Lily wasn't quite sure where the night had gone. At some point – post-rehearsal dinner and saying her goodbyes to James before they were man and wife – the girls had dragged her off for drinks. All dolled up and ready for a night on the town, Marlene, Mary, Emmeline, and Alice had organised a wild night in which they managed to hit up all the best underground wizard spots.

After having gone to three places already, and filled themselves with a healthy quantity of drink, Marlene had brought them to an underground vampire bar. The place had the dimmest lighting in the world and the walls were covered in what muggles might've called graffiti but here changed shapes and words, much like a moving photograph.

Punk rock music played, a musician whose face was half covered by his shaggy black hair screeching into a microphone on stage. Lily couldn't be sure whether it was the alcohol running through her veins, or the fact that she was going to be married in less than twenty-four hours, but she found herself on the dance floor right beside all her friends, swinging and twirling along to the music without a care in the world.

They'd been there only thirty minutes before Marlene was being hit on by an attractive vampire holding a deep red drink in his hand. Lily watched with amusement as her friend humoured the flirtation, twirling her fingers through her tamed blonde curls.

"What would Sirius say to that?" Mary shouted at Lily over the music. The redhead smiled, pausing her dancing for a moment.

"I don't think he'd mind." Flirting or not, it was undeniable that when you got Marlene and Sirius into a room alone they couldn't take their eyes off each other.

"Our friend is getting married tomorrow!" Emmeline shrieked with excitement as the music's tempo heightened. Lily laughed. She could barely believe that the wedding weekend. In a few hours Lily Evans would be a married woman.

"I say we haven't done our job right if Lily doesn't black out by the end of tonight," Alice announced to the group over the roaring music.

"No!" Lily protested. "I have to get down the aisle tomorrow!"

"Oh please!" Alice pouted. "I never got a hen do!" Lily rolled her eyes, obliging to one last glass of sherry.

Alice ordered for them from the rather moody bartender who mixed the drinks up with a flick of his wand, cherries and everything.

X

The girls didn't return home until much later into the evening and not one of them could walk straight. Marlene had managed to convince a pair of nice boys they'd run into at their final bar to Apparate them home, sadly declining their request to come inside.

They were staying at the McKinnon's cottage in Bamburgh for the night, James and the rest of the boys sleeping at a B&B in town.

"I've got to be up at eight in the morning," Lily realised in horror as she barely managed to get her heels off. The room was spinning around her, as though she were on an endless carousel ride.

"I know the best hangover remedies in the book, we'll have you fresh as a daisy by the time you need to be walking down the aisle," Emmeline promised her.

Lily and Marlene were crashing in the main room while the other three girls took up residence in the cottage's guest rooms.

By the time Lily had gotten her face of makeup off and slipped in beneath the covers she was wide awake, the alcohol keeping her buzzed.

"Can you believe it?" Marlene asked in the dark. "You're going to be Mrs Potter tomorrow night."

Her friend passed out not long after that, clearly exhausted from the hours of partying, but Lily couldn't close her eyes a wink.


James drifted in and out of sleep, growing frustrated with his body when he heard a soft tapping at his door. He assumed that he would throw it open and find Sirius waiting in the hall with a big grin but he was surprised to find a guilty looking red haired girl instead.

"Isn't there some kind of rule about this?" James teased his soon to be wife. "Bad luck to see the bride before the wedding day?"

"I think it only counts if I'm in the dress," Lily shrugged, reassuring herself more than James.

She had a winter coat over her pyjamas, looking as though she'd rushed straight from bed. James wondered if she'd been experiencing the same difficulties with sleep that he had.

"Did the girls give you a wild evening then?"

"Invite me in for a nightcap and maybe I'll let you know."

James pulled the door open wider, Lily stepping into the dark room behind him. She stripped her jacket off, rushing into James' arms the moment he'd shut the door, their lips brushing.

"How much have you had tonight Evans?" he asked, realising his fiancée was more than a little intoxicated.

"Shh," Lily hushed him. "Kiss me."

James obliged, helping to free her from the constraints of her clothing. He didn't realise how badly he wanted her until they were on the bed, lips travelling down the length of his body until they reached just the right spot, his muscles tensing up in anticipation.

A while later, after multiple orgasms, they lay in bed together, Lily cradled in James' arms. Through the drawn curtains of the window, he could see the half slice of the moon that waned high above them in the sky, surrounded by an endless pattern of twinkling stars. They'd made certain their wedding was at least a week after the full moon, ensuring Remus' comfort at the event.

"Hey," James whispered to Lily beside him.

"Mm?"

"I love you."

"Yeah?" She smiled up at him, chin rested on his chest. They both lay there, stark naked, cuddled together to keep warm. James couldn't fathom how other couples had managed to spend the whole night apart. Despite the drinks and the endless amusement his friends had provided he'd missed his redheaded bride all the while.

"You should probably get back to the cottage, though," he reminded her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "The girls will worry they've got a runaway bride if they all wake up to find you gone."

Lily laughed into his chest, burying her head so that she tickled James with her hair. "Can you imagine Marlene reaction once she realised we'd spent the night together?"

James was certain the maid of honour would be less than pleased to find her one task – to keep an eye on the bride – had been failed.

"We should get you back, if not for Marley's sanity," James reasoned. Lily only gripped to him tighter, refusing to let loose.

"No," she whined. "Ten more minutes."

"Ten more minutes and you'll be dead asleep!"

"Next time I sleep next to you I'm going to be your wife," Lily reminded him, both of them looking startled by the prospect.

"Sure you don't want to back out?" He tickled the back of her neck playfully. "Change your mind and choose the giant squid after all?"

"No," she laughed. "I don't think the giant squid would be able to hold me quite as well."

"That's probably true," James nodded, pulling her in close. "Wouldn't be a very good cuddler."

Lily giggled infectiously, that same giggle he'd heard a million times before, but it warmed his heart just a little more this time. If not only because he realised he had the rest of his life to keep on hearing it.


December twentieth was a beautiful morning. Marlene pulled the curtains of the master bedroom open to let in the sunlight, which spilt through the cracks of thick white clouds. It reflected off the snow banks on the ground, making it hard for one to open their eyes it was so bright.

"Time to wake up," Marlene whispered into a very sleepy Lily's ear. "You're getting married today."

"Too early," the redhead grumbled, pulling the comforter over her head. "One more hour."

"I don't think so, princess. We have hair and makeup at nine and it is nearly eight thirty. We need to get you out of this bed and sobered up."

Of course, being the dutiful maid of honour she was, Marlene eventually coaxed her friend out of bed and into something a little more fitting than her pyjamas. A few hours later Lily was seated comfortably in the living room where a hair and makeup artist used her wand to create perfect curls in the redhead's hair.

Everyone had shown up to watch the bride get ready, Caroline there with Marlene's mother, the two ladies enjoying a cup of tea. Marlene could see the joy on Caroline's face each time she stared at her son's future wife.

"Maybe you'll be a grandma soon too," Marlene teased, joining the ladies across the room as they watched Lily get prepped.

"Oh, I can wait for that one," she assured Marlene with a smirk.

"You know, we always thought it would be you and James," Marlene's mother piped in.

"That's disgusting, mum."

"We were so sure when I had a boy and your mum a girl in the same year, we thought for sure you two would have to fall in love—"

"I'm going to gag," Marlene assured the two of them.

"Somehow you ended up with the best friend instead," her mother sighed. "There went our dream."

"Oh, don't look too down Maureen," Caroline comforted her friend. She wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling Maureen in close. "Imagine those family dinners you guys will get with the Blacks."

"You two are terrible," Marlene informed them, both women laughing hysterically at her disapproval. "And a little scary."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Caroline finally calmed. Wiping a stray tear from her cheek, she pulled Marlene in for a hug now too. "You know we love Sirius."

"I'm learning to love him," her mother grumbled, still less than enchanted with the man in Marlene's life.

Marlene returned her gaze to Lily, who smiled anxiously at Mary as she took pictures of the blushing bride getting ready for her big day. The rest of the girls had already had their chance in the makeup chair, as their looks hardly took the artist long. It was Lily who she really wanted to get all dolled up.

"Do you know what the boys are up to?" Marlene asked curiously. She was certain their prep time couldn't be nearly as long, meaning a dangerous amount of free time for the Marauders.

"If I had to guess I'd say doing something that I would disapprove of," Caroline shook her head.

"Maybe I'll go check on our groom..." Marlene suggested. "Just to be on the safe side."

"Good idea," Caroline agreed.

Marlene visited with Lily before leaving.

"How're we feeling?"

"Like I'm about to puke up what little breakfast you got into me this morning."

"Sounds about right." Marlene smiled.

She gave her friend's hand a comforting squeeze before disappearing out the front door, off to discover what trouble the Marauders had managed to get themselves into in their short time alone.

Sadly, upon arrival, she was disappointed to find the four of them crowded into James' room, playing merely a rowdy game of Exploding Snaps.

"Are you sure you boys graduated from Hogwarts?" Marlene teased them.

"There might've been a mistake," Remus laughed, focusing intently on the game before him.

"Think I could get a minute alone with our groom?"

"This might be arranged," Sirius sighed, the four of them giving up on the game they'd been so invested in. None of them were fully dressed yet – simply wearing their dress shirts and nice trousers. The three boys all headed for the door, Remus pausing before he pulled it shut behind him.

"You clean up nicely, McKinnon," he smiled.

Marlene could feel the blush rising in her cheeks as she and James were left alone, her fingers touching the loose bun her hair was gathered into self-consciously.

"He's right, you know," James informed her with a smirk. "You look very beautiful."

"Come here," Marlene urged. She forced James into the desk chair in front of her. "I've come to make sure you're not too nervous and to tame those locks of yours."

"Clearly sent by my mother."

"She's a smart lady."

Marlene stood behind James, pulling a tub of Sleekeazy's from her purse. She ran her fingers through his freshly washed hair, the pair making eye contact in the mirror. It felt strange preparing him for his wedding day, a date they'd often wondered about in a very distant manner.

"Did they make any jokes about how it was supposed to be you I was marrying?" he asked.

Marlene laughed. "Yeah, they're quite disappointed their plan didn't work out as they'd hoped." Marlene pulled her hands from James' now tidy hair, ready to wipe them down with a towel. James grabbed her hand before she could move away.

"I love you, Marley," he smiled. There was something nostalgic about it, something that made the breath catch in the back of Marlene's throat. It was hard to realise that the years they'd spent, sneaking from their homes late at night, running through the Potter's back garden together on wild adventures, were behind them. Never again would Marlene stay in the spare bedroom for a few weeks out of her summer or attend one of James' famous New Year's Eve parties at his house.

Marlene hadn't realised she was crying until she saw the water droplet that landed on James' shoulder.

"Hey." He spun around in the chair to face her, a weary look in his hazel eyes.

"Everything is going to be different?" Marlene snuffled. "Isn't it?"

"Yes," James nodded.

"I'm sorry," she apologised, careful not to mess up her flawless makeup as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "This is supposed to be a happy day!"

"Hey, you're always going to be my best friend, you know that don't you?"

"I'm so sorry," Marlene apologised, struggling to keep her tears under control. "For everything that happened this past year."

James rose from the chair and embraced her tightly. He held her the way he had since they were just children. There was a comfort in that. Despite the time and distance spanned between them, they'd always have this affection towards one another; that was never going to change.

"It doesn't matter," James promised. "We've got loads more time, okay? Things changing doesn't mean we are. You're going to be over at our place constantly, we'll have a guest room just for you." Marlene laughed at the thought of that. "So what if it's not the same," James reasoned. "It'll be better."

Marlene gripped to his dress shirt tightly, letting her emotions all out in one big breath. "I'm so proud of you James." She pressed her lips to his cheek. "I'm so happy for you both."

"I'm happy you're here," he told her, "and that we're all safe."

There was a knock on the door, Marlene wiping a stray tear from her cheek before Sirius interrupted.

"We've got to get this boy ready for the chapel," he announced.

James waved him forward, Sirius stepping into the room, looking sceptically between the two of them.

"Are you two about to admit your undying love for one another and call off the whole thing?" he teased.

"Please don't make me sick," Marlene rolled her eyes, James wrapping an arm around each of his friends.

"I just want to thank you both for helping to preserve my dignity throughout the years and getting me to this point."

"It wasn't always easy," Sirius scoffed, "believe me."

"I forgot," Marlene turned to her purse, rummaging through it for a moment, "there's something I wanted to give you both…"

She pulled two copies of a photograph out. It was years old, from when they were about fifteen before everything had gotten complicated and messy. The three of them, posed in the Potter's back garden, hands around each other's waists.

"Thanks, Mar." James' eyes seemed to twinkle as he looked up, giving her a good squeeze. Marlene looked at Sirius over James' shoulder. He winked at her, no words needed to remind her of the gratitude he felt.

"Well, it's time to see James finally fulfil his life's greatest wish."

"When will the jokes ever end?" James groaned.

"You made your bed when you spent a whole evening describing to me how you'd convince Lily Evans to marry you," Sirius reminded him.


"Oh, Lily…" Caroline stood in front of her, looking like she might burst into tears at any given moment. "You look absolutely gorgeous."

Lily ran her hands over the smooth fabric of her white dress, stepping to the side so she could get a good look at herself in the mirror. The dress had been altered and changed from the original gown her mother had worn, with its full skirt and long train. The dress Lily wore now was much simpler. A sheath style gown, with a shortened train. The skirt was a simple smooth silk, the detail beginning at the dress' waist. Covered in sequins and beading it made Lily reflect like a diamond in any light. The dress had long translucent sleeves covered in the same detail, meeting at the dress' v-neckline.

"So," Caroline began, choking back her tears, "there's a little wedding tradition for the women in our family. My great grandmother started it years ago when her daughter got married and while I know you aren't biologically mine…well…I wanted to keep the tradition going."

Lily smiled, not sure what she could say to properly convey how thankful she was for the kindness the Potter's had offered her in the time since her mother's death.

"Something old," Caroline handed Lily a vintage looking veil with intricate floral design along its hem. "Every woman in the family has had the honour of wearing it," she informed Lily with a warm smile. "Something new," she handed the young witch a small blue jewellery box.

"Caroline…you didn't have to…" Lily gawked.

"Oh please, it's my pleasure."

Lily flicked the box open to find a gorgeous, and delicate looking, diamond necklace.

"My mother gave me one just like it on my wedding day," she told her with a grin, helping Lily to fasten it around her neck so it hung at just the perfect length.

"Now, something blue," with the use of her wand, Caroline produced a beautiful bouquet of blue flowers, passing them off to Lily. "And something borrowed." For the final one, she handed over a crystal hairclip, a beautiful flying dove.

Carefully, she clipped it into Lily's hair, which lay perfectly curled in a half up-do.

"There," Caroline smiled proudly. "Now you're perfect."

It was difficult for Lily not to burst into tears standing there, less than an hour away from her wedding. She wasn't quite sure whether her eyes prickled with tears from fear or excitement.

"How about a moment alone?" Caroline offered. She seemed to understand how overwhelmed Lily was feeling without a word, moving forward to give the young woman a quick hug.

"It's all much easier once the circus is over," Caroline assured her with a soft squeeze of the shoulder. "You remember why you decided to go through with the whole thing in the first place."

"Thank you," Lily whispered as she watched her mother-in-law slowly back out of the room. Alone for the first time in what felt like days, the whole thing seemed to dawn on Lily. The absence of her family. The future that lay before her.

She closed her eyes and envisioned the wedding day she'd always pictured as a little girl. In her old home. Standing in her mother's room getting ready in the dress she'd always dreamed of being married in.

"You cannot be my little girl," her father grinned proudly, his cheeks rosy with a blush.

"Have I overdone it?" Lily asked nervously, giving her skirt a small ruffle.

"You? Overdone?" Her father was positively brimming with happiness as he stood across from her. He looked dapper in his sharp suit, his bowtie left undone. "Never."

"Oh, Richard," her mother fretted, stepping from their bathroom in her fancy attire. "You've left the tie to the last minute!"

"Well, I can never do it quite as nicely as you."

Her mother shook her head with irritation as she began to fiddle with the tie, her father winking at Lily over her shoulder. Lily could hardly breathe she was so nervous, fiddling with her hair to distract herself from the big day that awaited.

"Do you know I made myself sick at least twice before marrying your mother?" Her father told her. "I was a nervous wreck all morning."

"You were a nervous wreck until the priest said you may kiss the bride," her mother poked fun at him.

"Forever is a scary idea when you've never tried it out before," her father went on. "You know, though, when it's the right person. You just know."

Lily pictured herself marrying another man. Someone simpler who got himself in less trouble. Someone who didn't know how to get under her skin. A person she could rely on to always be responsible and predictable. She imagined a man who didn't wear square framed glasses and have hair that was permanently sticking up in the back. She tried to picture a man who was nothing like James Potter. A person who didn't hold her the same or kiss her on the bridge of her forehead the way James always did.

"He's right," Lily smiled surely. "James is…"

"Perfect," her mother finished for her. She'd finally finished with her father's tie and spun around to face her youngest daughter now, wrapping an arm around her husband. "He won't seem as perfect after you've been married to him for over fifteen years."

"I take offence to that!" her father gasped.

A knock on the door pulled them all back to reality. At least, pulled Lily. Her parents were no longer a part of reality, not anyone that Lily was in.

"Ready to go?" Alice asked. She popped her head into the room, catching Lily's eye.

"Yeah," the redhead nodded, a little overwhelmed by the moment she'd just experienced. "Let's go."


Sirius and James were sat in an office inside of Bamburgh Castle, the location of James and Lily's wedding. Sirius swivelled around in the chair that rested behind the thick mahogany desk while James sat on the red leather couch across from him, his feet tapping anxiously against the hardwood floor.

They could hear the bustle of guests as they filled the hall where James and Lily would say "I do" in a matter of fifteen minutes.

"How're you doing over there Prongs?"

Sirius eyed his friend with concern. It looked as though James was ready to projectile vomit into a trash can at any moment. He had his head bowed so Sirius could hardly catch a glimpse of his expression.

"Fine," James mumbled, taking a deep breath. "Just…"

"Everything is going to go fine," Sirius assured his friend, sliding out of his chair. "Lily is going to show up here in about five minutes and walk down that aisle perfectly happy and you, my friend, are going to be someone's husband."

"Crazy," James nodded, running a hand through his perfectly coiffed hair. Sirius knew Marlene was not going to be happy to see her hard work gone to waste.

"Although, I think Maureen and Caroline might still be just a little happy if you called the whole thing off and ran into the sunset with McKinnon," Sirius nudged him, struggling to get a smile on his friend's face.

"I'll leave that to you," James ensured him, hardly raising his head.

"Are you excited for it all?" Sirius asked him. He sat down on the couch beside James, giving his friend's shaking knee a little shove.

"Yeah," James smiled, Sirius feeling the pride of success. "I love her."

"You don't need to remind me," he promised James with a clap on the back. "I've lived the whole James and Lily saga from start to finish."

"Not quite finished yet, though," James winked.

It was still difficult for Sirius to wrap his head around the fact that his best friend was getting married and to the girl of his dreams. They didn't feel like kids anymore. Perhaps they hadn't for a while, but the day had solidified the fact. War and responsibility were all that lay before them now and the fact made Sirius tremble. Would anything be the same?

There was a knock on the door and Remus and Peter entered, both men beaming.

"The hall is filling up," Peter announced with excitement in his voice. "It's a beautiful place for a wedding, James."

"Did you two ever hear the story of how these two love birds discovered it?" Sirius asked, trying to lighten the mood, if not for his own benefit.

"I don't believe we've had the honour." Remus leant back against the desk, eyebrows raised with interest.

"Well, last summer we were all visiting Marlene's cottage for a week," Sirius began, rising from his seat for dramatic effect. "James and Lily were in the middle of a lover spat before they were together of course—"

"Okay, that's a little dramatic—" James attempted to pipe in, Sirius shushing him.

"Anyways, in the middle of it all Marlene and I forced them out of the house together, quite a feat I might add" James rolled his eyes. "And we brought them to the castle for a little touristy fun."

"And they made up here?" Peter asked hopefully, ever the romantic of the group.

"Of course not, they were both stubborn as bricks. Despite that, though, they both still shared an appreciation for the place."

"That is not why we decided to get married here. Lily just loved the location and Marlene's cottage feels like a second home—"

"And you realised while we were on that trip that you were totally infatuated with each other."

"Please, she was still dating Prewett at the time—"

The rest of the Marauders laughed at James' denial, all fully aware that Lily's relationship status had done little to deter James. In the middle of all their laughter, there was a second knock at the door, Caroline poking her head around.

"Is it time?" James asked, jumping up abruptly.

"It is," she nodded, a smile on her face.

"We'll catch you on the flip side," Peter and Remus grinned, patting James on the back as they exited the room.

"Are you boys ready?" Caroline asked. She fidgeted with Sirius' tie like the mother she was. "Any pep talks needed? Hugs? Reminders of how wonderfully you boys have turned out?"

"I covered all the bases, Care," Sirius promised her.

"You look very handsome." Caroline turned to James with a look of pride, giving his cheek a soft pinch.

"Mum, are you going to cry?" James asked anxiously.

"I just…I wanted to say something meaningful," she explained. "Something you could hold onto for years and pass on to your kids one day and…"

"A simple I love you will work," James assured his mother.

Sirius couldn't help but be a little jealous as he watched the interaction. He couldn't begin to imagine his mother ever coming close to showing such emotion, even if he hadn't been kicked out of the family. He was sure his wedding day as a Black would've been as loveless and cold as his whole life had been living in that house.

"I love you, my sweet, sweet boy," Caroline said, choking back tears as she pulled James into a hug. "One day, when you have children of your own you'll see. You'll understand how I felt today, watching you all grown up, taking on the world." She slicked back some of James' hair with a warm smile. "You'll always be my little boy, running into my arms after a nightmare. I'll always be here, even when I'm not. And I will always love you."

This time it was James who went in for the hug, holding his mother tight. Sirius couldn't see his face but he was certain his friend was holding back tears, as he could hardly keep his throat clear watching the interaction.

"I think it's time to get this boy to the altar," Sirius said as the moment came to a close.

Caroline turned to him, urging him forward so she could wrap an arm around his shoulder, holding both of her boys close.

"I want you to take care of each other, no matter what. I don't care how mad you get at one another or how far the distance between you two can feel at times, you're brothers, do you hear me?" Caroline spoke quite sternly now. "Biology means nothing. You're both my boys."

"Of course mum…"

"No, I want you to really promise me," Caroline ordered them. "No matter what, you have each other's backs. You keep each other safe. You protect your family."

Sirius couldn't get past the fact that everything she said felt like a goodbye. He wanted to press her, to ask why it had to be so final, to make sure that he still had years left of Caroline Potter pep talks, but of course, as usual, there wasn't enough time.

"We promise," James spoke for the both of them, his hazel eyes turning to Sirius. Sirius nodded in agreement.

"Of course."

"Good," Caroline smiled, looking like she'd done her job. "Now, let's get you married."


Lily and Marlene stood in front of the closed doors that led to the castle hall where she would be married. The same castle hall she'd found over a year ago, the one she'd dreamed of a wedding in, filled with the people she loved. A wedding that had become reality.

"Are you ready?" Marlene asked, listening to the change in music that signalled their entrance.

"I'm fine," Lily promised. "You go ahead!"

Marlene grinned widely, clutching her bouquet of flowers as she strode through the doors and made her slow procession down the aisle. Hidden from view, Lily waited for the tempo change that signalled her turn.

It was hard for her not to stand there and remember her dad and miss him dearly. Especially when he was the one meant to be holding her arm, reassuring her that she looked beautiful.

"I'm right here darlin'," he heard his deep voice promise. "I've got ya."

Lily breathed in deeply, the doors swinging open as the music changed, all of the guests standing in anticipation. She moved forward slowly, one foot in front of the other, careful not to trip over her long gown or stumble on her heeled shoes.

Her heart pounded in her chest so intensely she feared that the people she passed on her way to the altar might hear. A red carpet had been rolled down the hardwood floor of the hall, providing an aisle for Lily to travel down. The high ceilings and stone architecture reminded her of Hogwarts, the sight providing a small comfort.

She went by family and friends who smiled warmly and whispered words of praise. They weren't the ones she focused on, though. Instead, it was a tall boy, with hair that was beginning to stick up, whose back was facing her. Lily felt her breath catch in her throat as she began to move closer, Sirius looking over his shoulder to grin devilishly in Lily's direction.

A few seconds later James turned, his gaze eating her whole. She was shocked she didn't go weak at the knees under his stare, one filled with so much love and adoration.

It was difficult for Lily not to beam from ear to ear as she moved closer and closer towards him. Suddenly it didn't matter that her parents were missing or that her sister had refused the invitation, James carried her towards that altar, placing a hand out to help Lily up the two stairs she needed to climb to reach him, the ceremony taking place in front of the halls large fireplace. It provided a cosy backdrop for the whole scene.

"You look beautiful," James whispered.

"You cleaned up quite nice yourself," Lily smiled.

"Dearly beloved," the officiator began, Lily and James holding hands.

The rest of the ceremony meant little to Lily as the officiator went on about sickness and health until death does thee part. She liked to think that all of that was a far way off in their future as she stared deeply into James' hazel eyes, her heart in her throat.

"And now, for your vows," the officiator announced, the real part of the ceremony being reached. He turned towards Lily first who took a deep breath.

"I don't want to drag on," she explained, choking back tears. "I just wanted to say..." James gave her hands a reassuring squeeze as she struggled to finish her sentence. "You're a life raft for me. In the best of ways. You're my strength and my bravery and my happiness. You keep me going when the going gets rough. When I was trying to figure out what to say to you today I buried myself in all kinds of quotes and poetry on love for inspiration but there was one thing, said by Victor Hugo, that struck me more than anything else." James gave her a half smile, Lily blinking back the tears in her eyes. "Love each other dearly always. There is scarcely anything else in the world but that: to love one another."

Lily tried to pretend that the rest of the room had disappeared. It was only her and James and the whole life they had lain out before them. The long road they'd travel together.

"In sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, until death does us part I promise to love and honour you with all I have. I promise to strive to always be the best version of myself and to build the kind of life that we've always dreamed of sharing. More than anything, I promise to love you until I draw my final breath."

Lily didn't think there was a dry eye in the room after that. She felt bad for James, who cleared his throat to go next, his eyes glistening behind his spectacles.

"I'm not nearly as eloquent as Lily, as I'm sure you all know," he said, earning the laughter of the crowd. "I don't know many things for certain but I do know that I love you. Probably a little more than you'd have wished at some points, specifically when I chased you around Hogwarts for years begging you to agree to give me a chance."

Lily snorted at the reminder, sure that her fifteen-year-old self would scream in horror if she realised where she was going to end up.

"I don't want to spend time promising you that I'll love you forever because I think that's already clear. From the moment I laid eyes on you, Lily, I knew I was a goner. From the first time, I saw you smile and the first moment I made you laugh. It was clear to me from the age of eleven that there was never going to be anyone else that would make me happy." Lily smiled, swallowing back the lump in her throat.

"So, from this day, until our last day, I want to make a few other very important promises," James announced. Lily could see Sirius over his shoulder, grinning proudly at his best friend like a total idiot, looking almost happier than Lily did. "I promise to be your best friend. I promise to support you no matter where the world takes the two of us and no matter how challenging things can get. I promise to pull the hair from the drain because I know how much you hate it. I promise to always try and make you laugh. More than anything, I promise to never give up. Not on you. Not on us. Not on our lives together."

Lily could feel her own hands shaking in James' as the officiator did his little closing bit. Her ears open only for the final six words.

"You may now kiss the bride," he announced. James stepped forward so fast Lily didn't have time to put her arms around him. He dipped her backwards as everyone in the hall applauded.


The reception was held in a heated tent on the castle grounds. The castle lay on one end and the ocean on the other, a beautiful backdrop for the whole ordeal. Champagne flowed endlessly and guests swooned at the sight of the happy couple, cuddling up at their wedding party table.

It was after dinner, while the sounds of cutlery clicking came to a close, that James and Lily rose for their first dance. Alice watched from their table with a smile as James took Lily in his arms, swaying her to Your Sweet Love by Lee Hazlewood, a long time favourite of the couple. Never had Alice seen two people look happier as they both smiled, staring deeply into each other's eyes.

When the song had finished, James giving his wife one last twirl, Something by The Beatles came on, all the other happy couples encouraged to come up and dance.

"I think that means us," Alice informed her husband, forcing him from his seat and onto the dance floor. The whole affair reminded her of her own wedding day months ago. The fear and excitement that had bubbled inside her – despite the fact that she'd already said "I do" to Frank months before.

"Have I told you that you look stunning tonight?" Frank asked. He pressed his lips into Alice's neck, making her giggle.

"A few times actually, but I don't mind hearing it again."

"How did I end up with such a hot wife?"

"How did I find myself such an attractive husband?" Alice countered, hand caressing his cheek.

They swayed on to the tune of the music, Alice resting her head against her husband's chest. It was comfortable there. She liked to be close to him, it was safe.

"We should have a baby," Frank said suddenly. Alice was certain she'd heard him wrong, her head popping up in shock.

"Sorry?"

"I mean, not today but…maybe sometime soon."

"You want to have a baby?" She couldn't wipe the look of shock on her face no matter how hard she tried.

"Why not? We're married aren't we? We have a comfortable amount of money, a big house—"

"We're eighteen," Alice reminded him pointedly.

"We've lived a lot of life for two eighteen-year-olds."

Alice laughed, not quite sure what the appropriate response to her husband announcing he wanted a baby was.

"I wouldn't be able to work," Alice told him. "I'd have to take a nine-month break and at least six months after."

"This is true," Frank agreed.

"How about we put a pin in it?" she suggested to her husband, reaching her lips to his.

"Not for too long, though."

"Are you trying to get a small litter out of me before we're too old?"

"Maybe," he replied sheepishly.

"Well, there are three spare rooms in our house…how about we start there?"

"How about we start now?" Frank proposed, pressing his lips into hers more fiercely this time. Alice leant back, carrying the weight of both of them. When they pulled apart she realised they'd earned the gaze of a few elderly family members who looked horrified.

"How much champagne have you had?" she asked her husband with a chuckle.

It was dark beyond the confines of the tent, the stars in the sky twinkling romantically above them. Alice didn't mind the idea of decking out for a few moments with her husband…somewhere a little more private…

"Enough to remember that my mother has not been out of our house in a month and I really miss shagging my very attractive wife…"

"Alice! Frank! Picture lets go!" Mary called out to them. Alice looked over Frank's shoulder to see they were being waved over to the other side of the tent, everyone gathering together.

"Let's go," she instructed her husband, pulling him along by the hand.

They crowded in with the rest of their friends, the photographer telling them to squeeze closer and closer together to make sure they all fit. Everyone looked positively elated as they stood there, arms wrapped around each other, everyone safe and happy, everyone together, and the picture was snapped.


Marlene was sitting at a table on the edge of the dance floor, watching her friends all sway happily to the music, as she rested her feet.

"Hi you," Lily smiled, sliding into the chair beside her friend.

"What're you doing? You should be out there dancing with your new husband!"

"Oh, he's being a goof with his friends," Lily laughed, looking towards the Marauders, all dancing like idiots together. "I thought I'd come see how you're doing."

"I'm doing great," Marlene smiled. Lily was practically glowing, her joy radiating off of her for anyone to see.

"Do you think you'll ever do it?" Lily asked.

"What? Get married?"

"Yeah," Lily shrugged.

"I…maybe. I've never really thought about it."

And she hadn't. There had never been a reason to. The only person she'd dated seriously was Henry and that had ended much too soon for her to really consider marriage. And now Sirius…well, he was in a whole other ballpark really.

"Maybe this is the alcohol talking," Lily said, finger tapping against the table. "But I thought…well…when you and Henry were together…" Lily looked down quickly, eyes filled with guilt.

"It's okay," Marlene told her. "You can talk about him. It's nice actually. I don't get to talk about him often."

"Really?"

"I loved him," Marlene nodded. "And who knows what would've happened if Donovan's had never been burned down, maybe he'd be here with me right now."

Marlene tried to imagine Henry coming as her date. Winking at her as she walked down the aisle. Twirling her around on the dance floor as one of the "happy couples."

"Maybe I would've even liked it."

"But?" Lily asked, on the edge of her seat.

"Well…" Marlene wasn't sure she should say the next part out loud but Lily stared at her so expectantly, green eyes round with curiosity. "I think maybe this was where I was always meant to end up."

"Yeah," Lily smiled, reassured by the statement. "Me too."

Another slow song came on, James' endless jumping around with his boys coming to an abrupt stop. His hair sleek with sweat, he wandered over to Marlene and Lily's table, smiling at his wife.

"Can I have this dance?" he asked, hand outstretched.

"Yes, you may," Lily smiled, being lifted onto the dance floor.

Marlene grinned as she watched her lovesick friends dancing around, truly happy together.

"No handsome young men come to ask for a dance?" Sirius teased. Marlene knew it was him before she'd even turned around.

"No," she replied with faux disappointment. "No potential suitors yet."

"Come," Sirius encouraged her, placing out a hand. "I want to show you something."

Marlene followed him from the tent. Sirius leant her his suit jacket to keep warm. The two of them walked out onto the snow-covered hill beyond the tent where Sirius cleared a spot for them with the flick of his wand, a blanket appearing on the now snow-free spot of ground. He lay down across it, Marlene following his lead.

"What're we doing?" Marlene asked, growing impatient after a few minutes of silence.

"Just wait for it."

"Wait for…?" She couldn't finish the question. Suddenly the sky seemed filled with shooting stars in every direction. Marlene's eyes widened in awe as she watched what felt almost unreal. She forgot sometimes, living in a big city, how beautiful nature could be.

Across the blanket she grabbed Sirius hand, holding it tight in her own.

"It's beautiful."

"I thought you'd like it."

Marlene turned to face him, a smile on her face. Maybe she would've come to the wedding with Henry had he lived. Perhaps they would've moved in together after Hogwarts and been happy and one day, maybe, she might've even been able to see herself really settling down. She'd loved him. That was real. She'd always love him, no matter how long he was gone. But this, what lay between her and Sirius, it was more than anything she'd ever had with Henry.

"You okay?" he asked. She hadn't realised she was lost in her own head until she looked up to see his eyes filled with concern.

"Sirius, I…"

"Don't worry," he assured her, drawing circles in the centre of her palm. "I know."

Marlene rolled over on top of him, lips pressing to his. He wrapped his arms tight around her, holding her close to his body so they shared their warmth.

"I don't think I had a chance to tell you how good you look tonight." Sirius paused, cupping her face in his hands. "You look beautiful."

"You're just trying to get yourself laid."

"True…"

She laughed, pressing her lips to his once more before climbing off. "We'll see if you get lucky tonight," she teased, Sirius helping her to her feet.

"My place or yours?"


Alastor Moody sat at one of the empty wedding tables, watching the party of young people dance happily, not a care in the world. Behind him, he heard the sound of laughter as Marlene and Sirius came running into the tent and back towards their group of friends.

"Having a good time Moody?" a familiar voice asked from over his shoulder.

Dorcas Meadowes stood behind him; eyebrows peaked with interest.

"You should enjoy yourself," he told her. The look of amusement drained and she quickly shifted into work mode, sliding into the seat beside her boss.

"Has something happened?"

"Something is always happening," Moody replied darkly. "We're in the middle of a war—"

"You know what I mean…"

"Demelza is dead."

Dorcas gasped in horror, hand thrown over her mouth. Demelza had been one of their strongest Aurors. They'd lost so many from their team in the fire at Donovan's but Demelza had helped to carry them after the death of their teammates. If anyone was expected to make it out of the war alive, it was Demelza.

"How?"

"You know how," Moody replied, turning his head away. He wasn't much of one for emotion and now was no exception.

"Enjoy your night," he directed her, his eyes cold and serious. "It might be the last happy one we've got."

He looked back towards the happy couple, wrapped up in each other's arms. He figured he'd warn them later, of the danger to come. For now, they could be happy. If only for one night.


A/N: Hope this update can serve as a Christmas gift for anyone who celebrates! To those who don't, I hope you enjoy it all the same. This was one of my favourite chapters to write and it has been a long time in the coming.

P.S. If anyone doesn't remember James and Lily's lover spat, chapter six might refresh your memory! xx