You Only Live Once

CHAPTER 41

The big day had finally arrived. It was the day everyone had been waiting for, a rare pocket of happiness and glory in a world that felt increasingly dark. Lily and James's wedding was a massive affair, with five hundred guests invited to the grounds of Potter Manor. Fleamont and Euphemia—or Monty and Mia, as those close to them called them—had gone all out for their only son. They wanted him to have a celebration that felt like a fortress against the war raging outside.

Lily's family had arrived the night before. While her parents were lovely, gentle people, Mira couldn't help but think there was no way Petunia and Lily were raised by the same humans. Mira understood the root of Petunia's bitterness, but seeing it in person was a different challenge entirely. It took everything in her not to throw a punch when the elder Evans sister made a snide comment about the "abnormal" decor.

Vernon Dursley had arrived on the morning of the wedding, trailing behind Petunia like a dark cloud. He entered alongside Marlene, Peter, and Remus, and he made sure to openly judge everything he saw. He sneered at the sprawling manor, the enchanted garden, the silverware, and even James's glasses. He had a particular look of disdain for Sirius's long hair and Mira's choice of bold, blood-red lipstick. Everyone did their best to ignore him, determined to keep the mood joyful, but Vernon didn't take well to being overlooked. With a huff, he took Petunia's hand and strutted out into the garden to "find their seats," despite the fact that the ceremony wasn't due to start for another two hours.

By the time thirty minutes remained before the ceremony, the garden was buzzing. Mira stood by the entrance with Monty and Mia, greeting a sea of witches, wizards, and the occasional confused Muggle relative. She smiled until her cheeks ached, showing people to their rows of white chairs. Finally, she decided it was time to check on the stars of the show.

She went to see Lily first. Lily had chosen to get ready in Mira's bedroom, citing all the fond memories they had shared within those four walls. Mira reached out to knock, but a voice from inside stopped her.

"It's your own room, Rosie. You don't have to knock"

Mira pushed the door open and leaned against the frame, a smirk playing on her lips. "How in the world did you know it was me?"

"Everyone else had already come up to check on me, and I knew you were downstairs greeting people until two minutes ago. I put two and two together" Lily explained, turning away from the mirror.

"You also took your chances" Mira countered.

"Sure did"

Lily was usually the most composed person Mira knew. Whether it was a difficult potion or a heated debate, Lily's words were always exact and certain. But standing there in her white lace dress, her red hair pinned back with delicate white flowers, she looked fragile. Her hands were trembling slightly as she smoothed the fabric of her skirt.

"Do you love him?" Mira asked suddenly. She wanted to pull Lily out of her head and back into her heart.

Lily's expression softened immediately, though her voice stayed tight with nerves. "I regret not loving him sooner. I wasted all that time in school being stubborn, and now we don't even know how much time we have left. It's all quite scary—"

"It'll all be fine" Mira interrupted, crossing the room in three quick steps to pull her friend into a tight hug.

Lily let out a shaky breath and clung to Mira. They stayed like that for a long moment, the silence of the room acting as a buffer against the noise of the hundreds of guests downstairs. It was a rare moment of peace.

"We'll become sisters" Lily whispered into Mira's ear with a small, delighted laugh.

"Well... technically... we-" Mira started to pull back, her logical brain wanting to explain the family tree.