Disclaimer: Definitely not mine, or Victoire and Teddy would never have been kissing.
Two: James Sirius Potter
James Potter had been called many things--smart, handsome, brave, charming--but cowardly was not one of them. Be that as it may, it took him nearly three hours to prepare himself for the disaster that others were calling Teddy and Victoire's wedding.
It wasn't the fact that he had to dress up in the most bloody uncomfortable suit in existence, or even that he'd to have his hair charmed by his mother. No, it was the fact that Teddy had asked James to be his best man.
Of course, James being James, and Teddy being Teddy, there was absolutely no way James could be Teddy's best man. Not after all that had happened.
So, of course he'd said yes.
That had been four terrible months ago, and James still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that he'd been stupid enough to say yes. Honestly, he'd thought Teddy would ask his father, so when he asked James, it was a bit of a shock. So much of a shock, actually, that James hadn't even had time to think before he answered. Then Teddy had hesitantly smiled at James, and James was forced to leave before he began wondering just how those lips would feel on his.
This, more than anything else, was why James was so bloody horrified about being Teddy's best man. Because he was afraid that when the time came for the words, "If there is any reason why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace," he would accidentally blurt out that of course Teddy couldn't marry Victoire because she was undeserving and Teddy was his.
James sighed, turned away from the mirror and stared at Teddy. Victoire had requested that he keep his hair brown for the day, and he'd complied. James liked it best that way, but he didn't like the fact that it was that way because Victoire asked for it.
"James? Are you feeling well?" Teddy stared up at James with those big brown eyes and suddenly James just couldn't take it anymore.
He didn't realize he was running until his legs gave out, and by that time he was on the other side of the house. Victoire had insisted the wedding take place at her family summer home in Versailles and it was so giant that James had gotten lost several times already.
James stood up, prepared to go somewhere--anywhere--that he could get his thoughts in order, but then he heard footsteps, and the unmistakable sound of Teddy's voice.
"Jamie? Jamie, are you down here?"
James quickly darted into a nearby closet. He instantly cursed his foolishness--hiding in a closet, really?--but made no move to leave. Teddy was still out there and James knew if he saw him again everything would come out and Teddy would look at him with the look he generally saved up for Lily's newest conquest. It was pitying, and James Sirius Potter would not be pitied.
Unfortunately, Teddy knew James all too well, and the closet door soon opened. Teddy's concerned face peered in.
"James?" He smiled when he saw James, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "You know, snogging in closets generally works better when you have someone in there with you."
For a minute James just stared at Teddy; did he not realize how much James wanted Teddy to be the one he was scandalously snogging in closets?
James reached out a hand, and without even really realizing it, he touched Teddy's hair. Teddy looked at him curiously.
"Remember when I was five, and whenever you'd come over, I'd make you change your hair to Gryffindor red?" asked James.
Teddy nodded. "Of course."
"And then, when you came back from Hogwarts that first year, I made you promise that you'd never turn your hair red again?"
At this, Teddy grinned. "And when I asked why, you said that you'd be seeing enough red once you got to Hogwarts because you'd be in Gryffindor, and you didn't want to be sick of it. You were a cocky little thing."
"I lied, though. That wasn't really why I didn't want you to be a redhead," said James. Teddy's grin faltered.
"Then, why…?"
"Because, when you had your hair red, you looked like one of us, and I didn't want you to be part of my family," explained James. Teddy's eyes widened, and he bit his lip. James hurried on. "Not because I didn't like you, or something stupid like that. I didn't want you to be a part of my family because that would make my crush on you wrong."
Teddy's eyes widened and he looked vaguely ill. "James are you saying--I mean, do you still--I mean…" Teddy's voice was so helpless. "Jamie?"
James let out a nervous laugh; he wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but it certainly hadn't hurt this bad. He shook his head.
"Never mind, Teddy, we need to go, I think the wedding is going to start soon."
He was such an idiot. What the hell had he been thinking? Telling Teddy this on his fucking wedding day. James had been called selfish before, but he really felt he was now.
"James?" Teddy's voice was small. "James, are you--?"
"I'm fine, Teddy! I really shouldn't have bothered you with this on your wedding day, I don't know what I was thinking!" James laughed nervously again; he was such a screw-up!
For the rest of the way until they got to the room the ceremony was to be held in, James blabbered on about anything he could think of, and Teddy shot James worried looks when he thought James wasn't paying attention.
When they got to the wedding room, James excused himself, and went over to where Al and Malfoy were sitting. They looked surprised when he slumped down in a chair by them.
"James? Aren't you supposed to be over by Teddy?" asked Al.
James ignored his question. "Allie, what did Malfoy here say when you told him you fancied him?"
Al blushed. "James!" he hissed, "What if someone were to hear you? Besides, that's rather personal, don't you think?"
"But Allie, I need help pronto!" whined James. "Pretty please?"
Malfoy whispered something to Al, and Al's eyes lit up. "Okay, James, we'll tell you what you want to know on two conditions."
James eyed Malfoy suspiciously. It was bad enough that his little brother was a sneaky Slytherin, did he have to be shagg--no, no, no, James was not going to think about his brother's love life.
"What is it you want?"
"Once you leave Hogwarts, you'll give me the map," said Al. James nodded; it was tradition, after all. His father had given it to Teddy, and Teddy had given it to him. "And, you'll tell us just who it is that you fancy."
"No. Absolutely not!" cried James. Just imagining telling Al and his little boyfriend made James go numb.
"Then we aren't going to help," said Al. He began to turn back to Malfoy, but James grabbed his arm.
"Fine! But if you ever tell anyone, I will kill you so badly that you will be dead, and then, just to make everything that much worse, I will forge a will that says all your possessions go to your shmooky-love muffin, Scorpius Malfoy."
Al rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, sure, whatever."
"I'm serious!" cried James.
"Of course you are, Jamesie," said Al. He patted James's hand. "Now, on with it, please? Scorpius and I have a--a few things to finish up."
"Okay, I really do not want to know." James hesitated.
"James, you promised!" Al was pouting now, and the way Scorpius's hand tightened on his shoulder looked…possessive. James was feeling ill.
"I know…I really bloody hate you right now, but I need advice, so here goes." James squeezed his eyes shut. "'S'edy."
"What was that?"
"I said: It's Teddy." There was silence for many moments.
"Oh. Well. Oh." James opened his eyes fractionally, only to see Al and Malfoy exchanging intense looks. Al's eyes widened and he turned back to James. "Well, Teddy is…um, a nice young man?"
"Al, I don't need your approval. I just need your advice." James clapped his hands. "Now, how did Malfoy react when you told him you fancied him?"
"Well," Al began.
"Well, there's nothing to say about that, because Al wasn't the one who said it. It was me." James looked over at Malfoy in shock. His weird grey eyes looked much too amused for him to be lying--James had come to find Malfoy enjoyed hurting James with the truth.
"What? Al please tell me he's kidding!" cried James. Al pinkened, but said nothing. "Merlin, it is bad enough that you're a sodding Slytherin, but you can't honestly tell me that Malfoy had more courage than you!"
"Oi! Potter, bugger off! Leave Al alone. I mean, it isn't as if you've enough courage to tell Lupin over there how you feel about him."
For a second, James forgot about Al and his little friend, and just stared at Teddy. James hadn't had enough time before to properly appreciate how utterly shaggable Teddy looked in his suit. It was just the slightest bit too short at the arms, and a sliver of pale wrists showed. James who, for some reason, had a thing for Teddy's hands, was quite happy about this development, and then not happy at all when he realized that Teddy would be marrying Victoire and those hands would be hers.
Trying to ignore Teddy's wrists, James raised his head to look at Teddy's face. Teddy was staring right back at him, a troubled look on his face. James, despite his mother's claims to the contrary, actually did know a thing or two about manners, and he looked away, back at Al and Malfoy.
They were staring at him. It was Malfoy who spoke. "Bloody hell, Potter, don't tell me that you told Lupin that you fancied him on his sodding wedding day?"
James said nothing, but apparently the silence was enough. Malfoy let out a low whistle. "I knew Al had gotten all the brains in your family, but that…that is so incredibly idiotic that I can't believe even you would do such a thing."
"I know, all right?" James pressed his palms to his eyes until he saw stars. "I bloody well know I'm an idiot. It isn't anything new."
James's pity party was interrupted by the excited crowing of the Weasleys. James dropped his hands and looked at the gathered entirety of his family. What would they do if they knew what James wanted to do to Teddy? With Teddy?
Teddy had gone, and seeing as none of the other groomsmen--save himself and Al--were still there, James figured the wedding would be starting pretty soon.
He pulled himself up. "Let's go Al. Sorry Malfoy, but you're going to have to somehow survive without your special snowflake by your side."
Malfoy shot Potter a dirty look, but Al just blushed. Hadn't been quite the reaction James had hoped. He'd hoped something more in the, "You insulted my boyfriend's honor, now we must fight!" but apparently he wasn't going to get such a distraction.
Al got up and followed James to Teddy's personal room. James's father, Uncle Ron, Louis, and Uncle Charlie were already there. Teddy was pacing silently in front of a mirror, while the rest sat around, joking and laughing.
"Is he alright?" James asked his father. When he gave James a confused look, James nodded to Teddy.
"He's been like that since we got here," his father said. He shrugged. "He said he didn't want to talk about it. Probably just nerves."
For a while, James sat and played cards with the other groomsmen--except Al, because Al was utter pants at cards--and he was fine, and everything was fine, and he most definitely was not thinking about Teddy Lupin the entire time. Maybe like fifty percent of it. Okay, at the very most he was thinking of Teddy a hundred percent of the time, but big whoop, it was Teddy's wedding day, and thinking about the groom wasn't such a weird thing, right?
Of course not, James. When you're the bride!
Dominique Weasley walked in, then, and she whispered something to Teddy. He sighed, and nodded his head. Dominique left.
Teddy turned to the rest of them, running a hand through his dark hair. How it managed to stay perfect even after that, James had no idea.
"I guess Victoire has been very adamant about women's rights lately, and she feels it is anti-feminist for the men to escort the women down the aisle, as planned. We're to wait near the altar for her and the bride's maids to get there," Teddy said.
"Should we leave now, then?" asked Al. Teddy bit his lip, then nodded.
"Yes, I think that would be best."
As the seven of them walked down the hallway, all but Teddy, James, and Al were chatting animatedly. They'd reached about the halfway mark when Teddy stopped.
"Teddy? Is everything okay?" asked James. Teddy looked up at him--since when was he taller than Teddy?--and shook his head.
"Oi, James, Teddy, why'd you two stop?" asked Uncle Ron. James waved the lot of them on.
"Just go on, okay? Teddy needs a moment." James's father and Uncle Ron looked at him oddly for a moment, but after that moment they went on. Al stopped, though, and looked at them hesitantly.
"James, do you think it's a good idea for you to stay?" he asked. "I mean--"
"Go on, Al. I'm not Lily, I can control myself," said James. Al pursed his lips before nodding.
"Okay, we'll be waiting."
When Al was gone, James turned around. Teddy was now sitting on the floor, hands around his knees, his head resting on top.
James sat next to him. "Alright, what's wrong?"
"James, I can't--I just…I can't marry Victoire," choked Teddy. James nodded slowly. Cold feet he could handle.
"Teddy, you love Victoire. You've loved her since that first year you came back from Hogwarts. I remember you telling me she was the prettiest girl you'd ever met," said James. He wanted to kill Victoire, personally, but Teddy loved her, and at the moment that was all that mattered.
"Well of course she's pretty. She's part Veela," muttered Teddy. "Doesn't mean I should marry her. I mean, if that were the only requirement, I'd be marrying Louis."
"Except for the fact that he's, oh I don't know, a guy?" James rolled his eyes. "Honestly, Teddy, Victoire is your best friend, and it isn't just her looks you're marrying her for, so don't act like it is."
"I don't think I'm marrying her for the right reasons," said Teddy. His voice was low, and when he looked at James there was something decidedly like fear in his eyes. "What if it doesn't work, and we end up splitting? Bill will never talk to me again, and Fleur would probably hex certain parts of my anatomy off, and Molly would hate me." Teddy took a deep, shuddering breath. "And then Harry would cut off all ties, and you and Al, and Lily would hate me, too."
"Then you are just going to have to make sure it works, aren't you?" asked James. He stood up, reaching a hand out for Teddy when he was on his feet. Teddy didn't take it; his face, like usual when he got this upset, was completely unreadable. Not for the first time James wished Teddy didn't make it so bloody hard to get in.
I bet Teddy tells Victoire everything.
"James, I…" Teddy trailed off, but his words had been enough.
"Come on, then, mate. Can't have a wedding without the groom, yeah?" James's voice was a little too bright, and his hand shook just a tad too much. Once Teddy got in the room it would all be over. Teddy would be married to his cousin for Merlin's sake, and it was already bad enough that he was tripping over himself for his cousin's fiancé, but her husband would be pushing too far.
James swallowed thickly. He had the distinct feeling that he wouldn't be seeing Teddy very much anymore. That stung more than the fact that Teddy didn't fancy him, and by the time Teddy was up, James's heart felt like it had had enough.
Which is why it shouldn't have felt so bloody good when Teddy smiled at him. "Thank you James. You've convinced me."
James grinned back at Teddy, and they walked down the hall together. All the while, James wished he hadn't inherited that awful trait of his father's; being able to convince people so damn easily. It hadn't always been a trait of his father's but it certainly had always been one of James's.
Which was why, he suspected, he'd been made Head Boy for the next year. He might have gone a bit overboard in trying to convince everyone he was a model student--thinking Teddy, being Teddy, would like it--and suddenly firsties were coming to him complaining about their sick toads. It was all a bit overwhelming.
"James?" Teddy's voice interrupted James's thoughts. "We're here."
James looked up, surprised to find himself standing right in front of the doors he'd been dreading. He took a step towards them, only to find Teddy unmoved.
"James?" he said. His voice was tentative, almost a whisper. "Back what you said before, in the closet? I want--"
"It was nothing, Teddy." Without waiting for anything else, James grabbed Teddy's arm, and dragged him into the room, letting go only when they were surrounded by people.
Teddy was silent on the way to the altar, which helped calm James down a bit. He didn't know what he'd been thinking before. Telling Teddy, especially on his wedding day, was nothing short of completely imbecilic. If Victoire found out…
James forced that thought out of his head with a long shudder; Veelas--even just part Veelas like Victoire--were known to do crazy things when challenged. Things that made James wince just thinking about them.
They were at the altar now, and Teddy was doing that weird fidgety thing he used to do when he was eleven. It consisted of some random snapping, and it was driving James bonkers.
He caught Teddy's hands. "Just relax, mate. Soon it will all be over and you and Victoire will be having unusually attractive part werewolf babies with a penchant for wild hair."
James wasn't quite able to keep the bitter note out of his voice, and Teddy frowned up at him. "James…"
Luckily, James was saved from Teddy's pity by the beginning of "The Wedding March." All eyes were now riveted on the back door, and James was no exception.
The bridesmaids were wearing some kind of hideous bright pink dress that managed to clash awfully with both Lily's hair and Dominique's. James winced especially hard, though, at how awful they looked compared to Victoire. James didn't think his cousin was beautiful, because really, that would be awkward, but he couldn't take his eyes off her. One glance at Teddy showed he was having the same problem.
Because that's his future wife, you git. What did you expect? Teddy would take a look at her, and then at your scrawny arse and say, gee, I could have the person I think is most beautiful in the world, or Harry Potter's red-headed son. Let's go with the second choice! You really are an idiot. James couldn't help but berate himself as he watched Victoire come closer and closer.
Still, it wasn't his moment, and with Teddy looking as incredibly nervous as he did, James knew he had to help. He placed a hand on Teddy's shoulder. "Teddy, relax. You're going to do fine."
Teddy smiled nervously at James. "I hope."
When Victoire got up to the altar, she stared at Teddy for several long moments. James was sure it was awkward for everyone else, as it sure as hell felt awkward to him.
The moment was broken, however, when Victoire grabbed Teddy's hand. "Come, Theodore. We will talk, yes?"
They were too far away for James to hear Teddy's reply, as they'd already started walking back up the altar. In a second, they were out the door.
Only a fraction of a second had passed before the whispers began. "What's going on?" "Are they going to elope?" "In the middle of their wedding? Don't be ridiculous?" "It's the nargles, I'm quite afraid."
All the whispers--with the exception perhaps of the last one, which came from someone he'd learned to ignore a while back--seemed to agree on one thing; no one knew what was going on.
James's palms were sweating, and his heart was beating so fast that he felt sure it would break out of his chest. Was it possible that--?
No. James wouldn't even go there. He couldn't, because if he did, and he was wrong, it would hurt more than anything he'd ever experienced. So, he would wait by the altar, until Victoire and Teddy came back, and then the two would get married, and they'd probably give one of their sprogs the middle name James, which would be the extent of his involvement in their lives.
You see, James Potter has been called the perfect combination of his two namesakes and his father many times; funny, chivalrous, and smart. And, despite the fact that Fred and Hugo are Gryffindors, too, it's always James who's called the Gryffindor Golden Boy. Which James thinks is rather funny, seeing as he's the most cowardly and least Gryffindor of them all.
Author's Note: I'm not sure which I find cuter: Al/Scorpius or Teddy/James...which is why both are in here! Seriously, though, this chapter just kept growing...it turned into a monster, I'm afraid. Now, I realize I've been sort of going in family order(Harry and Ginny's kids first, and all that)but I'm not sure about doing Lily next. Any suggestions? Should I do Lily, or perhaps Rose, or Dominique, or Louis. Thoughts, please!
Oh! And this is quite random, but I've been writing a bucket list (a list of things to do before I kick the bucket, if you didn't know) and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions. Ta, everyone!