AN: As you might have noticed this is the last chapter to Lily and Tom's story from enemies to tentative allies/friends to lovers.

Quite a few of you have speculated how Harry's live at school will/would be with the Headmaster being his father. I will not promise that I will write that story. I agree that there is potential for such a story in this universe.

Either way it is not part of this specific story. If I find motivation and a plot (or rather a plot, motivation tends to come with one for me) I will add that story to this series. But other stories are waiting in the wings, some for some time now, and they want to be written first.

oooOOooo

Wedding

Trying to settle the flower crown properly on his hair for the nth time, Tom scowled at the mirror which had stopped giving commentary some time ago. Tom was oddly happy about being able to glare a magical mirror into submission. It was good to know he had not lost his powerful glare.

Abraxas walked over to him, batting his hands away from his head. "Let me do that. You'll only shred the poor thing if you keep at it."

With a few expert moves the flower crown was fixed securely among Toms styled hair.

"There." Abraxas stepped back, taking in his handiwork. "I still can't believe that I'm here to witness the wedding of Tom-I-Do-Not-Need-Attachments Riddle."

Tom turned and gave his friend an unimpressed look. "Shall I remind you of some of the things you have said back as a fifteen year old convinced he knew all there was to know about the world?"

Abraxas made a face, giving a shake of his head. "No, I'd rather not." He snorted and looked Tom over from top to bottom. "I learned that teenagers are idiots most of the time."

Now Tom snorted, turning back to the mirror to make sure his robes were hanging properly down to his ankles.

"You did not have the opportunity to witness that fact first hand, Tom? I know that the Headmaster does not interact with the students all that often. But I always imagined that the professors do talk about the students in staff meetings, do they not?" Abraxas stepped close enough to Tom for him to make room in front of the mirror.

"They do. But they are professionals. There usually is no gossip, only class performance and the like." Tom shrugged. There were talks about specific students and their behaviour out of class. But they usually were between himself and the students Head of House. Not in the bigger staff meetings. There was no reason to air out the personal concerns of the students in front of so many people.

"When Harry reaches that age you'll learn either way." Abraxas grinned, picking some imaginary lint from his sleeve with a smug look.

Tom rolled his eyes and walked over to sit down in the chair so he could slip on the sandals he was going to wear today.

"Joking aside." Abraxas walked over, clasping Tom's shoulder. "I'm very glad and happy for you. You've found a great partner to have a family with."

Tom patted Abraxas' hand before getting up.

He was ready to marry his love.

oooOOooo

Over in another room if the manor Lily stood in front of her own mirror, just in her linen shift, while her two best friends were arguing over by the window.

"I don't see why Lily can't wear a flower crown of carnations. They are delightfully frilly and the yellow ones work so well with her hair." Alice had repeated that same argument in slightly different words several times by now.

And, as he did before, Severus answered, progressively getting more blunt. It seemed as if he finally had lost the last of his patience. "Because yellow carnations stand for disdain, rejection. And that certainly is not the right message to send on a wedding day."

Ignoring the two of them, Lily walked over to the chair where her remaining clothes were waiting.

"If you think that there is any force involved in this wedding, and Lily would rather not marry at all, picking those flowers might be the right idea." Lily could hear how much Sev wanted to roll his eyes, something he did tend to suppress when in the company of someone else as those closest to him. "The asters go just as well with her complexion and robes. On top of that they signal love, so are much more fitting."

"But why do you want to keep to something so… I don't know, old fashioned?!"

"Both of you, stop." Really she loved both of her friends but putting them together in one room for any length of time without enough people acting as a buffer, had been a bad idea.

"I like the asters and Alice, you know that Augusta will absolutely care about the message the flowers will be sending."

Alice huffed but stopped arguing.

Slipping her blue dress on over her head, Lily proceeded to get ready. Her hair needed to be braided still. The flower crown fixed on said hair, and her nerves settled.

"Let me." Severus said, stepping behind her and using a nice brush to prepare Lily's hair to get styled.

Shortly after Severus' slim, nimble fingers started braiding her red hair. Lily could see Alice in the mirror and felt depredation when she spotted the mischief in her friend's eyes.

"Say, Lily, you'll have a bouquet of flowers, will you not?"

"Yes?" She answered reluctantly. Where was Alice going with this?

"Will you throw it into the crowd to see who will be the next to wed?" Even if Lily could not have seen er friend in the mirror right behind Severus, she would have known Alice was smiling gleefully.

"I did not plan on it." And she truly hadn't. During the last preparations Tom and she had looked into different traditions, gestures, superstitions and the like, surrounding the marriage ceremony slash ritual. And there had been no big overlap between non magical, british customs and the magical ones.

"It's a very muggle thing to do." Severus threw in, casting a spell n her hair to stick two braids into place before moving on to another part of her head.

Lily felt that she was slow today. Severus sounded desperate to change the topic. But she did not understand why.

"I think it would be a good idea to do it anyway. You could put a charm on it to make sure that it lands directly where you want it to." Alice's look in direction of a very stiff Severus wasn't subtle at all.

Lily could not help herself and started to laugh.

"Can you imagine the faces of the older Blacks?"

Alice started to laugh as well and Severus just huffed.

"I would rather you do not put my chances at actually marrying Regulus Black in jeopardy." Severus stated drily and continued braiding Lily's hair.

"Spoilsport." Alice pouted and sat down in a chair with less grace than Lily knew she was capable of.

It might have been a good idea to have them both here after all.

oooOOooo

Both Lily and Tom would later look back at the moment they were bound to each other with fondness.

All their friends were there.

Harry was running around, laughing at the magic he could see all around them.

They took each others hands, smiling, and spoke the words they were prompted to speak by Abraxas. Tom had picked him because he knowledgeable enough to be able to lead this important ceremony. And because he was Tom's friend.

Magic wound itself in and around them both. Warm and comforting, strong and gentle at the same time.

Despite the intensity of the magic and their feelings this part of the day was over very quickly. Making way for the more social aspect of the celebration.

oooOOooo

"They look so happy." Regulus sighed from right next to Severus. They were standing close enough that their bodies touched down from their shoulders to where their hands could have intertwined if they had allowed them to.

And Severus very much wanted to be even closer to his partner.

"I hope so." Severus heard Regulus huffing in response to his sarcasm. "Otherwise they should not have gone through with this bounding."

"Will you now conceded that we have a chance to get to marry with the approval of my family?" Regulus wanted to know, referring to one of the topics they had discussions and debates on the most.

"Clearly if our Lord can find it in himself to marry one who was part of the opposition for so long, we will be able to get my parents to agree?"

Regulus his precious optimist, Severus smiled despite himself. "Our Lord is a man who can be reasoned with. I can't claim the same of your parents."

Regulus elbowed him for his words, but didn't refute Severus' claim. It simply was a fact they both acknowledged.

ooOoo

"Minerva stop being this childish." Really, Poppy was disappointed by her friend. Her inability to accept Lily's decision was getting ridiculous.

Minerva accepted the glass of fruit punch Poppy had fetched for her. While Poppy sipped from her lemonade.

"I'm not being childish." Minerva sniffed. "I'm here after all, am I not?"

All members of staff had been invited to the wedding of the Headmaster and not one of them had decided not to attend.

"Just being here is no proof that you are not acting childishly, Minerva." Poppy sighed. "You can't tell me that the school has not been flourishing since Tom has become Headmaster." Some people might have stopped trying to get through Minerva's thick scull by now, but Poppy was just as stubborn as her friend, so she would go on until both of them were old if she had to.

"And you should not forget that Hogwarts herself has chosen him."

With an impatient wave of her hand Minerva brushed Poppy's arguments aside. "Maybe, maybe not. Only time will tell. Ask me again in a few years what I think of that man."

Sure that this was the best she would get today, Poppy decided to drag Minerva over to where a few of the others were standing and get them all to dance. This was a wedding after all and dancing was all but a requirement.

ooOoo

Clair smiled up at Jonathan who had gone to get her some more lemonade from the refreshment tables and was now handing her the glass.

"Thank you, love."

She took a sip while Jonathan sat down, stretching his legs out and heaving a sigh.

"I don't think I want to dance any more. My feet are sore." Jonathan said with a tired smile. "I don't know how they do it." He waved his hand in the direction of the dance floor, indicating all the people still swaying to the music.

"Narcissa told me that there are dancing shoes with build in cushioning charms for more comfort." Clair answered before taking another sip from her drink.

"Magic is really something." Jonathan mused. "I'm glad that we did learn of it early."

"It will be good for Justin to grow up with playmates who share that ability." She looked over to where Harry was sleeping in the arm of Abraxas Malfoy.

Then she looked over where Lily was dancing with her husband. The two of them were at the centre of some big changes to come. Clair just knew as did Jonathan. They were not as successful as they were just by following the business analyst's advice. Being able to feel the tides, the currents of politics and society was an important skill they both shared.

"It certainly will not get boring anytime soon."

ooOoo

Later that evening, or rather very early in the morning, Tom and Lily were laying on their bed, legs entwined, Lily's head on Toms chest.

"Are you happy?" Tom asked.

"I get to be with you and we will change the future together. Why should I be unhappy?"

"You are right, love, we have a lot of reasons to be happy." He gave her a kiss on her head the only place he could conveniently reach. "I'm certainly the happiest man alive, with you by my side."

"Sleep well, Mrs. Evans." Tom smiled with hi eyes closed.

"Sweet dreams, Mr. Evans." Lily answered very happy with the day and looking forward to the things to come.

oooOOooo

AN: Deciding which point of view to use was not easy. This is the solution I came up with.

I hope you had fun reading this story. I certainly had fun writing it.

See you again in the comments section of one of my other stories.

First published on 12th of August 2022