like the fourth member of our little quartet has finally arrived," James said getting up from the chair.
"You didn't forget their rings?" James heard Remus ask Sirius.
"Of course not," he heard Sirius answer huffily and James smiled as he unlocked the door.
The sun was shining down on the rather large group gathered out in the backyard at the Bloodsworth's residence. Everybody was wearing formal Muggle attire, although the witches and wizards present didn't look that comfortable in them. To be truthful, neither did the Muggles, and Sirius could understand why. They were itchy, chafed, and generally uncomfortable. It was Lindsey's achievement that everyone from the wizarding community was wearing proper clothing for a Muggle wedding. She had been standing at the door greeting everyone - or as Remus had put it, inspecting everyone - she had even briefed them on what topics they could and could not talk about. Her list had pretty much left them with just the weather and even that was uncertain. Lindsey had been buzzing around like mad before the guests had arrived, fixing decorations - inside and outside - with her wand and clearing out the dining room before the caterers arrived with the food. Everyone stayed out of her way, not wanting to get in the path of the small tornado she had become. They had all been amazed that she indeed had finished in time.
He and James were waiting at the gazebo together with the minister, getting rather warm in the sun. Sirius had been very surprised to learn the Victorian-style mansion belonged to Lindsey, especially since he had thought both her parents were librarians. However, Lily's mother explained that Lindsey's family belonged to what remained of England's upper class, though they had no title. What they did have was a fine home and lots of money.
Suddenly the Wedding March started to play and down the steps from the porch came Lindsey followed by Lily being escorted by her father.
Lily was absolutely breathtaking in her ivory wedding dress with gold brocade bodice. Her veil was fastened with a silver tiara. Most eyes were trained on the bride, but Sirius couldn't take his eyes off of Lindsey. She was dressed in a pale daffodil-yellow strapless gown that clung to her curves like a second skin. Her long hair was pinned into a sweeping up-do that cascaded artfully over her left shoulder in curls, and she wore a crown of orange daisies. Although Sirius was sure she wore make-up, he could only make out the pale pink lipstick accentuating the softness of her lips.
"I know it is Lindsey you are looking at," James hissed at him, "but would you please close your mouth before you start drooling."
Sirius closed his mouth and saw a smile play over Lindsey's lips as she reached the gazebo and took her place at the bride's left side.
Lily's father handed her over to James and sat down beside her mother who was already wiping away tears.
Sirius didn't hear a word the minister said, as he was looking at Lindsey the whole time. Though he made no attempt to hide it, she didn't seem to be uncomfortable by it. He was so enraptured with her that he missed the queue to give the rings to James. A discrete pinch, courtesy Remus, brought his attention to the task, and he managed not to make a complete fool of himself. James gave him a knowing look as he handed him the rings.
James and Lily exchanged rings and said their vows.
"By the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife," the minister announced, "you may kiss the bride."
James pulled back the veil and kissed Lily to great cheers and applause.
Sirius and Remus stayed behind when the other guests had gone home to help Lindsey clean up and put things back in order. It took them about an hour to clean it all up and feeling a bit wired they decided to have a cup of tea before calling it a night.
Remus flinched as Sirius put an icepack to his swollen eye. When Lily threw the bouquet, Remus caught it but a slight scuffle ensued when some of the girls decided they needed the bouquet more than he did.
"You could have warned me, you know," he said grouchily to Lindsey who was standing by the stove making tea.
"I assumed you knew," she said, taking the kettle from the stove.
"Don't assume anything," Remus said. "What's the big idea of the bouquet anyway?"
"If you catch it you'll be the next in line to get married," Lindsey offered, filling three cups with hot water.
"How cute," Remus said, "I got trashed by spinsters."
"They looked pretty fresh to me," Sirius said.
"Shut your gob or I'll bite you," Remus muttered.
"Does that work while you're in human form?" Lindsey asked as she brought the teacups over to the table. "I'm pretty sure Muggle lore says it doesn't matter, but I'm not sure what it says in the Dark Arts."
"Well, if Sirius doesn't keep quiet we'll found out," Remus said giving Sirius a dark look.
"Boys," Lindsey said sternly, "remember that you are friends. And I don't particularly fancy mending my kitchen."
"Lily's mother told me your family belongs to the upper classes," Sirius said. "How come you never told us?"
"A grand house and some inherited money is hardly something to brag about," Lindsey said.
"If it wasn't for inheritance the Malfoy's or the Black's would have nothing," Remus said, "and they always make a point of bragging about it."
"Don't mention my estranged family in my presence," Sirius objected.
"It is you who are estranged from your family not the other way around," Remus corrected him.
Sirius was about to say something when he noticed blood dripping from Lindsey's nose. She fished a tissue out of the pocket of her jeans.
"Did you have a vision?" he asked her and she shook her head.
"No, as a result of the visions I have weak blood vessels in the nose," she explained. "Emotional upsets can cause a nosebleed."
"I'm sure weddings can get pretty emotional but not enough to cause any physical symptoms," Remus said, "except for crying."
"I have heard that Lily and James have thwarted Voldemort's plans more than once and I was afraid that the Death Eaters would show up at the wedding," she said with a sigh. "I'm glad nothing like that happened."
"I'm just glad Lily's sister wasn't here," Sirius said, "that woman is horrible."
"She was invited but she declined," Lindsey said, "for which I'm very grateful. Had she come, she would have had that horrible boyfriend with her."
"How about a toast to absent horrors," Sirius said raising his teacup; Remus and Lindsey did the same.
"To absent horrors."
They drank their tea in silence. When finished, they excused themselves and made to leave. Lindsey offered to have them stay the night, but they felt they should go home.
"Did you give her the ring?" Remus asked as he gingerly sat behind Sirius on the motorbike.
"The opportunity didn't present itself," Sirius said starting the engine, after managing to get the key into the ignition, for some reason it seemed to move around.
"Well, there will be other chances," Remus said clutching on to Sirius as the motorbike lifted from the ground.
"True," Sirius said looking down at the house and saw that the light was on in a window on the second floor, and someone was standing there looking out into the night.
"There will be other chances."
The motorbike gained altitude before levelling out and heading straight into the night.
Unknown to them, this was the last they would see each other for a long time. As Voldemort strived to reach the apex of his reign, their chance for a happy future seemed an impossible dream.
To Be Continued...