A/N: I apologise in advance if the editing on this chapter is a bit choppy, exam season is weighing on me. Hope you enjoy it regardless!
It was Friday evening, the night before Petunia's "big day." She'd gone out with all of her friends and bridesmaids to celebrate her bachelorette, making no hint of Lily's exclusion from the events. The redhead was okay with that, though. Her day had been stressful enough without having to worry about a night filled with snide remarks from Petunia and her friends.
Today the group had made it official. They had all gathered in Alastor Moody's office, during the late afternoon, and signed a long scroll of parchment, which declared their commitment to the war. Lily was a solider.
No one had been in particularly high spirits after that and so they'd all gathered in the Three Broomsticks, Mary working behind the bar, serving them drinks. Lily watched curiously as Mary and Emmeline, once the closest of friends, acted unnervingly cordial to one another.
Frank and Alice didn't seem well at all either. For a couple about to be getting married in two days, they were terribly distant. Everyone was gathered around a booth in the back of the bar, talking much too loudly and drinking more than they should.
"Someone put on some music!" Marlene urged, with her usual alcohol-fueled confidence. Lily thought it was funny how people seemed to gain a whole new personality when drunk.
"Requests?" Remus asked the group, standing up and wandering towards the Jukebox in the back.
"TWIST AND SHOUT!" Emmeline cried out after him. "Marlene, remember when we used to dance around the dorms to my Please, Please Me record?"
The two girls squeezed their way out of the booth while the opening riffs of the song filled the back of the pub. In the limited space they had, Emmeline and Marlene began to dance together. Spinning each other around. Swaying and twisting to the beat of the music.
"Come on Potter," Lily urged her Fiancé. She dragged James out, somewhat reluctantly, forcing him to take her in his arms and dance along with the other girls. Soon they were all up. Dancing and laughing. It was easy in that instance, as John Lennon's voice blared through the speakers, to forget what they'd done earlier that day. To pretend they weren't going to soon watch their lives become a mess of war and blood.
James clutched Lily's hips as they swung around, her red hair flying like the flames of a fire as he spun her. Lily liked to think this was what the rest of their lives was to look like. Happy. Filled with love and joy. It seemed unlikely, though…
The song ended and everyone returned to their seats, panting and sweaty, and reality seemed to set back in. Alice and Frank sat aeons apart and Emmeline glared across the bar at Mary. Lily gulped anxiously, making eye contact across the table at Marlene, who made a face to display her shared discomfort with the whole situation.
"How about another round of drinks?" Lily offered, the mood of the room suddenly too much to handle.
"I'll come with you," James agreed, the pair sliding from the booth and rushing towards the front of the room.
"More alcohol!" Lily demanded desperately, Mary laughing.
"How's it going back there?"
"You could cut the tension with a knife," James informed her, sliding onto one of the empty barstools with Lily leaning into his side casually.
"How're Frank and Alice?" Mary asked as she filled shot glasses.
"I wouldn't be surprised if they called off the wedding on Sunday," James said, Lily smacking his arm.
"Don't say that!" She scolded her Fiancé, "they're not breaking up."
"They had me fooled."
"She's just shocked, that's all," Lily explained with a heavy sigh. "I doubt you'd be jumping around excitedly if you found out I was pregnant with some other guys baby."
"You're right, I would be very, very heartbroken," James confessed, pulling Lily in between his legs for a sweet kiss.
"Ugh," Mary stuck her finger down her throat mockingly. "Get a room you two!"
"What's your cheapest vacancy?" James asked, Lily laughing as he held her close.
"I need to be home to get ready. My mum wants me to be with all the girls for hair and makeup so I can be in the photos," Lily rolled her eyes as she said it, dreading the thought of being stuck in a group of Petunia and her friends. They'd all whisper about her beneath their breath and glare when she tried to speak to them.
The only one of the three girls Petunia had grown up with that was kind to Lily was Sharon, who'd lived on the same street as the Evans' for years. She thought Lily went to a boarding school and couldn't fathom what it was that made Petunia say such awful things about her.
"On that note," Mary slid across the tray of shot glasses. Lily grabbed one quickly, throwing it back with a small wince as the alcohol sloshed down her throat with a thrilling burn.
"Let's not be hung-over for this wedding tomorrow," James advised his Fiancée, guiding her back to the table with the tray of drinks.
"More alcohol!" Emmeline cheered. She'd been relaxed; her head rested on Gideon's shoulder, as they group listened to Remus' recount of his successful date with Dorcas.
Lily had just settled back into her seat when a silence came over the pub. All the sounds of whispering and clinking glasses seeming to drift away. Her head poked up, turning towards the front of the bar where a group of three boys had just entered. She recognised two of them.
One of them was a slim, good-looking, boy with pale freckled skin and straw-coloured hair. He had his wands tucked deep into a long black trench coat as he and his friends wandered towards the bar. Lily only knew him in passing, he was in the year below them, but his family was well known, Barty Crouch Jr. Next to him stood Regulus Black. He held a startling resemblance to Sirius. The brothers shared the same confident stride and thick black hair. The third boy Lily didn't recognise, perhaps he was a few years older than the other. Regardless, he had dark skin and the same look of superiority to everyone in the room.
Lily looked across the table at Sirius, his jaw locked and his eyes in slits as he stared down his younger brother across the bar.
"Maybe we should go?" Emmeline suggested, watching Sirius anxiously.
"Why?" Fabian asked between clenched teeth. "They don't get to just drift in here and take the place over."
"I hate that guy," Frank grumbled, his eyes burning into the back of Barty Crouch Jr. "He's just a spoiled, overprivileged—"
"His father is one of the most powerful people in the Ministry my love, let's not get too angry," Alice warned her husband, placing a warning touch upon his arm. It was the first moment of real affection Lily had seen between them all day.
"Yeah, well, he's a real tosser himself. Running around, going on about cracking down on dark magic, all the while his son is a Death Eater in practice."
"Look, we're not proving anything here," Marlene spoke up. "Let's just pay the bill and go. The night was over really, anyway."
Lily watched the blonde witch make her way out of the booth, striding up to the bar with her head held high. The whole group watched her tensely as she stood in the space between Regulus and the boy Lily couldn't recognise, catching Mary's attention behind the bar.
Lily felt like she was holding her breath, just waiting for something to go wrong. She'd felt it all night. The presence of bad luck. The third guy, the one whom Lily couldn't place, winked at Regulus behind Marlene's back and then leant in, whispering something in the witch's ear that made her go rigid.
Lily opened her mouth to speak out against what she was watching but before a word got Sirius was on his feet.
Sirius could feel the vein in his neck pulsing as he watched Marlene across the room. She stood tall between his brother and one of his goonies. He thought, perhaps, she'd be fine. Nothing would happen. Until he saw Regulus' friend lean in.
"Move," Sirius urged Frank and Alice, who blocked his way out of the corner booth. They slid out quickly - clearly noting the urgent look in Sirius' grey eyes - and he went rushing forward just as he watched Marlene go rigid in her place.
"What'd you say?" Sirius demanded, coming face to face with the smirking idiot. He had brown hair and big deadly looking dark eyes.
"Sorry?"
"Sirius," Marlene warned him, placing a hand on his chest to prevent him from coming any closer, "don't." He might've listened. Stuck aside his macho man instincts and swallowed his pride but there was something about the look in her eyes. Like she'd just been kicked in the gut. Marlene never looked scared, Sirius knew that about her by now. If she was that filled with fear he knew whatever the guy had whispered was disgusting.
Sirius punched him hard in the jaw, his fist burning as his watched the grin go flying right off his opponent's face. The guy flew to the floor, clutching his mouth.
"OI!" Mary called from behind the bar, reappearing with the group's tab. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Don't look so fucking high and mighty now? Do ya?" Sirius taunted the guy. His sleeve had been pulled up as he was flung to the ground and a Dark Mark stared Sirius right in the face, tattooed along his left forearm. Sirius paused, turning around to see his brother, posed very calmly on his bar stool, barely flinching at the sight of violence.
"You really are lost aren't you, Regulus?" Sirius shook his head before being abruptly thrown to the floor by his victim, who seemed to have regained control of his limbs.
"STOP IT!" he could hear Marlene howling from above as they wrestled around on the floor, each person throwing a punch or a kick wherever possible. Sirius had just been sucker punched in the jaw when he was hit in the centre of his chest with a curse so strong he went flying right into the wall on the other end of the room.
With his head spinning, and blood practically oozing from his face, he stared up to see Barty Crouch Jr, his wand at the ready.
"Now that that little tantrum is over," he said casually, almost with an air of boredom. Regulus helped his friend back to his feet, glaring in Sirius' direction.
It made him sick to think that was his own flesh and blood. To know that he'd once cared at all for Regulus, that he'd worried about what would become of him left behind in that godforsaken home.
"OUT!" Mary howled from behind the bar, hands on her hips, "ALL OF YOU!"
"Mary—" Remus tried to protest, but the look on her face promised no exceptions. Sirius struggled to his feet, James and Peter coming over to help him up, as the three boys slowly made their exit from the bar, all eyes on them.
Regulus was the last of the three. With a mouth full of blood, Sirius spat right at him, his brother recoiling with disgust.
"You fucking bastard!" Regulus howled, reaching for his wand. Remus, James, and Peter blocked him immediately.
"I'd put that away Regulus," James warned. "If you know what's good for you."
Regulus scowled, staring down Sirius with pure spite.
"Coward," he snapped at his brother, knowing the word would burn worse than any other insult.
"At least I'm not the one still suckling at our mother's tit," Sirius shot right back, everyone in the room gasping. Regulus paused, letting out a burning ball of air, filled with rage and hatred.
"At least I still have a family," he responded smoothly, before swinging the bar door shut behind him.
Sirius lunged forward, trying to get out after him but James and Remus held him back, refusing to let him past.
"You'll only do something you regret," Remus warned rationally. "Just leave it."
"He's such an ungrateful piece of shit," Sirius seethed, feeling ready to breathe fire from his nostrils. He punched the wall in a moment of rage.
"GODDAMNIT, BLACK!" Mary cursed from across the bar, sounding ready to lose her mind. Tom had left her in charge of the place for the night and she was most definitely regretting taking on that responsibility now.
"I KNOW!" He bellowed right back at her. "I'M GOING!"
Sirius shoved his way through his friends, walking with a fury up the road towards his flat. As if Regulus understood the first thing about what Sirius had endured in that household. The relentless attempts at brainwashing. The torture he'd endured when he refused to abide by their rules. He still wore scars across his back from the whippings his father had administered with his belt.
Regulus didn't know that, though, did he? Sirius had done his best to try and look out for his younger brother. If the two had got into trouble he'd take the blame, and the punishment. He'd taken care of Regulus whenever he'd been the victim of their parents' rage. He'd given his little brother a comfort he himself had never received…
"SIRIUS!" A voice hollered after him, catching the young man by surprise. He'd thought he was alone. Sirius turned around, Marlene McKinnon running towards him, rosy cheeked and with laboured breath.
"Why'd you do that?" She demanded, Sirius wiping a stream of blood from his nose. He spat out a mouthful of it onto the cobblestone road.
"The guy was a prick," he shrugged. Marlene didn't look half convinced. He didn't want to tell her the truth. That it made his blood boil to imagine half the things that guy might have said to cause her to look so pained. He didn't want her to think he'd thought she was weak.
"I can defend myself you know," she reminded him, her arms crossed over her chest.
"I didn't do it for you," Sirius lied.
She stared at his face for a while, her face pinched with concern. Sirius wondered how bad it looked, fairly terribly he figured, with the look of utter horror she seemed to be trying to hide.
"Come on," she urged him, "let me help you get cleaned up."
"You don't have to—"
"That was a statement not a question," she said quite sternly.
She got him into his flat and had him sit on one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs he'd got for his kitchen. They'd looked cool in the store but Sirius hadn't had the good sense to try sitting in them for more than ten seconds before making a purchase.
With the obnoxiously bright kitchen lights illuminating his injuries Marlene looked even more worried than she had in the dim lit streets.
"Well," she began, mopping at his face with rubbing alcohol. "You won't be going on many dates anytime soon."
Sirius scoffed. "Oh yeah," he assured her. "I had loads of those planned."
Marlene seemed to get strangely quiet after that. Well, he supposed it wasn't too strange. They both knew, really, what lay between the two of them, and why they had to put it aside.
"What um…" Sirius cleared his throat, "what did he say to you?"
"Nothing," Marlene responded a little too quickly.
"Come on, I didn't just punch a guy in the face for nothing," he teased her. Marlene met his gaze with a blazing look in her eyes.
"I thought you didn't do it for me?"
"For the love of Merlin—"
"I heard you're a screamer," Marlene spit out, almost too quickly for Sirius to hear. The hairs on his arm stood up. "He said, I heard you're a screamer." She wouldn't look at him after that.
"Marlene…" She had been crouched down on the floor in front of him but she jumped up suddenly, turning her back to him so he couldn't see what she was thinking. Sirius' stomach sank, the words she'd spoken ringing in his head. "What did they do to you…" he asked apprehensively. Part of him was too frightened to know the truth. He was afraid of what she'd been hiding from him all these months, carrying around on her own, not letting anyone else see the depth of her pain.
"Oh, you know," Marlene responded casually, her voice cracking.
"Tell me," he demanded. "Tell me what happened."
"The one that watched me the most used to do a lot of things, okay?" She snapped, her voice shaking. "He liked to do what he pleased with me."
"Did he rape you?' Sirius asked, his breathing laboured. He was on his feet now, standing behind her.
Marlene shook her head. "No," she assured him, "thank god."
"You never told anyone…"
"It was only me," she told him, turning around to look him in the eye. Her blue eyes were swarming with tears. "Why?"
Sirius paused, waiting for the right words, the proper solution, to spring to mind. It never happened, though. Instead, he leant forward, wrapping his arms around her. He never wanted to let go.
"You shouldn't have hit him, though," she said, her voice muffled against his chest. "They'll think something."
"What do you mean?" Sirius pulled away from the embrace staring down at her. Marlene's cheeks were blotchy and her eyes glassy from tears.
"If we were to get captured by them again, they'll use it against us if they think there's anything between us," she explained. "Regulus will probably have told them about us at Hogwarts…"
"I don't care," Sirius shook his head. "If I hadn't punched him in the face I wouldn't be me."
Marlene smiled, like a light bulb had just gone off in her head. She reached up, taking his battered face into her hands. "Thank you," she whispered. They were so close Sirius was certain they'd kiss. She'd move in that extra inch or two, press her lips to his. They could pretend, in that moment, that she wasn't leaving for three months. That this had finally worked for them.
"I should go," Marlene said, stepping back. She picked her purse up from the ground, swinging it over her shoulder. "Don't get in any more bar brawls," she informed him with a smirk, hurrying for the front door.
Sirius despised the silence, which was left behind in her absence. He hated that he wanted to hear the apartment filled with her laughter and the ringing of her voice. He hated that he wanted her and she was the one thing he could never have.
James stood before the full-length mirror in his bedroom, tugging at his suit jacket so it sat just right across his chest. It was navy blue; Marlene had helped him pick it out a year ago for a black tie event their parents' had dragged them along to.. She'd promised him it was incredibly charming at the time. There was a delicate knock at the door and James knew that it could only belong to one person.
"Come in," he called to his mother, the door slowly creaking open. Caroline poked her head inside, grinning.
"Look at you," she enthused, coming over to help straighten James out. "Very sharp."
"I'm going for something that doesn't scream 'hey, I'm a rich wizard!'"
His mother laughed, giving her son a good look up and down. "Well, I think you're playing the part perfectly," she promised him.
"I'm going to screw this up somehow," he decided. "I'll say something stupid, or embarrass Lily somehow." James sat down on the side of his bed dejectedly, his mother moving over to join him, trying to sleek back his messy hair.
"Do you think Lily would have asked you to be her date if you embarrassed her?" His mother pressed, rubbing at his cheek with her thumb.
"Last time I met her sister we nearly broke up," James reminded her, gulping anxiously. It had been the worst; feeling like everything between him and Lily was up in the air, that right after getting her he might lose her.
"James, her sister is going to be distracted all day. Weddings are a total mess, you hardly get time to say hi to people let alone get into a fight with them."
"I can never keep my mouth shut when they whisper things about me under their breath. You'd think I was an ex-convict with the way they spoke to me!"
Ms Potter laughed, wrapping her arm around her son. "Well, your father and I failed on that count didn't we? We were never very good at telling you when you needed to shut your mouth."
"Thanks for that," James replied sarcastically. He stood up, adjusting his pants so the crease of them came right down the centre of his legs and fixing his tie straight.
"My handsome boy," Ms Potter said proudly, leading the way downstairs. When James reached the first-floor landing his mother began calling for Alec, who was tucked away into his office. James wandered into the living room, pouring himself a glass of Firewhiskey; he figured a little alcohol wouldn't hurt.
"Come see James! You'd never know he was our son!" His mother enthused, leading her husband into the Living Room. James' dad smiled proudly.
"I see you couldn't get that hair under control."
"Your fault, not mine," James shrugged, downing the rest of his drink.
"Come on," Ms Potter pushed the two men together, calling for Mimsy so they could get a family picture. James stood between his parents, an arm around each of them. His mother kissed his cheek after a long smile and his dad gave his hair an affectionate ruffle. Mimsy had just snapped the photo when there was a knock at the door.
"Lily!" James heard his mother gasp when she swung the front door open a few moments later. "You look positively radiant. My son is going to just about die when he sees you."
James felt strangely nervous as he heard the sound of high heels as Lily approached the living room, his mother entering first, Lily following in a shining floor length green dress.
"Wow." It was the only word James could get out as he made eye contact with his fiancée, who smiled embarrassedly, her cheeks rosy with a blush. Her long red hair was clipped back at the front, the longer strands hanging down her back, curled at the bottoms.
"You cleaned up nice," Lily spoke up, giving James a good look over.
"Oh, I don't think anyone is going to be looking at me tonight," James promised.
"Picture!" Ms Potter announced excitedly, Mimsy passing her the camera. She got James and Lily to squeeze together in front of the fireplace, arms around each other. James couldn't get over how gorgeous Lily was. How had he done it? How had he landed the most beautiful and intelligent girl in the school?
"You two are quite the pair," his father grinned, winking at James, who turned away pretending he hadn't noticed his dad's nod of approval.
"We should probably be on our way," Lily told him. "We don't want to get the cheap seats in the church."
"Of course," James' mother nodded, ushering them towards the door. James thought he saw tears in his mum's eyes as he stared at her in the doorway, one foot out the door.
"We did good with you," she said, just loud enough for James to hear. She leant in, kissing her boy on the cheek. "Don't have too much fun!" She warned them as they stepped out onto the lawn outside.
"Don't drink as much as me at weddings!" His father added, James and Lily laughing. They waved goodbye as the front door shut behind them. Lily turned to her fiancé, smirking.
"What?" James asked apprehensively. A look like that on Lily's face was never a good sign.
"Did I mention to you that we can't apparate to this wedding?"
"No…" James' face fell as he looked towards the street to see a silver car parked at the corner. There was nothing he hated more than driving. He'd rather apparate all day long then get in a car for five minutes.
"Do you even know how to drive that thing?" he asked her, hoping there was some way he could still get out of this.
"My dad taught me," Lily assured him, taking James' reluctant hand and guiding him towards the giant metal machine. "Come on," she laughed. "You're getting the full muggle experience today."
"Oh joy," James responded, sounding far from excited.
Alice was stuck at the Longbottom's all day. Augusta had insisted that the day be was spent dealing with final touches for the wedding and rehearsing the walk down the aisle. Not to mention the vows, which Augusta insisted the pair write for each other, little did she know they were recycled words.
Currently, Alice was stuck in Augusta's back room, where she did all her knitting, putting together little bags of party favours. In all honesty, Alice was quite happy with the distraction. The circus outside was more than a little overwhelming and the arrival of all of Frank's aunts and cousins just reminded Alice even more that she was missing a family.
"The tent is officially up," Remus announced, entering the room with a sigh of relief. Remus had agreed to walk Alice down the aisle a second time, which meant he'd been roped into the wedding fanatics the same as Alice. "You really did choose the easiest job didn't you?"
"I think I've eaten more of these chocolate almonds than I've packed up," Alice admitted. Remus dropped into the armchair beside her, taking a handful from the bag for himself.
"So, is this your wedding or Augusta's?" He asked with a hint of amusement. Alice laughed.
"I wouldn't be surprised if she was the one walking down the aisle tomorrow."
"Have you had any hand in this wedding planning?"
Alice stared at Remus like he was a total idiot. "My bridesmaids are in pink, I had no input in this planning."
"Second question, have you been avoiding Frank all afternoon?"
Alice squirmed in her seat. She'd been avoiding Frank all week. Anytime her husband tried to even bring up their current predicament Alice would shut the conversation down. They were supposed to go away on their honeymoon the morning after the wedding and arrive home to their new house together, the happy new couple, but Alice was sceptical their vacation would leave them wanting to live together.
"I had a dream last night that Cecily and Frank had a daughter who would put glue in my soap and waxed off my eyebrows while I was sleeping." She could tell from the look on Remus' face was trying hard to hold in his laughter.
"I highly doubt that Frank's child would be the spawn of Satan," Remus assured her. Alice wasn't so sure when the kid was set to have half of Cecily's DNA.
"Remus," her voice grew low and quiet as she leant towards her friend, "I can't do it."
"Do what?"
"I'm going to hate this kid."
"Al…"
"It's just going to be a reminder every day that I screwed up. If I'd never let myself wander…Frank and Cecily would have never even slept together."
"This isn't your fault Alice," her friend reminded her pointedly.
"It is," she shook her head. "I did this to us. I ruined us."
"Frank loves you," Remus said sternly. "I've never seen two people more crazy about each other."
Alice felt like she was about to burst with all the feelings swarming inside of her. All week she'd been distracting herself, trying to tell her friends she felt overwhelmed, that she didn't know what the hell she was doing, but no one would listen.
"It's just pre-wedding nerves."
"It'll all work itself out."
"If you love each other nothing will change that."
Alice didn't know if it really was all that simple. What happened if she wasn't strong enough? If raising another woman's child – one who reminded her of her greatest mistake – was not something Alice had the strength to do?
"I'm scared Remus," she admitted to her friend, a lump growing in the back of her throat.
"Hey," Remus reached forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. "There is nothing wrong with that."
"For better or for worse, isn't that what I'm supposed to do? Stick by his side? What if I can't? What if we were sick with love and we were too impulsive?" Alice could feel her heart rate rising, her stomach curdling like spoiled milk.
"You're freaking out," Remus observed, moving from his seat and kneeling in front of Alice. She held her head in her hands, her elbows balancing weakly on top of her knees as she shook.
"I think I'm having a panic attack," she announced with a sickening sink of her stomach.
"Okay, just breathe," Remus, instructed calmly. He stood behind Alice, so she knew he was there, but never touching her. "It has happened to me hundreds of times. I'm going to open the window, okay?"
Alice was struggling to breathe, exhaling air just as it was filling her lungs. She felt faint and lightheaded. Her limbs feeling as though they were light and filled with air.
Remus returned from the window, his hand pressing against her lower back, rubbing it comfortingly. "You're okay," he promised.
Alice had her eyes clenched shut as she waited for the storm to pass.
"Alice?" A voice asked from behind the locked office door, tapping lightly. "We're starting the rehearsal soon. Can you head out?"
"She'll be out in a second!" Remus called back, Alice burying her face in his chest. She didn't want to come out. She wanted to shut the door and lock herself inside like a turtle in a shell. Perhaps life would be a lot easier like that.
"Alice…" Remus spoke with concern as she raised her head, wiping a line of sweat from her forehead.
"I'm okay," she lied, feeling far from it. "I'll be okay."
"You don't have to be okay," Remus told her.
Alice bit at the inside of her mouth as she had since she was a young girl. Her mouth took much abuse whenever she had a difficult decision to make.
"We'll do the rehearsal," Alice decided, shaking off her anxiety. "And then…well, I suppose we'll just have to go from there won't we?"
Lily and James had been guided to a seat near the front of the chapel by one of Vernon's cousins, who gave the couple a funny look the moment he made eye contact with Lily. She wondered what ridiculous lies Vernon had filled his head with.
"I do not want a church wedding," Lily whispered to James under the sound of wedding bells, which wafted throughout the church.
"Why not?"
"They just remind me of funerals." This church in particular did. It was where Lily's father's funeral had been. She could still remember the spot at the front of the chapel where his body had lain, still and dead inside his coffin.
"Then we won't get married in a church," James whispered in her ear. "We'll do it in a garden or something. Somewhere nice and bright."
Lily grinned. "I like that idea." She was seconds from pressing her lips to James' when someone cleared their throat from the end of the aisle, announcing their presence.
"Sorry to interrupt." Lily looked over to see a tall dark haired woman standing in front of the aisle. She recognised her immediately as Sharon, her sister's oldest friend. What truly set Sharon apart from the rest of Petunia's friends was the friendly look she wore whenever making eye contact with Lily. "I was told to come get you."
"Me?" Lily was certain there was some kind of mistake.
"Is there another Lily Evans in this church? About five foot three? Red hair? Sister of the bride?"
"Well…okay…" Lily turned to James with apprehension, part of her not wanting to go. She felt like she was walking right into a trap. "I won't be long," she promised her date.
"I suppose I'll just have to find myself another attractive young lass to occupy my time," James teased, Lily smacking him on the shoulder.
"He's cute," Sharon, whispered in her ear as they walked back up the aisle.
"I quite like him."
"Petunia mentioned you were dating someone but under the pretext, he was a complete loser with pedestrian aspirations."
Lily rolled her eyes. Was it her sister's life mission to tear down anything she loved? "Well, James is in no way pedestrian," Lily assured Sharon. "He's probably smarter than half the people in this church."
"I figured you were too smart to go for a complete knob," Sharon smiled, turning the hall that usually led towards the Sunday school classrooms. A gaggle of Bridesmaids stood outside one of the doors, looks of unease upon all of their faces.
"Still locked?" Sharon asked with defeat.
"I heard tears," a thin blonde, with large teeth, named Janet responded.
"Petunia," Sharon spoke calmly, tapping against the door. "We've got Lily here—"
"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" Petunia's high-pitched voice shrieked back. Lily was shocked. It wasn't rare for her sister to speak to her like that but her friends? That was a rare occurrence.
"Pre-marital nerves," Marge determined, crossing her chubby arms. "She'll get over it. She just needs a good kick in the arse—"
"I don't think tough love is really going to solve this Marge," Charlotte – one of Petunia's co-workers – replied impatiently.
"She's calling it off," Janet determined, sure as the wind. It was hard for Lily to keep the glee from her face with the thought of that idea.
The door suddenly flung open, Lily's mother's warm face emerging. "Just a little bump in the road," Ms. Evans assured the group. "We just need five minutes." Then she ushered Lily forward, pulling the youngest Evans into the room with a quick tug.
"What the hell is going on?" Lily demanded, stepping into the dimly lit classroom. It was filled with tiny tables and chairs, Lily couldn't believe there were humans small enough to fit in them, and Petunia stood before the small basement window, Lily uncertain what she was staring at.
"Your sister has run into a slight problem—"
"I don't want her help," Petunia grumbled angrily. She was wearing the same satin ball gown Lily had seen her in months ago when they'd all taken their disastrous dress shopping trip.
"Oh, don't be so stubborn Petunia. Lily can fix this easily and you know it. Now turn around and let's get this show on the road."
Lily couldn't understand what was making her sister stand with her back to the room until she made the slow twirl around to face her.
"I tripped on my skirt," Petunia explained, revealing her beaten up face. Lily had to press her lips together so tight she could barely feel them just to prevent herself from laughing at her sister's crooked nose. It wasn't that she found her pain funny. More so that it was terribly ironic Petunia, so obsessed with her looks, would fall flat on her face the day of her wedding.
"Why're you hiding from your bridesmaids?" Lily asked, still a little confused by the afternoon's events.
"It happened in the bathroom when I was just with mum and…well can you fix it or not?" Petunia huffed, crossing her arms defensively.
"Yeah," Lily shrugged casually, "I can fix it." She had a broken nose and her left eye was slightly swollen. Lily was sure she could have the whole thing healed up in a few moments, as it was a matter of simple injuries.
"Then do it," Petunia barked.
"Say please," Lily told her sister. If she got one chance to get a little revenge she figured she should take it with open arms.
"What? Mum, are you—"
"I am not a part of this," their mother stated, putting her hands up in surrender. "I'm going to go make sure everyone is organised for the walk down the aisle and I want both of you there in five minutes. I don't care how."
Ms Evans strode from the room powerfully, slamming the door shut on her two daughters. Alone, Petunia gave Lily one of her coldest glares, the red head refusing to give up.
"This is just fantastic for you isn't it?" Petunia snapped at her, turning her face away once more. "Getting to ruin my wedding day."
"Yeah, the only thing that gives me any joy in this world is ruining your life Petunia," Lily scoffed. "You can be so…"
"What?"
"Pig-headed!" Lily shot back without a thought. "I mean, you can't even ask for my help politely."
Lily waited for the biting insult Petunia would throw back in her face. Something about what a freak she was or that she didn't fit into the family. Lily was prepared for it, her fists clenched in anticipation, but it never came. Petunia's face remained pinched with anger but not a word was uttered from her parched lips.
"The dress looks really good on you," Petunia finally blurted out, her head turned away from Lily.
"Oh...um…thanks?" Lily didn't know Petunia had any idea about the dress her mother had given her.
"I drove past a store in London after work and it was in the mirror," Petunia explained, still refusing to make eye contact with her little sister. "I thought it looked like you."
"You bought the dress?" Lily asked in shock. She'd figured her sister was plotting ways to exclude her from the wedding up to its final moments.
"Green has always been your colour."
Lily watched Petunia in shock, struggling to keep her face straight. Perhaps she hadn't always given her big sister the most credit. Maybe there was more to them than old memories and bitter disdain. Lily reached for the wand in her handbag.
"Come on," she urged her sister, motioning towards one of the small chairs in the classroom. "Let's fix you up." Lily figured an apology wasn't the most important thing. She'd rather just do a good thing for her sister because she knew it was right.
Rather nervously Petunia edged forward, sitting awkwardly in the chair with the large skirt of her dress. Lily pulled her wand out of her bag, Petunia staring at the end of it like it was the barrel of a gun facing her.
"Don't worry," Lily assured her, trying not to show how amusing she found her sister's reaction. "It might hurt a little when I reset your nose…"
"Just do it," Petunia said, clenching her eyes shut. With a flick of her wand, Lily watched her sister's nose pop back into place, Petunia yelping with pain.
Mary had taught her a few tricks in fifth year for a quick makeup fix. She moved her wand over Petunia's face, removing all the blood and grime. Returning her makeup to its former glory. All the while her sister kept her eyes tightly shut, breathing heavily.
"There," Lily smiled once she'd finished up. "Good as new." Petunia jumped out of the seat in a hurry, scurrying for the bathroom at the back of the room. She gasped from inside, Lily swelling with pride. Her sister could insult her magical abilities all she liked but they sure as hell saved her in a crisis like this.
"You can't even tell I've been crying!"
"Pretty impressive, huh?"
"Oh god, I was terrified I'd have to call the whole thing off." Petunia stepped back out from the bathroom, her face lit up with joy. She did a little twirl in her full-skirted lace dress, grinning. Lily didn't think she'd ever seen her sister so happy. In that moment, she couldn't be irritated that she was marrying the biggest knob on Earth or that Petunia would probably go back to her regular self when their small moment was over. She was simply happy for her big sister on her wedding day.
"Are you ready?" Lily asked hopefully. Petunia nodded her head. She led the way towards the door, pausing just as she placed her hand on the handle. Lily was taking up the rear, holding her train so Petunia wouldn't end up tripping a second time.
"Do you think he's here?"
"Who?" Lily asked obliviously.
"Dad. People always say that the ones you love are always with you…on big days more than anything."
Lily realised, with a sinking feeling, that Petunia hadn't just chosen this church. She'd thought perhaps, being married in the last place their father had been, would mean that a piece of him was with her today. It was hard for the redheaded witch not to get a little choked up at the thought of that.
"I'm sure he's watching over," Lily told her, her voice shaking the slightest. "He wouldn't miss it for the world."
"Yeah," Petunia smiled, "I think you're right."
The two girls slipped from the room together, as though they'd never fought, and slipped silently down the hall, up the basement stairs, and towards the entrance to the chapel. Lily held up Petunia's train all the while, finding a joy she didn't think possible in the minuscule yet important task.
"Tunney," the name slipped from Lily's mouth just as they reached the top of the stairs. Just around the corner her sister's whole wedding party was waiting and Lily wasn't naive enough to believe their warm moment would continue after that. Petunia paused, turning to meet Lily's glance.
"You really do look beautiful," Lily told her sister. She was certain she saw the shadow of a smile on her face as Marge came rushing down the hall towards them, looking relieved as ever.
"Thank god!" she cried out, handing Petunia her bouquet of roses. "Oh, I was terrified you were calling the whole thing off. Can you imagine Vernon if you had? He'd be in such a state!"
"Of course not," Petunia assured her future sister-in-law. "As if I'd ever be able to walk away from your brother." Lily grimaced. She wished Petunia would. A part of her wished that after the sweet smile shared between them Petunia would admit her fears about the marriage and the two could run away, leave this whole tragedy behind. Lily and Petunia could go on the vacation meant for the newlywed's honeymoon together, spending some much-needed bonding time together.
Marge cleared her throat, coming to stand right beside Lily, her beady eyes staring her down like a bug that needed squashing. "You can go now," she informed Lily curtly. "Guests should all be in their seats."
Slowly, Lily dropped the train in her hands, staring back at Marge with a defiant look in her eyes. Vernon's sister was almost worst than him in Lily's mind. The redhead moved aside, letting Marge assume her previous position.
The message was clear; there was no room in Petunia's life for Lily anymore.
