Author's Note: Hello, we're getting close to the wedding. I think there are five more chapters to this story. Thanks to Arnel, who despite everything, turned this chapter around in less than 24 hours so I could post today. Thanks for reading and reviewing, MNF

Chapter 37:

Appointments

Friday, 23 June, 2000

It was still early, too early for anyone other than Minsey to be awake, and Junie honestly wondered if the elf ever actually slept. She seemed to be ready whenever either she or Sirius had needed her over the week, and they had needed her. Unfortunately, Sirius' healing hadn't gone as easily as the healers had predicted. A week later, there were still raw sections of his arm where the flesh hadn't filled back in, and the skin was puckered and red. He'd also lost some control over his thumb, although it was not his writing hand, thankfully.

Junie had slid from their bed when she was awakened by another nightmare in the wee hours of the day. Frightened or unwilling to venture back to the place of fear, she had sat on the small couch near the rear windows, although still in a direct sightline of the bed should she be needed. Her observations had lasted hours, her mind taking her to places she shouldn't visit. Junie had believed she'd put Sirius's previous lovers to bed in some long-lost room. Instead, they paraded before her that night and made her feel homely, inadequate, unadventurous, and prudish. She couldn't help but wonder if Sirius secretly felt the same.

With the visit from the perfect and posh wraiths of the past over, Junie was now watching the violet hues in the sky brighten and turn pink, headed for their eventual cheerful oranges and then yellow. Sunshine would be a pleasant change. London had lived up to its dreary legend and had produced rains all week. The forecast for the weekend in Scotland promised more of the same. Lucky is the bride it rains upon, right? She thought she'd heard her mother spout something like that when she was little.

How she wished she had her mam right now. Junie hadn't pined for the woman in what felt like years. It was the first time she wasn't angry about her mammy's death – probably because she'd shared the guilt of the day with someone – if she were to analyse herself. Junie was even able to use her childhood term of endearment, at least in her head and heart. Now she missed the woman who told her little myths like what makes a lucky bride. She wanted her mam to say to her she could do this, be a politician's wife and have a life lived more publicly than Junie had ever expected. She was quiet, shy, retiring little Junie, wasn't she?

The last six months had been a whirlwind if she was honest, and it wasn't just her romance. Junie wouldn't have been caught dead in a designer outfit, now she wore them regularly. Her hair had been fine, cut simply, and usually pulled back into a plait. Yesterday her hair had been cut, coloured a more richly layered brown with red and gold highlights, and the chignon for her wedding twisted her hair within an inch of her scalp's health. Junie had never worn jewellery; now, she had a ring full of gemstones she'd never take off. There were moments she didn't resemble herself.

Then again, six months ago, she'd complained there wasn't a man who could challenge her intellectually – Sirius certainly could do that. It didn't matter what topic they happened upon; the pair could discuss it in detail. Junie thought she understood the law – Sirius had her there. He was brilliant at it. James was intelligent and well-read; her soon-to-be husband had Wizarding law running in his veins. Had he not become Chief Warlock, their world would have missed their greatest advocate. He also brought out the woman within her, someone who Junie had chosen to ignore for the entirety of her adult life; Sirius brought her alive. Their intimacy was something vigorous and exciting. Maybe he was satisfied with her.

Looking across at him, she wondered how he would adapt if his healing were to progress no further. Broom riding, something he still enjoyed, might be out of the question. There would need to be some adaptations to his motorbike since squeezing with his thumb to his palm was severely limited. Knowing Sirius, he and James would put their minds together and find some way to charm his broom or bike; she couldn't decide if it was positive or a negative. Some of their charmed items were more of a nuisance. The talking coffee pot James had created for Lily came to mind; no one wanted to be told they looked like a troll first thing in the morning. A stifled chuckle escaped her, and Sirius stirred across the room before settling back into slumber.

Minsey surprised Junie by popping in with coffee, scones, clotted cream and jam, and a bowl of fresh berries and pineapple for her. Junie had learned to make scones from her mam, who knew it from her mam, but Minsey's were something extraordinary. Layers of flaky sweetness, the layers of butter melting as it hit your mouth. The jam was always fresh and just a touch warm, and her cream was cool, so the two melded into each other just before taking a bite. Whatever magic Minsey employed made Junie know no other scone would be as good as hers. There were even three white tulips on the tray in a silver bud vase.

"How did you even know I was awake?" Junie asked, realizing she was without her dressing gown and feeling rather exposed. A second later, it appeared, and Minsey had a smile on her face.

"I is always knows, Mistress. Master isn't doing so well, is he?" the little elf asked.

"I don't think so," Junie said, lifting the delicate coffee cup and silver carafe to pour herself some. "We will know more today when we see his healers."

"Should Minsey be there, Mistress?"

"I think that's a clever idea, but I don't know how the healers will take to it," Junie said honestly. A rather reedy witch wanted nothing to do with Minsey being there to help her master.

"Not's a problem," Minsey said. "Only one who will sees Minsey is you, mistress."

"Your magic never ceases to amaze me," Junie said with admiration. "Thank you for my breakfast. It's perfect."

"Minsey worries about mistress, too," the little elf said, putting her hands on her hips. "You is not sleeping or eating enough. Wee ones need sleep and food to grow. Minsey will watch over you, mistress and the wee one." Junie leaned down and put her arms around the elf to hug her.

"I don't know what I'd do without you, Minsey. Thank you."

"You is too kind, mistress. Much too kind to old Minsey. Mrs Lily will be here soon to help you with the potions and spells. I go and make master a bigger breakfast." Still acting a bit flustered, Minsey walked from the room rather than popped away.

Junie prepared a scone, and while she was eating, she caressed the little baby that was no larger than a bean and promised to be an excellent mammy to it.

Remus, Lily, Junie, and a Disillusioned Minsey all accompanied Sirius to the healer's appointment. Lily, because she was brewing what was needed and had the most medical training of their lot. Remus, because after the rehearsal this afternoon, Sirius and Junie wouldn't see each other until eleven in the morning on Sunday, 25 June, at their wedding. Junie regretted this choice of plans, done so that the couple could respect some Muggle traditions in their wedding. She'd grown accustomed to having a warm body curled around her as she slept.

"Are you okay, Luv," Sirius quietly asked Junie, and she shrugged. "You have horrible dark circles under your eyes. You're supposed to look perfect for our wedding day."

"I will, my dearest," Junie replied with a forced, happy smile. "Magic can rewrite a world of ills. Everything will be well for our wedding day. I promise."

"I believe you," Sirius said. "Argh, this thing itches!" He made to slip his fingers under the bindings on his arm, and Junie stopped him. "You can't itch it. You might spread germs with your fingers." She picked up his good hand and noticed that his usually manicured nails were messy and quite dirty. "If you don't want to use magic on these, then let me clean them up, please."

"Fine," he huffed. "Can you at least put an Anti-Itch Charm on me?"

"Gladly." Junie waved her wand, and Sirius audibly sighed in relief. The healer and the medi-witch both arrived, and while the witch began unwrapping Sirius's arm, the healer pulled her wand and began doing diagnostic spells. Unfortunately, the sound that escaped her wasn't a good one, sounding somewhere between a sigh and a huff.

"Chief Warlock Black," she began, "I had hoped your skin would have healed better than it has. But, unfortunately, I believe it is the nature of the potion which was sprayed on you. It's also slowed the healing of the underlying tissue. While none of the individual components would have created such lasting damage, the combined effect has been exponentially more destructive."

"Are you saying there won't be any further healing?" Sirius asked.

"No, I don't think that is the case, but you will need to continue on the healing potions as well as the potion soaks twice a day. I recommend you continue to wear the protective coverings to prevent your accidentally bumping it and rupturing the new skin. If the stasis spell helps, continue to have someone cast it on you. Elevation will also keep your hand from throbbing. How is your movement."

"I can move the shoulder without any issue, but my upper arm was spared the worst of the attack," Sirius said, moving his shoulder in every direction. "As for the elbow, it's only when I want to put my arm out straight do I have any discomfort. I'll be honest, though; it isn't that bad. I move it three times a day, like you told me, always trying to move it just a bit further than I had before." Finally, the healer cast a spell and told Sirius to move the elbow.

"Well, your range is about three-quarters of what would be considered normal, so keep doing the exercises. How about your hand?" The healer gently picked up the hand, looking at the various colours of healing it held. The deepest colour remained at the wrist, which was reddish-purple. Moving down the back of the hand, there were several lighter purples or reds and then greenish yellows. Sirius's fingernails were still black and swollen.

"Moving the wrist is painful," Sirius stated, although it wasn't surprising. Most of the tissue loss was just above the wrist on the forearm. "But again, I am moving it up and down and rolling it around three times a day. After I'm done with the wrist and hand exercises, I usually need some pain relief. Have you ever heard of a Muggle medicine called paracetamol? Junie gave me some, and it does wonders without making me lightheaded." The healer laughed.

"We use paracetamol all the time, it's just in a liquid form, and we call it a potion. There are some Muggle inventions even we cannot best, and that is one. Taking the pills by the prescribed dose is fine; just don't take more than recommended. Now, let me assess the inner area of your wrist and thumb."

The healer turned Sirius's wrist over and looked at the puckered skin and low level of flesh on the pad beneath the thumb. "Can you move your thumb at all?"

"A bit," Sirius confessed, "But it's like curling my fingers, it's very stiff, and movement is painful." The healer manipulated it some, several times causing Sirius to curse under his breath, causing Junie to glare. She knew Sirius could curse a sailor under the table if he wanted to – he had been foul-mouthed since they were children – but here he should attempt to refrain.

"I'm concern about full recovery with the thumb. The tissue just hasn't grown back, and I am hesitant to confirm it will. I'm going to give Mrs Potter a receipt for a compound for you to rub into the skin between your wrist and thumb to see if we can spur a bit more flesh growth."

"Not a problem, Healer Shacklebolt," Lily said.

"Now, what are your plans after your wedding? Are you staying within the UK? Within Apparation distance?" the healer asked.

"Our plans will depend on what you would like," Junie said before Sirius could speak. "We can stay in London, or we could head to my home in Sunderland. Our original plans were to tour the continent. What would you recommend?"

"No need to stay in London," she said hastily. "You'll never have any peace if you stay here. If there is a Floo connection at your house, I would recommend that. However, you will need to keep the lower part of your arm out of the sun. If you want to go to the beach, make sure you cover the whole area with a Total Sun-Blocking Charm or simply wrap it up in a thick towel. Don't go swimming in the ocean without a Water-Blocking Charm either. I'm going to need to see you next Friday for certain."

"What if we were to go away for a day trip, say to Paris or Monaco?" Sirius asked.

"No Disapparation that far; you're at an elevated risk to Splinch the new skin. Portkey would be the preferred method." Sirius nodded, thoughts already spinning in his head. While Junie's house was lovely, and the weather in Sunderland better than London's, there were places he wanted to take his new wife to spoil her.

The healer left to write up the instructions and get the potion receipt for Lily, and Remus promised Junie he'd make Sirius do his exercises later today, tomorrow, and on their wedding day. Sirius grumbled about it. When the paperwork was in hand, the quartet Flooed back to Grimmauld Place to get ready for the rehearsal this afternoon.

At three in the afternoon, the bride and groom took a Portkey with the Potters to the gates of Hogwarts. Junie stopped short, surprised by what she saw. There were floral arches every ten or fifteen feet, lining the path from Hogsmeade to the school. Except for the women in the bridal party, who would be Flooing into Junie's quarters from the Potter's ancestral home, everyone would be taking this path. It was stunning. Juniper trees grew taller than average and bent into graceful arcs, lacing their branches together. Within the branches were magical roses, their colours changing to reflect the feelings of those beneath. There were also fruits – pineapples to welcome the guests, apples for health, and pomegranates for the couple's fertility. Sirius and Junie had a good laugh at that, for it seemed it wasn't an issue. As they walked beneath the roses, they all turned red for passion. Halfway to the school, Sirius had to stop and give his bride a toe-curling kiss. Minerva and Pomona Sprout greeted the quartet. Junie hugged her colleagues.

"Pomona, you've outdone yourself," Junie gushed. "These arches are extraordinary."

"I wish I could take credit for them," she said softly, "but Neville Longbottom did all the work outside. Wait until you see where the elf-made wine is going to be served between the wedding and the breakfast; it's simply … luscious."

The pair of professors led the couple, James, and Lily around the side of the castle to the meadow which stretched between the castle and the Quidditch pitch. The ground was dotted with tiny yellow and purple flowers, making it look like some expressionist painting for a carpet. A colossal pergola had been erected of felled timbers, stripped of their bark and the scent of willow bark and oak filled the air. Above the timbers, vines ripe with magical grapes were suspended. White daisies were liberally woven between the vines, and the overall effect was like being in a house nature had made. Neville was puttering at an area where a moderate-sized bar was set with wisteria creating a canopy.

"Ms. Meadows, Sirius, what do you think? I can make changes if you want?" Neville said as he walked toward the pair. He said hello to James and Lily, as he'd known them his whole life and had grown up as Harry's best mate. He was comfortable around Sirius, as the man had chased him as a dog when little. Junie, however, he only knew as Aunt Junie or Professor Meadows to his younger siblings.

"Neville, it's amazing. You have real talent," Junie gushed before she hugged him, surprising him a little. "You must be doing well in your schooling if you can create all this." She spun around, trying to take it all in.

"I'm doing well, Ms Meadows. This, all of this, is for the two of you. Sirius was always supportive of me not following my mum and dad and becoming an Auror. He let me into the Orangery and greenhouses at Grimmauld Place, which meant a lot when I was growing up. Now, he's all-important as the Chief Warlock. I wanted to make sure his wedding looked as spectacular." Sirius thought it might have been the most he'd heard the boy say to a woman, other than his mother or one of the kids, in all his life.

"I am impressed, Neville. If anyone ever gives you flack for choosing Herbology over other pursuits, send them my way. I will set the record straight." Sirius surprised Neville by hugging him.

"Neville, this is wonderful, but you must stop calling me Ms Meadows," Junie said. "Call me Junie, unless you're visiting my classroom for some reason during the school year."

"I could come to talk about Muggle plants and how they've hybridized some foods; it's fascinating stuff," Neville said, and Junie nodded, already thinking about how it would fit into her third-year class.

The conversation turned to Sirius's health, which he proclaimed to be fine. As they walked back to the castle, Junie hung behind with Minerva.

"I wanted to give you fair warning," the younger woman began, "but you'll need a substitute –"

"I knew I was going to lose you," Minerva interrupted. "Please, Junie, stay and keep teaching."

"You only need a fill-in for one term," Junie said. "Next spring, I'll be otherwise occupied. I'm due to have a baby early next year. I haven't seen the healer yet for an exact date." Minerva threw her arms around her Muggle Studies professor.

"I can find someone to cover one term, Junie. Maybe Lily would like a turn at teaching?"

"Her children would hate you forever," Junie replied. "I think someone outside of our family group would be better. Let me think about it."

"Gladly. Oh, Junie, I'm so happy for you and Sirius."

"So are we, but we aren't saying anything about it yet. I don't feel like having people point and stare. It will be bad enough when folks start doing the math when our little one arrives."

"You're grown adults who have the other's name on their heart. Let tongues wag. People gossip because their own lives are dull and colourless."

"That was my life last summer," Junie said when she reached the stairs. "I have a career that I love, a man who has made me come alive and a baby growing in me. I'm a new woman, and it thrills me."

"The Source oft knows what it is doing," Minerva answered with a happy smile.