They were all once again in Remus’ room, smiling a bit after the last memory. Hermione watched Remus closely, and she realized he had tears in his eyes. She wasn’t all together sure they were tears of laughter.
Blinking fiercely, the werewolf looked again at the vials of silvery memories. “Now, let’s see...” he murmured softly. “Aha! Do you three want to see James fly?” Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all nodded fiercely, and Remus chuckled.
“All right, then. This is a memory of mine. The last Quidditch game James ever was in. He flew spectacularly.” He poured the silver liquid into the Pensieve, and soon all four felt their feet land on soft, green grass.
What they weren’t expecting was to be standing right in the middle of a Quidditch game.
Players and bright flashes of scarlet and gold zoomed past their heads. If that was not a memory, and if that had been real, they would’ve ran out of there. But the beauty of what was around them amazed the quartet“ this was obviously the Gryffindor team at its best.
The team flew with grace, and every once in awhile a shriek of laughter would escape their lips, causing a tide of laughter and giggles to explode around Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Remus, much like a mushroom cloud.
Remus clapped his hands in glee. “Isn’t this wonderful? That’s what players these days miss, and what gives Harry such an advantage: the pure joy of the game.”
Hermione’s mouth was wide open, and she wondered why she never put more effort into learning how to fly. Ron refused to blink; determined not to miss anything.
And Ginny was grinning broadly, for she had spotted a familiar- and yet unfamiliar in so many ways- head with messy, black hair.
James Potter flew wonderfully, and only with slight differences from his son. James had grace not even Harry, by far the most stylish flyer on the Gryffindor team in his time, could compete with. But while James was very quick, Harry seemed to have more natural speed than his father.
James also had a Quaffle tucked safely underneath his elbow.
Ginny looked at Remus, her eyebrows raised to the point they were missing underneath her hairline. “I didn’t know James played Chaser.” She sounded absolutely thrilled. “I always figured he was a Seeker, like Harry.”
“James was a great Seeker, but being a Chaser was more fun for him,” Remus said, laughing softly. “I think he just enjoyed stealing the Quaffle from other people.”
They watched the players fly for awhile longer. Students were filing in the seats, eager for the game to start, when Ron, Hermione, and Ginny felt Remus’ tug on their arms, and all too soon they were back in his room.
Ron spun around, about to demand why they didn’t get to stay, when he saw something that made his heart sink down to his toes: Remus was standing, his shoulders shaking.
He was crying.
Other than when Dumbledore had died, the threesome had never seen Remus lose control like that. The older man looked up at them, ashamed, and he wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeves. It was quiet for a while, as the four stood with a slight awkwardness, embarrassed. When Remus finally spoke, it was in no more than a whisper.
“Watching James fly is... very hard for me. It was his true passion, and in the early years of the first war, flying was the only thing that kept him... sane in a way that not even Lily or Harry could help with.” He looked up at the four teenagers and flushed slightly. “Let’s see another memory. Lily and James’ wedding?”
Ron and Ginny nodded, but Hermione stared intently at Remus, who noticed her gaze upon him. “Don’t worry, Hermione,” he said softly. “I won’t lose control again.”
Remus dunked his head into the basin first, this time. The rest followed soon after.
They landed somewhere much different than the last memory. It was a small banquet hall, lined on both sides with only a handful of chairs. In the back of the room there was a small table with a silk blue tablecloth and a sign hanging over it that read, “Congratulations, James and Lily!” in a blue the same color as the tablecloth. The front of the room was decorated heavily in flowers- lilies, Hermione noted- and there was a large, fiercely colorful window of stained glass that adorned the wall.
“Lily and James had a small wedding. With the war and all. They only invited friends and family. Look- there’s James’ cousin, Daniel.” He was pointing to a tall man with long, honey-blonde, messy hair. He had the same hazel eyes as James. “He was years older than us, and James worshiped him like a god when we were younger. He was killed several days after this wedding. Poor James was heartbroken.
“And look over there.” Remus chuckled. “It’s Harry’s aunt, Petunia.” Ron, Ginny, and Hermione turned their heads and saw a tall, horsy woman walk into the room. She was wearing short dress that revealed her knobbly knees (so much like Harry’s!). The dress was an interesting shade“ somewhere between pink and orange“ and did not flatter her.
Ginny seemed to find this amusing. She burst out laughing at the sight of her. After all that this woman put Harry through, she deserved no less.
Ron just gaped. He had only ever seen glimpses of this strange Muggle woman, and to see her up close was awkward for him. Petunia looked nothing like her sister, who was beautiful and glowed inside and out. No. This long-necked human had a permanent frown line, and could hardly be called great-looking.
Hermione felt bad for this poor woman. She looked scared and out-of-place. Her large eyes shifted back and forth, not quite sure what to do. Hermione wanted to reach out, to comfort her and tell her that it was okay to be scared.
They all suddenly saw James walk towards Petunia. They saw her visibly stiffen as James wrapped an arm around her back and guide her to a chair. As she sat down, James crouched down and talked with her.
“Thanks for being here today,” he said. “Lily really appreciates it. You don’t know how much she loves you.” James grinned at her, putting on as much charm as possible.
Petunia just held her nose up high. “Why doesn’t she tell me that, then? She just has her obnoxious fiancé tell me,” she sniffed.
James’ grin disappeared.
He stood up straight now, scowling deeply. “Look, we may not get along, but don’t ruin this day for Lily. I love her, and if you do anything at all to make her upset, you’ll have me to respond to.” He left then, leaving Petunia to make faces at his back.
“Why was Petunia like that?” Ginny asked Remus, after a short period of silence. “What did she have against James“ and Lily?”
Remus answered slowly, clearly, pronouncing each word with special care. “Jealousy... I think. Lily’s situation with her sister was a lot like James’ situation with Snape. Lily had what Petunia wanted“ magical powers.”
Hermione shook her head. “But Petunia hates magic.”
Remus grinned. “Is that what she told you? She’s a better actress than what people give her credit for.” He shook his head, still smiling. “Petunia was always fascinated by magic, even if she didn’t admit it. Lily was always hurt that Petunia treated her like frog spawn.”
Ginny nudged Ron. “Look- the wedding’s starting!” Indeed, while the quartet had been discussing Lily’s sibling, all the chairs had been filled. James and Sirius were standing up front, looking very sharp in their dark dress robes. James smoothed down his hair subconsciously until Sirius lightly slapped the back of his hand.
Music from an enchanted piano started playing, and Remus appeared in the back of the hall, his elbow linked with the bride’s.
And, oh, what a pretty bride she was. The dress was a white gown, but it fit her perfectly, and in the right places. Two links of her hair in the front were pinned to the back, but the rest of her deep, red hair flowed down her shoulders to the middle of her back.
Lily beamed at James, and he replied with a wide grin of his own. Even Petunia looked in awe at her sister’s beauty, if only for a split second.
When Lily finally reached James, she untangled her elbow from Remus’ and kissed him on the cheek. She walked up to her soon-to-be husband, stepping carefully in her white flats.
The ceremony started. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny didn’t really listen to what the preacher was saying; they were looking around the room at the guests.
It was a small wedding; it couldn’t have had more than thirty people, and they guessed most were school friends. Remus and Peter sat up front, and Remus kept having to pass tissues to a sobbing Peter.
When they heard James say, “I do,” Ginny, Hermione, and Ron were snatched back into reality. The preacher murmured something else, then James leaned down to catch Lily’s lips into a passionate kiss.
The guests were clapping as the quartet was once again pulled away.
AN~ Sorry this took oh so long, but not only have I been busy, but I’ve also had major writer’s block lately. Many thanks to Sour.Apple. for being my beta.
Only one more chapter and an epilogue to go!