Chapter Twenty-Nine
Understanding flooded Violet, and she laughed. "Are you jealous, Sherlock?"
"Of Black? Don't be ridiculous," he spat, turning back to his violin.
"You are," she said, utterly confused. "Why- How are you jealous of Sirius?"
Sherlock whirled around, using his bow to point at her. "Who doesn't simply adore Black, hm? Honestly, it's as if the world is simply falling over itself to fawn over him. 'Oh, poor Sirius, he's had such a hard life.' Never mind that other people have had hard lives."
"Sirius spent three years in Azkaban," she reminded angrily. "Three years for a crime he didn't commit."
"Yes, and I spent two years in the seedy underbelly of Europe's organized crime. Everyone's got a sob story," he spat, "but that doesn't give him the right to flirt with another man's fiancée."
Violet sighed. "He wasn't flirting-"
"He's in love with you, Violet. Of course, he's flirting with you."
She stood and walked to him, pushing lightly on the bow until he lowered it. Holding her left hand up, she said, "William Sherlock Scott Holmes, there is only one ring on my hand, and it's from you. Just because someone else happens to fancy me doesn't mean I'll automatically fall at their feet. I'm in love with you, you ridiculous man. I can't control what others feel, but you never have to worry about how I feel. I love you, and I always will."
Sherlock stared at her for a moment, reading the truth in her eyes, before dropping his head. "I'm sorry, Vi. I've never been very good with emotions."
"I know this, and I love you anyway," she teased gently, cupping his face to get him to look at her. "And while Sirius is attractive, I still see him as the little boy he was when we first met, so you have no need to worry there."
Sherlock kissed her fiercely, and Violet allowed herself to sink into his embrace. "Marry me," he said, pulling back to look at her with a blazing, almost aggressive light in his eyes.
"I already said I would. That's what the ring means," she laughed.
But he shook his head. "No, marry me now. No big wedding, no more waiting. I want you to be my wife now."
Stunned, Violet stared at him. "Well, there's a license-"
"Mycroft will take care of it."
"Our friends, family-"
"They'll show up if we tell them where and when," he countered. "This isn't about anyone other than you and me. Neither of us want a big wedding, but if we wait any longer, between Mycroft and your grandmother, we'll be pushed into it. Let's just-"
"Yes," Violet cut him off, beaming. "Yes, let's do it."
Sherlock kissed her again, grinning this time.
"We can do it on New Year's Eve, simply tell everyone we're having a party. Everyone will be looking smart for it. It's perfect, Sherlock."
"We'll have to tell Mycroft to take care of the license, but otherwise, it'll be a complete surprise. And in three days, you'll be my wife."
"Violet Holmes does have a nice ring to it," she giggled, utterly delighted with the idea. "Oh, Sherlock, I love you."
They decided to tell only John and Cissa, as they each needed someone to stand up with them. But they would tell no one else.
…
It was hard work, not spilling the beans over the next few days, but they managed it. Violet and Sherlock told their family and friends that they wanted to celebrate the new year, their first as a family, and they couldn't possibly do it without those they loved. Well, Violet said that. Sherlock's invitations tended to be along the lines of "We're having a party. Come." But each was accepted happily.
John accepted Sherlock's gruff request to "return the favor", after a few shocked moments of silence. Apparently, it was a common theme in their relationship. Cissa, however, took Violet's invitation with a squeal and a laugh, hugging her and saying, "I've only been waiting for this for eighteen years."
Violet called on Blimey to clean the flat, and help Mrs. Hudson with the cooking. He was utterly beside himself with the thought that his mistress needed him again and wanted to prove himself to her. He did such a good job that Violet almost didn't recognize the flat once she and Sherlock returned home from a long, fruitless day of searching Malfoy Manor. "Blimey, you are a gem," she breathed, looking around in awe.
Sherlock was less pleased. "It's far too neat," he grumped, throwing his scarf at, but missing, the coat tree.
"It's only for two more days," Violet laughed, kissing his cheek. "After the new year, you can mess it up all you like."
He still wasn't happy, but he didn't complain anymore.
"Greg is coming, isn't he?" she asked, looking through the take away menus. "I'm thinking Thai for dinner."
"We had curry just last night. Italian?" he countered. "And yes, Lestrade is coming, with Molly. Your grandmother?"
"Yes, though she warned she won't stay the whole night. She'll take Uncle Daniel's girls home, probably Susan, as well. We had Italian yesterday. There's a new Mexican place around the corner."
"Might as well. Harry likes it."
…
The morning of New Year's Eve, Violet and Sherlock sat Harry down after breakfast for a talk. "Harry, darling, you know how we're having a party tonight?" Violet began.
"Tha's why th' flat is so clean!" he reminded.
"That's right, Harry. Now, Auntie Vi and I have a secret to share with you," Sherlock said, crouching down to look the boy in the eye. The boy who was currently wiggling with unrestrained excitement.
"I c'n keep a secret, Lock!" he promised.
"We know, love, that's why you get to hear it," Violet told him, hugging him to her side. "Tonight, Lock and I are going to get married, while everyone is here."
Harry's eyes grew three sizes behind his little glasses. "You're gettin' married! Then we c'n be a real fam'ly!"
"Absolutely," Sherlock assured, moving to hug both of them.
The rest of the day was spent trying to keep Harry occupied and finish getting everything ready for the night. Harry got a rather long nap in the late afternoon, helped by a slip of sleeping potion, while Violet took a long bath. "Every bride deserves some extra pampering on her wedding day," she teased Sherlock, before closing the bathroom door in his face.
Sherlock, in his defense, kept Harry the rest of the afternoon, playing in the boy's room and then getting both of them ready. That left their room for Violet. She took her time, making sure that each hair, every brushstroke was exactly as she wanted it. After all, this was the wedding that truly mattered.
At half seven, after hearing her boys come down the stairs, Violet took a deep breath, straightened her long, Holmes sapphire gown one more time, and walked through the door. The sight that greeted her nearly took her breath away. Both were in smart tuxes, while Sherlock tied the little bow tie around Harry's neck. He looked over at her, already smiling, but he froze upon seeing her.
"What's wrong?" she asked, uncharacteristically unsure after he stared at her for several moments.
"You look-" Sherlock started, rising upright.
"You look beau'ful, Auntie Vi!" Harry said enthusiastically.
"Absolutely beautiful," Sherlock agreed, finally snapping out of his reverie. He crossed the room in three long strides to kiss her soundly. "But I thought the groom wasn't supposed to see the bride until the ceremony?" he whispered to her cheekily.
"I think it's a bit late for that now," she laughed. "Now, let me look at my boys. Oh, you're both so handsome!"
"Yoo-hoo!" Mrs. Hudson called, her customary greeting the only warning they got before her arrival. "I've got the food all ready. Is it alright for Blimey to bring it up yet?"
Blimey was still bringing up the food when the Watsons arrived. "That's Blimey?" John asked, looking mildly disturbed.
Violet only laughed. "Now you see why he's named that."
But Blimey was finished shortly after, and not a moment too soon. Molly and Greg, the only two Muggles with no knowledge of magic, arrived just as he snapped his fingers to Apparate back to Greengrass Castle. And then the Greengrass contingent arrived, marking a steady stream of guests.
Violet was rather impressed with her family's ingenuity at hiding their wands. Grandmama had hers in her hair, securing her bun. Auntie Amelia and Aunt Helene had made them part of their clutches, while the uncles probably had theirs in holsters around their legs, concealed by their trousers. And they all did an admirable job at mingling with the Muggles. The only mentions of magic were done by the children, and easily written off as childish imagination.
Mycroft and Anthea were the last to arrive, at half eleven. "Cutting it a bit close, aren't we?" Violet hissed as she accepted a kiss on the cheek.
"There was an emergency," Mycroft answered. "And we're here when it counts, are we not?"
She glared, but he simply smirked.
With ten minutes left in the year, Sherlock stood and tapped his glass. "We'd like to thank you lot for coming tonight, especially with such a short notice. But we didn't invite you here just for a party." He reached for Violet's hand, bringing her closer to him. "We've invited you for our wedding."
There were several gasps of surprise, with several cheerful exclamations. "If you'd all take a seat, we'll get started," Mycroft announced, his pomposity nearly overbearing. But everyone did as requested, anyway, settling into the seats that had already been arranged to face the fireplace.
John stood to one side of Sherlock, while Cissa bookended Violet. Little Harry stood in the middle, holding both of his favorite adults' hands. He couldn't quite hold still, though that was to be expected of a four-year-old. "I think we can dispense with the normal formalities," Mycroft began, with a rather pleased-with-himself smile. "Do you, William Sherlock Scott Holmes, take this woman as your lawfully wedded wife?"
Sherlock turned to Violet, well, turned more toward her. He'd already been facing her more than Mycroft, completely without thought. He took her hand, kissing it before saying "I do," with eyes sparkling with emotion.
"Do you, Violet Isabelle Evans, take this man as your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do," she said, squeezing his hand with her words.
"Sherlock, your vows."
"Violet Isabelle Evans, I have loved you my entire life. I have lived without you in my life, and I never want to experience the hell that brings. You are the light. You are my light, my happiness, and my biggest adventure. With this ring," he took the ring from John and slipped it on Violet's finger, "I vow to love you with the heart that's always been yours. I vow to do everything in my power to love you and Harry, and to keep you safe. My life is yours."
There weren't many dry eyes as Mycroft turned to Violet. "Your vows."
She smiled at Sherlock. "William Sherlock Scott Holmes, I have loved you from the very first time I saw you, as tiny little ones. You've been my safe haven throughout my life, even those times you weren't physically in my life. We've grown up together, and then apart, but life always has brought us back together, and I never want to be apart again. With this ring," she said, sliding the ring Cissa handed her onto Sherlock's long finger, "I vow to love and protect, cherish and fight for and with you for the rest of my life. I am yours, as you are mine."
"With the power vested in me by the British Crown, I pronounce you man and wife," Mycroft stated. "You may now-"
But Sherlock had never waited for his brother's say so, and his wedding was no different. He pulled Violet into his arms, kissing her passionately, just as the fireworks began outside.
AN: Hopefully, this was a bit of a surprise for you lot! It definitely was for me! I'd planned on them having their wedding spontaneously, but this was a bit sooner than I had planned on. But Violet and Sherlock are terribly stubborn and insist on having their own way, so I just went where they led. And even getting this chapter finished today was a surprise, thanks to the story I'd planned on working on tonight not loading on my phone. So there you go, enjoy the surprise! Thanks for sticking with us so long, and a big thanks to all of you who follow, favorite, and definitely review! I love you all!
