PART XV
Time moved rapidly and soon all of the exams were done. James and Peter were relieved, Sirius was nonchalant, but Remus and Lily were still constantly discussing all of their answers. Finally James had had enough.
"Will you please stop talking about the NEWTs? Dwelling on your answers isn't going to improve your scores. They're over! Now all we can do is wait for the results."
Remus and Lily had the grace to look sheepish. "Sorry," they muttered simultaneously.
"I'm just so nervous!" Lily admitted. "I want to do extra well because I feel like I have to prove something since I'm muggleborn. I don't even know when results come out."
"A few days after graduation," Sirius said helpfully. "We'll be needing them to apply for jobs and such won't we? So the ministry tries to get them out as soon as possible."
"So we're going to know what we got in a few days?" Peter looked petrified. "I'm absolutely certain I did awful. I don't want to have to deal with finding a job with meager scores right as summer starts! I thought that there would be more time."
"Don't look so glum old chum," James clapped him on the back. "You could always be a bum." He grinned broadly at his rhyming. "See Lily wasn't that clever?" he said nudging the redhead next to him.
"Oh yes, just from that alone I can tell you'll be receiving Outstandings in all of your NEWTs," she replied with a roll of her emerald eyes. "At least you're pretty," she cooed at him patting his cheek. Highly disgruntled, James swatted her hand away.
"Hey now," Sirius said. "Let's not get carried away here. We should all remember that I'm the one in this little group with the pretty face."
"And yet you're also the only one here who has never held a relationship for longer than a week," Lily responded innocently.
"I can't be managed by just one girl!" he exclaimed in a shocked tone. "I need lots. And besides, isn't it like my duty to the female population to snog every single one of them? I can't deprive them of me!"
Lily pretended to gag. "How on earth could someone ever possibly be interested in you?"
James smiled. "That's exactly the kind of talk I like to hear from my girl! You have no idea how many birds I've lost to this git." He put his arm around her and Lily leaned in happily.
"Graduation rehearsal starts soon," Remus said standing up from his seat. "We better get there, wouldn't want our head boy and head girl to show up late." The others complied and reluctantly vacated their comfortable positions.
"What?" Lily asked. "We have to give a speech?"
"Yes Ms. Evans," Professor Dumbledore responded with a kind smile and a twinkle in his eye. "The heads do it every year."
"But I can't!" Lily cried. "I won't! I'm not a public speaker!"
"Oh I'm sure you'll be splendid. You did such a good job at the memorial service earlier this year," he assured her. "Besides it is tradition."
She sighed. "Fine, I suppose I'll do it for tradition's sake."
"Splendid!" he clapped his hands together. "Now both of you will give your speeches at graduation right before all of the names are called." He glanced at James. "And do at least attempt to make them school appropriate. Some students will have their parents there, and I highly doubt they will find certain humor entertaining."
James looked shocked. "Me sir? I'm never anything but politically correct." He leaned in and jerked his thumb towards Lily. "Personally I think it's this one here you have to worry about. She's little but she can be quite vicious."
The headmaster chuckled. "Yes she can be quite brutal when it comes to sharing her opinions" he replied.
"Hello? Standing right here," Lily waved her arms around. "No need to talk about me like I'm not."
"I'm terribly sorry Ms. Evans, I meant no offense," Dumbledore turned to her apologetically.
She sniffed. "It's okay," she said mustering up all of the dignity she had left. "So the actual ceremony is tomorrow at 6 right?"
"Correct. I suggest you get started on your speeches as soon as possible. I can't believe I forgot to mention earlier that you both had to give them. I have found that giving speeches off the top of your head can result in sometimes quite embarrassing blunders."
"You make mistakes?" James asked incredulously. "I've never ever seen you make a single one."
"Well naturally I have my faults. I am human. I've just gotten better at covering them up. Why do you think for my beginning of the term speech I always start off with my favorite random words? It gives me time to think of what to say."
"Huh no kidding," James looked thoughtful. "I never would've guessed. I just thought you were mad."
"James!" Lily gasped at his bluntness and slapped his arm.
Dumbledore smiled kindly. "I prefer the term eccentric, and I'm not at all denying that I am. Now get back in line with the others. We'll be running through the order in a few moments."
The two Gryffindors did as they were told, and the rehearsal began. It was dreadfully tedious and Lily hoped that the ceremony itself would not be nearly as monotonous. After she was done with her part she had to wait for the rest of the alphabet to do theirs. Sometimes having a last name starting with a letter towards the beginning of the alphabet could be a disadvantage. As she had nothing left to do but sit and wait, Lily found herself drifting off into a peaceful nap. She hadn't gotten much sleep lately what with stress about the NEWTs.
She was in a garden of some sort. Classical music was wafting around her and the breeze caught her dress making the skirt billow. Looking down upon herself she saw that she was dressed all in white. A clear blue pond nearby caught her eye and she hurried quietly over to it. Gazing at her reflection she realized that she was very made up and that the dress was really a gown. On her head though it was pulled back she recognized a veil. She was obviously getting married. In the foggy way that one sees their dreams, Lily spun around as a voice sounded.
"Lily, James was wondering where you'd gotten off to," Sirius said as he trotted up to her. "Actually he was worried sick. He thought that he had already lost his wife not even half way through the reception."
Lily practically glowed at the mention of the word wife. "He's just being silly. Of course he hadn't lost me. I'm not an object to be misplaced."
"That's not the kind of lost he meant," Sirius replied. "You know how protective he is of you and how much your being in the Order scares him."
She rolled her eyes. "Alright Best Man, let's go find my husband." She took his arm and he led her back to the party. James' face lit up immediately upon seeing her. "I heard you were looking for me Potter," she said in a tone reminiscent of their 5th year.
"Of course I wasn't!" He looked highly affronted. "I wouldn't dare try and steal you away from the giant squid, Mrs. Potter."
She smiled and looped her arms around his neck as they began to dance. "I love the sound of that. Mrs. Potter, Lily Potter, Lily Evans Potter."
"Music to my ears," he told her happily. "I still can't believe it. We're married! I feel so old."
"Just wait until we have kids!" Lily giggled.
He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "What do you say we get started on that now?"
"James!" she gasped. "We can't leave in the middle of the reception! This is a once in a lifetime event. Please just one more hour. Then we can go."
He pouted. "But this is a pretty big event too, a very big event," he said forwardly.
Lily blushed. "Oh I don't know. I bet it's not that big of a deal."
He looked at her with puppy dog eyes. "Please! I waited because you wanted to, but now that we're married it's perfectly moral."
Lily sighed. "Fine, if you insist. I guess I'll go and shag you."
"Oh! Well if you put it that way, than I'm not in the mood now." James crossed his arms and spoke in an exaggerated hurt tone.
"Not in the mood for what?" Remus asked as he, Sirius, and Peter walked over to the couple.
"They're talking about sex," Sirius announced a bit loudly. Some of the people nearby gave them strange looks. He turned towards the blushing couple. "You know if you need any advice feel free to ask. I have plenty of experience."
Peter snorted. "You've had plenty of one night stands. Ever wonder why they don't come back?"
Sirius tutted. "You know I think I like you better when you're all quiet and nervous. This new bold Peter isn't really working for me."
"Oh leave him alone! Be nice. It's my wedding day!" Lily said.
"Don't you mean our wedding day?" James asked.
"No it's mine, all mine. I take all the credit. Besides you didn't help with any of the arrangements anyway. I really need some friends who are girls. This thing was a nightmare to plan by myself."
"You're the one who wanted a big wedding," James pointed out. "I was all for getting eloped."
"Well if I had to do it again than…" But Lily didn't get to finish her sentence because someone shaking her softly jerked her awake.
"Hey Lily it's over. Everyone else has gone in," James told her.
Lily looked around and saw that Sirius, Remus, and Peter were also waiting for her. "Oh sorry. I guess I was just really tired."
"Have an interesting dream?" Sirius asked.
She looked at him sharply. "No, why do you ask?"
"You had this huge smile on your face and you were muttering something under your breath. I didn't catch what you said though."
Lily paled and then sighed in relief that he didn't hear anything. "It was nothing," she spoke quickly.
"Oh now I remember!" Sirius said gleefully. "You said James. You were having a sex dream about James!"
Lily turned the color of her hair. "It wasn't like that you little pervert. Actually all of you were in it too," she added thoughtfully.
"What was it about?" Peter asked curiously.
"Maybe I'll tell you someday when the embarrassment has died down a bit." Lily stood up and stretched. "Come on. I have to get started on my speech." The others walked inside with her.
