Chapter 28 Elvendork?
Knocked me outta the sky, you're my kryptonite... -One Direction "One Thing"
I tried not to look for James-we weren't supposed to see each other than I walked down the aisle.
"Hey there, Lily-Flower!" My dad said gruffly, which actually meant he was trying not to cry. "Hey, Dad," I grinned, giving him a big hug. "Ready to walk down the aisle?" The man at the front of the church, the wizard who would be saying our vows, was now making his speech of how his wand was the remote for "special effects" something or other. For the sake of the muggles.
"Not for ten to fifteen minutes yet mind you, don't be so anxious," he said, and squeezed me tighter. "You look beautiful," he whispered in my ear. "You're glowing." I seriously considered patting him on the cheek and wishing him a Happy Christmas as I had imagined earlier, but I figured that would be odd with so many people here in front of us waiting to wish me well. Seriously, it was about half the attendance crowded back here-which was not much, mind you, we had about forty in total-but weren't they supposed to wait until after to wish us well?
"Hey Mum," I whispered, and she teared up as she hugged me fiercely. "Is this-is this my veil?" She suddenly cried, taking the veil in her hands.
"Yeah," I nodded, eyes slightly misty. "Something old, you know. And the dress is new."
"And something borrowed...what will that be?"
"All these people, maybe," I smiled. "And blue?"
"Hm...see that flower right there?" She pointed to one of the bouquets up front. I nodded. "There's your something blue. You're all set to go, darling, get ready," she whispered, kissing my cheek. "Good luck."
"Bride! Bride! Where's the bride?" Nadia hissed furiously, grabbing my arm and pulling me down into the line-up. Nadia was the over-zealous muggle wedding planner, and referred to everyone as their place in the wedding. We had discovered this yesterday at rehearsals. 'Bride, you're standing too close to maid of honor! Groom! Back away and stop kissing the bride! Best man! Stop winking at me!' I lined up with my father, and Nadia bustled around some more, her perfectly styled dark hair bouncing as she walked, not a hair out of place. I wondered how she did that without magic, an off-hand part of me thought.
"Are you ready to get married?" Dad leaned in and whispered. The music started, and the first of the bridesmaids and groomsmen started on down the aisle until Marlene and Sirius were the last to go. The piano was playing grandly, and a breeze swept across the river, the sound of the waves lapping gently at the shores in the background.
"I'm ready," I whispered back as little Donna in her white dress and green sash went skipping down the aisle, strewing rose petals to a chorus of "awwww's!"
"Bride!" Nadia hissed. "Your veil, your veil! I'll get it!" She hurried over and adjusted the veil with rapid fingers, setting it so it flowed around me perfectly. The classic bride music started-then the nerves started. What if I walked down the aisle to fast? Too slow? What if I froze and my dad had to drag me along, lifeless? What if I started hyperventilating? What if James decided he didn't want to marry me at the alter-I saw a movie like that once-and ran off, jumping and clicking his heels together as he ran?
"Wait, Dad!" I hissed. "I forgot how fast I was supposed to walk! Is it one-two-three with the beat of the music or is it one-two-three-four with smaller steps? What if James decides he doesn't want to marry me at the al-"
"Lily," my father forced me to look at him just as the attendance stood up, smiling at us eagerly. "Breathe. You are beautiful, and you and James love each other. It's one-two-three. Calm down, you'll never be alone up there, either I've got you, or James does."
"Alright," I whispered, turning around and facing the front. I loved James. As I began to walk, a radiant smile burst over my face, and when James saw me, everything else melted away, as cheesy as that sounded. He looked so handsome-his hair was sticking up every which way, granted, but that was the way I liked it. He grinned like a fool on a couple gallons of love potion, and I supposed I looked the same. My hands stopped shaking, and I no longer felt like I was walking, but gliding. Before I knew it, Dad and I had reached the end of the aisle. He stopped to hug me, and I kissed his cheek. He was obviously trying not to cry, but his eyes were slightly misty.
"Take care of her, now," he said as James came forward to take my hand.
"I will," James nodded solemnly, promising. Dad went down to sit beside Mum, and James led me up to the front. Whatever nerves I had left disappeared. His hand under mine was supporting me. We stopped, and turned to face each other. I would like to say I remembered every word of the vows, but really, James and I were grinning to widely at each other the whole time to notice anyone but the two of us.
"And do you, Lily Katherine, take James Perseus..." He continued talking, and James squeezed my hands reassuringly.
"I do," I said confidently, and Sirius's wink from behind James caught my eye. I grinned at him as well-I think he was a bit startled by the vibrancy of my smile.
"I do," James said as well after the wizard said his part.
"Then I declare you bonded for life," he raised his wand, and shivers erupted all over my body as silver ribbons of light curled around our hands, and birds of paradise appeared, flying over the audience and into the sky. A vine-covered arch appeared, shimmering, over us, and the audience "oooooh'd."
"You may now kiss the bride," the wizard said. James lifted my veil, and bent down to kiss me. I put my hands around his neck and kissed him back, euphoria bubbling up inside of me. When we broke away the audience was cheering, and someone-I suspected Sirius-was cat calling.
"I love you, Mrs. Potter," James whispered in my ear as we embraced.
"I love you too, my husband," I whispered in reply, pulling back and linking my arm through his so we could walk back down the aisle, amongst everyone we loved. We took pictures for a while-I think the photographer actually got rather annoyed with us because James and I kept kissing, and wouldn't let go of each other's hands. The reception was going to be in a very fancy ballroom-Vernon's business was in a partnership with the hotel, and we got it about half off, somehow. I don't know how, for the life of me, Petunia managed to get him to agree to that, but she did.
James and I had rode alone in the carriage, riding in front of the procession of cars-we had told the photographer to buzz off now, he had gotten enough. We just wanted to be alone.
"I can't believe we're married!" James said giddily, resting his forehead on mine, our hands entwined between us. It was getting slightly chilly outside, but it would be warmer in the ballroom.
"Me either!" I grinned widely up at him, and he kissed me again, cupping my face in his hands. "I"m so happy, James!" I squealed once we broke away. I grinned down at the ring on my finger, the simple gold band and white diamond sparkling in the sunlight.
"I have never been happier, love," James sighed, putting his arms around me.
"Same," I agreed whole-heartedly. "Oh, and what's this Elvendork business?" I raised an eyebrow at him.
"Oh, you see-instead of a bachelor party, Sirius and I went flying in the motorcycle, and..."
Flashback
This bit was written by J.K Rowling, not me!
The speeding motorcycle took the sharp corner so fast in the darkness that both policemen in the pursuing car shouted,"Whoa!" Sergeant Fisher slammed his large foot on the brake, thinking that the boy who was riding pillion was sure to be flung under his wheels; however, the motorbike made the turn without seating either of its riders, and with a wink of its red tail lights, vanished up the narrow side street.
"We've got 'em now!" cried PC Anderson excitedly. "That's a dead end!"
Leaning hard on the steering wheel and crashing his gears, Fisher scraped half the paint off the flank of the car as he forced it up the alleyway in pursuit.
There in the headlights sat their quarry, stationary at last after a quarter of an hour's chase. The two riders were trapped between a towering brick wall and the police car, which was now crawling towards them like some growling luminous-eyes predator.
There was so little space between the car doors and the walls of the alley that Fisher and Anderson had difficulty extricating themselves from the vehicle. It injured their dignity to have to inch, crab-like,towards the miscreants. Fisher dragged his generous belly along the wall,tearing buttons off his shirt as he went, and finally snapping off the wing mirror with his backside.
"Get off the bike!" he bellowed at the smirking youths, who sat basking in the flashing blue light as though enjoying it.
They did as they were told, finally pulling free from the broken wing mirror, Fisher glared at them. They seemed to be in their late teens. The one who had been driving had long black hair, his insolent good looks reminded Fisher unpleasantly of his daughter's guitar-playing, layabout boyfriend. The second boy also had black hair, though his was short and stuck up in all directions; he wore glasses and a broad grin. Both were dressed in t-shirts emblazoned with a large golden bird; the emblem, no doubt, of some deafening, tuneless rock band.
"No helmet!" Fisher yelled, pointing from one uncovered head to the other. "Exceeding the speed limit by-by a considerable amount!" (In fact, the speed registered had been greater than Fisher was prepared to accept that any motorcycle could travel.) "Failure to stop for the police!"
"We'd have loved to stop for a chat," said the boy in glasses,"only we were trying-"
"Don't get smart-you two are in a heap of trouble!" snarled Anderson. "Names!"
"Names?" repeated the long-haired driver."Er-Well, let's see. There's Wilberforce…Bathsheba…Elvendork…"
"And what's nice about that one is, you can use it for a boy OR a girl," said the boy in glasses.
"Oh, our names, did you mean?" asked the first, as Anderson spluttered with rage."You should've said! This here is James Potter, and I'm Sirius Black!"
"Things'll be seriously black for you in a minute, you cheek little-"
But neither James nor Sirius was paying attention. They were suddenly as alert as gundogs, staying past Fisher and Anderson, over the roof of the police car, at the dark mouth of the alley. Then, with identical, fluid movements, they reached into their back pockets.
For the space of a heartbeat both policemen imagined guns gleaming at them, but a second later they saw that the motorcyclists had drawn nothing more than-
"Drumsticks?" jeered Anderson. "Right pair of jokers, aren't you? Right, we're arresting you on a charge of–"
But Anderson never got to name the charge. James and Sirius had shouted something incomprehensible, and the beams from the headlights had moved.
The policemen wheeled around, then staggered backwards. Three men were flying-actually flying- up the alley on broomsticks-and at the same moment,the police car was rearing up on its back wheels.
Fisher's knee bucked; as he sat down hard; Anderson tripped over Fisher's legs and fell on top of him, as flump-bang-crunch- they heard the men on brooms slam into the suspended car and fall, apparently insensible, to the ground, while broken bits of broomstick clattered down around them.
The motorbike had roared into life again. His mouth hanging open, Fisher mustered the strength to look back at the two teenagers.
"Thanks very much!" called Sirius over the throb of the engine."We owe you one!"
"Yeah, nice meeting you!" said James. "And don't forget: Elvendork! It's unisex!"
There was an earth-shaking crash, and Fisher and Anderson threw their arms around each other in fright; their car had just fallen back to the ground. Now it was the motorcycle's turn to rear. Before the policemen's disbelieving eyes, it took off into thin air: James and Sirius zoomed away into the night sky, their tail light twinkling behind them like a vanishing ruby.
"Still, I don't think we should name our child Elvendork. Even though it's unisex!" I stopped him, putting a finger to his lips and laughing before he could say it.
"Fine, fine. Lily, do you want kids? Right now, I mean?"
"Do you?"
"I don't know," he said thoughtfully. "I think...I do. I want to start a family with you, Lils." I started grinning uncontrollably. Until James had said it, I hadn't been sure what I wanted. But now I was.
"I want a baby," I whispered. "So long as we don't name it Elvendork."
"We're here," James kissed my cheek and helped me down from the carriage, and we walked inside the doors. The marble floor was pristine, and plants were everywhere, in pots, and on the walls-vines and flowers-there was even a fountain. It was beautiful. A quarter of the room was covered with tables and candles, and the rest was the dance floor. We ate a delicious meal of spaghetti, although we were more laughing at the speeches and stories than actually digesting food. Sirius had stood up-drunk, mind you-and relived in glorious detail of James and my first duel, setting everyone into bouts of laughter, and then Remus stood up right after and told them about how we had galloped down the hall together and that was basically the start of our relationship. Bless his heart.
And then my father stood up and talked, and so did James, and I was sniffling by the end-we ran through a reel of pictures of James and I, which was hard to do, on James's part-we had to undo the moving charm so the muggles wouldn't completely freak out that yes, in fact, James was actually dropping the pudding from the top of the roof at age ten. Then the dancing began-the first song that came on, our first dance as a married couple, was Can't Help Falling In Love, by Elvis. James led me out on the floor and the lights dimmed, the candles surrounding the floor flickering mysteriously. Thankfully they were magically reinforced not to set anything on fire. Everyone clapped, but after that they seemed to disappear-it was just James and I.
"Thank you," I whispered as I put my hand on his shoulder. He put his on my waist, and we joined our other hands and he led me around the floor, whirling and waltzing.
"For what?" He looked at me, confused, his eyes appearing even darker in the light.
"Everything. Growing up...loving me..." I trailed off and rested my head on his chest, closing my eyes in bliss as he wrapped his arms around my back.
"My pleasure," he said in low voice, kissing the top of my head, and then my lips. We were soon joined by more couples, dancing slowly across the floor. Soon my father came to retrieve me for the second dance, shaking hands with James as he passed me off.
"Look what I have," he said in a low voice, smiling slightly as he pulled a pair of glasses-sunglasses-out of his pocket.
"Dad, what-" He put them on, and I saw that they had bits of cotton glued to the bottoms-I threw my head back and laughed, realizing what they were for. He got a lot of appreciative applause for that one-"Aw, Dad, are you crying?" I asked as he smiled, bowing at his invention.
"Of course I am!" He cried as he twirled me. "My youngest daughter is getting married! What do you take me for, some cold, heartless fool?" I laughed again, eyes meeting James as he danced with his mum in front of us.
"No, Daddy," I said, and I think he almost melted at that-I didn't routinely call him "Daddy." But I felt now would be the best time-until, of course, I announced a future pregnancy, whenever that happened-then I would really have to pull out the "Daddy" card, or he might just bludgeon James to death.
"What are you thinking about?" He asked softly, breaking through my thoughts.
"What?" I blushed red immediately, and he looked at me knowingly-at least I think. It was sort of hard to tell when his eyes were covered.
"Are you thinking about becoming a mother?" He said.
"Maybe," I said stubbornly, blushing harder than ever. The song changed into one I didn't know, something faster.
"Grandpa," he sighed. "Can you picture me as a grandpa? I'm much too young!" He cried, pointing to his much-lacking grey hair.
"Dad, you're almost fifty," I felt the need to point out.
"Forty five is closer to forty," he said petulantly. "Do you know how long it took for your mom and I to have Petunia?"
"Erm-no," I said firmly. I wasn't sure I wanted this sort of detail-
"Two years," he said. "Two years of trying. I told Petunia the same thing, just in case it's hereditary, you just have to keep at it, and make sure you don't-"
"Alright Dad, alright!" I cried, putting my hands up in a submissive gesture. "No details, please. I thought you were the one just saying you were much too young to be a grandpa."
"I am!" He said firmly. "But I'm just telling you, Lil."
"Alright, Dad," I sighed, smiling in spite of myself. "I love you."
"I love you too," he said, his voice breaking. "Even though your last name is Potter now."
"Evans is part of my middle name now," I reminded myself. "You made Mom not a Thatcher anymore!" I pointed myself.
"I suppose," he said grudgingly. "Speaking of your mum...I think she wants to dance with you now." He kissed my cheek, and handed me to my mum, who hadn't bothered with the sunglasses and was crying openly.
"Hey Mum," I smiled gently as she took my hands and we spun around like sisters. "I've got to tell you something," I said solemnly, jaw working as I tried to keep myself from bursting out laughing. "I'm pregnant."
"Lily, don't even pull that with me," she rolled her eyes, immediately calling my bluff.
"How did you know I was kidding?" I protested.
"I'm your mum, dear."
"And the grandmother of my future children," I pointed out teasingly.
"Don't grow me up, dear," she rolled her eyes. "It took two years to try for Petunia, but less to make you."
"I know-Dad already told me, no need to go into details," I said quickly, stopping before she could tell me anything I really didn't want to hear.
"Alright, alright. Are you sure you don't want your father and I to come along on your honeymoon? I could cook, he could mow-"
"There's no lawn to mow, mum."
"Alright...but..." The gears in her brain worked as she tried to come up with some excuse to come along.
"Let's put it this way-how would you have liked Grandma Patty to come along on your and Dad's honeymoon?"
"Good point. I'm just joking dear, I'm sure you and James want some time alone," she smiled, and Remus tapped her on the shoulder.
"May I borrow the bride?" He asked cordially, and my mother handed me over with one last hug.
"Enjoying yourself?" I asked as he took my hand. He looked at the peak of his health-James and I had planned the wedding exactly in between the full moons.
"Very much so."
"Going to ask any pretty girls to dance?" I teased.
"I just did," he teased back.
"Come on Remus, a single one. An unmarried one. Cause I'm married!" I felt the need to tell him, grinning broadly. "I'm really married to James!" I exclaimed, hugging him and laughing.
"Are you in shock?" He teased.
"No, I'm just so, so happy. Remus, you've got to get married, it will make you happier than ever, I promise," I told him, my eyes gleaming. "I feel just-just giddy."
"I can tell," he laughed, eyes scanning the room.
"And don't you say a single word of not wanting to endanger someone with your furry little problem. If they're the right one, they won't care," I said solemnly.
"I know," he said back just as solemnly.
"So promise me you won't mess it up with the right one when she does come along," I said firmly, raising an eyebrow. He rolled his eyes. "Remus," I said seriously. "Promise me," I pleaded. "You're so good-you shouldn't have to live alone."
"Fine...I promise."
"Good. I would ask you to promise to keep your promise, but really, if I continued down that path, I think we all know I could go all night," I said as we narrowly avoided crashing into my Aunt Odette and her husband. "Hey Odette, hey Milton," I grinned and waved at the couple. They smiled back, wishing me well.
"I know you could," he chuckled, and before I knew it, he was handing me off to Sirius.
"Hey Black," I teased, then ruffling James's hair from behind as he was dancing with Alice.
"Hey Evans," he said, smiling back.
"Think again."
"Oh right-you're Potter now, aren't you?" He said with mock surprise. "Good thing I don't call you both by your last names, that'd get confusing. Tell me, when am I going to be an uncle?" He wondered bluntly, wiggling his eyebrows.
"What-Sirius!" I spluttered, going quite red, though this wasn't the first time I had been talked to about that subject tonight.
"What?" He asked innocently. "James and I are practically brothers."
"Yes, well, you'll be the first to know," I rolled my eyes.
"I'm honored you'd do that, but wouldn't James want to know first?" He wondered sarcastically.
"Fine, you'll be the tenth to know," I rolled my eyes, socking him on the shoulder.
"Tenth?!" His eyes bugged out. "I've been demoted!" He cried dramatically, clutching his heart.
"Yes, well," I smiled serenely. "When it does happen...I'm sure you'll be the godfather, Sirius, James and I wouldn't have anybody else," I told him truthfully as a slow smile lit up his whole face.
"Oh, thanks a ton, Lil! I'll teach him to ride my flying motorcycle, play Quidditch-he's going to be a damn good player, I just know it-I'm going to get him a broom-"
"What? A baby on a broom? And a flying motorcycle?" I asked skeptically.
"Lils, they make kiddie brooms. That go about two feet in the air."
"Two feet is a long way to fall if that's how tall you are," I told him dryly. "How would you like to fall six feet?" (A.N-yes I know, wrong conversions...)
"You can charm it to go one, but where's the fun in that?" He cried. James's dad appeared behind him and I began to dance with him, and then his mum. Both of whom hinted about becoming grandparents. I danced with Peter as well, though he seemed rather twitchy, and almost-guilty. It was odd. And then Dorcas, and Emmy, and Alice, and Marlene. Also Aunt Odette and Uncle Milton. And then James took me up again.
"Has just about everyone been talking to you about babies as well?" I wondered, causing his grin to widen.
"Every single person I danced with. Marlene has claims on godmother of our first, Emmy on our second, Alice on our third and Dorcas on our fourth."
"That's a lot of kids," I laughed, eyes widening at the prospect.
"Lots of love," James said, kissing me. "But if you think that's a lot of kids, you should hear Sirius's idea-he wants fourteen, for Quidditch you know, seven on each side." He chuckled at the thought, shaking his head. "Besides...in these times, we want as much time as we can get." He said on a much more serious note.
"You're right," I agreed gravely. We could pretend to ignore it, we could pretend that this was a normal wedding in normal times-but we were eighteen. We loved each other more than anything, but if Voldemort didn't exist, we probably would have dated another few years before marriage. I didn't mind at all, in fact, I wouldn't have done it any other way, but it pained me just to think how much influence Voldemort had. He was making people rush into things-and that was the nicest thing I could say about him.
The reception lasted well into the night, ending at almost midnight-after we changed back into our regular clothes, James and I were seen off in a flurry of hugs, tears, and well-wishers. We held hands and ran to the car through everyone's good byes, laughing and waving. James picked me up and spun me, bridal style, and we hopped into the cab that would take us to the airport-neither of us had ever flown in an airplane, and both rather wanted to try it. We turned back and waved through the window until all was left were the winking lights of the street.
"Welcome to married life, love," James said, kissing my hand and wrapping his arms around me.
"You too," I giggled, kissing him. The cab driver rolled his eyes at us, but sort of smiled as well. "I love you," I said, and felt like I was practically overflowing with emotion. We didn't let each other go once.