With This.... by Write-name-here

Rating: G
Genres: Romance, Humor
Relationships: Lily & James
Book: Lily & James, Books 1 - 6
Published: 29/08/2006
Last Updated: 23/07/2007
Status: Completed

What set the ball in motion was a letter, a buttercup, and a ring.




1. Letters
----------



*A/N: omg you guys, i'm actually going to try to finish this fic. it's only going to
be THREE chapters; letters, engagement, wedding. i recently updated and revised this chapter and
will be doing the same with the engagement (i didnt reallly like it much). THIS TIME PETER WAS
INCLUDED. i've already got the wedding scence down, but i just need to fix up the engagement
first so i'll be taking down the second chapter. ENJOY. i haven't touched this in over a
year.*

****

**LETTERS**

This was it. The last train ride home as a student aboard the Hogwarts Express. Everyone was
hugging each otherand laughing- crying- but laughing through their salty tears. To everyone's
surprise James, Sirius and Remus had silent tears trailing down their faces. Hogwarts had been
their real true home ever since they step foot in it as tiny eleven year olds seven years ago.

By the time the Marauders boarded the Hogwarts Express, they had a minute to spare.

**In the Maruaders compartment**

James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin sat reading their personal letters from Lily. Before
seventh year, she had been the shy, quiet bookworm- all of Hogwarts with the exception of the
Gryffindors knew her as the Untouchable. Lily kept to herself; spending most of her days in the
library or secretly flying her broomstick over the Quidditch Pitch. Now, though, Lily had lightened
up quite a bit. She had even joined in the Marauders pranks and took pleasure at the misfortunes of
the Slytherins. She, James, Sirius, and Remus became close friends over the course of seventh year.
They were very dear to her and vice versa. The Marauders even went as far as to name her the
Marauderette. All in all, seventh year was entertaining, enchanting and more lively than usual.

Remus sat, slumped on his seat. He looked up from his letter, tears forming in his eyes once
again. His letter lay open beside him. It read:

*To Remus*

*Sit down Rem this may take a while. First I want to thank you for all the times you have been
the old mature brother. Huh… we've been through so much and you've been that best friend
that always helps. You have always been there and I should have been helping you back, but I have
only made other problems. You are an awesome brother and when `enemies' try to break us apart
in friendship, you see my point. There have been many hard times when certain `classmates' can
cause trouble and I thank you for trusting me.*

*I'm so thankful that you're my friend. I know you'll always welcome me with open
arms if I need a hug, and an open mind if I need to be understood. I'm so glad that I can be
myself around you. We don't have to say things for us to understand each other. It's just
that way it is. You don't know how happy I am to have a friend like you- not just for the
things you do, but the person you are. I'm so lucky to have you to talk and share times with,
reminisce and make new memories. I can't tell you how much it means to have you as a
friend*

*Remus… me, James, Sirius, Peter, Dumbledore and Alice don't care you're a werewolf.
We DON'T CARE. It doesn't matter what you look like or what you have.. it's what you
are, who you want to become and the person inside of you. I know that some others, like Malfoy,
will do anything they can to crush whatever confidence is in you if they find out. So don't let
them. Don't let them suck your self-assurance out of you, Remus. You're worth more than all
the Slytherins put together… more to me than all the Hufflepuffs put together. Doesn't that
mean enough?*

*You're fun to be around and very likeable. Even though you are quiet sometimes and crazy
the other times, I still love to hang around with you! We disagree about a lot of stuff, in a fun
way, and I enjoy the laughs we share.*

*I'll always remember you as that trustworthy friend, who is mature and loyal to his
friends. You've been holding certain `walls' together when certain `cracks' try to
break it down. I thank you for everything, Remus, I wish we wouldn't be leaving Hogwarts this
year. Go Gryffindor, and Hogwarts all the way- FRIENDSHIP all the way. I still think it would be
extremely weird if you still liked Alice. Good luck in life, Remus! I hope I see you a lot.*

*I'll miss you.*

*Love Lily*

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“That,” Remus said, “has been the sweetest thing anyone has ever given or done for me…”

“Oh really, Moony? What about being Animagi, eh?”

“Well besides that… anyways Animagi aren't sweet.”

“Whatever..”

“Lily wrote to me too,” Peter said quietly, waving a small bit of parchment in front of the
bickering pair. “And told me something *you* don't know.”

“Well, let's hear it then,” Remus prompted.

Peter cleared his throat and spoke loudly, and to Remus and Sirius' surprise, quite
eloquently. Or maybe it was just because he was just reading what Lily had written.

“*Peter, I know that you're the most tranquil among the Marauders- the whole of Gryffindor
even. It's comforting to know that there's at least some sanity in the group. Well, I
didn't really get as acquainted with you as I did with J-Potter or Remus but from what I've
gathered you're a pretty loyal, charming bloke. You try to knock a bit of sense into
Sirius' head sometimes, even though you know that he will probably pull a devious prank on you
later, and I find that quite brave. Even James wouldn't dare to do that! Thank Merlin for you
and Remus!*

*I think I'll be seeing lots of you this summer, considering my.. er, changing and
developing thoughts for…er said bloke. Well, a bloke that I named up there. Wait…why am I telling
you this? I don't really know you. Oh well.. it felt kinda good to let that out. You're the
first person so shh. Promise?*

*Keep in touch, okay?*

*-Lily.*”

“Wormtail! Why'd you read that last bit outloud?” Remus said, shocked that Peter had
betrayed Lily's trust so quickly. “She said not to tell anyone!”

Peter looked down at his feet, flushing. “I'm- er… I'm sorry. I just… I don't
know?”

Sirius, however, appeared to not have been listening to a word of Lily's letter to Peter. He
was too caught up reading his own.

“Hush, hush!” He said loudly. “Quiet children!” Remus just rolled his eyes, while Peter snapped
to attention. “To the Dogbreath,” He read out loud.

“*Sorry. Sorry for everything. I know I made your sixth year down hell. I'm sorry for
blowing up at the slightest thing you did, even though it was funny. I guess I didn't want to
break my reputation of being the Untouchable. I'm sorry for trying to force you to be friends
with my so-called friend, Jaz. Apparently she was using me because she knew that James liked me. I
didn't know she wanted to `get up close and personal' with you. She didn't even tell me
she liked you… well I guess everyone at Hogwarts falls for one of the Marauders at least once in
their life. Heh.*

*Thanks, Sirius - for everything (except the pranks). You made my year interesting; probably
more interesting than usual. Now I look at things at a different point of view. I miss our
interesting arguments about men and women, cows, and the human bodies. By the way… how the HECK did
you know what a hymen was? And how did you know Gucci and Prada, muggle brands? Sigh… I guess
I'll never know you… you're SO unpredictable, or maybe I'm just clueless.*

*I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but you're good at Quidditch,
you're smart and witty, and… possibly…SWEET?… Yeah well, I'm still coming to the conclusion
of the sweet part. Well, I'm pretty sure that you are a GREAT muggle wizard so don't let
girls bring you down. Sirius, I'm being serious here. Thanks for being such a great friend. You
are a HELLUVA friend!*

*Love `Carrothead'*

*PS: What am I to you, Siri? Friends, enemies… acquaintances?”*

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“HAHAHEHEE hee hee ha ha hee!” Sirius chortled obnoxiously. “An honest, funny, and sweet letter
worthy of the Marauder archives!”

“What `Marauder archives'?” Remus asked.

“Umm….”

“Be honest, Padfoot. Out with it.” Moony said in a low threatening voice.

“Okay. OKAY! Geez!”

“Quit stalling idiot!”

“Fine! The `archives' are what I call my *journal*!” Sirius muttered hesitantly.

“What's that?” Remus said with a twinkle in his piercing blue eyes.

“A JOURNAL, Moony!”

“Ooooohhhhhhhhhh! Sirius has a *DIARY*! A DIARY!”

“Shut up! It's a *journal* not a stupid girly *diary*! There is a difference.
Journal. *Not* diary.” Sirius emphasized the `not'.

"Diary," Peter smirked in the background.

"BLOODY HELL YOU ARSE HOLES THIS IS NOT A BLEEDING DIARY!" Sirius roared.

“Hey James,” Remus said realizing that James' laughter was missing from the argument. “Hey
Ja-”

Remus stopped short when he turned to look at James. Sirius diverted his attention to James as
well. Silent tears were streaming down his face, his eyes blank and staring out the window but not
really seeing anything at all.

“What happened, James?” Remus said gently. “James? JAMES!”

Remus got up and shook James by the shoulders cautiously. James suddenly started, as though
waking from a dream.

“L-Look… what sh-she wrote…” James stuttered hoarsely:

*Dear James*

*Yesterday as I was gazing into your warm chocolate eyes while you sat, staring at the fire, I
realized my true feelings towards you. Surprisingly, it's not hate. I think I knew all along
that I didn't hate you. I guess I never did hate you. Ever since I met you for the first time
way back in first year, I knew we would become something special. Special enemies, friends, lovers;
I didn't care. I just buried that nagging voice underneath the pile of swirling problems in my
head. That was wrong of me to ignore it. Every time you tried to get my attention, asked me out, or
even talked to me I would blush. Didn't see that coming did you, huh? But it's true. I
didn't want anyone to know that I liked you. So I yelled at you and forced myself to get mad at
you to cover up the blush.*

*There's no one to blame for your unhappiness but me. After all, you can't choose who
you fall in love with. I guess that's why they say fall. I tried to convince myself to hate
you. I wanted to be independent. But like I said, you can't choose who you fall in love with.
Ironic isn't it? That the person you claim to hate the most is actually the person dearest to
you. Funny how our hearts work… meh… when our minds our in charge, everything is crystal clear:
direct orders, dos and don'ts. But with our heart, it's a totally different story. When our
hearts take control, everything is a whirlwind, everything is unexpected.*

*You probably don't like me in that way anymore… I guess. But if you love someone, as in
really, really love someone, you'll wait for eternity to be with them… right? Love is so
confusing, enigmatic, mystifying, puzzling and all of that, but so wonderful, exhilarating,
extraordinary, and striking at the same time.*

*Love took me by surprise yesterday. The day I stared into the eyes of a certain
boy-turned-man. As I looked at those eyes I saw it was brimming with pain. The pain of being
shunted to the side. The pain of being ignored. The pain of a lover.*

*That's when it hit me.*

*I. LOVE. YOU. There. I said it. The three most dangerous words. I love you. I love you with
all my heart, James Potter. I realized in fourth year that love made you vulnerable. I didn't
like that feeling. I tried to shake it off, but it kept following me; haunting me. I love you James
Oliver Potter. I LOVE YOU.*

*Lots of Love,*

*Lily Evans*

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

By the end of the letter, Remus, Peter and Sirius were in a state of shock. Finally Sirius
decided to break the silence.

“MARRY HER, YOU STUPID IDIOT!”

-->



2. With This Buttercup
----------------------



*With This Buttercup*

“Tulips or sunflowers? Roses or lilies?” James had been firing question after question as he and
Lily strolled through St. James Park.

She furrowed her brow; clearly, this question was harder to answer than it sounded. “Merlin,
James,” she said after awhile. “I don't know… buttercups?” She smiled, dazzling him as she
always did.

“Buttercups, eh?” he laughed. He squeezed her hand. “I'll keep that in mind.” They followed
the path that went round the blooming gardens, stopping occasionally to observe a flower more
closely.

“This one smells real sweet.” Lily bent down to inhale the flower's scent. James leaned down
beside her to sniff as well. Without warning, she had pushed him and he toppled over like the Tower
of Babylon.

He fell flat on his face into the flowerbed. “What was that for?” He yelled, though his warm
hazel eyes twinkled behind his glasses.

“Me? I didn't do a thing,” Lily said, her eyes too wide to be innocent. “Can you not
*read* what the sign says? Please stay out of flowerbeds.”

“Har har,” he said dryly, still on the ground, flattening the flowers. “C'mon help me up.”
He reached out his hands.

“No. Help yourself.” She turned her nose up at him and began to walk away. She was over fifty
feet away and he still hadn't budged. Muttering beneath her breath, she walked all the way
back.

As soon as she was within arms reach, James stuck out his arms again. “Please Mum!” He
whined.

Finally she gave in. “Oh, alright, you lunkhead. Up you go.” She grabbed his hand and then
suddenly- “OOF!”

James had quickly tugged on her hard and she fell right on top of him. “Please stay off out of
flowerbeds,” James mimicked her in a very high-pitched voice.

“You're squashing the flowers!” She said crossly, though a smile played on her lips and her
eyes betrayed her amusement. “And you did *not* sound like me. You fail dismally in imitating
my voice!”

“Love, no one can perfect your beautiful voice,” he whispered huskily into her ear, his breath
tickling her, forcing her to giggle.

“No cheesy lines, Casa Nova.”

“I'm sorry, but I'm… what's his name again? Mr… ah yes, Mr. Darcy.” He smirked. “And
you're my Elizabeth.”

“Eurgh. You're abominable.”

“Whatever… *Lizzie*.” He grinned.

“Sod off, *Potter*.” She glared. How he thought giving her then nickname Lizzie was amusing
was beyond her. In the first place, why did she tell him about the comparison between their
relationship and Jane Austen's fictional characters.

“Back to last names now, are we, Ev-”

“OFF THE FLOWER BEDS!” A voice rivalling Madam Pince's screeched. “Are you two pillocks
*blind*?” The lady continued to shriek. “Always breaking rules, young people are. From the
*library* to a public place.”

The pair of them shot up from the patch, startled by the voice. They sprinted away from the
shrills that were murdering their ears. As they ran, James grabbed Lily's hand and pulled her
along as he took the lead. “This way!”

He led her off the winding path and trampled through even more flowerbeds.

“*James*!” Lily tutted as they continued to rampage through St. James Park. He just grinned
back at her.

He came to a halt at a fountain Lily had never seen before. It was the most gorgeous fountain
Lily had beheld. It was made out of solid gold and it gleamed in the early morning sun.

“It's magnificent, James,” she said at last. “But why'd we have to run all the way
here?”

He just shook his head and laughed. “I don't know… I felt like it?” There was a brief pause.
“Anyway, did you hear her voice? Sounded like Pince, if you ask me. Bloody hell, my ears are sore.”
As if to prove his point, he began to massage said body parts.

She smiled. “Y'know, I wouldn't be surprised if it was her. The Hogwarts library did
have loads of books about gardening.”

“Well, I'll be damned,” James muttered. He brightened up. “Anyway, have I told you about a
tradition of mine concerning fountains?” She shook her head. “No? Alright.” He stuck his hand in
his pocket and took out two gold Galleons. He placed one of them in her hand and continued to
explain. “Each time I come across a new fountain, I toss in a Galleon and make a wish. The second
time, I throw in a Sickle, and the third-”

“A Knut,” Lily followed.

“Exactly. Now, you can only make a wish in a fountain three times. Y'know… kind of like what
those muggles believe about genies and stuff. Three wishes.”

“But why are you holding a Galleon?” She questioned him. “Surely you've wished here before
since you led me here.”

“Uh uh,” he said. “Remus told me about it. So it's my first time. Well, technically it's
my first time *wishing* here.”

“Oh, I see.” She made to flick her Galleon into the tinkling water.

“WAIT! Er, I mean hold on,” James cried as he stopped her motion.

“What?”

“See, you have to do it a certain way.”

“Sweet Merlin, what's the difference?” Lily rolled her eyes. However, she lowered her
arm.

“Good. Okay. I'll demonstrate.” He felt extremely nervous now. He hadn't gotten up to
this part of the plan. “Er… you close your eyes, of course,” he said slowly. *C'mon brain.
Improvise you nitwit.* “And then you wait five seconds before making your wish silently. And
then you have to, er, wait another five seconds after making your wish. Next you have to spin
around three times. Then you toss it in. If there are levels, like this one has, you have to get it
in the highest level… got that?”

Lily just stared at him.

“Okay… erm.. I'll demonstrate then.”

He closed his eyes and counted to five under his breath. *Say yes*. He waited another five
seconds and then spun around, feeling extremely foolish. He stopped, hoping he was facing in the
right direction. He took a deep breath and chucked his Galleon into the fountain. He opened his
eyes. “See? Simple?”

She nodded.

“Okay, ready?”

She nodded once more before repeating his exact movements.

While her eyes were closed, he quickly snuck out two blades of grass that he had stuffed into
his pocket. Using his hand, he silently transfigured them into simple buttercups. He hurriedly
slipped something sparkly inside one of the flowers. All of this done in a matter of ten
seconds.

Lily had felt a slight whoosh behind her as she followed James' instructions but thought
nothing of it, assuming it to be a light breeze. She felt utterly absurd as she went through the
motions, but she thought she ought to try it. The oddest things tend to work. *I wish this was
true love*. After five long seconds, she twirled around. She steadied herself, took a deep
breath, raised her arm, and released her Galleon.

It landed right next to James', which was on the second highest bowl.

“Wow, nice aim.” James said admiringly, wrapping his arms around her in a loving embrace,
pressing his forehead against her wavy auburn locks.

“Thanks,” she whispered, closing her eyes again and deflating inside his hold.

“Hey, look at this,” he murmured in her ear. “Open your eyes.”

She cracked them open, expecting to see some breathtaking sight. However, her eyes focused on
two austere buttercups. She smiled as she remembered his earlier questions. “Now where did you find
buttercups?” She asked softly.

“Magic, love.” He released her and handed over one stem.

She looked confused. “What do I do with it?” she asked as she made it pirouette in her slender
fingers.

He smiled, holding up his buttercup at her face level. He tugged lightly on one of its yellow
petals and it floated to the floor. “She loves me,” he said tenderly, never breaking eye contact
with her

Her eyes flashed with intuition as she realized what they were supposed to do.

“He loves me.” She delicately plucked one of her flower's petals, her lips curving
upward.

Together, they uncovered their flowers. Their voices blended beautifully, like a harmony in a
concert choir. As their flowers grew naked by the second, Lily never took her eyes off James',
not even to check on her buttercup.

“-loves me…” they trailed off as the two once full blossoms were parted with their last
petals.

He was the first to break their gaze as he observed his own flower. Following suit, she lowered
her own eyes. Her breath hitched as she saw the sun's bright rays being shattered by some
glittering object balancing on her flower. “James…”

Suddenly, his throat was dry and his words were trapped inside his heart. “Lily, I-”

“Do you mean it?” She whispered hoarsely. She too had trouble voicing her thoughts. “Do you love
me?”

“Yes.” He whispered back. “I love you. I've always loved you.”

“James, but it's too fast.” Her logical brain answered, trying to force herself not to rush
into things, not to just jump in head first, not to tie herself down without seeing the world,
albeit a world with Voldemort. “I ...”

He reeled from her reply. “But… what if it's true love?” His desperate, despondent words
pierced her heart. Her wish, her heart screamed at her to remember her wish. *True love.*
“Won't you take the gamble? Wouldn't you risk it all?”

She felt tears burst from her emerald orbs. He was right. She would risk her life for James, so
that meant she loved him. She recalled a bible passage that she had memorized as a child; *There
is no greater love than giving one's life up for one's friends*. “Yes. Of course.
It's worth it. You. Me. Yes. Yes, James. *Yes*.” She waited for him to drop down on his
knees and say dramatically, `Lily Marie Evans, will you marry me?'

Instead he suddenly started singing, “I need you, more than anyone darling,” his voice cracking
from the strain of their conversation. He felt that it was the best reply he could give to her
heavenly yes.

Through her tears, she laughed. “James, stop joking.”

“I'm not,” he gave her a watery smile. He was also on the verge of tears. “It's
true.”

“I hate that blasted song,” she joked.

“I thought you liked buttercups, buttercup.”

“You didn't even ask me to marry you.”

“I did.”

“Did not.”

“You said yes.”

“I said `Yes, I love you.' I didn't say, `Yes, I accept,' or, `yes, I'll marry
you.'”

“There. You just said it now.”

“Just ask me properly.”

“But you already said you'll marry me.”

“Just ask already.”

“Marry me?” He flashed her his winning smile.

“James Potter, I'm serious.”

He grinned as she groaned, knowing that she had set herself up for the unavoidable, “No,
you're not, Sirius is-”

The Unforgivable Pun was lost inside Lily's mouth, as she tiptoed and kissed him full on the
lips.

“Lily.” James breathed as they broke away.

“Yeah.”

“Will you marry me?”

-->



3. With This Ring
-----------------



*With This Ring*

In the coming years, the image of the flower girl's childish exuberance as she tossed the
petals of fragrant lilies would fade. The memory of a church full of beaming people, her friends
and family, whispers as she stood at the doorway waiting to take the plunge, would languish and be
nothing more than a faded picture. Sirius' buoyant face reminiscing, Peter's encouraging
smile, Remus' steady pace as he walked with her up the aisle, arms linked- all of that would be
forgotten. All those memories would be blurred, like the background of a close-up portrait.

She would only remember one James Potter looking so staggeringly handsome in his classic black
tuxedo, his hair still its trademark messy, his eyes fixed on nothing else but her.

Remus had to catch her as she swooned at the sight of him. He prayed Sirius would be able to
contain James and prevent the anxious groom from running towards Lily at the first sight of
her.

“It's time Lily,” he said quietly into her ear.

“He's the one right, Remus? I mean, this is it. This is love?” She questioned him, stalling,
her heart accelerating, her stomach lurching.

“Lily. He loves you more than himself.”

“Are you sure? Are you cert-”

“The first step, Lily,” Remus interrupted softly. “I'm right here with you,” he
whispered.

She closed her eyes and squeezed her bouquet. She loved James. This she knew was true. This was
it. He was the one. The first step. She just needed to make that first step, then her body would
take her through the motions, up the aisle and to-

“-James,” she breathed out. She gathered her courage and strength and lifted her right foot off
the ground. “Remus,” she said, placing her foot back down quickly, looking horrified. “What if I
trip?”

“You won't,” he reassured her. “However,” he said, eyes twinkling, “ I might have to drag
you up there because James is starting to sweat and he's doing the hand through the hair thing
again.” And indeed, James was fidgeting by the altar as he awaited his bride.

“Alright,” Lily laughed, her voice easy and musical and suddenly she wasn't worried. All
doubt had been pushed away when her eyes trained themselves on the man who made her feel like she
was the most beautiful girl on earth. How could she have hated him? She loved him now. Loved him so
much that she was… hesitating?

“Lily,” Remus said again, gently, firmly.

She nodded. “I can do this, I can do this,” she said to herself, repeating the mantra over and
over again.

And then her right foot was ahead of her left, and then her left was in the lead. And in that
instant, she felt warm relief rush through her. She had done it. She had said `I do' by just
taking that first step. The flurry of amazed voices seemed to cease as Remus guided her down the
long flower adorned walk.

Suddenly they were there and Remus' kiss on her cheek was nothing but a ghost as she stood
in front of the altar with James. She didn't feel the hundreds of eyes on her back; or rather
she refused to let their presence deter her. She felt only one pair of loving, familiar hazel eyes.
Emerald met chocolate and he grinned his James Potter grin.

“I love you,” he mouthed, his lips curved upward.

She smiled back at him. “I love you too… dork,” she silently formed the words on her lips.

He gave her a look of mock hurt before turning away to pay attention to the minister. However,
he succumbed to his temptations and his eyes were, once again, only on her.

She looked so… he couldn't describe it. Beautiful didn't even suffice. She was so
heavenly, as if God had specifically taken a whole day forming her beauty, rather than taking his
usual two seconds, which he did with any other person.

Deftly, he caught her hand and entwined his fingers with hers. As always, it was a perfect fit.
He traced slow small circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. He felt her sigh beside him,
her petite frame nudging his.

They couldn't remember clearly what the minister had said. Something about being holy and
together forever. Something about loving each other wholeheartedly.

Lily smiled. She didn't need to know the definition of love when it was standing right
beside her, living, breathing, and all hers. She would officially belong to him in a matter of
minutes.

“Do you, James Edward Potter take this woman, Lily Marie Evans to be your lawfully wedded wife,
to have and to hold, in sickness and in heath, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer, keeping
your solely unto her for as long as you both shall live? If so, answer `I do.'”

“I do,” he said, his voice strong, passionate, intense, resolute, unwavering- vehement even. His
voice conveyed all his emotions. He was ready for this, had been ready for this for years. He slid
a gold ring onto her pianist finger. He smiled at her encouragingly as the minister repeated the
line.

“Lily Marie Evans…”

Then suddenly a horrible, crushing thought pierced his heart. What if she said no? She was
hesitating. Would she back out now? For the first time during the ceremony, he was afraid, truly
afraid.

Lily was taking it all in; she saw the Marauder bachelors sparkling with joy, her mother,
wistful and elated, her friends, Alice and Frank Longbottom, Albus Dumbledore, Emmeline Vance and
many more people smiling. This was the right decision. She knew it. It was clearer than the purest
crystal. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw James furrow his brow as he waited for her to say
the words.

She raised her chin, looked deep into his now worried eyes and said as ardently as he did, “*I
do*.”

She wasted no time in slipping the simple gold band onto his finger.

The crowd seemed to hold its breath as the minister proclaimed loudly and clearly, “I now
pronounce you husband and wife. You may know kiss the bride.”

At once, his sweet breath fanned on her and she had little time to catch the
little-boy-in-a-candy-factory look in his eyes. She melted into the kiss, his lips caressing hers
in the gentlest, sweetest way possible. It was so innocent, so romantic, so perfect for that moment
that she felt a lone tear escape from her closed eye.

They broke away, hearts pounding, chests heaving.

Lily saw Remus clamping his hand over Sirius' mouth, preventing the exuberant best man from
hooting. Peter gave her a small thumbs up. She could barely focus during the rest of the ceremony.
All she could think about was that she and James were one, bound together through holy matrimony.
She was no longer Lily Evans.

“Lily Marie Evans Potter,” James said slowly, savouring her name after the ceremony. “Sounds
nice doesn't it?”

“It does have a ring to it,” she conceded, eyes shining.

“You're all mine, *Potter*.”

She merely laughed and replied, “When pigs fly, Potter,” mimicking their old arguments.

And with that, Sirius transfigured James' shoe into a pig with, lo and behold, wings
sprouting on the back.

“Well, well, would you look at that,” James chuckled as the pig began cantering down the aisle,
“a flying pig.”

“Technically, it's still not flying,” she teased.

And as her words left her mouth the magical creature spread its wings wide and took off into the
fairytale sunset.



*Their wedding day had indeed been fairytale worthy. Their first dance was flawless- slow yet
erratic. The food was extremely satisfying and tasteful. They had no problems with the champagne.
They kissed when asked and posed for the cameras. It was, simply put, perfect.*

*However, the once cheerful kaleidoscope contorted into one full of macabre and perverse
illustrations. Their young lives like novels with the ends ripped out. Their happily-ever-after
morbidly twisted into a horror movie...*

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