a/n: second to last chapter. I'm kind of sad about this, actually . . . Oh! And the lyrics to 'Tiny Dancer' are not mine, clearly. And yes, I know that I'm not supposed to put them in my stories, but please please don't tell on me! The chapter just wasn't the same without them!

Chapter 32: Pretty Eyes, Pirate Smile

The morning of Lilly Evans and James Potter's wedding dawned all too early for Gretchen Mundie. Groaning gently, she sat up and reached for her wand to conjure up a cup of coffee, Black. Black . . . try as she might, she could not get Sirius Black out of her mind, much less her heart. As the two best friends of the disgustingly happy and soon to be married couple, Sirius and Gretchen could not precisely avoid each other. They were forced to attend fittings together, go to meetings together, do anything involving the wedding together . . . Gretchen clutched one shaky hand to her head as she heard Lilly begin to chatter to Alice. Perhaps that fourth glass of champagne at the rehearsal dinner had been too much for her.

No, not necessarily. Too much for her was seeing the boy she had secretly fancied for the past year or so laughing merrily with Dorcas Meadows, his dark hair flipping into his eyes in a way that made her hand ache to brush it away. Too much for her was seeing him get a woman's information, yet confusingly never actually confirming the date. Too much for her was the evil eye he would send any guy she ever brought into his presence. Too much for her was having come so close to something with Sirius Black, and ending up with nothing.

"Gretchen!" Lilly cried as she sprinted through the hallway. "I'm getting married today!" Turning the corner to quickly, Lilly's socked feet slid out from under her and she landed in a heap on the ground. Popping back up, she brushed herself off and dragged Gretchen out of bed.

The rest of the day was spent in a flurry of preparations. Showers, hair, make-up, dress, tears. More make-up. Finally, Lilly, Gretchen, Alice, and Tabitha stood in the antechamber of the church. Lilly looked stunning, if Gretchen did say so herself. Her auburn hair coiled delicately away from her face, covered lightly by a long, soft piece of ivory lace. Her dress was an ivory, strapless creation with a skirt that swooped gently into a small train. Around her waist was a blue satin sash; a tradition, apparently, in the women of her family. Alice and Tabitha clustered around her, trying to prevent Lilly from becoming too nervous, their blue satin bridesmaid dresses swishing around them elegantly. Gretchen stood to the side, nervously clutching the bride's bouquet of white roses and blue freesia. The string section they had hired began to play a soft waltz, and Professor Dumbledore knocked on the door softly.

"It's time" he said.

Sirius Black sipped his champagne idly from the main table in the reception hall, acutely aware of how dashing he looked in his black tuxedo. He was also acutely aware of how stunningly gorgeous a certain maid of honor looked in her blue dress and pearl strand necklace. As dinner came to a close, the maid in question stood and tapped gently on her champagne glass.

"I suppose I'll get the speeches rolling, shall I? As you all know, I'm Gretchen, the maid of honor. Or maid of horror, depending on who you ask. I'm sure Lilly can tell you about the fuss I put up over the bride's maid gowns."

At this, Lilly laughed softly and blushed into her champagne glass.

Gretchen continued, "I still maintain that the dresses she had in mind at first didn't look good on anyone. And the sales witch agreed with me, so there. Anyway, Lilly and I have been friends since the first train ride to Hogwarts. She was new to magic and Alice, Tabitha, and I were new to people who were new to magic. It took us about five minutes to realize that Lilly would waste no time in trumping all of us in all aspects of magic. And she did. Lilly had few to no troubles in the magic department. But she did have some trouble at Hogwarts. You see, this skinny, short, bespectacled kid with hair that looked like it'd never seen a brush in its life kept bothering her."

Gretchen raised her glass in James' direction, who raised his right back.

"Lilly thought that this young prat was obnoxious, infuriating, big headed, and a 'bullying toerag'. Of course, this clearly meant that she was head over heels in love with him, she only needed six years to figure it out."

Gretchen smiled softly to herself.

"Lilly, Alice, and Tabitha have been my best friends for over seven years now. James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter may have come in recently, but they're still the best blokes I've ever met. Once you get past the dungbomb smell . . ."

At this, James murmured something to Sirius, who sniffed James' jacket quite deliberately and said "No, no this one's good." The wedding guests roared with laughter.

"Now James," Gretchen said very sternly, "look after my Lilly. Or we may have to unleash a little Fury on you, one last time."

"That was you!" The girls erupted into laughter as the Marauders huddled up in a cluster as they had in school, discussing in shocked tones the revealed identity of the only group that had managed to outprank them in Hogwart's history.

Much later, as James twirled Alice around the floor as her new husband, Frank laughed from the sidelines, Lilly pulled a sneak attack upon Sirius.

"You should dance with her, you know."

"Who? I have no idea who you are referring to, Tiger Lilly." Sirius said, twirling his champagne flute in his hand.

"Oh, don't play the fool with me, Sirius. You and I both know that you fancy Gretchen. You have since seventh year."

In desperation, Sirius fell back into old habits with a healthy swagger and touch of arrogance. "What if I do fancy her? I have plenty of time to make my move" he said, waggling his dark brows.

"She's an attractive woman, Sirius. She won't wait for you forever."

At this, the striking piano notes of Elton John's 'Tiny Dancer' filled the air.

"This is her favorite song, Sirius. Go dance with her."

And so it was that Sirius and Gretchen swayed in time to the music, letting the lyrics wash over them. Sirius gazed over the dance floor, taking in the other couples. Tabitha and Remus twirled gently, but there was an underlying sense of desperation to their movement. It was almost as if it was the last time they would dance together.

Turning back, she just laughs

The Boulevard is not that bad

"So, you were one of the Furies, eh?" Sirius said, spinning Gretchen gently in a circle.

The words she knows, the tune she hums.

"We had to do something to catch your attention."

"Well, I don't know about Remus, but Lilly had already captured James' attention." Gretchen laughed gently, nodding. Taking a deep breath, Sirius plunged forward, "and you had certainly caught mine."

Gretchen's grip on his hand tightened, and a silence fell over them.

But oh, how it feels so real, lying here, with no one near.

Only you, and you can't hear me.

And I say softly. Slowly.

Gretchen began to sing quietly with the chorus.

Hold me closer, tiny dancer.

Count the headlights on the highway.

She looked into Sirius' eyes.

Lay me down in sheet's of linen.

You had a busy day, today.

Sirius had led them to a secluded corner of the dance hall, his eyes held fast with hers. Her hand slipped from his to clutch at his jacket collar. He brushed a stray strand of hair from her hair and tucked it behind her ear.

Pretty eyes, pirate smile.

You marry a music man.

"Padfoot." A voice broke into their reverie. James stood in front of them. "We need you. Tabitha just left and Remus is pretty beat up."

You must have seen her, dancing in the sand.

"But," Sirius turned to Gretchen, "I . ."

"Go" Gretchen said softly, "Remus needs you. I'll be fine."

Gretchen stayed were she was long after Sirius and James had left. She stood stock still. Tabitha, gone. Just like that. Vanished, like the wind she controlled.

But she wished that Tabitha's disappearance was the only reason for her melancholy. But it wasn't. Her melancholy was in Sirius's laughing eyes, his flipping hair, his humor, his refined grace. His everything and anything. His something and nothing.

Now she's in me, always with me.

Tiny dancer in my hand.

Later that night, Sirius collapsed on his bed, clothes strewn about the room in his exhaustion. The last lyrics of his dance with Gretchen played through his head. As he heard it, visions of Gretchen flying, laughing, smiling, even her tears, filled his head.

Lay me down in sheets of linen,

You had a busy day today.

It was then he realized that he could never truly date again. Never be Sirius-the-Charmer, ever again. He had become a one woman man. Sighing, he uttered only one word upon coming across the life-changing and intense mental upheaval.

"Damn."