The Wedding(s) Of The Year
Rose Weasley was just having a lovely dream when she was woken by her fiancé Scorpius Malfoy calling "Rose, get up, out parents will be here in an hour to organise the wedding!" Rose shot out of bed and thundered down the stairs.
"Why didn't you wake me earlier!" she shrieked.
"According to Arthur, pregnant women need all the sleep they can get," Scorpius smiled. "Breakfast?"
"Just cereal," Rose said. Scorpius served up cornflakes and Rose ate them as quickly as she could before racing upstairs to shower. Her hair went abominably curly when it got wet but Rose just couldn't be bothered fixing it. She rifled through her wardrobe to find the cream dress and matching pumps her parents had given her for Christmas. Sliding sapphires from Draco and Astoria into her ears and slapping make-up onto her tired looking face she ran back down the stairs and grabbed the stack of wedding magazines from the coffee table and put them in the dining room. Scorpius was just emerging from the bathroom in a cream suit with a red shirt.
"You always did suit formal wear," she whispered, kissing his cheek. Scorpius laughed.
Draco and Astoria arrived first, Draco in a smart blue shirt and black suit, Astoria ravishing in a long mint green dress trimmed with pink lace.
"Such wonderful news darlings!" she cried. "My darling niece Delia is to be wed!"
"That's wonderful news, Astoria!" Rose said. This coincided with Ron and Hermione arriving, Hermione business like in black trousers and a crisply ironed black shirt patterned with pink roses and Ron in charcoal grey trousers and a green collared shirt under a black hand-knitted jumper.
"Let's get down to business," Astoria said.
They sat around the table with glasses of grape juice, all waiting as Astoria removed a notebook from her bag.
"Had you decided on a colour scheme yet?" she asked.
"We were thinking cream, grey, green, gold and red," said Rose.
"Wonderful choices," said Astoria, scribbling frantically in her notebook. "Those colours go so well together. Now, the engagement party is at the Burrow but I was thinking the Hilton in London for the venue-"
"We can't afford that mother," said Scorpius wearily.
"We don't mind paying," said Astoria airily. "Now, Rose, what were you thinking for a wedding dress?"
"Well, I was thinking something like this," Rose said, pointing to a beautiful romantic-looking corseted dress with a very full skirt. "But that might be a bit tight since by then I'll be seven months pregnant. Or," she said, flipping the page. "I was thinking empire line because that'll hide my stomach."
"Excellent idea," Astoria said. "We'll have a little shopping trip this Saturday. Now, the about the guest list…"
"Merlin, there's going to be so many," Rose groaned, almost banging her head on the table.
"Yes, we will have to edit the list a little," Astoria said. "We can have one hundred and fifty during the day and five hundred during the night."
Saturday dawned in a shower of ice-cold rain and ominous grey clouds hovering menacingly overhead. Rose straightened her hair until it hung shiny and silky down her back before putting on wide-legged jeans and a turquoise cashmere jumper and making up her face as carefully as possible. She sprayed herself in perfume and slid turquoise studs into her ears. She almost dropped the pan when Scorpius came downstairs as she was cooking bacon and eggs. He looked devastatingly handsome in black jeans and a white T-shirt showing off his well-honed muscles. He shrugged on the dragon skin jacket Rose had bought him for Christmas and smiled.
Astoria arrived not long after, wearing trousers for once-cream flares with a white floral patterned vest and blue wraparound cardigan. Draco was wearing jeans and a faded blue shirt under a brown jumper. Hermione was wearing a floaty white skirt and yellow jumper and smiling, though looking faintly annoyed that Astoria was wearing trousers. Ron was in jeans and a maroon jumper. Rose charged out and climbed into the Malfoy car.
They arrived in London's prime shopping area just as the hovering storm broke. Umbrellas went up everywhere. They ducked into the nearest shop, dripping water on the polished floorboards and gaining disapproving looks from the staff. But the manageress had dealt with Draco and Astoria's wedding and recognized them immediately.
"The Malfoys, it is a pleasure!" she said.
"Good to see you too Louise," Astoria smiled. "This is our son Scorpius and his fiancée Rose. They're getting married in July and we're looking for some wedding outfits. And this is Ron and Hermione Weasley, Rose's parents."
"Right this way," said Louise, pointing them towards a room three times the size of the bathroom in Scorpius and Rose's flat. She caught Rose's arm. "Miss Weasley, we have a variety of dresses in maternity sizes if you tell us what stage of pregnancy you will be at." Rose hid her shock with a loud cough.
Over the next few months Rose had to admit that Astoria was a blessing. If there's anything harder than organising a wedding it's organising a wedding while pregnant and Astoria made everything so much easier.
"When a bride walks down the aisle she appears to glow," Astoria said one day while Hermione argued over the phone with the photographer. "It's the most important day of your life Rose and it has to be perfect." Rose nodded in agreement. Most of the time she tuned out and didn't listen.
One Saturday when Rose was especially attentive was when they went to choose the cake. Rose sampled each cake and rated it on a scale of one to ten. The one they eventually picked had seven tiers, thick icing, little marzipan bells and hearts, edible glitter, a marzipan couple and chocolate shavings on top.
"Are you quite sure that's enough Rose?" Scorpius said his face the picture of concern. "You sure you don't want marshmallows or strawberry laces on top? Sure you won't manage some Every Flavour Beans? You haven't forgotten the Fizzing Whizbees have you?"
"Oh, shut up!" Rose laughed.
The engagement party was held ten weeks before the wedding and was a roaring success. Hundreds of people had been invited and Molly had out-done herself, spending all day cooking and still managing to set aside some time to visit the shops and buy a beautiful floor-length red dress and get her hair done. Rose herself, five months pregnant by then, wore a long moss-green dress and looked even more stunning than Astoria, a genuine achievement. Scorpius wore a black suit and moss-green tie and stood protectively near to Rose at all times.
The Hen Night was planned as an outing to a dry ski slope. Rose silently thanked her mum's parents for taking her skiing every Christmas, for she was expert on the slopes, zigzagging and dodging with her long red hair flying behind her, which was more than could be said for most of her friends. Most of them had fallen off at least once in the first ten minutes.
The Stag Night was also something daring-water-skiing. Everyone was surprised when Ron proved good at it, standing without a wobble. Scorpius was pretty good but kept losing concentration and falling. He was thinking about his wedding. He was so lucky to have such a faithful and beautiful girlfriend. Both parties ended up in the pub, drinking wine and beer and laughing at everyone's very bad jokes.
And so it was time for the wedding. The Malfoy Manner was in a state of frenzied activity, being used for getting ready so the Weasleys could prepare for the reception. Girls were running up and down the stairs with beauty implements and everyone was staggering into the kitchen for coffee and aspirin for their hangovers. Narcissa Malfoy was hanging around smiling and threatening to wear the twenty year-old dress she'd worn to Draco and Astoria's wedding.
Rose was in one of the many enormous guest bedrooms surrounded by dresses and jewellery and make-up and beauty tools that looked like instruments of torture. She was still wearing her old yellow dressing gown and trying to keep down several aspirin. Her bridesmaids were whizzing around with cups of coffee and plates of toast while Hermione stood serenely in all the chaos, already dressed impeccably in a grey suit with a matching hat trimmed with a dark blue feather. With her hair pinned up with tendrils falling around her face she looked incredible for a mother of the bride whose traditional role, Ron had once laughingly told Rose, was to wear a massive spaceship hat that took someone's eye out every time they made a sudden movement and wear something really hideous. Astoria was in a dark green floor-length dress embroidered with silver with a matching green cloak around her shoulders and the Malfoy family crest pressed into silver on a green ribbon around her slim neck.
Hermione walked up to Rose and sat down next to her, stroking her hair as she had many years before.
"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked gently.
"Scared," Rose replied simply, examining her face for any signs of spots in the mirror.
"What kind of scared?" Hermione asked. "Like 'oh-Merlin-I-can't-go-through-with-this-it-was-a-stupid-decision-and-I-don't-love-him' scared or just the jitters that every normal bride has on her wedding day?" Rose laughed.
"No, no, just normal jitters," she reassured. "I love Scorpius with all my heart."
"If you're saying that, I know this is the right decision for you," Hermione said firmly. "And I have a gift for you." She held out a little blue box. Rose took it and opened it with trembling hands. Inside was a little pair of earrings made of silver and pearls, very elegant and perfect to go with Rose's dress. Rose hugged her mother, her eyes brimming with tears. Those few kind words had completely reassured her and she was soon in front of the mirror with her dress on fixing her hair.
After a while Molly came in wearing amber dress robes, the same she had worn for weddings so many years ago. She looked tired but happy to see the wedding happening.
"Congratulations, my dear," she said, enveloping Rose in a hug. "You've made it to the wedding day and haven't changed your mind. Arthur and I never stopped rowing for a month before our big day but we've been happy for fifty years."
"Thanks Gran, I hope my marriage is as good as yours," Rose said, returning the hug.
"And I have a gift for you," Molly said. She dropped two little hair slides, silver with a little sapphire flower on the end. "My granny gave these to me on my wedding day, so it's only right that they should be passed down to you."
"That's something old and something blue," said Astoria, joining in the conversation. "And your dress is new. So here." She tossed Rose a little bracelet, a snake with an emerald for an eye. "That's mine and I'd like it back after the ceremony."
"Thank you," said Rose, putting on her jewellery. Delia Wolff, Scorpius' cousin, sidled over to her.
"Just so you know, Scorpius has bought you jewellery," she said. "So I wouldn't put on any more."
They arrived at the church with forty minutes to spare. People drifted off to talk to acquaintances and Rose's chief bridesmaid Lily went to talk to the dozen red-heads hovering around the doors. Scorpius and his best man, Teddy Lupin, arrived a few minutes later. Rose caught her breath at Scorpius' beauty, in a grey suit and blue shirt, silver cufflinks and his hair brushed poetically back from his forehead. Teddy was wearing a blue suit and looking odd without his usual spiky turquoise hair.
Scorpius walked over to Rose and fastened a pendant around her neck. It was beautiful, with a delicate rose carved out of ruby hanging from a silver chain entwined with a carved emerald vine. Rose restrained the urge to leap into his arms. Eventually the minister, a small, plump, ferrety old man with grey hair, small eyes and a wheezy voice, scuttled through the huge doors and found himself standing beside Hagrid. Rose almost laughed, he looked so comically small.
"Buck up, get on!" he wheezed, scuttling through the doors into the main chamber. Scorpius gave Rose a last hug and went through with Teddy. People gave congratulations and wishes of good luck and went to their seats until only Ron and Hermione were left. Hermione hugged Rose tightly, tears in her eyes and headed through the doors. Ron held out his arms.
"This is it," he said.
"This is it," agreed Rose.
"Love you, Rosey."
"Love you too, Daddy." They hugged and Rose took her father's arm. Smiling at each other, they walked proudly through the huge doors as the band struck up. Rose couldn't help but smile at the sight of her groom waiting at the end of the aisle, looking so proud. Lily was smiling too and Teddy, despite all his efforts, had ended up with turquoise hair because he was so happy. They reached the end of the aisle. Ron gave Rose a last hug and took his seat beside Hermione.
"My good people, we are here today to celebrate the union of two loving souls," wheezed the minister. After many minutes, though it flew by like a second for Rose, it was time to make the vows. Scorpius took her hands and recited, slowly and clearly, for all to hear.
"I used to be afraid of falling in love, of giving my heart away. How could I trust a woman to love me, to give to me all that I wanted to give to her? Rose Weasley, when I met you, I realized how much we could share together. You have renewed my life: Today I join that life with yours." A faint 'Aaaah' ran around the room. Rose made her vow in a voice choked with tears.
"I used to be afraid of falling in love, of giving my heart away. How could I trust a man to love me, to give to me all that I wanted to give to him? Scorpius Malfoy, when I met you, I realized how much we could share together. You have renewed my life: Today I join that life with yours."
"I do declare you man and wife," said the minister, waving his wand in an intricate pattern over their heads. "You may kiss your bride." As Scorpius lifted Rose's veil and leant in to kiss her the neat balloon bouquet tied over their heads burst and custard flew in a tidal wave over the congregation.
"FRED! GEORGE!" Molly roared.
"We didn't hang those balloons, Mum," said Fred, looking innocent.
"Yeah, we just substituted them for the ones that Teddy hung!" George added, grinning. "Sorry Rose!" he bellowed up the aisle.
"Don't give it a thought," said Rose, holding out the skirt of her custard-splattered wedding dress. "Gives these outfits a bit of character." Scorpius was laughing so much that soon everyone forgot their anger and laughed along with him.
The entire congregation and the minister promptly Apparated to the Burrow where Hermione, muttering furiously, cast a cleaning spell to restore the outfits to their original pristine condition. The Burrow had been completely transformed. Some amazing spell had been cast on the bottom level of the house to rid it of walls so people could just wander from the garden to the house. Flowers and balloons were everywhere, balloons that Molly immediately checked for Fred and George's patented 'Custard Explosions'.
After a lot of searching, Rose finally found her grandfather, talking with Narcissa in a secluded corner of the garden.
"Hi, Grandpa," she said, dropping into the chair beside him and thinking how young her grandfather looked, though in his seventies. He was wearing grey dress robes and his best glasses and what hair he had left was still as red as it had ever been. Narcissa had not worn the dress she'd been threatening to wear but a beautiful grape purple satin dress with a silk overskirt. She looked beautiful with her silver hair piled on top of her head and her wedding ring glinting on her left hand. Rose very much admired Narcissa for continuing to wear her ring even twenty years after her husband's death.
"Congratulation, Rose," Arthur said, kissing Rose's forehead. "Married. I can't believe it. Seems only yesterday I held you the day you were born." Tears clouded his eyes.
"You're a big softie, y'know that," said Rose to hide the fact that tears were rising in her throat.
Many hours later, people were drunk on excitement and champagne. Rose fell about laughing at the sight of her Great-Great Aunt Muriel letting her hair down on the dance floor with the minister. Everyone was dancing and Teddy was amusing Victoire, Dominique and Louis rapidly changing his appearance. The old members of the Order of the Phoenix were drinking champagne and talking quietly in a corner of the garden.
Rose had never been happier than on that occasion. The one thing that made it perfect was her going into premature labour at two in the morning and everyone being so drunk no one could drive her to the hospital. In their excitement they'd forgotten to nominate some designated drivers. Luckily, there was a trained healer on the premises and soon Rose was holding a tiny, prawn-pink yowling creature in her arms.
"It's a boy!" Scorpius exclaimed, making no attempt to hide the tears running down his cheeks. "Let's call him Steven."
"I've got a better idea," Rose said, smiling. "We'll name him Lucius." Narcissa burst into tears.
"Our Lucius," said Scorpius, a smile breaking over his face.
"Party on!" shouted a very drunk George, waving an empty bottle of Firewhisky in the air. Cheers split the night peace and soon everyone was dancing again. Everyone except Scorpius and Rose who were still kissing with their new baby cradled between them.