Chapter 10:
Mrs Weasley was running around everywhere the next day and seemed a little too busy to be too bossy. She didn't seem to settle down until about three o'clock, though she did have a tearful moment over Percy missing the wedding.
Come time for the household to be getting ready, Ginny was dragged off with Gabrielle for them to be dressed appropriately as bridesmaids while Alicia and Hermione stood in Ginny's room, Alicia's wand in her hand.
She ran the tip down her black hair and it turned fiery red, not much different to Ginny's, the colour spreading down from the roots. She paused momentarily to stare at her mother, who stared back from the reflection before raising her wand again. She tapped her eyebrows and they lightened considerably too from their black, before she tapped her nose which changed slightly, her lips, their shape becoming more like Ginny's. She changed the lining of her chin and ran her wand over her nose to cover it with freckles.
"Now comes the tricky bit." Alicia said to Hermione. The girl was standing beside her with her own wand in her hand and looking anxious.
Alicia looked at herself in the mirror, raising her wand directly in front of her nose, and staring at her eyes.
The green darkened considerably until they were brown.
Alicia didn't move for a moment, as though waiting for an after effect before she stepped slightly back from the mirror. Hermione looked her over as though appraising her.
"That must be good enough, I can't see a single spec of my mother in the mirror anymore." she frowned.
"It is better this way, your dress robes will still fit you if you don't change your body."
"So true." Alicia agreed.
The two girls proceeded to get dressed and did one another's hair, Alicia slicking back Hermione's as she had once done in their fourth year for the Yule Ball, before Alicia clipped all her jewellery back on, as they all matched and corresponded with her dress robes.
There was chatter outside and the two girls peered out Ginny's window to see the marquee filling with people. Ron, Fred and George were seen running back and forth, disappearing into the tent for moments and then returning, along with one other red-haired boy. Unlike Alicia who didn't want to waste the polyjuice potion and had just transfigured herself, Harry was the double of muggle boy from the local village, Ottery St. Catchpole. Fred had done a summoning charm on his hairs and Harry was now Cousin Barny.
"What name am I going under?" Alicia asked
"Mrs Weasley said you were to be Cousin Lucy."
"I think I can live with that." she smiled.
When they were done, Hermione was addressing her beaded bag with much vigour.
"I think we should add Harry's rucksack to one." Alicia said and Hermione turned to her "What with people coming into The Burrow and all, it might be best…" she mumbled, picking up her own bag that matched her robes.
The two girls had spent a bit of time organising their things. Both bags had undetectable extension charms on them and they'd categorised things between them. Alicia had put a protection charm around her pensieve and her two-way mirror as they were put in the bag, just in case, and had her and Hermione's clothes added to it while Hermione had the boys'. Hermione had all the books she thought they needed and Alicia had all their extra ones. The polyjuice potion was in Hermione's, both had a range of potion ingredients and medicinal appliances, Hermione had a heap of muggle medical supplies such as antiseptics and bandages. They had towels and even added a few pillows along with bathroom utensils including shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothbrushes and paste. Not to mention Alicia had nicked a bit of food which she'd casted a tricky little spell on to keep them lasting longer. She also had three brooms in her bag, her's, Harry's which had remained there since Privet Drive, and she'd gone and grabbed Ron's from the broom shed outside.
"Just incase." she'd told Hermione when she questioned it. Hermione also had a tent in her's along with sleeping bags incase they ended up out in the country.
"We should probably hurry up." Alicia said and Hermione agreed.
They pulled on their shoes, the heels having been left till last, and then proceeded out of the room.
The two girls moved up the stairs, peering into Percy's room were Fleur, Gabrielle and Ginny were with Madam Delacour and Mrs Weasley. Another women was in the room as well. An elderly witch. Her beaky nose, red-rimmed eyes, and feathery pink hat gave her the look of a bad-tempered flamingo.
Ginny watched wearily as the old women turned to the two girls, while the two women continued to fuss over the three. Ginny and Gabrielle were wearing matching golden dresses for their Bridesmaid outfits and both looked gorgeous. Fleur had a simple white dress and already she seemed to be glowing. The unknown women had clearly been giving instructions to the tiara sitting on top of Fleur's head as if the girl didn't know how to wear one properly and had now turned to the two newcomers.
"Oh dear, is this the Muggle-born?"
"Hermione Granger." Hermione introduced herself, her hand out. The women didn't seem to care.
"You've got rather bad posture and skinny ankles." she said. Ginny rolled her eyes as the women turned to Alicia.
"Another Weasley?"
"Cousin, yes, Lucy." Alicia said not bothering to hold her hand out.
"You remind me of Ginevra."
"Well that's what happens when you're related to someone." Alicia said. Ginny had to suppress her laughter, her hand over her mouth, while Hermione looked at her shocked.
"Er… and you are?" Hermione asked trying to cover up Alicia's bluntness
"Muriel. I was just instructing the bride on the best way to wear my tiara," Fleur didn't look rather happy at this but said nothing "It's goblin made, been in the family for generations."
"Well don't let us hold you then." and Alicia grabbed Hermione to pull her away.
"What an old bat." she said when they were away from the women and climbing some more for Ron's room. "Didn't even compliment my dress. How rude." the smirked and the girls giggled.
They moved around Ron's room, grabbing things and adding them to the bags before they set back off down the stairs.
Ron and Harry, disguised with red curly hair, were standing at the the entrance of the Marquee were noises of chatter were coming out from.
"Wow," Ron noticed the two girls first and was blinking rather rapidly as he looked at Hermione. "You look great!"
"Always the tone of surprise," said Hermione, though she smiled. She was wearing a floaty, lilac-coloured dress with matching high heels; her hair was sleek and shiny. "Your Great-Aunt Muriel doesn't agree, I just met her upstairs while she was giving Fleur the tiara. She said, 'Oh dear, is this the Muggle-born?' and then, 'Bad posture and skinny ankles.'"
"Who's hair did you take?" Harry asked her
"I didn't, I just transfigured. I can't take polyjuice potion, my robes wont fit." she said shrugging and the two boys rolled their eyes.
"Don't take it personally, she's rude to everyone," said Ron turning back to Hermione.
"Talking about Muriel?" inquired George, reemerging from the marquee with Fred. "Yeah, she's just told me my ears are lopsided. Old bat."
"I gotta say I miss the green eyes." Fred said to Alicia
"You can't just compliment me all the same?" she asked. He grinned and took her hand, kissing the ring there.
"You two are supposed to be cousins." Hermione hissed at them
"Not like we're making out." Alicia said rolling her eyes.
"I wish old Uncle Bilius was still with us, though; he was a right laugh at weddings." George said as he looked into the marquee.
"Wasn't he the one who saw a Grim and died twenty-four hours later?" asked Hermione.
"Well, yeah, he went a bit odd toward the end," conceded George.
"But before he went loopy he was the life and soul of the party," said Fred. "He used to down an entire bottle of firewhisky, then run onto the dance floor, hoist up his robes, and start pulling bunches of flowers out of his —"
"Yes, he sounds a real charmer," said Hermione, while Harry roared with laughter.
"Now we know were these two get it." Alicia said pointing to the twins who grinned proudly as Hermione nodded in agreement.
"Never married, for some reason," said Ron.
"You amaze me," said Hermione.
"Alicia, Fred was saying that when he got married he wouldn't bother with this." Harry said, looking smug, and Fred shot him a look before grinning at her
"Yeah, body bind curse on mum and everyone can wear what they like." he said and he watched her as she hummed, thinking.
"Let's do it on the beach then, no shoes, some nice dresses and you boys can all wear shorts with a shirt. Elegant and sophisticated." she said nodding
Fred scooped her up and this time he did kiss her properly.
"Hey! Guys!" Hermione said as she shoved them out of the opening of the marquee. Ron, George and Harry were laughing at them as the two released one another.
"Maybe I should've put it on the other finger." he grinned at her
"Not like you still can't." Alicia shrugged.
None of them noticed the latecomer, a dark-haired young man with a large, curved nose and thick black eyebrows, until he held out his invitation to Ron and said, with his eyes on Hermione, "You look vunderful."
"Viktor!" she shrieked, and dropped her small beaded bag, which made a loud thump quite disproportionate to its size. Alicia winced, eternally grateful her pensieve wasn't in it. As she scrambled, blushing, to pick it up, she said, "I didn't know you were — goodness — it's lovely to see — how are you?"
Ron's ears had turned bright red again. After glancing at Krum's invitation as if he did not believe a word of it, he said, much too loudly, "How come you're here?"
"Fleur invited me," said Krum, eyebrows raised.
Harry, who had no grudge against Krum, shook hands and then offered to show him his seat. Probably smart he wasn't in Ron's vicinity for long.
"It's almost time, come on." Fred said grinning, taking Alicia's hand. They, Hermione, Ron and George all hurried inside and over to Harry. Many people were craning their necks to get a look at the famous Quidditch player.
"Time to sit down," Fred told Harry, "or we're going to get run over by the bride."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione took their seats in the second row behind Alicia, Fred and George. Hermione looked rather pink and Ron's ears were still scarlet.
A sense of jittery anticipation had filled the warm tent, the general murmuring broken by occasional spurts of excited laughter. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley strolled up the aisle, smiling and waving at relatives; Mrs. Weasley was wearing a brand-new set of amethyst-coloured robes with a matching hat.
A moment later Bill and Charlie stood up at the front of the marquee, both wearing dress robes, with large white roses in their buttonholes; Fred wolf-whistled and there was an outbreak of giggling from the veela cousins. Alicia rose an eyebrow and if sensing this Fred took her hand to enlace their fingers together. Then the crowd fell silent as music swelled from what seemed to be the golden balloons.
"Ooooh!" said Hermione, swivelling around in her seat to look at the entrance.
A great collective sigh issued from the assembled witches and wizards as Monsieur Delacour and Fleur came walking up the aisle, Fleur gliding, Monsieur Delacour bouncing and beaming. While her radiance usually dimmed everyone else by comparison, today it beautified everybody it fell upon. Once Fleur had reached him, Bill did not look as though he had ever met Fenrir Greyback.
"Ladies and gentlemen," said a slightly singsong voice, looking at the tufty-haired wizard Alicia noticed him as the one who had presided at Dumbledore's funeral.
"We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of two faithful souls…"
"Yes, my tiara sets off the whole thing nicely," said Auntie Muriel in a rather carrying whisper. "But I must say, Ginevra's dress is far too low cut."
Ginny glanced around, grinning, winked at Harry, then quickly faced the front again.
"Do you, William Arthur, take Fleur Isabelle…?"
In the front row, Mrs. Weasley and Madame Delacour were both sobbing quietly into scraps of lace. Trumpetlike sounds from the back of the marquee told everyone that Hagrid had taken out one of his own tablecloth-sized handkerchiefs.
"… then I declare you bonded for life."
The tufty-haired wizard waved his wand high over the heads of Bill and Fleur and a shower of silver stars fell upon them, spiralling around their now entwined figures. As Fred and George led a round of applause, the golden balloons overhead burst: Birds of paradise and tiny golden bells flew and floated out of them, adding their songs and chimes to the din.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" called the tufty-haired wizard. "If you would please stand up!"
They all did so, Auntie Muriel grumbling audibly; he waved his wand again. The seats on which they had been sitting rose gracefully into the air as the canvas walls of the marquee vanished, so that they stood beneath a canopy supported by golden poles, with a glorious view of the sunlit orchard and surrounding countryside. Next, a pool of molten gold spread from the centre of the tent to form a gleaming dance floor; the hovering chairs grouped themselves around small, white-clothed tables, which all floated gracefully back to earth around it, and the golden-jacketed band trooped toward a podium.
"Smooth," said Ron approvingly as the waiters popped up on all sides, some bearing silver trays of pumpkin juice, butterbeer, and firewhisky, others tottering piles of tarts and sandwiches.
The Bride and Groom were completely surrounded by people as others moved off to take a table around the marquee. The band had begun to play. Bill and Fleur took to the dance floor first, to great applause
"Me Lady?" Fred held his hand out and Alicia took it gladly before he spun her onto the golden dance floor next. After a while, Mr. Weasley led Madame Delacour onto the floor, followed by Mrs. Weasley and Fleur's father.
After a while, Luna, wearing sunshine yellow robes and a giant sunflower in her hair, appearing on the floor by herself, revolving on the spot, quite alone, eyes closed and waving her arms.
Not long after her, Hermione and Ron appeared as well.
The night continued with more and more vigour.
When Fleur and Bill cut their cake, the two modelled phoenixes on top took flight, the bottles of champagne floated unsupported through the crowd, the birds continued to fly around the tent, the band cutting out the sound of the bells that had once joined them.
As evening drew in, and moths began to swoop under the canopy, now lit with floating golden lanterns, the revelry became more and more uncontained. Alicia and Fred had not parted the entire night, to which no one bothered to question. George vanished with some of Fleur's veela cousins; Charlie, Hagrid, and a squat wizard in a purple porkpie hat were singing "Odo the Hero" in a corner.
"Drink my dear?" Fred asked Alicia, bowing to her
"Why yes, good sir." she grinned and he totted off to get her one. She moved from the dance floor and out of people's way as she waited
"Just like your father, a wiz at transfiguration." the girl turned to find Lupin sitting at the table.
"Guess being with Fred gives it away." she smirked
"Not that it matters." Lupin looked rather gloomy and was watching Tonks, dancing with Mr Weasley.
Alicia sighed and sat opposite Lupin.
"Remus, you wanna tell me what's bugging you, you're looking awfully wrong for all that's happening?" Lupin looked at her slightly surprised to be addressed by his first name and Alicia wondered if she had reminded him of her mother, despite the transfiguration.
"It's not right… I can't believe what I did…" he muttered and Alicia looked back at Tonks who he was watching.
"Are you kidding me?" she demanded and Lupin looked at her. "You're supposed to be overjoyed."
"Overjoyed!" He only just managed to hush his shout and there was a lot of strain in his voice. "This is terrible!"
"How?!" she snapped in anger.
"Can you imagine what it'd be like, given my condition! This doesn't happen! What if—"
"You have no idea what'll happen Remus, it might be perfectly fine, how dare you sit here scornfully while Tonks is absolutely radiant! You're supposed to be supporting her not sitting here cowering to yourself!" Lupin stared at her wide eyed. "Honestly, you're acting like a paranoid child! Innocent until proven guilty, there's a fifty-fifty chance you're right and a fifty-fifty chance you're wrong. Personally it'd do you and Tonks much better if you decided to be hopeful instead!" She stood up.
"And if that's not enough for you then think of it this way," Alicia leaned down for the man.
"Fenrir Greyback wants an army, don't you think this way would be easy if he knew that was possible? Perhaps he knows it doesn't work that way!" and she stormed off to find Fred, leaving Lupin flabbergasted.
Alicia found Harry, sitting with Muriel and a man she recognised instantly from the Daily Prophet, Elphias Doge.
"Hey." she smiled sitting down. But Harry looked shocked and torn, as though broken. "H-Barny…!" he didn't answer.
Hermione come from the crowd then and sat beside Alicia, drawing up a chair.
"I simply can't dance anymore," she panted, slipping off one of her shoes and rubbing the sole of her foot.
"Ron's gone looking to find more butterbeers. It's a bit odd, I've just seen Viktor storming away from Luna's father, it looked like they'd been arguing —" She dropped her voice, staring at him. "Harry, are you okay?"
Alicia however had gotten to her feet in worry.
At that moment, something large and silver came falling through the canopy over the dance floor. Graceful and gleaming, the lynx landed lightly in the middle of the astonished dancers. Heads turned, as those nearest it froze absurdly in mid-dance. Then the Patronus's mouth opened wide and it spoke in the loud, deep, slow voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt.
"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."