"Do you think that there's a spell or something I could try?"

James knew that he was fussing over his hair too much, but he was trying his best to forget the nervous feeling that was building inside of him. The looks that his friends exchanged told him that they too thought he was acting strange.

"You know what? I think Lily has seen your hair already and for some reason she's still marrying you, isn't she?"

Padfoot and Wormtail were spread across the floor, playing a game of exploding snap. Luckily they hadn't yet changed into their dress robes as Sirius had already set his shirt on fire with their first deck. They were keenly avoiding a similar incident that might involve hair or eyebrows, thinking that it might ruin the wedding photos. Moony was sitting on the bed with a book open in his lap, deeply focused and determinedly ignoring his friends.

"And I don't reckon that you should try anything on it. You'll end up turning it blue or something, and that'll be tough to explain though it might be an improvement."

James stepped heavily on his friends foot in retaliation and and crossed the room. Pulling back the curtain he glanced down into the yard below. He had been checking periodically since his mother had sent them all upstairs to get ready. The chairs beneath the white tent were filling up quickly. Lily's parents sat in the front row, still surrounded by friends and family. Mr. Evans was examining a short dark wand and his wife was leaning away from him apprehensively as the point swiveled in her direction. A band was setting up their instruments on a tiny stage to the side of the party. His own mother was deep in discussion with Dorcas Meadows and Elphias Doge. Many of the other members of the Order were huddled in small groups around the yard and Sirius' cousin Andromeda Tonks was watching her young daughter fondly as the little girl entertained the other children with her magical morphing abilities. He watched as her hair grew out in spirals around her head and changed from it's usual mousy brown color to a violent rose. James wished that he was a metamorphmagus, then he would have been able to do something with his own hair.

He waved at Benjy Fenwick and Caradoc Dearborn who had noticed him in the window, then let the heavy curtain fall back into place.

Moony had put his book aside and was watching James closely.

"Do you think we should start getting ready then?" he asked his friend as he stepped away from the window. Moony nodded and made to pull himself up off the bed.

The cards on the floor exploded with a bang, filling the room with color and smoke. Wormtail cried out in shock and Moony sat back down heavily.

As the smoke began to clear James could see his friends more clearly. Padfoot's eyebrows and hair was singed, and Wormtail looked as if he had removed his own entirely, giving him a surprised look . James burst out laughing and Moony joined in.

"Thats a great look. It'll go well with your dress robes" he choked out. They both glared at him but he was unconcerned. It wasn't his problem if his best man looked as if he had had his head set on fire.

Wormtail was feeling his face with both hands, a look of horror building on his face.

"You have to fix it, you have to!" he whined squeakily, staring imploring around at his friends, and James could have sworn that he was twitching like the rat that he was.

Moony gave a sigh from the bed and stood.

"I think I can fix it" he said calmly. "Hold still."

Wormtail froze and Moony pulled out his wand and pointed it at his friends face. Wormtail squeezed his eyes shut tightly.

With a faint pop, eyebrows reappeared on the boys face and he put up a hand to feel them.

"Those should do nicely" Moony said idly.

"And how about me mate?" Padfoot asked, scrambling to his feet.

Moony turned his wand on Padfoot and his own eyebrows grew out to fill in the missing parts and the ends of his hair became smooth again.

Moony looked down at his wand with a faint smile.

"Useful little spell, I thought I might find a use for it, though I was picturing something more than a pack of exploding cards and a couple of idiots."

He grinned at his friends and pocketed his wand. Owing him their eyebrows, the others made no reply.

"I'll go get our dress robes then, shall I?" James offered, suddenly feeling claustrophobic in the small, crowded bedroom. "I think my mom hung them up across the hall so we couldn't wreak them early."

He left the room, crossed the hall and entered his mother's, closing the door behind him.

"James?"

He jumped in surprise and spun on the spot.

"Oh, sorry, I just came to get the...uh..."

Lily stood before him, already dressed in a beautiful white dress with thin straps and a number of other features that he couldn't remember the names of, guessing that they were probably french words. Her long red hair hung in soft curls around her face and down over her shoulders. It seemed to shine brighter than he had ever seen it and her skin glowed in the half light from the closed curtains. He felt his jaw drop.

Her happy smile changed to a look of mild concern as he stood there staring at her.

"James, are you alright?"

He closed his mouth with a snap and ran a hand though his hair. He really had to stop doing that. He sidestepped the bed and crossed the room but he didn't reach out or touch her and he realized that his mouth was open again.

"You... you look... you look... amazing" he stammered.

Lily blushed, scarlet glowing in her cheeks, enhancing the look of her. She giggled, and it sounded to him like a thousand tiny chimes ringing gloriously. As pathetic as it was, he just couldn't seem to find any imperfections in his fiance, from her sparkling emerald eyes to her currently bare feet sticking out from under the dress.

She had turned to the mirror and began to fuss with her hair, pushing it back and forth and running her fingers through it. James reached out and grabbed her hand, stopping her movements and turning her back towards him and pulling her close.

"Don't do that."

She raised one eyebrow at him.

"You look perfect already."

She rolled her eyes but rose up on her tiptoes to kiss him.

The door opened with a crash. It hit the wall and bounced back. James and Lily jumped apart guiltily. The door swung back open and Padfoot entered the room with a smug smile on his face.

"We were wondering where you had got to Prongs. Now I see."

For the first time, James wished that his friend would just leave them be.

"You know, you two have been really good so far but recently I've been getting that urge every time you're together."

"What are you talking about?" Lily asked, sounding flustered, and she turned back to the mirror and started fussing with her hair again. James noticed that the mirror wasn't making any snide comments about her reflection as they all seemed to for him.

"The urge to heave, and I don't know that you'll still want me as best man once I'e ruined that dress of yours."

James pulled out his wand and sent sparks shooting at his friend who jumped out of the way with a bark of laughter. They hit the door instead and scorch marks appeared on the wood.

"Alright, alright, I get the point" Padfoot said, putting up his hands in surrender. "But you had better hurry up, we need to get ready."

He turned to leave.

"Oh, and it's supposed to be bad luck to see the bride in the dress before the wedding."

And he swept from the room, closing the door behind him. They could hear him chuckling as his footsteps faded down the hall.

"I think I'll take my chances." He grinned.

"He's right though, you should go get ready. I can't wait for you forever." She grinned back.

"Right. Well I came in here to get our robes."

Lily crossed to the closet and opened it. Four sets of dress robes hung on the back of the door and James flicked his wand so that they flew off and hovered in the air in front of him.

"See you at the alter then."

He leaned down and kissed Lily briefly and followed after Padfoot with the robes gliding in front of him.

"Unless you chicken out!" she called after him. He turned and stuck his tongue out.

Twenty minutes later he sat in the front row under the great white marquee. Padfoot sat on one side of him, with Moony and Wormtail just past him and his mother sat on the other side next to Lily's. His new robes chafed uncomfortably around his neck and arms. The rows behind him were filled with what seemed like every person that he had ever met. Looking over his shoulder he saw several people smile in his direction. Hagrid stood in back, towering over the others even as he leaned down to talk to the Prewetts, a tiny Dedalus Diggle and Edgar Bones who seemed to be dressed in robes covered in little, glittering stars, blinking brightly even in the competing sunlight. Dumbledore caught James' eye as he looked around the tent and the older man offered him a wink and a nod.

Returning his attention to the front he noticed that Padfoot was fidgeting in his seat, pulling at his own robes, and James couldn't blame him. The hot sun hadn't seemed to have acknowledged that they had put up a tent and was intent on giving them all heat stroke.

Suddenly, the band began to play a soft melody and the crowd fell silent. Those who were standing rushed to find their seats and a sense of excited anticipation settled over the quiet group as they looked to the front of the tent expectantly. James could feel hundreds of pairs of eyes boring into the back of his head.

Moony leaned around Wormtail with an amused look on his face.

"You two gonna stand up then?" Just as an elbow dug into James side and his mother nudged him to his feet. There was an appreciative chuckling from the crowd and then he was standing up in front of all those gathered with Padfoot standing beside him as best man, a slightly pained look on his face. Everyone was grinning up at them. It really wasn't as bad as he had expected it to be. A moment later they had been joined by an older man wearing a set of plain black robes and and a black top hat. The music swelled around them. James pulled at the front of his robes, straightening them, and tried again, rather hopelessly, to flatten his hair.

Gasps and sighs from the guests made him look up. Every head was turned towards the house, every face was smiling. He saw Mary walking down the aisle wearing a sky blue dress with her hair pulled back. He had to admit that she looked great.

Then Mary moved to the side and his eyes found who they were looking for. She was walking up the aisle on her father's arm.

All other thoughts were wiped from his mind as she came towards him and he couldn't help but notice that she was still barefoot. Their eyes met and she gave him a dazzling smile.

Then her hand was in his and she was still smiling widely at him, her eyes glittering, her hair gleaming, her cheeks blushed scarlet from the attention. He could feel a similar expression on his own face. The old man was speaking but he couldn't hear the words.

He had never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life.

"Lily;

I join my life with yours,

Wherever you go, I will go.

Whatever you face, I too shall face.

In good times and bad, in life and in death,

I give myself to you forever and always."

James heard the collective sigh from the audience as he spoke. He could hear Hagrid sobbing in back. He was actually rather impressed himself, having said the first words that had come to him. He was quite surprised that they had come out so well.

"...then I declare you husband and wife" the old wizard was saying. "You may kiss the bride."

And so he did.

He could feel Lily smiling as he kissed her. Cheers, giggling and cat calls filled the air. Someone wolf-whistled nearby. Lights exploded, birds twittered and he felt warm all over as these things seemed to melt away. He forgot about the people gathered, watching them, about everything. It was him and her, together forever no matter what. As it should be.


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