Chapter 3

Snape woke up and immediately regretted everything he had put in his stomach in the last 24 hours.

His cheeks bulged with the morning greeting of nausea as he sat bolt up right, ignoring the avalanche in his head to find a receptacle to deposit the contents of his stomach in.

A bucket appeared under his nose and immediately he vomited magnificently into it.

Breathing heavily, he dragged his head up to look who had been kind enough to rescue him from a soggy lap and saw Sirius sat there on a wooden stool, grinning inanely.

"Morning buttercup." he grinned and took a sip of the tea.

"…Black?…" he said groggily.

"You got…" he paused for emphasis. "-Quaffled last night."

"…I feel it." Snape said, rubbing his head and loosening his already loose tie. "…What did I do?"

"Well…" Sirius began, walking over slowly, his shoes making an unbearable 'clunk-clunk-clunk' on the bare wooden floor. "First you challenged Hagrid to an arm wrestling match, which you lost, you then went over to the three broomsticks, and organized a tug of war between the two pubs using unicorn hair-I was surprised to see you shave those unicorns yourself actually. Then when everyone else had drunk enough, you disapparated to a muggle town and brought back pizza."

"I did WHAT?!"

"Just yanking your wand. Drink this."

Sirius handed over the small bottle that he had recovered from Snape's jacket last night.

Snape squinted at it and nodded before knocking it back in one.

As soon as it touched his tongue, he felt the echoing in his head diminish, his eyes clear up, his balance reset, the volume got turned down and he suddenly felt as if he had slept very well indeed.

"Ahh…"

"Better?"

"Yes." Snape nodded. "Did I make a fool of myself?"

"Not really. Dirk Cresswell puked all over the floor of the hogshead, Aberforth lost his temper and kicked everyone out and I dragged you upstairs to get some sleep. Could only get your jacket off. But…" Sirius began, putting his cup on the table beside Snape.

"Your trunk with your wedding stuff arrived about twenty minutes ago and breakfast and a shower is awaiting. Oh…And Lily has sent you something…special to wear…*

Snape looked at Sirius quizzically, running his hand through the grain on his chin.

"Oh?"

"Uh…you sure you wouldn't want another drink?"

Snape grabbed the box that Sirius was now handling with something short of distaste and pulled off the lid before staring at the item within.

"…Sorry, mate." Sirius offered.

"…Oh Merlin." Snape swallowed, staring at it.


Lily sat in front of the mirror in Severus' chambers. Tonks was stood behind her curling her hair lightly around her wand.

She felt amazing.

She had enjoyed a nice night with the girls, had a cheeky chat about the men in their life, played a few 'drinking' games and the night had been rounded off with Lily going to bed and Tonks sleeping on the couch.

She had awoken bright and early, had a nice shower and sat chatting to Tonks while enjoying a nice continental breakfast that was laid on by the Elves.

She was still in her dressing gown as Tonks added the finishing touches to her hair.

They had decided on natural, with a chaplet of flowers to crown her, light curls, nothing too fancy and natural looking make up.

"You look really radiant anyway, Lils. You don't need anything too fancy." Tonks replied.

"Do I look alright?" she asked softly, her voice quiet.

"Alright? You look amazing. I hope I look this good on my eventual wedding day." Tonks smiled and curled more hair around her wand.

"You look great." Lily smiled.

Tonks had insisted on putting on her silver, silk bridesmaids dress as soon as she had hopped out of the shower.

"Cheers. I hope the hair is the right colour, I can colour match my eyes, if you like?" she asked.

"Nope. Be yourself Tonks. " Lily smiled. "I wouldn't have you any other way."

Tonks grinned.

"I bet Snape's up there right now, all nervous and pacing. Are you nervous, Lils?"

"A bit. But only in the 'Hope everything goes to plan' way rather than the: 'Will he turn up?' way." Lily admitted, she looked down at the bump that was showing through her dressing gown. "It just feels so strange. After all this time, after all we've been through together, for it finally to happen. We're going to be married."

Tonks giggled and smiled.

"Mrs. Lily Snape."

Lily smiled and looked up at her in the mirror.


Snape looked at himself in the mirror. He did not recognize himself.

In his lapel there was a suspiciously colourful flower. He wasn't entirely sure what it was. But it had an offensive scent. And no use in potion making.

His hair had been brushed and parted with almost frightening accuracy with a very hard toothed comb that scratched at his scalp like cactus spines.

The dress robes he wore had been pressed and ironed. They had creased in all of the 'right' places and had been colour matched to 'compliment' his hair and eyes. They were black.

His shoes were so shiny, that he could see his own reflection in them and he had been warned to not sit down in case he creased his cloak.

He knew very little about weddings.

Fiddling with the flower in his lapel, his fingers were abruptly slapped away.

"It's fixed as much as I can get It." came the scold. "Stop fussing, Snape."

Snape gave Lupin a insubordinate glance as the man walked around, fixing his own flower into his lapel. Lupin had managed to get better robes, it seemed that full time employment seemed to benefit him financially. Sirius was wearing splendidly tailored robes and was pacing back and forth reading from a piece of well folded parchment and Potter was sat there with an almost careless grace. As if he had simply grabbed the first thing that fell out of his wardrobe, threw it on and managed to look impossibly suave.

Snape looked into the mottled looking mirror and saw only himself, looking hopelessly stiff, rigid and out of place.

"I was under the assumption we'd wake up, someone would come and marry us, and that would be it. Wedding over. Why all this fuss? I feel like a prize kneazle!"

"Severus." sighed Lupin. "A woman's wedding day is a sacred and special affair. The day where she becomes a pretty princess." he articulated, injecting a softness into his voice as he gestured. "A graceful and delicate creature in which those around her may gaze upon her ethereal beauty with wonder and jealousy."

"Yeah. Sit down." Potter began, seizing the wooden comb again.

Snape ducked, holding his hands over his head.

"No more comb!" he interjected. "My hair is perfectly flat. If you comb it any more you can slick it down with my blood!"

"It's not my fault your hair is too damn greasy." Potter muttered, putting the comb back in his pocket.

"Leave him be, Prongs." muttered Lupin.

"Well it is, look at it. It's like an oil slick. It's like someone fried eggs on his hair or something."

"Prongs." Sirius said warningly, still reading through the parchment studiously.

"I know you showered this morning, Snivellus, but did you use that little bottle of stuff they called Shampo-"

"It's not grease!" Snape finally snapped.

Sirius looked up from his parchment as Lupin stopped fiddling with his lapel.

Potter looked up at him above his glasses with a quiver of a smile.

"…just joking with you Sni-"

"And don't call me Snivellus!" Snape continued, a blush in his cheeks. "You've called me Snivellus for 24 years and it's not funny, it never bloody was or are you that stupid that you can't think of anything more refreshing to say about me other than my hair, or my bloody name or my bloody nose?!"

"…Look, I was just j-"

"No! I only tolerate you because Lily, for some reason, befriended you but let me make this clear Potter, I really don't like you because you're a senseless, rich, namby-pamby, bully who got all the breaks in life and when people around you didn't, you couldn't understand that and instead of helping them along, you bullied them!

You couldn't see beyond your own popularity to take notice of the boy who had threadbare robes, or any one who didn't look or sound, or act like a carbon copy of you! Now shut up, and be quiet or I swear to Merlin, I will put you in a body bind hex, stuff you into the broom cupboard and forget about you til Halloween!"

And with that Snape turned around swiftly and began to fiddle needlessly with his own flower again.

He knew that behind them, the three marauders were silently conversing and he didn't care. He had a dizzy feeling in his head from raising his voice, something he rarely did, but had a great feeling of emancipation.

He had finally told James Potter what he thought of him. In no uncertain terms. It felt good.

Now all he had to do was get to the wedding. Two things he had always wanted to do…

Marry Lily Evans, and tell James Potter where to stick it, all done in one day.

That was progress.


The modest wedding was to be played out near the lake with a modest throng of 12 guests. There would be no reception, no party.

After all, many of the people who had been invited were either unreachable or had declined through fear and the attending congregation were either faculty, or close friends.

Afterwards, Snape and Lily would return to their quarters and enjoy a private lunch there before spending the rest of the day as they wished. Tonks had suggested checking into a muggle hotel and have some fun. Lupin had wisely advised lots of rest given Lily's condition.

Minerva McGonagall was putting the finishing touches to the wooden archway that had been set up just before the lake. Ivy was growing around it with large amounts of ribbon.

She was wearing a magnificent tartan hat with a sprig of heather in its brim and a set of smart, emerald green dress robes.

Professor Flitwick was also making himself busy as he conjured many white chairs and started to assort them along the lawn, either side of a beautiful white carpet that was trimmed in silver.

"How many are we expecting, Minerva?" he squeaked.

"A handful." she called back. "We've had a lot of cancellations. People seem to think that coming to Hogwarts is tantamount to loyalty to Dumbledore." she sniffed dismissively.

"Any sign of Albus?" he asked watching another chair appear out of thin air.

"Not yet. He must be busy." muttered Minerva. "Much like us."

"Yes." concurred Filius. "How nice though, to have a wedding here."

"It's certainly never been done before." Minerva chirped happily. "Ah, here comes Pomona, just in time with those Flutterby bushes."

After apparating to the gates and walking silently up to the school. The wedding party looked more like a funeral party whose chief mourner was remarkably happy.

Snape had spoken pleasantly to Sirius and Lupin after his initial outburst but had pretty much ignored the fact that James Potter existed.

Now Snape and Sirius were standing around near the Ivy glad wedding arch and looking at the handful of chairs, each decorated in a delicate white ribbon detail.

Snape's cheeks had taken on more of a pallor now as the gravity of the impending wedding became clear with the appearance of guests.

Sirius had positioned Snape near the aisle where Lily would be walking down in a while to greet the guests as they arrived which was a traditional part of the ceremony.

Similarly, Lupin and Potter flagged the aisle, directing people to either the 'Bride' or 'Groom's' side.

Snape forced a smile on his face to greet the small gathering of guests.

He was happy, it was his wedding day, to Lily. His lovely Lily, but social niceties was not something he usually did. That was Lily's domain. She was the social one.

Poppy attended in something like a set of ceremonial nursing robes that looked too fancy to actually nurse in, but still looked very much like uniform. Filius in a new suit, which was something to behold considering how fancy he normally looked. Pomona had managed to scrub the dirt from under her nails and looked very neat and tidy in a set of brown dress robes, that admittedly did have a slight scent of compost on them. Mad Eye Moody (who was sporting a strange kilt with his wooden leg-an odd combination), Horace Slughorn who was smiling brightly and stating that he always knew that they would end up together and that it was the first 'Slug-club' wedding.

"No death eaters yet." Sirius smiled. "Seems some of your mates were busy?"

"They aren't my 'mates'. " Snape muttered coolly. "Never really were, were they."

"You seemed pally with them at school."

Snape sighed and looked down at his shoes, his hands folded in front of him.

"Yes, well people grow. I realized what was happening before I got involved with them."

"Yeah. I guess you did." Sirius nodded before adding. "You nervous?"

Snape shook his head immediately.

"First wedding?" Sirius asked.

Snape nodded.

"…First brush with matrimony." he looked down at his shoes. "…My mother and father were married in the small, damp room of a registry office on a rainy Monday afternoon in November followed by an informal gathering at the local pub of my fathers drinking friends. Mother wore a second hand wedding dress from the forties…Hardly the romantic ideal." Sirius found himself frowning."…so this is a bit…new to you."

Snape nodded. "Indeed."

A tufty, wizard of small stature walked towards Snape and Sirius.

"And which of you do I take to be the groom?"

"That would be me." began Snape.

"Ah, I am a friend of Albus. I believe I'm expected?"

"Indeed, you must be the celebrant." smiled Sirius. "Come, we have everything sorted out I believe."

Sirius led the Celebrant down towards the small wooden stage where Snape and Lily would soon take their vows.

Snape suddenly felt quite alone and almost called back to Sirius not to leave him but instead he stood there, his heart fluttering around his chest like a captured bird as his stomach churned into knots.

He could hear the few guests behind him, chatting away in the glorious sunshine of the bright July day, but he could not see Dumbledore amongst them.

Where was Albus Dumbledore on his wedding day?

Sirius caught back up with Snape and nodded to him.

"You ready?"

"What? Now?!" Snape almost choked at this sudden development,.

"Now or never, Severus." Sirius sighed breezily.

Snape nodded, swallowed hard and walked down the aisle, suddenly very aware of how tall and obvious he was.

Standing at the front on the right, facing the celebrant. Snape felt as if he was about to be sick again.

"…Are you any good at charms?" he hissed to Sirius.

"Yeah, why?"

"I may need a bucket."

"Yeah, well before you do, best put it on…" Sirius began, nodding handing the box to him. Snape took a deep breath and reached inside, putting the chaplet of Ivy leaves on his recently washed hair.

He felt bloody ridiculous.

But he knew it was what she wanted…

"…Well? Am I going to live this down?" he asked, looking at Sirius out of the corner of his eye.

"Relax." Sirius hissed, putting his arm around Snape familiarly. "You look gorgeous." he laughed.

"Piss off." Snape hissed back under his breath, but at the same time feeling slightly at ease for the joke.

Snape could feel the morning sunshine burning into his scalp and shoulders. This was why he rarely frequented outside. The sun was not kind to him. Never had been.

He remembered once as a child he had stayed outside in the sun for so long that by the time he got home his nose and cheeks were hideously sunburned and his mother couldn't do anything to fix it. The next day he had gone to Lily's home and Mrs. Evans had rubbed some muggle cream on it and it felt better for a while.

The sun made him uncomfortable, he felt as if his breathing was constricted by the robes he wore. The waistcoat felt like a straitjacket. He glanced down and saw a ladybird walking across his shoe, absolutely no idea that it was an uninvited guest to the most nerve wracking event of Snape's life. He felt inclined to shuffle it off but couldn't do that without looking as if he had cramp in his leg and all of those people watching his back would see and wonder why he was with such a beautiful woman such as Lily Evans.

Is that why they were here? Had they come to see why the beautiful Lily Evans had tied herself to 'Snivellus' Snape? A free freak show with champagne afterwards?

Snape swallowed hard and heard a sudden gasp from the congregation.

Music from nowhere seemed to start up and he turned around instinctively.

It was Lily.

And she was divine.