"It doesn't look right, Lils, it just doesn't. How do I fix it?"
"Take a Xanax?"
"NOT the day for sarcasm." Remus was firmly planted in front of the mirror set up in the back room of a church trying to fix his hair without creasing his suit.
"Remus, hon, it looks fine." Marlene was holding her breath as Lily zipped up the back of her bridesmaids dress.
"'Fine' is not the look I'm going for. 'Fine' isn't going to make him cry when he sees me at the altar. He sees 'fine' every day."
"Oh my god. I expected Sirius to be the dramatic one, not you." Lily draped Marlene's hair around her shoulders, and walked over to deal with Remus's. She licked her fingers and twisted the strand he had been messing with for half an hour, letting it fall in a perfect coil as she took her hand away. "There. Now keep your hands out of you hair so it stays that way."
Alice laughed from the corner. "Mom voice!" She made an invisible check in the air with her finger. Lily, one hand on her pregnant belly, rolled her eyes. Ever since her friends had found out she was pregnant, they had been keeping mental total of every time she broke out her parental tones.
Remus watched the three girls help each other finish their makeup as he tried to control his sweating palms. It had been a while since the gang had been all in the same place, and it felt good to have his best friends surrounding him, joking like usual. Especially today.
The engagement had lasted a little longer than both Remus and Sirius had anticipated, since both of them would have readily gotten married at City Hall the day after Remus proposed. But Remus's mom had suggested they wait until he graduated college. There hadn't been any reason to rush, so they had waited those two years, watching their friends James and Lily get married, and then pregnant, in between.
James, now experienced in the nuances of marriage, was a few rooms away giving Sirius some sage advice.
"Now, you're going to want to cry as soon as you start walking down the aisle, but trust me, sobs don't really coincide with Pachelbel's canon so you're going to want to wait until you get up the altar."
"Gee thanks mate." Sirius had a few fistfuls of hair in his hand, a youtube tutorial pulled up on his phone resting on the counter.
"Oh! And don't drink all of your first champagne glass at the reception because then you'll get tipsy too fast, and the wedding photographer will capture all of your shitty dancing." He rubbed his chin, trying to think of other important bits of wisdom to impart.
"Ok I've watched this tutorial like eight times and I still don't think I'm doing it right."
James looked at Peter and Frank, who both shrugged. None of them were going to be any help for this. "Want me to get Marlene?"
Sirius sighed in defeat. "Yeah, bring her over."
James scurried down the hall of the church, popping his head through the door where his wife and their friends were. "Hey gorgeous!"
Lily smiled, "Hey-"
"Not you, Remus." James winked as Lily pouted. "Can I borrow Marlene for a second?"
"Yeah, what for?"
"We need help loading the getaway car."
"Wait, wha-"
But James ignored Remus, pulling Marlene out of the room and down the hall. She walked in to find a sleepy Frank and Peter and an exasperated Sirius.
"Please tell me you know how to french braid."
Inside the church, guests were mingling amongst the pews, greeting each other warmly as they found their seats. Remus's parents were at the front, chatting with the preacher, and waving hello to a few of Remus's college professors. Mcgonagall had been invited, entering the church in a beautiful green gown. James did a double take as he walked by.
"Geez, Minnie, if you look better than Sirius, he's going to pitch a fit."
McGonagall scoffed. "I've told you not to call me that Mr. Potter. Do you fancy a detention this afternoon."
"Ah! You can't pull that card anymore, dearest." He flashed a wide grin and hurried off to whatever errand he was busy with before.
Soon the guests were seated and a very nervous Remus was standing at the altar, his three bridesmaids behind him.
Seeing as how their wedding didn't really conform to tradition anyhow, Remus got the bridesmaids but Sirius got to walk down the aisle. Remus had at least talked him down from doing a cartwheel in the middle of his procession.
Remus, situated in front of the priest, watched James appear at the doors in the back of the sanctuary as the music started. Slowly, he walked down the aisle, making faces at Lily the entire time. He was followed by Frank. And then Peter. And then Sirius.
The music swelled as Sirius started down the empty row between the seated guests. Remus tried to control his fluttering stomach as he saw that his hair was french braided. That must have been what Marlene was for.
Sirius had been so excited about this day and you could read it on his face. His suit fit him perfectly and he had made Lily paint his nails the night before. Pale blue. To match the bridesmaids dresses. He tried to look regal as he walked down the aisle but nothing could keep that cheesy smile off his face.
And oh Remus looked perfect as well. His hair, despite his grumbling, looked angelic, and he was already fighting back tears. His suit was lighter than Sirus's and fit him like a glove. Sirius had to make a conscious effort not to stare at his ass as he got closer.
A few more measures and they were standing in front of each other. They took each other's hands.
The priest was saying something, but Sirius couldn't hear. He was getting lost in Remus's eyes again. Luckily, Remus was paying attention well enough to take his cue. Taking a deep breath, he started his vows.
"Sirius Black I have never been more in love with any one in my entire life." Sirius smiled as he felt his heart jump up to his throat. Don't cry. He thought. Don't cry, it will mess up your vows.
Remus continued "I've been told that its damn near impossible to find someone who completely understands you and loves you anyways." Leave it to Remus to swear in his wedding vows. "I guess I'm just lucky, because I found you so quickly." He laughed and squeezed Sirius's hand.
"We've already spent a huge chunk of our lives together and I am so thankful for the memories we have. You'll always be my partner in crime, my favorite view, the eye to my hurricane." He recounted a few of his favorite memories, a few small pranks they had played together, getting a laugh from the audience.
"But I can't even begin to express how excited I am for the memories we'll get to make. You'll still be my partner in crime, but you'll also be my co pilot. Still my favorite view but also my other half. The eye to my hurricane and the wind that drives me forward." Remus turned to take Sirius's ring from Lily. He held it out like a promise.
"I love you, and now I'll never leave you. I'm yours, Sirius Orion Black, till death do us part." Sirius had to bite his cheek to keep the tears back, the words 'I'm yours' making his stomach explode with butterflies.
The priest said something else that Sirius didn't hear, still caught up in how beautiful Remus's vows had been.
Oh no. It was his turn. He took a deep breath and began.
"Remus, Minä rakastan sinua (Remus I love you)," Sirius smiled as he watch Remus's face go slack. "Mutta minulla on salaisuus, ja elämämme yhdessä ei voi alkaa epärehellisyydellä (But I have a secret and our life together can't start with dishonesty). Tiedän, kuinka puhua suomea ja minulla on jonkin aikaa (I know how to speak finnish, and I have for a while). Koko elämäni (my whole life, actually)."
Remus's hands had gone numb with shock. The language sounded so beautiful coming out of Sirius's mouth, his tongue perfectly rounding over each syllable. But Sirius could speak Finnish? Sirius could speak Finnish!? He answered him the beautiful language, momentarily interrupting him.
"miksi et kertonut minulle? (Why didn't you tell me?)"
"Koska rakastuin sinuun tämän kielen kautta (Because I fell in love with you through this language). Sain tietää sinut sanojen läpi, joita luulit, etten ymmärtänyt (I got to know you through the words you thought I didn't understand). makeat asiat, jotka sanoit minulle ja sitten kertoivat minulle, että he olivat loukkauksia (When you'd say sweet things to me, but tell me they were insults). Kun pyytäisin sinua puhumaan likainen minulle, mutta kerrot säästä (When I would ask you to talk dirty, and you would talk to me about the weather). Olisin pitänyt kertoa sinulle, mutta en halunnut päästää irti. (I should have told you but I didn't want to let go of this)" The words tumbled out of his mouth all at once. Remus was no longer breathing, just staring in shock, his face frozen in a smile.
"Tiedän, että koko tämän päivän kohta oli kertoa kaikille tässä huoneessa, kuinka paljon rakastan sinua (I know that the point of today was to get up in front of everyone and tell them how much I love you). Mutta, Remus, kaikki täällä jo tietävät sen (But, Remus, everyone in here already knows that). Tarvitsen sinua kuulemaan sen. (I need you to hear it)" Sirius squeezed Remus's hand, staring straight into his eyes in the dead silent room.
"Minä rakastan sinua, Remus Lupin (I love you Remus Lupin). Haluan aina haluta kuunnella sinua, ja toivon, että haluat aina kuunnella minua (I will always want to listen to you, and I hope that you'll always want to listen to me too)." Sirius took Remus's ring from James and slipped it on Remus's finger, smiling up at his tearful face.
Hope Lupin, the only person in the audience besides her husband who had understood Sirius's vows, was dabbing the steady stream of tears flowing down her face with a tissue.
Soon the priest was finished, the words 'you may now kiss-' barely out of his mouth as Remus lunged towards Sirius, his hands on his face and his mouth pressed firmly up against Sirius's lips. Sirius leaned into the kiss, ignoring James's cheering in the background, a little voice in the back of his head saying calm down, calm down. There's people in here, you can't fuck him yet.
Remus broke them apart, reluctantly, and they made their way down the aisle, smiles splitting both their faces right down the middle. Their friends happily trailed after them, Lily's face damp with tears.
As they passed the doors of the sanctuary Remus, his hand firmly clasped in Sirius's, whispered, "Of course you fucking out did me with your vows."
The reception is just as beautiful as the ceremony, and all the guests were having a wonderful time.
Sirius and Remus danced their first dance to Tchaikovsky's symphony 6 ("It's gay LEGEND, Rem") and make quite a fool of themselves in the process.
Lily, pregnant and as a result newly sober, was having a wild time playing designated driver, laughing at Marlene's drunk attempts to seduce a cocktail waitress, and filming James's drunk flirting with Mcgonagall on her phone. "Sorry professor, I'd try and stop him but this is too much fun."
About half way through the reception, while Sirius was playfully dancing with Hope in the middle of the dance floor, Remus walked over to stand by his dad, who is watching them.
"Not really how you expected this day would go, huh?" Remus shoved his hands in his pockets, not making eye contact, instead watching his mother step on Sirius's feet. The quiet man next to him looked over, stirring the drink in his hand.
"Better." He turned back to watch his wife and his new son-in-law.
For the second time that day, Remus's smile was bigger than it had ever been.
The reception ended late that night, Sirius and Remus thanking the many guests and hopping in a taxi to a hotel. They had a plane to catch in the morning. Sirius had wanted to go to Italy for their honeymoon and Remus just wanted to be wherever Sirius was.
Both of them were exhausted. Remus leaned against the window letting Sirius lay across his lap. He tangled his fingers in Sirius's french braid.
"Can you believe we're married?" Sirius whispered, fighting to keep his heavy eyelids open.
"I can't believe you fucking speak finnish." Remus chuckled back, tilting his husband's (his husband!) head up and kissing him again.
"You should've seen the look on your face." Sirius mumbled sleepily.
By the time they got up to their hotel room, both of them were dead on their feet. They barely made it to the bed before they were asleep.
But although the wedding night 'festivities' might have been slept through, that week in northern Italy sure as hell made up for it.
