Will-o'-the-Wisp

Sirius caught Remus's arm before they went into the room where the reception was to be held. "You planning on going in?"

Remus knew what Sirius was really asking, but he just smiled. "Sorry, Siri, I promised James I'd handle the music. And you're the best man, you can't skip out yet. You've got to make some kind of speech, remember? Tradition."

"Oh, yeah." Sirius heaved a theatrical sigh. "Well, I guess we won't be doing much dancing then."

"Thanks, but no thanks. I've got to stick with the music."

"Remind me again how you got roped into the music?"

"I'm the only one of James's friends who understands tape cassettes and vinyl records."

"Whozima whatsits?"

"Exactly." Remus laughed. "It's okay, though, James made it clear he wants it over by eight."

Sirius checked his watch. "Bloody hell, it's only five."

"I know, and don't forget, we're going to dinner with them before they leave on their honeymoon." Remus smiled at the look of mock horror on Sirius's face. "It's only a few more hours. You'll live."

"I hope so." Sirius kissed Remus, gave him a smile that turned his legs to jelly, and went into the room. Remus watched him go for a second, then smiled and entered the room.

People milled around, waiting for the bride and groom to arrive. Finally, after about five minutes, Sirius peeked out the door and turned around in great excitement. "Here they come!" he announced.

Remus poised his finger over the play button on the cassette player; it had taken him several weeks and a lot of help from a friend of his to compile this particular tape. Sirius yanked the door open, and as the bride and groom walked into the room...Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus" filled the room. Lily glared daggers at Remus, but she was laughing. James was beet-red with embarrassment, but laughing as well.

The music faded away, leaving Lily and James in the middle of the dance floor. A second later, soft music filled the room and the two began to dance. James caught Remus's eye and mouthed Thanks. Remus grinned back, deciding not to mention how difficult it had been to find this particular song. It wasn't exactly right either; the song was "Till There Was You," which was James and Lily's song, but when they had first heard it the Beatles had been singing it. The album it was on was rather hard to find, and it was too expensive for Remus when he had. He'd wound up resorting to a copy of Shirley Jones from The Music Man.

Handling the music didn't really take too much of Remus's concentration, leaving him free to watch his friends. Sirius simply sat at a small table equidistant from the music table and the dance floor, sipping champagne. James and Lily danced some but made sure to greet each of their guests personally.

After an acceptable amount of time had passed, Remus stopped the music and nodded to James, who led Lily over to the table where the cake stood.

James and Lily's mothers had both contributed to its creation, and Remus had to admit that it was the most creative and touching wedding cakes he'd ever seen. One side looked like a traditional wedding cake, white with perfectly sculpted red flowers; that side came from Catherine Evans, who was a chronic perfectionist. The other side, however, was decidedly original; while it was still white, it had been sprinkled liberally with coloured sugar in red and gold, then decorated with lurid purple curlicues and bright green squiggles. Hope Potter beamed proudly as someone complimented the...interesting decorating pattern.

A small girl, Lily's cousin Alyssa, picked up the cake knife and handed it to Lily. James laid his hand on top of hers, and together they cut the first slice of cake, from the border between their mother's decorations. The resultant piece of cake had a single flower and half a curlicue sprinkled with sugar. Each took a fork, scooped some of the cake off the plate, and turned to the other. James fed Lily his forkful. Lily started to...but then abruptly lifted her hand and smeared the cake on his face.

Charity Brewster, James's favourite aunt, who had been roped into doing the wedding picture, snapped a photograph of the surprised groom with icing up his nose. Sirius dropped his glass he was laughing so hard. After a while, things calmed down and people began chatting and eating the cake. Charity wandered around with her camera, taking pictures as she went.

After a few minutes, Remus met Sirius's eyes and gave him a look that said it's time, then killed the music. Everyone got quiet as Sirius rose to his feet.

"I'd just like to say a few words," he said loudly, which had the effect of silencing the rest of the room. James looked apprehensive and Lily looked like she would kill him if he made some sort of drunken toast, but Remus knew Sirius better than that. If Sirius had been at all drunk, he would have pointed to his glass before Remus could stop the music. Moreover, he wouldn't cause a spectacle at his best friend's wedding by getting himself soused.

Taking a deep breath, Sirius turned to James and Lily. "James, Lily, you know I'm no good at speeches, but...well, I hope life treats you kindly, and I hope you have all you ever dreamed of." Remus was amazed to see tears forming in Sirius's eyes. "I wish you joy...and happiness...but above all this, I wish you love."

The guests began clapping, slowly at first, then faster and louder. James was evidently blinking back tears as well. He walked over to where Sirius stood and embraced him; Sirius hugged him back. "Thanks, mate," James said quietly. "That meant a lot to us."

"No problem," Sirius sniffled as they pulled back. "I meant every word of it."

Remus started the music again, wiping a couple tears out of his own eyes. A slow smile crossed his face as he realised what song was up next. Sirius, in the process of resuming his seat, glanced up at Remus and smiled. The song was Sunshine on My Shoulders.

~~~

"That was a beautiful speech, Sirius," Lily said later that evening. "I confess, I thought you were going to embarrass the living daylights out of us, but..."

"I wouldn't have done that," Sirius said, genuinely surprised. "Frankly, Lily, I'm a little hurt that you'd think I would have."

"You must admit, your track record is against you," Lily objected.

"I joke around a lot, but Lily, you obviously don't know me very well or you'd know that I would never have embarrassed you," Sirius said quietly. "Not at your wedding, anyway. I wouldn't have ruined what was supposed to be the most perfect evening of your lives."

James chuckled. "We both knew you were going to make some kind of speech--it's tradition--but she was convinced you were going to get drunk before you did. I told her that if you were that drunk, you'd beg off making a speech."

Sirius shook his head. "I would have, too. I'm sorry if I worried you unduly."

"Don't worry about it." James took a sip of his water. "Hey, thanks for coming along with us tonight."

"Thanks for asking us," Sirius answered. "It's not every couple who spends the first hours of their wedding night with their best friends."

James laughed a little. "That's why we're doing this, mate. We're going to be gone for two months, so we thought we'd spend one last night as the four of us before...well, before."

Remus squeezed Sirius's hand under the table and nodded. "Makes sense."