Disclaimer: I don't own any Harry Potter or Harry Potter related copyrights. I retain all rights to any original characters, settings, or ideas.
The Potter Pure-blood-Muggle-born Wedding a Political Ruse? Dec. 26
By Anita Baker
"Last night at the famous annual Christmas Eve Ball hosted by the Potter family, Marilyn Potter gleefully announced the date of the wedding of her son, and the sole heir to the Potter name and fortune, to muggle-born Lillian Evans. In following with the family tradition, the couple will be married in the rose garden of Potter manor on Saturday June 11th at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. The official who will perform the ceremony has not yet been chosen. The reception will be held immediately after in the golden ballroom, the very site of the Christmas Eve Ball, and adjoining terrace if the weather is fine.
As usual, it appears that the life of young Mr. Potter reads like a fairytale. Yet, sources close to the young couple stated their shock at the announcement, saying that they were surprised the date was so soon when James had previously stated that he did not wish to be married until after his graduation from the Auror Academy a year and a half from now. Friends of the family suspected that the change in heart was caused by the rapidly declining health of Christopher Potter due to Auror Syndrome, which he was diagnosed with earlier this month. One could imagine why James would want his father to be present for such an occasion, and would push up the date to accommodate him, but this journalist questions whether Miss Evans is truly on board with this, or has merely been bullied into silence and acceptance by her future mother-in-law, who has been known to be sensitive to social norms and gossip.
'Of course she is happy about the change,' stated Potter's close friend Remus Lupin. 'She loves Mr. Potter and definitely wants him to be present at her wedding. She and James made a mutual decision.'
The faces and body language of Miss Evans told a different story, as did the report of her close friend Alice Green:
"I think if it were Lily's choice, she would have waited longer. She doesn't really care what people think, but Mrs. Potter does and she put a lot of pressure on Lily to move up the date. And once [Marilyn Potter] had convinced James, there really wasn't much she could say otherwise."
In following with Green's assumption, Lily looked uncomfortable throughout the whole announcement; her smile was clearly faked and she was constantly shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Furthermore, while James followed his mother's announcement by a short speech telling of his joy, Miss Evans merely held his hand and nodded feebly. This is not the behavior of the Lily Evans that was known at Hogwarts; those who went to school with her tell of her independence, ferocity, and stubbornness. Perhaps there is more to this story than meets the eye. What if Lily is not just unexcited about the announcement of the date of the wedding, but also not excited to get married at all? This journalist smells a secret and will do all in her power to uncover it before the wedding in six months.
This journalist was not alone in wondering if the engagement announced just after the new year this past January, was merely a political statement made by this prominent pure-blood family and was not actually the wishes of the handsome young auror-to-be. As time went on without an announcement of the date, it appeared that the family was merely stating that the return of the philosophy of pure-blood dominance to prominence was wrong; that blood lines were not important and they would show that by permanently destroying their pure-blood status for love. Apparently, they are actually prepared to go through with this act of defiance. It will be interesting to see the public reaction now that the wedding is real."
"I hope that you know that I didn't actually say that," said Alice nervously as Lily put down the copy of the Daily Prophet that Alice had handed her. "I would never talk to a reporter about you and James! Maybe she overheard me talking to someone else…"
"Don't worry about it Alice," said Lily soothingly. "I don't believe that you or Remus actually talked to her. She's a journalist for a fluff column, she probably makes stuff up like this all the time! Besides, the article would be just as horrid without your supposed statement. And like you supposedly said, I don't really care about what people think anyways."
Alice smiled and said, "I expect there will be more of these to come. Once Anita Shaker sticks her fangs in you, she doesn't stop until she has sucked you dry."
"Honestly, she's not a vampire," scoffed Lily, who never really paid much attention to The Daily Prophet and didn't know its journalists well.
"She might as well be," murmured Alice, who had closely tracked the articles written about Marlene once her scandal had become public so as to best shield her friend.
Marlene then arrived at the Leaky Cauldron to join her friends on their lunch date. "Sorry I'm late! What are we talking about?" she huffed.
"Anita Baker," Lily informed Marlene.
Marlene's smile instantly turned into a sour grimace. "Oh that little-"
"How did your appointment go?" interrupted Alice. "It's getting about time for that little one to be born!"
"Did you finally find out if it's a boy or a girl?" asked Lily excitedly. Once she had gotten over her initial negativity, Lily had been as supportive as the rest of her friends.
"The appointment went well," said Marlene who was now back to beaming. "The Healer said that everything looked fine and it should only be a matter of a couple of weeks now. I have told you a thousand times Lily; I want the baby's gender to be a surprise!"
"But how am I supposed to buy anything for the baby if I don't know if it's a boy or girl?" whined Lily.
"Buy things in yellow or green, you know, neutral colors, like Alice did," said Marlene simply as she opened her menu.
"I can't believe you Alice! You said you didn't know what to get either!" shrieked Lily as she swatted her friend with a menu.
"In the competition for the title of 'favorite auntie' everything is fair," retorted Alice playfully.
"Oh well then, I won't be purchasing clothes! Babies like toys and… blankets… and things and that will make me the favorite!"
"I think the favorite will be whoever does the most nappy-changing," quipped Marlene. "Babies definitely love that!"
Lily and Alice shared looks of disgust on their faces.
"Well hello ladies, fancy seeing you here," said Sirius gallantly as he approached their table.
"Hi Sirius," the women chorused.
"May I touch your belly?" Sirius asked Marlene very seriously and politely. He had been on the receiving end of quite a few hexes when he attempted to touch Marlene's swollen stomach without permission before he learned his lesson.
Marlene smiled and replied, "Yes you may. And you can even speak to it if you would like."
"Someone's in a good mood today," joked Sirius as he proceeded to stroke Marlene's pregnant tummy and ask it, "And how is my little protégé doing today? I can't wait to meet you and show you all of the things that drives your mama crazy!"
Alice and Lily laughed and Marlene tried to be angry, but Sirius's baby voice was just too funny.
Turning back to Marlene's face, he said in his normal voice, "Have you given any more thought to my offer?"
"I have and I would like to accept it," said Marlene seriously.
"What offer?" asked Alice.
"Sirius is moving into my flat with me," stated Marlene nonchalantly.
"That's so nice of you Sirius," said Lily enthusiastically, though her eyes betrayed her concern and Sirius knew the two of them would be having a conversation later.
"Yes, well I have a few errands to run, so I must be off. I will see all of you later," and with that Sirius was gone as quickly as he had arrived.
Alice grabbed Marlene's hand and said softly, "We're only concerned because we care about you."
"I know, but don't worry. We're only friends and he is just helping out a friend. He's going to be spending the nights on the couch only, I promise."
"Ok, Marly," said Lily uneasily. "It's just that… well, Sirius has been more into this whole baby thing more than the rest of us and we just don't want either of you to get hurt. You've been through so much together…"
"And that's exactly why we can be just friends. We weren't good together; we have been there and we know that and so there is no point in trying to go back. He ahs a lot less to preoccupy him then the rest of you lot. Lily, you and James have a wedding to plan, Alice you have the Auror Academy and Frank, Remus is far away with Vicky and Peter is still smitten with Beth. Sirius needs something to think about; he has too much energy. He is just a good friend," said Marlene with a tone that told her friends that the conversation was over.
"Well I'm glad that you'll have someone staying with you on the weekends at least," said Alice cheerfully.
"And I'll be around as often as I can during the week," added Lily.
Marlene smiled and then turned the conversation to what they were ordering for lunch.
Wedding Plans Forging Ahead while Bride is left Behind Feb. 19
By: Anita Baker
"Once again, all is not well with the wedding plans for what promises to be the social event of the summer. It was to be expected that there would be some clash between wizarding and muggle traditions when planning this wedding, but Marilyn Potter seemingly ignores Lily's background and input entirely. This journalist cannot even imagine how horrific it must be for the wedding a bride has been dreaming of since she was a little girl to be ripped away from her with a foreign dream of her mother-in-law (read: monster-in-law) thrust in its place.
On Monday Lily Evans was seen to be towed around Diagon Alley by the now-notorious Marilyn Potter. The pair traveled from shop to shop where Marilyn merely showed Lily what she had already selected for the wedding. Various shopkeepers commented that Lily seemed to be very dissatisfied by everything from the invitations to the china pattern and that whenever she voiced an opinion she was shushed by Marilyn and told to go away like a mother disciplining a petulant child.
On a lighter note, the selections made by Potter are simply stunning. The apparent theme is a play on the house colors of the Gryffindor bride and groom, not typical for a summer wedding, but experts agree that Potter seems to be pulling it off well. Each place setting will have a gold leaf charger topped with cream colored china with a burgundy border and scrolling gold work in the center. The china is a gift to the young couple from the groom's parents. Antique crystal water goblets, wine glasses, and champagne flutes (all matching of course), the same that were used in the last four Potter weddings (sans the elopement of the groom's uncle Harry Potter), will be in use, as well as the family gold leaf utensils.
The design of the cake is so far a well kept secret, but rumor has it that there are five layers and the flavors will be chocolate fudge (the groom's favorite), lemon with raspberry jam filling, orange, vanilla, and red velvet. Marilyn has ordered over twenty different types of flowers in varying amounts and so far her plans for these flowers have not been totally revealed. Selections include: white and pink roses, daffodils, honeysuckle, three varieties of orchids, and of course, lilies. Sources say that the selection of lilies is not as sweet and thoughtful as you might think.
An old classmate of Lily's, Nancy Dalton, was present at Diagon Alley that afternoon and witnessed a small spat between the bride and the mother of the groom in the florist's shop. She commented that, 'I have never heard of Lily not getting what she wants. I don't understand why she lets James's mother walk all over her. It just seems so odd and out of character.'
Another classmate, Betty Archer who had been shopping with Nancy added, 'She told Mrs. Potter that she wanted anything but lilies to be at the wedding and then immediately Mrs. Potter went and ordered 100 bouquets to be placed throughout the ceremony site. It was as if Lily wasn't even there and it wasn't her wedding.'
So readers, this begs the question: Is Marilyn Potter designing this whole wedding because the true purpose behind it is just to make her family look good? And is Lily Evans going along with it because she intends to get married a second time and can do it her way with the next guy and his hopefully not overbearing mother? This picture perfect love story smells of intrigue and blackmail if you ask me. It appears that behind the secluded doors of Potter manor dark things are brewing."
"Hey mum," began James quietly as he entered his mother's favorite parlor, which had been fully converted and devoted to wedding plans. "Do you have a minute? I think we need to talk."
"Give me one second James, I'm just about done checking over this guest list so the invitations can go out tomorrow morning," she replied distractedly.
Several minutes passed by with James standing awkwardly in the doorway. He would have liked to sit down, but wedding related books, magazines, and samples covered every surface.
"Done!" pronounced Marilyn as she called for a house elf. "Grenda! Take this list to Madame Faucet at the fine paper store and have her send out the invitations with tomorrow's post. Now James, what did you want to ask me?"
James levitated some of the books onto a miraculously empty shelf and took a seat across from his mother. "Have you seen this morning's edition of the Daily Prophet yet?" he asked as he tossed it onto the coffee table in front of her.
"Why no I haven't. Does it mention the wedding in there?" she asked excitedly. "I thought there might have been a reporter trailing behind us on Monday in Diagon Alley…"
"Yes it does mention the wedding," he said sourly.
"What's wrong?" she asked grimly as she began scanning the article. "Oh dear. Well at least everyone knows that Anita Baker only writes rubbish. No one will believe this poppycock."
"I believe it mum, and that's because Lily says that Anita Baker isn't that far from the truth. Other than the assertions that we're getting married to make a statement and that the whole thing is a sham," he quickly amended. "She says that you haven't let her make a single decision."
"Well that simply isn't true," huffed Marilyn.
James continued, "I bet that you cannot name one thing that she has picked for the wedding. I haven't even seen these invitations you are sending out tomorrow and she hasn't seen the guest list. She just hasn't known how to talk to you about it. She respects you and your opinion, but you are making her very unhappy."
"I'm very sorry that she is unhappy James, but she just doesn't know how to organize a wizarding wedding for an influential family. All of her ideas were completely off base; it just isn't the same as a muggle wedding."
"But mum! It's her wedding! If she wants to make it a bit like a muggle wedding, that is ok with me. I love her and I want her to be happy, especially on the day that she marries me. You're making this process miserable for her."
"James is right Marilyn," said Christopher quietly as he magically rolled into the room in his wheelchair. Christopher was a very changed man. His presence somehow retained its former power, but his body was slowly decaying. He had lost a significant amount of weight and his skin was pale and baggy, but his eyes were still bright and his back straight. His voice was quieter, but people still listened.
"Christopher! You should be in bed!" said Marilyn, shocked.
Ignoring her outburst, Christopher calmly stated, "If you aren't careful, you'll push her away and then they'll elope. That's what happened to Harry and Eileen, and Eileen has told me that the idea has started to creep into Lily's mind, and if that happens what will your elaborate wedding be then? She's miserable and though she won't say as much to me, it is obvious that this wedding is the cause of her unhappiness."
Marilyn burst into tears. "I just want them to have a perfect wedding!"
"I know dear," said Christopher as he directed his chair over to the couch where she was sitting and began to rub her shaking shoulders soothingly. "I know."
"Mum, we don't want an elaborate perfect wedding," said James calmly as he knelt on her other side. "We just want to be surrounded by our family and friends and have a nice party."
"But what will people say?" wailed Marilyn.
"You worry too much about people," cooed Christopher uncharacteristically. "Let them think what they want."
"Christopher? What are you thinking? Your mother planned our wedding so that it would be perfect and everyone would be impressed; that is just the way things work."
"Mum, I'm already changing traditions by getting married to a muggle-born-"
"I know!" cried Marilyn. "That's why it is especially important for the wedding to be flawless and traditional in all other ways."
"James, let me talk to your mother, ok?" he requested with a soft smile.
James left the couple alone and went to find his bride to tell her how the conversation went. It didn't go quite the way he wanted it to, but at least now James understood better why his mother was acting the way she had been.
The Monster-in-Law has a Change of Heart Apr. 3
By: Anita Baker
"As of the last few weeks, it appears that Marilyn Potter has shelved her overbearing wedding planner hat and allowed for the bride to take over the preparations. Sources close to Mrs. Potter state that her son and husband, both of whom care very deeply for the bride and her happiness, spent the better part of a week imploring with her to change her ways. It is said that only when James Potter threatened her with eloping like his uncle, and thus embarrassing her in front of all wizarding society, did she see reason and relinquish her death grip on the wedding.
This journalist was very skeptical about the purported change of heart and was waiting for a relapse. However, it seems that the shift has been true. Lily Evans has taken over the planning and has made significant alterations to what had been previously ordered.
The first thing to go was the lilies. Florist Annabelle Kendrick stated, "I have never seen somebody with such a hatred for a flower before! And to think it was the flower she was named after! She certainly has an odd taste in flowers. I would never have picked daisies for a Potter wedding, but I guess we'll see…"
The next thing slated for modification was the type of chairs to be placed at the ceremony site in the Rose Garden of Potter manor. Marilyn Potter had chosen spindly-legged golden chairs with plush maroon cushions. Going in a completely opposite direction, Evans selected a sturdier looking white chiavari chair with a simple white cushion. A fellow customer and avid reader of this column, who overheard this shift, commented "She certainly has a very different sense of style from the rest of the upper-class wizarding society. Whoever heard of white chairs with white cushions in the Rose Garden?"
So it seems that Lily Evans is continuing to make waves. We all remember how shocking the announcement of their engagement was (who thought that would get by Christopher Potter?), and now Lily Evans seems to be continuing to shake things up. But at the same time, the pressure is on. Can you imagine being a muggleborn who is audacious enough to marry into a prestigious pureblood family? This journalist certainly can hardly conceive the notion that Lily Evans will be ending a tradition that spans centuries. Never again will a pureblood Potter be born. And on top of that, she has the will power to stand up to her future mother-in-law and challenge her decisions? The bride seems to have the heart of a dragon and the courage of a true Gryffindor!
But it can also be said of Gryffindors that they can be rather foolhardy. So, we all know that Marilyn Potter hasn't disappeared; she is probably waiting in the wings, ready to step in whenever she thinks things have gone too far. This journalist wonders how long Lily Evans's leash is and whether she will actually get her dream wedding. With only two months to go before the wedding, it seems like we won't have long to wait."
"Can you believe this rubbish?" spat Vicky as she thrust the paper back on the kitchen table between her and Remus.
Remus chuckled. "Well, I believe the part about Lily despising lilies and I believe the part about Marilyn Potter waiting to jump back out and fix things when she thinks Lily has gone too far."
"And the part about them eloping isn't that far off," mused Vicky as she calmed down a bit. "Lily mentioned that the idea had crossed her mind… that being said, Anita Baker still has a way of making that all seem horrid!"
"Lily says she is doing ok with everything, but what has she written to you?" asked Remus with concern evident in his voice. "I can't imagine all of this could be easy on her."
Vicky took a large bite out of the breakfast Remus had prepared for her and made a noncommittal face as she chewed and thought it over. "I think she is surviving. She certainly isn't loving the media attention, but she has been dealing with that since she made Head Girl so I think that doesn't really phase her anymore. She just wants to be left alone. How is James doing?"
"He's fine, just worried about Lily. I'll be glad to be back there in a couple months; it will be nice to see them again."
Vicky smiled at him softly. She knew how much he loved his friends and how difficult it was for him to be so far away from them, especially when they were practically in constant, though remote, danger. "I'm sorry you couldn't get time off of work until right before the wedding."
"It's alright, it's nice to have a job that I enjoy," said Remus cheerily.
Vicky smiled warmly and Remus gave her a questioning look. "I just love your ability to find the bright side in everything," she uncharacteristically gushed. "And I still can't believe that you moved so far away from your family and friends to be close to me; it's like a fairytale."
Remus's smile echoed his girlfriend's as he grabbed her free hand in his own. "Things have been kind of perfect, haven't they? I have a great job researching and editing defense against the dark arts books; I have my own apartment in a nice neighborhood and don't have my mum fussing over me all the time, and I get to see you on a regular basis and cook you breakfast after a fantastic sleepover."
Vicky both blushed and giggled at his last comment, both actions that had been foreign to her before she met Remus. "And don't forget that you have your lycanthropy under control here," she added.
"That's right," nodded Remus. "Moony very much loves all of the woods around here and when I am not being confined, I don't injure myself as much."
"And I am doing well at the Institute; did I tell you that I am almost finished with my auror curriculum? I just have one more course to finish next quarter and then I'll take the exam at the end of the summer."
"That's excellent! You passed your advanced defense theory exam last week then?"
"With flying colors of course! Thank you again for staying up late to quiz me."
"It was my pleasure," said Remus meaningfully. "And how are your political science and international diplomatic relations degrees coming?"
"Well you know that I put both of them on the backburner to fast-track the auror degree, but next quarter I'll be focusing on them."
"Good! I look forward to reading some of your materials too. What did you pick to study?"
"Well I am actually, finally taking Rudolf's seminar on making compromises," said Vicky with a grin.
"How wonderful!" crowed Remus. "I know you have been excited for that for some time. I'm glad you were able to work that into your schedule."
"Mmmhmm," agreed Vicky. "And I'm also doing an independent study on rhetoric and the use of propaganda during war times. Wollensky also offered to teach me about the relationship between power and political influence, but I may save that for later. Those are the only changes I have made in the last couple of days; the rest of the classes I'm taking and things I'm doing I already told you about."
"Sounds like you will have a very busy but enjoyable quarter coming up," said Remus with a smile.
"Yes, I think it will be good, just like this breakfast! Your mother certainly taught you well."
"Well, after I was bitten she was constantly afraid that something else would happen to me if I left her sight again, so she kept me pretty close by until I left for Hogwarts. And since I was there while she cooked, she figured that she might as well teach me how. When I was little she said that it would impress a nice lady someday and I didn't believe her then, but I guess she was right," he joked.
"Women always are," Vicky bantered as she wagged the hand that held a slice of toast at him. She gasped in surprise when Remus bit the toast right out of her hand.
"That was mine!" she laughed as he shoved the rest of it in his mouth when she lunged for it.
Remus shrugged as he struggled to chew the food with his very wide smile.
"Merlin I love you," she said flippantly as she settled back into her chair.
"While you marry me?" He put the open ring box on the table facing her.
"What?"
Lily Evans: First She Ruins the Potter Name and then Their Bloodline May 23
By: Anita Baker
"It appears that I owe Marilyn Potter an apology: she was absolutely right to take the reins of the wedding planning and just tell the bride to show up on the day of the wedding because obviously Evans is just making a mess of thing as Mrs. Potter supposed she would. This reporter got her hands on the seating chart for the reception and noticed that Lily made a social faux pas in the arrangement of just about every table. Can you believe that she would place the French Minister of Finance at the same table as the German Minster of Magic? Anyone who is anyone knows that those two can't stand each other! I have said a lot about Marlene McKinnon in the last few months, and though she has made some mistakes in her life, at least she knows better than to do something like this! Marlene: we know that you are preoccupied with your little out-of-wedlock bundle of joy and living with that stud Sirius Black, but seriously, can't you help a friend in need?
It has also come to light, that Lily has foregone the traditional bridal bouquet of white roses for violets, and instead of a veil has chosen a glittering tiara. Furthermore, completely deviating from the Gryffindor theme established by Marilyn Potter, Lily chose navy blue dresses for her bridesmaids. And worst of all, these dresses are not the customary floor-length dress robes everyone expected, but instead knee-length dresses from a muggle "department store" that one would imagine a five-year old to wear to a tea party! I personally never thought I would see the day when a Potter wedding would involve dresses that are "off the rack." Perhaps Lily is trying to push James far enough so that he'll call off the wedding and she'll be free to escape? Or maybe James doesn't care about his family at all because he is so enamored with his vixen bride.
In addition to her poor seating chart, and horrendous taste in every aspect of the wedding details, Lily Evans neglected to even invite the Malfoy family, further showing her lack of knowledge of the society she is attempting to marry into by tying the knot with James Potter. This reporter once more questions this proposed union. Is James Potter out of his mind? Does he just want to destroy the image and status his family has been building for centuries?
The strain is certainly apparent on the face of Marilyn Poter. Spotted going to the final fitting for her dress robes for the occasion, she looked tired and defeated. It is unknown how Lily Evans succeeded in throwing a coup in the Potter household, but it is apparent that she is now running the show, quite possibly into the ground. One thinks that this could be due to the decline of the once imposing head of the household, Christopher Potter. The elder Potter has not been seen in public in almost three months now and it has been reported that Healers stopped visiting the house more than two months ago. It seems dubious that Christopher could even hold on long enough to see his son sell his life away to a woman clearly unfit to be a Potter.
Any of James and Lily's classmates could attest to the fact that Lily Evans has bewitched her fiancée since they day they first met, and now with James's father practically in the grave and out of the way, James has claimed his birthright, becoming the man of the house. With his headstrong bride guiding his hand, it is not difficult to imagine how quickly Marilyn, whom Lily has been reported to detest and resent for trying to ruin her wedding, was pushed into the shadows. Who knows if Marilyn will even remain at Potter manor after the passing of her husband? This reporter suspects that she will be summarily dismissed to the villa the Potter's own on the Italian coast within a month.
After destroying the Potters in name, Miss Evans will forever tarnish the bloodline of the Potters by mixing it with her muggle-born heritage. Even if all of the future Potters married Pure-bloods, the family could never again claim pure-blood status. Centuries of careful match-making wasted. Is nothing sacred anymore?
"It's amazing how quickly I went from being the poor victim to a radical, evil, and rebellious bride-slash-dragon," commented Lily as she folded and handed the newspaper back to her fiancée.
"It's a fickle world," shrugged James. "How are you doing with all of this? I feel so badly that I can only be here with you on the weekends and haven't been much of a help through it all."
Lily intertwined her fingers with his and said softly, "It's been difficult, but I have plenty of people to help me- your Aunt Eileen for example has been incredibly supportive, as has your dad surprisingly. Since that talk with your mother, your dad and I have been talking up a storm about the wedding."
James smiled, "It's wonderful that you've been taking care of him so well. I think he really appreciates it, and so do I."
"I know you both do," said Lily with a smile. "And I am happy to do it. He was so miserable and uncomfortable with different Healers coming in and out of the house all the time. For being in the spotlight all the time, I think people don't understand how private of a person he is."
"Very true, and he is very comfortable around you for whatever reason."
"Well, he doesn't have to pretend with me, and his role in his relationship with me is not as strictly dictated by society as it is with other people. It's refreshing for both of us I think."
James grinned. "It's kind of funny; I can't imagine my life without you anymore."
"We got pretty close to that a few times, though didn't we?" mused Lily as she cuddled closer to James on the sofa.
James nodded thoughtfully and then added, "But getting through that stuff makes me sure that we can get through anything. I've heard a lot of the blokes at the Academy talking about how their older brothers and friends were so nervous before their weddings and unsure about it, but I haven't felt that way at all. Have you?"
Lily considered the notion for a minute and then answered, "It's been so long in coming, I think the idea of marrying you is just second nature to me. It seems ridiculous to think of not marrying you. The timing isn't ideal, but what is ideal nowadays?"
"Speaking of ideal," murmured James disappointedly as a Patronus he recognized as Sirius's sprang through the wall into the living room.
"Today's Saturday! Sirius was on duty in Hogmeade today," gasped Lily as she and James jumped off of the couch, ready to hear Sirius's message and depart immediately.
"Death Eaters. Hogsmeade. Need help now. Floo to Three Broomsticks."
A/N. Thanks to all of those readers who have stuck with me for all of these years and welcome to those who are new to this adventure! I know my updating has been spotty at best, but I already have most of the next chapter written, so I'll be a little more dependable for the next couple of weeks I hope! I appreciate your reviews as always
Here's some questions for you:
What do you think about Anita Baker and her comments on the wedding preparations?
What do you think of Sirius and Marlene moving in together? How do you think their relationship will develop?
What do you think of Marilyn Potter's behavior regarding the wedding? Lily's?
What do you think of Remus and Vicky's relationship? Do you think she'll say yes to his proposal?
What do you think is going on in Hogsmeade?
What would you like to see happen at the wedding? (It is coming I promise!)