Moonlight

Chapter Twenty-Two

The Wedding Day of James Aldous Potter and Lily Violet Evans


Remus needed all of the strength he could muster to get through the following day. He awoke at around eight o'clock with enough time to get ready for the ceremony at noon. In the shower, tried very hard not to think of Lily, whose scent of lilac and vanilla clung to the shower stall walls--for it was she who had used the shower right before him. He returned to his room wrapped up in his bathrobe and put on his morning suit.

As he looked at himself in the mirror, he noticed his grey hairs were starting to form fairly more visible, yet still quite faint, very thin streaks throughout his soft brown mop. He sighed. Absently he brushed at his right shoulder, and then stopped--right over the spot where, beneath his clothes, lay the scar branded into his skin by the teeth of werewolf Fenrir Greyback--a grim souvenir of the bite that had changed his life forever....

He had no more chances with Lily. He'd given them all up when he'd pushed her away that day on the Hogwarts train back to school for their sixth year. But he knew it was for the best. Lily would be far happier with James than she could have ever been with him, and her happiness meant more to him than his own. And he was willing to make that sacrifice for her, and for James. He loved them both that much--they were a part of the only family he had left.

With a heavy heart, he picked up the pair of white Oxfords on the chair, pulled them on, quickly made up his bed, and then left his bedroom to attend to his duties as a groomsman.

As he descended the stairs to the first floor, he found the gargantuan mansion filled with a tense quiet--like the calm before a great storm. He went into the kitchen hoping to find Sirius. Though he did find him there as anticipated, to his curious surprise, he found him crouched down on the floor dressed in his own morning suit ensemble (which included the black waistcoat Edwina Malkin had so begrudgingly refit him for), fiddling with something low to the ground.

"C'mon, Abra, hold still," Sirius said, sounding quite frustrated.

Remus came around the small kitchen table to see that Sirius was trying to tie the wedding rings to an ivory white, lace-trimmed pillow that was tied to the back of James' pet cat, Abra, with an ivory white silk ribbon. "Need a hand?" he asked, unable to hide the amusement in his tone.

Sirius glanced up at him, and he too chuckled before returning back to tying the rings on. "No, that's alright, Remus. I've got it, but thanks. Trust James to make his pet cat the ringbearer for his wedding ceremony.... Right, there we go." Sirius stood and told Abra to scram. "He better not lose those rings or it's my head."

"Then why are you letting him run off where you can't keep track of him?" Remus quirked an eyebrow.

"He's a well-trained cat, actually," said Sirius. "Partly because he happens to have a bit of kneazle blood in him, but he's also just a terribly intelligent animal. A bit of a smart-arse as well but then...that's a cat for you."

"Right through here, Mum, to the back," said Peter, dressed like Remus and Sirius, except with a cummerbund instead of a waistcoat, entering the kitchen with his mother, Mrs. Pettigrew, and a stout, cherry-cheeked young woman whom Remus presumed to be Maggie Dobbins. "Oh, hiya Sirius! Remus!" he greeted brightly, spotting the two of them. "You remember my mother?"

Mrs. Pettigrew, whose first and only husband had died before Peter had been born, was not stout like her son, but tall and willowy--taller than her fully-grown son in fact. Remus remembered when he'd first seen her with little Peter on Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters for his first train ride to Hogwarts. Curiously, Mrs. Pettigrew had dressed similarly to Sirius' mother, from what he remembered of that one time he'd laid eyes on Mrs. Black on the same platform: frilly, traditional witching dresses that were so long they hid the feet of the witch wearing them, with a bustle in the back and a corset underneath, styles of dresses that Muggles would classify as belonging to nineteenth century Western World. Today, for the wedding, Mrs. Pettigrew wore such a dress made of garnet red silk taffeta, complete with bustle, and, judging by the well-defined hourglass-likeness of her waist, she still wore a corset underneath her bodice as well. Her blonde, gray-streaked hair meanwhile was pinned up in an elegant bun with all sorts of simple feather hair ornaments stuck in, and the parasol she carried matched the color of her dress. Remus could see however that the parasol was designed to hold her wand in the handle.

"Hello, Remus, Sirius," she said warmly, offering her hand. Remus and Sirius both took it in turn and kissed it decorously.

"Lovely to see you again, Missis Pettigrew," said Remus.

"A pleasure to have you as a guest to James and Lily's wedding today," said Sirius.

"Thank you," said Mrs. Pettigrew. "And congratulations on receiving the role of best man, Sirius. And you too, Remus, for groomsman."

"Thank very much, madam," Remus and Sirius replied, inclining their heads.

With Mrs. Pettigrew, old-fashioned wizarding decorum was the way to go. When they'd visit Remus' or James' house (never Sirius' obviously), Remus' parents or James' parents respectively would dress in modern wizarding garb of a set of plain old robes (or in Remus' mother's case, Muggle clothing, as she had been a Muggle), and would never expect such formalities from any of the boys. But when they visited Peter's house, Mrs. Pettigrew was very old-fashioned, and the only reason Sirius admitted he sometimes didn't care much for going there was only because Mrs. Pettigrew ran her house the same old-fashioned wizarding way that his own parents ran theirs. The good thing about it though was that Mrs. Pettigrew was sweet and kind, and always served them the most delicious sweets and treats when they came to visit, unlike his own mother, Mrs. Black, who would ask straight off the bat, "Are you pure-blooded?" and if the answer was "Yes," serve a stiff tea, and if "No", serve the toe of her kicking boot.

"And er...let's see," said Peter, looking round and taking Maggie Dobbins' hand. "You remember, Sirius, right, pet? But you haven't met Remus, have you? Remus, this is my girl, Maggie Dobbins."

"Pleased to meet you, Miss Dobbins," said Remus. "Or may I call you Maggie?"

"You may," smiled Maggie, curtsying in her silky yellow-gold dress with translucent, puffy sleeves. "And a pleasure to meet you too, Remus. Hello again, Sirius," she added to Sirius with a nod.

"Hello again to you too, Maggie," said Sirius, returning the nod.

"Well, now that we're acquainted, I do have to get ready for the wedding party's procession down the aisle," said Peter. "Erm...I'm just going to escort these two lovely ladies to their seats, and then I'll be right back here."

"Not to worry, Peter," said Sirius.

"We'll wait up for you," said Remus. "James is...." He turned to Sirius. "Where is James?"

"Not with the bride, I hope," said Mrs. Pettigrew as Peter escorted her and Maggie out the kitchen door.

"Of course not, Mum," said Peter. "He's changing in one of the spare bedrooms, right Sirius?"

"Yes, he is," said Sirius. "Sent him to the one down the hall soon as he came downstairs."

By now Peter had already brought his mother and girlfriend outside, so Remus was the only one left listening to Sirius' anecdote. He stood with his hands deep in his trouser pockets, leaning casually back against the kitchen wall, while Sirius did the same while leaning back against the edge of the kitchen table, saying: "So, you'll recall James had to kip alone--and he explained this to me when he gave me the rings--but you'll recall he had to kip alone in their room last night while Lily stayed with the bridesmaids in the mansion's east-wing apartment? Well, when I woke up him up this morning, I handed him his morning suit, and he handed me his cat. His parents arrived here last night and brought him with them--along with Lily's parents--but, the point is, I think it was a nice exchange." He laughed. "A suit for a cat, eh?"

Remus laughed with Sirius and shook his head. Then he looked at his six-mooned watch handcrafted by his late father, and read the time. "It's about nine o'clock now. Shouldn't the photographer be arriving any minute?"

"Er...."

"Sirius Black!"

Remus and Sirius both looked to the kitchen door and saw Aurelia decked out in her pale green bridesmaid's dress for the wedding, her dark golden blonde hair pinned up in a way that reminded Remus of one of his mother's old pictures of a painting of an ancient Muggle woman of Greek myth known as Helen of Troy. Her face was set with frustration, her narrowed golden eyes locked on Sirius.

"What are you doing, having a chat with your other best mate here--oh, and hello, Remus, lovely day for a wedding, eh?--when the photographer's arrived and--You're the best man for crying out loud! That's not cricket that I have to do all the work!" Without a word, or waiting for a response from Sirius, she strode in, and grabbed him by the arm.

"Yaaaah!" Sirius yelled as he was pulled with a great tug out of the kitchen by Aurelia. "Remus!" he managed call over his shoulder before disappearing through the kitchen door.

Remus laughed even harder however as Peter reentered the kitchen through the back door.

"Where'd Sirius go?" he asked.

"Photographer's...here...Pete...in the...drawing room...!" Remus replied in between gasps of laughter.

Then James came into the kitchen, dressed in his own groom's morning suit, and was just then putting the last adjustments on his cufflinks. "'Morning, Remus! Peter! Where's Sirius? And--Remus? What are you laughing so hysterically about?"

Remus was leaning on the table for support he was laughing so hard. What had gotten into him? It hadn't been that funny....

Yet all he could manage for a reply was, "Long...story...!"

"Remus said the photographer's here, James, in the drawing room," said Peter. "We'd better find Sirius, unless Remus knows where he is?" He glanced over at Remus, but Remus just started laughing even harder.

Finally he managed to say: "That's...That's what's...That's what's so funny...! Aurelia dragged him out...to the drawing room...to meet the photographer...!"

"And that's funny because?" Peter asked.

This sobered up Remus at once. Straightening, wiping at his eyes, and adjusting his attire, he said, "Peter, you would've had to have been there. I suppose I found it amusing because Sirius was being Sirius, and therefore Aurelia was after his blood, and after all...those two do have to share a dance later--you know, what with Sirius as the best man and Aurelia as the chief bridesmaid and all."

"Wait a minute...." A smile slowly spread across James' face. "They do have to dance later, don't they?" Then he burst out laughing. "That's excellent!"

"Of course!" Peter laughed, understanding at last.

"I know!" Remus grinned, finding it hard not to burst into laughter himself again. "And whether Sirius wants to admit it or not, he certainly fancies her."

"Oh this'll be a treat," said James with an impish gleam in his eye. Then he shook his head and said, "Well, we'd better see to the photographer, I suppose."

Remus, James, and Peter all left through the kitchen door and went into the drawing room where Sirius and Aurelia were gathered with the hired photographer and Lily's two other bridesmaids, both of them garbed in pale green dresses like Aurelia's. It took a moment for Remus to recognize the two Hogwarts friends of Lily's whom Lily had selected--Mary and Gracie--with their hair and makeup done all fancily as Aurelia pinned a little white arum lily blossom to the left shoulder of either of their dresses.

"Hello James, Remus, Peter," they greeted. Then they all glanced at Sirius and laughed.

Sirius rolled his eyes.

Remus, James, and Peter acknowledged their greeting, and Remus saw that the wedding presents had all been stacked up in the corner of the drawing room on a special table set up specifically to hold them in the presentational pyramid in which they were arranged.

A wizard carrying a bunch of bouquets, and more single small arum lilies entered the drawing room. "Excuse me?" he said. "I'm looking for the chief bridesmaid."

"That'd be me," said Aurelia, striding towards him. "I'll take those, thank you very much." The wizard left and Aurelia picked out the fanciest and largest bouquet--a cascading one of white madonna lilies and white roses, baby's breath, greenery, and a sprig of heather--and handed the three, much smaller bouquets of small arum lilies and the little single ones to Sirius. "You hold on to these," she told Sirius, "while I quickly take this up to Lily." She indicated the large, cascading bouquet. "Won't be a moment!" she added to the waiting photographer as she hitched up her skirt with her free hand and raced to the main staircase in the foyer.

"Here're your bouquets, ladies," said Sirius to Mary and Gracie. He handed one to either of them, and they smiled at him as though hoping secretly to catch his eye. The third bouquet was obviously for Aurelia. When he'd finished passing the other two bouquets out, he asked James while passing him, Remus, and Peter an arum lily, "You've put on them lucky cufflinks, right?"

"Yes, yes, I have," James replied, nodding, his hands trembling slightly as he pinned on his lily.

Remus pinned his own onto the left-hand lapel of his jacket just as James and Peter were doing.

Sirius clapped James on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, mate. Don't worry about a thing. Aurelia and I've got everything taken care of." Then he pinned on his own lily, leaving one more left over. He checked his watch. "If Andromeda doesn't get here soon, Nymphadora's not going to be in any of these photos...."

A few moments after Sirius said this, Aurelia returned from upstairs in a fluster.

Sirius held her bouquet out to her.

Aurelia smiled with delighted surprise. "Why thank you, Sirius. And you passed out Mary's and Gracie's as well for me? How thoughtful...."

Sirius said, "You're welcome, Aurelia," and then looked as though he was going to add more, but then went a bit red in the face and simply offered her the arum lily.

"Oh, would you pin it on for me, Sirius?" said Aurelia, batting her eyelashes in a manner that Remus suspected with a small smile was flirtatious.

"Erm...o-of course...." Sirius' hands shook as he carefully pinned the flower onto the left-hand shoulder of her dress, perhaps because he was nervous about having them in such close proximity to her breasts.

Then Aurelia started posing Remus, Peter, Mary, and Gracie, and Sirius asked if they couldn't wait just a little longer for his cousin Andromeda, whose daughter was the flower girl. But Aurelia told him they couldn't, they were on too tight of a schedule as it was, and so Sirius was left grumbling about how Andromeda was always late to everything...even late to her own wedding....

Remus stood with Peter, Mary, and Gracie as they posed for the photographer. Afterwards, the photographer took his leave to start taking photos outside.

Aurelia clapped her hands together and said, "Right-ho! Next item on the list--"

"Hello James!"

Everyone looked to the other entrance to the drawing room to see James' parents, Aldous and Leandres Potter, dressed in their finest, with Aldous' ivory white morning suit matching his son's. They came into the room beaming and escorting Lily's parents, Harry and Violet Evans, with Harry also dressed in an ivory white morning suit to match James'. Harry and Violet were both looking about with curious elation at everything, being the only Muggle attendees at this wizarding wedding. Remus, Sirius, and Peter stepped aside as Leandres Potter, her long crimped dark auburn hair flowing behind her, strode towards James and kissed both his cheeks.

"Mum..." James mumbled as she pulled him into a hug.

Leandres stepped back and looked him over. "James, darling, your father and I would both just like to say, 'good luck' to you before you go standing out there at the altar." She smoothed the lapels of his jacket unnecessarily as she spoke. "And also that we both think you've made an excellent choice for a bride."

"Yes, indeed, son, she's perfect," said Aldous Potter, giving James a clap on the shoulder. He looked like exactly like his son, except that he had wrinkles on his face and streaks of gray throughout the jet-black hair at his temples.

"You're a fine gentleman, James," said Violet Evans, giving James a couple of pats on the cheek. "I can't think of anyone better for Lily." For the occasion she was wearing a violet dress. Remus noticed she had Lily's dark red hair, though it had streaks of silver running through it.

"And just so you know," added Harry Evans with a smirk and a shake of James' hand, "we like you much better than we liked her sister's choice for a husband: bit full of himself, really."

James chuckled nervously. "Yes...ahem...well...." He turned to his friends and introduced them to Mr. and Mrs. Evans.

Harry and Violet went down the line shaking hands with Sirius, Remus, and Peter. When they got to Remus, Harry asked in a hushed voice, "Is it true you're a werewolf?"

"Er...." He gave James a what-in-the-hell-were-you-thinking? look and James gave him a don't-worry-about-it-mate look in return. So Remus then replied to Lily's parents, "Why yes, I am."

"Fascinating!" Harry and Violet were both beaming at him with curious awe. "Violet and I happen to study folklore as our profession, Remus," Harry explained, "so I must say that she and I are honestly delighted to meet a real live werewolf!" He and Violet both gave Remus another sincere and hearty shake of the hands before moving on to greet Peter.

Remus was left a bit dumbstruck, but glad that Lily's parents were excited to meet him rather than afraid. It also explained why they were examining nearly every aspect of this wizarding wedding with such fascination, why they had been utterly excited to discover that even though they were "Muggles" their daughter, Lily, was a witch....

"Mister Evans," said Aurelia to Harry. "Aurelia Vega."

"So, you're the correspondence friend we've heard so much about," said Harry, beaming. "Pleasure to meet you at last. Congratulations on getting chief bridesmaid." It was then that Remus happened to notice that Harry had his daughter's almond-shaped green eyes....

"Thank you," said Aurelia cheerily. "Lily's just sent me down to tell you that she's ready to have her father-daughter alone time with you before you walk her down the aisle. If you'll follow me please...."

"Gladly, my dear." Harry turned to Violet and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Stay close to Aldous and Leandres, alright, dear?"

"I will, darling, don't worry," smiled Violet.

"Sirius," said Leandres, "when are the guests due to arrive?"

Sirius checked his watch. "Not until eleven o'clock, actually, but thank you for mentioning that. James and I should get out there, and Remus and Peter as well. You two remember where everyone's sitting, right?" he added to Remus and Peter.

"Of course we do," said Remus. "And don't look so nervous. That's James' job, and then you're supposed to calm him down."

"Heh, heh, he's right about that," said James, his voice quaking oddly as he ran his hand through his unruly, jet-black hair, his hazel eyes filled with anxiety.

"Alright then: quit mussing with your hair then for a start," Sirius admonished him. "Aldous? Leandres? Why don't you go out with Violet? Remus and Peter'll escort you to the tent."

"Excellent idea, Sirius, m'boy," said Aldous, taking Leandres' arm.

"Come along, Violet, dear," said Leandres, taking Violet's arm.

It was truly a glorious day for a wedding. More of Elphias' beautiful gardens stretched out around the mansion and came to stop right beside where the white tent was set up....

As Remus and Peter escorted Aldous, Leandres, and Violet across the lawn, Remus realized that the heat was starting to bear down on him in his heavy woolen morning suit, beneath which a thin film of sweat now formed. Inside the tent however, there had been a charm performed that had a similar effect of Muggle air conditioning. Violet was utterly awed by this when the Potters informed her of it.

Remus took a moment to admire the archway over the altar, made up of garlands of greenery, white roses, baby's breath, and white madonna and arum lilies. Then, when he and Peter returned to the house, Aurelia was just returning from escorting Harry upstairs.

"Come along, ladies!" she called to Mary and Gracie. "Last minute checks!"

Mary and Gracie picked up their skirts and hurried after Aurelia out of the drawing room, holding their bouquets in their free hands, tossing amused glances over their shoulders at Remus and his friends.

"What is it with them?" Sirius wondered aloud.

James swayed on the spot, but Sirius managed to catch him by his shoulder. "Steady there, mate," he said. "I know you'd rather not compare something like this to just another Quidditch match, but kind of think of it that way, alright? To ease the nerves up a bit, anyway."

James nodded mechanically.

"James you're looking really white," said Peter.

"Thanks for the update, Peter," James said, sweeping his bangs out of his sweaty, pallid brow. He managed a quavering grin. "D'you think I might look even paler than Remus?" He glanced at Remus.

Remus shook his head and gave him a sincerely encouraging smile. "You're as pink as a rosebud, James. You will be the handsomest bloke out there. She won't be able to take her eyes off you."

James laughed shakily, and then all amusement died from his face.

"James?" Sirius said uncertainly.

James gripped his arm more tightly. "Oh shit...."

"What?"

"I'm about to yack up everywhere." Then in one swift motion he shoved Sirius out of the way and fell to the ground onto all fours. While he made the sounds of vomiting, nothing at all was being dispensed onto the drawing room carpet.

"Dry heaves," Sirius sighed. "Come on James, let's sit you down somewhere...."

"No, I'm fine," said James, pushing him away. But then he lurched forward and gagged with another regurgitative spasm.

"Yeah, you sound it," said Sirius skeptically, taking James' arm and helping him to his feet. He checked his watch again. "Dammit! Now they're an hour late...."

"What are dry heaves?" asked Peter.

"It's where you feel like you're chucking and everything, but nothing actually comes out," Remus explained, leading Peter out of the drawing room, through the kitchen, and out the back door into the blazing summer sun.

Remus and Peter made rounds inside making sure everything was in place, chatting a bit with James' parents, Lily's mother, Peter's mother, and Peter's girlfriend Maggie Dobbins.

At a quarter to eleven, they went to stand outside of the marquee.

James and Sirius arrived a little bit beforehand and went in to wait at the altar. As James went inside, Remus gripped his arm with a reassuring smile, and James returned the squeeze and the smile gratefully.

At approximately 11:00 am the guests began arriving. Remus smiled and inclined his head to each as they came, and promptly led them to their seats. He recognized that pretty much every guest was an Order member--Mad-Eye Moody, Frank and Alice Longbottom, Emmeline Vance, Edgar Bones, Sturgis Podmore, Rubeus Hagrid--as well as Rhiannon Jernigan, who was a member, but had not been able to make it to their group photo one year previous, and worked as a protégée of Mad-Eye like Aurelia did. Then some of the Order members had brought along close family members of their own (some of them children, but not all of them necessarily their own) whom Remus did not recognize except for Edgar's sister Amelia Bones, their mother, and his wife (only because Edgar had once shown him a photo, and Remus did have an excellent memory for faces). Then with Mr. and Mrs. Potter, Mrs. Evans, Mrs. Pettigrew, and Peter's girlfriend Maggie Dobbins included, it still wasn't really that great big of a crowd.

At noon, Remus used his wandless magic and closed two resilient curtains over the marquee.

Out of the back door to the house, Remus saw the bridal entourage arriving, with Aurelia and the bridesmaids in the lead, blocking everyone else out of view. Before Remus had a chance to try and sneak and peek behind them, Aurelia came to him, grabbed him by the shoulders, turned him around and physically paired him up with Mary. Behind him, he felt Aurelia perform the same motions with Peter and Gracie.

"Shall we, my dear Mary?" Remus asked Mary with a grin, offering her his arm.

Mary returned the grin. "Yes, Remus, I think we shall." She linked her arm with his, while her free hand held her bouquet.

Inside they heard the flowers decorating the inside of the tent charmed to play music begin the first chord of Pachelbel's Canon in D (a beautiful piece of Muggle chamber music that Remus was very fond of listening to in addition to his and his friends' rock music). Remus used his wandless magic again, and reopened the resilient curtains over the marquee and kept them frozen open. Then he and Mary proceeded down the grassy aisle. He smiled at the guests watching them, but on the inside he was constantly worrying that he would stumble, or trip up on Mary's dress, or both, or step out of time with the music....

When they reached the altar, and he and Mary gracefully parted. Remus went to stand next to Sirius, while Mary went over to stand directly opposite from him.

After Peter and Gracie arrived and took their places came Aurelia, carrying her bouquet. As she drew near, she cast her eyes in their direction, smiling, and Remus felt Sirius beside him take a deep, shuddering breath and let it out slowly, fighting with all of his might, no doubt, to regain his cool composure.

While Aurelia took her place opposite Sirius at the altar, everyone gave a collective, "Awwww," as James' cat Abra came trotting into the tent and down the aisle with his tail held high and proud in the air. The rings, tied securely with the ribbons to the pillow strapped to his back, tinkled as he made his way. When he reached the altar, Sirius and Aurelia both bent down, and while Sirius untied the bride's ring to give to James, Aurelia untied the groom's ring to give to Lily. Then Sirius and Aurelia resumed their places, holding their respective rings, and Abra trotted away to go curl up in Leandres' lap.

Then there was a bit of lull, and that was because the flower girl, Sirius' cousin Andromeda's daughter, Nymphadora, was not appearing. James had begun to lose faith in having Nymphadora as their flower girl when she was unable to show up to the rehearsal the day before. From what Remus had heard, they had come last night to go over it again with her, but Remus had been asleep and they hadn't wanted to wake him, he supposed, and make him stand with them as well.

Then, at last, to everyone's relief, a little seven year old girl entered the tent, dressed in a sleeveless pale green organza and satin dress with a white, frilly skirt that reached to the floor, with a great big bow in the back, wearing a corsage of baby's breath on one wrist, and a pale green ribbon with a bow around her neck, while her pale green hair (pale green hair?) was done up in rather wild pigtails. She carried a basket decorated with pale green ribbons on the arm that didn't have the corsage, and she was doing a sort of ballet step as she proceeded to make her way down the aisle.

Until she stepped on her skirt with her little green shoe and stumbled.

But young Nymphadora Tonks composed herself quite easily, and everyone laughed with her encouragingly, saying, "Oh, isn't she precious?"

She held herself upright, smiled at everyone, and continued her made-up, wayward ballet step down the aisle, tossing white rose petals from her basket, leaving them in her wake. She even dared to try a few twirls, and only stumbled slightly once. And when she did, she simply straightened herself out like before, smiled at everyone, and continued on her merry way.

As Remus watched Nymphadora go through her flower girl paces, he felt his heart glow despite his troubles, and thought she was the most adorable thing he had ever seen in his life.

And even more so, because of the way she was able to keep on smiling at everyone, despite the fact that she was a bit clumsy, and was being a bit overzealous with her little ballet steps and twirls. When she reached the end of the aisle, she turned around and curtsied, and many of the guests cooed in low voices at how "cute" she was.

As Nymphadora went to sit in the lap of a young and burly blond man, she happened to catch Remus' eye...and she waved at him, even though she had never met him before in her life.

And, without thinking, Remus smiled at her, and waved back.

Then he watched, fascinated, as she turned to the man whose lap she was sitting in and nuzzled noses with him.

The Canon faded out, immediately followed by the organal procession of the Muggle-composed Wedding March. The guests rose to their feet as Lily entered the tent with her father, Harry, on her arm.

Remus' heart leapt to his throat, and he forgot all about cute little Nymphadora.

There she was. His beloved Lily. Pristine in her ivory white gown trimmed with ribbons and lace, a silver tiara set with pearls in her dark red hair, a necklace of pearls around her elegant throat, where Remus followed the low V of her neckline down to the point where her cleavage just peeked, and then up to her divine face with her bright green, almond-shaped eyes concealed behind her veil, the train of which trailed lovingly over the white rose petals scattered over the grassy aisle, while she held out before her, her cascading bouquet of a heather sprig, greens, and white roses, baby's breath, and madonna lilies....

She only had eyes for James.

James only had eyes for her.

Remus suddenly felt his heart burst and pump with utter jealousy. It was all he could do to keep the wrathful, savage emotion from showing up on his face, contorting it into a hard, stony glare of rage. He felt a muscle jumping automatically in his jaw, as if he were on the verge of snarling. He even felt the territorial instincts of the wolf, the beast within him, sniffing the air, rising to the surface, prepared to leap forward, take Lily in his arms and make off with her....

No...you can't do that...they'd never forgive you...you'd hurt her forever, whispered a quiet, calm voice inside his mind.

His voice of reason.

He stabbed his own envious heart through with the dagger of guilt, and allowed himself to die inside, as Harry lifted the veil from his daughter's smiling face.

Then the music ceased, and the sermon began.

"Dearly beloved," the marriage officiant began in a clear, ringing voice, "we are gathered here today to witness the happy union of and the exchange of vows of marriage between this young wizard and witch, James Potter and Lily Evans, respectively, to be joined in matrimony. Who is the man who gives this daughter in marriage?"

"I am, sir," said Harry.

Lily handed her bouquet off to Aurelia, who in turn handed her own bouquet to Mary.

Harry took Lily's hand and gave it to the officiant, who then joined it with James'.

"A good marriage," the officiant went on as Harry stepped down from the altar and sat beside his wife in the front row, "is the union of two hearts and two lives, welded together by mutual love and respect. You will walk together, work together, bear each other's burdens, and share each other's joys. Remember, the vows you take today are as binding in adversity as in prosperity.

"Do not expect instant success in every aspect of your newly formed relationship. Rather with patience and love, you can cause your vows to be renewed day by day, and your marriage will blossom. You hold within your hands and hearts the ability to make it so."

He addressed the entire congregation at large. "In this sacred union, James Potter and Lily Evans now come to be joined. If any of you can show just cause why they should not be lawfully married, speak now, or else forever hold your peace."

Remus inconspicuously bit the side of his tongue so hard he felt it start to bleed inside his mouth, as he forced back the words that were desperate to be cried out: I love her too! I love her too, and it's not fair...!

When no one spoke up, the marriage officiant said, "Very well," and Remus was left secretly swallowing blood and sorrow.

The officiant continued.

"Do you, James Aldous, take Lily Violet to be your wedded wife? Do you promise here today, with your family and friends as your witnesses, that you will be to her a faithful, loving and devoted husband? Do you promise to love her, provide for her, protect her, cherish and honor her all the days of your life? Do you swear to be faithful to her so long as you both shall live?"

"I do," said James steadily, gazing into Lily's green eyes.

"And do you, Lily Violet, take James Aldous to be your wedded husband? Do you promise here today, with your family and friends as witnesses, that you will be to him a faithful, loving and devoted wife? Do you promise that you will love, provide for, protect, cherish and honor him all the days of your life? Do you swear to be faithful to him so long as you both shall live?"

"I do," said Lily steadily, gazing in James' eyes of hazel.

"I will now ask you both to seal the vows you have just made by the giving and receiving of rings. For generations rings have been used as tokens of pledges made in good faith and as seals of sacred vows. In the giving and receiving of these rings you pledge yourselves one to the other. May your love for each other be as unending as these rings you give, and may these rings glow in the reflection of the warmth and love which flows in your heart today. Let them remind you of this happy hour you shared in the presence of your friends and family."

Sirius handed Lily's ring to James.

James took the ring, took Lily's right hand, and as he slid the ring onto the third finger, he said, his voice trembling ever so slightly with love: "With this ring, I thee wed. I offer you my life, my name to wear, my hand to hold, my heart to keep. I pledge to you patience, kindness, loyalty, and love. I promise to be your faithful husband in sickness and in health. I look forward to our life of love together, and with this ring I thee wed, and with my body I thee honor, till death takes either me, or thee, or both of us."

Aurelia handed James' ring to Lily.

Lily took the ring, took James' right hand, and as she slid the ring onto the third finger, she said, her voice quaking oh so slightly with love: "To your gracious offer I gladly respond, give you the loyalty of my life, my hand to hold, my heart to keep. I pledge to you patience, kindness, loyalty, and love. I promise to be your faithful wife in sickness and in health. I look forward to our life of love together, and with this ring I thee wed, and with my body I thee honor, till death takes either me, or thee, or both of us."

Remus vaguely heard the sounds of Violet and Leandres crying into handkerchiefs. A great honking sound indicated that Hagrid in the back was blowing his nose.

The officiant continued: "I hope that you two will know the deepest joys of marriage through a lifetime together. May the sorrows of life be halved and the joys of life doubled because you experience them together. May you be very patient and kind one to another. Always be hopeful, faithful, loving, and considerate one for another. What has been joined here today by the bonds of love, let no one, magic or non, put asunder.

"Having pledged your faith in and your love towards one another, and having sealed your solemn vows by the giving and receiving of rings before these witnesses gathered here--now by the power vested in me by this British Ministry of Magic--I now pronounce you bonded for life."

James and Lily clasped each other's hands and shared a kiss that was so deep and beautiful, that despite Remus' feelings, he could not tear his eyes away--which was good, because it would have been rude if he had chosen to avert his gaze.

As they kissed, the officiant waved his wand over their heads, and sent a shower of silver stars spiraling around them, and Sirius, Peter, and even Remus, led everyone in an exuberant round of applause.

~

As everyone gathered outside of the tent for more photographs, chatting away merrily with one another while the children laughed, ran around and played, Remus, standing beside the marquee of the tent, watched moodily from the sidelines, his hands deep in his trouser pockets.

The photographer was taking a picture of James, Lily, and Sirius together. Sirius invited Aurelia in the shot, but Aurelia declined, claiming she wasn't very "photogenic".

Then Aurelia and the two other bridesmaids, as well as all of the other single women among the guests, including Emmeline Vance, and even Edgar Bones' sister Amelia, gathered around Lily, who stood upon a raised platform that James had just conjured near the tent with his wand.

The single men--Sirius among them--were also gathering as James stepped up onto the platform. He knelt down beside his bride, and reached up her skirts. He pulled them back out to reveal that he had removed Lily's garter.

Then Lily, radiant and smiling in the summer sun, her creamy, bare shoulders more beckoning than ever, turned her back on the gather crowd.

"Ready?" James asked her, pulling his arm back in preparation to toss Lily's garter.

"Ready!" Lily laughed.

"On three: one, two...three!" James hurled the garter into the crowd of men, while Lily tossed the cascading bouquet over her shoulders with a short shout of wondrous laughter into the crowd of women....

Remus' eyes followed the bouquet as it sailed in a graceful arc over the heads of the bustling single women hoping to catch it, straining as it fell lower and lower as if it moved in slow motion....

He glanced over to see Sirius straining his hand upwards...his fingers brushed the garter, but did not capture....

Aurelia, in the very rear of the group, stretched out her hands, and the bouquet seemed, for a moment, to be destined for her. But as her fingertips touched it, it bounced against them and tumbled back out of her reach....

PHUT!

Something soft and lacy hit Remus in the face. As he felt it tumble down his face, he held his hands out automatically to catch it. He blinked down at what it was, and saw that it was Lily's garter....

He'd caught Lily's garter....

"Nymphadora, look out!"

Remus raised his eyes in time to see little Nymphadora in the midst of playing nearby, stop, look up, see the bouquet falling towards her, and reach up for it simply because it was coming to her....

She caught it...as if she'd drawn it towards her like a magnet....

"Remus! You caught it!"

Remus felt Sirius clap him heartily on the back, so heartily in fact that it all but knocked the wind out of him. He looked up at Sirius and said, "W-What? Oh, yeah...I...." He looked down at Lily's garter clutched in his hands.

This thing had been on her thigh...!

An odd shiver went through Remus.

"Remus, I can't believe you caught it!" laughed James' voice, and Remus swept his eyes up to see him and Lily approaching him and Sirius, arm in arm. Peter was accompanying them, escorting his girlfriend Maggie Dobbins.

"I don't think he was even trying to catch it!" Lily teased.

Remus scowled at her, but luckily the sun was in his eyes as well, and so his scowl could easily be mistaken for him simply squinting against the harsh solar rays.

"So, who you going to marry, eh?" Sirius prodded him playfully in the ribs with his elbow. "That Edwina Malkin--you know, the fitter for all the wedding party outfits--she's got her eye on you...."

"Cut it out, Sirius," Remus muttered. "Congratulations to you both by the way," he added to James and Lily, forcing a smile. "James, good job making it through," he said when he shook James' hand with his free one.

"Yeah, well, it wasn't as frightening as I thought it would be," James chuckled. "And thank you."

"Yes, thank you, Remus," said Lily.

After Peter and Maggie offered their congratulations as well, Peter added: "So, Sirius' cousin Nymphadora caught the bouquet. That means Remus has to give the garter to her, right?"

Remus' ears pricked up. He wouldn't really have to give the garter away, would he? He rather wanted to keep it....

"Technically he has to place it on her leg..." James said warily.

"Oh, Merlin, no," said Sirius at once. "The girl's only seven, I don't think it'd be appropriate."

"Nor do I," said Remus.

"And it wouldn't fit."

"No, probably not."

"So, you could give it to her and say it's a necklace!" Sirius suggested zealously.

Remus groaned. "Sirius...."

"Oh, Sirius, let him keep it," said Lily. "As an extra present from James and me."

Remus tilted his head. "Extra present?"

"Didn't you know?" said Peter. "James and Lily are supposed to give everyone in the wedding party a present, as a token of gratitude for playing their part in the ceremony and everything. Sirius gets one, I get one, you get one, Mary and Gracie get one for being bridesmaids, and Aurelia too, and Nymphadora...."

"And Abra," James grinned.

"Your cat?" said Maggie Dobbins, looking at James as if he'd grown an extra head.

"He was the ringbearer, wasn't he?"

"What're you going to give him? A tin of cat food?"

"Nah. I was just thinking a simple little toy loaded with catnip that he can shred to bits would be alright."

~

They held the wedding breakfast in the large, open center of Elphias' gardens. And while they breakfasted, the tent would be transformed from housing a wedding chapel to housing a dance floor.

For the breakfast, four long tables with white tablecloths were set out in a square in the open space of the heart of the garden, the ground of which was lightly blanketed in fine gravel. Then a fifth long table, also covered in a white tablecloth, was set in the center of the square. That table held all of the food, including the wedding cake, which of course had the Cooling Charm on it so that the hot sun wouldn't melt it. Remus and Peter resumed their roles as ushers, and led people to their seats as they arrived into the center of the garden, walking on fine gravel paths lined elegantly with wall-high boxwood, small cone-shaped trees, and all different kinds of flowers, from a rainbow assortment of gladioli, crocuses, tulips, pansies, blooming rosebushes, buttercups, and ranunculi, and countless more, all them sparking color into the gray statues of nymphs and gods and goddesses which they surrounded.

At the main table, James and Lily sat in the very middle, and then they were flanked by Aldous, Leandres, Harry, Violet, Peter, Gracie, Sirius, Mary, Remus, and Aurelia.

Then the guests who were members of the Order, as well as their family members, and anyone else involved with the wedding were seated at the other three tables accordingly. Remus noticed Hagrid sitting at the end of one of those other tables--really noticed him for the first time, and perceived that he was wearing a fuzzy brown suit of sorts with a loud orange tie. Hagrid waved to him with his huge hand, and Remus waved back.

For their wedding breakfast buffet spread, there was a wide variety of canapés, and selections of English and French cheeses with crackers, grapes, and celery, and then, to complement the wedding cake in the center, an assortment of sorbets, ice creams, summer puddings, clotted cream, mousses, strawberries, pineapples, passion fruit, tarts, and trifles. To drink there was champagne being served in crystal flutes, as well as sparkling, non-alcoholic wines in goblets for the children, and if they didn't want that, they could also have a goblet of orange or pumpkin juice instead.

The wedding cake itself was creamy white, round, and three-tiered, with cake columns holding up the top two tiers. The edges of each tier were decorated with pearls, and each tier was adorned with a spray of gumpaste calla lilies. When it came time to cut it, the photographer took as many photos as he could of James and Lily slicing into it, revealing its chocolate-white marble interior.

Finally, when everyone had had their fill of delicious food and cake, Elphias, acting as Master of Ceremonies, tapped his champagne flute with his gold fork from where he sat with another table, and asked for everyone's attention. Once he had it and chitchat had subsided, he said, his voice carrying miraculously despite its wheeziness, "Will the father of the bride please make a toast to the happy couple?" with a nod to Lily's father.

Harry Evans rose to his feet and held up his own flute of champagne, and said, somewhat meekly: "Ahem, well, as you all know, my wife Violet and I are Muggles, and it is our profession to study what Muggles refer to as 'folklore'. When we received the letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, claiming that Lily had been accepted there, we could hardly believe how lucky we were to have our very own witch in the family! And now, all of you have graciously invited us to share in this joyous event, and I would firstly like to thank the groom's parents--Aldous and Leandres Potter--for being willing to go against the 'bride's-family-pays-for-the-wedding' tradition, since this wedding was to be a wizarding one, and...well...while we certainly had the money, we did not have the currency, and, well, it seemed there was no exchange rate between Galleons and pounds!"

There was a pause as everyone laughed at this. Even Remus joined in, for throughout the toast he was finding comfort in idly running his thumb over Lily's garter as he clutched it in his fist deep inside his trouser pocket.

When the laughter died away, Harry continued, "So, since we did not host this, I'm wondering even now if perhaps Aldous should be giving the speech--"

More laughter--

"--but then this isn't their house, it's Mister Doge's here, so maybe he should do it!"

Even more laughter, until it subsided--

"--and I thank you, Mister Doge, by the way, for your allowing us the use of your home to venue this happy occasion."

Elphias inclined his head.

Then Harry concluded, "But, even as Muggles, Violet and I could not be more enthusiastic about gaining a wizard for a son-in-law, nor could we both be prouder of the talented witch that, even though she's grown and married, will always be our little Lily." He cast his green eyes down lovingly on his daughter, who returned his gaze with equaling affection.

There was a collective but subtle, "Awwww."

"To the newlyweds!" toasted Harry.

"To the newlyweds!" chorused Remus and everyone else, and then raised their flutes and took a sip.

Chuckling and grinning from ear to ear, James stood up and raised his flute. "Thank you, Harry, for those words. And thank you much more for giving this marriage your full blessing. In this I am truly fortunate, because although you were quite ecstatic about having a witch for a daughter, I was never at all sure, until I met you for the first time, whether or not you'd approve of a son-in-law with such magical powers. But when Lily and I announced to you that she and I were to be married, I could not have been more grateful to have you grace us with smiles and congratulations.

"I would also like to thank my parents, who taught me everything from being responsible with broomstick to how I need to take responsibility for my own actions. I know now what I did not know then: all their scolding for my numerous school detentions, and other such misdeeds, was all out of love. So, I suppose, Mum, and Dad, I'm thanking you for scolding me,"--a ripple of laughter went through everyone "--as much as I am for everything else you have ever done for me, including stepping in to pay for this wedding, because the gracious family of the bride was unable to."

James shared a grin of filial affection with his beaming mother and father, before he finished with, "Lastly, I would just like to thank all of you for the generous gifts you have bestowed upon my new bride and me, and I think that another great gift you have all given to us here today, is simply by being here with us to jubilate in this celebration of love and life."

"Hear, hear!" cheered several people, Elphias Doge and Harry Evans among them.

"And now I shall hand it off to my best man," smiled James, sitting down and giving Sirius the floor.

Everyone quieted down as Sirius rose to his feet and raised his champagne flute. "Before we get to the bit where I make my dear friend James' toes curl with embarrassment--" Another curl of chuckling arose amongst the guests "--I would like to speak up on behalf of our lovely bridesmaids here--"

Mary, sitting beside Remus, pressed a hand to her mouth and giggled quietly, while Aurelia on Remus' other side chuckled and averted her gaze, for Remus observed with a grin of his own that Sirius had been looking at Aurelia when he'd said "lovely bridesmaids".

"--in thanking the groom for his and the bride's beautiful gifts that they have presented to us in gratitude. And I would also like to extend an enormous 'thank you' to all members of the wedding party, for it is they who have put on the big show for our wonderful guests here today. To the wedding party!"

"To the wedding party!" Everybody raised their flutes again and took another sip.

After Sirius had his sip, he held up his own flute again. "And now for the fun part."

The air stirred with tense anticipation.

Sirius fixed his eyes on James. "James, approximately nine years ago, you and I met for the very first time aboard the train, headed for our very first day at Hogwarts. I remember searching for an empty compartment, and the only one close to being empty, was the one with you alone sitting in it, staring out the window, sulking. You were sulking so much, that when I spoke up, you snapped, 'Shove off!' at me--and I haven't the faintest idea why I didn't take your advice."

Several people chortled, including Remus.

"Any reasonable person would have been turned-off by your attitude," Sirius went on with a grin. "But as you know, I'm not a reasonable person: I fan the flames, and I enjoy it too. I teased you until you nearly hexed me, but something stopped you from doing it. Something stopped you when you had me pinned to the opposite seat of the compartment, begging for mercy."

Laughter....

"Then you stepped back, put your wand away, and said, 'I like you. What's your name?' To this day, I do not understand, when I think about you and me, how you and me could be the way we are based on me pushing your buttons while you were in a bad mood, and you trying to hex my brains out, or something...."

More laughter....

Remus leaned over and saw James shaking his head, beaming but completely scarlet in the face from embarrassment.

"But like it or not, we stuck to each other like Spellotape, and two weeks into our first school year, we were already in our first detention together. And we were in many, many, many detentions afterwards. Oh, weren't those lovely times, James? Doing dirty work without magic? Like scrubbing trophies...scrubbing floors...scrubbing toilets...."

More laughter....

"...scrubbing bedpans...."

People began to grow breathless with laughter....

"Lots and lots of scrubbing!"

Everyone burst out laughing.

When that simmered down, Sirius continued, "Even on the few occasions when our dear friends Remus Lupin--"

Remus' face flushed and he swept his eyes down to his plate of half-eaten wedding cake.

"--and Peter Pettigrew were with us because of us--"

Another gale of laughter....

"Those times were just magical, James! Simply magical! And I'm thinking now, it's a very good thing you know me well enough to understand my facetious, even often sarcastic sense of humor--otherwise you'd probably think I'd gone mad by now...! But, in all honesty, what is truly magical, is the news you brought to me approximately a year ago that you and dear Lily were getting married. Your relationship started with teasing and hex threats as well...or at some point those devices ensued--"

As another wave of chuckling swept through, Remus leaned over again to see Lily covering her mouth, trying desperately not to laugh, just as James was doing. He also saw their linked hands resting on the tablecloth, displayed freely for all to see their love for each other.

Then Sirius concluded, "And I could not think of a more beautiful and perfect pair as the two of you." He raised his flute up high again, beaming. "To James and Lily!"

"To James and Lily!" chorused Remus and everyone else, raising their glasses and drinking in yet another toast. Then they all clapped as Sirius sat back down.

"And now, the bride herself would like to say a few words!" Elphias Doge announced.

Everyone engaged in excited chatter at this, and when this had calmed for the most part, Lily stood, raising her own champagne flute. "First of all, I'd just like to thank you all again for the lovely gifts you have given James and me today, and not just the ones wrapped in boxes with silver and white paper and ribbon, but the company as well. Even within the horrors of war and darkness, it's heart-lifting to see that friends and family like ourselves can still gather together and have a bash like this."

Many muttered in agreement.

"Second of all, I'd like to thank Aldous and Leandres Potter for accepting me into their family, and once again for taking the 'bride's family' role and paying for a vast majority of the expenses, because of my parents' lack of wizarding currency."

A stir of laughter.

Lily's smile broadened. "And speaking of my parents, they have showered me with love despite my being the odd-one-out in the family, being a witch and all, and have supported me in every endeavor--and every mistake--I have made, and always for the better." She shared affectionate smiles with her mother and father, and then went on. "I'd also like to thank the best man and the groomsmen--" She glanced fondly between Remus, Sirius, and Peter "--for not going too far with my new husband's stag party the night before last."

More chuckles.

Remus lowered his gaze to his plate again as the heat resurface in his face.

"And finally, I'd like to say a few words about my new husband here." She smiled lovingly down at James. "Similar to what Sirius said, it's true that when I first met you, James Potter, you were the most insolent and conceited toerag I had ever met."

Remus laughed with everyone else, but hoped that he had not laughed too loudly.

"And after you grew out of you 'girl-teasing' stage, out of all the other girls, you had to choose me to harass over going out with you on a date!" After another ripple of laughter, Lily continued, in a softer, more tender voice, "But, you did, after all, choose me--and no one else. And you would have no one else, no matter how hard I tried to drive you away...."

But you would've had me, Lily...if I'd let you...if I hadn't driven you away... Remus thought sadly, now rotating his thumb over Lily's garter with greater intensity.

"And I will always love you for that." Lily bent down and shared another kiss with James.

Everyone except for Remus swelled with happiness at the sight.

Then Lily broke the kiss, straightened, raised her glass high and said, "To love!"

"To love!" chorused everyone else enthusiastically, raising their flutes and sipping.

"To love," Remus whispered, more to himself, perhaps, than in toast, barely raising his glass, and taking more than one mere sip of champagne. He was relieved that Aurelia, next to him, was too enraptured in the proceedings to take notice of his dour attitude.

When all had taken their own sip, Lily said spiritedly, "And now, I say, we should all let our hair down and dance away into the night!"

This was met with great enthusiasm, and everyone rose from their seats as quickly as they were able, and filed out of the center of the garden in a gradual, boisterous bustle of laughing, talking people. Remus was the only one who remained seated while this took place. He nursed his glass of champagne, watched them leaving, until the last few people were trickling out. Remus drained his glass, thumped it on the table, stood from his chair, and strolled out of the center of the garden, hands deep in his trouser pockets, the one still lovingly caressing Lily's garter.