Hugo had an itch. Rose forced him to wear these hideous dress robes. They clashed dangerously with his hair. This might be an exaggeration, but Hugo did not like to wear anything apart from his trousers and Gryffindor shirt. Currently, he was only wearing a pair of modest and traditional black dress robes, but he couldn't help but be melodramatic about it all. He squirmed on his seat, which earned a warning glance from his mother, despite her tears. Ridiculous, he thought as he rolled his eyes, sighs, and fought the urge to vanish said robes.
His mother smiled at him in a weird mix of joy and sadness as the man in front droned on and on. Continuous sniffing and tear-dabbing went on in the background. Hugo didn't understand how anyone, especially his father, could stand this very boring event.
Speaking of his father, Ron Weasley, the aging man hadn't so much as blinked since he walked his daughter down the aisle. He couldn't be comfortable in his robes. They wore similar outfits. From the moment Rose touched Ron's hand at the other end of the aisle, Hugo had known his father had changed. Ron was, after all, very vocal about his dislike for the union.
He didn't understand how Dad was keeping mum about this event. Hugo didn't have anything against the Malfoys, but Dad had always complained about the small family. Draco Malfoy was a good man, if not a bit too cynical. He used to play Quidditch, and that was more than enough for him to be on Hugo's right side. Still, his father glared and snarled whenever Draco was around, his ears turning every shade of red in a matter of seconds. Yet, it had been an hour since Mr. Malfoy's arrival, and Ron had not acted out against him, nor had his ears turned a startling red. Curious.
"One would think that because you're already twenty two, you'd stop acting like a child. Apparently not," a soft voice rang in Hugo's ears followed by a little laugh. Hugo snapped his head around and turned a deep red from embarrassment, and perhaps something more. Alice Longbottom was teasing him!
"Shut it," he mumbled in reply. Unfortunately, his mother heard this remark and pinched his thigh, hard. Hugo yelped, but the noise was drowned out by the sniffles from the audience. Apparently, the couple had just finished their bonding ceremony. He really couldn't care less.
"See you at the reception," Alice's soft voice called for his attention, once more. Hugo turned a deeper shade of red, and could only nod to her as the people around him stood and clapped for the ceremony.
"I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Scorpius Malfoy!" The official announced in his raspy voice. It was all finally over.
Ron sat beside Hermione a table away from the private one of the newlyweds. He barely looked at the menu, and his concentration was so focused on his little girl, that when the time came for him to order, Hermione made the selection for him. Unfortunately, Rose was not little anymore. A sigh left his lips as the cutlery around him clinked and clanked while the guests ate away. Ron was not able to eat.
Rose was a sight for sore eyes indeed. Ron hadn't been part of the wedding planning, and so this afternoon was the first time he had seen the gown, but the whole ensemble was worth the wait. She was truly a glowing angel with her bright, wavy hair swept to the side. The red contrasted nicely with the pure white wedding gown. Ron's eyes began to open. She was not his little Rosie anymore. She was Scorpius' Rose.
Rose had grown up too fast.
After what seemed like only a few moments of his staring, Ron felt someone touch his hand and he turned to find his wife's brown eyes, the ones that had been inherited by the small, bundle of happiness that he held twenty five years ago. However, Hermione's eyes differed from Rose's. They had seen the horrors of both their past and the riches of their present. The brunette now looked at him with an understanding and comforting love. She didn't need to open her mouth for him to know what she had to say. More than thirty years of knowing and loving each other had given him the wisdom to read his wife, and he felt comforted by this fact. A feeling that was much appreciated, what with this major change happening around them.
"I know," he sighed as he lowered his gaze to his plate, still full with the food he didn't order, "I've accepted it all, but...I don't know, seeing her so happy makes me wish for my little girl back; the one that would gaze up at me with that same look. Do you remember that? It was like I was the only guy in the whole world." His voice was too soft for the newlyweds to hear his words.
"Ron," Hermione started, her hand intertwining with his, "Rose is a good and loving child. She'll be your daughter forever," she said in the most comforting, yet truthful manner that only Hermione could achieve. She didn't fully wipe away his woes, but she did allow for him to open his eyes, even more. Inside Rose, after all, was that little girl who would run to him when she hurt herself.
"Dad, it's your turn!" Hugo's impatient voice interrupted their intimate exchange. He had removed his outer robes, opting for the long-sleeved polo that Hermione made him wear. He wore a very bored expression, but a little laugh from the table close to their own caused him to sit up straighter in his seat. Hermione rolled her eyes at him and pinched his thigh, earning another yelp from the man they called their son.
Her eyes drifted towards Ron's, once more. Love and devotion shone from hers. She assured him through this look that she would always be by his side to support him. Ron gave her hand a quick squeeze before pulling himself out of his seat, and made his way to the stage at front of the crowd of guests. Every step he took reminded him that he had to let go of his woes. This was the hardest thing Ron had ever experienced in his lifetime, and his speech reflected this. He would have to finally give her away.
Just as he was about to start, his eyes met Rose's, the ones so similar to his wife's. She was smiling genuinely; her eyes were sparkling with love and joy. Ron couldn't bear to disappoint those eyes.
He cleared his throat and held the magically enhanced microphone up to his mouth, "Hullo," his voice called the attention of the guests, "I've been told that it's my turn to give a speech...er, it's hard for me to stand in front of you lot, but it's not because of stage fright. Well, that's part of it, but to be honest, I couldn't give a damn about stage fright, because my daughter has just been married. Its common knowledge that this boy's father is my sworn enemy, so...it's taken me longer to really accept this all," he gestures around himself.
Pausing, he looked towards his wife's eyes. She nodded at him in encouragement, and the man returned his gaze to his daughter, "This morning, I saw my daughter in a wedding dress. It was at that moment that I realized that she isn't my little girl anymore. I said to myself, 'This isn't little Rosie anymore. This is a woman ready to take another step in life without her ole' man dragging her back'," he swallowed the lump in his throat and looked away. Saying all these things out loud was vastly different from saying it in his mind. This made everything real.
"Seeing Rose so happy made me realize that I couldn't hold her back. I couldn't bear the thought of breaking the promise I made when she was born," he paused again, tears welling in his eyes, "When I held that pink little bundle after those nine hours of labor, I told myself that I would do anything to keep that little girl happy. If this man," he pointed at Scorpius, "is what makes her happy, then who am I to stand in the way? I love you, Rose. I just hope that you'll still run to your old man when things get too hard to bear. A toast to the happy couple!" he finished and raised his glass.
After everyone had taken a sip, celebrating the speech made to the young couple, Ron made his way back to his waiting wife. His daughter's eyes caught his when he sat and she mouthed, "I love you, Dad."
"I love you, too," he mouthed back to her, nodding with a small smile.
Hermione reached for his hand and pecked his cheek, love pouring out for him.
"You did well, Ron," she said, smiling at his relieved face.
He knew she was right, and he let himself feel comfort with her words. He did well for himself, and for his Rosie.
The wedding reception was boring. Perhaps he should have taken the time to hide the Whizzbangs from his Uncle George's shop this morning when the women were busy dressing up. He squirmed on his seat, glad that his mother's attention was not on his but his father's. He glanced up to the older man and felt a rush of warm sensation filling him up. He knew that this day was something for him, bigger than what it meant for his mother. Rose was, after all, a true Daddy's Girl.
Hugo's eyes went to his sister who looked every bit like their mother only with the red hair. He would argue against it if someone told him that she was pretty, but inside he knew that Rose was a stunning beauty. Her hair was more like Aunt Ginny's than Dad's which only complimented her more. The sight of Rose and her husband was perfect; again, Hugo would never admit out loud.
A loud applause thundered in the hall as his father left the stage and walked towards their table. Ron's eyes met Hermione's, love and affection shining over them. He knew he was a lucky guy for having them as his parents. Hermione pecked his cheek as Ron pulled out his chair beside her. He seemed proud and a little lighter than he did before his speech.
"Conquered the stage eh, Dad?" Hugo teased the man, earning a small giggled from behind him and a roll of eyes from his mother. He sat up straighter upon hearing the giggle than his mother's light admonition.
"Yeah," Ron answered, inhaling deeply and shifting on his seat. He took Hermione's hand and squeezed it lightly; a silent communication between them. He looked at Hugo's eyes and his lips quirked upwards. "Maybe it's your turn to conquer the dance floor," he suggested in a light and teasing manner and a nod towards the person behind him who giggled once more.
Hugo had the slightest urge to deny it but he knew his father wasn't just teasing him. He was actually urging him to make his move. With an indignant look on his face, he stood from his seat. He picked his hideous dress robes and put it on, smoothing it before making his best gentlemanly face. He didn't dare look at his parents' eyes as the music started; he already knew what he would see. Hugo turned and walked three steps to stop behind Alice Longbottom's seat. He bowed slightly, holding up a hand, palm facing up.
"May I have this dance?" He asked loud enough before leaning forward and lowering his voice. "I'll prove to you that I'm not twenty two turning five with my ultimate dancing skills," he whispered and smirked that would make the Malfoy's proud when Miss Alice blushed and looked down on her lap. She seemed to recover quickly though as a soft hand grasped his and her lips turned upward.
"Yes, you may." She said as she let him lead her to the dance floor, the music filling up their senses. He pulled her close to him and his stance relaxed, his hands resting on her back as if it was always there. "Let me be the judge to that, Mr. Weasley." She whispered to his ear as they glided on the floor.
Warmth flooded him; his face blushed brightly that would make any Weasley proud. He opened his lips to speak, but no words came out of him as he stared to Alice's eyes. Lost in the depth of her eyes, Hugo moved with ease on the floor, leading the dance and unaware of his surroundings. He grinned at her and pulled her closer. His eyes traveled across the hall and towards his parents, meeting his father's eyes. A small proud yet teasing glint on Ron's eyes made Hugo want to roll his. Maybe weddings weren't so bad after all, even with the itchy robes.