Abby's Side

James' unblinking approval of his sister's new commitment, as well as some gentle convincing from Lily, led Abby to move in with Sirius. He had managed to find a nicer flat with two bedrooms, and went entirely above and beyond what Abby expected. Sirius had decorated the room in scarlet and gold, using the apparition the Room of Requirement gave them as inspiration.

Two months after Lily, James, Abby, and Sirius had been accepted as Aurors, Abby was snuggled down in her blankets on Sirius' squashy old couch. She was staring blankly into the fire with a mug of steaming hot chocolate in her hands.

Sirius paused in the doorway, watching her with a slight frown on his face. Training that day had been difficult, but it was clear that something else was bothering her. He sat down beside her, and she immediately snuggled up to him. After gently prying the mug from her hands, he pulled her even closer.

"What's wrong, baby?" he whispered, his sweet breath warming her ear.

Abby turned her head to face him and gently brushed her lips across his. "Just thinking, Siri."

"About the wedding?" Sirius asked softly. When Abby nodded, he kissed her temple. "We really need to set a date."

Before they could get any further in the discussion, James came bursting into the flat, his face glowing.

"What's with you, Prongs?" Sirius probed, rubbing Abby's back discreetly. The two had been behaving themselves, sharing no more than sweet kisses and lots of tempting looks.

"I finally asked her," James said breathlessly. Sirius' hand stopped its motion on Abby's back, and Abby stared at her brother. "I asked Lily to marry me and she said YES!"

"How long?" Abby asked, eyes alight. Maybe, MAYBE, James and Lily would be willing to share their wedding date.

"Three months. Why? I thought she'd be telling you tomorrow."

"Prongs..." Sirius said slowly, "What would you say to a double ceremony?"

"I'd say absolutely yes, but I really don't know what Lily would say. But I'll ask her." He left soon after, and Abby shifted into Sirius' lap.

"I love you so much," Abby groaned into his t-shirt. Sirius smiled down at her.

"Mmm... and I love you, too. Look, Abby, these three months will go by so fast. But you need some sleep." He kissed her temple before helping her up to her room. As soon as the door shut, Sirius leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. Three months, and Abby was all his--forever.

Two days before the wedding, Abby and Lily were having their final robe fittings and hairstyle tests. Abby was the more fidgety of the two, and when she and Lily left the store in their regular clothes and hairstyles, she was twisting the ends of her elbow-length tumble of hair around her fingers.

"Stop it!" Lily admonished her gently. "Come on, let's go get some frozen yogurt or something. Maybe if we just wander along, James and Sirius will come to find us."

As the two wandered aimlessly among the crowds, the boys snuck up behind them. Sirius grabbed Abby around the waist and lowered his chin onto her shoulder. "Good or bad first?" he asked, kissing her neck.

"Mmph... bad."

"Training was really awful today. You should be glad you missed it." Abby frowned at his words.

"And the good?"

"James and I are top of our division and you two stand at the top of yours." He moved so he was walking beside her with one arm around her waist, and she rested her cheek on his arm.

"We've got something so amazing, Siri," she sighed contentedly as they split away from Lily and James. Sirius pulled her into a little store she'd never really paid attention to, and she gasped when she saw what it was.

"You still need something new to wear on Saturday, Abby," he whispered. She was stunned at what he was implying, but when he released her, she bit her lip and wandered through the glass cases. Finally, Abby pointed out a delicate gold necklace.

The jeweler held it out for her to look at more closely. In the right light, the chain nearly disappeared, giving the heart charm the illusion of floating. Sirius nodded at the man, who wrapped it carefully and tucked it into a tiny bag for Abby. He paid without a word, then spent the evening cuddled as closely to Abby as possible on that squashy old couch.

Abby fell asleep first, her cheek against Sirius' chest and her hand fisted over his heart. Sirius didn't dare wake her to move, so he shifted into a more comfortable position and pulled a blanket around them. As the fire died out, Sirius closed his eyes and fell asleep himself.

The next morning came all too quickly for the two. They roused themselves, but hadn't yet moved from their spot on the couch when James and Lily Apparated into the flat. Both couples lazed around all day Friday, dreading the moment they were to be separated. But as it always seems to do when one dreads an event, time sped up. Ten o'clock that night was upon them before they wanted it to be, and both boys reluctantly stood up.

Abby threw herself into Sirius' arms, kissing him until both were gasping for breath. James was being silenced in similar fashion. When the girls had finally gotten enough, they released the boys to enjoy their night.

After two sleeping potions, two open windows, and two enormous stuffed animals, the girls fell into twin restless sleeps.

The day of the double ceremony dawned bright and early. Abby was a bundle of energetic nerves, and it wasn't until the girls' friend Tayler practically forced a mug of chamomile tea into her that the dark-haired girl finally calmed. She sat as still as she could at the table in the church in Godric's Hollow as Kara fixed her hair and twisted tiny white flowers into the shining, elbow-length tumble.

At two-thirty, Lily and Abby stepped into their robes. Lily's was the simpler dress; Abby had chosen a cut that flattered her figure and perfectly matched her personality. Lily was also the first to walk down the long aisle, and Abby didn't walk until she reached James' side. Sirius caught Abby's eye and could not look away. His strength coursed through her, and nothing else existed in the world but the two of them.

The reception went late into the night, but Sirius slipped Abby away from Pettigrew long before anything got out of hand. A cute little beach house in the Caribbean was their planned destination, and they didn't have to leave until Monday morning--two whole nights of carefree fun.

"We made it," Sirius murmured when they got inside, kissing Abby's neck.

"Mmhmm," Abby agreed, sinking onto the silky bed. Sirius kissed a light trail back up to her mouth, and she sank into his cinnamon taste without regret. "I love you so much," she sighed as he undressed her. She didn't even attempt to reach out to help him with his own robes, not that he would have let her.

Sirius nipped her neck, and she arched her back. When she pulled him over the edge, he fell onto the bed beside her. "You are so gorgeous," he whispered, watching her.

She smiled at him as she ran her fingers through his silky dark hair. "So are you, Siri," she replied. He slid under the blankets, pulled her close, and let the soft sounds of the waves on the beach lull him to sleep.

Abby woke the next morning with her arms around Sirius' stomach. She inhaled deeply, breathing in his sweet and spicy scent. He stirred, then smiled at her.

"Mmm... morning, Abby," he said lightly. He stretched and ran one hand through her hair, gently pulling out flower petals and tangles. "So... what are we going to do today?"

"Nothing, if it means moving," she quipped. Sirius laughed, a deep, rich sound she loved. "You do have a laugh for me, I hope you know. That's not the normal Sirius laugh."

"You're right," he purred, kissing her. "It's because I have a gorgeous lady in my bed, and she doesn't seem to be going away."

Abby laughed softly, propping herself up on one elbow to watch him. The two finally got up and dressed, then lazily walked along the beach hand-in-hand. Abby kicked her feet in the water, the perfect picture of what could not be theirs back home: peace. They both delayed the inevitable return to reality, but Abby was the first to fall asleep. Once again, her hand was laid open over his heart.