Rating: Yes, I know that I've updated the rating to M, but I've never been quite sure about the rating and I figured that it was better to be wrong than removed off fan-fiction. So, here it is.

Disclaimer: None of the characters mentioned in this story belong to me, but rather to J.K. Rowling, I promise to return them to her once I am done with them. The poem which this story features is taken from the novel, The Smoke Jumper by author Nicholas Evans.

Part Eight – The Wedding

"These are not flowers that fade,

Nor trees that fall and crumble."

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April 1979

"Sirius!" Remus shouted running up the stairs of the apartment before barging into the bathroom. "We're going to be late if you don't get out of that shower." Sirius looked at Remus – who was only wearing his trousers and his shirt, still half undone – and smiled, lust filling his eyes.

"You can always join me." He said, winking at Remus who wavered for a moment, desperately wanting to join Sirius in the shower, but then strengthened his resolve.

"No. Absolutely not. James will kill us if we're late." Remus said, grabbing a towel from the cupboard and holding it out to Sirius. "More to the point, he'll kill you. We're meant to be there in ten minutes."

"Fine." Sirius said, turning off the water and getting out of the shower. Remus gave him the towel before kissing him hurriedly.

"Good. Your suit is on the bed. Don't be too long getting dressed." Remus said as he exited the bathroom, looking back once to take in the sight of his boyfriend wearing only a towel around his waist with his long black hair dripping water down his chest. Remus left hurriedly before the simple sight of Sirius could convince him to stay.

Some thirty minutes later, Sirius and Remus walked hurriedly into the small church and down the altar to where James stood impatiently.

"You're late." James said, glaring at his best friend. "You were meant to be here twenty minutes ago." James ran his hand through his hair, clearly nervous.

"Don't worry Prongs, your bride will be late anyway." Sirius said, patting James on the shoulder consolingly. "That is if she bothers to turn up at a—Ow! Remus!." Sirius said, rubbing his arm where Remus had punched him. "That hurt."

"Thank you Remus." James said. "Someone needed to shut this git up. You do have the rings, don't you, Sirius?" James said, turning towards his friend again, suddenly serious.

"Of course I do, James!" Sirius said enthusiastically, before turning to whisper frantically in his boyfriend's ear. "I do have the rings, don't I?"

"Yes, Sirius. They're in your left breast pocket." Remus said, smiling.

"Ah, thank you, Moony." Sirius said before leaning over to kiss him on the lips. Straightening up, he looked around him, asking; "And where is our dear Wormtail?"

"He's not here yet." James said calmly.

"And you yelled at me for being late!" Sirius exclaimed before looking around him, noticing for the first time that there was hardly anyone in the church. "There isn't even anyone here!"

"I know. I asked you to get here early. Unlike Wormtail, you are my best man, and you have a habit of running late." James said, smiling. "I needed to ensure that you would be here on time."

"If it wasn't your wedding day I would kill you. I could be sleeping right now." Sirius said, before looking lustily at Remus. "Or better."

"Shut it you," Remus said, blushing as James chuckled. For some time the three friends stood alone at the head of the church, James nodding to those guests who arrived early, until Peter joined them, bustling in with chocolate in hand.

"Couldn't leave the chocolate at home, could you Peter?" Remus said, laughing. Peter shrugged.

"I needed something to eat for breakfast and all that I had around the house was chocolate." All four of them laughed, Remus leaning over to straighten everyone else's ties and unsuccessfully attempting to flatten James' hair.

"Thanks Mum," James said cheekily, Remus hit him sharply over the head.

Not too long afterwards all of the guests were seated and James grew even more nervous, running his hand through his hair every minute or two. Sirius leaned over and patted his best friend consolingly on the shoulder, smiling as he did so.

"Ah, 'tis the end of an era my dear friend. You're about to marry the girl of your dreams, Remus and I have moved in together." Sirius glared at James when he mumbled 'finally' under his breath and Remus blushed. "And Peter, well, Peter is still living at home with his Mum, but that's besides the point." The other three chuckled, Peter hitting Sirius lightly in the stomach. "Why is everyone hitting me today? No, mate, I mean it. This is it. We have to start being all responsible now."

"Never." James said confidently. "Us? Responsible? Things may change a little bit, Sirius. But they're not going to change that much."

"Just you wait and see, Prongs my boy." Sirius said looking more like he was at a funeral rather than the wedding of his best friend. "Everything will change."

"Sirius, stop mourning." Remus said, putting his arms around his boyfriend's waist with the result being that he was no longer visible. "Besides, I think that I see a certain car pulling up out the front." Remus' words had the desired affect; James straightened up, running his hand – yet again – through his dark hair and Peter hastily stuffed the rest of his chocolate in his trouser pocket before wiping his mouth on his handkerchief. Remus kissed Sirius lightly on the cheek, having to stand on his toes to do so, and moved to stand next to his boyfriend, hurriedly straightening Sirius' tie yet again.

James was reaching up to run his hand through his hair yet again when the church organ starting playing the Wedding March. He froze with his hand still entangled in his hair and only remembered to put his hand back down when Sirius nudged him roughly in the ribs. James looked at each of his friends questioningly in turn and they all smiled at him reassuringly. This was it.

Remus smiled as he watched Lily's bridesmaids walk down the aisle and was forced to stifle a laugh when he saw Lily's sister, Petunia, wearing a terrible shade of bright pink, contrasting terribly with the emerald green of the other bridesmaids. Out of the corner of his eye, Remus saw James and Sirius exchange a glance and knew instinctively that they had had something to do with the colour of Petunia's gown.

He heard James gasp as Lily herself appeared at the door of the church. Remus himself wasn't swayed towards the opposite sex, but even he could see that Lily looked incredibly beautiful. Unlike most of the brides in the weddings Remus had been to previously, Lily glowed only with the natural glow of a bride-to-be. Her hair was done up on the top of her head and her natural curls had been enhanced. Lily's dress was simple and elegant and showed off the natural curves of her body. Simply, she was a specimen of natural female beauty.

After the ceremony, during which the bride and groom had radiated happiness, Remus walked over to join Sirius and the happy couple. Sirius smiled when he saw him approaching and held out his hand to him, continuing to talk to James. For awhile, Remus simply stood by, talking to Lily until he finally heard what Sirius and James were talking about.

"Sirius Black, you are not talking about quidditch on the day of your best friend's wedding!" Remus said shocked and Sirius had the grace to look sheepish.

"Well, you see Remus, James is going on his honeymoon. He's not going to be able to hear about what's happening in the world of quidditch for ages. After all, the Falmouth Falcons may just win this year." Sirius said, desperately trying to defend himself.

"It wouldn't matter if the Chudley Cannons had a chance of winning!" Sirius gasped, distraught at the thought of the Cannons winning. Remus ignored him and continued talking. "Now is not the time."

"Oh hush Remus." James said, pulling Lily in closer to him. "You do realise that you two are acting like an old married couple, don't you?" James asked innocently before laughing at the shocked looks on Sirius and Remus' faces. "And we're the ones who just got married." James said before leaning down to kiss Lily.

"Old—Old married – Old married couple!" Sirius stuttered. "James you've got it all wrong. You two are the old married couple, kissing like that. This is how you kiss a person." Sirius said before grabbing hold of Remus and tilting him back over his arm before kissing him ferociously. Remus blushed and swatted Sirius over the head.

"Yeah, yeah." James said before waving Peter over. "Oi, Wormtail! I need your opinion on something. Which of us is more like an old married couple: Sirius and Remus or Lily and I?" For some moments Peter stood contemplating, his eyes moving from where Lily and James stood beaming, arm in arm to where Sirius stood with his arm slung over Remus' shoulders.

"I have no idea James." Peter said, shrugging. "But, if I had to decide I'd say Sirius and Remus." Sirius' mouth dropped open and James started laughing.

"Old married couple my arse." Sirius mumbled under his breath causing the others to all laugh, Remus still with a rather red blush adorning his cheeks.

Later, as Remus took a photo of a laughing Sirius, James and Lily, he reflected on what Sirius had said earlier. He had been right, everything would change, but not necessarily for the worst. He smiled as he pressed down on the shutter, capturing forever the image of three of his best friends on one of the happiest days of their lives.

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Message from the Author: Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed for this story so far. You have no idea how much it means to me. Thank you.

Evalanis