Chapter XLIII — The Beginning of the End

James had been spending his free time working out and studying some more advanced defence in preparation for the Auror Academy in September. Sirius and Remus had joined him in the studying to some extent but only he and Remus were the most focused.

He and Lily were also decorating their new home so that it would be ready when they decided to move in after the wedding. Gwen had thrown them a wedding shower the week earlier and many of the wonderful gifts they had received were now placed properly in their new home.

The wedding was fast approaching and he was so excited and nervous that he could barely sleep. He was marrying Lily Evans. It was a dream come true. With wedding plans and house plans, his life seemed to be forever busy.

Lily was working five days a week with Constance Lovegood at Hogwarts and was always coming home and telling him stories of Connie and her husband X. She had invited both of them to the wedding which was more than all right with him. With the loss of her parents, and then the walkout of her sister, he knew that any new friends she managed to make were just that much more important to her.

James grinned at her when she stepped into his bedroom as he buttoned up his shirt. His hair was still wet from his shower after his workout. He was determined to start the Academy as a star.

"Hey, how was work?" he asked her, leaning in to kiss her softly.

Lily smiled, reaching up to brush his wet hair back. "Good. I missed you."

James grinned sheepishly. "A bloke loves to hear that." He kissed her again and moaned when she pushed herself up against him.

"We were working with ambrosia today," she muttered, untying his belt and shoving his pants down, walking him towards his bed.

"Oh really?" James asked carefully, well aware that her simple touch had already caused an impressive tent in his underwear.

Lily nodded. She gave him a light push and he fell back on his bed. She tugged his pants completely off before she straddled him, unbuttoning the shirt he had just finished doing up. She spread it open before her and placed a kiss in the centre of his chest making a mmm sound as she did. "Salty." She let her tongue trail up the centre of his chest, moving to the right to flit around his nipple and he groaned.

"Lily," he murmured.

"Shh," she whispered, her hands running along his chest. "Do you know what I smell when I'm near ambrosia?"

James shook his head as she looped a finger in the elastic band of his boxers. "No."

Lily licked her lips and moved her hand down to rub his thighs gently. "I smell the salt of your skin, the citrus and cedar of your soap, and the peppermint of your toothpaste."

James grinned up at her. "So I'm always on your mind, eh?"

Lily glared at him, ripping his boxers down quickly and exposing his impressive erection before her. "Don't make me hurt you."

He grinned lopsidedly. "At the moment, I don't think I'd complain."

Lily smiled, standing up and tugging off her dress. She reached into her purse and pulled out a rather large chocolate bar. "I changed my mind."

"What?" James asked, sitting up and resting on one arm. "Changed your mind about what?"

Lily simply unclasped her bra so that her breasts popped out before opening the chocolate bar. She took a slow, deliberate bite of the chocolate, moaning in pleasure as she savoured the bite.

"Definitely changed my mind."

"Explain," James demanded, annoyed at how much she was turning him on right now.

Lily moved to sit on the bed, sliding her hand gently between his legs until his eyes rolled. She licked her lips. "Yeah, this chocolate is definitely better than sex."

She let go of his cock as he made a growling sound.

Lily took a third bite of chocolate, moaning as she chewed. "Mmm, amazing."

James moved so fast she wasn't prepared, but she was suddenly beneath him and his lips were on hers, tasting the chocolate in her mouth. He smiled when he pulled away. "Delicious."

He took the chocolate bar from her hands and broke off a tiny piece, carefully rubbing it along the side of his neck, leaving a trail of melted chocolate and grinning as she licked her lips.

"If chocolate is better than sex, why don't we have both and see what you think of that?" He suggested, nibbling on her bottom lip.

Lily moaned as his hand cupped her breast. "I love you."

James looked at her in surprise. "I know. I love you too."

He took another piece of chocolate, sitting up so that he was straddling her and rubbed it down the centre of his chest to just under his bellybutton.

"Aren't you going to come eat your chocolate?"

The slow smile that crept on her face made him even harder and when her lips touched his chest, he tossed his head back and sighed in pleasure.

Sometimes, you just had to let your girl have fun.

He grinned widely, not that he planned on letting her have all of the chocolate.

After all, there were a few places he'd like to lick chocolate from himself.

~ I just can't handle it ~

A little while later, Lily's head was curled under James' arm, a big satisfied smile on her face.

"So maybe it's not completely better than sex," she said carefully.

James grinned widely. "Uh-huh, won you over did I?"

She laughed and snuggled close.

"I had no idea that working with ambrosia would make you so randy," James said as she laughed.

"Me either. I just saw you getting dressed, still damp from your shower, and it triggered the ambrosia and well, here we are."

"Here we are," James said, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

She sat up suddenly, tugging the sheet up with her. "Oh my God!"

"What?" James asked, turning on his side and stretching his legs.

"Your parents."

"My parents?" he repeated.

"They're downstairs. I said I was coming up to change and… oh my God! Do you think they know?" she asked, crawling out of bed.

James grabbed her, tugging her back into his arms and snuggling in her shoulder. "That we're up here having lots of sex. I imagine it's crossed their minds."

Lily covered her face with her hands, "We need to get downstairs."

James grinned and kissed her softly. "You will be my wife in two weeks, Lily. There's no need for you to be embarrassed. I'm sure they know we have sex by now."

"But there's no need for us to flaunt it!" she exclaimed.

He laughed and kissed her again, sliding his hand down to pat her bum. "We're hardly flaunting it. Now come here, I think you still have some chocolate on your neck."

Lily moaned in embarrassment and he grinned.

He was definitely madly in love with her.

Two weeks couldn't come soon enough.

~ This thing, called love ~

"So it's done?" Lucius asked her, his drink in his hand.

Erica nodded, smiling widely. "Of course it's done, Lucius. Peter is wrapped around my finger. He worships the ground I walk on."

Lucius snorted. "That's because you play with his wand. Men tend to be rather susceptible to influence during that time."

She smiled. "Doesn't matter. I Imperiused him after we had a lovely time in the bath the other day. He does anything I ask him too."

"Good. I don't know why you think he'd be useful to us, Erica. He's not exactly the most intelligent of men."

Erica smiled fervently. "Personally, I'd just like to see him teach his pompous friends a lesson. It doesn't matter why else. He's under my charm and I will do with him as I please for as long as I please."

Lucius nodded, pursing his lips. "Just make sure he's useful. That prophecy that Snape overheard has the Dark Lord worried. We don't know who it could apply to or when it's going to take effect. Maybe we can use him as a spy or for research in finding out who it could be. The faster the Dark Lord knows the contents, the better."

Erica nodded. "I have a wedding to attend this afternoon, but after that, I'll see what I can do."

~ I must get round to it ~

When Lily woke up the morning of her wedding, she couldn't believe the day had arrived. With everything that had happened over the last two years, the fact that today she would be marrying James Potter seemed unreal. Seemed crazy even.

But she was ready for it.

Her dress was perfect.

Her hair was perfect.

By the time she was standing outside of the church, she had no knowledge of how she had gotten there. It was a blur. The day had flown by and suddenly it was time. The time. Time was moving so fast that she was terrified it would be too fast and that she wouldn't remember the most important day of her life.

Lily smiled at Sirius when he held his hand out for her, kissing it. "You look beautiful, Lily."

"Thank you."

When the doors of the church opened, time stopped.

She knew it was beautiful.

She knew that the pews were filled with family and friends.

She knew there were flowers and she knew there were beautiful decorations.

All she saw was James.

His hands were crossed in front of him, nervously twitching. Remus and Peter stood beside him. His glasses were crooked on his nose and she found it oddly sweet. As she began her walk up the aisle, she could feel the smile threatening to walk right off her face it was so big. He looked so handsome. He looked so nervous and suddenly she felt calm.

Suddenly, time had stopped blurring together.

She was about to marry James Potter.

Sirius placed her hand in James' and smirked at his best mate. "Take care of her, Prongs. I gave her away so I can take her back if you hurt her."

James grinned at his friend. "I promise."

They said their vows. They exchanged rings and they kissed.

She was now Mrs James Potter.

Lily grinned foolishly when they stepped out of the church and kissed him deeply, ignoring the loud cheers from family and friends.

"Mmm, thank you, Mrs Potter," James muttered against her mouth and she laughed.

"You're welcome, Mr Potter."

James linked his arm with hers and they climbed into the limo that Lily had wanted, closing the door behind him. "You married me. I've never been so happy in my entire life as when I heard you say I do."

Lily smiled. "When I saw you standing up there, looking so sweet and nervous, I was ready. James, you're everything to me. And now I'm your wife and you're my husband."

He kissed her again, laughing when she tugged his tie loose. "What are you doing?"

"Making you more comfortable."

James let her loosen his tie and then he slid his hand slowly up her leg, nibbling at her neck. She let out a contented sigh as his lips moved lower to the edge of her dress above her bosom. He pulled away and smiled at her.

"I love you, Mrs Potter."

Lily bit her bottom lip when he simply lifted her dress and slid his head beneath it. "James!"

She didn't get any other words out. She merely held onto the seat next to her for support and gasped his name.

Once he was seated next to her again, he took her hand in his. "I think we've arrived."

Lily blew a loose curl out of her eyes and just grinned at her husband, her body still vibrating. "I love you, Jamie." She kissed him very softly before opening her door. "Now let's go celebrate with our family and friends."

James nodded. They held hands as they walked into the hall and that's when James spotted the surprise he had for his wife. "Lily, come here a moment."

"James!" Lily hissed, "I won't be letting you take advantage of me in a broom closet on our wedding day!"

He chuckled at that and tugged her into the side room of the hall. "As pleasant of a thought as that is, there's something else I wanted you in here for."

He turned her around and watched as her eyes filled up with tears when she spotted her sister.

"Tuney!"

Petunia's mouth opened to say something before she promptly closed it again, tugging her sister warmly into her arms and hugging her tightly.

"What are you doing here?" Lily asked, her face pressed into her sister's shoulder.

"James made me realize that no matter how angry I am with my baby sister for something that she had no control over, I would always regret it if I didn't come to her wedding." Petunia told her.

Lily hugged her tighter and kissed her cheek. "Thank you."

James slipped out of the room to let them talk and grinned at his best friend. "I got my girl."

Sirius laughed, draping an arm over James' shoulder. "That you did, mate. About time too."

Remus nodded, coming up to slap his friend on the back. "Congrats, mate. She's perfect. You deserve to be happy."

"Thanks, Remus. Life is beginning. Lily is doing what she loves. I'm at the Academy and hopefully we'll be having a baby."

"Listen to him! Barely married two hours and he's already thinking about nappies!" Sirius exclaimed, rolling his eyes. "Does Lily know you're already talking about kids?"

James smiled. "I didn't say right this minute, Sirius. But… when we're ready."

"It was great that you got Petunia to come," Remus told him. "You made the difference to Lily, having her sister here. Even if her sister's husband looks less than pleased at the moment," he added, nodding to Vernon Dursley who was sitting at a table and glowering at people when they came in.

James grinned. "Yeah I did."

And when Lily stepped into his line of vision, arm linked with her sister, he knew that he made a lot of good choices. His life was looking up. His life was looking good and he couldn't have been more pleased with himself.

He had married the woman of his dreams.

All because of a crazy little thing called love.

End Author's Notes:

Thank you to everyone who read this story and reviewed. It is technically a standalone but as I said, it can also be considered the prequel for my Beginning Series. If you would like to see more of James and Lily, please move onto to that one.

The story keeps going in A Different Beginning…

Sneak Peek at Chapter One of A Different Beginning…

Four months later…

James Potter stepped into the kitchen of Potter Manor, yawning as he rubbed a hand over the rough stubble on his face. He hadn't shaved in three days and it was starting to get annoying and slightly itchy. This seemed to be the way it always happened. He would get too lazy to shave, decide to grow a beard, and shave it off after a few days when it got to be really annoying.

He grinned when he saw the beautiful redhead sitting at the table in the kitchen, chatting absently with one of the Potter's long time house elves, Abby.

He still couldn't believe that he had actually married Lily Evans! After everything that he had done to try to get a hold of her at school, she was finally his. He loved her more than anything in the world. Her hair was a gorgeous auburn colour that actually had hints of chestnut in it when it hit the light. Lily had told him that he was probably the only person to notice such a silly thing about her hair; but he didn't care. He had spent hours staring at her hair during classes when they had been in school. But it was her eyes that had done him in… emerald green and almond shaped… the first time that he had looked into those eyes his first impression had been, 'Wow.' Of course, he hadn't been interested in girls at the time, but he had still been in love with those eyes. Then around thirteen, he had taken one look at Lily Evans and fallen head-over-heels. His heart had simply pooled at his feet… not that he would admit to something as foolish and lame as that, of course.

But that's exactly what had happened.

His best mates, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew had teased him about it. Especially Sirius, who knew the exact moment that James had fallen for Lily Evans. Lily on the other hand, had found him egotistical, arrogant, self-centred, a bully and… well, a downright prat. If he was completely honest with himself, she had been exactly right. He had been everything that she had accused him of, and more. She hadn't even given him the time of day until the middle of their sixth year at Hogwarts. Then, James had seemed to… mellow out enough for her taste. In other words, he had grown up which was exactly what Lily had been waiting for.

[…]

James walked over and gently placed his lips on his wife's neck. "I missed you."

Lily laughed, turning her head to smile at him. Her smile made him ache in all of the appropriate places. "Mmm, I missed you too, handsome."

James smiled, scooped her up out of the chair and kissed her softly. "I'm glad. I had a tough day at work."

"Why?"

James shrugged, "Lots of paperwork and stuff. I mean, I'm still technically an Auror in training, but with this awful war going on, they're letting people in like crazy! I mean Alastor basically told me today that I am now a full-time Auror and will be on call twenty-four/seven. However, the first thing that I had to do as a full-time Auror was hours and hours of paperwork! I hate paperwork! It's like being back in school and getting stuck with hours of homework all over again! It was dreadful!"

Lily smirked and ran her fingers through his messy hair as if hoping to tame it. "Oh, you poor, baby," she murmured as she covered his face in kisses. "What a hard life you live."

James nodded and pouted. "I know; hold me."

Lily slapped him playfully. "Prat." Then she kissed him again. "And I know exactly what you mean. Alastor told me this morning that I am also no longer in training with the Order. He wasn't too pleased that I took the afternoon off. I think he's going to have me doing double the amount of work tomorrow because of it. Constance and I are working as quickly as we can."

"Why did you take the afternoon off? I didn't get a chance to ask you when you told me that you were leaving," James asked, carrying his wife into the living room and cuddling her down onto his lap, both of them oblivious to Abby's knowing smile as she watched them leave the kitchen completely entranced in each other.

She grinned, her eyes twinkling in delight. "I had to go to St Mungo's for an appointment."

"What for? Are you sick?"

Lily laughed, kissing him softly as her eyes twinkled in mischief now. "I have been."

James' hazel eyes instantly filled with worry as he held her hands in his. "Why haven't you said anything? Are you all right? Did something happen? Do you need anything? Can I do anything? I could have gone with you. Is it serious? Are you hurting? Are you —?"

"JAMES!"

"What?" he asked with a bewildered look on his face.

Lily smiled. "I'm fine. I just wanted to check on something. We've had a tough year and I thought maybe that I was getting a touch of the flu or something."

James nodded. "Yeah we have. And you're not telling me something. Lily, did something happen? Are you all right? Was it the flu?"

"I know that I'm keeping something from you," Lily replied, snuggling herself comfortably in his lap. "I will tell you, I promise. It's nothing to worry about. James, we've been married for how long now?"

"Four months and ten days."

Lily laughed. "Counting love?"

He grinned. "Always." When she smiled, he brought their joined hands up to his lips. "I've wanted you for years, how could I forget? We married on the first of September, 1979, exactly two months after we finished our seventh year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I've loved you every single day for at least the last five to six years. The first time I saw you I was eleven years old and I remember looking into your incredible green eyes and just thinking, 'Wow.' I love you, Lily Potter."

She smiled, cupping his face gently in her hands before she kissed him long, slow, and soft. "I love you too, Jamie. I remember hating myself in school for being so incredibly attracted to you. I just didn't understand how I could be attracted to someone I despised so much. I think I started falling for you around second year. I cursed myself daily. I remember thinking, 'What is wrong with me? How can I be so attracted to such an irresponsible and immature prat?' Especially one that caused flocks of girls to just fall at his feet at the smallest little smile; I was so jealous of that. Then I just turned you down because the last thing I wanted was to be another one of James Potter's girls. I was afraid that you would use me and toss me aside. But then you smartened up and became the wonderful man that you are now, even though you still have a bit of that prat in you. But I know that it's part of who you are and well, frankly, I've always loved that mischief maker side to you. I love you."

He grinned and kissed her softly. "I always knew that you couldn't resist me."

Lily rolled her eyes, a half-smirk/ half-smile on her face. "Ego, James, ego."

[…]

"Yeah, my ego does take over from time to time, but you love me."

Lily smiled at him. "Yes, I love you. We've been through so much, James. Our lives have hardly been easy. We grew up during a time of war and we're still living it. It seems like our happiness is the rainbow during a storm of tragedies. My parents were murdered by Death Eaters the night of my sister's wedding. Your parents were killed by Voldemort himself two months later. And my Nana… cancer took her after I only just found her. Ever since my parents were killed, Petunia has distanced herself from me more and more; has barely spoken to me since our wedding. She wants nothing more to do with me and nothing to do with the magical community," Lily explained as she stood up and began to pace back and forth as she was speaking.

"Her husband is…" she shuddered for a moment, a frown coming over her face. "Vernon is a horrid man, but she loves him for some unknown reason! And all of this can be blamed on Voldemort and this stupid war. Her distance from me, her only remaining family, is all because I'm a witch. Our parents never would have been killed otherwise. I know it, and she resents me because she knows it too. They were just Muggles, ordinary Muggles living their day-to-day lives. But now they're gone and through circumstances beyond my control, I've lost Petunia as well," Lily stated as she threw her hands up in the air. She took a deep breath and began pacing again.

"It's not only you and I that are suffering, James. Remus' transformations are getting worse. If we didn't drag him back to us every once in a while when his transformation gets a little too much out of control I think that he would be lost and that he might even go into a state of depression. He is suffering more than anyone at the moment. With all of the werewolf laws being discussed… his life could get a lot harder. The war is only making things worse. He doesn't let anyone in. If a woman starts to get too close, he runs for the hills, breaking things off before he gives himself a chance. I worry about him and he needs us more then he realizes. He's hardly been on a date with anyone since he broke up with Violet. Sirius is… well, playing the field, I suppose. He's very wild and I don't think that he has a clue about what he wants to do when he grows up. But I don't worry about Sirius too much. He can take care of himself. Peter's father was killed and now he's struggling to make ends-meet so that he can support his mother and he's still with Erica, who I still can't trust. You're only one of the many who basically became an instant Auror without the full proper training, which you only get during our limited spare time."

Tears began to fall from Lily's eyes and down her cheeks. "We're not the only ones who have been forced into this war. Remus and Sirius have, and I know a few others have, as well. Everyone we know is in the Order and none of us are really safe. The war has intensified and people are dying. I feel like we haven't had a shred of happiness in our lives since we married and I feel like happiness will never truly return as long as Voldemort is out there. I know I'm rambling, James, but… how can we be so happy during such terrible times?" Lily sat down next to James as she finished, dropping her hands into her lap.

James nodded, taking her hands in his. "Lily, we have each other. This war has taken a toll on all of us and on those we love, but we have each other and that's important. We can be happy. We're only eighteen, love, and we're happily married. Even with this war going on we're working to be happy, that's all we can really do."

Lily nodded and bit her bottom lip as she slid her fingers into her husband's hair. "I know and I know something that's going to make us even happier. It wasn't exactly planned, but these things happen when they're supposed to."

"What's that?" James asked, grinning at the smile that his wife had on her face.

"I'm pregnant."

"You — really?"

Lily laughed. "Yes. I'm due the first week of August. And guess what? Alice and Frank just found out that they're having a baby around the same time. Alice was at the hospital today too. Our babies can be playmates together."

James grinned, laughing as he covered his wife's face in kisses. "I'm going to be a Da?"

"Yup."

"That's wonderful! So that's why you went to St Mungo's! Are you all right? Do you feel okay? Do you want me get you something? My Da always said that my Mum wanted crackers and cheese when she was pregnant with me. And I think I heard something about weird cravings as well. Cravings like peanut butter and shrimp or chocolate covered pickles — you don't want anything like that do you? You need to rest or sleep or something."

Lily grinned. "No, James… I want you."

He smiled, scooping her up into his arms as he kissed her deeply, sliding his hands up into her hair. "I love you."

Lily smiled up at him. "I love you too, Jamie."

Then she laughed when he Disapparated, appearing in the master bedroom and dropping her down onto the bed with a wicked grin on his face. "Let me show you how much."

She grinned, sliding her hands up the shirt that he wore and over his lean muscles. "I was hoping that you would say that."

Then she crushed her lips to his and surrendered herself willingly to his touch.

Thank you for reading and please review!