Hey guys! I'm sorry about the waits in between these chapters, I thought I would take the approach of long chapters every so often. I'd be interested to hear what you thought of this chapter, I know there's been a lot of drinking so far, but I promise it's going to calm down on that front. Anyway, please review if you liked it (or not). Thanks, Rosiboze

Chapter 3

Lily stood chewing her tongue, arms crossed and toes wriggling impatiently. James caught up with her outside the enormous double oak doors where they were to enter their reception an banquet.

One of Lily's mothers Lady in waiting came to instruct the couple. Lily recognised her as Beatrice Runcorn.

"Now dears, you're going to enter through the doors and make your way down the centre aisle of the tables. Remember to circle around the right side of the head table and come to sit together. Princess on the left, Prince on the right. Ok? So Prince, take her arm, that's it. No, no, come a little closer together. You can't appear as though you detest each other!" James tried to hold in a burst of laughter. Lily did not seem impressed.

"After the banquet, the hall shall be exited and there shall be a short interlude between the banquet and the ball. At the ball you are expected to open the dance, I hope that you both know a waltz?" The both of them nodded. Normally, Lily would have been excited by a dance, especially a waltz. The waltz was one she practised with Sev. James on the other hand hated dancing. Not only due to his two left feet, but also the fact that dancing wasn't in his eyes getting to know someone or really engaging with them. He was always too focused on the steps than speaking to the person he was dancing with. He supposed that was a good thing in this situation.

"Right! It is time! Now smile, and stand close, that's it!" Beatrice gave a satisfied smile as James shuffled closer to Lily's side.

The large doors swung open before them and were greeted with the sight of 350 people, all of noble blood all dressed in their finery applauding the newly weds as they entered the hall. The couple seated themselves at the head table as instructed. Only once the couple had sat down, the guests seated themselves and helped themselves to the banquet before them.

The banquet lasted around three hours before the guests politely gave their congratulations to the couple, before exiting through the oak doors to prepare themselves for the ball. Throughout the banquet, the newly weds didn't speak to each other much at all, instead making the most f the time they did not have to socialise.

It was about half past 6 by the time all the guests had wished them well and the couple were free to spend some time with each other in a large drawing room for an hour before the ball at 7:30, time of course for dressing in new decadent outfits. They walked about three feet apart on their way to the chamber, in awkward silence. They came to sit in the extravagantly spacious drawing room. In the corner was a piano and stool, and opposite a love-seat and two large arm chairs. Lily sat on the love-seat, spreading herself out as much as possible. James sat on one of the chairs. As he let his eyes travel the room, he spotted a cabinet of spirits and liquors. An idea sparked in his mind and a plan formed. Perhaps she would loosen up once she had a bit of alcohol in her. He made his way over to the gilded cabinet and undid the latch.

"Oh no, you don't!" Cried Lily, sitting up. "This is no time to get drunk!"

"Relax, I'm just going to have a glass, just to loosen up a little. You should too, you seem so uptight, and I don't know, knotted..." Lily secretly thought this was quite an accurate analogy and did admit she really wanted a drink. Just a glass of cognac looked as if it would do a lot.

James poured himself a generous glass. He had put out another glass beside it but did not fill it. Yet.

He slowly sipped the golden liquid and relished in its immediate effects. He felt Lily's eyes on him and gave a gasping sigh of satisfaction.

"Pour me one will you," she muttered. He grinned at her.

"Don't be too proud, I'm only having one glass. Today has been rather a lot to take in."

"There you go..." He said through curled lips at his own genius. Their hands touched ever so slightly and she felt as though a spider was scuttling from the point of contact right her to her chest. It was an odd sensation.

Lily took the glass and took a large gulp. James had only poured her a small one knowing that way she would ask for another. He himself had already finished and was pouring himself another.

"I thought you said you were only having one?" Lily exclaimed, a little bit of cognac dribbling down her chin. James had to stop himself laughing.

"Turns out today need a few more glasses to wash it down." He took a gulp of his fresh glass. Lily had now finished her first. She looked at the bottle then at her glass. What the heck,she thought, forgetting her low threshold to intoxication.

"I feel the same, pour me another, slightly larger this time."

"If you wish you majesty..." James simpered, already a little tipsy.

They sat in silence as they wallowed with their alcohol and own thoughts. The only thing they said to each other for a while was 'pour another glass', until Lily spoke. James was surprised at her starting the conversation but decided not to point this out.

"You know, I recognise you from last night."

"Do you now..." James challenged, a butterfly fluttering in his stomach. She did recognise him.

"Yeah, you didn't tell on us."

"Ah I might vaguely remember," he taunted, of course he remembered. It wasn't a sight he would forget easily. Three beautiful girls, drunk and out of their minds giggling their way loudly downstairs.

"But my question is," said Lily slyly. "What were you doing out of bed at that hour?" Ah, thought James. That wasn't something he was willing to say.

"Well that's a tough question, one I probably can't even answer myself."

"Oh. I thought there was going to a much more horrid and disturbing reason." Lily said appearing disappointed. Silence returned to the two of them. Time passed slowly until it came to seven o'clock and they were whisked away to be dressed. James went without a care, but Lily was a little nervous that the maids would notice she was a little tipsy. However this was hard to hide, after all she had already had four glasses. James had had five but he seemed a lot more used to alcohol that Lily. Ugh, he was so hard to read, thought Lily as her maids undressed her and clothed her in her evening dress, a grey satin garment that was low cut at the front and was slightly less full than her wedding dress. She watched as her wedding dress was carried away.

"Where's it going?" Cried Lily without thinking, her mind clouded with drink.

"Don't worry your majesty, it is being taken to your carriage that is awaiting you after the ball for when ever you wish to depart for your castle in the Gryffindor valleys." Explained one maid who was round faced and rosy cheeked. Lily felt a jealousy of the young girl swarm like a cloud of bees in her chest. She didn't have to get married by force. She didn't have to move away into the country by herself. She didn't have to marry what's-his-name who's fault it was she was brain dead because of alcohol!

Lily looked to the ground, her chest rising and falling steadily, trying to calm herself. Tonight already, she would be staying in a castle so far from home with an almost stranger. This felt so wrong and strange. Maybe it was because she was hormonal or she didn't have control of herself, but she felt like crying. The maids continued their work on her hair and makeup, but looked anxiously at each other noticing the tears in their mistresses eyes.

In came to 7:25 and Lily was ready. She had managed to keep the tears from spilling like an avalanche down her cheeks, but her nose still stung and her eyes still pricked.

She met with James just outside the ballroom. He had changed too, into a navy tail coat and waistcoat.

Lily blinked and felt herself needing another drink a she noticed just how dashing he looked. He blinked as well. She felt his eyes travel down from her face and down and down until they reached the hem of her dress touching the floor. Lily gulped and blushed under his gaze but stared adamantly into his hazel eyes, wrapping her silver grey fur shawl around her shoulders tightly. James took her gloved arm and tried not to sway from the drink as he walked into the hall.

The evening was, shall we say an interesting one. I as a writer could try and explain what was so hysterically funny about the baron Samuel van Malten's hair cut, or lady Camilla Teroys shoes, but unless you were there and as intoxicated as Lily was, none of it would make the slightest sense to you or me.

After the newly weds first dance, Lily seemed to think the best way of coping through the rest of the day and the evening ahead of her was to down as many champagnes that came her way. It was the difficult and tedious job of her husband to switch her full glasses for empty ones, or dilute them with water. He himself had almost completely sobered up from their little binge in the drawing room by taking large gulps of water. This did unfortunately leave him desperate to go to the toilet, and at the same time, unwilling to leave Lily unless she gravely disgraced herself.

This was a difficult situation, but James was coping. He wanted to leave soon. It was becoming hard work, trying to convince the guests that she was just a little over excited. This was particularly tricky when she screamed in happiness when he saw her two bestfriends, Samantha and Marlene. Luckily they were soon asked to dance by tall Hufflepuff men, and Lily calmed down a little.

"Isn't this just a wonderful day?" Exclaimed the young girl, gazing up at James, her slightly dazed expression almost evoking a smile from him. He sighed and decided there and then that it was time to go. He felt a little sorry for her, she was being displayed and her parents hadn't come over to see her once, they were too busy socialising with important lords and barons.

"Hey, Lily, I think it's time to go..."

He murmured in her ear. She blinked a couple of times, as though shocked he would ask such a thing.

"But, we're having so much fun! Besides they're coming round with another tray of champagne..."

"Precisely why I think now's a good time to leave. Come on. Lily. Let's go." James linked arms with her and bade the lords and ladies good night on his way to the door. Lily waved and hiccupped at a few people and managed to keep her mouth shut. Luckily, she didn't seem that drunk to anyone else, they all seemed to think she was just a little excited. She surprisingly, didn't sound slurred at all, and had been able to keep most of he pronunciation pretty good, only every now and again she would hiccup. Her legs were wobbling slightly but James kept a steady arm and she clung to it. He could tell she was hammered. She wouldn't be clinging to him so tightly if it weren't for the drink. They had almost reached the door when Amelia and George, Lily's parents came to wish them goodnight and bid them goodbye. Her mother bumped cheeks with her daughter and pursed her lips. She could evidently detect something was slightly off. Her father on the other hand was so intoxicated himself that he didn't even notice she was standing right before him.

James, gripping Lily's arm tightly steered her away from her parents. They were waved off by a gathering of eager guests as they clambered into the stagecoach that was to take them to their country house.

James let out a huge sigh of relief as he finally collapsed beside his wife. She was chattering away about something or other, but James wasn't listening. He was too tired and the overwhelming day had got the better of him, he slowly drifted off into an uncomfortable sleep.

James was awoken by a sudden bang at around 11 thirty at night. They had been in the coach for around an hour and a half. James jumped awake from a strange dream about the Death Eaters. They had were ambushing a young rotund, sandy haired man. He had tried to stop them but they didn't seem able to hear him. They finally managed to stun the young man and he fell in such a way that James just managed to catch his face (a face he distantly recognised) before he woke up from the bang. There was another loud bang like a gunshot, this time reciprocated with a cry. James removed a sleeping Lily off his shoulder and peered through the window. There were flashes of light bursting through the trees as the coach picked up speed. They couldn't- they couldn't be being attacked? James quickly checked that Lily was soundly asleep before opening the door of the coach just enough to speak to the driver.

"Sire!" The driver cried. "Sire get back inside, I fear the worst! I fear they are Deatheaters!"

"Travel as quickly as possible! The sooner we make it to the castle the better! We will be safe there!"

"Of course! Now sire please protect yourself and your wife, stay inside!"

James quickly shut the door of the carriage and turned to see a drowsy Lily looking up groggily at him.

"Is there something wrong?" She murmured.

How much had she heard?

"Nothing, honestly. We're fine, just a bump in the road, go back to sleep."

She didn't need telling twice, the alcohol still had its grasp on her and she fell back into a deep sleep. Seeing as she wasn't conscious, James thought it was safe to rest her head on his lap. He couldn't fall asleep again, he kept on replaying the eery bangs, and thinking about what the Deatheaters intentions had been.

It was late by the time Lily and James arrived at their new house.

Lily had woken up and was still pretty much off her head even though she had slept for about two hours. James helped her up the steps of the large house. Is was a creamy white building, tall and turreted, with large arched windows in rows and the large front steps up to the door were wide and elegant. The doors were opened for them and they entered a beautiful entrance hall with marble floors and a sweeping staircase that led to the many upper floors. The halls were dark, and James could tell that there weren't many people up. They made their way up to their chambers, James hauling Lily up the staircase. The door to their chamber on the second floor was opened by a maid and they entered, James half dragging Lily inside. It was a beautiful room, the bed was in another apartment of the room, a king size four poster, draped with white linen, the sheets made from white silk and scattered with pink rose petals (James thought that was a bit cheesy) and the sheer linen curtains fluttered in the breeze from an open window.

"Goodnight, your majesties," said the maid as she shut the door with a knowing smile. James let go of Lily's shoulder and went to close the open window, he didn't think the floor would be too warm. Just then, James spun around as he heard a crash from behind a door, which must have been Lily. He groaned.

"Lily? You okay?"

"Oh yeah, I'm fine, I'm just freshening up in the bathroom!" She called from behind the door.

Freshening up? What did she mean? James was utterly confused and also filled with a slight dread.

He heard another loud crash and knocked on the door.

"Are you sure you're alright Lily?"

"Yeah I just- I can't- can you-"

"Lil-?"

The door swung open and Lily stood with her back facing him, the lacing of her dress in a great tangle. Oh, he thought. Freshening up; Lily really had drunk a lot.

"Undo the dress, James," She cried, in frustration as he stood there in shock for a few seconds.

"Um Lily, I don't think you actually want to do this-"

"Of course I do! You're my husband now, we have to have lots of lovely children and this is our wedding night!"

"No Lily, I, er you may want to do this, but I can't. You're drunk, Lily."

"Am not!"

"Lily believe me, you are."

She turned around to face him. Her eyes pleading in a puppy dog fashion.

"Please be a good husband?"

"Lily, no, you'll regret this tomorrow. Just calm down and promise you won't do anything stupid. You've had a lot of champagne."

"Fine..." Lily grumbled. "But I need to take the dress off anyway to get my pyjamas on, so can you pleasey pleasey please undo my dress?"

"Alright, turn around." James fumbled with the ties as his fingers shook, trying to avoid contact with her skin, as each time he touched her undoing a particularly difficult knot, he felt she was going to turn and pounce on him.

Finally he untangled the last tie.

"There you go, best drink some water and sleep, you're gonna have a rough morning tomorrow..."

James said this as he took a spare sheet from one of the wardrobes and laid it on the hard cold floor, taking off his boots and jacket so he was in his cotton shirt and navy woollen suit trousers.

Lily hadn't moved from where she was standing, apart from having turned around to watch what he was doing.

"Aren't you gonna put your pjs on?" He asked, nervously. She was so unpredictable in this state, he just wanted to settle down on his makeshift bed and forget all about the Deatheaters, his wedding, how his plan to make her loosen up was making him pay now, and overall the past day.

"Why are you putting that duvet on the floor?" She asked slightly emotionally. James took a few cautious steps towards her. What was she trying to do?

"Um, it's where I'm sleeping, I mean we only met today, I dot know if it would be appropria-" but before he could finish, Lily lunged and kissed him full on the lips, moving her mouth desperately, pushing him back as he tried to pull away. Finally, he did manage to pull away and instead of trying to kiss him again, as he had expected her to, he was surprised to see she had lowered her head and her shoulders began to shake violently as she began to cry. Her hands covered her face, trying to hide her blotchy red eyes.

James, still in slight shock, took her into an embrace without out really thinking. He rubbed her back comfortingly. He stroked her hair softly. He knew he had to be sympathetic. This was exactly what he felt like doing so he just held her and comforted her. She cried into his chest and James felt his shirt becoming damp, but he didn't let go, he just held her and whispered reassurance.