“Prongs, come on. It’s time to go outside. You don’t want to keep Lily waiting, do you?” Sirius Black asked his best friend through the closed door of the bathroom.
“I’m coming. And for the record, it was Lily who kept me waiting all these years.” James opened the bathroom door and walked into the room, looking at each of his friends. “I want to ask you guys something. This- my marrying Lily- you guys are okay with it, right? I mean, it’s not going to change anything between the four of us, is it?” James didn’t understand where these fears came from, he just knew that right at this moment, he wanted to make sure his friends would always be beside him.
Remus looked over at James, then at Peter and Sirius before speaking.
“I think I speak for all of us when I say…” Remus smiled as he paused for dramatic effect, “you are stuck with us. Once a Marauder, always a Marauder.”
James smiled at Remus. He knew the answer to his questions before Remus spoke, but he had just needed to hear it confirmed. Must just be pre-wedding jitters, he thought. Walking to the door, he looked back once more at his friends.
“Well, let’s go. You don’t want me late for my own wedding, do you?” Laughing, he walked out the door and towards his future.
***
“Lily, come on. Everyone is downstairs waiting for you,” Sharon Phillips called through the closed door of the bathroom.
Opening the door, Lily looked at her best friend. “Are you sure everyone is waiting? Will you go look?” Lily smiled at Sharon. “Never mind, I don’t need you to go look. I know James is waiting down there for me. It is just my nerves. Oh, Sharon, I can’t believe in a few short minutes I am going to be Mrs James Potter. I wonder how this happened?”
“I’ll tell you how it happened. You finally opened your eyes and saw what was right in front of you all those years. You let your guard down and James stomped right in and stole your heart.” As Sharon spoke, she adjusted Lily’s veil.
“Why did I agree to this? I mean, with both of us losing our parents in the past nine months, maybe we should have just had a small ceremony. We don’t need all this fuss. Oh, don’t listen to me. Let’s go. I don’t want to keep James waiting any longer.” With that Lily walked over to the bedroom door and opened it.
Walking down the hallway, Lily noticed a tall man standing at the top of the stairs. She immediately recognised him as Albus Dumbledore.
“Lily, my dear. How lovely you look.” Professor Dumbledore reached out to grasp Lily’s hands as he spoke. “I have a request to make of you.”
“A request?” Lily’s voice held a note of apprehension.
“I would be honoured if you would permit me to escort you down and to stand in your father’s stead to give you away.”
“I-I would be the one honoured to have you give me away.” Lily smiled radiantly at her former headmaster.
Blue eyes twinkling, Professor Dumbledore tucked Lily’s arm in his as he turned and started down the stairs. Halfway down, Lily stopped and looked up at him.
“I want to ask you a question before we go down and please tell me the truth.”
“Of course you can ask me a question. I will of course answer truthfully if it is my power to do so.” Albus looked down into the green eyes of Lily.
“When you made James and I Head Boy and Girl, did you know or did you hope this would be the eventual outcome?”
“Ah, my dear, you ask a very thought provoking question.” Albus hesitated to gather his thoughts. “Did I know this would happen? No, I did not. Did I hope this would happen? Yes, I did. There were so many sparks between the two of you; I hoped they would turn from indifference on your part, to love. Before you ask, no, I did not make you Head Boy and Girl to force you together. You both deserved the titles. My only hope was for you to set aside your animosity towards James, and to give him the chance he deserved. Though you couldn’t see it, he loved you even then. I am thrilled the two of you are now to be married.”
Lily looked into the eyes of Albus Dumbledore as she thought over the answers he had given her.
“Now, I believe your fiancé has waited long enough for you to be his bride. Let us not make him wait any longer.” With this, Professor Dumbledore began walking down the stairs again.
***
As Lily and Dumbledore walked out the back door and down the garden path, Lily could smell the flowers in full bloom. She could feel the warmth of the sun on her bare arms. But it was the sight waiting for her at the end of the path that had her heart skipping a beat.
There, standing in front of her, were the four best friends. They were all dressed in identical dress robes.
Peter, the smallest and quietest of the group, gave Lily the briefest of smiles when he saw her. Lily knew others wondered at why Peter was part of this group. Lily knew Peter was not just a tagalong in this group. He was as much a part of the friendship as any of the others.
Remus, the boy who never thought he would fit in anywhere. He looked better today than he had in the past week. Even though it was daytime, Lily still glanced unconsciously at the sky. She knew the full moon was two weeks away. When choosing a date for the wedding, she and James were very careful to make sure it fell in the middle of the moon’s cycle. She knew James would not want Remus’s ‘furry little problem’ to keep him away. Remus also smiled at Lily.
Her eyes fell onto Sirius next. Tall, dark and handsome were words often used to describe James’s best friend. Lily knew that deep down, Sirius was as insecure and unsure of himself as everyone else. He just hid it from all of them. Sirius not only gave Lily a sly smile, but he winked at her in that sexy way of his.
Lily then let her eyes drift to the man standing next to Sirius. James. Not quite as tall as Sirius, James also had dark hair, hair that even today stood on end. His boyish good looks had attracted many girls to him at Hogwarts. But Lily knew he had never once looked back at any of them. It seemed that from the first day on the train, James only had eyes for Lily.
Lily smiled shyly at James as she stopped next to him. If she didn’t know better, Lily would have sworn she saw nervousness in James’ eyes and in his quick smile.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to witness the bonding of Lily Evans and James Potter. Who gives Lily to James?” the wizard presiding over the ceremony asked.
“It is my honour and privilege, in the memory of Lily’s parents, to do so.” Professor Dumbledore spoke as he placed Lily’s hand in James’s.
Do you James Potter, take Lily Evans…” the wizard smiled as he spoke.
Within seconds, it seemed to Lily, the wizard was saying, “I now pronounce you bonded for life. You may kiss the bride.”
Though there were only a dozen or so people present, the cheers that went up at this announcement were deafening.
Lily soon found herself being kissed and hugged by Sirius and Remus. Turning, she saw Peter looking at her shyly. Lily reached out to hug him too.
“Lily, James, how about I take a picture of all of you together?” Sharon asked the five of them.
“No, please permit me to take the picture. That way, you can also be in it.” Professor Dumbledore gently removed the camera from Sharon’s hands. Thanking him, Sharon went and stood next to Lily.
As the six of them smiled, Professor Dumbledore snapped a picture. The smiles on all of their faces were captured for all eternity on film.
A Wedding to Remember by mudbloodproud
Chapter Notes: I wish to thank my beta, Alysa, (harry4lif).
I do not own anything or anyone you recognise in this story. It all belongs to J.K. Rowling. I am just thankful to be able to play in her world for a while.