Summary: Well, at least it's not the Death Eaters' wedding crasher squad.
Is There a Doctor at this Wedding?
2 May, 1999
It rained on the morning of the wedding, and as Kiku Honda looked out the window at the grey skies, he felt apprehension.
His fiancé and soon-to-be husband, Arthur Kirkland, was still sleeping, his face angelic. Kiku reached out, smiling as he brushed some stray strands of golden hair away from Arthur's closed eyes. Every day, Kiku couldn't help but ask himself if all of this was true – that the achingly beautiful Arthur asleep next to him really wasn't a dream.
"Arthur-san, wake up," Kiku mumbled, kissing the slumbering Briton. "Today's the day."
Arthur opened one emerald-green eye, looking up at his Japanese fiancé. His face softened into a smile and he reached up, cupping Kiku's cheek. "So it is," he whispered. "What's the weather like?"
"Rainy," Kiku replied, expression slightly doleful. Arthur laughed and pulled his fiancé down to kiss him.
"That's England for you," he replied sardonically, peppering kisses all over Kiku's face as he went. "Grumpy and rainy."
"You're more pleasant than that!" Kiku exclaimed in tones of mock scandal. Arthur smiled, his face a sunny contradiction to the weather outside.
"Thanks for the compliment," he replied, cocking his head to the side and looking up at Kiku through his lashes. "Now, the wedding's happening in the afternoon…"
Kiku understood the hidden message perfectly well.
Had the British Muggle government known that Arthur Kirkland was the personification of England, his wedding would have been a grand event, set against the splendour of some royal chapel with various nobles and foreign dignitaries looking on. Even the Queen would have attended, royal family in tow. The entire affair would have been followed down to the last detail by the media and televised to everyone around the world. People would spend lengthy hours debating over Kiku's fashion sense and the implications of their national personification marrying someone of the same gender. There would have been security detail posted all over the premises, and thousands of people watching the wedding procession wind through the streets of London as if Arthur and Kiku was a royal couple.
But they didn't know, so Arthur and Kiku were perfectly fine with staging a low-key wedding in the Burrow backyard. Once again, Millamant's Magic Marquees had risen magnificently to the occasion with a giant marquee outfitted with golden chairs and balloons. Garlands of roses and chrysanthemums wound around the interior of the marquee, and Roderich Edelstein played at a baby grand piano.
"Man, I'm so nervous for you, Artie!" Alfred exclaimed, bouncing slightly and looking slightly disgruntled with his dress robes. "I hope the cake's edible!"
Trust his best man to worry about food. Arthur snorted and looked out at the marquee. The guests were starting to arrive, being led in by Madeline Desmarais, Nataliya Arlovskaya, Ginny Weasley, and Gabrielle Delacour. Arthur had entrusted Mrs Weasley to take care of the guest list, and as a result, nearly half of the Weasley clan was invited.
Harry Potter poked his head into the room, clad in dark green dress robes. "You doing all right?" he asked Arthur nervously, and the Briton nodded. "The other… Nations… have arrived. Francis got the cake delivered; he'll be up in a moment after he talks to Fleur." Fleur Delacour-Weasley was dangerously close to her delivery date, but she had insisted on attending the wedding. Arthur found that quite touching, but he had advised Francis and Bill to keep an eye on her.
"That's good. Thank you, Harry," Arthur said, smiling kindly. "Maybe you ought to get a seat."
"Ron and Hermione are saving me a seat," the Boy Who Lived replied, shrugging. He looked around the bedroom – it was Fred and George's old room. "Man, these memories," he whispered, and Arthur detected a tear at the corner of the other's eyes.
"I'm sorry," he said, not knowing what else to say. Harry shrugged and tore his eyes away from a photograph of Fred and George, looking at the camera with identical mischievous grins.
The rain had stopped by the time all the guests were accounted for. Harry slipped off to the marquee as Arthur and Alfred descended the stairs. Kiku and Yao, who was giving him away, were nowhere to be seen. Neither was Francis, although he had promised to see Arthur before the ceremony began.
Mei Wang, a bubbly Taiwanese girl, beamed at Arthur and Alfred from her spot on the couch. She was one of the bridesmaids; the other one was Francis's little sister Aurélie Bonnefois.
"Good luck, Arthur," Mei said cheerfully. Arthur smiled back at her.
"Thank you. Where's Aurélie?"
"Talking to her brother in the kitchen." As she said that, Francis left the kitchen with Aurélie in tow; the girl smiled at Arthur from behind her bouquet of yellow chrysanthemums.
"Nervous?" Francis Bonnefois asked with a grin, looping an arm around Arthur.
Arthur rolled his eyes. "If I wasn't, then I'm not a proper bridegroom," he replied waspishly. The Frenchman laughed and hugged him; Arthur rested his chin on the other's shoulder.
"Bonne chance, mon ami," Francis whispered in his ear.
Arthur had already made his entrance when Kiku left the house to go to the marquee as well. The Japanese, wearing a simple white kimono, looked down at his bouquet of red roses, biting his lower lip slightly.
"You look pale, aru," Yao Wang commented from next to him. Kiku nodded, sighing. "Don't be nervous, aru. You know he loves you, aru."
"I know," Kiku said simply. "But I'm still…" he looked up at the Chinese man, who smiled slightly.
"Relax, Kiku. It'll be fine, aru. How long have you waited for this, aru? It's everything you've been waiting for, remember?" Yao hugged him. "I wish you all the best, Kiku."
"Arigatou," Kiku mumbled against Yao's shoulder.
They entered the marquee after Mei and Aurélie. Kiku looked about at the red and gold decorations, vaguely feeling as if he was walking into a Gryffindor-themed wedding. He knew, though, that the colours only represented the rose and the chrysanthemum. Good luck and fortune, love and happiness – red and gold meant such different things to East and West.
But now the lines were blurring again, and those meanings all melded together. Everything Kiku wanted, everything Arthur wanted – all of that came down to today.
Arthur only had eyes for him as Kiku walked down the aisle; Kiku felt a sudden surge of embarrassment at that. Being on the receiving end of that loving gaze made butterflies flutter in his stomach. As he neared Arthur, the butterflies grew more and more panicked. Kiku felt as if he was going to have a nervous breakdown in the middle of his own wedding.
But somehow, he made it, and Yao placed his hand in Arthur's and went to his seat. Kiku smiled up at Arthur; Arthur smiled back down.
The officiator, that same tufty-haired wizard at Dumbledore's funeral and Bill and Fleur's wedding, spread his hands and began to speak. Kiku remembered the words, his tears threatening to spill as the officiator continued to talk. Had it only been two years ago when he had wished with all his heart that he were standing here with Arthur? Now he was.
"Do you, Arthur Kirkland, take Kiku Honda to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
Arthur looked down at Kiku, green eyes alight. "I do," he replied.
"And do you, Kiku Honda, take Arthur Kirkland to be your lawfully wedded husband?" The officiator looked slightly pink about the cheeks at having to say that, and there certainly were murmurs in the crowd, but Kiku didn't mind.
"I do," he answered, as he and Arthur reached for the rings.
"I love you, Kiku," Arthur declared, as he slipped a simple gold band onto Kiku's finger. "You are my best friend, and today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of trouble. I promise to love you through good times and bad, through happiness and sorrow, and through sickness and health. Come what may – when life seems easy and when it seems hard – I promise to cherish you and always hold you in highest regard, from this day forward to the rest of our lives." As he heard that vow, tears slipped from Kiku's eyes and he smiled a watery smile. At the back of the marquee, Hagrid's trumpet-like sobs drowned out Roderich's music.
Kiku looked intently into Arthur's eyes as he slipped the other ring onto the Briton's finger. "Arthur-san," he said quietly, "With this ring I tie my heart to yours in tenderness and devotion. I promise to protect, support, and encourage you through life's sorrows and joys, and to honour your culture as we join customs to form a trusting alliance. I promise to help you establish a home for ourselves and for our children, shaped by our respective heritages – a loving environment dedicated to peace, hope, and respect for all people. From this day forward our lives will be intertwined forever, blessed in faith and filled with compassion and love."
The officiator then raised his wand above the two of them. "I declare you bonded for life," he said, and a shower of stars fell as Arthur and Kiku kissed.
The reception began, and déjà-vu threatened to overwhelm some of the guests as the sides of the marquee vanished and the dance floor cleared. "Next thing you know, the Death Eaters are going to return," Harry said sardonically as he went to greet Arthur and Kiku.
"Oh, don't be like that," Ginny chided, and Arthur laughed. He shook Harry's hand and kissed Ginny on both cheeks.
"Congratulations, mate," Ron added from behind his younger sister. Hermione, dressed in red, grinned and nodded.
"Thank you," Arthur replied, as Harry and Ginny congratulated Kiku.
Alfred leaned over to talk to Arthur. "Who invited him here?" he asked, nudging his head in Ivan Braginski's direction. The tall Russian was talking to Yao; he had his usual beige scarf wrapped around his neck and he carried a bouquet of sunflowers.
"I don't know; Mrs Weasley probably took pity on him or something," Arthur replied with a shrug. "As long as he doesn't crash the wedding, I'm fine."
Alfred bristled slightly, and brushed the well-wishing Ivan off when he made his way down to their end of the line.
Afternoon dwindled into twilight, as Arthur and Kiku cut the wedding cake. Two phoenix figurines at the top took flight as they did so. The cake had been made by Francis, so naturally it was a success. Madeline took care of the rest of the catering.
"We're opening up our bakery and seafood restaurant in Paris next month," Francis hinted to Arthur as they ate. Across the table, Ron was stuffing his face and telling an obviously annoyed Hermione to get the address of the restaurant as quickly as possible.
"Sounds intriguing," Arthur replied. "What's the name?"
"La Pâtisserie sur Mer," Madeline piped up from next to Francis. Ron was writing that down on the inside of his cuffs, much to Hermione's annoyance. Arthur snickered at them, cutting himself another slice of cake.
Roderich had been replaced by a band; they began to play music. Arthur and Kiku had the first dance, but they were quickly joined by other couples. The wedding seemed to be a success thus far, Arthur thought, as the champagne flutes made their rounds.
"Bill!" Fleur screamed suddenly, and Arthur berated himself for thinking too soon. He and Kiku paused in their dance to look over at Fleur, who was at a table looking very pained. Bill Weasley arrived next to her moments after, face darkened with worry as he handed her a glass of water.
"The child?" he asked, and Fleur nodded.
"Ze water," she added, and Bill's eyes went wide.
"Do we have a doctor in the house?" the Weasley demanded, causing the reception to screech to a standstill.
"I've been an intern at St Mungo's for a year already," Kiku said suddenly, detaching himself from Arthur's arms and walking over. "Maybe I can help."
Kiku felt countless pairs of eyes on him as he walked towards Bill and Fleur. "Has labour already begun?" he asked as calmly as he could, reaching for his wand. "Usually the water breaks during early labour. Were you already feeling frequent contractions?" Fleur nodded, her face contorted in panic and pain.
"We need to get you somewhere private," Arthur agreed as he appeared next to Kiku. "Fleur, can you walk?"
Fleur nodded as Francis detached himself from the crowd and hurried over. "Should we go to ze 'ôpital?" she asked.
"How frequent are the contractions?" Kiku interjected. "I don't think it's a good thing to Apparate to St Mungo's while pregnant. If you're just beginning labour, you might be able to withstand taking the Floo Network. If not, then we can deliver the child at the Burrow."
"The Burrow might be a safer option," Bill reasoned. "If it gets serious, we can just Floo her to St Mungo's. But I don't think it's a serious case."
"We trust you," Fleur added, and Kiku felt his cheeks colouring.
They rushed Fleur into Bill's old room at the Burrow. As soon as she lay down on the bed, Kiku performed a quick incantation to make sure that Fleur's water really broke. He had half hoped that it was a false alarm, but his heart sank as the sparks around Fleur's belly glowed green. The baby was about to be delivered.
"I said it was a bad idea for you to come to the wedding, Fleur," Francis rebuked as Kiku instructed her to take off her undergarments. "You said you were already contracting before the wedding."
"But I deedn't zink zis would 'appen so soon," Fleur countered grumpily as Kiku inspected her cervix.
"Only one centimetre," the Japanese announced. "How long is the gap between contractions?"
"Around five to ten minutes," Fleur replied, lying back on the pillows. Next to her, Bill nervously stroked her hand.
"Well, this time it's not Death Eaters," Hermione commented sarcastically as Arthur and Kiku vanished with Bill, Fleur, and Francis.
Harry laughed and sipped his champagne. "I hope they're all right," he remarked. Even Ginny, who harboured a grudge for Fleur, looked worried.
"Hermione, we have to go to Francis's new bakery when it opens; this nosh is great," Ron mumbled through a mouthful of food. Hermione cuffed him about the head, but she was smiling.
"I know, you've told me that for the thousandth time already," she rebuked.
Ten centimetres already, and it had only been half an hour. Arthur's face was pale; his knuckles were white as he gripped the bedpost, watching his newly wedded husband tend to Fleur.
"Fully dilated now," Kiku said, looking at Fleur intently. "Are you getting the urge to push?" Fleur nodded. "Well, then, go ahead."
Fleur's face contorted; she spasmed with pain and gripped Bill's hand so hard she left marks. Bill's face was just as pale as Arthur's as he watched his wife; he reached up and wiped the sweat from her brow as she pushed.
"Come on, chérie, you can do it," he urged, as a whey-faced Francis stroked Fleur's other hand.
"Eet 'urts!" the part-Veela screeched, eyes closed in concentration and agony.
"Don't worry, you're doing fine," soothed Kiku. "The baby is simply transitioning from the womb to the birth canal." The explanation really didn't assuage anyone's anxiety, but Arthur reached out and patted Kiku's shoulder anyways.
"Keep on pushing," Francis encouraged, and Fleur leaned heavily against Bill as she complied. Arthur felt sweat starting to trickle down his brow; he knew that Kiku felt much more anxious than he did. Part of him was jealous of how easily Kiku kept his façade.
"The baby's head!" Bill exclaimed suddenly, and Arthur peered around Kiku's shoulder to see.
Kiku felt his eyes go wide as he watched the baby start to crown; he waved his wand and used the spell to guide the rest of the baby out. As Fleur's daughter emerged, applause from the others filled the room.
With another flick of his wand, Kiku detached the umbilical cord and siphoned the blood and mucus off the child. Cradling her gently, he handed the newborn girl to Fleur.
"Très bien fait, Kiku!" Francis breathed as Kiku Vanished the placenta and the rest of the mess from the bed sheets.
"Thank you," Bill choked out; he had been overcome with tears. Fleur said nothing, only cuddling her daughter close. Arthur smiled at Kiku, reaching out and cupping his cheek.
"I don't think that happens at every couple's wedding," he commented, and Kiku laughed quietly at that.
"We are proud to announce the birth of Victoire Weasley," a slightly shaken and very emotional Francis announced to the reception after they left Bill and Fleur back at the Burrow with their new daughter. "She was born just ten minutes ago, delivered by Kiku here, and she is perfectly healthy."
There were rounds of cheering and congratulations; Hermione wanted to know if they could visit.
"Wait until tomorrow or so," Arthur advised. "There's a reception that needs to be finished."
Dancing until dawn suddenly sounded like the best idea ever to Arthur and Kiku as the music began once more. "I'm so exhausted," the Japanese mumbled as they began to dance slowly, holding onto each other and rocking back and forth to the beat. "But I don't want to leave."
"Neither do I," Arthur agreed, clasping their hands. Their wedding rings met, gold upon gold. Kiku leaned against Arthur's chest. "I love you," Arthur whispered.
"Aishiteru," Kiku replied with a smile.
Notes: FFF, I know that Victoire's technically supposed to be born a year later. But I already wrote that Fleur crashed Arthur and Kiku's wedding by going into labour, so I couldn't back down. Bleh.
You will not believe how much time I spent on pregnancy and wedding sites for this. The things I do for my writing. .
HAPPY ASAKIKU ALLIANCE DAY!