Hello everyone! I'm really happy to be posting this chapter. I've worked extra hard on this one and hopefully you'll like it. I just want to take a sec to thank Sphynx, my wonderful beta that did a great job helping me out in this chapter (as she always does) and also say a big thanks to all of you that reviewed this story so far -I really can't say how helpful your comments are and how happy I am to get them. So, I hope you enjoy and, if you got a minute, please review and tell me what you think -so maybe I can do a better job next time. PA

Chapter 12 - Wedding Crashers

She felt silly when that first sneaky tear ran down her left cheek, but in the end it was her sister's wedding. Even if it was Petunia. Even if her sister looked liked an avalanche of satin, lace and faux pearls. She sighed and tried to get her concentration back to the ceremony. It was just slow and her heels were killing her; she was desperate to slip into something comfortable, like her old Converse. She fidgeted uncomfortably on her spot trying to find her lost focus. Her eyes scanned the seated audience briefly and fell on Alice. Thank God her mother had convinced her sister to let her bring a friend. Alice smiled and winked at her. She grinned back and mouthed "ouch" to her while pointing to her shoes. Her friend shook with silent laughter. She looked back to the marrying couple and noticed that her sister looked happy. Really happy. And that realization instantly made her feel better. She knew they didn't have the best relationship (far from it really, like far far), but it still mattered to her that she was happy. Even if that meant marrying that walrus of a man. She didn't really get what Petunia saw in him (and she knew she wasn't alone in that department), but if it was what made her happy, then so be it.

She remembered when Vernon had first been introduced to the family –it had been a train wreck. In five minutes her parents had already decided they didn't like him (with all the conceited air and the relentless talk about drills) and while her mother had acted politely, her father had openly mocked him –not that the dunce noticed, mind you. She remembered Petunia was fuming when her boyfriend left but their father couldn't even be bothered to hide his dissatisfaction with the annoying boy. She wondered briefly how her parents would like James; even though he wasn't her boyfriend, the thought just came naturally. He was incredibly charming (when he wanted to he could ooze that smarmy charm that only worked on him) and she knew that would sit well with her mother. But her father... that was another deal entirely. She sighed, wishing he could be there now. His simple presence made her feel better, lighter and now her addiction had spiked all the way up and she wasn't sure how she was going to make it through the entire weekend without seeing him, hearing his soothing voice.

She watched through the corner of her eyes when the minister started Saint Paul's speech about love (love is never cruel, or selfish...) and a small smile played her lips. She remembered that Saturday night when she had fallen asleep in his arms. It was unsettling how much their bodies seemed fitted for each other even though he had a much larger frame. She loved the way her head fitted perfectly on the crook of his neck and how his large rough hands encased her tiny ones so delicately. She smiled slightly. She didn't think that existed something more beautiful than him sleeping, his strong jawline and perfect nose so at ease, his large chest heaving softly. When she had woken up in his arms later that night she pretended he was hers (because deep down she felt he already was) and instead of untangling herself from him, she had stayed in his embrace. She had stayed perfectly still for god knows how long and watched him sleep, her fingers traveling slowly to his face without her permission and caressing his cheeks, the light stubble rough under her smooth skin. The way it had felt to touch him, to be that close, was like a monster butterfly parade going on inside her. She was absolutely in love with how he felt. She had slid his glasses from his nose as carefully as she could and right then he had smiled and she had to fight back the urge to just throw caution to wind and kiss him. Because right then it was impossible not to wonder if her lips would fit perfectly against his, like everything else seemed to fit. And those damn dimples of his just made it harder to resist those uncalled urges. She had sighed profoundly. Those dimples were dangerous.

She noticed that now all the guests were standing and returned her attention to the main event. She could tell this was going to be the last part and she thanked the heavens because her feet were starting to go numb. Then the thought struck: the party. She closed her eyes for a few seconds at the prospect. At least four long hours of fraternizing with the Dursley's. Oh, the mere thought made her shiver. Vernon was boring, yes, but his family was absolutely batty. And it didn't help that they looked at her strangely, like there was something wrong with her, which was probably what Petunia had told them. The entire room rose to their feet and the minister pronounced those long awaited words: you may kiss the bride. There were some low cheers and very loud clapping. That was it; her sister was now Petunia Walrus. She felt the crowd move and immediately went back to look for Alice whilst at the same time looking for a discreet place to take off those murderous sandals. But then, then her eyes caught a glimpse of something unlikely and she had to lean against the pillar to steady herself and convince her poor brain that now was not the time to play tricks on herself. She had seen his hair. His beautiful raven rebellious locks were unmistakable and she had seen them behind a tall fat bearded man in the back of the room. She exhaled sharply. Don't be stupid, Lily. Of course he's not here. But right then the fat man moved. And there, there he was.

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There was a lot of convincing involved and it had required every bit of persuasion he had. McGonagall wasn't too keen on having both Heads out of school on the same day, but after a lot (and that meant a lot) of compromising promises and even a small amount of bribery (Godric only knew how many Galleons worth of chocolate he would have to buy Remus) he got it. So now he had to find his effing tie and he had to make his hair look, well, at least somewhat close to normal. And Merlin was he nervous. He didn't know if it would bode well with her, you know, crashing her sister's wedding, but after all the effort he couldn't back off at the last minute. He heard Sirius tapping his foot on the common room and tried to hurry along in his tie search but the darned thing was MIA. And he couldn't just wear his Gryffindor one, that would be too much of a tell. He exhaled sharply. No tie, than. Problem solved. He huffed and put his arm through his jacket. He couldn't be late, they had to meet up with Alice in about twenty minutes. He looked at his image in the mirror. He hoped he looked good, but even more so, he hoped he looked Muggle good. At least Remus had said that his suit was smart, so that was a step in the right direction. He walked down the stairs two at a time easily -his legs were long enough that it was effortless. His mate was waiting for him and they immediately started on their way to the meeting point. And he blessed Merlin for small miracles when Sirius didn't say anything about his lack of tie.

While he walked he thought about her. He remembered the past weeks; they had been amazing and nerve-wrecking at the same time. Ever since they had fallen asleep together that Saturday the air around them seemed filled with heavy sexual tension. She was always always staring (even if she was trying very hard no to) and he couldn't deny his eyes were also following her around like magnets. And when they were together they would attempt to casually talk, but he kept spacing out of the conversation trying to think of an excuse to touch her while at the same time trying to restrain himself from doing so. Because really, lately it was everything he thought about. He couldn't help it, no matter how mature he was, he was still seventeen. And the way it had felt to have her so close, it gave him chills just thinking about it. And he tried, Merlin did he try, to act nonchalant about it and shake it off but he couldn't get over that feeling that his arms belonged around her and if they were anywhere else they were just in the wrong place. He pushed a hand through his hair to try to make it flatter. He had a slight suspicion her parents wouldn't like their daughter to hang around a person with crazy hair but his was a lost cause. He smiled remembering the time Sirius had decided it was his mission to tame his wild locks but in the end proclaimed it to be bewitched because he didn't want to admit his utter failure. It hadn't been the most masculine way to pass the time, but it was worth it just to see his best friend fuming face in the end.

They were waiting now. They had to, since they didn't know where the shindig was going to happen. He was too fidgety to stay still so he kept pacing quietly and he knew he was driving his best mate slowly insane, but it didn't matter. He was nervous and anxious and excited and terrified all at the same time, because really he could be making a huge mistake imposing on her like this. He tried to relax, breathing in and out. In and out. It was weird for him to feel this way; he usually was a self-assured person, but everything was different when she was involved. He was a little worried about her: she didn't seem very into the wedding herself (maybe it was because her sister was a hag) and it felt like she had been dreading the day. He thought it showed her caring nature, that even though she clearly didn't get along with her sister, she still worried about her, because according to Lily, the bloke Petunia was marrying was a right ass and she was incredibly put out by it. He bit his lip anxiously. He hoped his being there would be a good thing.

"Calm down, mate." -The voice of his best mate had a tinge of humor in it. "You look like you're the one about to get hitched."

"I know, I know."- He said chuckling. "It's just... I hope she won't kill me..."

"She won't. But if she tries to... well, that's why I'll be there." -Sirius said patting his shoulder.

"Bring back my remains, will you, Pads?"

"Sure thing, mate."

And right then, there was a loud pop and her best friend was there. And even though he knew it was a dressed up event he was startled because Alice looked really pretty in her soft green outfit and he couldn't help grinning. He couldn't wait to see Lily.

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She stared at him like he was an alien. He didn't look like any of the men in the room even if he was wearing a suit. He looked taller and sleeker and his hair was as tame as she had ever seen it and his light blue shirt had exactly the right shade to compliment his tanned skin. His glasses were different and he was smiling that crooked smile of his that made her knees wobble. And the dimples. It was always the dimples that killed her. She held the pilaster while a long relieved smile spread on her lips. He was really there. No hallucination, thank God. And just then, everything was just so... perfect. She felt like she had been sucked into one of those cheesy movies where everyone else looked bland and gray and he looked absolutely flawless. And it felt so surreal. She watched as he walked towards her through the crowd with his usual graceful posture. It was really unfair that he seemed to pull off everything so easily. She was always a klutz, bumping into everything and everyone in the near vicinity and his movements were always so easy, so timed. While he walked she saw that her sister's friends were following him with their eyes. She wanted to slap them, of course, but she couldn't really blame them. He was, after all, very staring-worthy. She narrowed her eyes at a petite blond in a horrid pink dress that was ogling him with hungry eyes and she very nearly hissed at the tacky girl. She was vaguely aware that Sirius was there as well; she had seen his form surrounded by another blob of girls, but her eyes were glued to his form. She was half ecstatic and half terrified that he was there. And so far she didn't know which part would overcome the other.

She watched closely as he stood aside so that an elderly guest could leave. Even the old woman couldn't help but stare at him. She looked at him interestedly and he smiled at her politely. He really should not have done that, she thought. The old lady was taken aback by his smile and very nearly lost her already fragile balance. He steadied her with his quick reflexes and the woman seemed frozen for a few moments. Lily couldn't help but chuckle; it seemed he had that effect on everybody –it didn't matter what age. She stared as he talked briefly to the elder, probably asking if she was ok, and then restarted his path to her. His poor victim followed him intently with her eyes. James Potter, she thought, would always be the center of attention, no matter where he went. She looked at him, appraising him. He had made an effort to look Muggle and she wasn't in the least bit surprised that he had pulled it off. He always did. But it was his air that gave him away. He just had that aura and people automatically knew he was special, that he was different. It had taken her a long time for her finally admit that, because to her he had always been that skinny annoying boy with the glasses, but once she saw it, it became an undeniable fact. And then he was there, in front of her. And he was smiling sheepishly, as if unsure of her reaction, and her heart began to beat erratically because dear Merlin in those short couple of days she had missed him so. She was sure she looked like an idiot, gripping that pillar as though her life depended on it and her mouth still slightly agape from the shock that he was right there.

"Hi." -He said timidly.

"Hey." -She returned with great effort.

"Lily?"

"You're here." -And she let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding while her hand procured his shoulder on its own.

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He had never seen her look so beautiful, and that in itself was saying something. The way her deep blue dress hugged her body should just be forbidden, because though it wasn't tight you could almost guess the perfection it hid. The small pleats on the top made her delicate shoulders seem even more fragile and the flowy skirt framed her hips in the exact measure to drive him up the wall. He bit his lip painfully trying to think about why he was there: he was there to help her through it. And he wasn't going to let his mind go wondering to those other territories. Her beautiful hair was put up in a neat ponytail and a casual looking bang framed her face. And she was wearing make up, which she almost never did. And he thought that, really, it was unfair to any other girl in the place to have her close by. His breath sped up when she saw him and smiled, relief washing over him like a long awaited tide. It didn't look like she was going yell. He started moving towards her almost immediately, his eyes steady in her figure. He stood aside when an old lady got up and he gave her a stiff smile trying to hide his impatience. He missed her. It had only been a day and a half but he had missed her terribly. He had missed coming back from his run that day and finding her in their common room, the space filled with that cocoa smell she carried everywhere. That easy smile on her lips silently saying she had been waiting for him. The elderly woman finally moved and he restarted his way towards her. And then, finally, they were together again.

As they walked together to the reception he gently put his hand on the small on her back to lead her to the right. The simple touch made electricity rush through his body violently and he had to make an effort to act as though nothing had happened. He noticed that the very blond hairs in her arm were standing up and smiled. Maybe he wasn't the only to notice the electricity between them. He was now at ease again, it was all he needed: to be close to her. But he could feel she was still tensed up. Maybe it was because her sister had gotten married and she did not care for the husband, or maybe it was because they were walking up to a room filled with her relatives. Together. Or maybe it was a combination of both. Either that or he had no idea.

As they walked talking quietly, her hand brushed his and she blushed heavily. Merlin, he loved that. He loved that now he seemed to have the same effect on her she had always had on him. And to be honest he loved the way she looked when she blushed, it was just too damn adorable -maybe that was why he kept pushing her buttons all those years: to see her tinge that adorable shade of red. When they finally arrived, their mates were waiting and they joined them in conversation. His eyes kept stealing glances of her face and his hand kept drifting towards her, until at one point he decided it was better to just stuff them in his pockets. Less risky.

He and Sirius decided it was best not to congratulate the new couple, because they might notice they didn't know either of them, so they went to get a table. Which meant that Sirius was going to scout his primary targets and his own personal mission was to spike the punch. He walked calmly back to a more hidden table, all the while his eyes trying to soak in all that Muggle information. It was so different from the parties he was used to going, but still it felt the same way. He snorted. It had always been like that for him, he went to all those functions his parents participated in and he always felt out of place, because he was too young, or too bored, or maybe because he didn't really get why all those people were there pretending to be important, pretending to themselves, really. He didn't get it. And even though today was different, it was just the same. He could see the way the Dursley's behaved, like they meant something. But the they only fooled themselves. And he watched as she waited her turn to talk to her sister. It was as if she was standing in a completely separate place, a whole other level. And she turned to look at him only to find him staring at her. She blushed again and he winked at her. She smiled and turned back to talk to her friend. Lily was definitely on a different level, he just hoped she didn't notice -it was way above his.

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The rest of the party seemed to pass on a blur for her. She remembered her sister giving her the evil eye when all her friends seemed to fawn over Sirius Black. She shrugged it off: it really wasn't her fault, and there wasn't much she could do about it. She sighed when she saw for the umpteenth time that day her neighbor's daughter walk by James' side and flash him a suggestive smile, but he didn't even notice and that made her smile. She started to move calmly in his direction, trying to look as slick as she could in those heels (her blasted mother had not allowed her to take the bloody things off). And when she was nearly half way over she noticed someone had beat her to him. Her father. She bit her lip anxiously and saw her mother join them. Her breath hitched and she stared, frozen, as the threesome talked naturally. He seemed so at ease, she could not help but smile bewildered. And thank Jesus and all available saints for his easy going confident nature. She watched as he shook her father's hand and the couple began to move away. While they were walking towards the dance floor her mother caught her eye and gave her a satisfied meaningful look. It made her blush from head to toe, that look her mum sent her, and even though she didn't know exactly what had happened, she just knew he had passed. Apparently with flying colors, like he did everything else.

She closed her eyes for a moment and waited for her breathing to resume its normal rate. When she looked up, he was looking at her with an amused expression. She felt her lips twitch into a smile: she loved when he had that mischievous look. He grinned and pointed to a place in a secluded corner. She nodded. He grabbed a bottle of wine that had been sitting innocently on the table and two glasses and smoothly moved to the appointed place. She watched marveled his elegant figure retreating into the shadows. And when he was gone it took her a few seconds to realize she was supposed to follow, so with a a pleased grin and a start she did exactly that.

When she thought about it she noticed she didn't know exactly how or why but they where dancing. But frankly, that didn't seem very important at the moment. She let her eyes shut slightly and rested her cheek in his shoulder as he swayed them both to the slow music. His long arms rested on her tiny waist and she could smell the scent that was so him, and that made everything ok. She smiled a tiny smile because he was just there. Her left hand rested on his right shoulder and she could just feel the magic that hung in the air. And she knew that moment was going to be one of those she remembered when she was old and grey. So she opened her eyes to look at him and tried to engrave in her memory everything she could about the beautiful boy that has holding her. Their eyes met and she was certain he was doing exactly the same.

It was strange to think of how when the day had begun, she had dreaded it. She had deliberately made everything slowly, prolonging each minute to its furthest. She had gotten dressed in a zombie state and had pretended that it was just another party and promised herself she would endure all the mean comments and the annoying stares because it was Petunia's day, and no matter how much they struggled with each other, she wasn't going to be petty. But now, now everything was different. He is there and it feels like nothing can touch her. And she knows that no one will ever make her feel so safe and so beautiful. Because really he looks at her with those eyes every day and the way he looks at her, it never changes. And she knows that people are going to notice she's gone, and she'll have to answer a million uncomfortable questions, but right then she just can't bring herself to give a damn. Not when his lips are so close his warm breath washes over her. All she seems to be able to care about is him.

And they keep dancing for the longest time and she is pretty sure the song has changed and they look insane dancing to a different rhythm but he doesn't seem to notice, so why should she? And he twirls her around slowly and they laugh together like the seventeen year olds they are. And she can't stop smiling because she really can't remember being that happy. She keeps her eyes on him now all the time, no longer ashamed to be caught, because she doesn't want to miss anything, not the way his eyes twinkle when her hand presses on his shoulder not the way his hair is slowly rebelling against the partial flatness he had managed earlier. And she doesn't miss when he looks at her that way that says everything and they both are silent for a moment and time stops. And his hand caresses her cheek and her chin jolts up and he smiles that crooked grin and the fearsome dimples appear. And she knows she is lost forever, because when his lips gently touch hers for the first time (and like everything else they fit together perfectly), she just feels pure bliss.