Down Memory Lane
They fell for what seemed like ages. When the world stopped spinning, all they could see was the lightning and the torrential downpour around them. Forgetting that they were in a memory and could not get wet, they ran toward the people that seemed to be dry gathered in the middle of a small field. What were they doing out in the middle of this mess? How were they managing to stay so dry?
When the four entered the dry area, they were amazed at the sight before them. There was a small group of about twenty people, gathered in what appeared to be a dome. Decorations were everywhere. It was bright and happy in here compared to the storm raging outside.
“Whoa,” Ron exclaimed softly.
“I think you mean ‘Wow” more likely,” Hermione supplied.
Ginny was so engrossed in a man across the room that she had not even heard what her brother and Hermione just said.
“Harry, that man… by the steps. He looks so much like you. It’s eerie. I don’t remember this taking place,” Ginny murmured to Harry.
Harry looked at the man intensely. He was dressed in midnight blue dress robes and was fidgeting and trying to calm his uncooperative hair. Realization was just dawning on Harry as everyone inside of the dome went silent and began to part so someone could move through. Harry broke his eyes away from the man at the step and turned around to see what had caused everyone to fall silent.
“Merlin, Ginny, is that you?” Ron asked, bewildered.
“It’s my mum,” Harry whispered in awe. “We must be at their wedding.”
Lily seemed to float into the small crowd. Her dress was full length, a soft cream creation. The lines of the dress caressed her body like a lover’s touch. There was no veil to cover the soft, red curls floating down her back to her waist. In those curls, her sister had strategically placed small flowers. The only jewelry was a chain that had a charm of a small lily on it, and her engagement ring. Lily held a single sterling rose in her hand, her angel sleeves flowing gracefully to her sides. She was truly a vision. She could not take her eyes off the man by the steps as she made her way toward him.
Harry’s eyes went back to his father. James had such an awestruck look on his face that Harry had to smile. James had eyes for no one else in the room. Lily was the only one that existed for him at the moment. All his nervousness appeared to melt away at the sight of his angel slowly making her way toward him. She captivated him. She looked like a goddess and he knew he would worship her for eternity.
The other members of the party quietly moved out of the center of the dome to form a circle around the couple and an older man. Harry took a moment to look at the older man. There was no mistaking, it was Dumbledore. He had a few auburn hairs mixed in with all the white, but the twinkling eyes were exactly the same.
“I am humbled by the sight of such beauty and the strength of the love in front of me. James and Lily have shown us that even in the darkest of times, love can not only survive, but thrive. I have watched these two grow from children. I watched as Lily rebuffed James for many years, only to see him try again and again to win her heart. In the end, he triumphed and gave his heart as well. Today we are here for the affirmation of that love and the ceremony that will bind them as husband and wife.”
Dumbledore made a small gesture and Sirius and Petunia stepped out of the crowd and walked softly into the center of the circle. The others moved soundlessly to fill the vacancies left in the circle.
“Petunia and Sirius, are you here today to stand with this couple in support of their choice?” Dumbledore asked with a smile.
“We are,” they replied in unison.
“Then let us begin. Lily, you have your own vows?” Dumbledore asked. Lily nodded. “Normally, I would ask that you join hands, but it seems as if you have beaten me there. But you might want to give your flower to Petunia so it does not get crushed.”
The small crowd laughed softly as Lily and James finally broke eye contact. She looked down at the rose in her hand and blushed as she handed it to Petunia. Petunia was lovely in her dress that was the same shade of purple as the sterling rose she now held in her hand. She smiled warmly at her sister and then turned back to man in front of her.
Lily took James’ hand in hers again and looked thoughtful for a moment. “You were such a prat when I first met you,” she began, looking up at James and blushing. Giggles and chuckles could be heard from all of the guests. “We were only eleven the first time you told me that I was going to be the one lucky enough to be your girlfriend. You tried to take my books out of my hands and instead they dropped, scattering across the hallway. You apologized and helped me pick them up, even though I was glaring at you with all the anger I felt inside. You didn’t let that deter you though. For years after that you kept trying, and I kept refusing. I was astounded by your arrogance, the way you picked on others. Then I realized it was not everyone you picked on, only ones that were bullies or thought themselves to be better than everyone else. I watched you. I saw you helping out the smaller children with their flying, or their homework. You wouldn’t even take their thanks. You didn’t realize how much a small amount of attention meant to a little boy who was homesick, or a little girl that had just experienced her first broken heart.” Lily had not realized that she was crying until James gently wiped the tear from her cheek.
“The more I tried to dislike you, the more I saw the good things. The loyalty to your friends astounded me. You couldn’t let them get in trouble without you, even if you were no where near them when they got caught at a prank. The more I watched the more you made me laugh, made me sigh, and made me fall in love with you. When we started dating I fell even more. The little things, the notes, holding my books, your jokes when things got tense, those all meant the world to me. Even though our world is shrouded in darkness at this time…today I promise my heart, my love, and my soul to you. I am always and forever yours, James,” Lily finished with a smile.
There was not a dry eye in the place. Lily had touched everyone in the room with her words. Even the four that were visiting the memory had their eyes misted in tears.
“Lily, I had my vows all worked out before the ceremony started. But how can I compete with that?” Everyone gave slight chuckles and giggles as James continued, “I stand here and look into the beautiful emerald eyes that have had me captivated since our first ride on the Hogwarts Express and fall more in love with you with each passing moment. I remember picking arguments with you when we were younger, just so I could see the flash in your eyes. You are so beautiful when you are angry. But even that pales to the vision that is before me now.
“Life is so uncertain. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring. But I do know this… I want to be your warmth when you are cold, your reason to laugh instead of cry. I will be your shelter from the storms of life,” James continued. At that moment, as if on cue, lightning flashed followed closely by the roar of the thunder. It was as if Nature, herself, was participating in the ceremony.
“I promise my heart, my soul, and my love to you. I am always and forever yours, Lily,” James said, his eyes glistening.
“Dora, come on dear. They need the rings!” Sirius whispered. A girl of about five stepped forward out of the circle. She had on a dress that matched Petunia’s. Her long dark hair stayed perfectly coifed until she realized that everyone was watching her. As she got more embarrassed, her hair began to rapidly change colors and lengths. As she got closer to the couple, she tripped on her own foot. A young man with intense blue-gray eyes jumped forward with lightning reflexes and caught her before she hit the ground.
Ginny giggled as she figured it out.
“Tonks,” she said. “Looks like Moony has been there to catch her longer than she knows.”
Hermione leaned over to Harry and whispered, “They look so much like you and Ginny. If I didn’t know any better, I would swear that I was watching the two of you exchange vows.”
Harry nodded slowly, a far off look in his eyes as he watched his parents. It was almost as if he had stepped into one of his dreams. He knew that his and Ginny’s relationship was too new to be thinking this way, but his dreams were a different story. This was what he saw when he dreamt of his future.
He was pulled back to the situation at hand by Dumbledore’s exclamation of, “You may now kiss the bride!”
As Lily and James’ lips touched, a ring of pure white light formed around them. It grew in intensity until it seemed to explode, knocking everyone within the dome off their feet, with the exception of the two kissing in the center. When they broke the kiss, everyone was astounded to see their hands wrapped in a stream of light, forming a figure eight on its side, the symbol of infinity.
There were gasps and mutterings of excitement.
“What’s wrong?” asked Harry.
“Well, the circle around the couple getting married represents the strength of the love present,” Hermione began explaining. “The more perfect the circle, and bright the light it emits, the stronger the love.”
“I’ve never seen one explode like that. It knocked everyone off their feet!” Ron added.
“If that wasn’t unusual enough, the infinity sign binding their hands sure is,” Ginny murmured, almost to herself. When she saw the look of confusion on Harry’s face she continued, “There is supposed to be a second ring of light around their hands, showing that the two are bound in marriage. The infinity symbol…they are bound for eternity. That’s very rare.”
“I always knew you two were soul-mates. You were both just too stubborn to see what everyone else did,” Sirius’ barking laughter could be heard all throughout the small dome.
As the memory began to fade, Ginny grabbed Harry’s hand. “You can come back any time you want now. You have the memory in the Pensieve,” she said quietly.
Harry nodded as everything around them began to lose it’s color. The teens were unceremoniously dumped into the floor of Harry’s room. They were back in the present and back at Potter Manor. They were still on the floor as Mrs. Weasley walked past the room.
“Good heavens! What happed here? Is that a Pensieve? What have you four been up to?” she was asking as she came into the room and began to help them up off the ground.
“Watching Harry’s parents getting married,” Ron mumbled.
Petunia chose this moment to follow Molly into the room. Harry explained about the Pensieve and the memories Dumbledore had given to go along with it.
“I remember. It was such a beautiful ceremony, wasn’t it Molly?” she asked as she looked over at Mrs. Weasley.
“You were there, Mum?” Ginny asked, looking at her mother.
“Oh yes, I was there. Fabian and Gideon had introduced your father and I to Harry’s parents. We all became quick friends. I was about eight months pregnant with the twins if I remember correctly. Not in any shape to be knocked off my feet by the light, I can assure you that!” she said with a giggle. She stepped over to the pensieve and peeked in. “They were so in love. And when you came along, Harry, you were the center of their world.”
“We were all so young then,” Petunia mused as she, too, looked into the bowl.
Molly shook herself from her memories and said, “Off to bed, all of you. We have a big day tomorrow, and I want you all well-rested.”
The four teens grumbled for a moment. Ron and Hermione followed Petunia and Mrs. Weasley from the room with choruses of “Goodnight” and “Happy Birthday.”
“Are you okay, Harry?” Ginny asked as she watched her boyfriend.
‘I’m fine,” he said, looking into her cinnamon eyes. ‘I’m just a bit overwhelmed. I kept picturing…I kept thinking it was…”
“Us?” she supplied, getting lost in his emerald eyes.
“Yes,” he said, letting out the breath he didn’t know he was holding.
“Someday it will be,” she stated as she kissed Harry goodnight and left him alone in his room.
Harry stood in the center of his room for a moment, a bit disoriented from all that had happened this evening. He then began to move about and get ready for bed.
His last thought before he slipped off into his dreams was, “I’m going to marry Ginny Weasley someday!”
A/N Part of the credit for the wedding scene goes to Ashwinder. After reading the wedding scene in one of her stories, I found I could not resist my own version of the same. If you have not read her stories, go, now, and read every single one of them.
A HUGE thanks to my Beta, CraftySlytherin. She has been great with the editing even though she and her family were struck by the flu last week! Thank you Heather!
This chapter is my baby. While it is shorter than some of my other chapters, I worked very hard to get the imagery just right. Please let me know that you think! For those that do not know: A sterling rose is a light purple rose that is absolutely gorgeous. They are not as rare as the used to be, but still…. I couldn’t resist them.
I am looking for a 2nd beta. Someone to help with editing, and possibly some ideas or corrections to current ideas. If you are interested, please contact me through the link on my bio. Must be strong in spelling and grammar. Thanks for reading.
Prophecy's Child by Katastrophe
Chapter Notes: Please let Ravensgryff Mod this chapter. If that is not possible, I ask the mod handling this to either read the rest of the story, or contact me for a bit of information before rejecting the chapter on reason of Canon. Thank you