A/N: Hi! I've been gone a little while but no matter - I really wanted to thank you all for sticking with me, for reviewing (ElsaElphieGinny, Alyia and BeanerWeasley thank you so so much!), for favourite-ing and following and generally supporting me. It means a lot to me that you're giving up your time to read this - so yeah, thank you.

Anyway, I hope you've had a lovely week. Enjoy!

(R.I.P Alan Rickman. He was truly an inspiration and we'll all miss him. /*)

27TH JUNE 1981

POTTER'S COTTAGE

LILY'S P.O.V

"… and he knelt in the flecked morning light and wept until the sun was high in the sky."

I sip my tea and set the book down. I'd read them the ballet story of Giselle (or Giselle, ou les Wilis).

"Wait," Sirius says, frowning, "so there are these creatures – wilis (pronounced why-lees, if you were wondering)- that dance men to death and are kind of like Veela but they're all heartbroken because they've been hurt and misled by men?"

"Well yes, in Muggle Polish mythology, the wila are the same as the vila from South-Slavic mythology and they are basically the Veela in the Wizarding world."

"Right, okay, and Giselle falls in love with this guy-"

"Duke Albrecht of Silesia," I cut in.

"Why's it always some kind of rich guy?" Wormtail sighs.

"…but he's actually engaged to another girl, right?"

"The Princess Bathilde, daughter of the Duke of Courtland," I confirm.

"Hey, isn't your neighbour called Bathilde?"

"Her name is Bathilda," I try not to laugh.

"Anyway, so he disguises himself as a peasant –"

"Called Loys."

"Can you just shut up; I'm trying to get my head around this bloody story for Muggles."

"Sorry."

"Sh! So he disguises himself as a peasant and tells Giselle that he loves her with all his heart and soul. So she has no idea who this guy is? She just accepts that he loves her and agrees to marry him?"

"It's just a story, Sirius."

"A story that is completely implausible. Right, so this other guy, Hilarious or whatever he's called –"

"Hilarion, the village gamekeeper."

"Do you think he looks anything like Hagrid?" Wormy muses.

"I don't think Hilarion was half-giant," Remus says dryly.

"Okay, so Hilarian-"

"Hilarion."

"Whatever, that guy is already in love with Giselle and gets really jealous and tries to win her back by telling her that Albert –"

"Albrecht."

"Will you stop correcting me? Right, so he tells her that Loys is really a prince and that the guy is already betrothed to some other girl. So this happens when a load of noblemen come to town and have a big party and Bathilde is with them so the prince scurries off. Bathilde meets Giselle and they get all friendly and she gives Giselle a necklace and we're all thinking 'awkward' 'cause Bathilde is chatting away about her engagement to the Duke Albrecht, and Giselle is talking about her engagement to Loys, and neither has any idea whatsoever… Anyway, Hilarion finds Albrecht's sword and presents it as proof that Loys is not who he says he is – he is in fact, Duke Albrecht!"

"Shock horror," Wormy says, amused by Sirius' retelling of the story. Maybe he's finally warming back up to Sirius.

"So Giselle's all heartbroken and full of grief and she has some kind of fit – which sounds interesting to watch in a ballet- and then dies in Albrecht's arms."

"That part was so sad," Wormtail interjects.

"It was," Sirius sighs.

"She died because her heart was very weak, that's why her mother is so overprotective of her."

"That's not the end of the story though, because that would be boring and not tragic enough so she then becomes a Wili."

"The Wili queen is a bitch," James says.

"She's a misandristic bitch," Remus adds.

"A misandristic bitch with a name – Queen Myrtha."

"Right, yeah, so Queen Myrtha hates men and she kills any man that happens to get lost in the woods. So both Albrecht and Hilarion are in the forest to mourn at Giselle's grave but Hilarion was there first and he is killed by the Wilis. The Wilis use their magic to make him dance until he's nearly dead before pushing him into the lake where he then drowns."

"It's his own fault," Wormtail says, "his jealousy killed Giselle."

"But if he hadn't told her Albrecht's true identity, she'd have died of heartbreak anyway when she inevitably discovered that he was engaged to another girl. It's not like Albrecht's parents would let their heir marry some peasant girl – Albrecht misled her and he must have known they could never marry," James reasons.

"You don't think Albrecht and Giselle could have been happy together? Because she's a peasant?" I frown.

"Of course not, but socially, it just wasn't done," James sighs.

"Well you're a Pureblood and I'm just a Mudblood –"

"Don't call yourself that," James and Remus both say sharply.

"Why not? That's what I am. If it 'isn't done' then why did you marry me?"

"I love you and I was never engaged to anybody else and I never deceived you about my marital status."

"Albrecht never chose to marry Bathilde – his parents decided for him when he was a baby," I say, still quite angry.

"No, but he chose to lie about his engagement to Bathilde out of lust."

"So it's all Albrecht's fault?" Remus asks.

"Guys, I think that it was Giselle's fault for falling for his bullshit. True love is the acme of ignorance – no offence, Lily."

"That's a little cynical of you, Sirius. Besides, can you really blame her? In those days, women were forced to marry or else end up poor and alone – if a young handsome man comes along and is good to her, why would she turn him down?"

"So you agree," James says, "times were different back then. Time are different now, Lily, I married you for you – it had nothing to do with blood status."

"Yes, those were different times but the difference in worth between those of Pureblood and Muggle-born in society has never been more prominent! You must have noticed the looks and the comments you were getting at Hogwarts and out and about now, every day. They think I'm beneath you, that you've sullied and tarnished your bloodline, that I'm filth –"

"Of course I bloody well noticed! Do you think I care about any of that? It's a load of bullshit, that's what I think and if they knew just how intelligent and talented and wonderful you really were – they'd see it too. No, some people don't agree with my life choices but I don't give a flying fuck what they think. Even my own parents weren't thrilled but you know what? Families are supposed to support each other and I love you. It isn't fair. I know it's not, I have to fight to keep myself from cursing anybody that so much as sneers at you – or Moony. Some people are prejudiced bastards and there isn't a thing in the world you can say or do to change them. Those people are just not worth the time."

"Amen to that," Padfoot announces, raising his glass.

"I know it's not easy being friends with a werewolf," Remus says, Wormtail snorts, "but ah, thanks I suppose… I mean if I had my way –"

"You'd be suffering alone and be in even more pain and probably have killed someone by now," Sirius mutters.

"Thanks, Padfoot, but yeah – that's pretty much what would have happened."

"Okay, enough with the emotional crap, back to Giselle. Whilst the Wilis are distracted killing Hilarion, Albrecht is at Giselle's grave crying his eyes out. He's there giving his soliloquy on how he truly loved her and that he doesn't love Bathilde – but his parents betrothed him to her when he was a baby and he goes on and on about how all he ever wanted was to marry her, even though it was forbidden. So Giselle's spirit creeps up behind him and he's all dazed in horror and joy and she forgives him for all that he's done because she still loves him, even though she's dead. So she disappears to join the Wilis herself and Albrecht, being the stupid prick he is, follows her."

"He was desperate," Remus says.

"He was reckless and suicidal."

"You're one to talk," Remus snorts, "aren't you forgetting that you're the most reckless person here, apart from maybe Prongs?"

"Oh come on, Moony. When have Prongs and I ever been reckless and thrown ourselves into a situation that could end in our deaths?"

"Where do I start? How about the motorbike chase with those policemen?"

"That was only a bit of fun," James says.

"A what now please? You two got involved in a motorbike chase with policemen?" I can feel my anger rising, honestly, how stupid can you get?

"Now you've done it Moony," James sighs.

"Yeah, thanks a lot Moony," Sirius says, scowling.

JAMES' P.O.V

Great. Moony just had to bring up the motorbike incident, from four years ago! Jeesh, he really needs to let some things go.

"Someone please tell me what happened," Lily looks livid already. Shit.

"Prongs," Moony urges.

"It was nothing, really, Lily. It was fun at first and then it kind of… wasn't. It got a bit out of control."

"How out of control?"

Ahh, I'm seeing all the danger signs.

"Erm…" I contemplate how much to tell her.

"They got attacked by three men on broomsticks and then proceeded to get rid of their attackers by levitating a police car which the attackers then crashed into," Moony finishes for me.

"James…" her tone is very, very enraged. I am slightly scared, "what the bloody hell were you thinking? You could have got hurt, or someone else could have got hurt; you could have been seen for all we know! That was such an idiotic thing to do! And you!"

She whirls around to face Padfoot.

"I can't believe you, wait, I can! Oh for Merlin's sake!"

"Jeez, Lily, clam down," Padfoot says, getting up, "it happened, like what? Four years ago?"

"Four years ago?! And you never thought to tell me?"

"Well done Padfoot," I groan, "you made it worse."

"I'm going to make a cup of tea," Lily says, stalking off to the kitchen.

I stare after her before turning to Padfoot who is struggling between trying to maintain a serious expression and collapsing into a fit of laughter. He can't control himself and he bursts into infectious guffaws. I start laughing too, Lily storms in.

"It's not bloody funny!" she yells at us but that just makes Padfoot laugh harder which makes me laugh.

"It –" laugh, "-kind of-" laugh, "-is."

"Urgh, you two!" she says exasperated, but the corners of her mouth are tugging into a smile.

Padfoot is on the floor rolling around, Moony is trying his best not to laugh too hard and Wormy's just collapsed into raucous giggles. I grab Lily's hand and pull her into me, her body relaxes and the tension in her face lessens. I kiss her deeply.

"I'm still angry," she says, against my neck.

"Nah, you're not."

"I am."

"Are not."

"Are too."

"Now who's being immature?"

"Oh shut up," she says, hitting my arm playfully.

Padfoot gets up; his face red and still grinning like an absolute imbecile.

"Okay, where was I? Albrecht had followed her into the middle of the wood, right?"

"Are you still going on about that ballet?" Moony asks.

"Yes! I am still going on about that bloody ballet. So the Wilis find Albrecht and sentence him to the same fate as Hilarion but Giselle pleads for them to spare him – Queen Myrtha, however, being the heartless bitch she is refuses and makes Albrecht dance until, on the horizon, the sun rises! The power of Giselle's love for Albrecht counters the Wilis' magic and spares his life – I think that part is fucked up on so many levels."

"How do you mean?" Wormtail asks.

"Well, the magical power of the Wilis is defeated by some hopeless Romeo-Juliet-esque love-at-first-sight romance."

"So?"

"So, that's completely improbable."

"You're taking the story too literally," Lily says, "the message is: love conquers all."

"Stupid message, stupid story – go figure."

"Anyway, Albrecht survives."

"Yeah, despite the odds, he survives. The other Wilis are forced to go back to their graves at daybreak but not Giselle – because she has broken through the hatred and vengeance that controls the Wilis! She is now, forevermore, released from their powers! Giselle bids a tender farewell to Albrecht and returns to her grave to rest in peace."

"So now Albrecht has closure because Giselle forgives him and still loves him and it's all beautiful," Wormtail says, sounding a little teary (he did cry when Lily read the ending out).

"Fucking unrealistic," Padfoot says angrily, "that's not how it happens in real life. In real life, you don't get closure, you don't reconcile with the dead and they definitely don't tell you that they love you."

"Sirius…" Lily sighs, sipping her tea.

"I don't care, that's not real – not realistic at all."

"Is this about Marlene?" Moony asks.

"What do you mean?"

"All that stuff about love being stupid, true love not existing."

"Well it doesn't."

"Just because you haven't found it yet."

"And you have?" Padfoot says coldly.

"I didn't say that."

"You're very good at not saying anything, aren't you?"

"This again?"

"Well seeing as you're just waiting for another fight to bring it up again, then yes, this again."

"You're the one who's bringing it up!"

"Like you weren't going to!"

"I wasn't!"

"Right… how long were you going to wait to tell me? Were you just going to let it separate us?"

"Well you're the one who slept with her!" Moony explodes. What is going on?

"And I keep telling you, you don't have the right to be angry about that."

"The right? You didn't have the right to do that to Wormtail!"

"Oh, so now it's all about poor little Wormtail – bet you weren't thinking of him when you were trying to snog Alice."

Moony's face is getting redder by the second.

"I didn't –"

"That's not what it looked like!"

"Well I don't care what it looked like! I was trying to talk to her-"

"And what? Confess your feelings of undying love?"

"Maybe, I don't know, I was drunk."

"So now that makes it okay? You've changed your tune."

"Well it doesn't matter now, does it? Because she finds me repulsive and disgusting and vile… Are you happy now?"

Moony looks almost in tears, damn, I didn't know that he'd confronted Alice. Why does no one ever tell me anything?

Lily has her arm around Moony and she's angrily whispering something in his ear – making him do his half-laugh thing. She looks up and throws a dirty look at Padfoot. Padfoot looks absolutely torn and Wormtail looks like he's dithering between being absolutely furious and sympathetic – the result is quite comical.

"I – Moony, I didn't know… I just saw…" Padfoot, looking depressingly helpless goes over to where Lily and Moony are standing.

Lily eyes him warily, oddly possessive of Moony.

"I know you didn't, I wish you wouldn't assume things about me – it just sort of makes you like everybody else," Moony says, his voice strained.

"I'm sorry –"

"I know," Moony says, pulling Padfoot in for a hug.

"You are a lot of things, Moony, but repulsive, disgusting and vile? I don't think so – you're like, the cleanest person I know. No one cares more about personal hygiene than you. Don't you dare believe anything she said – I never liked her, you know. Sorry, Wormtail – she was kind of heartless."

"What can I say? I have a refined taste in women," Wormtail says.

"And I don't believe I ever really gave you an apology, Wormtail. I shouldn't have done that to you, it wasn't fair and it wasn't cool. So yeah, I'm sorry."

"That's okay –" Wormtail starts.

"No it's not – it's a shitty thing to do to your friend and you're a decent guy – you'd never do anything even half as terrible to me."

"Well… live and let live, right?" Wormtail amends, looking very uncomfortable. Maybe it's because he knows that tomorrow, Padfoot is very likely to hit him with a firework or something – I won't go into details in case Padfoot's suspicion is right and Lily can read minds.

So we all sit back down again, drinking wine, playing Exploding Snap and reconciled with one another – I hope.