I know that a lot of you, when you think of wedding you think of a starchy white dress and a chapel, but I'm different that way, and I'm making Lily and James have a very...erm, interesting wedding with not your typical attire or setting, and I'm not letting a religion dominate this ceremony as I'm agnostic.
Lily could feel drafty wind around her legs as it blew up her floaty white halter top dress. Why they had to get married by the sea, with all that cold air, she would never know. She shivered, but once she caught sight of the smoldering look in James's eyes as he stood across from her, looking strikingly handsome in a buckled black vest over a starched white shirt, a fedora perched jauntily on his head, she was warmed immediatley.
A judge stood in front of them, and they repeated after her, but were mostly just being caught up in each other's eyes. Sirius, Remus and Peter stood behind James all wearing buckled vests over white shirts and creased black pants, and Emmeline, Marlene, and Alice stood behind her, all wearing the same dress as Lily except in blue. Lily had felt a pang looking at the three of them. She had got Marlene to stand in for Dorcas at the last minute, but her bridesmaids just didn't look right without Dorcas among them, her exuberant face shining with happiness for Lily.
Lily sighed and turned her attention back to James and the Judge. The judge had just asked them to say their vows.
"I do." said James, looking down at his hands shakily.
Lily looked him straight in the eye, "I do." they slid the rings on each others' fingers, and before waiting for the Judge's consent, they enveloped each other in a kiss.
Lily loved the feel of his warm lips on hers, the love of the arms that held her. Laughing, Lily and James ran past four rows of people, faces flashing by them. Dumbledore, her parents, all of the order, no Petunia, some teachers from Hogwarts, Flitwick, McGonnagall, Slughorn, even Hagrid...
They came up to an extra-elongated broom decorated with bows and flowers. James flung one leg over it, and Lily jumped on behind him, holding onto his waist for dear life as they rose above chimney tops then plummeted down to their home in Godric's Hollow, where the party would be.
--
Lily sat alone in bed that night. She sat against the headboard, huddled up in the cold, her back pressed uncomfortably against the slats in the board. She couldn't allow herself to be comfortable because if she was comfortable she would fall asleep and wouldn't be awake when James came home. James and Sirius were out fighting on Dumbledore's orders. Lily had begged and begged for James to stay. It was their wedding night! But she knew just as well as everybody else that James and Sirius were the best for this job. They were out to kill Bellatrix Black.
Fear clawed unheralded in the pit of Lily's stomach. This mission was so dangerous! What if...what if James didn't come back? Her unborn boy would grow up without a father, and she, Lily, would be alone. Yes, she would have her friends there for her, but nothing, nothing, could ever compare to James. He had escaped Voldemort himself twice already, but what if this time luck was not in his favor? What if this time fate had something else in store for him? She felt like Cleopatra, waiting anxiously in Alexandria for Caesar to come back from his endless campaigns in Parthia and the east. She had already lost Dorcas. She could just not deal with losing James. He was the most important thing in her life. Her only love. She glanced down at slightly protruding stomach. Well, that was soon to change. She would love this baby just as much. Perhaps even more, but in a different way. James was her other half, her equal, and her love. This, this was something much different. It was her child. Maternal feelings surged through Lily, and she suddenly realized that she would be one of the two people who were in charge of this thing. This living, breathing thing. It was theirs.
Tears sprung out of Lily's eyes. This baby would never know Dorcas. He would look at old pictures of Dorcas and just think of her as someone from his parent's past. She would never be a part of his life.
"Lily!"
Lily jumped at James's voice. She ran downstairs when she heard him pounding on the door, and flung open the door. James and Sirius stood behind it, looking a little worse for wear, but they were alive.
"Oh thank god!" lily wailed, flinging herself on James, kissing every part of him she could reach, "Oh, I thought-" she kissed his cheek, "-you were-" she brushed her lips on his left eyelid, "-dead!" she kissed his lips.
"Lily!" James pulled away looking annoyed, "I could be a death eater for all you know."
Lily sighed, "James..."
He narrowed his eyes at her, "Ask the question!"
Lily rolled her eyes, "What shape does my patronus take?"
He grinned at her, "A doe. And mine?"
She smiled, "A stag."
He took her hand, Sirius following him into the living room, "All right now, Mrs. Potter. Why the enthusiasm, and all the worry? I've gone on missions before."
She shrugged, "I don't know, it was our wedding day, and I was all alone and Dorcas has just gone, and I was just imagining what would happen if I lost you. And..."
They sat down, and Sirius sat across from them, taking a swig of firewhisky that he had in his coat pocket.
"And?" prompted James.
Lily glanced sideways at Sirius, "Well...I have to tell you...I'm..."
"You're?"
Lily sighed, "Please please don't get mad! I was too scared to tell you before."
James took one of her hands and pressed it to his lips, "Why would I get mad? I love you, remember. You should never be scared to tell me anything."
Lily looked away, "Jamie, I'm pregnant." Sirius dropped his bottle of firewhisky in shock and it shattered all over the floor.
She felt his hand squeeze hers a little stronger to the point where it almost hurt, but almost instantly he relaxed, "Are you serious?"
She nodded, cringing away from him.
He laughed out loud and buried her in an exuberant hug, "This is marvelous, love! I'm going to be a father!"
She looked up at him in surprise, "You're not mad?"
He laughed, "Why would I be mad? I know it's not the best time to be bringing a child into this world, but...I love you, and this is...this is the happiest day of my life."
She smiled and buried herself in his arms, loving the warmth, "I love you so much."
James looked over at Sirius over the top of Lily's head, "You'll be godfather?"
--
James sat in a stiff plastic chair, wringing his hands and tapping his foot nervously. Sirius, Remus and Emmeline sat around him. Peter was nowhere to be seen.
Sirius yawned, "Would you cut it out, Prongs? You're bringing back reminiscence of the way my mother used to rap her cane on the floor when she was mad."
Remus laughed, "He's just anxious, Padfoot. I would be, too, if I were about to be a father."
James looked up at them, his eyes shining, "I'm going to have a son."
Sirius laughed, "All right, Prongs, don't wet yourself now."
James rolled his eyes, "Way to take away the moment, Paddy. I'm starting to have second thoughts about your appointment. Maybe I should have made Remus godfather instead."
"What!" Sirius had been lounging on the back legs of his chair but when he heard James's comment, the front legs hit the floor with a bang, "You can't take it back now, Prongs!"
Remus grinned, "It's allright, Padfoot. Werewolves don't make good godfathers anyhow."
James nodded absentmindedly staring at the white door in St. Mungo's where Lily was having their son. He had insisted on being with her for the process, but the healer's had had him barred.
A healer walked out of the doors, clothed in green robes, "You may come see your wife now, Mr. Potter. After you have a few minutes with her and your son the rest of your friends may come see them."
Before she could finish her sentance, James was up and through the doors. He stopped short at the sight. Lily sat in a white bed, her arms around a chubby baby with messy black hair and striking green eyes, cooing to him, and kissing his forehead, the biggest smile on her face. He felt terrible. He felt as if he was intruding upon something private. A scene between mother and son that had nothing to do with him. This was Lily's moment.
He slowly tried to back out the door, but Lily glanced up and saw him, "Jamie! Come, sweetie!" he reluctantly walked over, and sat down on the chair next to her.
Lily laughed, "Come sit here, love." she patted the space on the bed next to her, and he sat down slowly on the space.
She smiled at him, "Here, hold him." she passed him over, and James held him. He couldn't have been more than six or seven pounds he was so light, and once James had him in his arms, the baby instantly reached out to tug on his hair.
Lily laughed, "You look so awkward with him! Just be comfortable. He's not an alien, he's your son."
James looked down at the baby boy, "My son." he murmured, mesmerized by the green eyes that so resembled Lily's. That's right! This baby was his son as well, not just Lily's, and...now Lily was intruding on something private. Something between father and son.
Lily smiled, running her fingers through the baby's flyaway black hair, "What shall we call this devil?"
James bit his lips, looking down at the little creature in his arms, "How about after my father? Harold? He was a great man, and I can already tell that this little monster is going to be famous."
Lily mussed his hair, "Okay, love, just Harold seems to formal. How about Harry?"
"Harry?" James smiled down at the baby, "I like it. Harry Potter." the baby gurgled in delight, and Lily and James laughed happily.
Lily smiled, "Harry it is."
Just then, Emmeline, Sirius, and Remus burst through the door.
Emmeline laughed, "I'm sorry, we just couldn't stand the anxiety any longer!"
James chuckled, "It's ok. I introduce to you, Harry Potter, the most incredible baby boy you've ever met!" And even as he held out Harry for the rest of them to see, even as he laughed and shared in their joy, he felt as if the three of them were intruding on something private. Not between mother and son or father and son, but between family. The Potters. They were a team now, and as he stared at his beautiful wife and beautiful son, he knew he would die for them, and that nothing, absolutely nothing could stand in the way of their love.
--