| Lora pulled a sliding panel open and dramatically revealed a something covered in brown paper. Lily raised both eyebrows. �Oh!� Lora was fed up. �Haven�t you [i]ever[/i] gone shopping?� She tore the brown paper off, revealing something white, silky, and gauzy. The girls fell silent, and Lily slowly stretched out a hand towards it. �You like?� �It�it�s beautiful�� �See,� Eva tossed her head, �I told you Mrs. Potter had good taste.� �Mrs. Potter?� Lily was lost. Amanda sighed. �Mrs. Potter had her seamstress make this; when it was ready, she Apparated back to her house�no, scratch that, mansion�she picked it up, along with lots of�� �Amanda!� ��other stuff,� Amanda grinned, �and it�s been in here for about a day or two. Lora was snooping.� Lora looked insulted. �I was not!� �Fine.� Eva sighed. �You were architecturally interested in the structure of this ship, so you were sounding the walls with a tuning fork. When you came to a stretch of wall that sounded different, you concluded your investigations by investigating. That better?� Dubiously, Lora shrugged. �I think�� �Er-hum!� Lily interrupted. �I have the strangest feeling that I�m shortly not going to be me anymore, and the custom seems to be that I have to get dressed up for that.� �Oh, right,� Eva grinned. She slipped an arm underneath the dress and held it out to Lily. �Here. Hold it up to you�see what you think.� Lily took hold of the gauzy sleeves, sliding out of the chair and holding it up to her body. �It�wait!� One of her hands hand been running over the seams, and they had caught a couple of loose threads, which seemed to be reciprocated all down the side of that dress. Her hand fumbled at them, and she held up a torn seam. �Lily!� Amanda gasped. �What�� The dress was torn sadly in two places; at each side, from the waist to the floor. There was a long veil that was pinned to the back of the dress, and that, too, was also ripped down the middle. Almost aghast, the girls stared at each other. �But�how�� �It was perfectly fine before!� �Oh�poor Lily! What�ll you wear?� Lora, as usual, had her mind turned to less practical matters. �I�ll bet you anything I know who it was! I would bet you my right toes I know who it was!� �Lora,� Lily smiled wryly, �I don�t want your right toes.� �Then my left?� Lora offered, grinning. �Lora!� Eva scolded. �We�ve got bigger things to worry about�what�ll she wear to her wedding now?� �Eva,� Lily said calmly, �it�s a funny little spell called Reparo.� �Oh.� Lily pulled out her wand and pointed it at the dress, repeating the spell almost lazily. �Reparo.� They watched expectantly, but absolutely nothing happened. Lily frowned. �I am going to pull her hair out strand by strand.� �What�d she do?� �Put a Shield Charm on it�problem is, I have to find out which one it is, which involves trial and failure, and since there are at least twenty-six I know of, that�ll take a while�plus I�ve got to undo it once I�ve found the one she used�and I can�t sew it back together,� she proved by trying to pinch the ripped edges together. �I think I�m a bit at a loss�� Her voice trailed off. Amanda frowned. �I think you may be wearing a different dress.� Lily sighed, slumping again and letting the material drape over her knees. Just then, however, her eyes caught a glint of gold; a ring Eva was wearing. She snapped to attention. �Maybe not!� �Maybe not what?� The girls were facing her with open eyes. �I�m doing some fixing up,� Lily grinned mischievously. �Someone find needles and thread for me�I�ll work on this.� A good two hours later, Lily was finished. She had hemmed the torn edges so that there was a piece of material in the back of her dress reaching to the front of her hipbones; then her sewing had left another piece hanging down in the front; smaller than the back piece. The front part ended just at the soles of her feet, and Lily hadn�t altered the train any; it still draped in back of the gown. She had discarded the veil; it lay in a heap on the floor, and the sleeves had been changed to the same style as the indigo dress she was then wearing. Eva�s mouth dropped; she hated leaving the roads of tradition. �You are [i]not![/i]� �Not what?� Lily grinned innocently. Eva turned to Amanda. �Tell her she can�t!� �Can�t what?� Amanda asked, honestly confused. �Lora! Help!� �Help with what?� Slapping a hand to her forehead, Eva sank to her knees. �Lily, please don�t!� �Don�t what?� �Appear,� Eva almost gasped, �at her own wedding as�as�� �As WHAT?� �As some Egyptian queen,� Eva spat out. Lora and Amanda instantly swiveled towards Lily. �Really? You are?� �Actually, I had Egyptian princess in mind�but if Eva says so, then queen it is.� Eva groaned. �Lily, for once, be normal! Please�for me�this is a wedding, not Halloween!� Lily tossed her head. �Exactly. And it�s mine, not yours. Pray tell, what would you have done in my place?� �Worn a different dress,� Eva said dryly. �Nah, that�s no fun,� Lora agreed. �Lily, there�s a whole case of jewelry in the closet thing I pulled your dress from. I�ll rifle through that later.� �Excuse me?� �Okay, okay, you�ll rifle through that later.� �Much better. Say, do we have any almond oil on this ship?� Amanda frowned. �I think�I�ll check the large bathroom, but�� She left the room, swinging the door shut behind her. Eva stared at Lily questioningly. Lily grinned. �The ancient Egyptians soaked in water, scraped their skin with strigils, then rubbed oil into their skin afterwards. Almond oil and the balm of Gilead were prized for that�but I doubt whether we have anything other than almond oil.� Hours later, the girls let Lily out of the bathroom; they had washed and scrubbed her hair with just about every kind of cleaning and softening and brightening goop known to mankind, and by the time the bottle of almond oil was empty, Lily was kneeling in front of the white dress, wrapped in a long dressing gown. �Here goes,� she grinned. Slipping the dress over her head, she let the dressing gown fall to the ground, and when the white silk draped to her feet, Lily turned to the mirror. Even Eva had to smile, and Lora tugged another, smaller suitcase out of the sliding panel. �Nice. Only I rather doubt Cleopatra had red hair.� Lily tossed her hair over her shoulder. �Cleopatra had Macedonian ancestry; we don�t know if her skin color was dark and her hair was black or not.� Lora wrinkled her nose. �You read too much.� Amanda let out what could almost have been called a huff. �She�s missing jewelry.� A half-hour later, Lily gazed into the mirror again. A thick, gold necklace hung around her neck; an armband in the shape of a snake wound around her left upper arm, several gold threads hung from her ears, and one anklet hung around her foot. �You know, I think James won�t regret his decision,� Lora grinned. �I like what we�ve done to you!� Lily twirled lightly on the balls of her feet, sweeping her train behind her. �You know, I like what you�ve done to me, too.� Wickedly grinning, Eva held up a comb. �We�re not done yet! Sit down; you promised to let me do your hair.� Standing up an hour later, Lily had to admit Eva had done a very good job. Her curls were twisted and piled in the back of her head, with a gold band holding them in place; that same gold band ran around her forehead, where jade and gold sparkled sweetly. She slipped into the white shoes that had fallen out of the brown paper along with the dress, and fancifully curtsied at her reflection. �Goodbye, Lady Evans,� she smiled. There was a knock at the door that made each of the girls start; all except Lily. She merely turned around and started for the door. Eva held her back. �Oh, no, you don�t! Manda. Go get.� Amanda grinned as she slid the door open a notch. �Yes?� Mrs. Potter�s voice floated into the room. �We�re almost ready for her!� �Okay!� Lora called. �But come look at you future daughter!� Mrs. Potter smiled as she slipped into the room, then stopped in astonishment as she saw Lily. �Dear�what happened�� Lily frowned. �The dress was vandalized�I had to fix it as best I could. Are�are you angry?� �Oh, no,� Mrs. Potter smiled. �I just would like to know how it got damaged�� She shook her head. �Come on, dear�I�ll walk you outside. My son�s already out there.� Lily�s surroundings took on a dreamlike quality as she was swept out of the sitting room, which, with a flick of Mrs. Potter�s wand, was restored to its neat condition. They rose to the deck, the wind slowly ruffling the bride�s gown and eyelashes as she took in the now white sail�white as the midday clouds, white and gauzy as her attire. She stepped onto the sand, feeling the white, almost sugary masses part beneath her sandal. Moving inland, towards the emerald forests lining the shore, they walked uphill slowly, Eva carrying the train looped around her arm. James had been ushered to the top of Elven Point by the Marauders; a hill overlooking the ocean; its two sides lined with intertwining trees, its crest dropped down to meet the sea. A carpet of leaves and wildflowers had been gathered, lining the path from the bottom of the hill to where James was standing, looking out over the ocean. Sirius touched his shoulder. �You all right?� �Yes�� James mumbled. �I�m a bit scared, though. Of her�I don�t know what I did to deserve her, and I�m scared she might think the same thing some day.� Sirius sighed, a sigh with something in it that James missed. �Prongs, she loves you.� �Yes�� James said doubtfully, �but�� �But nothing,� Sirius said firmly. �But nothing. End of story. Close book, take other book out of shelf entitled Honeymoon and Forever After. Open it and read.� James grinned. �You know, for once, I�m starting to think that maybe you�re not so nuts after all.� �I am so!� �Sirius!� Remus hissed. �Turn him around!� Sirius didn�t have to do a thing; James spun around by himself. Through soft music playing in their ears, he saw a figure from a novelette step onto the carpet of flowers. Lily bit her lip. She wouldn�t have admitted it for the world, but she was just the slightest fragment nervous. The hand that clasped the stems of five lilies was shaking, hardly noticeably, but still, it was shaking. Her eyes were roving everywhere, trying to find some hint of confidence, some part of her world she knew she could count on, even if everything else changed. Eva, in her pale, rose-gold gown, had already started down the aisle, and Lily knew she�d have to follow. She swallowed. This was ridiculous�this was what she had dreamed of for months�the happiness she had hoped for all her life was waiting at the end of the aisle. The music floated down past her ears, and she let her eyelashes fall onto her cheeks. Next to her, Severus slipped his arm underneath hers. Immediately, a large weight fell from her heart and shoulders; a small smile on her face, she stepped onto the flower-covered grass. James couldn�t repress a grin. He couldn�t help thinking that she was one of the most beautiful creations he had ever been privileged to see, imagine, or hear about, and she was marrying him! Think of it�the one thing he felt to be the most beyond his grasp was soon to be his� A horrid thought struck him, just as thoughts do when one is nervous. He leaned over to Sirius. �What if she gets cold feet?� he whispered. �There�s the nearest cliff,� Sirius grinned. James rolled his eyes, then fastened them on the figure all in white and gold, moving sedately towards him. He hadn�t even a glance for the man that was holding her arm, the one he hadn�t at all wanted to attend the wedding; he forgot about everything else except the girl, dressed magnificently as an ancient queen, but herself radiant and glowing as if she had been born the day before. Finally, after what seemed like the mile-long walk to her bridegroom, she took his arm, smiling up at him. It was almost unbelievable that she was marrying him; he, one of the most desirable men at Hogwarts, and he had seen something in her that she herself was blinded to. Mr. Potter was conducting the ceremony. He spoke; said something�many things, but Lily didn�t hear him, she was too caught up in the breeze that riffled the treetops and her dress and hair, then flew out onto the oceans; meanwhile the sense of the steady arm that she clasped. Then, her eyes turned to her almost-father, and she caught his closing words. She recognized a few of them; they were from an Apache marriage ceremony she had stumbled upon once. �Bless you with hope enough to keep the dawn in your love, and fear enough to keep you holding hands in the dark. Unity enough to keep your roots entwined, and separation enough to keep you reaching out for each other. Harmony enough to keep romance in your song, and discord enough to keep you tuning your love. Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth for the other. Now there is no more loneliness. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you. May your days together be good and long upon the earth. Amen.� Lily felt James tighten his grip on her hand, and her smile grew, if possible, even more sincere than it had been before. He stopped facing his father; he turned towards Lily, putting his hand out towards one of his father�s outstretched ones and slipping another ring onto her finger. This one was also in white-gold, with a black pearl as a center and one smaller, grey one on either side; their initials were carved into the gold band. Her face softened as she picked up James� ring from his father�s other hand; it was also white-gold, and their full names ran around the band instead of the pearls. Taking his hand in hers, she slid it onto his finger gently. �I now pronounce you man and wife,� Mr. Potter said solemnly. �You may now kiss the bride.� Lily wasn�t nervous anymore; she was simply radiantly acceptive of everything, and as James leaned down and kissed her lightly, she couldn�t hear their friends clapping, couldn�t see anything, and felt nothing but his arms around her. When they broke apart, it was as if someone had turned the volume up so high it was almost deafening as Lily threw her few flowers into the group. Eva, wrestling Lora aside, caught them before she broke her fall on Frank Longbottom, who in his turn fell to the ground, breaking the ice like a pack of dominoes. Their friends stormed them with hugs and tears, laughter and good wishes. Eva had been the first to break from her position and swamp her friend with a breath-choking embrace. �Lily�oh, Lily! It was beautiful, it was lovely, it was magnificent�I want you to plan my wedding and provide my husband!� Lily laughed as James tightened his grip around her waist. �Thanks, Eva�for everything, I�m guessing.� Lora wrestled her way through, flinging herself first around James� neck and then around Lily�s. �I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!� she shrieked through large grins. �It was beautiful! I cried!� she gasped, pointing to her red-rimmed eyes. �I cried, you hear me! It takes a lot to make me cry! I cried!� Remus elbowed her in the side. �Lora, dear, you�re making no sense�Mr. Potter, congratulations!� He hugged his friend, then turned to Lily, hand outstretched mock-formally. �Mrs. Potter, what a pleasure.� �I like that,� James grinned. �Lily Potter. It sounds nice!� James� parents were the next to come up to them; in floods of tears, Mrs. Potter hugged and kissed both of them, smiling widely. �I couldn�t have dreamed of a more perfect ceremony�I know you two�ll be happy�� Lily was engulfed in Mr. Potter�s strong hug as he whispered in her ear. �You�re the girl I always hoped he�d find, and I hope he lives up to you.� Lily�s eyes were starting to turn wet. �Thank you�thank you�� Sirius was talking animatedly with James, and at the sight of two faces, Lily slipped her hand out of his arm and stepped towards her friends. �Lily,� Severus smiled. �It was marvelous.� Lucius hugged her. �You�ll be happy with him�even if he is a Gryffindor that beat us at winning the thousandth Quidditch Cup!� Lily tossed her head. �You�re just jealous of his flying, aren�t you?� she laughed. �Jealous?� Severus asked. �Not in the least. Do I get a hug, though?� She smiled as she flung her arms around his neck. ��Course you do.� �Lily!� James called. �Padfoot didn�t get his hug!� Lily let go of Severus. �Thanks�for walking me down the aisle. I wouldn�t have rather had my father do it.� Whirling around, she trailed her way through her friends before clasping her hands together around Sirius� neck. Severus stared after her. �Why does Potter always get everything?� �Huh?� Lucius asked. He was alone; Serena hadn�t attended the wedding. �Nothing,� Severus mumbled. �Nothing, that�s all.� �If you say so,� Lucius said skeptically. Lily couldn�t remember a day that she had enjoyed more. It was all she had ever dreamed of in a wedding day--all she�d ever hoped she could experience. The island was a haven of glory for her; the white sand, coral sky, cerulean waves, and the draping, elegant trees with the thickets of flowers huddling at their roots. The sun was setting, throwing a golden coverlet over the clouds and a scarlet tone onto the sky, and her white dress and golden jewelry were throwing off cornsilk and red glints softly. Mrs. Potter let a hand fall on her shoulder. �Lily, dear, are you all right?� �Yes,� Lily murmured. �I�m fine--better than I�ve ever been.� She turned to the lady. �Can I call you Mum?� Her mother-in-law�s lips parted slightly, and she reached for her new daughter, hugging her tightly. �I won�t ever be able to replace your mother, but I�ll do my best.� Lily leaned her head on her new mother�s shoulder, a tear running down her cheek. �Thank you--thank you. I--I--well, for everything.� James fought his way through Peter, Lora, and Remus to Lily and his mother. Putting an arm around both of them, he looked slightly concerned. �What�s wrong?� �Nothing,� Lily smiled, wiping a tear away from her eye. �That, Mrs. Potter,� James grinned, �is an outright lie.� �It is, come to that,� Lily agreed vaguely. James frowned, but didn�t pursue the subject. Instead, he took her hand in his, looking at her new ring. �You know, I�ve got no idea on where we�re going for our honeymoon.� Mrs. Potter smiled at him. �James, I�m letting you two have the galleon--I know Lily loved the trip here, so you�ll travel in that. Everything else you�ll find out.� James mock-frowned. �What�s the catch?� Lily elbowed him in the stomach. �Must you always be so suspicious?� �I must,� James grinned. �Around you, my mother, Sirius, Malfoy, and Snape, I must.� What at usual Muggle weddings would have been termed a reception was held both on the top deck of the ship and on the shore. The boys, Severus and Lucius included, had been roped into setting up; they had spent at least five minutes engaging in the War of the Flying Table Legs, which was quenched speedily by Lora�s Attack of the Tablecloths. They were ordered to repair everything in moments, however, and no lasting damage was done. When Lily, her arm in her husband�s, stepped onto the sands, her eyes glowed. The splinters that had adorned the sands and waves had been rearranged into a long, teakwood table covered with a white tablecloth that had a golden one draped over it. The golden plates from the ship had been brought out; linen napkins embroidered in gold thread were stacked at one end of the table, several tureens and pitchers filled with things that smelled irresistible had been placed between large platters filled with food like chocolate German coffee cake slices and almond pie slivers. Flares of fire: torches and candles, lit up the table with a golden light, besides shining into the water with an elegant luster. Lily moved about as the happiest girl in the world that night; James couldn�t help thinking, as he stole glances at her, that he had married the loveliest girl in the world. There wasn�t anyone he knew with the charm she flung carelessly around her, the eyes with the otherworldly glow, or the ease with which she could switch from one role to another. This evening, when he had watched her tip a crystal glass to her lips while listening intently to something his father was telling her, a vivid image of an ancient queen conferring with an ally... He shook his head. �This is ridiculous,� he muttered to Sirius. �I�m married to her and I can�t keep from looking over at her and thinking that she�s awfully pretty and I�d like to get to know her.� Sirius nodded. �That is ridiculous.� �You�re not supposed to agree with me!� �Whoops,� Sirius observed. �My mistake.� Once, during the evening, a flitting thought dragged at Lily�s mind. It was Tom she was thinking about--to imagine that he could have had all of this happiness, the dreamlike bliss...that was shoved brutally away by both his own craving for power and the Ministry wizards. Of course, in his eyes it would never be by both things. It was only the Ministry that had killed Litharelen, not his own madness for control and immortality. However, Lily pushed those thoughts out of her head; what had happened had happened; nothing could be done about it, and it wasn�t going to be allowed to ruin her wedding night. Their friends Apparated or used the Floo network to get back to their respective homes around one in the morning, when the candles started to flicker tiredly and the platters were almost cleaned off completely. Mr. and Mrs. Potter, after removing all traces of anything from the shore with several flicks of their wands, called the young couple over to them, laughing. �Have fun,� Mrs. Potter admonished. �And don�t get arrested,� James� father added sternly, looking sideways at his son. �Make sure you bring me back something from everywhere you visit!� Eva threw in before she Apparated. �Don�t kill anyone.� Mr. Potter was ticking things off on his fingers. �Including yourselves,� his wife winked. �Do not spend over half of our estate.� �But if it�s to bring me back an albino tiger, go right ahead.� �Don�t sink the ship,� James� father sighed. �And don�t ruin the largest golden pitcher. I like that one,� Mrs. Potter grinned. She pulled both of them into a tight hug. When she pulled away, she blinked hurriedly. �That�s that. I don�t have to bother to tell you to enjoy yourselves.� �No,� James agreed. �You don�t.� He shook hands with his father, who was smiling broadly at the two of them, and patted his mother consolingly on the back. �Don�t worry, Mum...we�ll be gone long enough for you to recover from the nervous shocks I�ve given you over the years.� �Yes,� Lily quipped, �and then you�ll have even more fun wrecking the poor lady�s improved health.� Mrs. Potter clenched her hands into fists. �I will not cry,� she practically howled. �Go on, you two. Board ship.� James let a mischievous smile play across his features, but Lily didn�t catch it. She hardly had time, anyway; seconds later, she was whisked into the air, swung around twice, and being carried across the gangway to the deck, the long, white train cascading behind her. He finally let her down; they were both next to the railing. James waved wildly to his parents. �Goodbye! Goodbye! Make sure you survive without me!� Lily pulled his arm down firmly, placing it around her waist. �James, you�re making a dreadful scene.� He grinned at her. �Well?� She shrugged, smiling, shaking her head. �You�re entitled to make your scene, I suppose. They�re your parents, after all...� There was a slight rocking movement, and the ship started to drift through the water. James frowned. �Where�re we going?� �That�s my secret.� Lily tossed her head. James kissed her. �Sometimes I wonder if it�s safe, allowing you to have this many secrets!� Later that night, Lily was sitting on the bed in their room, in a long, golden, flowing nightgown and looking through a book of ancient languages when James fell onto the pillows next to her. �What�s that?� She closed the book swiftly and pushed it underneath the mattress. �Never mind.� �If you say so,� he gave in. �So...did you enjoy yourself? Today, I mean.� A haunted smile flitted across Lily�s face. �Of course--I�ve never liked anything as much as I did our wedding.� James grinned. �That was a most correct response.� He ran his hand through her hair, letting his arm slip around her shoulders. Lily woke up around seven the next morning; the sun streaming into the window had woken her up. Blinking several times, she shook her head wildly; her hair fell around her shoulders, hanging to her waist and draping onto the sheets. Swiftly, she looked towards the window. The sun had barely risen; several clouds were still tinted a primrose pink, but otherwise they were golden, with a bright coral blue sky. Lily smiled. She looked down next to her; James was still half-asleep. Wrapping her arms around her knees and resting her head on them, she nudged him in the side with her foot. �Wake up!� she whispered. Strangely, her words penetrated his mind, and he opened his eyes to the blast of sunlight. �Ouch!� Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes, blinking wildly. �Ow!� �That all you can say?� Lily asked. �It�s a beautiful morning.� �Yeah...� James mumbled. �I noticed.� He finally got used to the bright yellow beams and looked over at Lily. �Morning.� �Good morning,� she replied cheerfully and a tiny bit wistfully. �It certainly is.� He smiled at her, putting an arm around her shoulders. �I�m having a hard time believing you won�t evaporate any second now.� Lily leaned against him, sighing. �I honestly hope I won�t.� She gazed at the shadows of the entwined rings set in the large window; they were falling on the wall opposite her. �However, I think that with all the times I�ve been poking myself with forks at dinner and tripping over table legs in broad day- and candlelight, I�m pretty sure I won�t.� James kissed the top of her head. �Trust you to ruin the mood.� She nodded. �I�ll ruin it even further by asking you if you want something to eat.� �You know me too well. I�m supposing there�s going to be food in the dining room.� Lily laughed as she swung her feet out of bed. �I�m guessing you�re right.� She quickly rearranged the golden nightgown; then slipped her arms into an indigo dressing gown, tying the sash loosely. �I�m ready.� �You�re not getting dressed?� He raised his eyebrows. �I fail to see the need of that. We�re the only two people on here.� �True,� James agreed sleepily. �In that case, I�ll bring it in here. Hang on.� Quickly, after putting on his own bathrobe, he left the room, closing the door quietly. Lily let herself fall back onto the bed, leaning against the footboard and gazing pensively into the clouds outside the window. James was back in seconds; he was balancing a pot of coffee and two cups in one hand and a plate of crumpets, eggs, and pancakes in the other. Sitting down next to her, he handed her the plate and a white cup with a gold rim. �Coffee, my lady?� Lily smiled. �How much sugar did you put into there.� �Lots,� he stated simply, pouring some of the searing hot liquid into her cup. �Quite a lot of lots.� She tipped the cup to her lips, taking a swallow. �Yes,� Lily agreed, �you did put lots in there.� �I didn�t overdo it, did I?� he asked concernedly, cupping his hand around hers. �Want me to get some more?� �No,� she giggled. �You�re acting just like a devoted servant.� He broke a crumpet into pieces for her and handed her the plate. �I�m enjoying it, too. After all that time I thought I�d only see you at Snape�s wedding or something-well, I�m definitely counting the many blessings I�ve got.� �You thought,� Lily eyed him fixedly, �that I�d marry Severus?� �Er-well, he has liked you for some time, and...er...well...� James looked embarrassed. �I was assuming the worst.� �Don�t be such a pessimist,� Lily said firmly, kissing him. �Enjoy yourself. I�m letting you take me places I intend to get pleasure from, and you might as well like them, too.� �Oh,� James laughed, �so if I don�t have your taste, I won�t enjoy our honeymoon?� Lily set her cup down on a table next to the bed. �No,� she said thoughtfully, �I think you�ll like where I�m taking you. Or, rather, where I�m letting you take me.� �Sure,� James beamed at her. �The last thing I�m doing is questioning you-look how our wedding turned out!� �Thank you,� Lily smiled. �That gives me lots of faith in me.� Several hours later-the galleon was magically skimming the waves immensely quickly, at the speed almost of an airplane, though when they stepped onto the deck, the wind only blew sedately through their hair-their ship entered the mouth of the Mediterranean, and what seemed like moments after that, their ship was docking in a city-Alexandria, at the mouth of the Nile in Egypt. Lily was running her hands calmly through a chest of Galleons stored behind the paneling in their bedroom-James knew the ship�s plans well, and he had unearthed that store for her. She was kneeling in front of the chest, counting out coins. James sat down next to her. �What�re you doing?� �Well, we�ll need money, won�t we?� she smiled. �I can go in and out of Madam Malkin�s or Gladrags Wizardwear without having to spend thousands of Galleons, but ancient Egyptian markets are something else.� �Wait.� James frowned. �An ancient Egyptian market?� �I�ve got a thing for ancient Egypt, I know,� she admitted. �But I�ve read about the portal several times, and this shouldn�t cost too much.� James raised her to her feet. �What are you planning to do?� She placed a finger on the cleft above his mouth. �Ssh. Trust Lily. Lily knows best.� And so, a quarter of an hour later, they stepped off of the gangplank into the bustling mass of Alexandria. Lily steered both of them dexterously through the crowds; it was almost as if she had been here before, James mused. However, he didn�t have much time to, for in merely moments, they were inside a rather shabby-looking building, with a short, dark, fat man adjusting pictures of an oasis on the walls. He looked up as they entered; he bowed deeply. �What may I do for my lord and lady?� In spite of herself, Lily had to smile. �Fifty-seven B.C., please.� �I should be enchanted,� the man smiled. �Forty Galleons is the price.� James stepped forward, nonchalantly pulling out a handful of gold. Carelessly counting out several pieces of it, he poured them into the man�s hands, somewhat understanding what this place was. The apparent owner bowed again as he gestured to a crude fireplace behind his desk. �Step inside. It will take you where you want to go.� James felt Lily take a deep breath as she held his arm even more tightly than before. Both of them setting a foot inside the fireplace, they were conscious of dust, of detritus flying around them in a maelstrom of sand, until it stopped gently, and the couple shook their heads almost in unison, trying to get the dizzy feeling out of their heads. Lily smiled; they were still inside the same, dusky shop, but outside, the atmosphere, what they could see of it through the slanted door, had changed. It had more light; the noises had everything farthest from car motors, and a bell could be heard tinkling through the clamor. James looked down at Lily, who hugged him. �It worked! I was almost scared this was a hoax; but come on,� she smiled, twirling around before kissing him. �There�s an agora out there-and we�ve got all the time in the world!� The first place James spotted was a stand sporting all kinds of chitons, from silk to coarse sackcloth for the slaves of a household. He pulled on Lily�s girdle. �Look, over there!� She smiled at him. �Just what I was looking for. We don�t really blend in with what we�re wearing, do we?� �Not remotely,� he agreed. It was true, too. No one else was wearing red or golden wizarding robes, and James, for one, was starting to want to tear the sleeves off of his; it was getting extremely hot. Lily smiled enchantingly at the owner of the stand, fingering a linen blue chiton, a gown that fastened at both shoulders and hung to the ground from there; some had slits in the sides. The owner nodded his head deeply at them. She pulled an emerald green silk chiton off of the counter, along with a blue sapphire silk one she held behind that. Holding both of them against her body, she turned to face James. �What do you think?� �Elegant,� he nodded. �The green looks good on you.� She blushed, letting her hands run over several other goods. Picking up a white piece of linen, she folded it around his waist. �You could do that,� she appraised. �A red cloak over one shoulder, too. I saw one over there.� She gestured to the cloaks draped over one end of the counter. He frowned. �A cloak?� �Don�t be silly, you won�t be hot,� she beamed as she fingered the blue garment she had picked out for herself; she was pleased to note that the slit was in back of the gown, whereas the ones on the emerald green one came up to her waist on both sides. The blue gown would show very nicely, she ruminated, letting her teeth flash in the Egyptian sun. �We�ll take these four,� Lily told the owner, pointing to her two selections and the ones she had made for James. Her husband stared at her as the owner gave a total. �How�d he understand you?� he almost gaped. Lily shrugged. �It�s got something to do with the portal. What we speak he can understand. Which means �ssh� for right now.� James saw the wisdom in that, but as soon as he had handed Lily a few talents, the currency of that time--they had obviously been magically exchanged, too, in their journey--he ducked out of sight for a moment. By the time Lily had been offered a place to change out of the golden robes she was wearing into the chitons, he had returned with a pair of sandals for both of them, which he handed to Lily as soon as she emerged. �Your slippers won�t do well in this sand. Here.� She smiled as she slid her feet into them. �Thank you, darling.� �Darling?� He raised his eyebrows. �I can get used to that!� She laughed merrily, and as soon as he had emerged, with the scarlet cape flowing over one shoulder and the white cloth around his waist, she took his arm, leaning against his shoulder. �If I were an Egyptian noblewoman out in the marketplace, I�d be ravishingly jealous of me.� James ruffled her hair. �We�d better get you some jewelry, then, so I can have every single man in this marketplace wanting to strangle me.� �What?� �You�re a very pretty girl, and I�m hoping that these people understand the sacredness of marriage vows.� Lily blushed again, and when she raised her eyes, they landed on a small, dark shop; the door was hanging open, the walls were of a sandy clay, and there was a little girl with dark hair playing on the doorstep. �Look! I think it�s a shop for oils and incense!� Ignoring his laughter, she pulled him inside the shop; exiting with fragrant candles, at least twenty sticks of incense each, and a reed basket thrown in as part of the deal, which was hanging on Lily�s arm. James mock-sighed as he maneuvered his way through a group of chattering, plump, middle-aged women, all with straight noses and children holding onto their legs. �I�ve a fear that Father�s estate is going to end up being burned to the ground with all of these candles and things.� �Nonsense,� Lily smiled. �I�ve got too much sense to let that happen.� �Beautiful, yes,� James grinned, �humble, no.� �You should talk!� Lily accused. �Who was the one that--� �Okay, okay, I�ll stop!� he intervened. �I�ll stop.� �Very good. Oh!� she pointed. �Jewelry!� James raised his eyebrows so high they were hidden by his mass of untidy hair. �I�ve got a feeling I�ll be spending a while at this stand.� �Oh, you will!� she agreed heartily. �Look at that bracelet with the jade eyes!� James grinned, running his hand over a pair of golden earrings. �These have tigers-eye opal stones, besides the dangly stuff.� He held one up to her ear. �I like that one on you.� Lily laughed and pointed over his shoulder. �There�s an anklet--it has pearls in it! And little bells!� �Bells?� James asked skeptically. �I never thought you had a thing for bells.� �You�re right,� Lily realized out loud. �I don�t, do I?� She shrugged. �I�m supposing it�s simply the glory of jewels.� �I suppose so, too. Look at that arm-ring over there--it�s almost exactly like the one you wore for our wedding, isn�t it?� �It is,� Lily agreed. �Except this one is authentic, it twines around one�s arm much more, it�s got real emeralds for eyes, and it�s lots more expensive.� �Oh, I don't care!� James exclaimed. �Put it on your arm; I�m buying it for you!� As he threw the money down on the table, she laughed loudly; he swung her up and around into the air, and her long hair flew into his face. �I'm enjoying this more than you, I think. I�m just about bursting with pride, thinking about how envious that group of men that just passed us is. They actually glared at me; one of them pointed to his sword. I don�t think he likes me much,� James grinned. �That reminds me,� Lily grinned, �we�d better look for a stand that sells swords. I want to get you one. I might be able to buy a small dagger, but I want you to have a sword. It would make you look so much like a heroic, handsome, brave soldier...� She sighed dreamily. James smelled something; he sniffed the air loudly. �Lily, I smell fresh bread and garlic. As soon as you�re finished here, I�m kidnapping you and taking you to that vendor�s across the way from here.� For an answer, Lily picked up a necklace. �Look! Real lapis beads, and with pearls interwoven in them, too!� Around three in the afternoon, the basket hanging from Lily�s arm not only held incense, candles, and their wizarding clothing, but an anklet, several golden bracelets, and a chain with paste jewels that passed over Lily�s forehead, letting a jade piece dangle at the end of a chain just between her eyes. Lily only wore a pair of earrings, and James couldn�t have been prouder of her as they sat cross-legged on the edge of a dust-streaked, large basin in the centre of the agora; they had spent a few coins on two loaves of bread and something Lily was extremely hesitant to touch at first; it was fried dormouse. James had only bought it because he�d smelled something good, and when he�d heard the man at the stands say as he handed them their meal, �Enjoy the pests!� he was confused till a lady standing next to him explained, tossing her head affectedly. �He means dormouse.� �Dormouse?� James had asked, somewhat disgusted. The lady pointed to what was in his hand. �Yes. Fried dormouse.� James had seen Lily slip over next to him out of the corner of his eye, so he thanked the lady and withdrew, handing Lily a loaf of bread. �Guten Appetit.� Lily wrinkled her nose. �What was she saying to you?� �Oh, are you jealous?� �Of course I�m jealous,� Lily smiled. �She was very pretty.� Then her expression changed. �You were planning to feed me fried dormouse?� James� hopeful grin dropped. �I didn�t know what it was!� �Fried dormouse,� Lily repeated, disgusted. �You eat it, I�ll eat it. You�d better do it with a straight face, too.� James sighed. �I didn�t do anything!� Lily just looked at him. �Okay, okay. I�ll eat.� He pulled one loaf out of his grasp and handed it to her, then looked at his own apprehensively. �At least it smells good.� �Think of all the diseases it�s carrying,� Lily grinned innocently. �Mice carry lots of them, you know.� �I know,� James grimaced. �That�s why I like asps so much. Well, here goes.� |
| Beyond Hogwarts: Chapter II |
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