Thanks for the reviews, AnnaMT, Nupurlath, CHARLES and Jacob Mullins. I appreciate that!

Nupurlath: Thanks a lot! I've been pretty poor with updates in recent times, but I aim to be better at it in future!

AnnaMT: Haha, you should comment on everything and then some! Feedback is always welcome!

CHARLES: Yeah, I tried to keep this as realistic as possible! Except for the part about, well, magic (LOL).

Jacob Mullins: Wow, thank you so much, your kind words totally made my day! There's a bunch of incredible fanfiction that I've come across on this site, you should check it out, too!

Hi everyone, here is chapter thirty. Readers, please review. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All (well, most, anyway) characters are from J K Rowling's brilliant best-selling series.

Chapter Thirty

"Maybe it's time to stop trying to hold on to something that isn't there – and let go."

Lily walked down to breakfast on Sunday morning, stifling a yawn. The party last night in Gryffindor tower had gone on well beyond midnight, and it was only after Professor McGonagall had arrived at one-thirty to chivvy everyone to bed that it had ended. Much to Lily's chagrin, Professor McGonagall had given her and James disapproving glares, which clearly indicated that as Head students, they ought to have done better. Lily had then taken charge in cleaning up, along with James, Liz, Remus, and the other prefects. She'd proceeded to sleep in her old dorm after that, too tired to walk back to the HQ…

She sat down at the nearly empty Gryffindor table, and grinned; most of the House was clearly asleep after the party. She buttered up a piece of toast and dipped it in her coffee, but she'd only taken one bite of it with the post owls arrived. Cavana landed in front of her, no doubt bearing the response to her letter to her parents. Lily stroked her owl below the chin and offered her a piece of bacon, and Cavana swallowed it whole before giving her a satisfied hoot and taking off for the Owlery for a nice, long rest.

Grinning, Lily tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter, which seemed longer than usual. She took another sip of her coffee and began to read:

Dear Princess,

So – what happened? Did James lead your team to glory? Your Dad chuckled when he read that bit about Liz complaining that James was running everyone ragged; he says that he played under a similar Captain during his college days. He was the goalie on his football team, and the Captain never let him start practising with the rest until he executed ten one-handed push-ups with each hand. Yes, I know, that sounds insane, but your Dad reckons that that's the reason he was so effective while making saves and punching the ball away from the goal. Talk about intense!

As for your career applications, your Dad and I both think that you're best suited for Magical Research or Healing. You've always had a natural tendency to solve problems, Princess – we may not know much about magic, but your mind was always more on the analytical side, and I believe that will assist you as a researcher. Plus, with the right guidance, you can increase your knowledge about your field and exercise your creativity – again, I may not know much about Spells and wands, but logically, a balance of creativity and analytics is what sets apart a great researcher from a good researcher. Having just one of the two isn't enough. As for Healing, you'll probably be a natural at it – from what you've said, your potions class is remarkably similar to chemistry, isn't it? You'll just need to learn the basics of human biology before you're allowed to heal patients, and I expect that's what they'll teach you. You're a smart and clever girl – you'll excel in whatever field you choose!

Lily grinned. Her mum was in lecture mode – she used to teach calculus to undergraduate students at the University of Birmingham several years ago, being one of the youngest Professors to do so – but once she'd had both Petunia and Lily, she'd taken a job at the University of Leicester, which was only about fifteen minutes away from Cokeworth. Lily's grin widened as she remembered her mum complaining about having to correct and grade a stack of papers as high as Ben Nevis during the Christmas holidays… She glowed at her mum's compliment as turned her attention back to the letter.

There's one more matter that I wanted to apprise you of. Sweetheart, your sister's getting married in a month, on Easter Sunday!

Lily paused and stared at the letter, transfixed. Well, they were engaged, she thought, but honestly, she hadn't expected them to get married so soon… Why, Tuney hadn't even completed her education! Her eyes went back to the letter as she read further.

That's right, Easter Sunday, which is just a month from now. As you can imagine, we're all a little harried with the preparations at the moment, but I'm confident that everything will be done well ahead of time. Your Dad and I met Vernon's family the other day, too – we can see where he gets all his bluster from, his father's just like that. They're all quite loud and a wee bit obnoxious, but I can see that they mean well. They're well-off, too, and they offered to pay for about seventy-five percent of the wedding, which was mighty grand of them – but your Dad, he wouldn't have any of it. We finally decided to split the cost based on the guests who are invited from each side.

Hmm, thought Lily. It is rather out of character for someone like Vernon's father to offer to cover more than half the expenses of Petunia's wedding… Unless – ha, they must want to flaunt their wealth! She smiled cynically as she remembered Vernon trying to pay for their dinner that night in Birmingham. Hadn't he tried to do the same? I'm doing it again, she thought, giving herself a mental shake. I'm judging them without knowing them… She quickly went back to the letter.

Sweetheart, I'm not quite sure to say this – I'm very, very sorry, but Petunia has informed us that she doesn't want you as one of her bridesmaids on her wedding day. We had a big row over it – your Dad and I did everything we could – but there is simply no changing her mind. She has decided that inviting you to the wedding is enough and will put a mule to shame with her obstinacy.

Lily stared at her mother's tiny, neat handwriting, her eyes wide with shock. She couldn't believe what she was reading… Petunia, getting married within a month. Petunia, not wanting her, Lily, her own sister, to be even a bloody bridesmaid on the most important day of her life, a day supposed to be full of happiness, joy, and celebration. Petunia, who thought that deigning to invite her to the wedding itself was a big favour…

Tears of rage came to her eyes, but she fiercely blinked them back. She should've expected this – hadn't she herself decided that enough was enough, that she wasn't going to give her sister any more chances to reconcile with her? So, why on earth was this affecting her so much? Hands shaking, she continued to read her mother's letter.

Anyway, it would be of great pleasure to us if you come to the wedding – for us, if not for Petunia. Bring James, too, if he acquiesces – don't worry about Vernon and Petunia. Your sister is being unnecessarily mean and spiteful, but it would certainly mean a lot to us if you're there. I know it'll be difficult, but please, please disregard your sister's attitude, for we'd like our whole family to be a part of her special day.

Let me know by return owl if James will be coming with you.

Love,

Mum

Lily set the letter aside as she finished the last of her coffee. She was furious, but she tried to maintain a smile on her face as she spotted Liz and Black walking towards the Gryffindor table, yawning… She stood up quickly and folded the letter before tucking it into her robes. She didn't feel like talking about it right now – nay, she was so livid, she just wanted to break something into tiny pieces. She wanted an outlet for her anger, something on which to vent her fury…

"Morning, Lil," said Liz, yawning slightly as she sat down, "Leaving already? C'mon, it's Sunday – homework can wait for a while, sit with us!"

Lily forced a smile at her best friend. "Nah, I really need to get started on Transfiguration –"

"What happened?" Liz cut across her, frowning. "What's wrong?"

"Why would something be wrong?" Lily replied, her voice higher than usual.

"Well, for one thing, you told me yesterday that you finished your Transfiguration homework on Friday evening, so that you could play Wizard's Chess with James afterwards – before the match," said Liz, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, did I say Transfiguration?" said Lily, with attempted dismissiveness. "I meant Herbology –"

"You're zero for two," said Liz calmly, "We don't have Herbology homework this week. Now, stop beating around the bush and tell me what happened. What did Petunia do?"

Lily drew in a sharp breath. "Where did that even come from?" she demanded.

"Well – something happened, and you're clearly furious," Black pointed out, looking at her with concern as he buttered his toast. "Your face is flushed, your eyes are narrowed, and your nostrils are flaring, see? I'm familiar with that look," he added wryly, "It's your I'm-about-to-give-you-a-week's-worth-of-detentions face."

"And I saw you tuck a letter inside your robes," said Liz triumphantly. "There are only two people who can wind you up through letters – Snape, but I don't think he'd write to you, which leaves – Petunia. What did she do?" she asked again, her voice tight.

Lily took a deep, steadying breath, inwardly marvelling at her friend's keen sense of deduction despite herself. "With a brain like that, you should be the one who goes into Magical Research," she responded, her dry tone carrying no trace of humour.

"You didn't deny it despite two chances, so it's her, isn't it?" said Liz, her eyes narrowed. "That stupid, self-absorbed –"

"I'll see you later," Lily managed to choke out. Liz's indignation on her behalf, while sweet, was overwhelming to her already fragile emotional state; she was sure that she was about ten seconds away from falling apart and giving way to tears. She gave Liz a little wave and rushed out of the Great Hall, ignoring her best friend's call of, "Lily, wait!" as she fled.

She was sure that Liz would follow her, but she didn't feel like talking to anybody… She cast a quick Disillusionment Charm over herself and began to walk briskly to wherever her feet would carry her… She needed a place to sit and vent out her emotions. Her tears began to flow, and she hastened her pace… She wanted to break something, and she was angry enough to hex the first person who would try and speak to her. Thank goodness for the Disillusionment Charm, she thought as she made her way down a familiar corridor… With a start, she realised that she was standing right before their Order of the Phoenix training classroom. She quickly entered it, removed her Disillusionment Charm, and cast a Silencing Charm over the door.

"Aaaaarrrrgh!" she screamed, enraged beyond measure. She raised her wand and pointed it at a random desk and yelled, "Confringo!" The desk blew to smithereens, and she cast a non-verbal Shield Charm over herself to avoid being hit by debris. "Confringo! Confringo! Confringo!" she yelled again and again, blowing more and more desks to bits; there was something curiously satisfying about watching each desk get consumed by her rage. Panting but still unsatisfied, she walked through the wreckage to a desk still in one piece, and with a yell, punched it with all her might…

"Aaaaagh!" she screamed again, but with pain mixed with the rage this time. Her knuckles were throbbing, but her wrist didn't seem to be broken… Coming to her senses, she quickly cast a couple of non-verbal Healing Charms on her hand, before striding to a corner of the room, feeling drained. Blasting the desks had helped, it had calmed her anger at least, but it couldn't fill that vacant, empty void inside of her…

She had put up with a load of rubbish from her sister over the years, and things had come to a head during their dinner double date over the Christmas holidays. She'd decided that very night that Petunia no longer mattered to her, hadn't she? She had decided to cut Petunia out of her life, just like Snape… So, why was it causing her so much pain? Petunia hadn't behaved in a sisterly fashion with her over the past six or seven years, so shouldn't it be easier to cut her out than in Snape's case?

The door opened, and Lily sprang to her feet, her wand raised. Her features relaxed as she saw that it was James, however… "How did you find me?" she asked, her mouth slightly open before it hit her. "Oh – you used your Map, didn't you?"

"Obviously," said James, his eyes surveying the room as he took in the damage she'd caused. "Blimey, Lil – what the hell happened?"

She shrugged before sinking onto the floor in her corner, and James came and sat down next to her. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he put a comforting arm around her and squeezed her shoulder gently… They just sat there until Lily regained her composure, but she couldn't stop a few tears from falling. James stroked her hair gently and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek before saying, "You can tell me when you're ready."

She felt an unbelievable rush of gratitude towards James. It was one of the things she loved about him… He could be comforting without having to say anything. They could just sit like that for hours on end until she could articulate what was bothering her… He never asked too many questions, either. He would just let her talk (or rant) before offering his opinion…

"I thought you were sleeping in your old dorm," she said softly. "How did you get here so fast?"

"Sirius," he said shortly. "The stupid git woke me up with a water balloon bursting on my face – rather like how he woke Peter up last year, when you, he and Liz went off galivanting after Professor Burke."

Lily giggled wetly as James continued, "Anyway, in a few seconds, his Patronus arrived – it said that you were upset, had gone off somewhere, and that it looked serious. I began to dress up immediately, and he sent another Patronus five minutes later – with a serious-Sirius joke." Lily chucked again as he rolled his eyes. "I Summoned the Map to me, and saw that you were here," he said. Taking another look around the room, he added, "I wouldn't have believed that you were capable of this kind of destruction if I hadn't seen it." She glanced at the wreckage in embarrassment, regretting her loss of control… He squeezed her shoulder once more and said gently, "So, d'you want to talk about it?"

In response, she wordlessly withdrew the letter from her pocket and passed it to him. She watched his eyes widen as he read her Mum's letter, and his face was as black as a thundercloud as he finished. "Of all the nerve," he exclaimed, "What a sea-gherkin!"

"It's all right, you can call her an evil bitch – she's being one," Lily responded dryly, her voice devoid of emotion. She didn't care much about her language. She didn't care much about anything anymore.

"And of course I'll come with you," said James firmly, "There's no way you're going to this wedding alone… Come to think of it, we could probably sit with Matt and Ali and pass rude comments at Vernon and Petunia all day." There was a lopsided smirk on his face, and Lily felt the corners of her mouth tug into a smile. Yes, that sounded quite appealing…

"Look, you don't have to come if you'll be uncomfortable," she said, nonetheless. "I mean, my entire family will be there –"

"All the better, I'll meet them and charm them all," he said, winking at her. She felt another rush of gratitude towards him; she knew that while he'd definitely end up being a tad awkward, he didn't want her to face it alone…

"Thank you," she whispered, and he squeezed her shoulder again. "You're welcome," he said softly, and she sighed before resting against the wall again. "What?" he enquired. "What is it?"

"Er," she said, not quite sure how to respond, "Well – I don't understand it." She looked at him, flustered. "I decided to cut Petunia out of my life three months ago, and realistically, that should've been comparable to how it had been in case of Snape." She felt his fingers tighten over her shoulder; clearly, the subject of her former friend was still touchy. "I mean, Petunia's never been much of a sister to me over the past few years – so, why does it hurt so much in her case?" she exclaimed, indicating the wreckage of the desks in the class.

"I think I can answer that," he said delicately. "You see – you do want to cut her out. But the difference in her case and Snape's is that she wants to cut you out, too…"

Lily remained quiet, allowing his words to sink in. Things had been strained between her and Petunia for years, but every time, it had been her, Lily, who had tried to make things right. She'd decided to stop trying, but her sister's complete indifference towards her was hurting her more than outright hatred… Was it all down to this, then? Her ego?

She snorted derisively. "My goodness," she said, a little incredulously, "I'm this upset because of my ego? How d'you mean? D'you think that somewhere, subconsciously, I wanted to be the one with the final word, because of the way she's treated me – and she goes and takes that away from me, too?"

"The human ego is quite fragile," said James sagely. "Take it from me, I used to have an ego the size of Mount Everest a few years ago…" He looked away. "The ego acts as a shield, a protection of sorts, against people who say and do terrible things to you. It allows you to shrug things off as if they were nothing, because you can remain steadfast in your belief in your abilities, see? It's subtly connected to your self-respect or self-esteem… But – when someone who hasn't treated you well tries to burn that bridge themselves to satisfy their ego, it hurts our own. I think that's what's going on here…"

He gave her an intense look. "You care, Lily," he said simply. "Your ability to care deeply for other people is one of the things I love about you so much. You once cared a lot for your sister, and it hurts you every time she does something like this – for she's being petty, and after years of putting up with her behaviour, you're probably thinking that you've earned some pettiness to throw back at her. And the denial of that opportunity was what prompted this – er, violent – response." He grinned, but his eyes were gentle as he surveyed her.

She sat there silently as she mulled over all this. With James, one could always expect the bald, naked truth… No sugarcoating, no beating around the bush. That simply wasn't his style. He'd convey his thoughts in a swift, blunt manner… It was something she always loved and appreciated.

"You're right," she said softly. "By Jove, you're absolutely right – she's pretty much been a bitch to me, and this is just taking it too far. I mean, I'm her sister, after all… But that's it. I said before that I won't be giving her any second chances, but now – even if she tries to reconcile, I won't be having it. It won't matter, anyway – once she gets married, she'll move out of the house, and I won't have to see her at all."

"Hmm – little harsh, but not unexpected," said James gently, giving her another kiss on the cheek. "I know it's tough, Lily… But you tried. You did everything you could. Maybe, maybe – it's time to stop trying to hold on to something that isn't there – and let go."

She remained silent. She knew that he was right… Something had permanently broken between her and Petunia, and there really was no point trying. Not now, anyway, when the wound of that rejection was so very fresh.

"Thank you," she whispered, giving his hand a gentle squeeze, "For helping me understand."

"You're welcome," he whispered back, before proceeding to kiss her gently on the lips… She hugged him tightly as she kissed him back with fervour, and the primal part of the brain wanted nothing more than to tear his robes off and have sex with him right then and there…

But the impulse was gone as quickly as it had come, and they broke apart. "Feeling better?" he asked her, grinning.

"Yeah, loads," she said, grinning back at him.

"Good," he said, with a mischievous twinkle in his hazel eyes, "'Coz now you're going to help me clean up."

"Gladly," said Lily, and rose to her feet. She set to work Vanishing the wreckage, while James began to conjure desks in its place. After about five minutes, they lowered their wands and surveyed their work. "Nice job," complimented Lily, "Those desks look beautiful, I must say – much more comfortable than the previous ones. Incidentally, how long d'you think they'll last?"

"Conjured objects never last very long," said James. "I'd give these desks a few months at most – but it doesn't matter, as soon as they disappear, one of the teachers will just Conjure more."

"Is that what happens with regular desks, too?" asked Lily curiously. James grinned and said, "Yeah – I'm pretty sure it does. I dunno how it works, exactly – whether the teachers Conjure more desks the moment they disappear, or they just do so at fixed time intervals."

"Right," said Lily, nodding as she documented the information. Linking her hand gently through his, she planted a quick kiss on his cheek. "Thanks," she said sincerely, "For being there."

"Always," he responded, grinning back at her. "Never forget that, I'll always be there for you no matter what."

"Duly noted," she responded, grinning as a warm glow spread across her body, originating from where their hands were linked together. "You know it goes both ways, right?"

"Obviously," he said, "I wouldn't expect anything less." He winked at her, and she good-naturedly rolled her eyes as they walked out of the classroom. She was feeling a lot better after talking to him, and how he could understand her better than almost everyone – even Liz, she thought regretfully. Liz would've sat with her, asked her what was wrong, and slowly and gently extracted the whole issue from her. On the other hand, James usually just sat with her until she was ready to talk, letting her take her time… While both styles have their own merits, in such cases, rather James than Liz, she thought…

It would be fun to show up to the wedding with James, that much was evident. Her parents clearly wanted to make him feel more welcome – her mother specifically telling her to ask James was a sure sign that she envisioned James eventually becoming a part of their family, wasn't it? What, do they really think that James and I are going to get married? she thought, with an inward snort. For one thing, we're barely eighteen…

She smiled as her thoughts went to James's eighteenth birthday party earlier that month, when he'd almost fallen facedown into his own cake, so overcome had he been with fatigue, thanks to all the practice he was putting his team through. After a quick chorus of 'Happy birthday', the group had broken up rather quickly, and Lily had nearly carried James to bed that night. She'd given him his present the next morning… The energy-absorbing locket she'd gifted him was now equipped with a Location-tracer Charm, rather like her own earrings which she wore almost every day. She'd been a bit concerned with his exhausting month, thinking that his locket wasn't working – theoretically, he should never have to feel exhausted, right? But after some analysis, she'd figured out that the locket's rate of gathering energy wasn't fast enough to offset his own high-intensity Quidditch training. Sure, he'd feel energised quicker with the locket than without, but even with its presence it was likely that he'd be exhausted for at least an hour or so. Regretfully, she'd concluded that food and a good night's rest could never be replaced as ways to overcome exhaustion.

Well, I took quite a digression, she thought as she nodded absently to whatever James was saying, not paying much attention to him as her mind wandered back to the possibility of marriage with James. Did she see herself with him, long-term? Well, of course she did; they would both participate in the war, and their fates were intertwined. Were they too young for marriage? Yes, they were not even out of their teens yet. But who knew how much time they'd get? What if – God forbid – one of them fell casualty to the war? What then?

In her mind's eye, Lily visualised older versions of herself and James stretched out on a comfortable sofa in the spacious living room of a cosy house… What would that be like? Living with James, cooking delicious dinners and relaxing on the sofa after a hard day's work… A place they could call their own, not unlike the one Black had… Would they have any children? She snorted inwardly; of course they would… A boy and a girl, for as bad a sister Petunia had been, Lily couldn't really picture life as an only child growing up… Besides, if she and James (God forbid!) didn't survive this war, their children would have each other…

"Lily," came James's voice from far, far away, but she was still too deep in her reverie to respond.

"Lily!"

James shook her shoulder, and with an effort, she brought herself back to the present. "Sorry, sorry," she said contritely, "I was thinking about – er, stuff." She blushed; it wouldn't do to share what she'd been thinking to James just yet; they hadn't even been going out for six months, he'd think she was a nutter.

"Still dwelling on Petunia, are you?" he asked shrewdly.

"Yes," she said immediately. "Yes, 'coz it would've been exciting to be someone's bridesmaid…" She looked away, hoping that he'd buy it.

He pulled her into a quick, reassuring sideways hug, and she mentally rejoiced at the success of her lie. "I know, sweetie, I know," he said gently. "Don't worry, you can even be the Chief bridesmaid when Liz and Sirius get married –"

"True, but that's probably years from now!" said Lily, rolling her eyes.

"Something is better than nothing," said James sagely, winking at her. She stuck her tongue out at him as she walked, before going back to the mental picture of her and James in their very own house…

She had to admit that it was a beautiful picture. She was sure that James would make a great husband, the way he took care of her… She sighed inwardly as she gave him a quick sideways glance, hoping that he had the same thoughts as she did, at least occasionally – for in that moment, Lily just knew.

Someday I'm going to marry that bloke.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You know, Lil – maybe you should make everyone's worst fears come true at your sister's wedding," said Liz as she and Lily headed for their Order of the Phoenix training class on Thursday night. Lily had told her best friend about her Mum's letter on Sunday night, after spending most of the day cuddling with James in his bedroom at the HQ, which had served to improve her mood considerably. Liz had listened in silence, but her sea-green eyes had flashed with fury as Lily had narrated her tale. Lily was aware that Liz was fiercely protective of her, and in many ways, much more like the sister she wished Petunia had been.

"What d'you mean?" she asked Liz, raising her eyebrows.

Liz smirked. "Didn't you once tell me that most Muggles have an odd sort of idea of witches?" she said, with a glint in her eyes. "They think that a witch is essentially an old hag with blisters on her face, a loud, cackling laugh, a pet black cat and a broomstick, right?"

"Pretty much," said Lily, nodding. "This idea of witches originates from their portrayal in Muggle literature – for example, Hansel and Gretel is a story which contains a wicked witch just like the one you described. The same goes for The Wizard of Oz and Rapunzel – I read all those books as a child, y'know."

Liz chuckled and said, "One of these days I'm going to borrow these books and have a good laugh out of 'em."

Lily rolled her eyes and said, "Your point? How do I make everyone's worst fears come true?"

"Ah, yes," said Liz, a wicked gleam in her eyes. "Well, right when they're being declared husband and wife – you should apply a quick Glamour Charm over your face to make you look like the hag I just described. Then you should let out a cackling laugh, conjure a black cat next to you, and scream that if this wedding goes ahead, there would be hell!" She raised her arms, palms open, and composed her face into a menacing expression. "I – shall – turn – you all – into – toads!" she growled with mock malevolence, before reverting to normal. "See? They'll be bricking it!" she added, laughing.

"You left out the cackling laugh," Lily pointed out dryly.

"Oh, right!" exclaimed Liz. "Well, how about – this? Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee!" she cackled sinisterly, again with raised arms.

Lily guffawed as Black and James (who were walking ahead of them) whirled around, startled. "I – will – destroy – you!" Liz rasped, gazing malevolently at them, and they looked at Lily in confusion. Lily just shook her head as Liz said, "Like that. It'll be fun!"

"Tempting as that idea is, I'm going to have to say no," said Lily, and Liz snorted. "Ugh, you're no fun!" she said, and stuck her tongue out at Lily, who grinned. "On the other hand," she said, "I could scare them like that when they're alone, before the wedding or something –"

"Hey – now you're talking! That's my girl!" Liz exclaimed, clapping her on the back enthusiastically as they came up to their classroom. Emily ushered them inside, and made her way to the front of the room as everyone sat down. "Right, everyone," she began, "Today will be an important lesson. We have about three weeks before the Easter holidays, and it is essential that you master this latest bit of magic before we move on to wandless magic."

A murmur of anticipation was heard around the class, and the teacher smiled indulgently at them before saying, "Yes, yes – I will be teaching you wandless magic, and I'm not going to lie, it's quite difficult – which is why, for the next three weeks, I will teach you all something less intense – like defending yourself against Unforgiveable Curses."

Lily exchanged an excited look with James. Now, at last, Emily was going to teach them these defences she'd talked about six months ago… Lily had tried to research those whenever she got a free moment, but her search had turned up blank so far. Aside from dodging the Curse or hiding behind an obstacle, she didn't know what else could be done…

"Er – Emily," said a voice, and Lily quickly focused on Claire Palmer. "Er – aren't the Unforgiveable Curses supposed to be – er, impossible to defend against?"

"Yes," said Emily, with a small smile. "You're absolutely right, Claire – there are no defences against Unforgiveable Curses. Well, no – I should correct myself," she added as the entire class took in a collective breath, "There are no magical shields that can be used to defend against Unforgiveable Curses. However, there are more rudimentary forms of defence – not elegant, but effective, nonetheless. I am, of course, referring to dodging and obstructing."

Lily heard Black scoff, and frowned; was that why she hadn't found anything in the library on any defensive shields for Unforgiveable Curses?

"Of course, each Curse has its own defences and resistances," continued Emily. "For instance – the Cruciatus Curse and the Avada Kedavra Curse are exceedingly powerful, but limited in one way, can anyone tell me why? Yes, Marlene?" she added, having spotted Marlene's raised hand, along with several others.

"They must hit the intended target to be effective," said Marlene. Emily gave her an approving grin and said, "Precisely – they don't have any range of effect, and if something gets in their way, they don't progress further. I know that all of you have studied this before, but I'm going to give you a quick, two-minute summary anyway." She smirked, then continued, "In case of the Avada Kedavra Curse – it's powerful, no doubt, but it dissipates immediately after it hits something, regardless of whether that was the intended target. If it hits a living thing, it kills the said living thing on impact. The explanation – first published by Researchers from the Japanese Ministry of Magic in the early 1900s, which is universally accepted – is that the Killing Curse ceases the function of a living thing's key organs – the roots, leaves and stem for trees and plants, and the brain, the heart and lungs in animals and humans, with the added effect of separation of the soul from the body. The process is instantaneous and painless for animals and humans, while more prolonged for trees and plants – though not by much."

Emily paused, and Lily stole a quick glance around the class – everyone was listening with rapt attention. She knew some of this already, but Emily generally shared a lot more than was available in textbooks or library books.

"Now, like I said, there is only one way to defend against it," continued Emily. "That is – to avoid being hit by it altogether. Yes, it is that simple," she added with an indulgent smile at Black, who had let out a tiny snort. "All you need to do is dodge it, or Conjure or Summon something into the path of the Curse. These ways are one hundred percent effective – provided you can actually pull them off, since that requires remarkable concentration and reflexes. You can also try casting another Spell to meet your opponent's Curse, but then you'd have to be exceedingly accurate – which is why, I'd advise Summoning something and jumping out of the way of the Curse for good measure. One can't be too careful."

There was a tense silence, and Lily exchanged another glance with James, who gave her a reassuring nod. She knew what it meant – his skill with Conjuration coupled with his Quidditch reflexes meant that he wouldn't have too much of a problem dodging it. She nodded back at him; she was sure she was just as good with Summoning an object quickly, though she may need to work on her reflexes…

Emily was speaking again. "The Cruciatus Curse is similar," she said. "It stimulates pain receptors in human and animal brains to an unprecedented degree. It won't leave any physical signs, but the victim feels unbearable pain as long as the Curse is in effect. It doesn't usually manifest itself in a physical burst of energy – like the Avada Kedavra Curse, for instance – it's subtle, since it directly targets the victim's mind. A resistance to pain may mitigate the effect, but not by much. Strength of will and mind, which is what is needed to fight the Imperius Curse –" Lily glanced a little smugly at Liz, remembering how she'd successfully thrown off Bellatrix Lestrange's Curse a few months ago, "—isn't enough to fight this one. No, you're best off dodging it, too."

That's why when James took that double Cruciatus Curse for me that night, I didn't feel anything, thought Lily with sudden understanding. He was the obstruction, wasn't he? Her grip around her wand tightened. I'll never let that happen again, she thought, her eyes narrowed.

"Finally, the Imperius Curse," Emily ploughed on. "It, too, has no jet of light, for it targets the mind as well – which makes it just about impossible to dodge, really, since the caster usually casts it unbeknownst to the victim. Powerful Curse, that – you need an incredible strength of will and mind in order to fight it. It's much more subtle than the Cruciatus Curse, too – it's rather hard to tell if someone is under the Imperius Curse, or acting of their own free will. It's difficult to detect, too – doesn't leave any signs, since it attacks the mind. Sometimes, an extensive diagnosis may be needed to verify if it was cast on a person, and then, too, it may not be detected if it was weak. Tricky little Curse, that is – probably the most dangerous of the three. At least the effects of the other two are much more visible," she added wryly, with a slightly twisted smile.

There was another tense silence, following which Liz asked, "Er, Emily? Er – while it's nice to know that there are ways to avoid these Curses from hitting you, how exactly are we going to learn to defend against them?"

Emily smiled. "I'm not going to be using the Avada Kedavra or Cruciatus Curses on any of you, Elizabeth," she said, winking at Liz, who wrinkled her nose slightly; Lily grinned, she knew that Liz was rarely referred to by her first name, something which only happened if she was having a row with her parents. "I will, instead, be using simpler ones to substitute for them – Stunning Spells and Disarming Charms, mostly – but the only way you can counter them is by one of the three ways mentioned above. As for the Imperius Curse – Professor Dumbledore has given me his permission to do that." Her voice was barely above a whisper, and Lily took in a sharp breath. Was Emily actually going to use an Unforgiveable Curse on them?

"Well – you can refuse if you want to, that's your choice," said Emily, no doubt in response to several dismayed faces around her; Lily observed that most of the class had taken her statement with as much enthusiasm as being asked to swallow a bottle of Skele-Gro. "I'm not going to force you to experience what it feels like – but then, you'll be at a distinct disadvantage if the first time you're Imperiused is by someone from the Dark Side. If I were you, I'd want to learn how to throw it off – but again, it's your choice."

Some choice, thought Lily. She already knew what it felt like, but she doubted if most of the class did… And the way Emily put it, while no doubt correct, was essentially telling everyone that they'd be better off knowing what it felt like if they wanted to learn how to throw it off.

"If anyone doesn't want to experience the Imperius Curse, raise your hand," said Emily, her doe-soft brown gaze travelling around the room. Nobody raised their hand, and the teacher said, "Didn't think so – just goes to show how wisely Professor Dumbledore chose. I can see that you all are true to the purpose of this training – however unpleasant it may be. Well, then," she added briskly, her tone businesslike, "Which one of you wants to go first? I'll be casting the Imperius Curse on everyone today, and I want you to fight it. I've been told that you lot have learned the basics of Occlumency, enough to sense the presence of a foreign entity in your mind, and to close your mind to an attack from a Legilimens with minor to moderate skill. A similar acumen is necessary to resist the Imperius Curse. So – who's volunteering?"

Everyone looked around at each other, trying to see who was willing to subject themselves to the Imperius Curse first… To Lily's surprise, Liz's hand shot up at once. "I'll do it," she said purposefully, stepping forward.

"All right, Elizabeth," said Emily, smiling at Liz. "Everyone – please move closer to the walls."

The class obeyed, and Liz stood with Emily in the open space in the centre of the room. "On three, then," said Emily, raising her wand. "One – two – three – Imperio!"

Lily watched Liz carefully and apprehensively as her best friend's face went blank. Emily conjured a small table in front of Liz and said, "Jump onto the table, Elizabeth." Liz obeyed at once, and Emily said, "Now, give me a handstand – on your left hand." Liz did as she was told, but her robes remained unaffected by gravity – Lily supposed that this was Emily's doing. "Now – give me one-handed push-ups – let's start with ten," commanded Emily. To Lily's astonishment, Liz promptly began to do so – until after six push-ups, she suddenly stopped as her arm crumpled beneath her. Before Lily could fall, however, Emily waved her wand; Liz rose a few inches in the air, turned, and landed lightly with her feet on the ground.

"Ow, that hurts," she grunted, rubbing her left shoulder and grimacing in pain. Emily waved her wand one more time, and Liz's shoulders relaxed at once. "Well done, Elizabeth," she complimented, "You fought me the entire time – until you could throw it off completely. I apologise for putting you through a bit of discomfort," she added, with a slight smirk. "Of course, I wouldn't have done that had I been unsure if you could do those push-ups."

"That's all right, I'm just glad I could throw it off," said Liz, with a slight smile. "That was something else!" She turned to the rest of the class and said, "C'mon, you lot, don't be pussycats – it's not that bad!"

"That's the spirit," said Emily dryly as Liz made her way over to Lily. "Now – who wants to go next?"

"You all right?" Lily asked her best friend anxiously as Nathan Morgan walked forward, wand out and looking determined. "Yeah," said Liz shortly, but with an irritated glint in her sea-green eyes. "It's just – I volunteered so that I could understand what the Imperius Curse would feel like, and how it compares with what I felt when Mulciber Cursed me… And I still can't tell! Ugh!" she exclaimed, in an uncharacteristic show of frustration.

"Goes to show how well he cast it," said James dryly.

Lily gave him a not-so-gentle nudge before saying, "Well – I'd suggest you put it out of your head for now, Liz, since there's no use obsessing over it. Incidentally, aren't there Spells to reveal the last Spells cast by a wand?" she added, her gaze going from James to Black to Marlene, who had joined them.

"'Course – that's what the Prior Incantato does," said Marlene thoughtfully as Black rubbed Liz's back gently and comfortingly in an effort to improve her mood. "But then – I'm quite sure Spells exist to erase the wand's Spell history, otherwise it would've been so easy to convict people accused of torture and murder!"

"Yep," said James grimly. "As it happens, there are Spells like that – one of the more popular ones being Limparos últimos or something… Dad told me that it not only erases the past ten or fifteen Spells the wand cast, but itself, too. That way, the person looking for the previous Spells the wand cast cannot know that the history was erased as well, see?"

"Handy," said Lily, impressed, making a mental note to look up this Spell. Then again, she wasn't sure why she'd need it, considering that she didn't plan on conducting any nefarious deeds any time soon…

Emily cast the Imperius Curse on everyone that evening, and to Lily's elation, she was the quickest to throw it off; having done so in trying circumstances last year, she found that it was easier when one was prepared. James, Gavin, Remus and Roger Hathaway also successfully managed to throw it off before executing Emily's first command, but the rest of the class wasn't as adept: Peter and Black (who were simultaneously Imperiused by Emily) paraded around the classroom with Black carrying his friend over his shoulders; Ashley Bond arm-wrestled with (and nearly defeated) James; Karen Norton (told to do the one thing she wanted at that moment) passionately kissed Gavin; and Mary cheerfully levitated herself above Roger before lifting the Spell and daring her astonished boyfriend to catch her as she fell (which, thankfully, he did).

"Total control," said Emily softly as the clock struck nine. "You all need to learn to throw this Curse off before you can do anything else – I expect better next time. Dismissed." There was a sudden noise as everyone made for the exit, but Lily remained behind; there was something she wanted to ask the teacher. James threw her a questioning glance, but she indicated to him that she'd catch up, and he left with Black and Liz.

"Er – Emily," said Lily, not quite sure how to ask the question; she was curious, but she didn't want it to come across as offensive. She decided to take a leaf out of James's book by being blunt and direct. "Er – how come you're so good at casting the Imperius Curse?"

Emily smiled. "I had a feeling you were going to ask me that, Miss Curiosity," she said, and Lily blushed; was it really that easy to read her? "Well, you see, Lily," continued Emily, "The Unforgiveable Curses aren't quite like other Spells. For them to work, you actually need to mean them – for instance, with the Imperius Curse, your intent should be to completely control the actions of your target. Similarly, for the Cruciatus Curse, your intent should be to hurt the other person, to cause pain, and in some cases, to actually relish it," she added, and her voice held a hard note. "Finally, for the Avada Kedavra Curse – your intent should be to kill your intended victim. You really, really need to mean these Curses for them to work – which is why, if you pointed your wand at me and said 'Avada Kedavra', I doubt if I'll even get so much as a nosebleed," she finished with a smirk.

"I'll just use a Nosebleed Jinx, then," said Lily dryly, and Emily laughed. "So – it's the intent that matters. I see."

"Correct," said Emily, with a slight nod. "Like tonight, I fully intended to subject everyone in the room to my will – which is why I could cast the Imperius Curse properly." She looked away. "With these new laws – Aurors with the power to kill rather than capture, for instance – I suppose it's a good thing that they encourage you to practise casting the Avada Kedavra Curse on your own, in the event that you actually need it."

Lily drew in a sharp breath as she heard the last sentence. Then again, I should've realised that, she mused… If the Aurors can legally kill the Voldemort supporters trying to kill them, they should be adept at casting the Killing Curse. But to actually mean it? Why would you want to kill your opponent when you can Stun them at the same time? The answer came to her immediately. It's because the Avada Kedavra Curse is unblockable, she thought grimly. It's a surefire way to finish a duel…

Emily was speaking again. "When I was in Auror training, the Unforgiveable Curses were just a footnote," she said. "Towards the end of our training, they'd tell us that the only way we could cast any of these Curses and get away with nothing more than a rap on the knuckles – was to prove that we had a very good reason to do what we did. For instance, these Curses are unblockable by conventional means, as we've discussed tonight – so if you want a quick, five-second breather to regroup while you're duelling someone, you can cast one of 'em. Your opponent can't use Shield Charms, so they'll be forced to defend, which gives you two seconds to come up with a Curse to incapacitate them, see?"

"I see," said Lily, nodding. "That does seem to be a viable strategy – but honestly, I have to disagree with it. I'd rather not use Unforgiveable Curses for any reason…"

The smile on Emily's face was knowing as she said, "Sometimes you and James remind me of Dave – a lot. Your values, your principles, and all that Gryffindor courage of walking into battle straight-backed and proud – he was remarkably similar…" She looked away, her eyes wistful, and absently fingered the red-and-gold scarf around her neck that had belonged to her husband. "We used to debate about the principle of the thing, you know?" she said. "As in – how morally right it was to use an Unforgiveable Curse… Dave had decided that he'd never use one, while I was of the opinion that I'd use it if I had to – if it was a question of my own life, for example. I was prepared to do what it takes in order to survive, for you can only win a duel if you stay alive… On the other hand, Dave would've gladly died in battle if it meant saving someone else, but he'd never use an Unforgiveable Curse." She smiled reminiscently. "In the end, we'd always agree to disagree. It's not like we have to agree on everything, is it?"

"Nope," said Lily, grinning. "So – you can cast the Cruciatus and Avada Kedavra Curses, too?"

There was a slight pause, following which Emily said, "Yes. As it happens – I'm quite an adept caster of all the Unforgiveable Curses." She looked away. "When I started learning them, I vowed that I'd use them for defensive purposes only – as in, to ward off attacks from my opponent, and attack while they're fending off my unblockable Curse. I can say with certainty that I've been largely successful with that vow – except in one case, when I had to cast the Killing Curse in order to save three children from dying." She looked back at Lily, her face impassive – but her eyes were a little moist. "We were engaged with three Knights of Walpurgis," she continued, "They were torturing a Wizarding family of five, apparently the father had offended one of them. They'd incapacitated the parents, and were torturing the children when we arrived – me and my partner, that is. We engaged them in battle promptly… I was the junior Auror at the time, which meant that I was battling with one opponent while my partner took on two by himself. Unfortunately, he was defeated just as I managed to overpower my opponent, which left me having to duel them. I managed to defeat one, but the other one sent a volley of Curses at me – including the Killing Curse, which I dodged, and that resulted in another Curse hitting me, causing me to fall to my knees. He must've been the leader of the three, for he immediately turned his wand to the children and began Cruciating them. I couldn't bear to watch, and I somehow sent a Stunner at him – it missed, and he turned to me. But instead of killing me, he thought it would be more torturous for me to watch him kill a child I'd failed to save, and he tried to do exactly that." She sighed. "Child torturers and killers bring out the worst in me, and in that moment, I wanted to kill that scumbag – and so, when I cast the Avada Kedavra Curse, it did what it was supposed to do."

"Wow," said Lily, her mouth slightly open. She still wasn't sure if casting the Killing Curse had been the right choice, but she supposed that in that moment, it had probably been Emily's only one. I dunno how that feels, she thought, giving herself a mental shake. I should only pass judgement over the morality of the action when I've experienced a similar situation myself… Feeling slightly proud of her own maturity, she said, "Well – I suppose you had no choice."

"You always have a choice," said Emily grimly. "I could've tried Stunning him – but I didn't, I just decided to kill him in the heat of the moment. I was quite distraught by it, but Dave was supportive – he didn't care that I'd killed the man, 'coz in his head, that man had tried to kill me first, which justified my retaliation. I know, I know – sounds rather antithetical, right?" she added, obviously in response to Lily's raised eyebrows. "You see – the only way Dave could justify the use of a Killing Curse was if an opponent had tried to use one on you. And to his credit – even if he'd decided that he'd never use one, he understood me using it. 'You had no choice,' he said to me back then – but he was wrong."

There was fire in Emily's doe-soft brown eyes. "You always have a choice," she repeated, her voice firm. "The stuff that happened four years ago taught me that…" She looked away again. "I could've gone to Dumbledore right at the start, and asked him to find my son – but I didn't. I was too afraid that something would happen to him – plus, I doubted if he'd believe me, see? I wasn't in the Order back then – I was just a typical Auror, working for the Ministry. He only recruited me a few months ago, when I wrote to him that my days were numbered, and I wanted to do something to help." She looked back at Lily, and her eyes were bright. "Dumbledore told me about the Order, and gave me this job – he didn't want me to do anything that could aggravate that Curse, see? He said he was deeply sorry about it – he's been pushing hard to find a permanent cure for it, bless his heart. As I told you a few days ago, there are hopes of a cure, too. But we'll see."

"They'll find a cure," said Lily, who had hitherto been listening to Emily's monologue in silence. "We all just need to have a little faith…"

"Yes, indeed," said Emily. "Although, faith is believing something when common sense tells you not to…"

"Yes," agreed Lily, "But with faith, anything is possible."

Emily gave her a little smile, and Lily smiled back at her before saying, "Well, thanks for helping me understand, Emily… That was – illuminating, all right."

"Interesting choice of words," said Emily, with a little smirk. "Think about what I said regarding the use of Unforgiveable Curses for defensive purposes – because while it may feel repugnant to cast one, there's absolutely no doubt that you can use its unblockable nature to your – advantage."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Lily, nodding. "Bye, Emily – see you later!"

With a final wave at the teacher, she strode out of the classroom, deep in thought. Objectively, Emily's last sentence made a lot of sense – having an unblockable Curse in one's arsenal was an advantage, all right. But the bit of magic one needed to summon before casting it – she'd have to mean the Curse, right? To cause pain, or worse – death? I don't think I'm cut out for that, she thought. Not at the moment, at least… But who knows what the future will hold? Would I have to learn them, in order to survive?

She gave herself a little shake. I'll leave that decision for my future self, she thought. Perhaps, when I've had a taste of the kind of horrors Emily has seen, I can make my decision…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The last week of March was filled with the seventh-year students frantically completing their job applications and sending them to the Ministry. Lily hadn't left her applications for the last minute, unlike some of her friends; instead, she was ready to submit them three days before the deadline, a remarkable feat considering that she'd had four full applications to prepare, along with the necessary letters of recommendation for Curse-Breaking (she'd found out that successful applicants who hadn't studied Ancient Runes would go through a three-month-long preparatory course on the subject, following which every other bit of knowledge they gained would be on the fly, during fieldwork) and the Department of Magical Research (which she'd realised was actually the Office of Magical Research, a sub-division of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; however, it was substantial enough to the point where 'Department' and 'Office' were used interchangeably while referring to it). At the last minute, on James's urging, she'd also applied to the Auror Academy ("You already have the necessary grades, so why not? Let them be the ones to say no!" James had intoned emphatically). She'd also completed an application to St Mungo's for Healer Training, following which she'd written to Healer Rodham to let her know that she was applying to the Office of Magical Research in addition to St Mungo's.

In contrast, James had only submitted one application – to the Auror Academy. Lily was sure that he'd be a shoo-in, really, and had actually asked him why he'd bothered to apply, considering that his father would just let him join once he graduated from Hogwarts. However, he'd responded that he wanted to go through the proper channels, and prevent his father from facing any (untrue) allegations of nepotism. Lily had shaken her head ("My, you're really overthinking this, James," she'd said), but had kissed him affectionately on the cheek instead. He was just so noble…

She'd procured the necessary letters of recommendation from Professors McGonagall and Slughorn, who had been quite happy to oblige. Slughorn was pleased when she informed him of writing to Healer Rodham, and he gave her such a glowing letter of recommendation that she blushed as he read it aloud; quite frankly, she wasn't sure she deserved the eloquent praise the Potions Master showered upon her. Professor McGonagall's letter was similar, with particular emphasis on Lily's ability to connect several seemingly unrelated things while solving complicated problems. Mrs McKinnon happily provided the third letter, which was more generic but still underlined her knack for solving problems and her skill with potions, which would be quite useful if she got a job at the office of Magical Research. Lily hoped that her grades and the letters of recommendation would be enough to overshadow her blood status (while James had reassured her that being a Muggleborn didn't matter, she was still a teensy bit cynical).

James had nearly missed the deadline to submit his only application, but had managed to do so with a little help from Lily and Liz, who had submitted her own applications without any last-minute drama. Lily's other friends had managed to do so too, though Peter had fretted over whether his grades would be good enough for any of the jobs to which he'd applied. Remus had even applied to almost every single open position ("You know about my – problem, I don't think anyone will give me a job," he'd told Lily mournfully). Lily hoped that he would hear back from at least one place; as James had told her sombrely, werewolves were not accepted within the Wizarding society wholeheartedly, and as such, getting a job was going to be a challenge for Remus. James had vowed, however, to do everything he could to help his friend, and Lily had immediately thrown in her lot behind him.

The first weekend of April (which happened to be the weekend before the Easter holidays) was the day of the match between Hogwarts and Durmstrang, the last match of the 3QT before the final. Beauxbatons had narrowly defeated Durmstrang a month ago, greatly boosting their chances to qualify for the final – and following some quick calculations, James had told Lily that there was no chance that Beauxbatons would not play in the final, for the point difference between the teams made sure that Hogwarts versus Durmstrang was a knockout match. Indeed, Durmstrang were still in it, but would have to beat Hogwarts by a margin of more than two hundred points to qualify for the final. James had reassured her with his usual confidence that there was absolutely no chance of that.

Dinner was a cagey affair the night before the match. The Durmstrang Quidditch team had arrived an hour ago with their Headmaster, Professor Haraldsson, and Lily had noted several appraising looks in their direction from fifth- and sixth-year Hogwarts girls. She could sort of see why: the Captain (Dusan Popov was his name, as supplied by James) was six-foot-four, muscular, and loped about with an easy grace, quite unexpected for someone of his size. His teammates were quite good-looking themselves, and Lily glanced distastefully at a couple of Slytherin sixth-year boys (including Rowle) slobbering over a medium-heighted girl with chestnut hair and soft, angelic features, who was seated at their table with a somewhat strained smile on her face. Her gaze travelled to Ashley Bond, who was sitting a few seats away from the girl, and she was satisfied to see that the Hogwarts Captain shared the girl's contempt.

"Who is that?" Lily asked James, who was eating his food with great gusto. "That brown-haired girl at the Slytherin table?"

"Her name is Toini Korhonen," said James. "She's one of their Chasers – she's really good, too. Not afraid to jump right into the fray, and she has an excellent positioning sense – always seems to be where the Quaffle will go, see?"

"You sound smitten with her," observed Lily slyly, with only a twinge of jealousy. Sometimes she wished she enjoyed flying – but she'd never been comfortable on a broomstick, and it always made her a little sad that she couldn't join James in doing something that he loved so much. Liz had tried teaching her a few years ago, but she was sure that she still wouldn't climb onto a broomstick unless absolutely essential…

"What? No!" exclaimed James indignantly, a pink tinge on his cheeks. Marlene and Black chortled, and Black said, "Wow, you have a lot of nerve and no tact, Prongs – right in front of your girlfriend, really?"

Lily watched in amusement as James chucked a piece of chicken at Black, who dodged it deftly. It hit a third-year Hufflepuff instead, and the boy looked around in confusion before spotting the laughing Gryffindors and a sheepish-looking James, who raised a hand in apology. Smirking, Liz said, "Don't mind James, Lil – he just admires that Korhonen girl because she got the better of him several times when we played that lot in Durmstrang."

"She didn't," retorted James, "She got the better of you, not me – it was only after Marlene came in for Gavin that we were able to build a hundred-point lead."

Liz gave a disbelieving snort as Marlene said glumly, "Wish that would convince Madam Hooch to give me a chance."

"We got a raw deal, Marlene – three of the four House Captains are Chasers, see?" said Liz logically, patting Marlene's back. "I wish I could say that we're shoo-ins to start based on our performance in the last match –" she gave James a rather severe look, and he had the grace to look a little abashed, "—but things have improved a lot since then, rather like the time before our first match. Besides, they each bring something different – Gavin's the best with interceptions, Ashley's passes are more accurate than yours or mine, and James is only in the team because Madam Hooch likes him."

"Oi!" James exclaimed indignantly amid the laughter, and Lily chuckled as Liz gave him a mischievous grin. "Not forgetting the 3QT's leading scorer, are we?"

"That was before the last match," said Liz dismissively. "I heard that that Lopez girl from Beauxbatons is the new leader on the scoresheet – you need to score seven times tomorrow to get back in the lead."

"Consider it done," said James, with conviction. "I resolved when we played them in Scandinavia that when they came here, we'll show them – and I intend to do just that."

"Hear, hear!" Black shouted enthusiastically and raised his goblet. "To victory," he said, and drank; the others followed suit, and Liz said, "Well – I'd say it's fair to assume that they're going to go all out against us tomorrow, considering that they need a lead of fifty points before they'll go for the Snitch. All we need to do is not let that happen – sounds easy enough."

"Don't underestimate them," said James, shaking his head. "They're strong, and they're not going to go down without a fight. We need to play some of our best Quidditch – they'll push us on the defensive, it's the only way they can score. But I'm quite sure that our tactics will work," he added reassuringly. "It won't be easy; their backs are against the wall, and people who are cornered always make a last stand before they fall."

"Just a regular Quidditch match, then," said Lily dryly. Everyone laughed, and James responded, "Yep – pretty much."

Lily played Wizard's Chess with James later that night, an entertaining match which finally ended with James surprisingly breaking through her defences and queening his pawn, at which point she conceded defeat. James gloated for the next ten minutes until she shut him up with a quick kiss on his lips, before proceeding to snuggle into bed next to him. She was feeling that primitive urge again to rip off his robes, but she suppressed it… It wouldn't do to distract him the night before the match, would it?

Lily walked down to breakfast the next morning, only half-listening to James's seemingly endless monologue about their tactics for the match. She did understand some of it, but was soon bored; James usually went over these moves in his head, but this morning, he was excited enough to try bouncing his ideas off her to the point where she was rather glad to see Liz, Black and Marlene already seated at the Gryffindor table. She happily engaged Remus in conversation as James continued his monologue to Liz and the others, who seemed to be taking it with much more enthusiasm than she had.

"Y'know, I love him, but sometimes it feels like he never shuts up about Quidditch," she said in an undertone to Remus as she buttered her toast. Remus grinned and said, "Lily, please – you're talking to someone who shared a dormitory with him for six years. Plus – Sirius is still there."

Lily chortled and said, "Tell me – were you ever interested in Quidditch before coming to Hogwarts?"

He considered. "Well – to be fair, not really. I've never been to a League match – nor did I see the World Cup. Honestly, I could do without Quidditch, it wouldn't change anything… But James and Sirius have always been passionate about the sport, and when James got into the Gryffindor team back in our second year, my interest began to increase gradually – I wanted him to do well, see?" he added as Peter threw himself into the chair next to him, yawning and looking distinctly half-asleep.

"Yep," she said, looking with at Peter faint amusement; the fat boy seemed to be waking up due to the delicious scent of the food. "My case is quite similar – I always wanted Liz to do well, so I suppose I started taking more of an interest since the beginning of our fourth year. We won the Cup that year, too – which was brilliant." She gave James a quick sideways glance before lowering her voice. "I don't think I've ever seen James wanting to win the Cup so badly. He doesn't talk much about it, but the penalty shootout loss last year hit him really hard. I know he made a big speech about how it was important for the rest of the House to support the team regardless of winning or losing – but deep down, that loss still rankles." She gave him another sideways glance before continuing, "Which is why – I'm hoping that we win the Quidditch Cup this year at least. Sure, winning the 3QT will be the ultimate crown – but I just think that the Quidditch Cup means more to James."

"Winning a trophy is the ultimate validation of the team Captain," said Remus sagely. "When things are difficult, the rest of the team looks at the Captain – who must then provide them with the necessary support and encouragement. James is an excellent Captain, and a natural leader – but so far, luck has eluded him. Not this time, though," he added firmly, "I'm sure that he'll lead the Gryffindor team to glory this year."

"I hope you're right!" said Lily, feeling cheerful as she drank her coffee. Sure, today's match was important, but she had a feeling that winning the match against Ravenclaw after the Easter holidays would be James's top priority…

A couple hours later, she was enthusiastically applauding yet another goal from the Whites, who were in the process of completely flattening their opponents. Toini Korhonen and Dusan Popov had scored three goals apiece, but James and Ashley had scored six goals each, with Gavin contributing four more. The scoreboard read one-sixty to sixty in favour of Hogwarts, and Lily was elated that the Hogwarts team tactics that James had gone on and on about were clearly working. She jumped up and down in her seat as James scored his seventh goal of the match, and exchanged an overhead clap with Mary as Aaron Diggory announced that James was now the leading scorer for the 3QT, having surpassed Ximena Lopez of Beauxbatons. It seemed that the Whites could do no wrong, unless –

"Ooh, Holger Karlsson appears to have seen the Snitch, and he's closing in on it – but Regulus Black is on his tail!"

More than two thousand Hogwarts supports roared and egged their Seeker on, and Lily watched, heart in mouth, as the two Seekers rocketed past her, chasing a tiny speck of gold near the Hogwarts goalposts. A Durmstrang Beater hit a Bludger at Regulus, but Brenda Hastings skilfully deflected it towards the Karlsson, who had to swerve out of the way, losing a few crucial seconds in the process – enough time for someone of Regulus Black's calibre to catch the Snitch.

"It's OOOOOOO-VER!" screamed Aaron Diggory as the stadium exploded with cheers. "Regulus Black of Hogwarts catches the Snitch following an excellent deflection by Hastings – Hogwarts have qualified for the final in first place, and Durmstrang are out!"

"We won! We won!" Mary screamed, pulling an equally elated Lily into an energetic hug. "We dominated and won – it feels like ages since I've seen that!"

"Yeah – feels good that the team is back together, isn't it?" said Remus, applauding with the rest of the crowd and exchanging an overhead clap with Peter. "We were much more organized than in the match against Beauxbatons –"

"That could just be because of the home advantage," said Lily thoughtfully as the Hogwarts team members, led by Ashley Bond, shook hands with a dejected-looking Durmstrang team.

"Yes, but the improvement was drastic, don't you think?" Peter pointed out.

"True," she agreed, ruffling his hair as she and the others alighted from the stands and began to jog towards James and the rest. We're in the final! she thought excitedly as they approached the Hogwarts team, who were now surrounded by exhilarated supporters. Rowle, the substitute Keeper, appeared to be hoisting a faintly-protesting Ashley Bond over his shoulders (all enmity forgotten), and Gavin Johnson and James were laughing heartily at their Captain's discomfort…

She weaved her way to James through the crowd of elated Hogwarts students, and pulled him into a quick hug as she reached him. "Nicely done, sweetie – I'm so proud of you!" she said softly in his ear.

"Thank you," he whispered back, "Now – I just have to carry this performance into our match against Ravenclaw – then the Quidditch Cup will be ours!"

As I suspected, she thought, a little smugly. Well – I surely hope we win it this year! After all, James has really done enough to deserve it…

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"I wish I didn't have to go to this stupid wedding," said Lily for the umpteenth time as she and James emerged from Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters to Platform Nine of King's Cross, and blended with the crowd as if nothing had happened. They were only carrying a small rucksack each, as was custom for a typical two-week Easter holiday – a holiday Lily was not looking forward to at all. She sighed as she and James walked briskly towards the station exit, gazing wistfully at the early spring sun which hung low in the sky; given her way, she'd have gladly skipped her sister's wedding, but she couldn't leave her parents to handle everything on their own, and she was in no mood to provide any incentives to Vernon Dursley's guests to pass snide comments at her parents solely due to her absence.

James squeezed her hand gently and said, "I know, darling – I know. But don't worry – this'll be over before you know it! Now, c'mon – that alleyway looks pretty deserted, want to go to the Leaky Cauldron for a quick dinner before we go to your house?"

"Yes – that sounds good," said Lily, brightening up at once. She grasped James's hand within hers, and the two of them walked into the deserted alleyway purposefully before spinning on the spot and vanishing with a faint pop.

They emerged right onto the threshold of the Leaky Cauldron, and Lily said, "See? My accuracy is improving!"

"Yes, indeed," said James appreciatively. "As long as you didn't Apparate right on top of somebody, it's fine –"

Lily elbowed James and said, "For the record, I've never done that –"

James laughed. "Yes, but Peter nearly did during his test – he Apparated just on the edge of the circle we were aiming for, see? Six inches more, and he'd have appeared on top of a witch who was just stepping out of Zonko's – not the kind of stuff she was shopping for, I'm sure!"

Lily chuckled wryly as they sat down and ordered a couple of sandwiches. "So," she said, "Regardless of Petunia – I'll be helping my parents as much as I can with the last-minute preparations. There's only a week remaining until the ceremony, and there's no way I'm giving the Dursleys a reason to criticise Mum and Dad –"

"C'mon, Lil," said James patiently. "That's the seventeenth time you've spoken unflatteringly about Vernon Dursley's family, and you haven't even met them!"

"You're counting?" Lily asked him incredulously.

"That's beside the point," he said dismissively, taking another bite of his sandwich. "Look, over the years, you've gotten a whole lot better at not forming judgements about people you don't know – but you're doing it again! At this rate, you'll go to the wedding expecting only the worst of things to happen, and you won't be able to enjoy it!"

"I'm pretty sure I won't be enjoying it," Lily said mutinously.

"Again, beside the point," he repeated firmly. "Look, Petunia isn't the only person for whom this wedding is important. It's a huge deal for your parents, too – and it certainly won't be helping them if you go about helping them with a sour face, and only assume the worst about Vernon Dursley and his family."

There was a pause as Lily mulled this over. She knew that he was right, but she wasn't particularly inclined to be nice about the whole 'not-being-a-bridesmaid' thing. "Why can't it –" she said slowly, "—for once, just once, be me who gets to be the petty one?" She glared at him. "Why do I have to take the high road every – bleeding – time?"

"Because you're you," James responded promptly. "You're a wonderful person, and I know how badly you want to be petty about this – but you won't, because you're incapable of doing it. You care a lot for your parents, and you know that it would break their hearts if you didn't attend this wedding with good grace. It would effectively ruin the whole day for them – and you're well aware of that, which is why I know that ultimately, you'll swallow your pride, smile and talk to all the attendees, and dance with me." He gave her a suggestive wink, and she snorted. "Then – you'll go back to Hogwarts, and destroy our Order of the Phoenix training room once again to vent out your frustration," he added dryly, and she stuck her tongue out at him. "Who says I'll wait till then?" she said, smirking slightly. "What's stopping me from Apparating to your house, going into your room and wrecking that instead? I have access to Potter Mansion, y'know – your Dad permitted me to cross the wards as many times as I want. You may just wake up one morning to find your bedroom completely destroyed." She gave him a mischievous wink.

He surveyed her for a minute before saying, "Nah – you won't do that."

"Really?" asked Lily, feigning surprise. "And why not?"

"Because –" he paused, then continued, "—you'll just sneak into bed with me, snuggle up against me, and go to sleep. Ha!" He pointed at her in triumph, and she rolled her eyes but didn't respond; if she was being honest with herself, that was the likelier outcome. There was something irresistible about James being asleep in bed that made her want to snuggle up to him and fall asleep in his arms. Dammit – I'm hopelessly in love with him, she thought, shaking her head.

"Hmm, that's fair," she said with mock-nonchalance, but she was sure that her blush gave her away. "But I don't hear you complaining about it!"

"I could never complain about it, Lily-flower," he said, giving her a flirtatious wink as he ate the last of his sandwich. "I'm willing to do that every night for the rest of my life – if you want me to."

"Why, are you proposing to me, James?" Lily teased, but felt her heart beat faster; in her mind's eye, the picture of them being stretched out on a sofa in the living room of their own house was clearer than ever.

There was just a second's pause before James grinned mischievously back at her. "Nah – there's no way I'll propose like this, it'll be a lot grander!" He placed some money on the table and stood up, obviously having observed that her plate was as clean as his.

"Ooh, tell me more," she said, batting her eyelashes at him as she stood up, too.

"What, and ruin the surprise?" he said, grinning crookedly at her. She rolled her eyes as she grabbed his outstretched hand, and the two of them stepped outside the Leaky Cauldron before turning on the spot and disappearing into nothingness.

They appeared at their usual hidden spot near Lily's house, and began to walk towards the door slowly. "Right, let's get a few things straight," began Lily, "Today's Saturday – the wedding is next Sunday, in about a week. I'll be quite busy for the next few days, but come to the house at 5 pm on Wednesday, we need to buy you a nice Muggle suit for the wedding. Other than that, I'm not sure when I'll be able to meet you – but if I have some free time, I'll let you know a few hours in advance via Patronus, and stay by myself until you respond – make sure you respond immediately, OK?" she added, and he nodded. "The wedding's at a church in Leicester, I'll tell you the exact address on Wednesday itself. In any case, you're coming here that morning – you have to escort me, after all," she added, winking mischievously at him. "Got all that?"

"Yes m'lady," he said, with another lopsided smirk. "I'm looking forward to shopping for a Muggle suit – incidentally, are they like the pictures shown in our Muggle Studies textbook?"

"I've seen that textbook of yours, it's awfully outdated," said Lily dismissively. "We'll get you something much more modern – and chic."

"Can't wait," he said, grinning as they reached the door. "Well, goodnight, Lily – see you in a few days!" he said, and planted a gentle, but passionate kiss on her lips. She kissed him back enthusiastically, and was satisfied to see him look a little dazed as he waved goodbye to her before walking away towards their usual Disapparation spot. She let out a happy sigh before knocking on the door. Oh, she was hopelessly in love with James, all right – and it was such a wonderful feeling!

"Oh, good, you're finally home!" her mother exclaimed as soon as she opened the door, and pulled Lily into a quick hug. "How was the train ride? Have you had dinner? How's James?"

"Oh, let her breathe, darling," said Mr Evans, appearing behind his wife. "C'min, c'min, Princess – you're just in time for pudding!"

"Great!" exclaimed Lily as she gave her father a hug, too. "But first things first – what d'you need me to do?"

Her mother gave her a gentle, proud smile and said, "Oh, there's plenty to do, dear – but tonight, you rest. C'mon – let's have pudding first!"

"Sometimes, Mum, you have the best ideas!" said Lily dryly, giving her mother a mischievous wink. She Banished her rucksack to her room, and proceeded to wash her hands and face before joining her parents at the dining table. "Mmm, this is delicious!" she said, savouring her first bite.

"Thank you," said Mrs Evans, "It's a new recipe – Vernon's mother gave it to me, she said it's the one their cook uses!"

"I can see why," said Lily, before adding, "More like – I can taste why."

Her parents laughed, and Mrs Evans said, "Now, sweetie – there's a list of tasks that I'll need your help with, I've left it on your table. Take a good long rest tonight, and we can start whittling everything off one by one – with luck, we ought to be done in three or four days. Even sooner, I hope, if you use magic!" she added, giving Lily an admiring glance.

"I'll do everything I can, Mum," said Lily, nodding firmly. "Oh, and one more thing – I've decided to go shopping with James on Wednesday, we need a suit for him –"

"Yes, I was going to ask you about that," said Mrs Evans. "Dear me – what do they wear on occasions such as these? I mean, your dress robes look quite like a dress, but what about the boys and men?"

"Well – they have dress robes, too," explained Lily. "They're quite like regular robes, but better made, with more variety and colour. Oh, and they're more expensive, too!"

"Yes, they'd have to be," said Mr Evans as he finished the last bits of his pudding. Lily sat there with her parents for some more time, listening to them as they described their preparations with more detail… She was rather proud of how she kept her tone light, friendly and politely interested; indeed, by the time she got up from the table, she'd almost forgotten about Petunia's snub. James is right, she thought as she headed up the stairs… Stressed as her parents had seemed, there was no faking the sparkle in her mother's pale-blue eyes, and the glow on her father's face as they'd talked about the wedding… They were excited and looking forward to it. There's no way I'm going to be a wet blanket, she resolved as she entered her room. I'll help them as much as I can, and I'll be gracious – because they would certainly want their daughters to get along, at least on that day!

The following week was a busy one for Lily, but nearly seven years of magical education at Hogwarts had taught her to manage her time efficiently, which meant that she completed all the tasks assigned to her with little trouble. Her parents primarily got her to assist with the logistics for the wedding and the rehearsal the night before – mainly, talking to the caterer, the church's administrative office, the florist, the decorators and every other person who was in charge of something on the wedding day. She was a little disappointed that she couldn't use much of magic to assist with her duties – but then again, with the constant stream of people to and from their house, she figured that she wouldn't have been able to use magic anyway.

Matt's parents dropped by every day to assist with the wedding preparations; it was quite nice of them, but Lily hoped that Matt would be able to come, too (Aunt Christina told her that Matt did have Easter Sunday off, but otherwise, he was busy with his training). Her other aunt had arrived from London on Tuesday, and ended up staying for the week; Lily was quite relieved, for her mother had begun to stress out more and more as the wedding day got closer. She had surprised even herself by not losing her temper with Petunia even once; then again, her sister had continued to ignore her, and she was perfectly fine with that. Once or twice, though, Petunia's snippy and entitled behaviour did annoy her… For instance, the caterer had sent over a white tablecloth sample with a floral design that hadn't been the exact shade of lilac that her sister wanted, resulting in her throwing a huge tantrum that had lasted for a couple hours and ended with Petunia and Aunt Christina reducing each other to tears of anger and frustration. Petunia nitpicked everything, and looking at her, Lily vowed that when she got married, it would be a much more casual affair than this circus…

Wednesday evening had been a lot of fun, however. James had had the time of his life when they'd gone shopping for a Muggle suit. It had been amusing to him how enthusiastically the salespeople had helped him find one for himself when he'd inadvertently wandered to the section of the most expensive suits and pulled out a few fifty-pound notes, asking them if this was enough. He'd finally ended up buying a smartly tailored navy-blue suit, paired with a white shirt and a maroon tie. Lily had felt rather breathless when he'd walked out of the changing room rather self-consciously, running a hand through his messy hair and asking her if the suit 'suited' him before guffawing and promptly bringing her back to normal. Idiot, she'd thought fondly as she'd surveyed him with a critical eye before giving him the go-ahead. That suit would pair beautifully with the dress she was going to wear…

Lily spent much of the night of the rehearsal dinner avoiding the happy couple, preferring instead to fade away into the background as much as she could. While she was having a quick swig of iced tea, however, Vernon's sister, Marjorie, had walked over to her and tried making small talk which mostly involved talking about her bulldogs, which she bred for a living. Lily interestedly asked her a few questions, but excused herself rather hurriedly when Marjorie declared loudly that 'the runts from a litter are weak, and have to be put down by drowning' before giving a rather nasty laugh. Really, was this the family Petunia was marrying into?

At long last, Easter Sunday arrived bright and clear. Lily rose early, and freshened up quickly before going downstairs and making breakfast for everyone; alone in the kitchen, she couldn't resist whipping out her wand and using a few basic spells to speed up the process – at least until her sister arrived, yawning as she sat down at the dining table. "Ugh, d'you have to do that in front of me, freak?" she grunted, eyeing the knife on the countertop that was cutting the tomatoes Lily would use in her sandwiches.

"Good morning to you, too," Lily responded, lifting the spell on the knife and proceeding to cut the tomatoes by hand; tempting as it was, she didn't want to put Petunia in a bad mood on the morning of her wedding day, not when she'd been on edge for the past several days. For the same reason, she fought down the urge to give her sister an earful for not making her a bridesmaid – not that she cared much now, but things would go south immediately if she broached the subject, and that would be hard for everybody.

She silently placed a sandwich on the plate in front of Petunia, along with a cup of tea. Her sister attacked the sandwich without giving her a second glance, and she fought down an urge to make the sandwich explode in Petunia's face… One more day, she thought. One more day – then I get the house to myself for the rest of the holidays! She was planning to invite Liz, Marlene and Mary over for a slumber party sometime next week, after her parents had had a bit of time to rest and recover from the stress of the wedding. She cast a disdainful glance at her sister before she resumed making more sandwiches; she wanted to make sure that everyone ate their fill before embarking upon what would be a really, really long day…

James arrived punctually at nine o'clock, looking rather dashing in his new suit. Lily blushed slightly as she introduced him as her date to her aunts; she was a bit nervous, but she needn't have worried, as James's natural charm and charisma was enough for him to enjoy a pleasant conversation with her relatives as she excused herself to pack up for the day. Her parents had reserved a few rooms at the hotel right by the church for the wedding party and the immediate family to get ready, and she planned to do that before Petunia and the others arrived. Her lack of a bridesmaid status meant that she'd be relegated to siting with the other guests, and Petunia clearly didn't want her around her when she got ready. Well, to hell with her, she thought firmly as she pulled a shamrock-green cocktail dress from her cupboard, folded it neatly and placed it in her shoulder-bag; her parents had given it to her as a birthday present, and it was beautiful. She quickly changed into her favourite t-shirt and jeans, and put her bottle of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion, a hairband, and some light Muggle makeup into her shoulder-bag before making her way out of her bedroom and down the stairs.

She arrived in the living room to find the place more crowded than ever, now that everyone was almost ready to leave. Petunia's bridesmaids had apparently arrived, and were laughing and giggling with her blushing sister; they would all be getting ready at the hotel together. Swallowing a pang of jealousy and irritation, she quickly made her way to James; he appeared to be chatting away with Matt and Ali, who looked beautiful in her maroon dress.

"Hi," she said as she walked up to them, her spirits rising. "When did you get here?"

"Just about five minutes ago," said Matt, giving her a quick hug. "I was just telling James here that he didn't really have to dress up right now, he could do that at the hotel –"

"And as James said, Matt, he wanted to make a good first impression on Lily's extended family, just like me!" Ali interrupted, rolling her eyes. "For the last time, will you drop it?"

"OK, OK," said Matt, his eyes mischievous. "She's a little jumpy," he added to Lily in an undertone.

"I heard that," said Ali, "And you'd be jumpy, too, in a formal ceremony like this and with nobody knowing you."

"Don't worry, Ali," said Lily comfortingly. "I'll keep you company."

Ali gave her a grateful smile before turning to Matt. "I think I like her more than I like you," she said dryly.

"Sorry, Ali, she's taken," said James, smirking as he put his arm around Lily's shoulders. She planted a quick kiss on his cheek, and Matt rolled his eyes before saying, "So, Lily – you, James, and Ali are coming with me to the church, in my car. Your Mum's asked me to tell you to just go over the logistics once we get there, too. We have about –" he consulted his watch, "—four hours before the guests start to arrive, which is at two o'clock. Ample time, I'd say, to go to the church, check everything, grab some lunch, change, and get back to the church."

"I like the lunch part best," said James, and Ali nodded vigorously, smirking. Matt rolled his eyes once again before saying, "Well, c'mon, then – ready when you are!"

Lily said a quick goodbye to her parents, and walked out of the house without so much as a backward glance at her sister. Matt drove them all to the church, and they went over everything – the church itself, the flowers, the decorations, the reception area, the catering area, and the dance floor. Lily begrudgingly admitted to herself that Vernon and Petunia had chosen an excellent location for their wedding; the church was specifically a wedding church, with all the facilities available on its grounds itself. It was certainly the perfect blend of traditional and modern weddings, and Lily wondered how much money had been spent to secure this location on a Sunday, and that too, Easter Sunday…

They dropped in on Lily's parents at the hotel to let them know that everything was going smoothly at the church before going for a quick lunch, and made their way back to the hotel so that Lily and Matt could change into their formal clothes. The shamrock-green dress fit Lily perfectly, and she applied a touch of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion and a bit of makeup before deciding to skip the hairband and letting her hair loose over her shoulders. James complimented her, and she linked her arm with his as they made their way to the church. People had started to arrive, and Lily and Matt stood by the church door to greet the guests as they entered the church while James and Ali hovered in the background. Finally, they all took their seats in the front row.

The ceremony went off smoothly (Lily fought down the urge to transform herself into a hag as Liz had suggested), and though Lily noted that while Vernon's suit looked a little too expensive and flashy, there was no mistaking the happiness on his face as the minister pronounced them husband and wife. Petunia looked simply radiant, and even Lily couldn't hold back a tear or two as she enthusiastically clapped for the newlyweds. In a parallel would, she'd have been right up there on the platform as her sister's chief bridesmaid, handing her the ring to put around her groom's finger. She'd have felt genuinely happy for her, rather than reflecting upon the sadness of their irreconcilable relationship. Ah, well, that's how the Bludger bounces, she thought grimly as she clapped, her eyes following the happy couple as they exited the church.

The wedding reception followed the main ceremony, and Lily thanked her stars for the umpteenth time for James's presence; without him, and with her sister shutting her out of the ceremony, she'd have felt quite bored and left out. The food was excellent, and she was half-amused, half-annoyed when James fumed to her about Vernon referring to him as 'some magician' to his relatives while grudgingly introducing them; apparently, in the Wizarding world, referring to wizards as 'magicians' was somewhat insulting.

She blushed as James led her to the dance floor; several of the guests were dancing with their spouses, and the band struck up a slow waltz as she and James took their places. "Every time," she said with mild irritation as they swayed gently to the music, "Every damn time you and I begin to dance, there's always – always – a bloody waltz! I'd like to dance to some upbeat songs for once!"

"I prefer the waltz," James said softly. "It's quiet, soothing and much more romantic…" He bent down to kiss her gently on the lips, and she felt herself get lost in the kiss once again – it just had that effect! "Not here – so many of my relatives are around!" she whispered unwillingly but urgently. James snorted gently and said, "On the contrary – weddings are the best occasions for kisses like these, the romance is in the air!"

She sighed happily as they danced to the music, not really wanting the song to end despite her desire for a more upbeat song. Beautiful as the ceremony had been, it had been too flashy and showy for her taste… When I get married, it will be much more simplistic, she thought. How different were Wizarding weddings than Muggle weddings? She'd have to ask James that… Hmm, I seem to be planning my own wedding already! she thought, blushing inwardly as she stared into James's hazel eyes and wishing that she knew enough Legilimency to understand what he was thinking. Then again, his Occlumency shields would probably be enough to ward her off. She hoped that he was thinking the same things as she was, for she just knew that one day, one day, they would end up married, and she couldn't wait for that day to arrive…

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Author's Note:

Everyone, I hope you're all keeping safe in the midst of the crisis around the world. The importance of keeping yourself busy during these difficult times is higher now, more than ever. Personally, I am thankful for my job (makes me appreciate it a lot more now), and that I still have a lot of work to do, which is why this update took so long. But I intend to be a lot better with future updates, so that you don't have to spend too much time waiting for the next chapters. Cheers and stay safe!

FlashOfFlame

P.S.: Please wash your hands frequently!