Wedding bells
And I thought Lily had been emotional on her wedding day. I stared at myself in the mirror, my eyes large and glistening, trying my best to keep myself from bawling and ruining my make-up. I was in a small town hall in a miniature village in Scotland, minutes away from the wedding ceremony. It had been arranged in deep secret and now, on the twentieth of May, a week after my twentieth birthday, it would finally happen.
Naturally, Sirius had asked James to be his best man and I had asked Lily to be up there with him as my matron of honour. Seven months pregnant, and she had never looked so beautiful. James followed her around like a love-sick puppy – and fortunately had dropped the habit of buying her pickles.
"Thank God for waterproof mascara," she panted, fanning my face frantically to keep me from crying.
I giggled. "Sit down, you mad girl, or that baby of yours will pop out right here."
She waggled over to a chair and lowered herself in it with a groan. "My ankles hurt."
"I could ask James to carry you down the aisle," I suggested.
"That would make his back hurt," she chuckled. "So, are you ready?"
"Yeah." I stood and looked in the mirror, smoothening my dress. Sirius had almost died from laughter when I had told him my dress would be white.
Gasping and hiccoughing he'd looked at me. "Little late to play the virgin, don't you think?" he snorted and collapsed into another fit of laughter.
"Very funny," I had muttered. My only concession to him had been turning the dress crème-coloured. I was determined to have at least some tradition in my wedding.
I scrutinized myself in the mirror. The dress was of a simple, but elegant cut and made me look slightly taller. My hair was piled-up at the back of my head and held in control by numerous pins with pearl heads. It had taken a long time to find the right tone, which wouldn't make my pale face look like I'd just come from my death bed, but finally we had managed. I stared at myself, for a moment lost in the habit of watching my reflection in a mirror when important things had happened. Just to see if I was still me.
Yup, I was. The same blue eyes – still suspiciously moist – under red eyebrows. The straight nose and broad mouth that revealed some Viking ancestor. I lacked the matching cheekbones and forehead though. Those came from the Lestrange side of my family.
Suddenly Remus stepped behind me and smiled at me through the mirror. I hadn't heard him come in. He looked very distinguished in his black suit.
"Thank you, Remus," I said softly.
"I'm honoured."
Remus would take my father's place and walk me down the aisle. My lip began to tremble. Lily squeaked and heaved herself from her chair to resume her fanning.
"It's a little harder than I expected," I apologized. No traditional wedding for me, no family, no guests, only a few friends. "I know it shouldn't matter, but…"
Lily shushed me. "It does. I know it does."
I laughed nervously. "I'm making such a fuss out of all this, and Sirius is probably wandering around free as a bird, not nervous in the least."
Remus sniggered. "Are you kidding? He's shitting his pants right now."
"Oh," I said surprised. "He is? That makes me feel a lot better, I have to say."
"Are you ready to go? They're waiting."
A jolt shot right through me. And from that moment on everything became a blur. I remember the soft feel of Remus's sleeve when I placed my hand on his arm. I remember the hem of Lily's dress swaying as she walked agonizingly slowly down the aisle. I remember looking up and locking eyes with Sirius.
He is the only clear thing in my memory. Like I had studied myself in the mirror only a few moments ago, I studied him. Dressed in black, standing tall and proudly, his hair once again cut. I couldn't help but smile. He only seemed to bother with his hair when someone was getting married. That handsome face, completely serious for a change. Even the mischievous hint that always lingered around his mouth was gone. That was when I knew for sure that he was nervous too.
His grey eyes bore into my own when he took my hand. I did not hear a word the registrar said. I felt Sirius's warm and dry hand, its strength and its bones, the knuckles and the calluses. And the trembling.
He looked down at me. My heart ached. For how long would I have him with me? How long would we have to live in hiding? How long would we live? Would I ever be able to call myself Mrs. Black? Would we ever do normal things such as him coming home from work? Would we ever have children?
I devoured him with my eyes. The strong chin, reflecting his personality. His nose, slightly too long for his face. The deep set grey eyes that still fascinated me. His gorgeous black hair that made me want to run my hands through it whenever I saw it.
It didn't matter, I realised. What we would do, how long we had together… We were together now. I loved him, no matter what would happen, whether he was with me or not.
The registrar cleared his throat and I tuned in on what he was saying.
"Sirius Phineas Black, do you take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health? Will you promise to love and to cherish her; from this day forward until death do you part?"
Sirius stared hard into my eyes. "I do."
"And do you, Niamh Ashtoreth Carden, take this man to be your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health? Will you promise to love and to cherish him; from this day forward until death do you part?"
I stared back. "I do."
It was more than tradition. It was a very real promise. For better, for worse, sickness, health, war, battle, betrayal, death. We'd go through it together.
James gave us the rings.
Sirius took my hand and while he slid the ring on my finger he looked me in the eye and made the wizarding wedding vow.
"You are mine, I am yours. The magic of the earth bind us, our love keep us. I give my strength and my life, my heart and my body, for you to have and to hold, to protect and to cherish. You are mine, I am yours, we are one. Thereto I pledge you my faith and my love, in this life, in this time, in this body, for as long as we both shall live."
My hand began to glow with warmth.
I took the other ring and placed it on his hand, repeating the vow to him. We interlaced our ringed hands, feeling the warmth flowing back and forth. "You are mine, I am yours, we are one," we finished. The warmth flared up to an almost unbearable heat and then subsided.
The registrar was taken aback for a moment, but quickly regained his wits. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Sirius cupped my face and stroked my cheeks with his thumbs for a moment, before he leaned in and sealed our vows with a kiss, making the rings heat up one last time.
I was hesitant about signing the marriage register first, but Lily assured me the Ministry would not find out. They only kept track of wizarding weddings.
"Congratulations, Mrs Black," Sirius mumbled in my ear. I shivered in pleasure and leaned closer to him. "Shall we leave?"
Hand in hand we walked out of the town hall. A few passers-by called out to us, wishing us good luck. Sirius bowed to them; obviously his cheekiness had returned.
James cleared his throat. "Pete, Remus, and myself have taken the liberty of arranging something for you two. If you would just hold on to this Portkey…"
The six of us were taken to a small cottage, where Gideon, Fabian, Frank and Alice waited for us in front of a set table. I could feel the tears well up again immediately. They had made us a delicious dinner. James, as best man, made the first toast, followed by Gideon and Fabian, who took turns in toasting on the most ridiculous things. Lily put an end to it when Fabian devoted a five-minute speech to my stockings and suspenders.
One by one they left, until only Lily and James were there. They looked at each other for a moment, until Lily nodded at her husband.
James cleared his throat. "Sirius, Niamh? Lily and I have something to ask of you. It would be little more than a formality in normal times, but as it is, it might turn out much more."
James had turned very serious during this announcement. "Sirius, you know you are my closest friend, more like a brother even. I could ask this of no other than you. And Niamh, we haven't always been the best of friends…"
I snorted at his delicacy. The man had hexed me into the Hogwarts infirmary more times than I cared to remember, and vice versa.
"…but that has changed. We have changed… Well, everything has changed, us included. I've come to know you as a brave, protective, strong girl – woman and I can see how much you love Sirius. That makes you a sister to me."
There came the tears again. "James…" I breathed, completely overwhelmed.
"So," James continued, "that's why Lily and I want to ask you to be the godparents to our baby."
I had no idea how to express what I felt. That trust, that faith he placed in us went straight to my heart.
Sirius was lost for words. He blinked and opened and closed his mouth like a fish.
James smiled gently at his best friend. "I have done the impossible. I have rendered Sirius Black speechless."
"Shut up, man," Sirius grumbled and stood to pull him into an embrace. "Thank you, Prongs, you have no idea how much –"
"Oh yes, I do," James retorted. "I know what this means for you. But that's not my reason for asking you. You're the only I trust enough to take care of my baby."
"I will," Sirius promised. "I will take care of your child."
"I know you will."
Lily's eyes glistened as she watched the exchange between the friends. I wiped my own eyes. Lily leaned over the coffee table and grabbed my hand. We didn't say anything; it wasn't necessary. She smiled and I nodded at her. We knew exactly what the other meant.
James pulled me to my feet. "Welcome to the family," he said and closed his arms around me. An impish grin formed on his face when he stepped back. "And good luck with that mangy old mongrel."
That broke the heavy atmosphere. Sirius whacked James over the head and received a punch in the shoulder for it.
"We'll leave you two alone now," Lily winked and dragged her husband to the door.
Sirius closed the door and turned around to face me. "Godfather."
"That poor baby will be a menace at the age of one, with a father and godfather like you two," I grinned.
"Indeed, just like us," Sirius said, pleased at the thought. "Now, let's explore the rest of this cottage, shall we?"
I formed an o with my mouth. "And which part is it that you're eager to find?"
A seductive smile crept over his face and he loosened his collar. "You tell me."
"No, no," I admonished him. "I want to hear it from you."
"Flirting, are we?"
"You prefer it more blunt?"
"You know how I prefer you," he replied with a straight face.
"Sirius!"
"Do you need help with that dress?"
"Yes," I said slowly. "Why don't you take it off?"
His eyes darkened immediately and he strode towards me purposefully. He turned me around, letting his hands glide over my shoulders and neck. Leisurely he began to take the countless pins out of my hair.
I felt his warmth behind me and his breath on my neck as locks of hair fell about my face. When the last pin was removed, he ran his hands through my curls, spreading them around my shoulders. His hands slid downwards and circled my waist, bringing my back against his chest. We stood there for a while, simply enjoying each other's presence.
Silently I grabbed his hand and led him to the bedroom.
Sirius took off my dress as if he were unwrapping a present, slowly and carefully, touching my skin and studying me with stormy eyes.
He was gentle with me, and I with him. Hands slid lazily over skin, lips caressed lips and the pulsing vein in a neck. Kisses were slow, but deep and filled with need. Hair wrapped around fingers and fingers clutching arms and backs, hips clashing, limbs tangling, and ragged breaths and gasps and murmurs filled the air.
Sirius let himself go with a loud cry, shuddering as I wrapped my arms around him. His face buried in my neck and my hands gripping the hair on the back of his neck, we regained our breaths.
He slid off me, manoeuvring me so that he was nose to nose with me. Sliding one leg between my thighs and pulling me even closer, he smiled and mumbled," I love you," and promptly fell asleep.
I kissed him softly. "I love you," I whispered and closed my eyes as well.
When I woke I found him looking at me from a chair, stark naked. His eyes glittered. I sighed and stretched myself sleepily, taking in his form. He really was a fine piece of wizard.
"You are so damn beautiful like that," he said huskily. "Naked, mouth swollen, hair wild…"
"I'm all yours," I smiled.
"You are, aren't you?" he replied, a low growl in his throat. I watched the reaction of his eyes and body to my statement with a shiver.
He rose from the chair and sat on the edge of the bed, splaying a hand wide on my midriff. "All mine." He bent down and caught a nipple between his teeth. My hips jerked upwards and I moaned when the vibrations of his chuckle hit my flesh.
Ruefully he pulled back. "I have to tell you something first."
"I've been hearing that a lot," I said, raising a grumpy eyebrow to show him I was not pleased with his sudden lack of ministrations.
Sirius's fingers played with a red curl. "It's about Pete, James, and myself. It involves Remus as well. No one knows this, not even Dumbledore. James has only told Lily after they were married. That's how the four of us had decided it would be."
I propped myself on my elbows. "What is it?" I frowned.
"James, Peter, and I each are an Animagus."
I laughed heartily. "Very funny!"
"It's true. That's how we could keep Remus company during his transformations. A werewolf is only dangerous to humans."
"Sirius, it's a great story, but there are only six Animagi registered this century, one of which is McGonagall. I know you're not – aaarghh!"
Suddenly a large, black dog was sitting on the bed. It gave my face an affectionate lick before it turned back into a human.
"Nggrfff," I managed to say.
"We're unregistered," Sirius explained. "We found out how to do it during our fifth year. No one knows."
"Unregistered!" I gasped. "Dangerous!"
Sirius shrugged. "It was the best we could do for Remus."
I was struck by Sirius's sense of loyalty. Chuckling I shook my head. "An overgrown, black dog. If there was ever someone whose animal form resembled his personality perfectly…"
He grinned.
I gasped. "The nicknames! Padfoot!"
"Indeed. James is a stag, Pete a rat."
"Prongs and Wormtail. Merlin's socks!"
"Are you angry with me for keeping it from you?" Sirius asked anxiously.
"Well, I do think that you should make it up to me…" I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively.
"I suppose I can deal with that," Sirius shrugged in a bored fashion, teasing me.
I huffed. "I want to tell you to just bite me, but that suddenly has got a whole new meaning."
He gave me a roguish grin. "You want me to bite you, eh?"
I squealed with laughter when he lunged forward and attacked my neck wildly. Tickling him, I managed to get him on his back and hold him in place.
With a devious smile I slid down his body, nipping his thigh.
"Please tell me you have no intention of biting me there," Sirius asked with a hint of nervousness.
"Relax," I purred.
"Gods, Merlin, Circe, Agrippa…" Sirius pleaded.
"I'd prefer if it was just us," I replied and effectively shut him up.
A/N: Click the little button below and tell me what you think!
