The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix - Part One

The Vows

"Today, we are gathered together to celebrate love," Albus Dumbledore said, and he raised his palms to indicate James and Lily, who stood facing one another, eyes wide and locked, lit by the glow of a hundred flickering lanterns. A large, unlit candle stood on a squat table before Dumbldore and he lifted it now and held it aloft. "A precious and precarious thing is love; unpredictable, fierce, and wild... a flame... a light..." Dumbledore waved his fingers over the top of the candle and a flame burst forth on the wick.

He held out the candle before him. "It comes with a price, as do all good things... for love is patient, love does not give up. Love protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres through the darkest night."

Lily blinked, recognizing the words, and glanced at Albus as he recited words that could be found on the pages of the Magique Amore books, written in the ancient runes that Remus had helped her to translate. How much did Dumbledore know about Magique Amore? Had he studied it, too?

James couldn't take his eyes from her, even when she looked away, all he did was notice that she had on that old necklace he'd given her a thousand days ago, the one shaped like the head of a stag.

"Love - true love - sacrifices and gives of itself to others, building others up with encouragement, gentleness, peace, kindness, hope... When things seem to be impossible, love holds on and finds a way through, so that when one says that they love another, and they mean it with their full heart and soul, they form not two people but one. The heart of them strives for the happiness of the other and when one is happy so is the second... there is never any lack or any need for what one gives the other receives and gives back to the first. Together, this strand is not easily broken, but it is strengthened through trust and trial, through thick and thin... And it is just such a love to which we bear testimony tonight." Dumbledore paused, then asked, "Do you, Lily Evans, intend tonight to take upon yourself an unbreakable vow to love and cherish James Potter with all of your heart, soul, strength, and mind?"

Lily nodded and whispered, "Yes, I do."

 Dumbledore asked, "And you freely enter into this vow, without reservations or force, intending to uphold your end of the promise being made?"

"Yes," Lily answered.

Dumbledore held out the candle and Lily put her hands on the pillar.

He turned to James. "And you, James Potter, likewise tonight take upon yourself an unbreakable vow to love and cherish Lily Evans with all of your heart, soul, strength, and life?"

James's voice was low and thick. "Yes sir."

"You enter into this vow freely, without reservations or force, intending to up hold your end of the promise being made?"

"Yes sir," James said and he, too, put his hands on the candle so that his hands were cupped around Lily's and their eyes met up again, her green eyes meeting his brown ones, and she could feel the rush of emotions in him as his skin touched hers.

The flame on the candle burned higher and brighter upon his touch.

Dumbledore looked about the chapel. "Are there any whom object to this union being made? The time to speak has come - and will soon be gone... If silence is kept now, then silence shall be kept always."

Not a twich could be seen in the room. Not a single move was made.

"Very well," Dumbledore mused, and he nodded. "Then the vows shall be made."

Dumbledore raised his wand and rapped the place where their hands touched and from his wand there wove a bright golden thread that wrapped itself around and around their hands, over their fingers, around the candle. It ran up their wrists and into their forearms, glowing, and trailing back to Dumbledore's wand.