Chapter Eight-Two

Severus was almost inclined to say he couldn't believe his luck, but he knew it was far more than mere luck that kept Lily by his side. A long history of shared understanding, of endless compassion, and deep love graced their relationship. Severus couldn't believe he would be marrying her in a matter of a few days. She knew the whole truth, and she had remained steadfast. Nothing else really mattered.

The time left before the wedding passed in a whirl. The only unpleasantry he had to endure were suspicious looks from Petunia when he went to Lily's house. Although Lily hadn't told her sister why she had been so upset that day, Petunia was still wary of the marriage. At Lily's assurance and insistence that everything was well between Severus and herself, Petunia reluctantly stopped trying to pry and resigned herself to the fact that Severus would soon be her brother-in-law. Petunia had, thankfully, kept her mouth shut and not told Lily's parents about the day Lily had returned home with the telltale signs of tears in her eyes. Maybe Petunia had finally realized when she needed to step back and let Lily live her life.

Severus wasn't too caught up in the last minute wedding plans. Lily's backyard had been decorated the day before, and the weather was promising to be a gorgeous day. Arrangements with the pastor from the local church were completed, and all the guests had replied to their invitations. Lily's dress was perfect... or as perfect as she felt it needed to be, although Petunia still found little details to worry about.

August 12 soon dawned. Severus had barely slept the night before. Examining himself in the mirror that morning, he realized he looked a fright. The black circles around his eyes needed to go, and his hair was standing up on end. He stepped into the shower, scrubbing every square inch of his body, wanting to be impeccably clean. He toweled off and ran a comb through his hair, flattening it against his scalp, finishing off with a Drying Charm. The dark circles had faded, but his realized he needed to shave. Once that was done, he checked himself over, satisfied enough. Unfortunately, his hair was at an awkward phase in growing out and appeared shaggy.

There was no point in dressing yet, as the ceremony was still a couple of hours away. Pulling on a clean robe, Severus went downstairs, knowing he would need to force himself to consume something of substance.

Upon reaching the bottom of the steps, Severus gazed around at the surroundings. He hadn't had much time to do anything aesthetically with his house, what with working and training at St. Mungo's. Once married, he was sure the house would be receiving a facelift.

Deciding not to give the old, dingy house another thought for now, Severus headed into the kitchen and set to preparing a pot of coffee. His father was due at any moment, but he wondered if the man would prove to be the grounding support he needed right now.

Setting two places at the table, Severus prepared a quick breakfast and had just finished pouring the coffee when a knock issued forth from the door. Knowing it had to be Tobias, Severus set the coffee pot back on the stove and went to the front door to receive his father.

Sure enough, Tobias was there. He was holding a hanger with his own tuxedo, which was covered in plastic to keep it clean.

"Hello, Severus!" Tobias greeted him exthusiastically. Stepping inside, he hung the tuxedo on the coatrack. "Today's the big day, my son!"

Grimacing at his father's theatrics, Severus groaned. "Yes, I realize that, Father. And hello to you, too. Breakfast is ready." He motioned toward the kitchen.

Tobias amiably followed his son and took the seat across from him.

"Are you happy?" he asked.

"Of course," Severus replied, a little surprised Tobias would even ask such a question.

"You don't look it," Tobias said seriously.

"I'm just... nervous," Severus stated, thinking back to a few days ago. Although he was relieved beyond belief that Lily hadn't pushed him away, now that the "big day" was here, his nerves were on fire. "I've never done this before."

"Understandable," Tobias replied, his mouth relaxing into a smile. "There's really nothing to be nervous about, though. This is a happy day, Severus."

And I suppose you can tell me all about what constitutes a good marriage, Severus thought bitterly, but didn't say so aloud.

What is the matter with you? an opposing voice demanded in his head. If you're truly happy, you shouldn't be holding onto the past, whether in regards to your father or your own life... lives.

Severus knew the second voice was right. Old habits died hard; that was a fact. He was constantly having to remind himself that he had many reasons to be happy.

Severus had spent too many years being everything but happy to simply embrace happiness when it came, though.

He sighed and forced a smile.

"Indeed it is, Father. Let's eat, shall we? I know it would do me some good."

Glad to see his son more at ease, Tobias dug in to the food with more relish than Severus did. After breakfast, they headed upstairs to dress. Tobias took his old bedroom, and Severus went to his own.

Severus opened the wardrobe and extracted the tuxedo he would be wearing. He had altered it magically to fit him properly. The black jacket and trousers were wrinkle-free and crisp. Within five minutes, Severus was fully dressed and standing in front of the full-length mirror in his bedroom. The tuxedo suited him well. A white vest peeked out just above the jacket, and a small white bowtie finished the look. Severus thought it rather stuffy and knew he would be hot in the summer sun, figuring he would remove the outer layers promptly after the ceremony.

Satisfied with his appearance, Severus left his bedroom and made to head back downstairs, but he ran into Tobias in the hallway. Father and son stood facing each other for a moment, and then Tobias clasped Severus on the shoulder appraisingly with a hand.

"You have made me proud, Severus. Just look at you - getting married. I am... you have no idea how much I regret that I couldn't be the father you needed all these years," Tobias finished softly, his voice tinged with sorrow.

Severus felt his nerves fall away. All he had been focusing on was himself all day, and now, hearing his father's words, he was moved beyond his troubles and anxieties.

"Dad, you- I know," Severus sighed, understanding very well what it meant to have regrets about one's past. "But what good can come from dwelling on what's already come to pass? As you told me, this is a happy day. When I asked you to be my best man, it was with hope for the future. I am not usually an optimistic person, but Lily's influence on me has been great where that is concerned."

"She is a wonderful young woman," Tobias conceded.

Severus smiled. "Yes, yes, she is." Feeling better than he had all day, Severus was reminded once again of how elated he had felt upon asking Lily to marry him. Not only had she said yes to the person she thought she knew, but she had stood by his side, knowing who he really was. "She's so brave."

"As are you, Severus."

x x x x x

On Webber Street, Lily was sitting at her vanity as Petunia fussed with her hair.

"You know, it would help if you had more than three inches of hair to work with, Lily," Petunia grumbled. "I could put it in a lovely updo."

"You can manage, I'm sure," Lily quipped, amused at her sister's ability to find something to stress about, no matter how trivial.

"Can't you use your wand to make it grow?" Petunia asked, toying with a lock.

"I could, but-"

"But nothing, Lily! This is your wedding. Don't you want to look beautiful?"

"And having shorter hair makes me less beautiful?" Lily asked wryly.

"No, I- Argh! Fine, just sit still. You have magic, and yet you refuse to use it."

"You're the one who insisted on doing my hair, Tuney."

"All right, all right! Just... give me a minute."

Petunia used the curling iron on Lily's hair. As Lily's hair had grown, the natural curls had been lost to waves. Petunia rather liked the curls. She then sprayed an enormous amount of hairspray on Lily's head, causing Lily to choke in disgust on the aerosol fumes.

"There," Petunia said proudly after a while.

"It's perfect, Petunia. Thank you." Lily smiled.

Petunia blushed. "Thank you," she said softly. "Now, let's get you dressed."

Lily's wedding dress hung in her closet, everything altered to fit her just right. Petunia removed the dress, pulling off the plastic covering and held it up, a wistful expression on her face. Lily knew her sister was imagining what she would look like on her own wedding day. For now, Petunia was wearing a pale yellow bridesmaid's dress.

"One day soon, Petunia," Lily said seriously.

"How did you know?" Petunia asked, eyeing her sister with surprise and suspicion.

"The look on your face betrays you," Lily said gently.

"Oh, right... well, let's get you in this dress," Petunia said with determination, not wishing to dwell on possibilities.

Lily slipped off her bathrobe and first put the slip on, which puffed out in several layers around her legs. Petunia then helped Lily slide the dress down over her head and smooth it around her body. She zipped up the back of it, securing it with the little button at the top of the zipper.

"Wow," Petunia breathed. "Lily, look at yourself."

Lily stepped into her shoes and moved in front of the mirror on her vanity, having to take a few steps back to see her whole body. Lily exhaled in amazement upon seeing her reflection. Others had always told her she was beautiful, and she had considered herself pretty enough, but never had she felt like this. Petunia had already helped her with her make up before doing her hair, so she was completely ready for the wedding. She had never felt so beautiful in her life as she did in right now.

"Wow," Lily echoed Petunia's word from a moment ago.

"Severus is going to faint when he sees you," Petunia remarked, smiling.

Lily gave her sister a grateful smile in return, glad to know Petunia was happy for her, even if she had expressed her doubts.

Just then, the door to the bedroom opened, and Violet entered. She was dressed elegantly, but not overly so. Her hair was still quite short, but her dress was a darker yellow than Petunia's and came to just below her knees. It mostly resembled a sundress, but fancier.

Violet's mouth dropped open upon seeing her younger daughter. Extending her arms, she came toward Lily and hugged her.

"Look at you, Lily!" she exclaimed, kissing her on the cheek. "You're ever as lovely as I imagined!"

"Thank you, Mum, but Petunia helped tremendously," Lily replied.

Violet in turn hugged Petunia. "You're a wonderful daughter, Petunia. You girls have no idea how proud I am of both of you, and to see you as friends again... I am truly happy."

The sisters exchanged embarrassed looks at their mother's appraisal. Ross joined the women a minute later, remarking on how lovely his daughters were. He gazed at his watch.

"The guests are starting to arrive," he explained. "We should probably start getting in place."

Lily's eyes bulged. "Are they really?" she gaped.

Chuckling, Ross took his daughter's arm and led her out of the room. "Yes, that they are."

"Is- is Severus here?" Lily asked in an unnaturally high voice.

"Not yet, but any moment. His father and he are going to Apparate into our library downstairs, where it's private."

Lily nodded, feeling the butterflies burst to life in her stomach. This was it. The moment was almost here. Violet and Petunia wished Lily their best and went downstairs to find their places, leaving Lily alone with her father.

"Daddy," Lily whispered, searching her father's eyes.

"You haven't called me 'Daddy' in years, Lily," Ross said seriously.

"I know, it's just... This is really happening, isn't it? I'm very happy to be marrying Severus. I love him, Dad, but I'll be on my own now. I'm not your 'little girl' anymore, am I?"

"You have been a young lady for a while now, Lily, but that doesn't change the fact that a part of you will always be my 'little girl.' I'll always remember how you used to climb into my lap when I was watching the evening news on the telly. You would curl up into a little ball, your tiny arms trying to wrap around me, and you'd whisper sweetly into my ear and giggle."

Lily smiled at those memories. How long ago they seemed, indeed. She had been younger then than when she had first met Severus.

"I'll always remember, too, Dad. Now we just have to wait for the music to begin..."

x x x x x

Severus and Tobias exchanged one last look of understanding. The time was upon them. Taking his father's hand, Severus Apparated them directly to the small library in Lily's house. Upon reaching their destination, Severus gazed briefly out the window, seeing that the few rows of chairs were occupied by the guests. The pastor was off to the side, and Petunia and Violet were standing at the back of the crowd. There weren't too many people, perhaps thirty, and many of them Severus didn't know. He didn't have any family besides his father, so they were Lily's extended family. He saw the backs of James, Sirius, Remus, and Mary among the crowd. They hadn't invited any of their professors, as Severus didn't really want Dumbledore there, and he hadn't been particularly close to the others. Lily was fine with that, also wanting to keep the wedding as small as possible. The only adult from the wizarding world who they had invited was Madam Pomfrey, of whom Severus was fond. Somehow, he would have felt guilty not inviting the matron.

"We should get in place," Tobias stated. "Everyone else looks ready."

The annoying lump in Severus's throat wouldn't go away as he nodded. Feeling like he was floating, as this reality didn't seem real enough, Severus eased toward the door and opened it. Tobias motioned for him to go first, so Severus walked through the house and out the back door. He took his place at the front of the gathering, Tobias standing next to him. He felt the eyes of everyone on him, which, combined with his elation and nerves, made Severus uncomfortable. He wondered how it was possible to feel so many emotions at once.

"Relax, Severus," Tobias murmured. "She will step down the aisle in a moment, and everything will be perfect."

The music started. Severus's chest clenched, and his dark eyes locked on the aisle where Lily would be in a minute.

Author's Note: Sorry to leaving you hanging there (well, sort of sorry!), but the next chapter will follow in a couple of days and will pick up right from this point.

I've opened a Cafe Press shop, where you can purchase T-shirts and other merchandise based on this story. It features my original artwork. Check out the link on my profile page or here (remove spaces): http: / www . cafepress . com / sindie