QUATORZE

teddy & victoire lupin!

WHEN LILY SPOTTED Gael and Pierre Edwards on Platform 9 3/4, she suddenly knew that everything would be alright. She knew that they would give her expert advice, but most importantly, they were her parents and she loved them more than anything in the world.

After saying one last goodbye to her friends, she hurried over. They waited with open arms, which she gladly dove into after dropping her cases to the ground.

Pierre picked her up and spun her around, kissing her hair furiously. Then it was Gael's turn and he wrapped her in the biggest bear hug ever. 

"I missed you both so much," she whispered into Gael's chest.

"We missed you too, sweetie pie," Gael responded. 

"Did you get my letter?" She asked as she pulled away.

"Concernant le mariage avec le garçon?" Pierre asked.

"Oui, c'est une nuit. Le 21e," Lily affirmed. "Je promets qu'il n'essaierai rien." 

Pierre looked warily at Gael, who just nodded.

"D'accord, tu peux y aller," Pierre responded. Lily's face lit up and she jumped into his arms again.

Over her shoulder, he and Gael shared a look. She had never been excited about going anywhere, maybe to Hogwarts again, but never a wedding.

If they were remembering correctly, Lily Jane Edwards hated weddings. She found them awkward and yet here she was, overjoyed to go to one. 

They smiled at each other — they were glad that she had found someone to be this excited about. But did this mean they had to investigate? Of course! Gael and Pierre Edwards only wanted the best for their little girl.

"We have some news," Gael said cautiously as he picked up her bags and they started to walk out of the station.

"Did you guys have to move again?" Lily asked, thinking that must be the response.

"No, and Mrs. Hurst misses you and sends her love. But, your papa's brother has contacted us out of the blue," Gael explained.

"And he wants to mend our relationship," Pierre clarified.

"Oh," was all Lily could say.

"This means that we will be going to Paris to visit him. But this also means that you do not have to come, in fact, we may want you to stay here," Gael continued to explain.

"What? Why?" Lily asked as they reached the car. 

"Well, your uncle has been known to not be honest at all times and if he is trying to do something that may hurt your papa, in any sense, we want to keep you safe," Gael said.

"Dad, I'm not a child anymore, you don't have to hide things," Lily said sternly. Gael and Pierre looked at each other.

"When I came out, my brother was the only one who didn't support me," Pierre revealed. 

"What? I thought your parents were the ones that didn't approve?" Lily asked, visibly confused.

"At first, they were on the edge. But my brother, who I suspect was jealous that I had a larger inheritance, convinced them to hate me," Pierre explained. "He spouted false religious reasons and how it was against the will of God, and eventually, they became convinced that I was no longer worthy of being their son."

"Oh my god," Lily whispered as she got into the car.

"My brother, as kind as he once was, I have found is capable of terrible things and I'm not sure if I want you near him just yet. But, I'm not going to let this opportunity go by. Even though he did what he did, we still had the closest of bonds growing up and I'm hoping that maybe it could be salvaged," Pierre said, his voice laced with a note of melancholy. Lily nodded and Pierre saw through the rearview mirror as he backed out of King's Cross. 

"I don't know why you're trying to forgive him," Lily said after a few moments of silence.

"See, mon amour, even Lily disagrees with it," Gael said to Pierre, trying to reason with him.

"I've made up my mind, Gael. You can come with me or you can stay here," Pierre said, his gaze on the road hardening a little in his anger. 

Gael went silent for a moment, contemplating his options. 

"I'm not letting you go alone," he eventually said with determination. "Lily, doll, will you be alright on your own? We'll have some time together, just the three of us, but we have to go right around the time of your friend's wedding."

"Yes, of course. I'll invite some of my friends over for Christmas," Lily responded with a weak smile. Had she been looking forward to spending time with them over holiday? Yes. But she knew that this was important to Pierre. 

"Oh, Henry is it? And Stella?" Gael asked.

"Estelle," Lily corrected.

"Right. They're lovely and respectable. They were so nice when we met them at the station. I'm sure you could have a great Christmas together. During your spring holiday, I promise we will spend time together," Gael said. 

"Of course dad. But that just means we have to do everything now!" Lily exclaimed, changing the subject a little bit.

"That is true, once we get home, you go and rest, I'm sure you've had a long day. Your papa and I will go out to the market and get groceries and hot chocolate. While we're out, how about you set up Monopoly?" Gael proposed as they finally turned out of the city. 

Lily nodded enthusiastically causing Gael to chuckle a little. When she was at school, she was the Head Girl, but at home, with her parents, she could relax and become more childish. 

It was something that she got from her dad, she likes to think. He grew up, but he never stopped imagining. She sometimes thought that he may have been a children's book writer in a previous life and written about faraway lands with wizards and dragons. However, in recent years, the fairytales that she read as a child became to seem more like textbooks in disguise than anything else. 

They eventually switched on the radio, playing a Beatles song softly in the background as she struggled for the seventh year to explain magic to her parents.

To their credit, they were taking it in stride, but seeing as it was something extremely complex and not related to their everyday life, they forgot almost everything each year.

Once they arrived home, Pierre brought in Lily's bags and put on the kettle for her as she collapsed on her bed. She took in the familiar scent of their laundry detergent and felt immediately at home. 

When she heard the lock of the door click, she got up, changed into some more comfortable clothing, put on some fuzzy socks, and set out into the house.

Everything was the same, but there were a few new trinkets that they had probably bought throughout the year. 

She poured herself some of the now hot water and threw in a Yorkshire Gold bag. She was an odd one, she didn't take milk or sugar in her tea, no matter how strong it was. 

She then padded into the living room, found the Monopoly board and set it up on the large coffee table. 

They weren't gone for a long while as they only needed a few groceries, so by the time she had finished counting out the starting money, Gael and Pierre were back. 

They set the groceries down on the counters of the kitchen, made themselves cups of tea, and walked into the living room, only to find Lily patiently waiting for them. 

They both smiled, truly. They had missed her probably more than she missed them ( though she will always argue that that could not be so ). 

The three settled into a very intense game — lasting longer than they thought because when Gael's stomach growled and they checked the time — it was almost midnight.

But they continued, as both Gael and Pierre had taken the two weeks off of work, and so they played the game late into the night until around 3:47 am when Lily was declared the winner after Pierre landed on Mayfair with a hotel. 

After bidding each person good night, they settled into bed, sighing in content. 

Each day was like this because this was how they had lived their entire lives. They had a quiet life, a forgettable one, but it's what worked for them.

Before everything became honey kisses and soft mornings, Pierre struggled with opening his bakery ( which was now successful ) and Gael was a low-level doctor and so money was tight. Not to mention they had to move frequently. 

So, they became used to a small life and enjoying the simple pleasures. As Gael's positions became more lucrative and as Pierre's business took off, they had more money to spend should they want to. 

This resulted in them traveling — Pierre and Gael emphasized the importance of understanding different people and different cultures to become better global citizens. 

But, because her parents were going to France over the holiday, they wouldn't travel in the beginning. So, they played board games, watched movies, cooked and were happy together. 

Lily received owls from her friends daily, different news about annoying family members, or new favorite recipes. She smiled as she read them with a cup of tea, sharing a few with her parents.

As their time together came to an end, Lily helped them get ready and pack for their trip to France. She ironed shirts, trousers, socks, and ties so Pierre would feel ready even if it went south. 

As suitcases were packed, Lily received her dress via the owl post. She made sure that both Pierre and Gael approved of it before she made the final decision to keep it.

Finally, the day came. They left a day before her wedding so they could relax when they got there and then talk with his brother.

For once, Lily was being left behind while they ventured into the big world. She gave them bear hugs and plenty of kisses before they parted.

She made sure to stay at the door, waving, until she couldn't see their car anymore. She sighed, wishing she had more time with them, but needs must. She knew that this was for the best because either her papa would realize what a horrible person his brother was, once and for all, or a broken relationship would be mended. 

She felt wistful, all alone in her house. Her parents took a bit of the joy with them and she could feel it in her bones. After wandering around aimlessly, cleaning a counter, or folding some laundry, she eventually heard an owl tap the window.

She opened it, gave the owl a treat, and stroked its feathers as it seemed it had gone on a long journey. She then untied the letter and a small package from the leg and unfurled it. 

She chuckled a little at the awkwardness that was screaming through the page. She then opened the package and a small key fell out and into the palm of her hand.

She traced it with a smile. Something so small and seemingly so insignificant would change everything. 

Somehow, she managed to fall asleep that night from her excitement. She might have hated weddings but she liked the people who were getting married and she was always a sucker for romance. 

That morning, she woke up early and made herself some breakfast: crepes with Nutella and strawberries with some bacon and Earl Grey tea. 

She showered and did a full spa day, wanting to look her best for the night. After that, she dried her hair, letting it fall in its natural form ( after some brushing ) instead of curling or straightening it. 

Lily then did her makeup. She went with a natural-shimmer eye look. Nothing too heavy, her lids lined with silvery-gold eye shadow and lining her lashes with mascara. She then did her foundation, concealer, and blush, deciding to skip the contour. Finally, she lined her lips with chapstick and a rose-tinted lip stain. 

She traced her fingers along the dress. It was a boho style, a line length, and a darker pale blue with a v-neck. The entire dress was covered in the darker pale blue chiffon with a silk underdress. The lantern sleeves came down to her wrists and were made of chiffon, so they showed her arms.  

Around the middle was a blush pink velvet ribbon, meant to be tied around the waist. The top of the dress and then trickling down the skirt were embroidered and bejeweled with flowers, all on a singular vine. The flowers were colored with dark green, light pink, cream, sky blue, purple, and red. 

She slipped on the dress and put on her heels — low three inch pumps with dusty silver glitter. The glitter added vivacity, but the shoes themselves were also more practical as she expected dancing. 

She twirled around in the mirror, letting the dress flow out a bit at the sides. She then checked the time

She slipped the key into her dress pocket, so she wouldn't forget to touch it and miss the wedding. 

Watching the seconds tick by on the clock, she adjusted her hair a little and made sure her makeup looked good.

Then, the time came and she felt her body being twisted through space. Truth be told, she had never used a portkey before and it was awful. 

She landed ( quite roughly ) on a pile of enlarged pillows, obviously meant for guests who were as well inexperienced with the portkey. 

As she adjusted her dress and her hair so it looked, once again, satisfactory, she took in her surroundings. After a couple of minutes of thought, she deduced she was at the Burrow and a large tent was set up near it. 

She realized that this was the same arrangement as Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour's wedding ( which she had learned about in History of Magic as it was the day the ministry fell ). 

The ground was covered in snow, but an enchanted pathway was lit up with lanterns and an easy stepping path.

It looked, for a lack of a better word, magical. She was about to head in when she heard a crash and a wail from the Burrow. 

She went to investigate, wanting to make sure that they were okay, even if it meant her getting in trouble for using underaged magic. 

As she drew nearer, she discovered that it was, in fact, Victoire in her wedding dress that was making the noise and it was less of a wail and more of a sob. Behind her was Lily Luna Potter, Roxanne Weasley, Rose Granger-Weasley, and Dominique Weasley. As Lily drew nearer, she could make out the conversation.

"It's all going to shit!" Victoire exclaimed.

"It's a small rip, I'm sure that Grandma could mend it with magic!" Roxanne suggested, trying to calm her down.

"It can't be mended with magic! It's made from ancient Chinese silk!" Victoire exclaimed. "Do any of you know how to sew?" 

"Like muggles do?" Lily Luna asked. Victoire nodded vigorously and then started to shiver from the falling snow and her not-very-warm dress. All the girls looked at each other and concluded that they were hopeless in that area.

"If only Francis had made it! She said she was coming!" Victoire squealed.

"She's a muggle Victoire, so we couldn't use magic with her and the flights got canceled because of the snow," Rose reasoned.

"Well, she'd be a much better bridesmaid than you lot!" Victoire exclaimed.

"You don't mean that," Lily Luna said quietly, trying to soothe the panicking bride by rubbing her back.

"I hope I'm not intruding," Lily piped up as all eyes turned to her. "But I heard you crying and I wanted to make sure you were ok, and I do, in fact, know how to sew."

"You do?" Victoire practically yelled. Lily nodded shyly. She then walked up to the soon-to-be Lupin and led her inside. 

Once in, she gave Lily Luna and Rose a quick hug. She introduced herself to Dominique, who went to Beauxbatons, and said a cordial hello to Roxanne, someone whom she'd never really met, but knew was nice. 

Lily pulled a small mending kit out of her purse, picked out the white string and started sewing, talking to Victoire as she did.

"Now, the type of stitch that I'm going to do will be hidden completely, but I'll need you to stay still," Lily instructed as she continued to sew. "I'm almost done, I promise."

Once Lily finished, she made sure that the stitch was indeed hidden and then placed her hands on Victoire's shoulders and turned her around.

"Look at me," Lily said calmly to an anxious Victoire. "This is about you and Teddy. It's always been about you and Teddy. Everything will be perfect — "

"But I'm already — " Victoire moaned.

"Victoire, look at me, look at me, there we go. Everything will be perfect because your bridesmaids and myself will make sure that it is. But, most importantly, you and Teddy love each other more than anything and that's all people will pay attention to," Lily said softly. 

Victoire dropped her shoulders and smiled. Lily smiled in content and looked at the girls. They were all wearing a different dress in pale blue. 

She chuckled to herself, out of all the colors she could have chosen to wear — she chose the same as the bridesmaids. What a coincidence. 

Victoire, as well, noticed the blending in the color and everyone could see a lightbulb go off in her head.

"Lily..." she cooed. "Lily, you saved my wedding."

"I'm getting a little worried..." Lily said as she pulled away from the bride. 

"No, no. It's just, one of my bridesmaids is a close friend of mine from France, but she couldn't make it. She's a muggle, you see, and the snow prevented her from coming here and so I'm short a bridesmaid, and seeing as you've already helped and the wedding hasn't even started yet ... would you possibly be my bridesmaid?" Victoire asked.

"In the best way possible, this is a joke, right? This is such a cliché," Lily said as she laughed a little bit. 

"I assure you, it isn't," Victoire said, looking at her intently. Lily looked around at the other girls in blue dresses. Lily Luna and Roxanne were vigorously nodding and holding onto each other, obviously close cousins and Rose and Dominique had kind smiles on. 

"Uh ... sure," Lily finally said. Victoire clapped joyously at her agreement and left the room with a spring in her step. 

"Lily!" Lily Luna exclaimed as she came over and hugged the girl, "first of all, you look amazing, and second I'm so happy! We're going to be bridesmaids together! I can't wait for James to see you!" 

Lily had forgotten. She had forgotten in the brief moment of being the hero that James Sirius Potter was the best man so that meant that she was technically walking down the aisle to him. 

What a fucking joke.

But worst of all, what a cliché. And yet, she still was determined because this was Victoire and Teddy, the two people who had made her feel like she belonged at Hogwarts, so for them, she'd risk being another teenage love interest. 

Before she knew it, flowers were being hoisted into her hands and she was being led out of the Burrow by a woman, who she assumed to be Molly Weasley, and down to the tent. 

The tent, itself, was buzzing with life as the guests mingled with those in the seats next to them and as she drew nearer, she could see Teddy struggling not to cry and one James Sirius Potter comforting him.

Molly went through the aisle, taking her seat in the first row next to Ginny Potter.

Roxanne went first, followed by Rose then Lily then Lily Luna then Dominique ( as maid of honor ). 

As Lily walked down the aisle, she caught the eye of James who was looking at her with a confused face and she simply shrugged and pulled a resigned face. 

Once she had lined up with the other girls, enchanted doves made of snow swooped down and sprinkled the ground with flowers. It was a little cliché for Lily's taste, but it was romantic and what Victoire wanted, and that's what mattered. 

The service was beautiful. Teddy and Victoire's vows made the audience laugh, cry, and swoon as they declared their love for each other. 

Once it ended, the tent immediately shifted ( with the help of some wands ) and a dance floor, lights, and tables were set up. 

Once he was allowed to, James immediately found Lily.

"H ... hi!" He exclaimed.

"Hey," Lily said shyly.

"You look incredible. Like wow ... when you were walking down the aisle ... I ... you look amazing," James breathed out as he took in every inch of her face. 

"Yeah ... I helped with Victoire's dress and then one thing led to another and next thing I know I'm a bridesmaid!" Lily said with jazz hands. 

"Yeah, I heard that," James said with a slight chuckle, remembering the alarm that he felt when he heard a screech from the distance. 

"Yeah ..." Lily said awkwardly.

Just then, she spied Albus and Lily Luna talking in a corner. She hit James's shoulder repeatedly.

"Let's go to your siblings," Lily suggested.

"What? Why?" James asked, scrunching his nose in disgust.

"Because they're awesome," Lily shot back.

James rolled his eyes, but smiled, "fine."

"Yay!" Lily squealed as she took his hand and let him over. 

If James Sirius Potter had said that an eruption of butterflies hadn't erupted in his stomach, he would have been lying. He mentally thanked Teddy for being nice in his seventh year, so it could pay off in the long run.

As they reached Lily Luna, they heard her trying to convince Albus to dance.

"Come on, Al, just one, pwease," Lily Luna begged with puppy eyes.

"Lily, no, I'm not in the mood," Albus rebuffed.

"What's going on?" Lily asked as they reached the pair. Lily Luna and Albus immediately looked down to find Lily and James's hands intertwined and shot each other smug looks.

"Al isn't dancing. Come on! Lily and James will dance with us!" Lily Luna begged again.

"Lunes I already told you no," Albus said firmly.

"Ugh, fine," Lily Luna huffed.

"What about with me?" Lily asked, letting go of James's hand ( much to his disappointment ) and taking hold of Albus's, leading him in a slight dance. She nodded vigorously. "I won't take no for an answer."

Albus still wouldn't budge, so Lily dragged him out to the dance floor as 'Come on Eileen' started playing. She spun him around and he did her and they started dancing together more and more vigorously as the beat picked up.

Harry and Ginny Potter watched from afar as they saw their son, who had barely spoken to them all holiday, was dancing, smiling, and Merlin, even laughing with this Lily Edwards. 

"She looks like she's a keeper," Ginny whispered to Harry as she observed the dancing teenagers. He smiled and nodded.

The kids were all goofing around, Fred, Roxanne, Hugo, Rose, and Lucy eventually joining in. It was a true display of childhood at its purest and for the survivors of the war, it was like a breath of fresh air. This is what they had fought for.

Everyone was laughing and dancing like no one was watching because they were safe. Eventually, the bride and groom and the rest of the cousins joined in making it a cousin mosh pit & Lily. 

Teddy spun Victoire with one arm and Lily with the other and tried to say hello over the loud music. James picked her up from behind and spun her around, causing her to start laughing from the surprise. 

The music eventually slowed, but Victoire had to be pulled away to say hello to some French family, so Teddy left with her. Albus, now in good spirits, took Lily Luna to get pumpkin juice at the bar. As they left, they discreetly ushered their family away from Lily and James.

"Do you ... do you want to dance?" James asked while scratching the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I'd love to!" Lily said with a beaming smile.

James put his hand on the small of her back and delicately took her hand that wasn't on his shoulder as the band started playing something slow with a few magical notes. They did a small waltz, only circling a small area, and the rest of the guests cleared to make room for them.

Harry was looking from a distance with a vice grip on Ginny. His youngest had explained to him who she was and what had transpired in the Burrow. As he looked at them, he couldn't tear his eyes away, even though he was in the midst of a conversation with Percy Weasley.

He noticed that everyone was watching them and that they were giving off a kind of energy. It was almost a glow, but it drew in everyone in the room and suddenly Harry understood.

This was the universe giving Lily Evans and James Potter another chance. 

History was rewriting itself.

Even though they may not have actually been his parents, their spirits lived and the hope that they had once had as a couple was given to Lily Edwards and James Sirius Potter.

How did he not see it? The details may have been different, but the feelings and the story were the same. He smiled delicately. He knew that all was well.

A little ways away, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Molly and Arthur Weasley were tearing up. They saw their best friends come back. 

Even though she didn't have red hair and striking green eyes, it was Lily. The same Lily who was kind and generous and selfless. And even though he didn't have glasses and he had curly hair, he was James. The same James that was loyal and brave and true.

Meanwhile, James was cracking jokes with Lily as they danced. They noticed that everyone was staring at them, so thinking they were doing something wrong, they stopped and stepped off to the side.

Everyone turned away and resumed their conversations, keeping in mind what had just occurred. James and Lily were clueless.

"What just happened?" Lily whispered as she leaned into James.

"I have no idea, but I don't think I want to find out," James whispered back. Lily grinned up at him. 

"C'etait tres beau," a woman said behind them.

"Hello Aunt Fleur!" James said. "This is — "

"Bonjour! Je m'appelle Lily," Lily said as she stuck out her hand, which Fleur shook. The older woman looked slightly taken aback.

"Vous parlez en Francais?" She asked.

"Oui! Mon pere est Francais," Lily said with a smile.

"Ah! Tres bien!" Fleur said enthusiastically. "Bill! This beautiful girl is French!" 

Lily blushed at the compliment and shook Bill Weasley's hand.

"It is lovely to meet you, sir," Lily said with a shy smile. 

"Likewise, James, here, has told us a lot about you," Bill said, sending a cheeky smile to James who looked slightly alarmed but quickly recovered. He couldn't blow it off and flirt with her in front of his uncle ( as it would become the family joke within a matter of seconds ), so he resorted to just standing there. 

"Good things, I hope?" Lily replied, sensing James's unease.

"The best! From what I hear, you are quite talented!" Bill replied.

"Thank you very much! I've learned from the best! And from what I've learned, you're a top-level curse-breaker," Lily said.

"Yes, I work for Gringotts. It's quite tricky as there's no formal training for it, you just have to have an aptitude and withstanding," Bill explained.

"That sounds amazing! I could never do that! I'm not particularly creative in that sense! There's a reason why I'm not a Gryffindor!" Lily replied, in awe. 

"It's not for the faint of heart, that's for sure. But, from what I hear you'd make a fine healer," Bill said, looking at James.

"Yes, I am studying to be a healer! I'm much more sensitive to violence than most, I haven't had the best experience with it. I'm much better with helping people in that way, I wouldn't last five minutes in the auror's field," Lily explained bashfully. James looked down at her with a soft gaze and Bill and Fleur took notice. 

"And James, you're still on the quidditch track?" Bill asked, curious to see what Lily's reaction would be.

"Yeah, Puddlemore United's scouted me already. But I'm banking for the Montrose Magpies," James responded. 

"Aren't they the best in the league?" Lily asked curiously.

"Yeah, they are! They've won the league cup sixty four times! No one's been able to beat them, though Puddlemore came close and I think with mum's new coaching, the Harpies have a chance as well," James explained.

"Well let's hope for the best, shall we?" Lily asked as she smiled up at him.

"We shall," Bill said, looking fondly between the two. Bill then looked up to see Dominique motioning them over. "Fleur, I think Dominique needs us." Bill nodded towards the beckoning redhead.

"D'accord. Enchanté, Lily. Je pense que nous serons des bons amies!" Fleur said as she kissed James and Lily's cheeks. 

"Au revoir, madame!" Lily bid as they walked away. Once she was sure they were out of earshot, she turned to the Potter boy and beamed. "I love your family."

"Yeah they're pretty cool. Just wait until you meet my Uncle Charlie. I think he's here somewhere," James said, looking around. Instead of finding Charlie, however, he caught the eyes of his parents who were continually looking over. Lily took notice.

"Merlin, how could I forget? We haven't said hello to your parents," Lily said immediately, feeling guilty for not remembering her manners.

"No, we don't need to, I saw them earlier," James said, trying to divert her attention.

"Well obviously. But I haven't met them and they've hosted and I turned out to be a bridesmaid. I hope they don't hate me after this," Lily said, becoming panicked.

"They won't hate you, I promise. They'll love you ... everyone does," James said quietly, trying to soothe the panicking girl.

"Ok ... then I'm going over," Lily said, after taking some deep breaths, now determined.

"But we don't have to — " James tried to counter.

"Fine, you can stay here," Lily said as she started to walk over.

James grumbled angrily and jogged a little to catch up with her. Once he did, he walked beside her until he reached his curious dad and beaming mum.

"Hello! I'm so sorry for not introducing myself earlier. I'm Lily Edwards," Lily said as she shook Harry and Ginny's hands. 

"Lily, it's so nice to finally meet you! We've heard so much about you, it's as if we practically know you!" Ginny said enthusiastically.

"Oh my goodness, thank you!" Lily exclaimed. "Um, Mrs. Potter — "

"Oh call me Ginny, dear," Ginny said, placing a hand on her arm, causing Lily to light up.

"Ginny," Lily confirmed to herself with a small nod. "I greatly admire your quidditch career."

"Really? Thank you so much! Lots of people have criticized me for it!" Ginny said enthusiastically. 

"Truly! You still played while you were pregnant with Po...James. But then you retired, which was awesome because you made the choice and now you're coaching possibly one of the best teams in history!" Lily gushed.

James Sirius Potter could not believe his ears. Lily Edwards had said his name. For the first time ever. He stared at her in disbelief, his mouth slightly hanging open.

"I got so much criticism from both sides! Some were saying that I retired too late because I was already pregnant and some said I shouldn't have retired and conformed to society's standards, but I played, pregnant in a League Cup, so I just ..." Ginny explained, growing more annoyed as she kept talking.

"I can't imagine. You made that choice and having the mother feel safe is more important than societal expectations or the need to prove a point," Lily huffed. 

"Thank you! And what they don't understand, is that Harry, who they, by the way, gushed over for being a good dad, but then remarked on the weight that I put on after growing a human being in my body — " Ginny huffed.

"No!" Lily gasped as her eyes widened and she reached out to touch Ginny's hand.

"Yes! They were horrible! We had to call the papers, it was terrible! And the thing is that I had a massive chance of getting hurt on the pitch, which could've killed the baby if I was pregnant, but also my husband was the Head of the Auror Department, which meant that he only went on the dangerous missions! I couldn't have that risk for my child! What if something happened to Harry while on a mission and then I got hurt during quidditch? Or worse?" Ginny ranted.

"You are extraordinary," Lily reassured the redhead. "Truly, I learned about you and you, Mr. Potter — "

"Harry, please," Harry said as the girl lit up again.

"Harry. Well, I learned about the both of you and honestly, you are two of the bravest people I've ever learned about. Well, you and Sirius Black," Lily said with an innocent smile.

Harry was taken aback, nobody really talked about Sirius anymore, they mostly talked about, well, him. 

"Sirius?" Harry asked.

"Yes, I did a project on him in third year. He's quite remarkable and he was named quite well. With Sirius being the brightest star in the sky and all," Lily explained. Harry just nodded with a warm smile.

"He was truly one of the most brilliant people I've ever met," Harry said fondly. 

"I can only imagine. The wizarding world is lucky to have had him. Because he was a marvelous person all on his own, but without him, we wouldn't have had you," Lily said softly. Harry looked confused for a moment. "Forgive me. But from what I've learned and from how you were talking about him, he made you happy and feel loved. He gave you something to live for, unfortunately, something to be devastated about, but most importantly, he showed you what you needed to fight for."

Harry was shocked by her thoughtfulness. All he could do was nod apprehensively, waiting for the answer that he already knew. 

"Love," Lily stated softly. 

Harry smiled kindly and opened his mouth to say something when he was interrupted by his youngest.

"J why are you staring at Lily like that?" Lily Luna asked, knowing what she was doing.

"What? I'm not ... well ... you look gorgeous," James said, flashing Lily his most charming smile. Lily smiled and cleared her throat.

"Thank you, Po...James," she said, catching herself.

James looked at her with wide eyes, "said it again."

"I said what again?" Lily asked, visibly confused. 

"My name," James breathed out. Lily grinned.

"What? James?" She asked innocently. James, in turn, looked at her with a sarcastic expression.

"You never call me James," he stated.

"Well I couldn't call you Potter now could I?" Lily pointed out. 

"It sounds good coming from you," James said as he smirked, his teeth showing. Lily blushed furiously and turned back towards his parents and little sister, trying to ignore it.

"Was that..." Lily Luna started as Ginny shushed her. "Wait Lily. I have a great idea!" 

"What is it?" Lily asked kindly.

"How about you stay with us over holiday?" Lily Luna asked enthusiastically.

"Oh, my. Thank you, Lily. But I don't know if it's alright with your parents..." Lily said with a small smile.

"Oh, it's quite alright," Ginny immediately replied, looking at Harry to confirm her statement.

He nodded. "The more the merrier!" He agreed.

"That is if your parents can bear to part with you," Ginny said kindly. 

"Oh, they're not home. They were pulled away due to a previous engagement," Lily said.

Lily Edwards was in limbo and a door had just been opened. In the room of her life, the door of her parents had been shut, temporarily, and so she was left all alone. But then, unexpectedly, a door creaked open and it was flooding with light. The only problem was, she didn't know what was on the other side and that thought terrified her out of her skin.

She looked at James, who was looking at her for an answer. Was it worth it? Was he worth it? Yes.

"I'd love to, if you are both sure," Lily said.

"It's settled then! We'll arrange for your key to take you there in a couple of days?" Ginny asked as Lily took out the key that she had used to travel there.

"How about the day after tomorrow?" Lily asked. Ginny nodded kindly and muttered a spell while pointing her wand at the key. She handed it back to Lily.

"Sounds perfect!" Ginny said.

Lily smiled and nodded.

To say she was excited, would be an understatement. She loved her parents, she really did, but it was just them and they also ( clearly ) had the habit of being impetuous. James, on the other hand, had a whole country's worth of family. It was something new and exciting, the Ravenclaw in her was jumping with joy.

But, that didn't stop her from being utterly terrified; it was something new and exciting. She had no control over what would happen. But worst of all, Her gut told her that something huge would shift.

And you know what they say: always listen to your gut.

Notes on History!

I based her makeup on Elle Fanning's makeup look for the 2017 Met Gala ( but with a slightly darker lip ) and her dress is the Marchesa Resort 2019 look 8 ( can be found in Vogue Runway ) !