Unofficial Portkey Archive

With This Ring

In the coming years, the image of the flower girl's childish exuberance as she tossed the petals of fragrant lilies would fade. The memory of a church full of beaming people, her friends and family, whispers as she stood at the doorway waiting to take the plunge, would languish and be nothing more than a faded picture. Sirius' buoyant face reminiscing, Peter's encouraging smile, Remus' steady pace as he walked with her up the aisle, arms linked- all of that would be forgotten. All those memories would be blurred, like the background of a close-up portrait.

She would only remember one James Potter looking so staggeringly handsome in his classic black tuxedo, his hair still its trademark messy, his eyes fixed on nothing else but her.

Remus had to catch her as she swooned at the sight of him. He prayed Sirius would be able to contain James and prevent the anxious groom from running towards Lily at the first sight of her.

"It's time Lily," he said quietly into her ear.

"He's the one right, Remus? I mean, this is it. This is love?" She questioned him, stalling, her heart accelerating, her stomach lurching.

"Lily. He loves you more than himself."

"Are you sure? Are you cert-"

"The first step, Lily," Remus interrupted softly. "I'm right here with you," he whispered.

She closed her eyes and squeezed her bouquet. She loved James. This she knew was true. This was it. He was the one. The first step. She just needed to make that first step, then her body would take her through the motions, up the aisle and to-

"-James," she breathed out. She gathered her courage and strength and lifted her right foot off the ground. "Remus," she said, placing her foot back down quickly, looking horrified. "What if I trip?"

"You won't," he reassured her. "However," he said, eyes twinkling, " I might have to drag you up there because James is starting to sweat and he's doing the hand through the hair thing again." And indeed, James was fidgeting by the altar as he awaited his bride.

"Alright," Lily laughed, her voice easy and musical and suddenly she wasn't worried. All doubt had been pushed away when her eyes trained themselves on the man who made her feel like she was the most beautiful girl on earth. How could she have hated him? She loved him now. Loved him so much that she was… hesitating?

"Lily," Remus said again, gently, firmly.

She nodded. "I can do this, I can do this," she said to herself, repeating the mantra over and over again.

And then her right foot was ahead of her left, and then her left was in the lead. And in that instant, she felt warm relief rush through her. She had done it. She had said `I do' by just taking that first step. The flurry of amazed voices seemed to cease as Remus guided her down the long flower adorned walk.

Suddenly they were there and Remus' kiss on her cheek was nothing but a ghost as she stood in front of the altar with James. She didn't feel the hundreds of eyes on her back; or rather she refused to let their presence deter her. She felt only one pair of loving, familiar hazel eyes. Emerald met chocolate and he grinned his James Potter grin.

"I love you," he mouthed, his lips curved upward.

She smiled back at him. "I love you too… dork," she silently formed the words on her lips.

He gave her a look of mock hurt before turning away to pay attention to the minister. However, he succumbed to his temptations and his eyes were, once again, only on her.

She looked so… he couldn't describe it. Beautiful didn't even suffice. She was so heavenly, as if God had specifically taken a whole day forming her beauty, rather than taking his usual two seconds, which he did with any other person.

Deftly, he caught her hand and entwined his fingers with hers. As always, it was a perfect fit. He traced slow small circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. He felt her sigh beside him, her petite frame nudging his.

They couldn't remember clearly what the minister had said. Something about being holy and together forever. Something about loving each other wholeheartedly.

Lily smiled. She didn't need to know the definition of love when it was standing right beside her, living, breathing, and all hers. She would officially belong to him in a matter of minutes.

"Do you, James Edward Potter take this woman, Lily Marie Evans to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in heath, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer, keeping your solely unto her for as long as you both shall live? If so, answer `I do.'"

"I do," he said, his voice strong, passionate, intense, resolute, unwavering- vehement even. His voice conveyed all his emotions. He was ready for this, had been ready for this for years. He slid a gold ring onto her pianist finger. He smiled at her encouragingly as the minister repeated the line.

"Lily Marie Evans…"

Then suddenly a horrible, crushing thought pierced his heart. What if she said no? She was hesitating. Would she back out now? For the first time during the ceremony, he was afraid, truly afraid.

Lily was taking it all in; she saw the Marauder bachelors sparkling with joy, her mother, wistful and elated, her friends, Alice and Frank Longbottom, Albus Dumbledore, Emmeline Vance and many more people smiling. This was the right decision. She knew it. It was clearer than the purest crystal. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw James furrow his brow as he waited for her to say the words.

She raised her chin, looked deep into his now worried eyes and said as ardently as he did, "I do."

She wasted no time in slipping the simple gold band onto his finger.

The crowd seemed to hold its breath as the minister proclaimed loudly and clearly, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may know kiss the bride."

At once, his sweet breath fanned on her and she had little time to catch the little-boy-in-a-candy-factory look in his eyes. She melted into the kiss, his lips caressing hers in the gentlest, sweetest way possible. It was so innocent, so romantic, so perfect for that moment that she felt a lone tear escape from her closed eye.

They broke away, hearts pounding, chests heaving.

Lily saw Remus clamping his hand over Sirius' mouth, preventing the exuberant best man from hooting. Peter gave her a small thumbs up. She could barely focus during the rest of the ceremony. All she could think about was that she and James were one, bound together through holy matrimony. She was no longer Lily Evans.

"Lily Marie Evans Potter," James said slowly, savouring her name after the ceremony. "Sounds nice doesn't it?"

"It does have a ring to it," she conceded, eyes shining.

"You're all mine, Potter."

She merely laughed and replied, "When pigs fly, Potter," mimicking their old arguments.

And with that, Sirius transfigured James' shoe into a pig with, lo and behold, wings sprouting on the back.

"Well, well, would you look at that," James chuckled as the pig began cantering down the aisle, "a flying pig."

"Technically, it's still not flying," she teased.

And as her words left her mouth the magical creature spread its wings wide and took off into the fairytale sunset.

Their wedding day had indeed been fairytale worthy. Their first dance was flawless- slow yet erratic. The food was extremely satisfying and tasteful. They had no problems with the champagne. They kissed when asked and posed for the cameras. It was, simply put, perfect.

However, the once cheerful kaleidoscope contorted into one full of macabre and perverse illustrations. Their young lives like novels with the ends ripped out. Their happily-ever-after morbidly twisted into a horror movie...

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