YEAH! thanks for all the reviews, and please don't forget to review this chapter!

Teddy pulled at his long hair in frustration. That had to be one of the best parts about having long hair, when he was frustrated, it pulled better. He looked around his cluttered office and frowned again. He had an interesting apartment, it was actually two apartments joined by a secret door. Both of them were crummy little places that were barely inhabitable, but together, they made a livable space.

The main one was "Edward's" apartment. The doorway faced the front of the building, and he had three small rooms, a bedroom, bathroom and a "living space" room which he used solely as a kitchen. There wasn't space in the small main room for anything besides a small table, the oven, ice box, sink, countertops and a few cupboards. His bedroom was small and had his bed, wardrobe, and little else. The bathroom was where the two apartments connected. There was a small bathroom closet, but Teddy had used a bit of magic to create a doorway between the two apartments.

Going through the secret closet, he could enter the bathroom of the second apartment where he used the main room as a living room with a comfy couch, a muggle television, and a nice coffee table. The counters and cupboards built into room were used for storage and served as surface space when the mess in his office got to be too much. He kept two desks in the bedroom of the second apartment, one covered with his spy papers and correspondence with the Department of International Intelligence. The other one, the one he was seated in front of now was covered in ancient writings. Half of the books that were normally stored in the cupboard in the sitting room were piled around him, open to various pages and depicting runes. Besides these and various quills and crumpled balls of parchment, there was also a strew of chocolate frog wrappers, bottles of butterbeer, and a sizable stack of chocolate frog cards with a little stick note reading HUGO on them.

Looking out the window at the blinding Egyptian sun, Teddy let out a sigh and picking his wand up from the pile of books it had been sitting on, he summoned a rubbish bin from the other room. He really needed to get another one just for his office. Swiftly picking through his piles of papers he tossed the chocolate frog wrappers in the rubbish bin and then tapped the papers remaining on the desk with his wand. They formed three piles but the piles were anything but neat. He really needed to perfect that spell, when Elaine did it, she got the papers into the exact order she wanted them, and the edges lined up. Oh well, we can't all be perfect at everything he thought. Seeing an uneaten chocolate frog, he let a small smile spread across his face and popped it into his mouth, taking a cursory glance at the card. Hermione AGAIN! Her card was one of the more common ones, unlike Ron's which he was proud to say was a rarer one and more sought after because of it. Teddy tossed it into the pile of cards which he was going to give Hugo the next time he saw him, the boy collected them religiously.

Teddy looked around the still desperately messy room, contemplating if he should bother putting the butterbeer bottles in the trash or just wait until he had accumulated a few more. Hugging his trash can to his chest, he crossed the room, delicately stepping around the piles of books and the random pair of boots he hadn't seen since last Wednesday, stopping at his second desk. He picked through the trash on that desk too before waving his wand in an attempt to organize those papers too. He was just finishing stacking his books into about six piles around the room and shoving the junk that had been scattered around the floor into the corner. Now he could at least walk a bit…

Looking up, he was surprised to see an owl fly through the window. He quickly relieved the small brown owl of its letter.

Hi Teddy!-

Love James

Teddy rolled his eyes and cursed James. Of course James would send a useless letter like that. How obnoxious.

Moments after Teddy had set fire to the first letter, a second, much larger dark brown, partly black horned owl glided into the room. "Stupid prat must have nothing better to do than send me obnoxious letters. Why can't he make out with his fiancé or something equally dumb," said Teddy expecting another letter from James. Reaching for the owl, he jumped back when the thing bit him. "Stupid thing, probably wants a treat." Looking around the room he wondered if owls ate chocolate frogs. He was pretty sure there was one under his desk. "Do owls eat chocolate frogs?" he wondered aloud to himself.

"I'm pretty sure not, but I wouldn't mind one, especially after all of the insults."

Teddy whirled around whipping out his wand as he stared at James. James. James Bloody Potter. In his office.

"What the fuck!?" demanded Teddy.

"Well, since you never gave us somewhere to visit you, I took matters into my own hands. This place looks like a dump. You really need a feminine touch, honestly," commented James with a tisk as he picked up a dirty t-shirt that had been hanging from the chair. The white shirt had a mysterious orange stain that seemed to be glaring out of the fabric. "This is disgusting. No wonder you don't want visitors. You know, I have heard from Elaine that while Toire can't cook, she can keep an apartment pretty nice. Besides, you and her would rather have Chinese takeout every night." Teddy just stared as James kept the conversation up when he didn't respond. Teddy was shocked. Speachless.

"James?" he asked, still stunned.

"No, I'm sodding Voldemort…. Of course I'm James! I don't look that much like Al or my dad!" returned James exasperatedly. Moving past Teddy, he walked into the next room and surveyed it. "Merlin this is disgusting. You need a maid. Or a girlfriend. Whichever you like."

"How did you get here?" asked Teddy dumbly.

"My other animagus form. I don't know if I mentioned that I had mastered it, but yeah, I did, great big owl swooping down on you, me. I traveled to Egpyt via floo, then rented an owl to send a letter, and flew after it, following it to this place where I found you…HAHAHAHA, then I bi….EWWW I BIT YOUR HAND! ITS PROBABLY AS FILTHY AS YOUR APPARTMENT EWWWW!" He made a disgusted face as if he were going to throw up.

"Shut up James, why are you here?" said Teddy sitting down after clearing a spot on the couch that had been covered with newspaper. James rolled his eyes and plopped down. He frowned and then pulled out a smashed pumpkin pasty from under him. Luckily it was still in its wrapper.

"Okay, well, Orion is driving me nuts. He is becoming totally irrational about this whole thing after the Orion Becomes a Giant Yelling Neurotic Incident- O.B.G.Y.N. Incident for short. Anyways, he isn't exactly endorsing marriage anymore, at least to witches, which he still believes are the spawn of satan and cannot be trusted within an inch of their lives. He's sworn off witches, but he does endorse marriage to goats, did you read in the paper… nevermind. Not relevant and I'm getting bad mental images. Remind me never to go to the Hog's Head again and to avoid Ellie's uncle at all costs. In any case, he's not too happy about my marriage to Elaine anymore.

"I'm sure you realized that it was hard as hell to pick a best man originally. I'm so close to both you and Orion, and I've known you longer, but Orion is just like me! He's like the twin brother I never had and a much better version of Al! And, well… frankly, he would have been upset if I had chosen you as best man over him. However, in light of recent events, I'm going to ask you. Will you be my best man?"

"So basically," said Teddy after a few awkward seconds. " You flew all the way here to ask me to be your second choice best man… so second best man? Because Orion is being a prat?" James nodded looking embarrassed.

Suddenly he brightened. "Elaine is having Toire be her maid of honor! Isn't it practically sacrilegious if the best man and maid of honor don't get it on? I mean seriously, how can you turn down a chance to shag my cousin…. Ewww… you know… that sounded better in my head…"

"Yeah," replied Teddy with a laugh.

"So, will you do it?" asked James hopefully.

"I just told you yeah, and not just because I want to shag your cousin…. I also want to embarrass the hell out of you in that speech!"

"And Ellie was worried about Orion's speech!"

"You were too!" laughed Teddy. "That's why you came to me, so he doesn't have some drunken rage about how horrible marriage is and how Elaine drugged you into liking her in the first place."

"Oh yeah, anything's better than that!" moaned James at the thought of such a speech.

"ANYTHING?" asked Teddy wiggling his eyebrows. James groaned and silently cursed himself.

"So, what do you think?" asked Elaine.

"Oh, Ellie, I LOVE YOU! MORE THAN JAMES DOES!" exclaimed Victoire hugging her friend. "The style is absolutely perfect. The first dress I won't look like an idiot in! You are the best friend ever for making sure I don't look like an idiot!"

"Well, James obviously won't even think of you when I'm standing next to him, even with your veela ways," laughed Elaine as Victoire admired the floor length backless gown that Elaine had picked. It was a halter and not poufy and fell perfectly.

"It helps I'm related to him, right," joked Victoire. "So, what color, I know you aren't having a pink wedding!" laughed Victoire. The dress was a stock dress and would need to be ordered for the bridesmaids. "Lily looks terrible in pink, and she's James' sister. She doesn't have to look bad either, she's related too!"

"I want deep purple, to match my eyes. I'll be so happy, it's the happiest day of my life after all, and so I will have purple eyes."

"No you won't," said Victoire. "They will be green, that's the color they are around James, because you love him, and you are passionate about him, and he makes you angry, and lustful, and loving all at the same time. And your eyes will be green. Make the dresses emerald green!"

"You just want green because you look better in it!" Elaine shot back.

"So what, but I'm right, green will match better!"

"I doubt it, besides they are my eyes!"

"Let's test it then, we'll do a compromise! We'll have the fabric charmed with the same charm on your necklace, which is green because you are angry. And then the dresses will change with your eyes, and match, all night!"

"TOIRE YOU ARE TOO GOOD! YOU ARE AN ABSOLUTE GENIUS! I LOVE YOU!" exclaimed Elaine, throwing her arms around her friend.

"I know," smirked Victoire. "And we'll see what color the dresses are."

"Twenty galleons says purple," replied Elaine with a grin.

"I'm betting green," replied Toire holding out her hand with a smile.

"I love Chinese food," sighed Victoire rubbing her stomach contentedly.

"I know," laughed Teddy with a smile at her cute face.

"My fortune says, 'Do not be afraid of computers. Be afraid of the lack of them.' What is a computer? What the heck!" she exclaimed. "Anyways, probably a muggle saying. My lucky numbers are 04, 11,15, 26, 34, and my speaking Chinese phrase is Dui le, It is right."

"Weird, that is weird, but mine was weird too… anyways, down to business.. the entire reason that I came half way around the world. That speech…." Replied Teddy with a grin, pulling out a piece of parchment.

"Alright, gift time!" exclaimed Andi excitedly clapping her hands together. The girls were having a bridal shower for Elaine. ShiShi Lee, Sarah Weber, Christina Dingle, Andi Wallace, Tanya Ivanova, and Victoire Weasley were the only guests, but it was a party only for close friends. Erin Lampert, the other Gryffindor girl hadn't been able to make it. Grandma Weasley and Ginny Potter were throwing another shower, but it would be more formal.

"Okay, if I eat one more piece of cake, I won't fit in my dress!" laughed Elaine. The party was in Victoire's greenhouse with cake, a few games, and lots of good food that Sarah had made. They had already played a game to see how well Ellie knew James. She knew him surprisingly well, but she got most of the questions about his childhood that Toire had made up wrong. How was she supposed to know that he had an imaginary friend named Horton when he was four.

"Open mine first!" shrieked Christina. Victoire really wondered why they had invited her. She was a bit trampish with her dyed blond hair, fake nails, overabundance of make up, scanty clothes, and shrilly voice. She was annoying at Hogwarts, and she was annoying now.

"Which one?" asked Elaine excitedly as she looked at the small pile of brightly wrapped gifts and gift bags.

"The purple and gold bag!" exclaimed Christina with a giggle. Victoire honestly couldn't stand her. Elaine picked up the bag and opened the card before turning bright red in the face. Christina giggled again. "OPEN IT! WE ALL WANT TO SEE!" she exclaimed. A very red Elaine reached into the tissue papered bag and held up a mostly see through, black negligee. Christina and the others burst into laughter as Victoire frowned. However, even Elaine was laughing as she got over her embarrassment.

"James will love that one!" exclaimed ShiShi.

"That's what I said in the card!" giggled Christina.

"Your face was priceless, open mine next!" announced ShiShi. Elaine reached for the next gift only to blush again, this time a little less, when she pulled out a floor length, silk nightgown, not nearly as revealing as the last one.

"That one's for Christmas! I got you a little hat too!" exclaimed ShiShi encouraging her to pull out the red stocking cap.

"Mine next!" demanded Sarah. Victoire was a bit shaken, two of her friends had gotten Elaine "pajamas". Elaine opened Sarah's gift to find several lacy bras and panties in green, blue, purple, and red. "Every married woman needs at least a couple sets of sexy underwear. You never know when you'll need them!" explained Sarah making everyone laugh. Victoire was still shocked. Now she really didn't want Elaine to open her gift.

"Oh MY!" laughed Elaine opening the pink package that was from Andi. Yet another negligee, this time in pink. "Even without a card, this is obviously your gift, Andi, thank you!" laughed Elaine who was now getting used to getting underwear. It was after all a bridal shower.

"Only two more, which one?" laughed Elaine picking out the pink and yellow polka dotted one from Tanya. Victoire knew that her green blue and purple package would be last. It was going to be awkward.

Elaine held up silky, transparent green "nightgown", going as far as to stand and hold it up to herself while the other girls made catcalls and joked. Victoire felt sick to her stomach and had slipped into a semi daze a few gifts ago.

"Last one!" shouted ShiShi presenting it to Elaine.

"Cute card Tor!" said Ellie after reading it. Opening the box the girls all watched as Elaine revealed a large plain box. "What could be in here?" Elaine wondered aloud. Victoire winced, thinking, "Why am I the only one who didn't realize that the correct gift for a bridal shower is lingerie? All of the rest of them are married, or whorish, Christina, and they of course all knew. I'm so embarrassed, they are all looking at me with pitying eyes because I'm still in the V club and not getting married and didn't see Elaine's need for married woman apparel."

"What is it?" asked Elaine pulling out the large dark wooden object with a curious look as she turned it around.

"You gave her a broken clock?" asked Christina with disgust. ShiShi didn't look impressed either.

"Umm… it's different," said Elaine, still confused as to what it was.

"It's a clock, like the one at my Grandma Molly has. You are the only hand which is why it doesn't have any name on the arrow. But see, it has all of the labels, home, mortal peril, work, school, traveling. I thought it would be nice for when you start a family and all. It's how my gran kept her children alive, well, most of them. If they were in mortal peril, she was always there to save them. And well, it's nice to know where everyone is, and I'm sorry, it's a dumb gift," rambled Toire.

"No! I love it! I didn't realize what it was, but this is really, really great Toire. I love it. James will love it too! And when we marry, his name will just appear right?"

"Yeah, but I'm sorry, I should have gotten you something… sexy… I'm sorry…"

"TOIRE! I love it. It's perfect! It's beautiful and functional," declared Elaine, but Toire could still see that the rest of the girls were looking at the gift as if it was just weird. She felt horrible, her gift was stupid, and she had spent so long picking it out, and then finding the only store in England who could custom make it for her. It was a rare novelty and had taken ages to make, and the storekeeper was saying never again, but apparently he had said the same to Grandma Molly. Weasley women and their charm. And now it wasn't even a good gift.

Teddy looked around his office scratching his neck with his quill. Where was that bloody book, he knew that it was here somewhere. He got up and began digging through the random piles of books. It was nearing midnight, and he was trying to get a few more words in before bed. He liked working late into the night, but he had to work early tomorrow.

Suddenly, there was the sound of a knocking at the door. He NEVER had guests, morphing into Edward, he went to the door of Edward's flat to answer it. Opening it wide, he looked around, seeing no one, but smiling as a slight breeze ran through from the open air hallway. Egypt was hot year round. Closing the door, he headed to the ice box to grab a bottle of firewiskey. He could use a cold drink, even if it did burn on the way down.

"Get me one too," came a voice behind him. Startled, he whirled around only to see James seated at his kitchen table. He looked like a mess.

"What the bloody hell, Potter?"

"I'm miserable, Orion's right, Ellie doesn't want me, she couldn't possibly love me, what am I doing? I can't get married! She's just going to either leave me standing at the altar or ditch me for the next bloke that comes along. Then I'll be a divorced man with half my stuff!" slurred James. He was obviously a bit drunk. And this was most likely Orion's fault.

"James Sirius Potter, Elaine loves you with everything she has. She makes you bloody breakfast every morning, she sends you the paper and circles the articles she thinks you would like in a disgustingly lovesick manner! She is bloody crazy about you and you about her! YOU ASKED HER OUT 247 BLOODY TIMES! And she said NO 246 times! She has no qualms about rejecting you and she wouldn't just drag you along. If she didn't want to marry you, she wouldn't be marrying you! Go home! I can't believe you are here whining about this of all things!"

"You really think she loves me enough to marry me? You really think she can put up with my obnoxiously pranks and jokes, my horrible table manners, my tendency to fart when I'm nervous?" asked James hopefully.

"Errr… all of them except the last one… I don't know if Ellie can handle the passing gas…" quipped Teddy as James' face fell. "OF COURSE SHE CAN! SHE'S PUT UP WITH IT FOR YEARS!"

"Oh, you're right. In fact, usually I remember to use a spell to neutralize the smell anyways."

"Exactly. She loves you and if she said yes after all the times you begged her to be yours, she means it and she loves you. These are just pre-wedding jitters. You are getting married in three days, and she will be there and look bloody beautiful and after that is your amazingly wonderful honeymoon and she'll be all yours! And really, don't question yourself James, you are James Sirius Potter, the most confident, arrogant git I've ever met, and you don't question yourself, ever!"

"You're right, I am being an idiot!" laughed James looking more like himself already.

"Yes, I am. But don't worry, you aren't nearly as bad as Frank was the night before his wedding to Sarah."

"Ha! Stupid Ravenclaw. No guts to speak of. Thanks for straightening me out Teddy. I knew I changed you to my best man for a reason. Orion suggested I escape to Tanzania before it was too late and she had left me at the altar humiliated."

"Don't listen to a word that prat says, and go home and get ready for your wedding. It's going to be the most brilliant day of your life!"

"Better than the day she finally agreed to go out with me?"

"MUCH BETTER! SHE'S AGREEING TO BE WITH YOU FOREVER!"

"Good point, Thanks again Ted! See you Thursday! Which is tomorrow I guess… that bachelor party is going to rock!"

So first off, thanks again to those who reviewed! Now, to other stuff... that fortune cookie was a real one, I ate one yesterday when I wrote that part to get a fortune and that's what I got, no joke... Anyways... REVIEW PLEASE!

Elaine