* ~ The Eighth Year Universe Series ~ *
PART FOUR
Brave New World
Chapter 1: The Ultimate Hangover
A/N: Thanks for reading the rewrite of eighth year guys. To anyone who read the original story before it was taken down, this section is the one with the most changes so please see the warnings before reading.
This is now a series, broken down for you below:
~ Part One: Just Another Thing (Oneshot with insight into sixth year from Theo's POV)
~ Part Two: Last Call for Sin (20 chapters. Seventh year from the POV of those in Hogwarts)
~ Part Three: The Eighth Year (65 chapters. As the majority of students return to Hogwarts, house divides are torn down by new relationships and friendships)
~ Part Four: Brave New World (95 chapters. After surviving their final year at Hogwarts, the students whose relationships and friendships are explored in 'The Eighth Year' venture out into the world with big plans to change it.
~ Part Five: Blame it on Hate (In progress, estimated to be around 110 chapter when finished. Eight years after the war, everyone has settled down and started a family when a new threat rises that pushes everyone to their limits.
~ Part Six: Love Wins (Not written yet. In 2021, the war seems like a distant memory for most. But as the next generation of our gangs kids begin to embark on life's great adventure, it becomes apparent that the threat still remains).
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*** WARNINGS ***
Rated M for sexual content, violence and attempted sexual assault
General warnings for this story;
Four-way relationship, foursome sex scenes, polyamory to a degree I suppose, alcohol abuse/dependency, PTSD, attempted sexual assault, bisexuality, lesbian sex scenes, oral sex, rough sex scenes.
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The days flew by after graduation, and the population of Potter Manor seemed to grow by the day. Harry loved having so many people in the house, and he knew Daphne felt the same. After all, it had just been her and Astoria when they were growing up.
Within a week, all of the rooms, bar one on the second floor, were filled, and the house was buzzing with excitement as Sadie and Theo's wedding drew closer.
"Have fun picking out the dress," Harry said to Daphne in an undertone as he kissed his fiancé on the cheek one morning at breakfast. It was Monday now, just after a week since they had left Hogwarts, and everyone was here.
"She'll be fine," Daphne said with a smile as she glanced over to her best friend, "Sadie isn't the kind of person that will take hours to pick a dress."
"No, but I feel sorry for whoever you drag along when you go dress shopping," Harry commented with a smirk, "You'll probably have to camp in the shop; it will take a whole weekend."
"Oh, shut up you," Daphne said with a small smile. She couldn't tease him properly about it because she knew it was pretty accurate.
"Are you ready?" Sadie asked. She had barely eaten, was fully dressed and bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.
"We're ready," Daphne said as she got up from her seat, "And I gather you're a little excited."
"Just a bit," Sadie said with a grin which made everyone chuckle.
"Have a good day," Theo said as he kissed his fiancé.
"Remember that the dress robes have to match the colour scheme," Sadie said as she kissed Theo.
"Yes, ma'am," Theo said with a salute.
Sadie laughed, "Have a good day. I'll see you tonight."
"Bye," The boys all said as they waved the girls out of the house.
Once they were gone and the door was shut. Harry turned to Draco, Theo and Neville, "It doesn't take six hours to pick some robes and get them adjusted, does it?"
"No, it takes two," Theo said simply.
"Three if you include time for a drink in the Leaky Cauldron afterwards," Draco said with a smirk.
"So basically, we have three hours to kill," Neville said with a grin.
Harry nodded, "Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Time for a duelling competition?"
"I was thinking time for a swim."
"Well, I want a sauna."
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
"You do realise that they aren't going to do anything until lunchtime, right?" Hermione asked the other girls as they walked down Diagon Alley.
"I'm well aware of that," Sadie said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, they'll claim that it won't take six hours to get dress robes," Lilly added.
Daphne rolled her eyes, "I bet they'll realise it's not as easy as they think it is when they get there."
"As long as they get the right dress robes in the end, then it won't be a disaster," Susan said to soothe Sadie, who looked slightly anxious.
"Here we are," Sadie said with a deep breath as they reached the bridal shop.
"Nervous?" Daphne asked as they walked in arm and arm with the others behind them.
Sadie nodded, "A little," she admitted.
An overly enthusiastic Italian woman greeted them when they walked in, and half an hour later, Sadie had picked four dresses. She was trying them on while Daphne, Hermione, Lilly and Susan sat around waiting to see them in incredibly comfortable chairs.
"I don't know how we're going to help her pick," Hermione said to the others, "Sadie could look gorgeous in rags."
"It must be a Slytherin thing," Lilly said with a chuckle, "You're the same, Daphne. You all look so amazing all of the time."
"Slytherin charm," Daphne joked as Sadie emerged from the changing room in her first dress.
It was very Princess-like with a large white puffy skirt and a strapless white lace effect corset. Sadie looked lovely in it.
"What do you think?" Sadie asked. She looked a little unsure of herself.
"I don't know," Daphne said honestly as she looked at her best friend.
"It's a lovely dress," Hermione said.
"And you look beautiful in it," Lilly added.
"It's just not quite…you," Susan said truthfully as Sadie looked in the mirror and turned around a few times.
"It's too big and puffy for you, Sadie," Daphne said.
Sadie nodded, "Yeah, it just doesn't look right, does it?"
Daphne and Susan shook their heads.
"Onto number two then," Sadie said as she disappeared into the changing room once more.
When she emerged a few minutes later, she looked even more amazing in the second dress. It was more figure-hugging and was drawn in at her waist then fanned out towards the bottom. It was relatively simple with an elaborate lace bust.
"You look gorgeous, Sadie," Daphne said.
"You think so?" Sadie asked. She looked unsure again, "I don't know."
"Maybe it's just too simple for you," Hermione suggested.
Sadie nodded, "Maybe," she said as she disappeared once more to try on dress number 3.
"I thought you said she wasn't picky?" Lilly asked Daphne with a chuckle.
"Well, it is her wedding dress, I suppose," Daphne laughed.
When Sadie emerged wearing the third dress, she still looked amazing. This dress was similar to the last one, but the skirt was a little bigger. All of the dresses so far had been strapless, and this one was the same, but from the skirt upwards, the top was decorated with lace effect flowers.
"That's lovely, Sadie," Susan said with a smile, "Very simplistic."
"Yeah," Sadie said as she turned around and looked at it, "A little too simplistic, I think."
"Merlin Sadie, I thought this would be easy," Daphne joked, making her best friend laugh.
"Hey, you only get married once, Daph," Sadie said with a smile.
"Unless you're Blaise's Mother, that is," Daphne muttered.
Lilly snorted, "Don't let Ginny hear you say that."
"Since when does Ginny get on with Blaise's mother?" Hermione asked in amusement.
"Oh, she doesn't yet, but from what I hear, she will be staying at High Top House for a while now she's finished school," Lilly answered.
"Good luck to her," Daphne chuckled.
"I'm going to try the last one on," Sadie said, and she disappeared once more.
When Sadie emerged wearing the last dress, there was an awed silence.
"Is that good?" She asked nervously.
"Wow," Daphne said eventually. The final dress was stunning. The skirt was bigger than the last one but without being too big and puffy like the first dress had been. It was the only dress not to be strapless, and it suited Sadie even more for it. The most beautiful part was the sleeves which came down to the elbow and made a simple dress looked beautifully elegant.
"You look great," Lilly smiled.
"I like this one," Sadie admitted as she examined herself in the mirror, "It's not too big or too small, just the right size."
Susan and Hermione agreed that they loved the dress, and after another 20 minutes of deliberation, Sadie decided that it was the one that she wanted. She paid for it with Theo's elf as her fiancé had demanded. He wasn't letting her pay for any part of the wedding. Traditionally, of course, her father would have paid for it, but as he was in Azkaban now, that wasn't going to happen.
With the dress chosen, they had a quick lunch and then hopped back into the shop to pick the bridesmaids dresses. Sadie decided on blue dresses to match the wedding theme; the boys had been ordered to get dress robes according to that colour.
Thankfully, it didn't take as long for the bridesmaid's dresses to be picked, tried on and tailored to fit. This time the roles were reversed as Sadie sat in the comfortable chairs waiting for her bridesmaids to emerge wearing their dresses.
"What do you think, Sadie?" Daphne asked as she emerged first from the changing room.
"Yes, do we look good enough for your wedding?" Hermione asked with a chuckle as she emerged next, followed by Susan and Lilly.
They all wore the same dress in two different colours. The dresses were strapless, floor-length, and relatively simple in style. Each dress had a ribbon beneath the bust. Susan and Hermione wore navy blue dresses with a pale blue ribbon and Daphne, and Lilly wore pale blue dresses with a darker navy blue ribbon.
Sadie laughed at their sense of humour, "You all look great," she said happily.
They still had a little time to spare with the dresses bought, so the girls decided to drop by the ice cream parlour before heading back to Potter Manor.
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"I suppose we should go now," Theo said as he glanced at the time.
"Yeah," Draco said as he stretched and got to his feet, they were relaxing in the chill/bar room after a swim.
Harry and Neville agreed, and ten minutes later, they dragged themselves down Diagon Alley to Madame Malkins.
"It's not that I'm not enthusiastic about the wedding," Theo was saying to the others as they wandered along in the bright sunshine eating ice creams, "I can't wait for the wedding. I just hate all of this," he waved his ice cream around at the street, "Shopping for flowers, shopping for invitations and bloody lace tablecloths!"
"I think that's the part most men hate," Harry pointed out with a smirk as they neared the shop.
Theo groaned, "And now we have to spend the next couple of hours getting stabbed and picking the right colour to match the bloody bridesmaid's dresses."
This had Harry, Draco and Neville sniggering, of course.
"I think I'll just ask Lil if she wants to elope and go to Hawaii," Neville joked as they finished their ice creams, "Skip the whole engagement thing, you know?"
"I'd do the same if I thought for a second Daph would go for it," Harry retorted.
"What about you, Draco?" Neville asked. He was the only one to stay relatively quiet so far.
He smiled slightly, "It's ironic actually because Hermione and I…well there are a few people we want at our wedding, but neither of us have a lot of friends or family. We would never run off and elope, but we will have a nice little quiet wedding. It will be nowhere near the hassle of this."
"Good for you, mate," Theo said. He looked like he wished that was what Sadie had wanted. Harry had never seen Theo stressed out, not even through their N.E.W.T's, but he was stressed out of his mind with this wedding.
"Can I help you with anything?"
Theo smiled at Madam Malkin, "Yes, I'm looking for a set of dress robes this colour," he said as he handed her a fabric in the colour they had chosen, which was pale blue, "And four sets of dress robes in this colour," he gave her another piece of fabric which was a dark navy blue.
"Of course," she said with a smile, "Wedding, is it?"
Theo nodded, "Yeah, a very stressful one."
Madam Malkin laughed and led them all into the back room where there were more podiums, "I'll do the groom first," she said as she held out the dress robes in the colour he had shown her and put them on Theo so she could tailor them to fit correctly.
"So, how much more do you need to do before Saturday?" Draco asked Theo from where he, Harry and Neville, sat on the sidelines.
"Too much," Theo replied with a sigh, "We need to pick the rings up tomorrow from the jewellers-"
"Right, well, I'll do that for you," Draco said, "That takes one thing out of your hands. What else?"
"I need to take Lacey to get her flower girl dress," Theo said. He rolled his eyes, "Which means dealing with Salvadora."
"You really ought to make more effort to get on with her; she is your stepmother," Harry pointed out.
"I've tried. She's tried. We don't get on. We accepted that years ago, so we simply put up with each other," Theo said with a roll of his eyes.
Draco gave Harry a look which said, 'Drop it,' so he did.
"Who's going to be the pageboy?" Harry asked as he propped his feet up on the arm of the chair Draco was sitting in.
"Uh, Sadie's Nephew Oscar," Theo replied, "Her brother Sorenson's kid."
"Is Sorenson married?" Neville asked with a frown.
"Nah," Theo answered, "He got a girl pregnant in his seventh year; Oscar was the result."
"What age is he?" Harry asked.
"He'll be five now, won't he?" Draco asked Theo.
"Nearly," Theo agreed, "His birthday is a couple of days after the wedding. I don't have to worry about his robes; Sorenson's sorting that out for us."
"Have you paid the registrar?" Draco asked as he ticked things off on a piece of parchment.
"Yeah, and we donated to the Church," Theo said. He was organised despite what Sadie thought.
"You've got everything sorted for the reception, haven't you?" Draco asked as he looked at his list.
"Yeah," Theo said. He and Sadie were getting married in Bath Abbey, "It's in the ballroom of Nott Manor. That was the easy part."
Draco ticked this off too, "And you have your international passes to apparate for the honeymoon sorted out?"
"Yep," Theo said quickly.
"And you've booked the honeymoon?"
"Course I have," Theo said with a chuckle, "Two weeks in Paris."
"Was that the first thing you booked?" Neville asked with a chuckle.
"Pretty much," Theo admitted.
"Right," Neville said, "Have you hired the photographer?"
"Yeah," Harry said, "I called in a freebie for him with Dennis."
"What about a band for the reception?"
"Yeah, we hired the band that play the Christmas concerts in Hogsmeade," Theo said.
"Sadie's sorted out the cake, hasn't she?" Harry asked.
Theo nodded, "She sorted out the cake and hired the house elves for the food."
Draco glanced at his list, "Have you got the rehearsal booked?"
"Yeah, 9 am on Thursday," Theo said as he got stabbed by Madam Malkin.
"And you've got the place names and the order of seating for the meal sorted?" Draco asked.
"Sadie's done that," Theo said with a yawn.
"Well, then I think you're pretty much set," Draco said as he folded up his piece of parchment.
"Thank Merlin," Theo sighed.
"Alright, you're done," Madam Malkin said, and Theo gratefully got off the platform and let Madam Malkin start on the groomsmen's robes. Blaise couldn't make it because he was at St. Mungo's with Ginny for a check-up on the baby, so he had told Theo his measurements which he had given to Madam Malkin so she could fit his dress robes later in the week, Blaise could pick them up when he had the time that way.
Still, even without Blaise, it seemed to take forever for Draco, Harry and Neville to get their robes fitted, and when they eventually left the shop with the robes in hanger bags to stop them from getting creased, it was 5 minutes until 5 pm, the time they had agreed to meet the girls back at Potter Manor for dinner.
They hurried up Diagon Alley to the Leaky Cauldron and apparated to the doorstep of Potter Manor, hoping that the girls were running late.
However, when they walked into the informal dining room, it wasn't empty as they had hoped.
Daphne, Hermione, Sadie, Susan and Lilly were already seated and were waiting for the boys to show up.
"Oh, there they are, two minutes late," Daphne said with an amused smirk when they skulked in.
Sadie cocked her head at Theo, "We know you didn't leave the house until about three hours ago."
"What? How do you know that?" Theo asked. This made Harry and Draco roll their eyes.
"They probably didn't know you, idiot," Draco said as he jokingly hit Theo over the back of the head, "But you just confirmed it for them."
"Exactly," Daphne smirked.
"Bloody female logic," Theo mumbled as he sat down at the table.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
"Oh my god, I feel sick."
Blaise chuckled, "Think of how I felt when you took me to meet your family."
Ginny smiled weakly, "And look how that went."
"They liked me well enough until they found out I had gotten you pregnant," Blaise remarked.
"Funny that," Ginny snorted. She held his hand tightly as she looked up at the imposing manor on the hill before them, "I see why it's called High Top House."
Blaise gently began to pull her up the steep steps that led to the manor, "Yes, it is rather dramatic, isn't it? You won't think so when you see inside. Interior décor is not my mother's strong point."
"Who will be there?" Ginny asked.
"Oh, just a few of my siblings," Blaise replied, "Most of the older ones have already moved out apart from myself, Blanche, Bea and Billie."
"That's not so bad," Ginny admitted, "I already know Bea and Billie."
"I know you haven't met Blanche yet, but I do think you will like her," Blaise said. He smiled softly over at Ginny.
"And your mother is okay with us having the baby?" Ginny asked tentatively.
"She cannot judge," Blaise said. He smiled slyly at his girlfriend, "She was 19 when my oldest brother was born."
"So was my mother, and she still judged," Ginny said with a roll of her eyes, "Also, can I just say, I hate this hill."
Blaise chuckled, and it was a deep rumble, "We'll use the floo next time. My mother just thought it might be too alarming for you, if you had to step into the drawing-room when it was already full of people."
Ginny nodded and took a breath to steady her nerves as Blaise knocked on the door. It swung open, and a house-elf greeted Blaise cheerfully. Ginny kept a grip of her boyfriend's hand and allowed herself to be led through the house into a beautiful, modern drawing-room. The room was decorated in shades of grey and blue. It was adorned with comfortable sofas and armchairs, and at its heart was a beautifully ornate black marble fireplace.
"Ginny!"
Ginny laughed as Billie rushed over and hugged her tightly.
"Hey, don't squeeze so tight, Billie," Beatrice said, wrestling her sister off of Ginny, "She's got a baby in there!"
Ginny laughed and smiled at the two younger girls, "It's well-cushioned, Bea. I wouldn't worry too much."
"Where is Mother?" Blaise asked his younger sisters.
Both were very pretty with their mothers smooth, flawless skin. They had long black hair, Bea's was naturally curly, and Billie's was poker straight. Their mother always said that Beatrice tried to hide her beauty. She was a tomboy who lived in comfortable clothes and a beanie hat. Billie could not be more different; she wore fancy dresses and always wanted to go shopping with her mother.
Beatrice rolled her eyes, "She's fighting with Blanche."
Blaise raised an eyebrow at her, "Who did she bring home this time?"
"Nobody, but she applied for Auror training without telling Mother," Billie replied.
"And she got into the selection process," Beatrice added, "Dad knew."
Blaise grimaced, "He is in so much shit when he comes home tonight."
"I floo-ed him and told him it might be best to make up an important overseas case to give mother a day or so to calm down," Billie whispered.
Blaise chuckled. "You're a genius, Bill."
The sound of raised voices could be heard walking towards the drawing-room, and Ginny shot Blaise an amused look, "So this is just like my house."
"I did tell you," Blaise murmured.
"I don't care if you like it or not, Mother. I want to be an Auror!"
"Your father-"
"Robert is not my father! And I don't care how dangerous he says it is, this is my life, and this is what I want to do with it!"
"Blanche, be quiet! We can continue this discussion later."
Blaise's mother stepped into the room and smiled at Ginny. She was a beautiful woman, even though she was in her 50's now. She was tall, especially in the high heels she currently wore. Like her daughters, her skin was flawless, and her black hair was curly but perfectly tamed to frame her thin, heart-shaped face. She wore deep green silken robes and red lipstick. There was only one word to describe her – glamourous.
"Ginevra," She said with a warm smile, "I am Zara. It is so nice to finally meet you."
Blaise rolled his eyes at his mother's obvious jibe.
Ginny smiled, "You too. Blaise has told me all about you and his siblings."
"All bad, I expect," Zara said as she floated into the room.
"Not at all," Ginny said honestly, "He's very fond of you."
"He doesn't tell her that to her face," An amused voice said from the doorway, "Let's see the beautiful Weasley that managed to turn my brothers head then."
Ginny turned around and came face to face with Blaise's sister, who was very self-assured and gorgeous. She looked very much like her mother; she was younger but just as glamourous.
Blanche placed her finger under Ginny's chin and lifted her face, "Oh, she is lovely, Blaise, you are quite right."
Ginny gently swiped Blanche's hand away and took a step towards Blaise, "Uh…thanks, I think."
"Don't mind Blanche," Zara said with a wave of her hand, "She is well on her way to becoming the family disappointment."
"Well, someone has to do it, right?" Blanche asked with a wide grin. She winked at Ginny, which made her feel moderately uncomfortable.
Zara rolled her eyes, "Do you drink tea, my love?"
Ginny turned away from Blanche and nodded, "Uh…yes, I do."
"Excellent," Zara snapped her fingers and motioned for Ginny to sit down.
Blaise gently pushed Ginny onto an armchair then he sat down next to Billie on one of the sofas. Blanche chose to lean in the doorway, surveying Ginny with interest.
A house-elf appeared with a tray of tea, and Zara busied herself with pouring it out. Blaise dropped a sugar cube into Ginny's cup then handed it to her.
"How does your mother feel about the impending arrival?" Zara asked conversationally.
Ginny frowned, "Well, she is speaking to me now, so that's an improvement. It came as a shock, especially because my older brother is having a baby too."
"Which one?" Blanche asked curiously.
"Ron," Ginny replied.
"Hmm," Blanche hummed. She picked up a sugar cube, "Doesn't surprise me. I heard all about his antics with that Lavender girl from Georgie."
Ginny frowned, "Georgie? My brother George?"
"Uh-huh," Blanche popped the sugar cube into her mouth.
"Blanche was in the same year as your brothers Fred and George," Blaise explained.
"Oh," Ginny realised.
"So, she disapproves?" Zara prodded.
"Yes, but that hasn't changed our opinion," Ginny replied, "We're keeping the baby."
"Of course, you are," Zara said. She sipped her tea, "You must. These things come to test us, and when we beat them, they make us stronger."
Ginny smiled, "Exactly."
"You really must think about marriage, however," Zara said, her hazel eyes meeting Ginny's.
Ginny shook her head, "No, I won't do that pureblood, shot-gun wedding thing like my parents did. I can't."
"Nobody will force you to," Zara said honestly, "But you must consider it. I do not tell you this because I want to avoid a scandal. My entire life has been a scandal, and I rather enjoy it."
Blaise smirked at his mother's choice of words, and he noticed Ginny smiling too.
"I tell you this because marrying my son will make your life a little easier and that of your child," Zara said simply, "He is a good man. I trust you know that."
"Of course, I do," Ginny said.
"So, you know he will treat you as you ought to be treated," Zara said pragmatically, "If you were married, your child would not be called a bastard when it went to Hogwarts. One of my ex-husbands left a generous amount of money to each of my children. They receive this when they are married, along with the deeds to a patch of land where they may build their own home. If you were married, you could live comfortably."
"I didn't live comfortably growing up, and it didn't do me any harm," Ginny began to protest.
Zara shook her head. She reached forward and took Ginny's hand, "My love, I am merely presenting you with the facts. I do not wish to force you to make a decision, and I certainly do not expect you to make one instantly, not in your condition."
Ginny frowned; she couldn't quite get a handle on Blaise's mother.
"We are a very liberal family, Ginevra," Zara continued, "I cannot lecture my children where conventional relationships are concerned, as I have never had one. I simply wish for my children to be provided for and to be happy."
Ginny looked over at Blaise, "What does she…."
Blaise took Ginny's hand, "She means that we could marry for proprietary's sake, but we need not have a solely monogamous relationship for the rest of our lives."
Ginny's frown deepened.
"Think on it," Zara said with a smile, "That is all I ask of you."
"Okay," Ginny conceded, "I will."
"In the meantime," Zara said, leaning back in her chair, "Where will you stay until the baby is born?"
"Were you still planning on going home?" Blaise asked his girlfriend.
Ginny just nodded.
"If things at home get too tense, you are always welcome here," Zara said, "Robert is a real joy-kill, but he spends more time at work than he does in the house anyway."
"Blaise said he was an Auror?" Ginny asked conversationally.
"Oh, he's more than just an Auror, my love," Zara said with a smile, "He is the Head Auror."
Ginny had to fight back an amused smile. She had managed to bag herself the Auror who was hunting her down, the Head Auror.
Blanche sat down on the arm of Ginny's chair and said, "I know what you're thinking, that she's an evil seductress, right?"
"No," Ginny said with an amused smile, "Honestly? I was thinking, well-played."
At this, Zara smirked, "Well, Blaise. I always suspected that you would pick a good one. I like her."
"So do I," Blanche said, and Ginny definitely didn't imagine the suggestive tone in her voice.
Zara sighed, "Blanche, would you leave the poor girl alone? It has been less than a month since the last girl you courted ran out of this house screaming."
"She did deserve that bat-bogey mother," Beatrice piped up, "She called you a whore."
"I am a whore, darling," Zara said as she rose to her feet, "I have learned to own the title rather than fear it."
"She was just a phase I was going through anyway," Blanche said as she lit a cigarette, "I don't think I like blondes after all."
"That was what you said about brunettes after Fran moved out," Beatrice said, giving her sister a pointed look.
"Maybe I'm into redheads," Blanche said. She winked at Ginny.
Ginny's cheeks flushed, and Zara rolled her eyes, "Ignore Blanche."
"We all do," Blaise added.
"I love you too, darling brother," Blanche said, smacking him on the head as she walked past him.
"Will you stay for dinner, Ginevra? I can ask the elves to prepare something bland for you, and I do believe that Belinda will be keen to meet you," Zara said conversationally, "She was friends with your elder brother at school."
"Which one?" Ginny asked curiously.
"William," Zara said passively, "They were rather friendly. Belinda was a Gryffindor after all."
"Oh," Ginny said, "I hadn't realised that."
"We're not all Slytherins," Beatrice joked.
"What house were you in, Blanche?" Ginny asked curiously.
"Slytherin, of course," Blanche replied smoothly.
"I think I remember my brother talking about his friend Belle," Ginny said to Zara.
"That was what Belinda used to go by," Blanche said with a grin, "Before she was a hotshot judge in the DMLE."
"Do all of your family work in the DMLE?" Ginny asked curiously.
"Several of my children do," Zara replied, "Brent is a lawyer in the DMLE, just as Blaise will be."
Blaise nodded at this. Zara continued, "Blaine is an Auror-"
"- which is fine because he's a guy, so apparently it's not dangerous for him," Blanche cut in.
Zara shot her a warning look, "We are not having this discussion in polite company, Blanche."
"Oh, the company isn't that polite," Blanche said airily, "Is it true, Blaise, that men tend to fall for women who remind them of their mother?"
Blaise narrowed his eyes at his sister, "If you dare Blanche, I will hex you."
"I'm just saying," Blanche said. She cocked her head and looked at Ginny, "The Hogwarts rumour mill says that sweet little Ginny Weasley has been working her way through your year group. First, Michael, then Dean, and not to forget the two war heroes she favoured, Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom. What a taste for powerful men."
Blaise reached for his wand to hex Blanche, but before he could, Ginny hexed her. The spell she used sowed her mouth shut, and Ginny glared at her, "If you knew that much about me, you would know not to piss me off at the best of times, let alone when I'm pregnant."
Zara smiled slyly, "Oh, you will fit in just perfectly around here, Ginevra. Come, I would like to show you around the rose garden."
Ginny got to her feet and took Zara's outstretched hand while Blaise smirked at his sister, "You deserved that."
"You did, Blanche," Beatrice said, "Ginny's really nice."
Billie nodded her agreement, "She's awesome."
"And she's slept with fewer men than you have women," Blaise said, regarding his sister irritably before sweeping out of the drawing-room.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
"Lacey!"
"Theo!"
Theo grinned and picked up his little sister, "Hey squirt!"
"I'm not a squirt! I'm getting tall now."
"Nah, you're still teeny," Theo said. He set her down and messed up her hair, "You ready to go get this dress?"
"Yeah," Lacey grinned, "But Mum is coming too."
Theo sighed, "Is she?"
"She is," Salvadora said as she stepped into the entrance hall.
"Why?" Theo asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Because I need a dress too," Salvadora said calmly, "Since you kindly invited me to your wedding."
"Of course I invited you," Theo muttered, "You're my stepmother."
Salvadora sighed; she was a beautiful woman in a regal way. She was tall and thin with pointed features, jet black hair and deep green eyes. Theo had always found the fact she was so close to him in age alarming. She had married his father just before he started Hogwarts, and she had only been 18 at the time.
Lacey looked between them warily, "Are you going to fight?"
Theo smiled at her, "Nah, Lace, course not. You ready to go?"
He held out his hand, and his little sister took it, "Yeah, I'm ready."
Theo turned to his stepmother and regarded her with interest for a moment, "Grab your coat then, Sally."
She smiled. Theo had always referred to her as 'stepmother' or by her full name. After two years of being married to his father, she had given up asking him to call her Sally.
The trio left the house and went to Diagon Alley. Lacey loved her dress and enjoyed being fitted, and Salvadora bought herself a respectful dress since she was, in effect, the mother of the groom. When they had finished shopping, Lacey asked if they could go to lunch, and Theo hated saying no to his sister.
That was how they ended up in a nice little restaurant in the wizarding quarter of London. It was a glorious day, so they took an outdoor table, and Lacey played on a swing set nearby.
"I am sorry, Theodore."
"Theo," He said, meeting her eye, "We're both adults now."
Salvadora smiled sadly, "I am sorry that I was not a more supportive stepmother. I tried, but I was so young myself and you were troubled."
"What do you expect?" Theo sighed.
"It was difficult for me too," Salvadora said honestly, "I had just left school. I had dreams and aspirations. They were dashed when I was told that I was to marry."
"You were told to marry?" Theo frowned, "You never told me that it was arranged."
"You never took the time to ask," Salvadora said, "You always assumed I was a gold digger, and I suppose I was, but not by choice. My parents hoped that my marriage to your father would come with great fortunes and a large Manor."
"But he left it all to me," Theo realised, "Even though he hated me."
Salvadora nodded, "I had heard rumours of what had happened to his first wife, and within six months, I wholeheartedly believed that they were true."
"Did he hurt you?" Theo asked, looking up at her, "He tortured me all the time."
"I know."
"You just stood there and didn't do anything to help," Theo said, bitterness creeping into his voice.
"I did the same when he tortured me," Salvadora said stoically, "I let him do it. I stood by. I played the part of the good wife. I said the things he wanted me to say, I remained entirely loyal, and I bore him a child. It was not another heir as he wished, but the one thing I could not control was my child's gender."
Theo frowned out at the play area to avoid meeting his stepmother's eye, "I'm sorry too. I've not exactly been a joy to be around these past eight years."
"You have had your reasons," Salvadora said simply, "And it does please me to see you settling with such a lovely girl. Your behaviour before the war concerned me, but it seems the war changed you."
"The war changed everyone," Theo said with a sigh as he looked at Lacey, "It's why I want to be an Auror. I want to protect the next generation; I don't want Lacey or my kids to go through the kind of stuff Draco and I did."
Salvadora reached across the table and took his hand. Theo looked over at her in surprise, and she said, "You will make a wonderful Auror, Theo. I wanted you to know that. I want you to know how proud I am."
Theo didn't know how to deal with such a compliment from a woman he had spent the last eight years fighting and bickering with. So being Theo, he changed the subject to the wedding and was relieved when Salvadora played along.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
By Friday, all of the outfits were in order, the rings were safely locked away in Sadie and Theo's bedroom, and the last-minute things had been sorted out. The rehearsal that morning went well, so all that was left were the hen and stag nights.
"I can't believe I'm getting married tomorrow," Sadie said. She shook her head in disbelief as she walked down a muggle street in London with Daphne's arm linked in her right arm and Lilly's linked in her left arm. Hermione and Susan were walking slightly behind the trio.
"I can't believe it either," Daphne admitted, "It's come around so fast."
"It's kind of insane," Sadie said, "And I'm not just talking about my outfit," she added with a chuckle.
Sadie was wearing a pink dress and had been decorated by her so-called friends with a pink feather boa, a cheap-looking plastic tiara and a sash saying, 'bride to be'. The other girls weren't any better, with Daphne sporting devils ears and the others wearing bunny ears; they all had the same pink feather boas too. Daphne, of course, had been in charge of organising this, so it was moderate in comparison to what she had expected.
"Are you going to tell me where we're going yet?" Sadie asked the others in amusement; it had been kept as a secret from her all week, no matter how much she nagged at her friends to tell her.
"Nope, it's still a surprise," Lilly said with a grin.
"What do you think the boys will do?" Sadie asked curiously. Behind her, Susan and Hermione shared a glance.
"Oh, nothing big," Daphne lied. Thankfully she was a reasonably good liar, "They will probably just go out for a few drinks at the Hogs Head."
"Yeah, you're probably right," Sadie said.
"They aren't going for a few quiet drinks, are they?" Susan asked Hermione in a whisper.
Hermione shook her head and whispered back, "I have no idea what they are doing, but I overheard them talking about going to watch Quidditch at the big stadium in Barcelona."
"I overheard them a few days ago discussing the merits of strip clubs in Amsterdam," Susan whispered.
"Was that Draco's idea or Harry's?" Hermione asked as she rolled her eyes.
"I think it was Neville's, actually," Susan said with a raised eyebrow.
"What are you two whispering about?" Sadie asked as she turned to Hermione and Susan.
"Nothing," Susan lied with a bright smile, "We were just talking about where we're taking you."
"Are we nearly there yet?" Sadie asked impatiently.
"We are here, and you are so bloody impatient," Lilly said in amusement as she and Daphne dragged Sadie through a door with bright flashing lights above it.
"How do you think she'll react when she realises Daphne brought her to a muggle strip club?" Hermione asked Susan in an undertone as they followed them in.
"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough," Susan chuckled, and sure enough, 5 minutes later, after sitting down at a table close to the stage, Sadie realised.
"Daphne, you haven't," Sadie said as she looked at the type of people in the club and glanced to the stage where the curtain was beginning to be drawn back.
Daphne tried her best to look innocent as Sadie looked at her in horror. The curtains were pulled back, revealing men in very little clothing doing provocative dances.
"You did!" Sadie said. She shook her head at her best friend.
"Have a drink," Daphne said through her laughter, "Relax, unwind, enjoy yourself," she winked, which made Sadie blush bright pink.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
"So, where are we going?" Neville asked Draco and Harry as he looked across at them. They were all dressed up for the stag night but still hadn't decided what to do. Blaise was absent, he was willing to be part of the wedding, but with Ginny pregnant, he was trying to look after her and didn't want to disappear on the stag night.
Given the kind of things they had talked about doing, that was probably a good thing.
"Let's just go to Vegas," Harry said with a smirk.
"Las Vegas?" Draco asked in disbelief, "In America?"
"Aw, come on, let's be spontaneous! It will be great!" Neville said. He was instantly on Harry's side.
"But what if something goes wrong and we're stuck there?" Draco said, "This is Theo's wedding. We can't screw it up for him."
"We won't screw anything up," Harry said as he tried to convince Draco.
"Stop worrying about your boyfriend, Draco," Neville said with a wave of his hand, "The wedding doesn't start until 2 pm tomorrow. We'll apparate back early tomorrow morning."
"It will be fun, Draco, come on," Harry said with a grin, "Where's the Slytherin in you?"
"Alright, fine," Draco gave in with a smirk.
"I'm pretty sure you were trying to surprise me," A new voice said as Theo emerged, grinning and holding an extendable ear, "But I was kind of eavesdropping."
Harry laughed at this, "So what do you think?"
"I think Las Vegas here we come, baby!" Theo said as he grinned broadly at his friends.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
"What do you mean you don't know where he is?"
"I mean, we've lost him, and I've no idea where to find him!"
"How could you have lost him?" Harry panicked, "He's getting married in seven hours!"
"Not if he's dead in the middle of Las Vegas somewhere!" Draco snapped.
"He's not dead!" Neville said irritably, "But we do have to find him."
"How?" Draco asked in disbelief, "Las Vegas is huge!"
"I don't know how we're going to find him! I don't know what we're going to do!" Harry despaired.
"I'll tell you what we're not going to do," Neville said firmly, "And that is tell Sadie or any of the girls. They'll freak out."
"We need to tell them what's going on," Harry pointed out, "I mean, we're supposed to be there in six hours!"
"And we will be. We'll find Theo, we'll give him a sober up potion, and nobody will be any the wiser," Neville said simply.
"Come on then," Harry said as he got to his feet a little shakily, "Let's ask around the hotel..."
"What the hell did we do last night?" Draco asked as he reached into his bag for a sober up potion.
"I remember gambling," Harry frowned.
"And Theo trying to convince us to break a lion out of the zoo," Neville said slowly.
"Shit, you don't think he tried and got eaten alive, do you?" Draco asked with wide eyes.
"No," Harry scoffed, "He isn't that stupid."
"I don't know about that," Draco muttered, "He did drag us into that strip club."
"Yeah, well, at least nobody tried to drunkenly sleep with us," Harry yawned as he took a sober up potion himself, "Nobody knows who we are in Muggle America. Do either of you two have any idea where Theo could be?"
"None," Draco replied.
Neville shook his head too.
"Great," Harry muttered as they all changed and left the hotel room to ask about Theo. They had no luck on their way down to the reception, and they did ask every single person who they saw. Eventually, they reached the reception of the swanky hotel that they were staying in and approached the woman behind the desk.
"Hey," Harry said with a smile, "Have you seen our friend? He's getting married in seven hours, and we haven't seen him."
"He's tall and skinny," Draco cut in, "And kind of handsome but in a rugged rock star sort of way."
Harry and Neville shared an amused look. Neville said, "He had dark hair and brown eyes."
"His name is Theo," Harry said.
"Theodore," Neville corrected.
"Yeah, Theodore Nott," Draco said with a nod.
"Theodore Roosevelt Nott," Harry chimed in.
"Sorry," The American woman behind the desk said, "I haven't seen him. Is he a Brit like you guys?"
"Oh yeah," Draco frowned, "Why?"
"With a name like Theodore Roosevelt? He's British?" The young woman said in amusement.
"His mother liked history," Neville said offhandedly, "Thanks for your help. Come on, guys. We have to split up if we're going to find Theo."
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
"We need to floo Daphne," Draco said as he looked pointedly at Harry.
"Do we really need to floo her just yet?" Harry asked sheepishly.
"We've searched the entire hotel," Neville said as he flopped onto the sofa in their hotel room, "And he isn't here. So yeah, we need to floo her now, just make sure Sadie doesn't find out."
"Oh, come on! Why do I have to be the bearer of bad news?" Harry exclaimed.
"Because Vegas was your idea, Potter and Daphne is your fiancé," Draco said dryly as he threw some floo powder into the fireplace, "So get on with it."
Harry shot his friends a glare and stuck his head in the fireplace. He said the address where the girls were getting ready (Cauldwell House), and thankfully Sadie wasn't in the drawing-room when his head appeared in the flames.
"Harry!" Daphne smiled, "What's up?"
Harry grimaced, "We've lost Theo."
"You've lost Theo?" Daphne reiterated in disbelief.
"How the hell did you manage to lose him, Harry?" Hermione hissed as she moved closer to the fire.
"He wasn't here when we woke up this morning!" Harry said, "We can't find him anywhere!"
"Where are you?" Daphne asked in disbelief.
"Vegas."
"Las Vegas?" Lilly asked with a raised eyebrow, "And you've lost the groom?"
Harry nodded, "We were really drunk last night. There were lions in a zoo and strip clubs...he could be anywhere."
"Oh, for the love of Salazar," Daphne murmured, "Have you got anything of his with you?"
"Uh yeah, we have his coat..." Harry said as he turned and briefly scanned their hotel room. He spun his head around to look at the girls once more, "Why?"
"Because if you have something of his, you can do a location charm, you idiot!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Shit!" Harry shouted, "How the hell did I not think of that?"
"Probably because you still look drunk as hell," Daphne retorted, "This is Sadie's wedding, Harry! She needs her future husband to show up. Do a location charm, find Theo, for Salazar's sake, give him a sober up potion and get him back here!"
Before Harry could respond, the floo cut out. He stood up and looked at his friends, "Well… Daphne is very pissed off with me, and how the hell did none of us think of a location charm?"
"Shit," Draco and Neville muttered as their eyes fell on Theo's abandoned jacket sitting on the back of a chair.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
It was a beautiful sunny morning in England, and Bath Abbey looked beautiful and scenic in the summer weather.
Sadie had started getting ready early in the morning, as had her bridesmaids. They had gotten up at the crack of dawn and had some breakfast with a little bit of hangover potion in their coffee. They had appointments all morning for hair and make-up, and while Sadie was in one of these appointments, the girls discussed the 'loss' of the groom.
"What are we going to do?" Hermione whispered.
"Nothing. Now they've worked out that they can use a location charm they'll find Theo easily," Lilly whispered.
"They'll get him back here in time," Daphne agreed, "All we can do is make sure we keep Sadie calm and make sure that she has no idea that her future husband is currently missing."
"I'm going to kill Draco for taking him to Vegas," Hermione muttered.
"I wouldn't. I think it was Harry's idea," Lilly said with vague amusement.
"I know it was, and I am going to kill him," Daphne murmured, "Especially if Theo doesn't show up."
Their conversation was interrupted by the opening of the door, which distracted them.
Sadie walked in wearing her dress with her bridal hair and make-up all finished. She looked stunning, and they all told her that.
Sadie smiled and said, "Do you think the boys are getting on okay?"
Lilly was one of the better liars, so she said, "Oh, they're fine, Sadie. They'll probably have a long lie. You know what that lot are like."
Sadie chuckled her agreement, and Daphne smiled at her best friend, "It's time to head to the abbey," she said, "We'll sort out the last-minute things there."
"Okay," Sadie said. She held onto Daphne's arm to apparate.
"You seem nervous," Daphne said.
"Oh, I'm not nervous at all," Sadie said sarcastically as together they spun and appeared around the back of Bath Abbey. Five minutes later, Sadie was sitting down in a back room with Daphne and her mother. She was staring at herself in the mirror and trying desperately not to throw up.
"In a few hours, you will be Mrs Sadie Nott," Lotus, Sadie's Mother, was saying as she adjusted Sadie's hair which had been left down and curled.
"I know," Sadie said as she swallowed hard, "I'm so nervous."
"Don't be," Daphne said with a smile, "You and Theo are perfect. You have nothing to be nervous about."
"Daphne's right," Lotus said, "Everything will run smoothly, and when it's over, you will be surprised that it went so well."
Sadie nodded as she tried to believe this, "Theo and the boys should be here by now, shouldn't they?" she asked. She had a feeling that something was wrong.
"Probably," Lilly said, "But don't worry about it. Hermione and I will go check."
"You should go too, Daphne," Sadie said, "And make sure everything is alright."
"I will if that's what you want, Sadie," Daphne said. She tried not to give away the fact that she was now a little worried too. She disappeared from the room with Lilly and Hermione, leaving Sadie alone with her mother and Susan.
"Please tell me they're here?" Daphne murmured as they stepped outside of the church.
"No, and they are half an hour late," Hermione said as she bit her lip.
"Is Sadie getting worried?" Lilly asked quietly, "She seemed kind of worried."
"A little, but I'm trying to convince her it's fine," Daphne said quietly.
Hermione sighed, "If they ruin Sadie's wedding day, I'll kill them all!" she snapped. She was about to go on a rant as they stared into the emptiness beyond the church. Suddenly, a loud crack made them all jump.
Daphne rolled her eyes when she saw that Theo, Harry, Draco and Neville had just apparated outside the church. They were still dressed in their ordinary clothes, although thankfully, they were carrying the hanger bags with their wedding clothes in them.
The first sign that something was off with them was that all four wore sunglasses, even Harry, who Hermione had never in all the years she had known him, seen wear sunglasses.
"So, you found him then?" Hermione asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Yeah, all fine like you said it would be Daph," Harry said with a smile.
"And what are the sunglasses then, a fashion statement?" Lilly asked sarcastically.
"It's summer, Lil," Harry said simply.
"Liar," Hermione said as she pulled Draco's sunglasses off. His eyes were bright red and bloodshot, "You're still hungover, aren't you?"
"A little," Draco said, but Daphne just raised an eyebrow at this.
"What?"
"You look like shit," Daphne said. She grabbed the other boy's glasses, "You all do."
"Well, we did find Theo on the roof of the hotel," Harry said as he glared at his Slytherin friend.
"I was tired!" Theo said defensively.
Daphne shook her head in disbelief, "Come on. I'll sneak you in so Susan can sort you all out. There is no way Sadie is seeing you like this!"
Daphne, Hermione and Lilly slipped back into the church, and the four boys followed her like puppies into a side-room next to the room Sadie was getting ready in.
"Merlin!" Susan exclaimed when she saw the boys.
"Do we look that bad?"
"Yes," The girls echoed.
"Do some glamour charms on them, please, Susan," Daphne said, "Sadie will freak out if she sees them like this."
"What happened to you lot anyway?" Susan asked as she did a few glamour charms to sort out their bloodshot eyes, the dark marks beneath their eyes and their pale complexions.
"We went to Las Vegas," Neville said with a yawn.
"Which was really stupid," Lilly remarked as she cocked her head at Neville in amusement.
"It seemed like a good idea at the time," Harry said defensively.
"I bet it did," Susan said with a chuckle, "Your face is sorted, Theo."
"I had a feeling something like this might happen," Hermione admitted as she narrowed her eyes at them.
"Right best man, you're next," Susan said as she pushed Draco into a seat and performed the same glamour charms she had just performed on Theo.
"Is this what being a girl is like?" Draco whined.
"Yes, but you also have to put up with whiny men," Lilly teased, which made Draco roll his eyes.
"We aren't all that bad," Harry said. He seemed to be the least hungover of them all.
"Just some of you," Susan said with a chuckle, "Right, you're done, Harry, you are next."
"Why am I last?" Neville asked.
"Because you look like you're going to spew on me," Susan said, and she wrinkled her nose at Neville.
Susan quickly sorted Harry out and then said, "Okay, you're done, come on Neville, you next."
Looking much less like he would throw up, Neville sat down across from Susan, who expertly performed the glamour charms. The four boys all looked much more respectable after the emergency glamour charm treatment, but there was still a lot to be done.
"The wedding starts in an hour and a half, so get changed you lot," Hermione said.
"Quickly," Daphne added. She left the room to tell Sadie that the boys had arrived. She knocked on the door and popped her head in, "The boys are here; they are just getting ready now."
"Perfect," Sadie said with a sigh of relief, "Thanks, Daph, you're the best."
"I know," Daphne said with a broad smile before she disappeared from the room once more.