Happy 2020! And here's hoping that it is everything you wish for and more :-)
So Fremione and the Weasleys is back, and we are resuming weekly Tuesday updates. I hope you continue to enjoy this low-angst fluff designed to bring a bit of cheer to difficult times... :-)
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"Cheers!" said Angelina, holding her glass aloft and toasting Alicia, Ginny and Hermione in turn. "Thank you all for standing with me. Here's to a great day," she said, bumping their glasses with her own.
"Here's to your happiness, and lots of great sex!" called Alicia.
"Ew," declared Ginny, never quite comfortable with thinking of her brothers in that way. "Here's to your happiness and lots of tiny babies, whose conception will happen immaculately, or at least out of my earshot!"
"Here's to both of you having a long, happy and peaceful marriage, filled with fun and laughter and joy," Hermione added, and all four of them drank their firewhisky down in one.
Just a few minutes later, they made their way towards the magical lift, and Hermione gazed around at the view from the top of the cliff. One of Phil's staff had added a shielding spell just before they stepped in, which meant that the women could see everything, but couldn't be seen by those below. "Phil knows that some brides like to make an entrance," the older witch had smiled as she reached out to tweak a bit of Angelina's dress, which already looked perfect. "He's waiting for you at the bottom. You look beautiful," she told Angie, who gave the young woman a quick hug.
"Thank you, Gemma, but don't you dare make me cry!" she warned.
Gemma waved them off and, as the lift descended, Hermione had the perfect view of the wedding area. The guests were seated in a semi-circle, facing an archway, behind which was the sea. Kingsley was already positioned with his back to the sea and Hermione could see two tall, similar figures, standing beside him. Even without the bond or her ability to easily tell Fred and George apart, she could easily have picked George out; he was hopping from foot to foot, clearly impatient to begin. 'Everything's OK, Georgie,' she thought, hoping that her words would translate into a feeling of reassurance that he could sense through the bond. 'We're on our way; not long to wait.'
She saw him turn and watch the cloaked lift descend. Remembering that he and Fred communicated best in images and ideas, she sent him a mental image of the four of them laughing and hugging as they had said farewell at the end of their recent date night. She was rewarded by seeing a smile cross his face.
Phil was waiting for them as they stepped out of the lift, and Elliot was holding his hand.
"Remember what you need to do?" he asked the little boy, and Elliot nodded.
"Walk beside Miney," he said, "and not talk til Miney says."
"Perfect," Phil said. "And here she is…" Hermione smiled as Elliot let go of Phil's hand and took hers instead. "Are you ready for this?" Phil asked his daughter.
"Never been readier for anything, Dad," she told him.
Phil bowed his head, not trusting himself to be able to say anything else without choking up.
Angelina had decided that Alicia should walk down the aisle first, followed by Ginny. Then Hermione and Elliot would walk down together. Only when they had all reached the front would she and Phil come into view. Angie wanted her bridesmaids to be able to enjoy their few moments in the limelight, and also to be able to see George's face as she walked towards him.
The processional music began. Alicia and Ginny walked slowly in turn, both nonplussed by having everyone's eyes upon them. Hermione was delighted to be walking with Elliot, for many of the guests were watching the little boy who was walking carefully beside her in his new robes, and therefore not focusing so much on her. Hermione still didn't enjoy the limelight, however much she wanted to be close to Ange and George on their special day. She looked down at her nephew, smiling to see how hard he was concentrating on his job of walking in his new outfit. Thanks to Molly's hoop spell, Elliot didn't trip, and they made their way safely to the front, where Hermione stood across from Fred and locked eyes with her husband, whose love for her was pulsing through their bond. She turned to George, feeling his emotion too, and felt her eyes well up as she saw the tears in his.
George Weasley, as his brothers never let him forget, cried the entire way through his own wedding. His tears, Fred would often report through the years that followed, had begun when he had seen Ginny, increased when Hermione and Elliot had appeared, and then flowed freely as soon as he set eyes on Angelina. Angelina's arrival at the other end of the aisle had turned every head, and all the guests had stood for her. By the time the bride had reached the archway, she was also crying, and there had been a short intermission while Fred and Phil had conjured handkerchiefs and Bill had raised his eyebrows and grinned at Charlie, having won the bet predicting the point at which George would lose it.
"Shall we do this?" Kingsley asked them gently, once they had taken their places under the arch and composed themselves. They both nodded, smiling at each other and the Minister. Just as he had for Hermione and Fred's wedding, Kingsley welcomed everyone, invited them to sit, and spoke for a few moments of peace, love, hope and his great happiness at being asked to bond the two people before him.
Angie and George's bonding cord was red and gold, to celebrate the colours of their house and, more pertinently for them, the quidditch robes which had brought them together. They had spent some minutes in Hogsmeade the day before discussing whether it was too much of a cliché, before George had pointed out that it didn't matter whether anyone else thought that, as long as it made the two of them happy. When Kingsley held the binding cord aloft in his left hand and asked the guests to bless it with stars from their wands and imbue it with good wishes, many of their friends and family chose to send red and gold stars, which made a few people laugh good-naturedly. "It seems we're outnumbered by quite a ratio," Kingsley said to Phil, whose responding laugh was deep and hearty. They had attended Hogwarts at the same time and Kingsley had been in Ravenclaw while Phil was a Hufflepuff.
"This cord," Kingsley continued, now looking directly at Angelina and George, "will bind your magic, now and forever. If you wish to be bound in this way, of your own free will, please place your right hands together."
George put his left hand on Angie's waist as they stepped closer together and raised their right arms. They placed their palms together and interlinked their fingers, just as they had watched Fred and Hermione do five weeks before. Their eyes locked and Angie put her left arm around George's back, wanting to give him the reassurance of her own touch. Fred smiled when he saw her bare hand; remembering the mistake that he and Hermione had made, in leaving her engagement ring on. The previous day, when Hermione had been laying in his lap in the garden at The Burrow, he had asked his wife to do something for him on that front. Hermione looked into Fred's eyes and gave him a slight nod, gently turning her right hand, which was still clasping Elliot's, to show him that she was temporarily wearing Angelina's engagement ring. Fred smiled. He had plans for that ring.
As Kingsley began to wind the binding cord around their hands and chant the ancient bonding spell, the atmosphere changed. All of the magical people could feel the magic thicken, and Lauren turned to Charlie, whispering a quiet 'wow' under her breath. She would never know whether the sensations she experienced were in any way similar to what they felt, but she was in no doubt that something reverent was happening to the energy around her. She glanced at Elliot, who was now leaning against Hermione's leg, his eyes unfocused as he stared up at George and Angelina. Hermione had let go of his hand and instead rested her hand on his shoulder, ensuring he wouldn't fall backwards.
"Bit drunk on the magic," Molly whispered to Lauren, by way of explanation. "It happens a lot to small children, especially at weddings and rituals. He's not in any danger," she promised.
Lauren's eyes turned to Fred, as he produced the wedding rings from his pocket and gave them to Kingsley so he could bless them. He offered them to the four directions and, as they were at the beach, turned to the sea and held them aloft to the waves, chanting something she couldn't understand as he did. As a researcher, she was fascinated by the intricacies and rituals of the ceremony. As a woman, her heart melted when she heard George's response to Kingsley's suggestion that he tell Angelina of his love for her as he placed her wedding ring on her finger.
"Angelina Mebili Johnson," he began. "You stunned me from the first moment we met, on the train. My love for you grew, and then one day we danced, and ever since that moment I have never imagined that I would spend my life with any other witch. You are my sun and my guiding light. You're the first person I want to see each morning, and the last person I want to see at night. I give you this ring as a promise that I will live my life by your side and love you always. I want to help you achieve your dreams, travel with you in joy and sorrow, and cherish you every day."
"George Fabian Weasley," Angelina replied, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears as she slipped the ring onto his finger, "it may have taken us a while to get to this day, but from the day you took me into your arms and danced me into a corner so you could kiss me, you have been the wizard I wanted to walk beside me through my life. I give you this ring as a reminder of my love and as a symbol of my desire to bond with you forever. I pledge to create a happy home and family with you, gods willing, to love you through good and bad, and to work with you so that we can both achieve our hopes and dreams."
"I love you, Angie," George said, leaning in to kiss her.
"I love you too, Georgie," she whispered against his lips. Like Fred and Hermione before them, they were unable to resist the swirling bonding magic that Kingsley had called forth to help join them.
"Keep your hands on each other's waists and move closer together," said Kingsley. "If that's possible," he added with a smile, looking at the crowd and eliciting smiles and loving looks from their family and friends as he raised his wand to complete the bonding. It looked as if George and Angie were already as close as two people could get.
As he began the Latin incantation, Hermione and Fred looked into each other's eyes as well. Both longed to touch each other, but knew that wasn't possible right now. Instead, they sent waves of love to each other through their bond, both becoming aware of an unusual sensation as George and Angelina's bond continued to form. They both swayed, and Hermione leaned down and picked Elliot up, wanting the little wizard to feel secure.
"I call upon the magic of the earth," Kingsley finished, "to begin the binding of these two people, now and forever. They have until sunrise tomorrow to seal their bond together and finalise the blending of their magical cores. From that point on, no human, beast or force of nature will be able to break their bond. Love each other, be happy together and know that you will always be supported in this bonding by the magic and the love of your family and friends. Congratulations, Angelina and George."
The happy couple had been softly kissing ever since they had exchanged rings, and they barely noticed the shower of golden stars that sprayed gently from Kingsley's wand as he finished the spell and brought forth the last waves of bonding magic. George and Angie continued to kiss, now a bit more passionately, while their guests clapped and cheered. When they finally broke apart, George turned them towards their guests and encouraged Angelina to join him in taking a bow. Those in the front row could see that they both had dilated pupils and were finding it hard to focus.
"Ten galleons they can't wait until we've all gone home," Charlie said to Bill, who laughed and nodded.
"Fair enough," Bill replied. "I think you'll win, but seems only fair to give you that chance as I took your money earlier! And we're still on for the speech," he said, somewhat cryptically.
"Is there anything you lot don't bet on?" Lauren asked the two of them.
"Not much," Bill said, laughing. "Nothing's sacred when it comes to the Weasley wager, you know!"
She laughed, and turned back towards the happy couple, who were now being congratulated by Kingsley. The smiling Minister kissed Angelina and then shook George's hand, telling them both how honoured he was to have been able to perform the ceremony for them. Still swaying with bonding magic, George pulled him into a hug, making Harry and Ron laugh. George and Angelina barely noticed as Kingsley untied the cord and held it out to Fred and Hermione, who indicated that he should give it to Phil. Phil, in turn, invited Molly and Arthur to stand beside him, so that all three of them accepted the bonding cord together, along with the task – and the honour – of tying it to the newlyweds' bed.
"Are you ready to walk back down the aisle?" Kingsley whispered, and Angelina nodded.
"I'll throw him over my shoulder and carry him if need be," she joked, indicating her husband, who was still rather unfocused.
"Time to go, Georgie," Fred whispered.
George nodded, as Kingsley's voice boomed again. "Fellow witches and wizards," he said, beaming as he looked around the beach. "Please join me in congratulating Angelina and George Johnson-Weasley!"
"Oh goodness," Molly said to Arthur. "Will they all be doing that with their names, do you think?"
Arthur smiled, but it was Bill who leaned towards his mother. "It'll make it much easier to work out who we're talking about if they do," he said.
Angelina began to steer George down the aisle, moving slowly and smiling as she glided through the sea of happy faces and heard the spoken congratulations of their friends and family as they went. Fred held out his hand to Hermione, so that they could follow, and she looked down at Elliot, who was also unfocused. It was clear that he wasn't quite with it.
"May I?" Phil asked, hoisting the little boy gently into his own arms and resting Elliot's head on his shoulder so that Fred and Hermione could follow George and Angie. Phil followed the two of them down the aisle, beaming at guests and clearly delighted to be playing grandpa to the miniature page boy.
When they reached the end of the aisle, Fred caught Angelina's hand and pulled her to one side.
"Before the magic settles and the hordes arrive," he said, kneeling in front of her and giving Hermione a loving look as she knelt beside him, allowing him to remove Angelina's engagement ring from her finger. "I, and my lovely wife, pledge to care for you, to love your children as our own, and to keep George as safe as we can."
"And," added Hermione, catching Angie's other hand in her own, "to always respect the quadruplet agreement, whether or not this," she waved her hand between herself and her kneeling husband, "allows us to get a sense of you through our bond." Quickly, she explained that Fred was hoping that his action would at least allow himself and Hermione to sense Angelina a tiny bit, but they all knew that they would need to wait until after the bond was consummated, and probably another few hours after that, given that the magic might need to settle a bit while Angie got used to the new sensations.
The two of them stood and they all exchanged more hugs, with George continuing to be the most emotional of the four.
"I just love you all so much," he said, the tears still streaming down his face. "I'm so happy that we all survived, and we're all here, and," his eyes cleared of tears for a moment, "we're all fucking married!"
"Oh Georgie..." Hermione took him in her arms and Fred then took them both into his own embrace.
"Come on, soppy bollocks," he told his twin, smiling at Angelina, who was still by George's other side and clasping his hand. "You can't cry your way through the reception as well. You'll ruin the noodles!"