“Oh that’s horrible!” gasped Cassie, picking up that morning’s Daily Prophet as she cooked dinner, seeing a picture of a pile of bodies on the front page, along with the caption:
MUGGLE FAMILY ATTACKED: SIX PEOPLE DEAD
She read it as she cooked, wand in one hand as she waved it at the pasta.
Yesterday evening another family of Muggles was found dead, this time in Lancashire. The family of four, two parents and two young children, were found dead in their home along with two elderly Muggles believed to be their grandparents. This is the fourth attack on Muggles this month, believed to be another unprovoked murder by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his Death Eaters. The Muggle police are treating it as another murder by the ‘serial killer’ who is supposedly roaming loose in the Midlands, but the Ministry is continuing to put their efforts into finding the true perpetrators.
Once again, the Ministry begs readers of the Daily Prophet not to take any unnecessary risks, to report any suspicious behaviour to the Auror Department and to familiarise themselves with the symptoms of various charms, hexes and spells the Death Eaters use. It is only by keeping yourselves safe that the Ministry is able to keep you safe.
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“You look amazing Lily!” said Cassie as Lily spun around in front of Cassie, her white dress swirling around her feet.
“Are you sure?” Lily asked, her nerves showing through.
“Of course I’m sure Lily! You look absolutely beautiful!” Cassie said as she zipped up her dress and looked at herself in the mirror. It was gorgeous, a floor length and floaty pale silver dress with one shoulder and an intricate beaded band around her waist. Not even this, however, could come close to Lily’s dress. She was wearing a simple strapless dress with a thin overskirt which was hemmed with lace and had a number of flowers embroidered on the bodice; over this she wore a small lace jacket embroidered with more flowers and with three-quarter length sleeves and the overall effect was stunning. Lily’s long red hair was partially held back in a loose bun and she had a number of lightly curled loose strands trailing around her face.
“I just wish my mother was here to see this,” Lily said wistfully. “I don’t understand why she got to see Petunia’s and not mine.”
“I know, yours is going to be much nicer as well,” said Cassie with a smile. “Don’t cry,” she murmured as she tried to hug Lily without creasing her dress, “you’ll ruin your makeup.” Lily laughed and smiled at Cassie. “I’m so glad you’re here Cass and I’m sorry I’ve been so hard to live with these past few months,” she whispered as Cassie reassured her that she didn’t mind in the slightest. Suddenly the portrait in the corner shouted, “Hurry up or you’ll be late!” and shunted them out of the room.
They hurried down the stairs and out of the door, desperately trying not to trip over their dresses as they stepped outside into the early summer sunshine, walking slowly towards the small church. Lily seemed to get more nervous with each step, until she was shaking.
“Why are you so nervous Lil?” asked Cassie, taking her hand and smiling at her. “Getting cold feet? Regretting your decision to marry the most annoying man on earth?”
Lily smiled weakly. “It’s just everything’s going to change now, isn’t it? What are you going to do? Where will you live?”
“I’ll probably just stay in the flat. I don’t know. I think the more important question is where you’ll live!”
“Oh my god, I’m actually getting married. To James Potter!”
“Yeah, I remember when you used to hate him, life was so entertaining,” said Cassie nostalgically, succeeding in making Lily laugh.
“He used to be so horrible! And when he messed up his hair…”
“He still does that now Lils!”
“Well… it’s less annoying now.”
“Ready?” Cassie said as they reached the churchyard.
“No, but I suppose I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”
“You’ll be fine Lily. You love James, that’s all you need,” Cassie murmured as she helped Lily adjust her veil. Cassie waved her wand at the church doors before standing in front of Lily, giving her one last encouraging smile before walking down the aisle. The congregation was extremely small, only a few close friends filling the pews while James and Sirius stood at the end of the aisle. James gasped quietly as Lily entered the church, members of the congregation smiling happily as they looked on at the bride, marrying the person they had believed least likely during their time at Hogwarts.
“We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of two faithful souls…” said the small wizard who was leading the ceremony, as James took Lily’s hand and smiled at her, his eyes glowing with happiness. Cassie grinned cheekily at Sirius, James’ best man, as she watched two of her best friends get married and he winked back in return. As the elderly wizard said, “I declare you bonded for life,” a shower of stars fell from his wand and over the couple.
“Congratulations!” exclaimed Cassie as she threw herself on James and Lily after the ceremony.
“I can’t believe we’re actually married!” said Lily, tears clinging to her eyelashes.
“Aw don’t cry Lils,” said Sirius, “when they say bonded for life they don’t actually mean it. You can always leave James if he gets to be too much.” James hit Sirius before turning away to talk to Lupin. “You’re always free to come and live with us.”
“Us?” she asked, confused.
“Yeah, Cass and I.”
“We’re moving in together?” Cassie exclaimed in surprise. “I didn’t know that!”
“Well I kind of thought that since Lily will probably move out… unless you want James to move in, which is never the best option, and I can tell you that from experience…”
“Is this you asking me to move in with you? Because I don’t really think that you’re doing it right.”
“You have to actually ask her!” said Lily as she grabbed a breath during her fit of laughter.
“Will you move in with me Cassie?” asked Sirius, a small grin on his face.
“No.”
“What?” Sirius said, his mouth hanging open.
“I’m only joking. Of course I will, but we’ll have to actually plan this first!” laughed Cassie as Mary walked over to them.
“It was amazing Lil, so pretty. And you look beautiful,” said Mary, before the music of their first dance began to play and James led Lily to the floor. Not long afterwards, other couples joined the floor and Sirius spun Cassie around, her bridesmaid dress swirling around her feet. “I didn’t have time to tell you earlier, but you look beautiful,” he said, leaning down to kiss her.
“Thanks,” she smiled. “Guess you don’t look half bad yourself,” she said with a smirk as he whirled her onto the small dance floor.
Sirius wrapped his arms around her, holding Cassie close as he inhaled her perfume deeply, loving the feel of her in his arms as they swayed in time to the music. Cassie placed her arms around Sirius’ neck, before giving in to the temptation and running her hands lightly through Sirius’ soft hair, the slight curls springing back into place quickly. “I remember when you used to have it so long, up until the beginning of sixth year. It was always hanging in your eyes,” she said with a small chuckle.
“Yeah but it got a little annoying after a while… I don’t know, we’ll see. I might grow it back again in the future. It was never that long though!”
“Well obviously it was never as long or as crazy and untameable as Prongs’ but… it was getting there,” she smirked, her eyes gleaming as she smiled up at him from where she was cocooned in his arms, pressed against his warm chest. Burying her nose in his shirt she breathed in deeply, savouring the spicy and mouth watering scent which hung around him, clinging to him and his clothes like dewdrops to grass in the early morning.
Later on in the evening Cassie pulled a small camera out of nowhere.
“Where did you get that?” asked Lily curiously.
“You know… around. Anyway, close up or I won’t be able to fit all of you in,” she said as she motioned for Lily and James to get closer together, James wrapping his arm around Lily as Sirius stood beside them, Moony and Wormtail on either side. “Ok come on, squish up. I want a picture of all of you so that I know who to avoid when you turn up at my house,” Cassie said, making them grin and Sirius let out a bark of laughter as the camera flashed.
“Oh you’ll never get rid of us Cassie!” he smirked as he grabbed her, holding her to his chest.
“No! No! I need a drink! Lily, make your husband get me some champagne!”
“You know what to do James,” she said with a grin as he waved his wand, Summoning a bottle of champagne over to them and conjuring a number of champagne flutes. “Cheers then!” he said once he had poured a glass for everyone.
“May you retain a small bit of your sanity by the end of it,” said Lupin with a smile.
Cassie laughed. “I think that you ought to be more worried about me! I’m the one who’ll be living with him!” she said, pointing to Sirius who immediately pulled a face at her.
Cassie was looking at everyone around her when Lily walked over. “It’s amazing Lil!” she said with a smile. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
A strange look crossed Lily’s face and she smiled weakly. “You haven’t seen Petunia and Vernon anywhere have you?” she asked, looking as if she was trying not to cry.
“No, sorry,” Cassie said, “they might have just slipped past me but…”
“No it’s fine, they probably aren’t here… I’m sure that… Petunia’s very busy or was going to come but the traffic’s bad or…”
“Ssh don’t cry Lily, you’ll ruin your makeup,” Cassie teased as she hugged Lily. “They’d only ruin it anyway Lil, they’re not wizards and Vernon is downright unpleasant; you’re better off without them.”
“Does- does Petunia hate me Cassie?” she hiccupped as Cassie rejected the idea vehemently. “Of course she doesn’t Lily! No one could ever hate you! She’s probably just been held up and she’ll turn up soon,” she comforted; however, her words proved wrong, neither Petunia nor Vernon arriving before the end of the reception.
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