Lily stumbled as the graphorn leapt into the circle, disrupting the battle around her. Her shield for Sirius faltered, and Avery Stunned him, sending him to the ground in an undignified heap. Before she could react, the Death Eater had Disarmed her. He grabbed her other arm and pulled hard, severing the rope that had bound her to James’s wrist, leaving an ugly red welt that burned instead. He dragged her away, and she struggled against him before he stopped, turned, and Disapparated from the fight.
They reappeared at the crest of the hill where Voldemort had stood to bring down the wards on the circle. James was already running toward her when the Dark Lord reappeared, black cloak billowing behind him in the rain. His red eyes narrowed thoughtfully as Avery threw her to the ground in front of his master.
–Lily Evans--no, Lily Potter now.†Voldemort spoke with a sibilant whisper. –Or did I interrupt? My apologies, but I could hardly pass up the opportunity to see so many Order members at once.â€
–Go to hell,†Lily snapped. She pushed her wet hair out of her eyes and glared at him with every ounce of hate she could muster.
–Not today,†he replied casually. –Today I have a proposal to make.†He leaned in closer, running a thin finger down her cheek almost intimately. –You have proved yourself strong. Your loyalty for their lives.†He gestured at the ongoing battle below them, to the friends who had fallen or were fighting for their lives. Sirius was still unconscious, Frank and Alice were weakening, and Peter had taken a bad hit from Rabastan Lestrange. Hagrid had knocked out the troll, but now struggled with the graphorn, while McGonagall helped James’s father hold off Travers. It did not look good for the Order.
Lily was tempted: she could end this battle and save the man she was about to marry. All she had to do was agree. Perhaps she could play both sides. Yet the thought lasted only a moment, for she knew her friends were strong; they had been fighting Voldemort for almost ten years and did not need her sacrifice for their survival. Voldemort would use her skills for terrible things. She would not compromise her beliefs for his cause and see her power used to kill the very people she fought to protect.
–I already said no,†she ground out, pushing his hand away from her face. –I’ll never become a Death Eater!â€
–We shall see,†Voldemort replied, his voice soft and suggestive. He raised his wand and cast a Cruciatus Curse. Lily fell to the muddy ground, shrieking as ribbons of pain slashed through her; all she could think of was James, watching her writhe in agony and feeling everything himself. She heard him shout, and through half-closed eyes saw him charge the hill. Avery was blasted backward, dropping his wand nearby, and Corin Mulciber, another former classmate, stepped forward in his place.
The curse lifted, and Lily lay curled in front of Voldemort panting for breath. Avery’s wand was just out of reach; she wanted to move toward it, but couldn’t find the strength just yet. She watched in horror as Voldemort pointed his wand at James. He did not cast the curse she feared, but instead sent a terrible black shadow down the hill. She recognized it immediately: it was Serpentis Umbrae, a shadow serpent.
James stopped in his tracks, momentarily unable to comprehend what he was facing. The foul creature instantly swept over him, wrapping him coil by coil in inky blackness, and Lily screamed as the serpent began to squeeze the life from his body. Mulciber kicked her, and she rolled over, gasping for breath once more. She spied Avery’s wand, closer now, and inched toward it even as she moaned in pain.
Mulciber suddenly growled with surprise, and through pain-blurred eyes, Lily saw a silver stag forcing the shadow away from James. He staggered to his knees, obviously weak. Lily had her opening: she grabbed Avery’s wand and fired a Blasting Curse at the Death Eater standing above her, sending him head over heels down the back of the hill. Rolling over, she shot a powerful Stinging Hex into Voldemort’s face, hoping to distract him long enough to fire a second, more effective curse.
He deflected it easily, Disarmed her once more, and grabbed her roughly by the neck of her torn and dirty dress robes. –That was unwise, Lily Potter,†he hissed. His face was so close she could see the rain dripping down his sallow cheeks. –Why don’t you watch him die slowly this time?†He smiled cruelly as he raised his wand toward James once more.
A jet of lurid purple light slammed into James, knocking him backward. Lily screamed as blood spurted everywhere. James tried to stand, but fell to the ground clutching his ripped throat. She could see the look of panic in his eyes, and she struggled violently to run to him. She elbowed Voldemort in the stomach and was rewarded with a grunt of pain, but he grabbed her hair and forced her to watch as James’s life slowly trickled into the grass. He laughed as he sent a Dark Mark into the grey sky above the battle, marking his kill with the evil green skull.
Lily felt the sobs building in her chest. How could this happen, today of all days? She hadn’t even been able to say her vows; there was no ring on her finger. The thought of losing James before their marriage had even begun suddenly infuriated her. She twisted out of Voldemort’s grasp, leaving behind a chunk of hair, and ran down the hill, oblivious to the danger behind her.
Suddenly a shower of sparks lit the rainy sky, and the Dark Mark was gone, blown away like smoke into the clouds. Dumbledore stood resolutely over James. Lily had never seen the headmaster so angry: power radiated confidently from him, and she felt hope blossom for the first time. She kept running and heard Dumbledore cry, –Protego!†as Voldemort sent a jet of purple light toward her. She stumbled at the bottom of the hill and crawled toward James; she was indescribably thankful to see his chest rising shallowly.
Four cracks behind her made her start in nervous surprise. Grabbing James’s wand from the ground next to him, she leapt to her feet, emotionally exhausted but prepared to fight. –What did we miss?†asked a voice next to her. She whirled, ready to fire, but instead saw Gideon Prewett standing there, blue eyes scanning the battlefield that had been their wedding circle. Beside him stood his brother Fabian, along with Benjy Fenwick and Emmeline Vance, wands ready.
Lily almost laughed out loud with relief. Gideon winked as he moved to flank Dumbledore. The others immediately joined the fight with the remaining Death Eaters. They now outnumbered Voldemort’s followers, and the battle began to turn in their favor. Lily stayed by James’s side, determined to protect him from further harm as spells raced around her.
–You have lost,†Dumbledore called up the hill as Travers finally went down, covered in painful boils. Hagrid had subdued the graphorn, and Moody had forced Evan Rosier back toward the hill. Only a few Death Eaters remained standing. –Surrender.â€
Voldemort simply laughed. –It is but one battle among many, Dumbledore,†he called back. –I will get what I want, no matter the cost.†Lily felt his red eyes on her, and she glared back.
–Incendio!†shouted Voldemort. The willow tree that stood next to the pond burst into angry red flames, scattering everyone who stood nearby. It also distracted them from the endgame: with one last crack of sound, Voldemort Disapparated from the hill, conceding the battle. His remaining Death Eaters followed quickly; they grabbed their fallen comrades, leaving behind no prisoners, but only a broken battlefield of chairs.
Dumbledore’s shoulders sagged slightly as he turned toward her. His face appeared more lined and sad than ever before. –I’m so sorry, Lily. That was not the day we had hoped for.â€
Lily turned away, the lump in her throat choking off any words she might offer in return. What was there to say? The happiest day of her life was over, destroyed by the darkness that threatened them all; small comfort that they had survived, when it seemed that even getting married was too dangerous in such times.
–He will survive,†Dumbledore said gently, touching her shoulder. He took out his pocket watch and murmured, –Portus.†Handing her the Portkey, he said, –Get him to St. Mungo’s. We’ll be there shortly.â€
Nodding gratefully, Lily took James’s hand in hers. It was cold and limp, and she bit her lip to keep from crying, hoping that Dumbledore was right, and the Healers could work their magic on the terrible spell that had ravaged his throat. The Portkey began to glow, and Lily felt herself pulled toward St. Mungo’s, away from the ruin of her wedding.
* * *
The sun was shining when Lily stirred, squinting into the unexpected brightness. She had fallen asleep at James’s bedside, curled into a chair next to him, her head cradled on her arms. She awoke to his hand running gently through her tangled hair.
She glanced up, and he smiled at her. His joy turned to confusion, however, when he opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. Eyes wide in panic as he touched the thick bandages around his throat, he mouthed, –What happened?â€
Sitting up straighter, Lily tried to reassure him. –It’s okay. The Healers felt you needed to rest. They’ve put a Silencing Charm on you. It’s just temporary.†He still looked confused, shaking his head questioningly, so she continued. –It was a particularly brutal Severing Spell. It just about took your voice, not to mention your life. You lost a lot of blood, and that after the shadow serpent spent most of your energy.†She shook her head, thankful and amazed he had even survived.
–My wand?†he mouthed. She handed it to him, and he used it to write his words in the air, golden letters glowing as if he spoke them out loud.
–Are you okay?†he asked. She could feel his concern and nodded.
–Yes, we’re all okay. We were lucky, I think.â€
–Tell me what happened after I was hit.†The glowing letters trailed off. His eyes darkened and his hand touched his throat as he tried to remember. Lily felt her heart go out to him as she told him how the battle had ended: how McGonagall had revived Dumbledore; how the headmaster had saved James and destroyed the Dark Mark in the sky; how more Order members had arrived to turn the battle; and how Voldemort had fled with his followers, leaving behind the battered wedding party.
–I came here with you, and the others followed not long after,†she concluded. –Sirius has a large bump on his head, and Remus has a new scar on his arm, but they were both released. Peter took a bad curse from Lestrange so he’s still resting. Your father was a bit banged up, but he’s mostly just exhausted. He was here late last night until I sent him back to his own room.â€
–The others?†James asked.
–They’re all fine,†drawled a voice from the doorway. Sirius stood there, grinning, a large bandage over his right temple. –Better than you, that’s for sure. Of course, they didn’t charge the most evil wizard in the world on an uphill slope in the rain.â€
–Sirius!†Lily rebuked him. –He almost died.†James was laughing silently, though, so she recognized it as Sirius’s way of diffusing a very grim situation. Put like that, she had to agree it had been a foolish move on James’s part; yet his actions had been nothing short of the most courageous she had ever seen.
Sirius put his arm around her shoulder. –It would take more than some smoky snake and a little nick in the neck in finish him off.â€
Lily leaned into his embrace, thankful for such good friends. –I still can’t believe this happened,†she murmured.
James wrote his words in the air. –I can. They obviously infiltrated the Ministry. How is the wizard from the Department of Mysteries?â€
Sirius frowned, his usual flippant demeanor disappearing in an instant. –Actually, he’s dead.â€
James bolted upright, eyes wide. –But I only Stunned him!†he wrote. His body conveyed his shock and surprise.
–Death Eaters cleaned up after themselves,†Sirius replied. –Couldn’t have us tracking down the source who cursed him, after all. Bastards,†he muttered, shaking his head.
And that was it: suddenly Lily couldn’t hold it in anymore. The man who had been charged to marry them had been cursed and killed because of it, and they hadn’t even been officially married. She felt her chest constrict and explode with the sobs she had been holding back all night. She turned her face to Sirius’s embrace.
–I’ll come back in a while,†he murmured, leading her to James and leaving them alone. Lily put her head on James’s chest and cried as he rubbed her back. That he couldn’t even comfort her with empty words only made it worse, and she sobbed for all that had been lost for the sake of their wedding. They had taken the risk, and it had played out far worse than she could have imagined.
–I’m sorry,†Lily finally said, sitting up and grimacing at the wet stain she had left on his shirt. –It’s just that we’re not even--â€
–I know,†James wrote. Lily could almost feel the tender understanding in his voice. –I have an idea,†he continued. –Bring Sirius back.â€
Lily stood and went to the door. Sirius was standing alone down the hall, gazing distractedly through the window at the London street below. She rarely saw him let his guard down, but the look on his face told her that Sirius had clearly been rattled by the attack.
–It’s not your fault,†she said softly, coming up beside him.
–I know,†he said with a shrug. –But I still wish I could have had your backs better.â€
Lily took his hand. –He’s going to be okay,†she told him. –In fact, he’s asking for you. Probably plotting something already.â€
She led him back to the room. James was trying to get out of bed, but as soon as he put his feet on the floor, he lost his balance and had to grab the footboard to keep from falling. Lily helped him back into bed, admonishing him for even trying to get up so soon. He rolled his eyes at Sirius as he settled under the sheets.
–Do you still have the rings?†he asked Sirius with his wand.
–Of course,†Sirius nodded. –I wasn’t about to lose something like that.â€
–Good,†said James. –I want to finish the ceremony. Today.â€
–James!†Lily exclaimed. –You can’t talk and you can barely stand. We can finish it when you're stronger.â€
James shook his head, his face resolute. –No. I want to finish it now. I said my vows, you just need to say yours. Find someone who can do it.â€
–I believe we can help with that,†offered a voice behind them. They turned to see Dumbledore standing at the door with Harrington Potter and the Minister of Magic himself. The elder Potter had a few cuts and bruises and appeared tired, but was otherwise unharmed. He came forward, moving slowly, and embraced his son.
–I had a feeling you’d be asking to finish what you started,†Harrington Potter said. –I think Dumbledore can help.â€
–As Headmaster of Hogwarts,†Dumbledore continued, –I do have some connections. This is Minister Davis. He has graciously offered to complete the ceremony, if you should be so inclined.â€
–You’ve been through a lot,†the Minister said. He was middle-aged, with salt-and-pepper hair and piercing black eyes. His face was lined with the stress of leading the wizarding world through the war, and he appeared tired though determined. –I would be happy to finish the ceremony for you.â€
–Perfect!†James wrote, his golden letters glowing brightly with excitement. –Thank you, Minister.†He turned toward Lily, his eyes asking her to say yes once more.
It seemed preposterous, to finish the ceremony in the spell ward of St. Mungo’s. Yet James had proposed in the middle of a battle, so perhaps it was fitting. It might not be the ideal setting, and their friends might not all be with them, but Lily realized all that truly mattered was marrying the man she wanted to spend her life with--however long they might have together.
–Yes,†she finally said. She ran her fingers through her hair and straightened her dirty green robes. She may look terrible, but at least she would remember the day for what it was: a second chance. She took James’s hand in hers. His father stood by her side, while Sirius moved next to James.
–Give him the rings,†James wrote in the air. Sirius took two silver rings from a mokeskin pouch tucked into his robes and handed them to Minister Davis. The Minister conjured a red ribbon that he wrapped around their wrists.
–As James has already spoken his vows, I ask that you, Lily Evans, speak yours.â€
Taking a deep breath, Lily decided to abandon the elemental magic charm that James had started the previous day. It would not work anyway, the magic invoked having long worn off, and he could not say them again. Instead, she spoke the vows she knew best, the vows she had heard a dozen times growing up in the Muggle world.
–I, Lily, do take you, James, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part. This do I vow, with all of my heart.â€
James squeezed her hand and together they looked expectantly toward the Minister. The Minister set the rings before him, hovering in the air as he spoke.
–These rings, a symbol of eternity, are now a token of your endless love for one another. By the exchange of these rings, so are your lives interlaced. As your love grows, so will your marriage blossom. Stay true to this ring, and it will stay true to you, and uphold you through whatever trials you face together.â€
Lily took one ring and placed it on James’s left hand, and he did the same to hers. Her heart skipped a beat as James slipped the ring over her knuckle; she half-expected the door to be blasted in.
–And so I declare you now husband and wife, bound together by magic, by love, and by your vows to each other. May your lives together be filled with joy and happiness.†The Minister finally smiled, something he did not appear to do often. –Congratulations.â€
Having exhausted herself of tears, Lily did not shed any now. She smiled as two streaks ran down James’s cheek, however, and she wiped them away with her thumb, touched by the unusual sign of emotion. –I love you, Lily Potter,†he mouthed, taking her face in his hands.
–Kiss her already!†Sirius shouted before she could reply, and the tension in the room exploded into laughter. James grinned and grabbed her neck, pulling her down to the bed and kissing her carefully but passionately as Sirius whistled next to him. When they finally pulled apart, she was breathless and laughing for joy.
–And now for a small reception before we leave you to rest,†declared Dumbledore. He conjured a set of wine glasses for everyone and produced a bottle of champagne from his robes. –I came prepared,†he winked as he poured them all a glass. –A toast, please, Sirius--if you don’t mind.â€
Sirius stepped forward, glass raised toward James and Lily. –Of course not. I was ready for this yesterday.†He cleared his throat, and Lily was surprised to see his eyes well up before he even started. –James, you are one lucky bloke. Lily, you are one amazing woman. Together may you be poor in misfortune and rich in blessings; slow to make enemies--â€
–Too late,†James wrote in small letters with his wand. Lily squeezed his hand quiet.
–--and quick to make friends. May you know nothing but happiness from this day forward, and may your marriage be filled with love and laughter and the greatest joys the world can give two of the most deserving people I know.â€
James shook his best friend’s hand, his eyes once again bright. –Thanks,†he mouthed. –I owe you.†As everyone raised their glasses, James wrote, –Am I allowed to drink this?â€
–Oh no!†Lily exclaimed, setting her glass down as the others chuckled. –Oh, James, I’m so sorry--â€
–I’ll drink it,†Sirius declared, taking the glass from James and quickly downing it. –What’s a best man for?â€
Lily joined everyone as they laughed at the surprised look on James’s face. A knock at the door interrupted the merry moment and Remus stepped in. –Are you married now?†he asked. –We heard glasses clinking and figured you had gone and done it without us.â€
Behind him stood several other members of the Order. They crammed into the small room as Dumbledore conjured more glasses, and the champagne bottle was passed around for more toasts. It was hot and it was crowded and it was nothing like the reception they had planned at the manor, but it was still perfect. Surrounded by friends and family, Lily could not be happier as she celebrated the beginning of a very new, very different, and very exciting life.
When at last James began to yawn, Dumbledore began discreetly moving people out to the hallway, until with a final nod, he left them alone once more. Lily took out her wand and cast a silent spell at the bed so that it was large enough for two people. She cast a second Imperturbable Charm at the door and winked. James raised his eyebrows as she climbed in the bed next to him and wrapped her arms around him. He kissed the top of her head, and for a long while they simply lay quietly entwined, at peace with the world and one another.
Feeling his breathing settle into a regular rhythm, Lily glanced up to see that James’s eyes were closed; he had fallen asleep at their wedding. Tracing the outline of his lips with her finger, Lily kissed him once more before snuggling down next to him.
–I love you, too, James Potter,†she whispered. She smiled to herself as she drifted off next to him, ready to face whatever came their way together, one day at a time.
* * *
In Love and War by Gmariam
Chapter Notes: I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance,
A church filled with family and friends.
I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for,
He said one that would make me his wife.
~Author Unknown
Chapter Endnotes: And so it ends. Sirius’s toast is my own variation on an old Irish toast I found online. I hope you enjoyed this possible look at the Potter’s wedding. Thank you once again to everyone who has helped me through this story, I really appreciate your support!