Before it Began
By. SkyQuill
Summary
James knew he was in love at first sight, but what would it take for Lily to love him back? Read their story leading up to their deaths and discover the dangers they faced and the loves and friendships they shared.
Disclaimer
I do not own most of the characters and places or anything else that may seem familiar. J.K. Rowling has the exclusive claim to this as well as the general plot that formed this fanfic.
Chapter 23: Forever and Always
Lily woke up suddenly in the early hours of morning. Glancing at her alarm clock, she saw that it was five in the morning. She groaned and snuggled closer to James. Closing her eyes, she waited to fall back asleep but an alarming pang resounded in her mind.
"The wedding!" she gasped, sitting up in bed. Immediatly, her stomach churned with butterflies. Pale faced she turned to look at James. His chest was moving up and down softly in rythem with his beathing. He looked positively adorable with his messy black hair sprawled across the pillow. Lily sighed, trying to calm herself. It would not do her good to be exhausted for the ceremony.
Yet try as she might, she could not force herself back to sleep. She toyed anxiously with the idea of performing a sleep charm but then decided it would be too risky. It was a complex spell and their was the chance she might make it too strong and oversleep. As she lay frustrated, trying desperately to fall back asleep an hour soon passed and James awoke.
"Morning love, why're you up so early?" he mumbled sleepily. She blinked at him, wondering how he could be so calm. But then again, he probably hadn't remembered yet.
"The wedding." Lily said timidly. James' eyes widened in remembrence. She could almost hear the 'Oh yeah' going through his mind.
"You nervous?" he asked, letting the news sink into him. She nodded slowly. She didn't want James to think she was having second thoughts but she felt more terrified then she ever had in her life. He smiled reassuringly as he ruffled his hair. "It'll be fine. You still want to do this right?" Lily thought she heard a subtle note of nervousness in this question and it was her turn to reassure him. Leaning over to kiss him she whispered,
"Of course." James embraced her and pulled her back under the covers. For a moment they both lay still and contented, enjoying each others warmth and love.
"We'll have to get up soon James." Lily said softly. He grunted and tightened his grip. Not this again, Lily thought inwardly but she couldn't help smiling. Today she was going to marry James. Feeling elated at his thought, she managed to squirm out from under his arms. He peeked at her reproachfully as she slid off the bed.
"Do we have to?" he asked pleadingly. James felt goosebumps rise on his neck at the beautiful sound of her laughter.
"Yes. You've got to go over to Sirius' and get ready. The girls will be over at seven to help me and you can't be around because you can't see me in the wedding dress until late this afternoon." Lily responded, striding over to her closet and changing into a pair of jeans and a simple blouse.
"Oh alright." James grunted as he too got up and changed. Then they walked hand in hand to the front door. James kissed her warmly before he stepped out into the warm sunshine. During that kiss Lily felt her fears temporarily evaporate. Naturally, she was disappointed when he broke away.
"I love you." Lily told him, watching him hurry slightly down the path.
"Love you too!" he called and disapparated with a soft pop. For a moment, Lily lay relaxedly against the door frame as she thought about what lay in store for today. Her peaceful pondering however was brought to a frightening stop when Alice apparated directly in front of her.
"Hello!" Alice exclaimed cheerfully. Lily, calming from her start managed to smile weakly at her friend.
"Hey."
"Oh you poor thing." Alice said exasperatedly, "You looked absolutely famished."
"You're starting to sound like my mother." Lily joked, closing the front door and leading Alice to the kitchen for tea.
"Do I? Ah well, I suppose someone's got to make sure you don't die of nerves don't they?" Alice said happily. Lily rolled her eyes,
"Did you feel this nervous before you married Frank?"
"Yep. I think it's part of the whole marriage package." Alice told her. Lily remained silent as the water in the kettle boiled. She just couldn't seem to come to terms with the fact that today she was getting married. In only a few hours...
"Lily did you hear me?" Alice interrupted. Lily snapped back to reality,
"What?"
"I asked you when Cadence and Cali' coming over." Alice repeated slowly.
"Umm, any moment I think." Lily replied thoughtfully.
"Well knowing Cadence they'll probably be late." Alice pointed out. This caused Lily to laugh as she made two teas. Once both girls had taken a sip Alice spoke,
"I take it James has already gone?" Lily nodded, frantically trying to keep from shaking. "Good, you can try on your dress and make sure it fits okay then." Alice waved her wand and a parcel appeared in mid air. They had had the robes sent to Alice's so James would have no chance of stumbling across it.
Lily gazed at the box in awe. She had so longed to see it over the last few weeks. She gently removed the lid and held it up.
"Try it on!" Alice urged. Abiding, Lily hurried into the Living Room where she hastened out of her other clothes and into the gown. She entered the kitchen again with a twirl.
"What?" Lily asked in mild fear as Alice gaped. "Is something wrong with it?"
"No." Alice replied simply."It just looks so perfect..." Alice's voice trailed off as the doorbell rang. Lily spun around to be greeted with hugs by Callidora and Cadence.
"Lily you look amazing!" Calli' exclaimed, stepping back to survey her friend's attire. Cadence nodded her approval feverishly.
"Well, hurry and change back Lily." Cadence stated, "We've got a lot of decorating to do!"
For the rest of the morning, the girls decorated the back yard. They had bought the supplies a few days ago and were almost completely organized. Lily and Callidora set up the tables and hung streamers on the trees and garden house where the band would be playing. James had booked the 'Flouncing Fairies" for the reception.
Alice set up 'Star Shrubs' strategically around the designated area while they emitted clouds of glittering silver stars. She was also placed in charge of levitating the Fairy lanterns into place over each table and enchanting the sky so that turqoise and green glitter would sprinkle lightly over the dance area.
Cadence meanwhile was busy baking a last few items in the kitchen and when her mum showed up around noon, the two of them laid out the dishes and arranged the platters on the tables. Finally after placing a preservation charm on it, they were done.
Lily stepped back to admire her work while wiping a strand of red hair out of her eyes. Everything was in place and looked beautiful. The others seemed to agree for they were all nodding their heads or staring around with a smile.
"Well Lily dear," Mrs. Summers gushed as she briefly hugged the bride-to-be. "Congragulations."
"Thank you Mrs. Summers.:" Lily responded quietly. The hours they had spent working had taken her mind off her jitters but they were now back in full force.
"C'mon Lily." Cadence said taking her arm, "You've got to get dressed. Mum's offered to head to the church and start welcoming the guests." When Lily hesitated, Alice jumped in,
"Dom't worry. Frank's got the church all decorated and he's taken care of everything else."
"I know." Lily replied, her mind reeling, "Are you sure everything's done? Nothing else needs preparing for?"
"Only you." Callidora said firmly pushing Lily inside the kitchen. "We've got to get into our robes now. The ceremony begins in just a few hours!"
"Go on dear." Mrs. Summers urged. Lily nodded, feeling silly at her reluctancy. She was such a perfectionist sometimes that she just had to make sure everything was ready. This was part of what made her so organized but also so stressed.
Once Mrs. Summers had apparated to the church, the girls headed upstairs to get dressed.
"Accio wedding robes." Lily said once they were in the master bedroom. In a few quick seconds, the gown had flown it's way to Lily's hand. Almost numb from nerves, Lily quickly slipped into the silky material. Again her friends gaped at it's beauty and Lily felt relief that she at least looked nice.
The turqoise robes her friends and herself had chosen looked equally good. Cut in wavy ruffles at the end, similiar to Lily's own gown, they were gorgeous. Thr bodice was simple, tied with a lacy ribbon around the waist and cut into a low but not overly revealing neckline. Next came hair and makeup.
Cadence, who was the maid of honour, was an expert on wizarding makeup. In fact, had she not gone chasing after the idea of being and auror and then hippogriffs, she would have made a great makeup witch. So this in mind, Lily asked her to do hers.
Cadence happily obliged. Using a pale green eye shimmer and silver eye liner, she defined Lily's facial beauty. Then using a clear gloss, she coated Lily's lips. Lily anxiously hurried to look in her bedroom mirror. She was pleased with the result. In her opinion she looked pretty good and when she asked the others for their opinion, they heartily agreed.
"Thank you Cady it looks brilliant!" Lily exclaimed, throwing her arms around Cadence. Her friend smiled modestly,
"It's no problem. Alice, Callidora? Want me to do yours?" The other two both jumped at the oppurtunity and Lily left them to it. She walked over to her dresser and slipped her engagement ring off her finger. It would soon be replaced by her wedding ring. Then Lily rummaged through her sock drawer to where she had hidden James' wedding ring. She lightly fingered the soft black velvet box where it lay enclosed.
It was a simple silver band with thin gold lines engraved on the outer edges. On the inside the words, 'Love, Forever and Always', had been carved in very thin letters. She only hoped James would like it. However her renewed worries were broken off by the sound of the doorbell. She knew it would be the witch delivering the wedding cake and she looked expectantly at her friends.
Callidora who had just had her makeup done scrambled to her feet and hurried to answer it. Being already dressed, Lily was now expected to wait and remain out of sight. She passed the time that Calli' was gone by fastening the wedding jewellery she had been lent or bought. This included a delicate silver chained necklace with an emerald set in a heart and a matching bracelet. Her earrings were also part of the set. Lastly, Lily used her wand to put her hair up into an elegant bun. She left a thin amount of her long bangs on either side down to frame her face and then set her tiara on top.
"That looks magnificent Lily." Alice commented, peering at Lily through her one opened eye. Cadence was applying eyeshadow to her other eyelid.
"Thanks." Lily replied shakily as Callidora re-entered the room. Only a half hour to go...
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James paced anxiously up and down the hallway of Sirus' house. Already in his sleek black wedding robes he was waiting for Sirius, Remus and Peter.
Oh Merlin! I'm getting married today. I am getting married. Married to Lily Evans. This is the moment i've always hoped for, the moment i've spent years at Hogwarts working towards. Wow, i'm going to be a husband and Lily's going to be my wife. Lily and James Potter.
James smiled happily, trying to force calm upon himself. His moment of silence was cut short however when Remus Lupin entered the hallway, leaving the bathroom and fully dressed in his formal attire. Sirius soon exited from his room and Peter from the guest room. As decided, the marauders were all in green robes although Sirius' was slightly darker.
"Ready to go get hitched Prongs?" Sirius asked, grinning broadly. James punched him on the arm playfully,
"You bet. Let's go!" James led the posse out of the house and into Sirius' front yard. Taking a deep breath, he and the others apparated to the church.
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Lily huddled in the corner of a small room with her friends. All of them smiled encouragingly as they waited for the remaining guests to settle into their seats. Because both her parents were dead, Lily would be walking down the aisle alone. Sirius had volunteered to take her down but she had refused. If her dad couldn't be there then she would do it by herself.
For the first time in awhile, Lily felt tears sting her eyes at the reminder of her parents deaths. It had been brutal murders although nobody had had a clue as to who had done it.
Lily remembered the day so many years ago when she had been told. Dumbledore had called her from her classes and sat down and talked to her about it. Devastated, Lily had cried for the entire meeting during which Dumbledore explained his suspicions about death eater involvement.
Lily frantically shook her head, knowing that her parents wouldn't want her to be sad on her wedding day. Lily smiled though as the last images of her parents smiling faces faded from her mind. Thinking about them had prepared her for what was to come next.
"Here we go Lily." Alice said softly. She hugged her friend gently, "Good luck." Lily nodded mutely. It seemed that the nerves she had suffered from all day had just increased ten fold at Alice's announcement. Her other friends patted her on the back or whispered words of widom to her as they passed when their turn in the procession came. Lily listened to the soft beat of wings of her owl fly down the aisle. Because she and James knew no young children they had opted for their owl to be the ringbearer.
Finally it was time for Lily to go. She closed her eyes briefly, took a deep but shaky breath and exited the room. Slowly, step by step, she made her way down the aisle. As each sandaled foot softly hit the long green rug, her sense of anxiety increase. Staring blindly ahead as she walked, she could only sense everyone's eyes on her. She only knew that Callidora and Alice were standing neatly at the altar. Cadence standing slightly ahead of them, alongside Sirius.
When she finally reached the halfway point, she stared up into James' eyes. He was waiting at the front, hands folded infront of him. As she took the last few strides, she drowned herself in his comforting hazel eyes.
The small wizard they had employed to do the ceremony began his speech. For a long time, he rambled on about God and life's promises. Lily was only half-listening and she knew it was likewise with James. Only when it came time to exchange their vows, did they break eye contact. James began first;
"I James Potter, take you Lily Evans, to be my wife. My true love since the moment I laid eyes on you. My faithful partner and friend. I will truly cherish our union in love, as I strive to give you everything i've ever lived for. I promise to cry for you, in times when you are mourning. To laugh with you, when sunlight brings a smile to your face. To love you, when forever is complete. I give you this ring, as a solid reminder, of the everlasting love I vow to you. I will love you forever and always."
James took her hand, and removing a ring from the cushion their owl held clamped in his beak, slid it onto her finger. She glanced at it through the tears sparkling in her eyes, and saw that it was a twinkling silver band, complete with a tear shaped diamond in a dazzling emerald. Lily then focused her mind on the vows she had written.
"I Lily Evans, take you James Potter to be my husband. Where there was once a time I denied the love I held for you, let this union be all of what it is, will be and never was. I give you my life of tears, joy, sorrow and love in this exchange. Let light shine on the promise to you that you will always be my one true love, through life and death. I give you this ring, as the joy you have brought me and the joy I may bring to you. I will love you, forever and always."
Lily brought the wedding ring she had for James off the velvet and slipped it onto James finger. She saw him glance at it and then look up to meet her eyes. She was startled to see that behind his glasses, his eyes were eyes full of tears. She smiled tentatively and he returned it.
Then the minister added a few more words to the ceremony, finally finishing with the words,
"I pronounce this witch and wizard, Husband and Wife!" Tears spilt down her face as Lily leaned forward to kiss James in the bond that would forever change their life.
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The rest of the evening passed in a blur. Lily was so overjoyed, so drained, and so in love, that the mix of complex emotions overwhelmed her senses. By the end of the reception, all she could recall was the beauty of it.
After having nibbled on a little dinner, she and James had cut the cake. Then, they had danced the night away amongst their few but happy guests. Lily didn't think she had been happier in her life. She was now Lily Potter.
Finally, the reception ended and everyone left, the Marauders, Frank and Lily's friends being the last to go. When Sirius had finally apparated out of the yard, and Cadence and her mum had cleared away the last of the mess, Lily turned to her new husband.
"I love you." she murmured, green eyes sparkling in the moonlight.
"I love you too." James replied, leading her to bed. Very tired, Lily struggled out of her beautfiul gown and into her pyjamas. She met James in bed, him having been quicker to change and get ready.
"Thank you for marrying me Mrs. Lily Potter." he said lovingly. Lily tried not to giggle,
"And thank you for marrying me Mr. James Potter." She felt shivers run down her spine when he pulled her close under the covers. Lightly, Lily kissed him on the lips and he responded. And what began mild began to grow into something more passionate. Lily's spine tingled with anticipation as they grew even closer, embracing each other evenmore tightly.
Scared though she might have been a few months ago, Lily know felt no fear. That night she met him in the promise of their union of love. Love that would reign, forever and always.
A/N: The chapter we've all been waiting for! Sorry about the extensive wait. I know you're probably all sick of hearing excuses but this time I do have a really good one. I went on vacation for Thanksgiving so I didn't have internet access.
Anyways I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I poured a lot of emotions into this one and I hope i've done it justice. I also hope I did the end part well. As you might've read in a previous chapter, i've been a little worried about tackling that part. I tried not to make it revealing or anything, but I hope you all get my drift. I still feel very, very awkward about writing it, lol, cursed immaturity.
Anyways I would really appreciate reviews being as this was an extremely complex chapter. I hope you enjoyed:)