Jess Allen looked at her wardrobe mirror and couldn't help making a genuine grin when she saw how well her white and pale blue wedding dress fit her.
'This shade of blue suits you,' Ryan once had said when he gave her a blue dress on Valentine's Day.
Today would be their wedding day, the day she would bond her life to the most handsome, clever and sensual man she'd ever seen – the man who was once the little boy whom she'd cared for since he lied to a teacher for her and Lily's sakes; the young boy she'd fancied since she noticed he was more than her best friend; the young man she'd loved since she found she couldn't live without him; the man who would be her husband after she saved his life during the last battle against Voldemort.
Jess looked at the clock on her bedroom wall. As she started walking to the door, she glanced at her favourite photo in a simple, silver frame on her nightstand. In that photo, Jess was smiling happily, wearing her pale baby blue bikini that went perfectly with her pale skin. A shirtless Ryan was holding her, putting his chin on her right shoulder, grinning at the person who was taking the photo - their best friend, Lily. That was during their first summer as a couple, relaxing on a Muggle beach that Lily knew.
'Jess, why are you drooling over a photo when you can get the real thing in about 20 minutes?'
Jess didn't notice Lily until she heard her voice.
Lily walked into the room wearing her maid of honour's dress that was floaty which didn't quite hide her baby bump and the normal shade of royal blue with her bouquet of white and blue flowers in her hand. Her hair was put in a curled bun with flowers decorating it. Her side fringe had been straightened and pushed to the side.
Jess' wedding was going to be the wedding of her dreams. She had a maid of honour, Lily two bridesmaid's, Lily's daughter and Jess' goddaughter, Amelia and Jayde's daughter, Caitlyn and she had two page boy's, Amelia's twin brother, Matthew, and Lizzi's son Jayden, the ring bearer, Vicky's son, Honoré, and the flower girl, Lily's other daughter, Hollie. Ryan's best man was Jess' brother, Jake. And to make the day even better, Jess would be marrying the man of her dreams.
'Yeah, you're right. I just can't believe that I'm really going to marry him. If someone were to tell me that I would be marrying Ryan 10 years ago, I would have told them to go to St. Mungo's to be checked out and see if there was something seriously wrong with their minds.'
Lily chuckled. 'Yeah, and I'm glad that you will be, for my sake and the whole of yours and Ryan's family.'
Jess poked Lily's shoulder, and they both burst out laughing and then Lily asked, 'Ready?'
Jess winked and replied, 'Ready.'