16
The Evans'
" Lily open the door" Doe said knocking on her bedroom door. Lily didn't answer but she could hear soft crying through the door. Doe had been staying at Lily's for the past few days and Lily had just had a horrible fight with Petunia, causing her to disappear in her room.
" No luck yet?" Marlene asked, she had just gotten to Lily's this morning.
" Not yet," Doe told her knocking on the door again.
" Let me try" Mary said walking over to the door, " Come on Lily let us in, Petunia's a git"
The door opened and a very upset looking Lily let them into her room. Her eyes were wide and watery.
" Why does she have to be so evil?" Lily asked angrily, pacing back and forth in her room.
Mary and Doe sat down on the edge of her bed.
" She's a jealous bitch" Marlene said laying herself down across Lily's chair, " who cares what she thinks?"
" Marlene's right" Doe told her, " Petunia is just jealous so she's rude to you on purpose"
" I just can't take it sometimes" Lily said sitting down on the floor and running a brush through her hair, " I never do anything to her"
She brought her knees to her chest and looked frustrated.
" Lily, what are these?" Mary said holding up a stack of letters that had been secured together with a rubber band.
Lily's eyes widened and her face turned as red as her hair.
" These are from Amos Diggory" Mary read from the front of the letter.
Amos Diggory was a very attractive Hufflepuff boy in their year. He was on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team and many of the girls in Hufflepuff swooned over him.
" Give me those" Lily said diving for the stack of letters.
Mary handed them to Marlene who was out of Lily's grasp.
" Lily there are a lot of them" Marlene said handing them to Doe.
" You two have been writing to each other all summer?" Doe asked.
Lily crossed her arms, looking even more embarrassed " Yes and?".
Mary, Marlene, and Doe all exchanged glances.
" Well everyone knows he's got a thing for you Lily" Doe told her.
Lily rolled her eyes, " He does not".
" Remus doesn't even write me this much" Doe told her weighing the large stack in her hand.
" And strangely, " Mary said, " You've kept them all?"
Lily raised an eyebrow, " Yes so?"
" You like him," Marlene said rolling onto her stomach.
" So what if I do?" Lily asked, her whole face pink with embarrassment.
Marlene grinned, " Lily's going to slum it with a Hufflepuff"
" Marlene that's ridiculous not all Hufflepuff's are useless" Doe told her.
" They happen to be loyal and kind" Lily said, " and not arrogant mischievous toerags"
" You mean not James Potter?" Doe asked her.
" No," she snapped, " I wasn't thinking about James"
" Uh huh, sure you weren't" Mary said.
" I wasn't" Lily said staring hard at them.
" Well either way, James will be crushed" Marlene added.
" Good," Lily snapped.
" Speaking of the marauders," Doe said turning to Marlene, " I had quite an interesting conversation with Sirius about you"
Marlene sat upright, " Excuse me?"
I smiled, " Well he thinks you're cute and I think he'd definitely be interested in you"
" Are you kidding me? That's not a funny joke, Meadowes" Marlene warned.
" I'm not kidding, he told me that last week" Doe said defensively.
" Alright, that's it. I need a boy" Mary said crossing her arms.
" You know Benjy Flitwick likes you" Marlene told her.
" Yeah but it's Benjy" Mary said.
Benjy Flitwick was known only for his love of charms. He rarely talked about anything else.
Marlene laughed, " Well better that than a Slytherin".
Mary shrugged, " He may evil to the core, but Rabastan Lestrange is very attractive"
" Too bad he's got a thing for Doe" Lily said eyeing her dark haired friend with a wink.
Doe made a disgusted noise from her spot on the bed. She hated Rabastan Lestrange with every fiber of her being.
She rolled my eyes, " I'd rather eat my own tongue"
" There's always Rodolphus, he's cute too" Marlene said.
Mary shuddered, " He's worse than Rabastan"
" Plus, I'm pretty sure Bellatrix has got her claws in him" Doe reminded her.
" But then again, " Marlene said, " What Slytherin hasn't she been with?"
" I wonder if Narcissa is that bad?" Lily asked.
" She's only a fourth year, " Mary said, " it's too early to tell".
The four girls sat in Lily's room gossiping until they ran out of topics.
Being back with her friends was like being back at Hogwarts again for Doe. They were her family, and she couldn't wait until they would all be back at castle ready to spend the year together again.
They spent most of their few days together at the Evans' just hanging out in Lily's room avoiding Petunia. She and her boyfriend Vernon were always around, and looked for any excuse to degrade Lily and her friends.
Vernon was a smug loud boy who worked for a drill company, Petunia was always going on about what an entrepreneur he was. It drove Marlene insane.
Lily's house was a muggle house, but with all of them in it it felt like they were once again sitting in the common room.
Early Saturday morning, Doe had her bag packed and ready to leave.
" Aw, Doe. Don't leave, just stay. " Lily said hugging her tightly.
" Lil, I have to go. I promised Sirius I'd go with him to his cousin's wedding" Doe said pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.
" I'd like to remind you that we were friends first" Lily said crossing her arms, her lip pouting.
" Actually, Sirius and I were friends when we were little" Doe reminded her.
" That's not the point," Lily said sadly.
" Aw Lil, I'll see you on the 28th, to go buy our stuff in Diagon Alley okay?" Doe told her.
" Fine" She said throwing her arms around her.
" Bye guys" Doe said hugging Marlene and Mary.
She waved goodbye once more and went out to where her mom was waiting in the car.
Lily's house was a muggle one, and didn't have a floo powder connection, and her father was at home working so her only way to get home was the car that her mom owned.
It was buick and she was the only one who used it. Doe had only been in it a few times and it was always before she had turned eleven. Riding in it for too long made her uncomfortable.
" How was Lily's?" Her mom asked.
" It was fine" Doe told her, trying to focus on the scenery outside of the window.
" I like Lily's neighborhood" her mom said.
'Of course you do, not a wizard in sight' Doe thought to herself.
The ride back to where they lived was an hour long. The constant moving and vibration of the car put Doe on edge. As soon as they parked behind the building, she practically threw herself out of the car and up the stairs into the house.
" Hi dad" she called into the open doors of his office.
" Hello, Doe. Did you have fun at Lily's?" He asked.
She nodded, " Yeah it was great to see her"
She went upstairs into my room and closed the door behind her. It always felt strange coming back home after being away, even if it was only for a few days.
She opened the door to her closet and dug in the back trying to find one of the few dresses that she owned. She pulled out a melon colored one that was sleeveless and flowed around her knees.
She was surprisingly really excited to go. She had never been to a wedding before, muggle or magical, and Marlene told her that magical weddings were always quite an affair. There was magic everywhere and the ceremony was always really beautiful.
Deciding It would be better to be presentable, she fixed her hair, securing it in a low bun on the back of her neck.
She slipped on the dress, five minutes before she heard Sirius knock on the front door.
" Oh Sirius, don't you look dashing" her mother called from downstairs.
She heard Sirius chuckle. " Well seeing as Andy is the only family I like, I figured it would be nice to look decent"
" I'll be right down" Doe called over the landing, almost tripping down the stairs.
When she walked into the living room, she saw Sirius sitting in one of their chairs. He was dressed in black dressrobes, his hair had even been styled.
She eyed him curiously, " You don't even shower on a regular basis, this is weird." she told him.
" Dorcas!" her mother chastised shrilly.
But Sirius wasn't offended, he threw his head back in laughter, " You look nice too, Meadowes"
She rolled my eyes at him, " Are you ready?".
" I am," Sirius said getting up from the chair.
The wedding was at the the Tonk's house in the village, so she and Sirius were going to floo there.
Doe grabbed a handful of floo powder from the box and so did Sirius. She let him go first. He dropped a handful of floo powder into the fireplace and said " Tonks Manor". She watched the flames wrap themselves around him and saw him disappear.
She dropped her own powder and said very clearly " Tonks Manor".
The flames engulfed her and she thought she did something wrong because instantly she felt herself shoved against twelve other people, cramped in a very tight space. Sirius was pushed right against her left side and there were people on all sides of her.
" Goodness me, HAROLD, it's stuck again. Too many people coming by floo" a voice called from somewhere close.
More people had flooed in and now there was barely breathing room in the fireplace. Sirius and Doe were pressed against each other desperately hoping no one else flooed in.
She felt a shift as the people closest to the entrance left the fireplace, and left room for the rest of them to file out.
" You okay?" Sirius asked while they entered into a grand foyer. Doe nodded.
" Names?" Someone asked, it was a young man dressed in serving attire. He carried a list names in his hand.
" Sirius Black and guest" Sirius said handing him an invitation from inside his robes.
Doe stared around at the massive house, while Sirius signed into a guest book. The house was huge, it was unlike anything she had ever seen.
" Sorry about the fireplace" Sirius said, " It's a muggle house, they just had it installed for the wedding"
" Don't worry about it" She assured him.
She followed Sirius outside to the garden where a majority of the guests were gathered,
" Right Ted is muggle-born" she remembered.
Sirius nodded, " hence the reason none of Andromeda's family will be here"
" None of them?" she asked.
Sirius shook his head, " I think I am the only Black here"
" I'm afraid you're not the only blood traitor Black here dear Nephew," someone said behind them.
Standing behind them was a tall dark haired man who looked a lot like Sirius but with quite a bit of facial hair.
" Uncle Alphard, I didn't know you were coming" Sirius said.
Alphard shrugged, " I have already scorned the name Black, why not celebrate it with dear little Andromeda".
" Doe, this my uncle Alphard, the other black sheep of the Blacks" Sirius said.
" Doe Meadowes" She said shaking his hand.
" I'm surprised you've brought someone here with you," Alphard said, " our family laundry is not something you usually like to air"
Sirius shrugged, " Doe grew up across the street. She knows the ridiculousness of the Black clan firsthand"
Alphard nodded, " Ah yes, the little girl with the muggle mom. Auberon's daughter"
" That would be me" Doe said bitterly.
" My dear sister wouldn't even let you in the house, If I remember correctly" Alphard said.
" Something like that" she said softly.
" Well I'm going to go find the bar, if you'll excuse me" Alphard said and strode away.
" He was..nice" Doe told Sirius, struggling to find a word that explained him correctly.
Sirius smiled, " He's an odd one, but he isn't like the rest of the family, he's a Slytherin but he doesn't detest muggles like the rest of them".
They walked out to where the altar was set up. There was a magical fountain that kept spewing little heart shaped bubbles, and an enchanted drink cart that kept refilling itself. She could easily see where Ted's family was. They all were staring at the magical decorations in awe. She couldn't imagine how exciting it must be to be seeing this all for the first time.
" Come on," Sirius said, " Let's go find Andromeda".
He started leading her to a small cottage that was off to the side.
" Sirius, she's getting ready, I'm sure she doesn't want to be bothered" Doe told him.
Sirius shook his head. " Nonsense" and grabbed her arm pulling her over to the door to where they were all getting ready.
Sirius knocked once and a blonde bridesmaid opened the door, " Oh Andromeda it's your devilishly handsome cousin Sirius" she said with a large smile.
" Hello, Helena" Sirius said with a wide smile, narrowing his eyes in a way he always did when he was flirting. Doe had to resist the urge to snort.
" Tell him to come in" a voice called from inside the room.
Helena opened the door wide enough so that both Sirius and Doe could come in.
There were six girls all dressed in pink bridesmaids dresses and in the corner was Andromeda. She looked breathtaking. Her hair was pulled into a long braid and she was dressed in a short sleeve ball gown that made her look angelic.
" Sirius, you're here" She said smiling brightly.
" I wouldn't miss this for the world" Sirius said pulling her into a tight hug.
" You really look stunning, Andy" he said when they broke apart.
She smiled, " I'm really happy".
She looked over to where I was, " Doe is that you?".
" Yeah, it's me." she said coming over to her. She hugged me tightly.
" You look beautiful" she told her.
" Aw thank you," she gushed, " I didn't know you were coming. Are you Sirius' date?"
" I dragged her along with me" Sirius said through laughter, " She thought she was intruding"
Andromeda frowned, " No, of course not. I'm so glad you're here. You can keep Sirius company so he doesn't sleep with one of my bridesmaids"
Sirius winked at her from the corner.
Doe laughed, " I'll keep a watch on him".
Sirius walked over to Andromeda, " Andy, I just want you to know that I'm really proud of you for doing this, and not to worry about who isn't here"
Andromeda's eyes softened, " Thank you, I love you, Sirius. You and Alphard are all I need"
Sirius patted her on the shoulder, " Were going to go. Don't trip down the aisle"
Andromeda smacked him lightly on the arm, " Well thanks for putting that out there"
Sirius laughed and led Doe out of there.
" That was really sweet" she told him when they headed over to where are seats were.
Sirius grinned, " All for the bridesmaids, Helena is one nice piece of-"
" You're a pig" she said shaking my head.
" I'm kidding"
" I know"
They sat down in two seats in the front. They were beginning to fill up fast.
After a few moments, Ted and the groomsmen stood at the altar, which had been lined with pixies.
Music then began to play, she turned and watched as all of the bridesmaids slowly began to make there way to the altar.
Then the music got slower and Andromeda came down the aisle on the arm of Alphard.
She looked absolutely beautiful. The entire ceremony was beautiful. Ted looked at Andromeda with a look so full of love and admiration that it made her want to cry.
When they were finally pronounced Husband and wife, the erupting clapping was so loud it seemed as if all of England could hear it.
The reception was something else that was very interesting.
The weird sisters, a magical witch band, had been hired to play and it seemed as if everyone was engaged in either dancing or loud, laughter-filled conversations.
" Well if it isn't Hogwarts residential troublemaker" Professor McGonagall said coming over to Sirius.
She and Dumbledore had been seated a few seats away from them.
" Hello Minnie" Sirius said with a wide grin.
" Hello Mr. Black, Ms. Meadowes" Dumbledore said greeting them with a soft smile.
" It was a beautiful ceremony, wasn't it" Doe said to the two of them, still shocked by the sight of her teacher and headmaster in such a non-school setting.
Dumbledore nodded, " It's so refreshing to see that even in our current climate, love will always trump the divide between magic and muggle. Something I think would do well for us all to remember"
" And I agree" Professor McGonagall stated, " I will see you two at the start of the term".
When they had disappeared into the crowd, Sirius turned to Doe " Well that was bloody weird".
Doe nodded, " Extremely"
They walked around, occasionally noticing a few people that they knew.
" You know, " Sirius said after a while, " I think I may actually ask out Marlene this year".
" I think you should" Doe told him, " worst case scenario, you guys don't like each other"
Sirius grinned, " I doubt that'll happen. Beautiful people get along well"
" Sirius Black, always the modest one" she said sarcastically.
" Now I'd like everyone to join Mr. & Mrs. Ted Tonks on the dance floor for their first official dance as husband and wife" Helena said into the microphone.
" Come on, let's dance" Sirius said offering Doe his hand.
" I am not coordinated enough to dance" she told him remaining seated.
" Well lucky for you, I'm coordinated enough for both of us" Sirius said dragging her over to the dance floor.
They got to the dance floor and she took his hand. Doe had always been rubbish at dancing, so she let Sirius lead. She was surprised to find that he was actually decent.
" I still can't believe none of Andromeda's family showed up" she said with a shake of her head.
" It doesn't surprise me at all" Sirius said, " that's how they all are. Regulus wouldn't even go"
" Im sure she's glad that you came" Doe told him.
" I'm glad I did," Sirius said.
" It's really great that she still loves him despite how she grew up" she said as he spun her out.
" I hope to be the same way" Sirius said.
" You will" she told him, " you're nothing like your family, Sirius"
Sirius flashed her a sincere smile, " You know what, Meadowes? Thank you"