Perfectly Imperfect: Sequel to 'Siriusly' Black

Lily's Getting Married

I had been packing and unpacking for days now. I just couldn't decide what to bring. Finally I just emptied all the stuff in my drawers into my suitcase. tap, tap, tap The sound was coming from my window. I opened it to see Lily's snowy white owl, Figment.

"Thank you," I scratched Figment's head and untied the note tied to his leg. He pecked at my hand expectantly. "Oh, you want your seeds." I always fed Figment the sunflower seeds I had found in the kitchen when he came. He fluttered unto my shoulder and I rushed down the stairs into the kitchen. Sirius was waiting at the door.

"Are you ready to leave yet?" He was carrying a satchel over his shoulder.

"No, Lily's owl came with a note," I handed it to him. "Read it to me will you?" I opened the pantry door adn Figment swooped off my shoulder and unto the bag of seeds laying on the bottom shelf.

"Tori," Sirius began. "James and I have the best of news. We just can't wait for you to arrive. Remus will be out of town for a while. He says he'll be back by Christmas Eve. Sincerely, Lily." Figment had eaten his fill of seeds and was flying back upstairs, out my window.

"Accio suitcase," I called and my bag zoomed down the stairs narrowly missing Sirius's head. He ducked until I told him it was okay to stand back up.

"Let's go," he took my hand and we walked out into the street. The houses next to Sirius's squeezed back together making his house disappear. "You ready?" I said yes and we apparated. Apparation was always a horrible experience for me as you saw before. We arrived in front of Lily and James's house; Sirius strutted up to the front door and knocked on it while I disposed of my lunch in the street. There had to be an easier way to travel. I even wouldn't mind using Floo powder.

After my face turned back to it's normal color I wheeled my suitcase into the house. Sirius and James were talking in the sitting room and Lily was sitting on the stairs idly looking out the window. When she heard the door open and close she ran over and started to fuss over me.

"Tori, you look dreadful!" she said putting her hands on my shoulders. "Has Sirius been starving you? You look so skinny!" It was true, during the last weeks I had skipped many a meal to finish a house project I had been working on.

"No, we've been busy fixing up his house," I answered. "And apparating doesn't agree with my stomach." We laughed and she led me upstairs going on about how exciting it was that we were spending Christmas together.

"You won't mind if you share my room would you?" she opened a door and pointed inside.

"Please, Lily. I'm not that picky," I set my suitcase at the end of the cot she had set up for me and launched myself unto it. She sat on her bed and folded her arms.

"I have amazing news," she squealed. Honestly that's all I had been thinking about since Sirius read the letter to me. I propped myself up so I was looking at Lily.

"Yeah?"

"I'm engaged!" she put her hand under my nose showing off a beautiful diamond ring. How had I not noticed that before?

"Congratulations!" I was actually really jealous. But with Sirius, things can be confusing.

"I invited my family and James invited his. Sirius and Remus and Peter are going to be groomsmen. Some of my friends are going to be bridemaids but I wanted to know if you wanted to be my maid of honor. I mean since you did introduce me to my fiancee," Finally she stopped to take a breath and I nodded trying to soak it all in.

"Sure," I replied and she hugged me. That Christmas was the only time that I sat down and actually questioned if Sirius really loved me.. I was sitting in front of the fireplace staring into the flames. Everyone else had gone to bed given that it was Christmas Eve..... except me. My butterbeer had gotten cold a while ago so I just held it in between my legs.

Did he really love me? Or was he just being nice, offering me a place to stay. I honestly didn't know. He was too busy catching up with James to pay attention to me. Sometimes I wondered if he'd  want to be dating James rather than me.

Suddenly the door opened sending a cold chill up my spine and jolting me back from my thoughts. Remus stumbled in, full of snow. I ran over and helped him take off his overcoat. He was shivering badly so I hung his coat on the coat rack and led him into the armchair by the fire.