Weddings and All That Fun Stuff
I’m getting married today.
Lily Evans, soon to be Potter, had been awake for about ten minutes now, repeating to herself what she had been thinking throughout her sleep. I’m getting married today.
She propped herself up on her elbows, and looked at the engagement ring on her left hand. It was a thin band of white gold. James had insisted on waiting to give her the real ring until the wedding. My wedding. She smiled to herself and threw back the covers on her bed. As soon as she stood up, a massive headache hit her with the force of a steam engine. She had been out with her girlfriends the night before, and things had gotten a little out of hand.
Momentarily forgetting that she was a witch, she popped two Muggle painkillers in her mouth. She walked into the kitchen and poured some cereal into a bowl. Just as she was sitting down to eat, a knock came from her door.
As she was walking down the hall of her parents’ old house, she caught sight of the time on the back of the stove. It was already noon! I was supposed to be up and dressed by now! I was supposed to meet Marie an hour ago!
Lily ran the rest of the way down the hall. She opened the door, and ran back down the hallway without saying hello to her best friend. Marie just stood there and hung her head. “Lily, why are you always so late?”
About a minute later, Lily came running down the hall with jeans and a shirt. “Oh my God, I can’t believe I slept in! I have to sign for the flowers coming in today! I should’ve been at the salon an hour ago. Oh, dear God!”
Marie grasped Lily’s shoulders and sat her down. “Lily, it’s okay.”
“No, it isn’t!”
Marie took a deep breath. “I signed for the flowers when you didn’t show for breakfast this morning. I called the salon and had them bump your hair appointment back a couple hours. Don’t worry!”
Lily let out a sigh of relief and smiled. “I knew there was always a reason you were my best friend.”
Marie stood up and beamed down at her friend. “I know! Now, come on, we have to go to the cleaners to pick up your dress, then we’ll have to head to the salon. If we miss that appointment, they’ll have a cow.”
Lily stood at the end of the procession line, frozen. This was it. She clutched her bouquet, her knuckles turning white. Her stomach was full of butterflies that she felt she would puke up any second.
Her Maid of Honor, Marie, stood in front of her, beaming. She turned around after the bridesmaid in front of her, Alice, had started down the aisle. “Lily, you need to breathe sometime.”
“When was the last time you got married?” Lily snapped.
“It’ll be fine! Calm down and do what the minister tells you.”
Lily nodded as Marie gave her a reassuring hug. Her best friend turned around and walked down the aisle. Lily shut her eyes and waited for Marie to stand at the end of the aisle. For a second, she just stood there, before Marie mouthed ‘Come on!’
She started down the aisle, putting on a smile. As she looked around at all her friends, she thought to herself, God, I wish my parents were here. And Petunia.
She shook those thoughts from her mind and continued to look at the end of the white carpet laid down in front of her. She followed it to the feet of James. She looked up into his face and immediately felt ten times better. He looked so clean in his suit, even with his hair that looked like he had just awoken from a long night’s sleep.
She reached the end of the aisle and stood a foot from James. What the minister said next, she had no idea; she was busy looking into James’ eyes. Those beautiful hazel eyes.
“James, repeat after me. I, James Potter…”
Lily’s eyes widened as she realized that this was it. This was the moment she had been planning for over the last five months. She heard James say his wedding vows. The minister turned to her. “Lily, repeat after me. I, Lily Evans,”
She beamed and looked up at James. “I, Lily Evans,”
“Take you, James Potter, to be my lawfully wedded husband,”
Lily repeated what he said throughout the entire sentence until the last line. “Until death do us part," the minister prompted.
Lily felt a tear slide down her cheek. She started to cry. “Until death to us part,” she said in a cracked voice.
She looked up at James, who was smiling so broadly that his face lit up. He softly touched her left hand and slid the wedding ring on her slight finger. She did the same with a gold band. She looked down at her finger, at the ring. It was simple, yet beautiful. A white gold band no thicker than the tip of a blunt pencil encircled her finger. A small, flawless diamond was set in the middle. She wiped her cheeks, which were now flooded with tears, and smiled up at James. He returned her gaze longingly.
“You may kiss the bride.”
Lily threw her arms around James’ neck and kissed him with all her being. She could hear the applause of everyone around her. When they finally broke apart, she turned around and smiled, her hand finding James’.
“I present to you,” the minister started, “Mr. and Mrs. James Potter.”
There was applause as Lily and James walked back down the aisle. Once out of the wooded clearing where they had been married, Lily kissed James yet again. He laughed, wiped off her tears and lifted her up by the waist. “Lily, we did it!”
“I know!” she replied, kissing him yet again.
“Lily?”
“Hmm?”
“I love you.”
Lily nodded and smiled at him. She loved him with all her heart. “I love you too.”
When he finally set her down, she dragged him back to the entrance of the clearing.
There, they greeted everyone who had attended. When Marie came out, Lily pulled her into a tight, long-lasting hug. “Thank you so much!” Lily gushed.
“For what?”
“Everything.”
Marie pulled away from Lily and playfully pushed her into James. “C’mon,” James started. “We have a wedding reception to get to.”
A/N: Did you like it? Again, a big thanks goes out to my awesomeful betas!
--Han Solo