Work Text:
“Do you like it?”
James looked up into the mirror and studied his reflection. These were his dress robes for the wedding.
Which was in an hour.
They had to be perfect.
Something about the robes made James feel off as if they weren’t his robes.
“Prongs?”
James looked at his best mate, his best man. “Pads.”
He loved that even now, just by his tone, Sirius understood what he needed to convey with no words. James turned back toward the mirror and began to run his fingers over the fabric. He needed something —he just didn’t know what.
“Tell me what you need, Prongs, and I’ll make it happen.”
James swallowed hard, unable to speak, unable to run words together to make a coherent sentence.
“Everything is perfect. The floral arrangements, the caterers are here and the food reminds me of Effie’s cooking. The guests are happy about the open bar…I mean it Prongsie, everything is perfect.”
“If everything’s so perfect then why do I feel like this?” James whispered softly, “We’re in the middle of a war. Whose bright idea was it to get married in the middle of a fucking war?”
“Erm, yours, James,” Remus said with warm laughter, “I believe your exact words were, “Why wait? We could all die tomorrow” and so here we are.”
There was a knock on the door, and in popped two faces James was relieved to see.
“Oh thank Merlin. How is he?”
Evan smiled. “Perfect.”
James swallowed a lump in his throat. “And how is she?”
Pandora beamed at James. “She’s beautiful.”
James sighed with relief. “Okay, okay perfect.”
“James is panicking,” Sirius pointed out to the pair of them, who continued to study James with intense gazes. They both smiled, Pandora walked into the room and adjusted James’s tie. “Well, today is his wedding day.”
James smiled at Pandora. “Do you like it? The robes? Something feels … off.”
Pandora’s smile was soft. “Your question really is, will they like it? And I believe so. You look dashing, James Potter. It's called nerves. You are marrying the loves of your life in the midst of a war trying to tear you three apart. Nerves are to be expected. The real question is, do you like it? The future you see with both of them?”
James didn’t even hesitate. “Do I like it? I love it, Pandora.”
Barty pushed his way inside the room. “Oh big brother, baby brother is having a slight meltdown, care to step in?”
“And they call me the dramatic one. Yes, yes, of course, lead the way.”
Sirius entered the room where his baby brother was pacing back and forth. “Reggie.”
“Oh Sirius, thank Merlin you’re here,” Regulus cleared his throat, “I need you to give this to her for me.” Regulus reached into his breast pocket and handed Sirius a small envelope. “How is he?”
Sirius laughed, “James? He’s perfect.”
Regulus couldn’t help the small rosy flush to his cheeks that appeared at the mention of his soon-to-be husband’s name. Sirius merely smiled at his younger brother, “I’ll bring this to her and come right back, stop pacing, and no more scrunching your face. You’ll get wrinkles.”
Sirius knocked on her door and when he heard her speak he opened the door, his lips slowly formed a smile that met his eyes.
Lily Evans stood in a beautiful ivory gown with textured tulle, three rows of beads under her bust that stopped right at the bottom of her waist, it had a plunging ruched illusion v-neckline, and matching sleeves that had the same three rows of beads starting at the base of her wrist. Her veil was still hanging on its hanger and her hair was curled and pinned up, some curls cascaded down and framed her face. Her piercing emerald eyes only looked brighter today.
She seemed brighter today.
“Do you like it?”
Sirius wiped away a stray tear. “No, I love it Lils, you look extraordinary.”
“Will they like it?” She turned back toward the mirror and inspected herself one more time.
“Lily, they are going to faint when they see you walking down that aisle. I have something for you, from groom number two.”
Lily giggled at the name but took the envelope all the same. She knew this handwriting, knew it like the back of her hand. She flipped it over and pulled out a small note along with a sixpence.
Lily,
For the prosperity of our marriage.
“No crying! You’ll mess up your makeup Lily and I, for one, do not want to be murdered on your wedding day.”
Lily sniffled with a smile. “He remembered.”
“Of course he did. You know how he feels about traditions, Lils.”
Sirius kissed Lily on the cheek. “I’ll see you down there.”
Sirius opened Regulus’s door and found him sitting on the edge of the bed, “you remembered.” Regulus looked up at his brother. “Her traditions are important to her, of course, I did. I love her, Sirius.”
Sirius took a seat next to his baby brother. “Do you like it? The idea of marrying them both?”
“Like it? I love it, Sirius,” Regulus smiled softly, “I can’t picture a life without either of them. James is the sun, he’s so warm and inviting and just filled with so much love. James just brightens everyone he’s around, he’s banished away my darkness, Sirius. I no longer feel as if I’m doomed to live a life without light.”
Sirius took his brother’s hand. “And Lily?”
“Lily…Lily is the sky. She holds us all up, holds us together. Both in times of light and darkness, she is always there. Her smile, the way she snorts when she laughs too hard, the way that she held me together in times when I felt as if I were falling apart at the seams. Her love changed me. If James’s love brightens me, then it’s Lily’s love that steadies me.”
“Where do you fit in all of this little brother?”
“Dearest brother, I am the stars,” Regulus squeezed his brother’s hand gently. “In times of darkness, I provide the light to guide us, to navigate us through what wishes to consume us whole. James and Lily taught me that. They taught me even in times of great darkness, there is always light somewhere, you just have to know where to look. They are my light, as I am theirs.”
There was a soft knock on the door and Remus popped his head in. “It’s time.”
Sirius stood and brought his little brother into a tight embrace. “You once asked me if I liked it, you, James, and Lily all being together and I remember evading the question.” Sirius pulled back and rested his hands on his brother’s shoulders, “I don’t just like it, I love it. Now I can’t go giving away my best man speech too early, but you’ll know why I love it so much very soon, baby brother.”
James stood in his room and took several deep breaths, the beating of his heart strong and steady.
He was ready.
Lily’s veil was placed and when she turned to look in the mirror, she took her own breath away.
She was ready.
Regulus closed his eyes and allowed himself to imagine their future together, and when he heard a lingering unknown voice ask him,
“ Do you like it?”
Regulus smiled and whispered to himself, “No, I love it.”
And now, he too was ready.