GALAXIES | r. lupin (2)

CHAPTER NINE

"I THINK I'M GOING to cry," Althea observed herself in the mirror in a bright green dress, puffy sleeves and an even puffier skirt. She looked over at Remus, who looked like he was having trouble keeping in the laughs, "I look like a crossover of sour apple sweets and little Bo Peep."

He sniggered in his corner - of course he looked fine in a suit and tie, and she was stuck in the classic ugliness of bridesmaid dresses. "I think Lily is trying to torture you."

"You'd think, wouldn't you?" she sighed, grabbing a jacket and keys and preparing to leave the house, "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

"Just the words your date likes to hear." he deadpanned.

They walked over, Althea doing her very best to not be bothered by the odd glances she was receiving, pudding her lips at the hushed laughter from some girls across the street. She loved Lily with all her heart, really, but she was having trouble in that particular moment remembering quite why.

The reception was held in the large green areas surrounding the Order's Headquarters. They had set up a flower arch down by the gazebo, some ballons and fold-out seats, as well as pedestals and wicker baskets full of lilies. James' idea, no doubt.

For the man who bought a handful of expensive brooms for the sake of a single game of quidditch, the wedding seemed relatively... Simple. Any more would ruin the intimacy of such a thing, no doubt, but more seemed like just the thing James would want. Althea guessed Lily reined him in - and good thing she did, because the scene was simply beautiful. Both of their different tastes that went into the wedding seemed to make quite a combination.

"I suppose this is where we part, for now." Althea sighed, looking to Remus with a half-smile as she looked around for the bride and the rest of the bridesmaids.

"Finally you can find people who are suffering as much as you are in that dress." His eyes twinkled mischievously.

"And you're stuck with the rest of the groomsmen, looking absolutely dashing." she pouted, but her eyes darted quickly across his body and then back up as if nothing happened. "Simply tragic."

He grinned, ushering her inside to see Lily. She was greeted with the pleasant view of Alice in the same dress Althea was cursed with, though Marlene (as the maid of honour) was been granted the opportunity to look beautiful in a sleek red dress.

Lily, however, outshone all of them. She was sat at the counter while Marlene did up her hair in elaborate braids, and she was wearing the dress they'd bought a few months back. While it took a lot to make Althea properly, really proud, Lily had managed it.

"You look incredible!" Althea gushed, throwing herself at Lily's feet.

"Whoa, hold on there, Thea, I'm not a goddess to worship." She laughs, Marlene telling her off for moving her head.

"Extremely arguable." Alice sipped some champagne.

"Wow, already out with the champagne?" Althea pursed her lips to hide her grin, pouring herself a glass and taking a seat opposite Lily.

"We have like, ten bottles. Nobody's going to miss one."

"Wouldn't be so sure," Marlene muttered, hands working quickly through Lily's thick hair. They faltered for a moment, hesitant, and she pursed her lips. "How do you... know?" Her hands resumed their previous pace, as if nothing had happened. Lily looked confused, her brows furrowed.

"Know what?" She asked, but Althea knew the answer to the questions before they even left Marlene's lips.

"He's the one you want to spend the rest of your life with. Isn't that a bit... scary?"

Althea stared down at the bottom of her glass, tracing the rim with her finger. Without looking up, she replied in Lily's place, voice pensive and faraway. "It's a feeling. In the pit of your stomach. You'll know when you know, it's hard to miss."

And then, as if snapping out of a trance, she looked up at each of them with wide eyes and then back down at her glass abashedly. "Sorry," she muttered.

"Don't be." Lily replied, lips curling into a small, knowing smile, "I'd say that was pretty accurate."

*

Even the second time around, the decor didn't cease to amaze Althea. To take a place so very ordinary, a place they'd had a Quidditch match in a week prior and to turn it into something out of a bridal catalogue was a feat in itself. Seeing it so full of guests just seemed right, even if the numbers were small, they were sat shoulder to shoulder and all staring up at the groom as if they'd never seen the man before.

Music started playing softly in the background and Althea took this as her queue to move. Taking Remus' arm in her own in one swift movement, whispering something in his ears that made him blush, and then moving up the aisle, followed by Alice and Peter, then Sirius and Marlene. Althea pretended not to notice Dorcas eyeing Marlene up with every step - it suddenly made sense why Lily chose to put Marlene in such a pretty dress.

And then, as Althea reached the top of the isle, she saw Lily in her gorgeous gown step up to the aisle. The look in James' eyes, oh if she could take a picture she would and then show Lily the kind of man she was marrying, because he looked desperately in love with her. As she stepped onto the stage, she beamed at her husband-to-be and Althea couldn't help but notice that she'd never seen her smile so wide before.

"Repeat after me," the officiator started, "I, Lily, take thee, James as my husband."

"I, Lily, take thee James as my husband..."

"To have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer."

"To have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer."

"In sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part."

"In sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part."

He turned to James, and Althea stifled a yawn, "I, James, take thee, Lily as my wife."

"I, James, take thee, Lily as my wife."

"To have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer."

"To have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer."

"In sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part."

"In sickness and in health, to love and to cherish..." he gave her a look of adoration and gently kissed her hand, "and even death will not part us."