One Week 'Til Bells Ring

TUESDAY: Where and Remus

Lily was already awake when Alice showed up to take her to look for someplace to actually have the wedding and the reception.

"Do you want it in a wizard place or a Muggle place?"

"Wizards. I don't trust some of the wizards I invited to behave properly around Muggles."

"Speaking of invited, where's the list?"

"Here it is." She showed her the notepad. The guests answers had appeared next to their names.

Longbottom (2)--Of course I'm coming, you need a maid of honor, don't you? Frank is coming too

Sirius and Dora Tonks (2)--Wouldn't miss it! Can't, I'm the best man! I'll bring Dora too.

Peter--I'll be there

Remus--I'm coming. What did you need to talk to me about?

Potter (2)--We'll be there, Lily dear.

Dumbledore--Wouldn't miss it for the world.

McGonagall--Yes, I'm coming

Flitwick--I'm coming!

Boot (2)--We're coming. Tell Sirius my hangover was his fault.

Moody--I wouldn't miss it.

Gideon--Count me in.

Fabian--I love parties.

Philip--Will there be ice cream? If not, I'll bring some.

Arabella--I'm coming but give me enough time to know where it is.

Stoge--Yes, I'm coming.

Kingsley--I'll be there.

Hagrid--A pack of hippogriffs couldn't keep me away.

Dursley (2)--

Lovegood (2)--We'll be coming.

"It looks like nearly everyone is coming," Alice said cheerfully.

They drove around, checking out reception halls and churches, but there was nothing that Lily liked (plus it had all been booked for months).

"I don't know. None of these places are really me."

"Well then what do you want to do? Have the wedding at--"

"--Godric's Hollow!" Lily finished.

"That's perfect! Why didn't we think of that before?"

"Let's go over to James's parents house now."

"I'll drive the car back to your place and meet you at the Hollow. Apperate there now."

Lily disappeared and reappeared at Godric's Hollow. She knocked on the door.

She heard some shouts inside and Sirius, half-naked, opened the door. "Lils!" he gave her a hug.

She hugged him back. "Good to see you, Siir."

A mild voice said, "I don't think your fiancé would like that."

"Well, I won't tell if Siir here won't tell," she teased.

Sirius grinned and kissed her on the cheek, "Or as you like to call me 'hot lips'."

Lily just laughed and smacked him on the head for that last comment. "It's only funny if I make the joke. Hello, Mrs. Potter."

"Hi, Lily dear. Sirius, get inside before you freeze to death out here. Your hair is still soaked."

"Why are James and I still living here again?" asked Sirius.

"Because you said you didn't want to have to do your own cooking and laundry," Mrs. Potter told him.

"Right!" he said with a grin.

Mrs. Potter hugged Lily in greeting. "I'll be in the kitchen, Lily. My son," Sirius glared at her, "I mean my other son is upstairs."

Lily knew that for years now, Sirius had been the Potter's unofficial second son. Ever since that incident that caused him to run away. She shook it from her head. No use upsetting him after all. "So what are you doing home in the middle of the day? Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

"It wouldn't be school if I didn't ditch," he said, grinning. "Actually, your Jamesie-poo and I came home for lunch. I had to shower because somebody spilled green paint in my hair."

"What were you doing with gr--never mind. I don't want to know." The way he said "somebody" made it very clear that the culprit was James.

"So you see, you have this lovely view of my upper body because I hadn't finished changing yet."

"You mean disgusting, not lovely, right?" Lily said.

"What?" He pouted and started to bawl, "JAMES! Your fiancé is being mean to me! Dump her!"

James came down the stairs, towel drying his hair. "Don't think so, buddy. She's much better looking than you are."

"Mummy, James doesn't love me anymore!" He pretended to cry melodramatically and ran into the kitchen.

James and Lily just looked at each other and laughed. He came and sat down on the couch.

They were quiet and could hear Mrs. Potter talking to Sirius. "Young man, you'll just have to deal with it. We love Lily better than you now and that's all there is to it. Scoot! Upstairs and finish getting dressed. I don't want you to be late for class."

Sirius sulkily came back out and walked upstairs, turning around to stick his tongue out at James and Lily once he was at the top of the stairs.

Lily and James started laughing again. They knew he was only pretending. "Mum loves giving him a hard time."

She stared at her husband-to-be and the fact that he too had obviously had had to shower. "Who started it with the paint?"

"He did," James said defensively. "He splattered my hair with yellow paint. Said I should go blonde!"

"Did you do anything to him first?"

"No."

Mrs. Potter came out, "Sirius mentioned something about slugs crawling down his back?"

James grinned sheepishly. "Trust me, he deserve it."

"Did not!" Sirius called from upstairs. He came back downstairs.

Lily said to Mrs. Potter, "I don't think James and I need a baby. All we have to do is keep Sirius around. Maybe someday he'll grow up and be a big boy too."

Mrs. Potter laughed. "I don't know, I think a baby would be nice."

Lily said, "But what if it turned out just like James or Sirius?"

"Well, you'd have your work cut out for you there," Mrs. Potter said sympathetically.

James and Sirius said in unison, "I resent that!"

The women laughed.

There came a knock at the door. There were charms on the house and the nearest you could Apperate was just outside the door.

"Oh, it's Alice!" Lily said, getting up.

"Yeah," said Sirius. He raced to the door and managed to open it first. "Hey how come you get to miss a week's worth of classes?"

"Frank's getting me all the assignments I'm missing," she said. "Speaking of which," she looked cheerily at her watch, "You've got 3 minutes before you're late."

"Ugh." Sirius stared at her coldly. Then he put a hand on his head and a look of horror came over his face.

"What's the matter?" asked Alice.

Lily said, "Oh, I think he must have just realized that he's not capable of doing that thing where you pat your had and rub your stomach at the same."

"I've only got three minutes and my hair's not done!" he screamed and ran up to the bathroom.

James remarked, "That's just a little bit frightening."

"I think that's the fastest I've ever seen him run," remarked Alice.

James's lips twitched in a smile. "That's because you weren't there 5^th year when I tried to dump all of his hair care products down the drain before he had a big date."

Lily snorted.

"Yeah, all that stuff doesn't make a difference but Sirius thinks it does. Honestly, it doesn't matter how long he spends on it, it always looks the same."

"Have you decided where you're going to hold the wedding?" asked Mrs. Potter, finally deciding that they'd picked on poor Sirius long enough. He was really a sweet boy, after all.

"Actually, we were wondering if we could have it here."

"I think that's a wonderful idea!" said Mrs. Potter.

"Lils, I've got to go," James said. "Siiiiir! It's time!"

"Bu' I'm bruffing my teef!" a voice yelled.

"I thought the problem was your hair."

"Bu' I spilled gel in my mouf!"

"I'll be outside!" James kissed Lily briefly and went outside.

Sirius was down like a shot. "Bye, everybody. Later, hot lips!" He added the last part over his shoulder and Lily and Mrs. Potter dissolved in giggles.

Lily gasped, "I thought he said his name was hot lips."

They laughed again.

"I've got to go, I actually promised that I'd be there for this test if I got to miss the rest of the stuff I needed to this week." Alice told them.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow, same time," Lily said.

"Sounds good. We've still got a lot of work." Alice went outside to Disapperate.

"Why don't you stay for lunch, Lily?"

"That sounds great. I'm starved."

They'd just finished eating and were sipping tea when Mrs. Potter asked, "Lily, did you get your dress?"

"Yes. We got it on Sunday. You can come over and I'll try it on."

"That sounds nice. Harry won't be home for hours yet and neither will the boys. We can be gone and come back five times without their ever knowing." They went into the front yard and Apperated to Lily's apartment.

"Sorry about the clutter. I haven't had much time to spend cleaning this week."

"Oh, I understand."

Lily found the dress and put it on. She came out for Mrs. Potter to see.

She gasped. "You look beautiful!"

"Really? It's not too revealing? I didn't really want to buy it..."

"You look gorgeous," she said firmly.

"I feel cold," she confessed. "I don't like dressing like this. So it's really not a problem to have the wedding at the Hollow?"

"Of course not. After all, I wasn't bothered when Sirius showed up on my doorstep 4 years ago, was I?"

"I wouldn't know. At that point I still thought James and Sirius were both very immature."

"As opposed to their much increased maturity now...?"

Lily laughed. "You have a point there."

They talked for a while until Mrs. Potter said she had to be going. "Yes, I've got to have milk and cookies waiting for that big baby when he comes home from school."

"Sirius or James?"

"Actually I meant Harry coming home from work, but yes, them too I suppose."

They laughed again. "Oh, here, I have suits for James and Sirius for the wedding."

"Oh, yes, agreed on dressing Muggle for those of you in the ceremony." She took the suits and disappeared.

Lily sighed. Now she didn't have any more excuses for not going. She had to go visit Remus. She'd give him a call first to make sure he was home.

"Hello?"

"Remus?"

"Lily, how are you? The big day's getting closer."

"I know. I've got your suit for the ceremony. Can I come over to drop it off?"

"Sure. My parents are out shopping."

"Hey, by any chance did they want to come to the wedding? I was half asleep when I wrote the guest list. I didn't even think about Peter's mum or your parents."

"No, it's fine. They don't get out much anymore. My life has been almost as much as strain on them as on me."

"I'm sorry, Remus."

"It's okay. Don't even think about it."

"I'll be over in a minute, okay?"

"Sure."

Lily grabbed the suit and Apperated. Unlike the Potter's house, there was no anti-Apperating spell. She appeared in the living room.

She ran up and hugged Remus. They'd been friends for a long time. "Glad to see you more dressed than Sirius was."

"Did he do that thing with the grass skirt and coconuts again?" Remus winced at the memory.

"Grass skirt and coconuts?"

"Yeah. Sirius had me and him and Peter doing a little dance number at the beginning of James's bachelor party. Before you happened to show up. Sirius said that the first bachelor party of the Marauders had to be spectacular. I don't think he counted on the bride jumping out of the stripper's cake. James didn't really want it to happen, you know."

"I know. I heard him tell Sirius that."

"I was so amazed when I saw you jump out and I didn't really recognize you. I was thinking 'how did that old dog manage to find someone with Lily's hair color like that?' "

They had a good laugh. "Well, actually he showed up to the door half-naked when I knocked."

"Cutting class?"

"No, he and James got in a paint war. They had to come home at lunch to take showers."

Remus gave a snort of laughter. "That's just like them. All these years and they'll never change. I'm a terrible host. Do you want some tea?"

"Sure, I'll take some."

"Two cream, no sugar?"

"Ah, Remus, you know me too well."

They sipped at their drinks.

"Lily, we've been friends for a long time, right?"

"Yes."

"So we know each other pretty well, don't we?"

"I think so."

"Well enough to know when one of us isn't being completely honest with the other?"

"Maybe."

"I know there's more to this visit than making fun of the childish ways of Sirius and your future husband. And I know there's more to it than that suit you're dropping off for the ceremony. What is it, Lily? I haven't seen you nervous like this in a long time. Whatever it is, you know you can trust me."

"I need to ask a favor."

"I'll do it."

"You don't even know what it is yet."

"That doesn't matter, Lily. You're one of my closest friends. Definitely my closest serious friend," he grinned at the unintentional pun, "and whatever you're going to ask, I know you wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."

"It is important."

"Then just ask."

She took a deep breath, "Remus, will you give me away on Friday? My father's dead and I don't have a brother. Mr. Potter would do it but I'm much closer to you. I know this is a big favor but..."

"Lily," he interrupted gently. "Of course I will. You had to have known I'd say yes." He pulled her into a tight hug. "I'd be honored to give you away, Lily-flower."

"Really?" She wiped a tear from her eye. She'd never liked it when Sirius had called her "Lily-flower" back at Hogwarts, and before they got together James had always called her Evans when within earshot of her, but Remus had always been allowed to "Lily" or "Lily-flower". Maybe it was because he'd never been taunting her when he said it.

"Yes. Lily, you're my best friend and I love you like a sister. Of course I'll do it. Why me?"

"I'm closer to you than I am to Peter or Sirius. There's always been a sort of distance with Peter, though I'd never admit that to James. He's almost as close to him as he is to you and Sirius. Sirius, even if he wasn't going to be James's best man, I don't know, if it wasn't for James or threatening to take away house-points I never would have talked to him. You on the other hand...We've been friends and you're like my brother. Sirius is too now, but...hey, seniority rules."

"I'd be honored."

"Thank you so much." She kissed him on the cheek.

They sat on the sofa together and reminisced for quite some time. "It's starting to get late, I should probably go home and eat."

"No, no, stay for dinner. My parents said they might eat out anyway. You don't want to leave me all by my lonesome do you?"

"Remus, cut it out!" she laughed. "You sound like your old buddy Sirius."

"Oh, no! Heaven forbid I should sound like the man who still thinks he's God's gift to women." He looked appalled.

"Oh yes. Today he told me his new nickname was 'hot lips'."

"Well, by Merlin, I think he found a new one. No, wait. I distinctly remember one of his girlfriends calling him that back at Hogwarts. You'll have to break the news to him that he's not the creative genius he thinks he is."

"I'm sure he'll be heart broken." They made dinner and came back in the living room to eat, listening to the radio.

They finished and listened to the music for a while. Lily yawned. "It's getting late. I'd better go. Alice is meeting me early tomorrow. I think we're covering decorations and flowers."

"Have fun."

"I will." She yawned again.

"You might want to go through the fire. You look awfully tired and I wouldn't want you to splinch yourself."

"Thanks."

He waved his wand and started a fire in the grate for her. She picked out a pinch glittering powder and threw it in the fire. She returned home.