Chapter Text
“James Potter!” the ministry worker’s voice rang out as he handed Dumbledore the slip of paper, James knew that paper had one thing written on it, a single name, the name of his wife. And for a moment, everything is quiet. As if the rest of the seventh years were holding their breath just like he was.
Dumbledore stood at the front of the Great Hall, his hand still holding the piece of paper. James grasped Sirius’ arm, probably cutting off his circulation but James didn’t notice his friend’s winch of pain. James looked across the table to where Remus sat, he’s sure that his panic and nerves showed on his face because Remus offered him a small smile and nodded his head ever so slightly.
He saw the reaction of Dumbledore’s words before hearing them. Sirius let out a small chuckle and Remus’ smile slipped off his face. He’s pretty sure he heard Peter let out a sigh of relief. And it felt like every pair of eyes in the Great Hall was on him. All but one.
James looked down the table, his eye passing over everyone else until he saw her. She wasn’t looking at him, or anyone for that matter. Her head was down and her red hair hid her face, but James could only imagine her reaction. Mary MacDonald had an arm around her shoulders and Marlene McKinnon was sitting across from her, holding her hand.
Dumbledore’s words echoed in his head, “By order of the Ministry of Magic and the order of magic and marriage law, James Potter and Lily Evans are to be married by July 21st, 1978.”
*************
“It will be alright,” Remus said, “We all knew this was coming.”
James didn’t reply, he just continued to look out the window at the green hills flying by, taking him away from Hogwarts and back into the real world.
“There’s a difference between knowing that we will all be matched up when we graduate and actually being matched up,” Sirius said angrily, “This is ridiculous, this law is ridiculous. Marrying a bunch of teenagers off to insure that children will be born? It’s insane, Moony, so don’t try and bullshit us.”
“I’m not trying to bullshit you, Padfoot,” Remus snapped, “I’m just trying to-“
“Trying to what?” Sirius challenged, “Trying to get us to see the bright side of this?”
At the sound of his friends arguing, James turned toward them. He didn’t particularly want to talk about this, he wanted to forgot, at least for a little while more. He wanted to pretend that he was just going for the summer, pretend that he wasn’t supposed to be married in just shy of two months to a girl who hated him.
“What’s so bad about that? It’s happening whether we like it or not,” Remus argued.
“At least you and Prongs are marrying someone you know,” Peter added, “I don’t even know Julia Haskins.”
“Yes, I’m sure that the three conversations I’ve had with McKinnon will only help make our marriage stronger,” Sirius said sarcastically.
“Peter has a point,” Remus said, “I’m sure Dorcas Meadowes will take my being a werewolf in stride, considering our one and only conversation was quite pleasant.”
James could see Sirius soften at the mention of Remus’ lycanthropy, “Are you sure you can’t try and hide it from her?” Sirius asked.
“Meadowes is a Ravenclaw, Padfoot,” Remus said, looking away from them, “She would figure it out. And I need to tell her, she deserves to hear it from me.”
“You have time to get to know her before you get married,” James pointed out, “You don’t have to be married until end of August.”
“I know, in a way, Peter and I are luckier than you two,” Remus replied, “Sirius has to be married by July, and you by, and what was it? The 21st of July?”
He nodded, “Mother is ecstatic, planning two weddings, she can’t wait to meet the lovely brides, as she calls them. She’s owled Lily three times now, all about dresses and guest lists.”
Sirius snorted, “McKinnon’s already told her that she doesn’t want a big wedding, just family and a few friends. I swear the only person more unhappy about this than me, is my darling bride.”
“How is Lily taking it?” Peter asked him, his eyes kind and worried
James shrugged, “Fine, I guess. We’ve only spoken directly about the wedding twice.” He paused before adding, “Lily and Marlene are coming to stay with us until the wedding. Mother insisted on it, claims that this way she’ll have time to get to know her daughter in laws.”
“Maybe that will be good,” Remus said, “You’ll have time to adjust to this together.”
James looked out the window, he longed for home and yet he didn’t want to go home, home meant this was real. “Maybe,” he said softly, “Maybe.
********
“At least I look good,” Marlene said as Lily secured the veil into her friend’s blonde curls. Marlene ran her hands down the sides of her white, lace dress as she studied herself in the mirror.
“You look beautiful, Marly,” Lily said softly, meeting her friend’s blue eyes in the mirror, “The most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen.”
Marlene let out a watery laugh, her blue eyes filling with tears, “Well, that’s a high compliment, it feels that we’ve been to a wedding a week since school ended.”
Lily felt her own tears build in her eyes, “Don’t cry, please Marlene, it will be alright,” she tried to reassure her.
“It hardly feels real,” Marlene whispered, “It feels like a dream.”
“I know,” Lily said, taking Marlene’s hands and leading her to the sofa and sitting her down.
“Did James tell you? Fleamont and Euphemia brought us a house. Somehow, in all of this, I didn’t realize that we would have to live together,” Marlene said, a tear slipping down her cheek, “I’m so scared Lily.”
Lily grasped both of her friend’s hands into hers, “Listen to me, I know Sirius Black isn’t who you want, and I know you aren’t what he wants, but he would never force you to do anything you didn’t want to do. And if he did, all you would have to do is tell me and Alice and we would kill him for you.”
Marlene laughed again and dried her eyes, “You would really kill your soon to be husband’s best mate?”
At the mention of her future, Lily stiffened ever so slightly. She hide it by pulling Marlene into a hug, “You’re my best friend, Marly, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
Marlene smiled sadly, “Is it terrible that I wish Mary was here? I know that it would hurt her to watch me marry but I just want her to see me in my wedding dress, I just want to see her.”
Lily tried to smile, but she’s sure it didn’t come out looking right. The door opened behind the sofa and Euphemia walked in. She was wearing a dark gold dress and her greying hair was pulled up into an elegant bun.
Lily stood up from where she was kneeling in front of the sofa and helped Marlene stand.
“Oh my, you girls look beautiful,” Euphemia said, she smiled widely at them. Euphemia’s smile was so like James’s. It was the first thing Lily ever noticed about her future mother in law. She smiled back at her, it was easier to pretend to be happy with another person in the room.
Euphemia stepped deeper into the room, “Come here, Lily, let me get a closer look at you.”
Lily walked over, her hands skimming the tulle skirt of her sliver dress as she stood in front of Euphemia, waiting for her reaction. Euphemia brushed a stray piece of her hair that had fallen out of her braid back.
“You look beautiful, and I’m sure my son will agree,” she said, “Now, do mind leaving us for a minute, my dear? I wish to speak with Marlene before the ceremony.”
“It’s no problem,” Lily said before turning back to Marlene, trying to see her friends thoughts in her eyes, “I’ll see you out there, ok?”
Marlene gave her a bright smile and nodded.
Lily slipped out of the room and began walking toward to the stairs. As she was making her way to the back garden where all the other guests were waiting, she saw a figure by an open window, and by closer examination, she saw it was Remus.
Lily walked over to him, making sure her heals clicked loudly against the floor.
“Hi Remus,” she said softly as she reached him. He was wearing a muggle tux and he was smoking a cigarette.
“Hello Lily,” he responded before taking another drag.
They stood there for a minute before she asked hesitantly, “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, why do you ask?” he said shortly, anger flashing on his face for a minute.
“You just seem sad,” she said, “And I wanted to see if I could help.”
Any anger he had in his face faded away, “I’m fine, really Lily, I am. It’s just that, this feels like the end of something, and I don’t really want anything to end.”
“The end of what?” she questioned.
Remus smiled at her, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He looked down at her, “You look beautiful, and you’ll match James. Euphemia’s doing no doubt.”
“Remus, don’t try and change the subject.”
“Lily, really, everything is fine. I promise,” he reassured her. He put out his cigarette and offered his arm to her. “Now, why don’t I escort you downstairs? James is probably already down there.”
Lily took his arm and walked down into the garden with him.
*******
They’re being too obvious, James thought as he watched Sirius throw his arm around the back of Remus’ chair as they talked, Remus’ jaw was clenched and Sirius looked like he was about to start a fight at his own wedding. Peter met James’ eyes across the room and nodded slightly before making his way toward his friends.
James sighed and switched to watching Marlene dance with her father, her smile still firmly in place after three hours. She looked beautiful though, even if there was a sadness to her eyes throughout the ceremony and the party. He turned his head to where Lily was sitting with Alice and Frank Longbottom. Her hair had fallen out of the braid and she kept brushing it back as she spoke with her friend.
“Why aren’t you asking Lily to dance?” his father asked him as he walked up to the bar and began pouring himself a drink.
James shrugged and turned his eyes away from her.
His father sighed, “James, you’re marrying her in less than three weeks, it would help if you would actually talk to the poor girl.”
“I do talk to her,” he snapped.
“Saying ‘pass the peas’ at dinner and discussing floral arrangements hardly counts as talking,” Father argued, “You’ve avoid her since you’ve come back from school, you and Sirius would disappear for hours and I’ve had enough. She deserves better than that. We raised you better than this James. I know this law isn’t popular among your generation but-“
“She hates me, Dad,” James cut in, “I tried to keep it from you and mom, but if you are going to yell at me for my actions, you should at least know why I’m acting this way.”
His dad was silent for a moment then asked, “Why would you say she hates you?”
He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, “She told me, in fifth year. And we haven’t exactly been close since.”
“Wasn’t she Head Girl?”
James nodded, “Yeah and we worked well together but that’s all we did. We weren’t friends and we never talked about ourselves or anything.”
His father sighed, “So your basis for that she hates you is that she told you two years ago and the fact that you were never friends.”
James looked down at his shoes, “I guess.”
“I still think you should go ask her to dance.”
His head shot up, “Did you not hear anything I just said?”
“Oh I heard it,” Dad said as he sipped on his drink, “However I don’t believe she hates you, I think she just doesn’t know you. And I think it would be nice if you made an attempt to get to know her before your wedding. Now go.”
James sighed and slowly made his way across the room to where Lily sat. He stood in front of the table and offered her his hand, “Would you like to dance?” he asked quietly. She looked up at him, her emerald green eyes wide, nodded and slipped her hand into his.
He felt Alice Longbottom’s eyes on him as he led Lily to the dance floor. He placed his other hand on her waist and she put hers on his shoulder as they began to move to the waltz music that his mother had picked.
“You look beautiful,” he said, “I’m not sure if I’ve told you yet, I’ve certainly thought it a few times tonight.”
Her cheeks color slightly from his words and her hand slipped down to his crooked bow tie, “Remus said we matched,” she said as she pulled on side of the bow tie to straight it.
James nodded, “Mum always likes to have couples to match, she does it with Dad all the time. “
Lily smiled at him as he moved them in a circle. She glanced over his right and her smile slipped. He turned them again to see what she was looking at, he saw Marlene now sitting with Sirius, both of them looking fairly miserable. And James suddenly felt very guilty and the thought occurred to him that it would be them sitting next to each looking miserable in three weeks.
“I’m sorry, Lily,” the words slipped out before he could think too much of them.
Her eyes met his, “Why are you apologizing?”
“Because,” he paused, “because in a few weeks that will be us and I’m sorry that you’ll be unhappy and I’m sorry that you’ll probably hate me more after the wedding.”
She was just looked up him for a moment and James kept their slow waltz going.
“I don’t hate you, James,” she said suddenly, “I may not like you all the time, and I may disagree with some of your actions, but I don’t hate you.”
“Oh,” he whispered.
“I wish we could be friends,” she said hesitantly, “I know that we’re getting married but I feel like even after seven years at Hogwarts, I still barely know you.”
“I would like to be friends,” he said quickly, “I think that would make things easier, yeah?”
Lily smiled at him, “Yeah it would.”