Disclaimer – I don't own them, wish I did at times but hey a girl can dream. Anything you recognize belongs to J.K. Rowlings, anything you don't is mine. Also the wedding tradition Kalila mentions is from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander.

Author's note – Just as a reminder italics mean Cian is speaking, Bold means Isolda, Bold and Italic means Nadia and … before and after the typing with no quotation marks means a Phoenix. Forgive any unbelievable aspects of romance you see in the story, I have only what I have read to draw upon and that isn't always a good thing in my case. Questions, comments, confusion let me know in either a review or an email at web_chick_18@hotmail.com. If you email me I'll get back to you ASAP. Thanks =)

Chapter 16

      Remus found her the next morning lying on a think branch of the Whomping Willow, basking in the weak heat of the sun. Due to Voldemort's defeat Hogworts students had been given a three-day weekend to celebrate and remember, so Remus was free to wander. He was shocked to see her up in the Whomping Willow and the willow peaceful as could be. He could only watch as she lay there in the sun, for fear of setting the Whomping Willow off and knocking her from her perch. He watched as she stood, stretched, jumped to the ground beside the Whomping Willow and walked towards where he was standing. Stopping just before him Kalila changed back and stood before him in her own form. She held out her hand to him and he took it and together they walked to sit beside the lake, side by side, hands intertwined. They sat like that from a long time, savoring each other's company, the peace between them.

      "Is it going to work out Kalila? Will things be as they should now?"

      "Softly I don't know, I just don't know anymore. I thought so but now the path has become so unclear."

      "Is that such a bad thing Kalila, to not always know what is coming?"

      "I'm not sure, it is better for my heart but may not be what is best for the world. What I can't see, I can't prevent and what I can't prevent has the potential to destroy all that we have fought for."

      "sigh Kalila think of just yourself form a moment, don't worry about the world. What do you want Kalila, what do you need?"

      "I want to be happy, I need to live my life and to live my life happily. I need you. I want forever. I want us forever. I want happily ever after. But for what I want there is a price I must pay, a price that has always been the force that has divided me from what my heart wants."

      "What do you mean a price? What price?"

      "The powers that be put limitations upon my life to balance it against mortal lives. I will live a very long time Remus, longer than most Wizards and Witches but unless I forfeit that longevity I cannot have children. If I forfeit my longevity to have children I will only have one and I will only live to see that child's twentieth year."

      "Then we won't have children, after all we can always adopt."

      "How can you be so understanding and calm about this?"

      "Kalila if the choice is you or a child, I'll take you. I have waited a long time for you, so long I thought I would never find you and I don't want to lose you. Like you said Forever and Happily Ever After."

      Kalila just looked at him with shock in her eyes and allowed him to pull her onto his lap and wrap his arms around her, pulling her tightly to his chest. Sighing she relaxed into his embrace.

      "Besides if there is a strong desire for the pitter patter of little feet, we can always adopt a child or two. If we do I would like to take in someone with the same sort of difficulties that I faced and see if we can't allow them a full and happy childhood."

      "Me too, between the two of us we would at least know enough to help them, and if when they are old enough to make the choice and cannot bare to have beast with in them then I can do something about that. Isolda told me she had mentioned it to you after the battle with Voldemort, sigh what she said is only partially true. There are four options" I can change nothing, I can make your wolf form you Animagus form and not dependent upon the moon, I can take away the beast's physical form and leave you with the other abilities and those still being dependent upon the moon or I can rid you of the beast completely. But once I do anything I can do nothing to reverse it."

      "startled I didn't know that such options were open to me. I am so used to the beast now that there will be a huge void without it. I want to be able to run in the woods with you Kalila, but how can we do that with the difference in our forms?"

      "smiling Because I am not limited to just one animal form, I can be anything I choose. I would give you that if I could, but it is not something I can give."

      "Then I will be content to run side by side with you as a wizard in his Animagus form."

      "I am glad. smile Hang on, this won't hurt but might tingle just a bit."

      To say it tingled was a bit off, every inch of Remus' skin itched and itch that no amount of scratching could relieve, but almost as soon as it started it ended. The beast within him hadn't been silenced, just tamed and for Remus that was enough. They sat like that for a while more before Remus was overcome by the urge to try his Animagus form, even though in a way it was the same as before. Kalila seemed to sense this and stood and looked upon Remus with a happy smile before changing. This time instead of a black panther she was a black wolf with a scattering of silver and blue hairs. Smiling back Remus changed as well, unsure exactly how he did. He became a silver and red wolf, larger in size than Kalila. Shooting Remus a canine grin Kalila broke into a full run, followed closely by Remus. They spent the rest of the day that way, playing games of tag and hide and seek all over the Hogworts' grounds until finally the sun's light was fading. Only then did they head back. They changed back before making their way inside and to the Great Hall for dinner. They ate almost glowing with happiness, but then they weren't the only ones, Herimone and Severus were the same way. The couples were only seconds apart in excusing themselves from the table and when they bumped into each other in the hall they could do nothing but laugh, a surprisingly pleasant sound coming from Severus.

      "If we're not careful Dumbledore will start the planning for our weddings whether we want it or not."

      "I'm sure he will, maybe Kalila and I should get a jump on that so there is less to change later. Bye Remus, bye Severus. Don't forget the need for a proposal."

      Linking arms with Kalila, Herimone walked off leaving two bewildered men behind.

      "Are they kidding do you think Severus?"

      "sigh No. We've been given our orders though. If we don't propose those two will probably do it for us. I hope you were planning on getting married."

      "Thankfully I was planning on asking her. Oh, Severus don't worry about making the Wolfsbane potion anymore Kalila has made it unnecessary. She made me an Animagus. I still have the beast inside me, but it is tamed now because of Kalila."

      "That is a wonderful thing Remus, a wonderful thing indeed. sigh I hope Herimone doesn't plan something too lavish, I shudder at some of the possibilities."

      "laughs I can't even imagine what Kalila will come up with, I have no idea what sort of traditions her people have."

      "That may not be a good thing."

      "I know."

      "Don't worry too much, Kalila has bent more traditional rules than anyone, she knows every loop hole in existence."

      "What do you mean?"

      "If Kalila doesn't like a tradition she gets around it. I wouldn't worry too much about traditions. If anything it will follow most of the traditions Irish Wedding would with a few a variations to include the traditions she loves from the Isles. The only one that should be afraid is Severus, after all Herimone was raised with a completely different set of traditions than his."

      The sound of Severus swearing brought a smile to Remus' face and a gleam to Cian's eyes. While the girls did what ever they had to, to plan a wedding the "men" went off to plan proposals and bachelor parties. Elsewhere in the castle Kalila and Herimone were sitting before a fire in Kalila's room discussing wedding ideas.

      "What kind of traditions do your people have Kalila?"

      "Our traditions are mainly like those of the Irish, with a few variations. One tradition is that after the final vows a cut is made on the bride and grooms wrists and then they are tied together before exchanging another vow. Also to have the sun shine upon the bride during the wedding is a good thing."

      "Wow, and I was just going with "something borrowed, something blue, something old and something new". "

      That is just as big a tradition and just think how simple your planning can be when you don't have an entire book, or ten, telling you what you can and cannot do for your wedding. I can't have my wedding when I want because it is on a Saturday and to wed on a Saturday is bad luck. Just like to 'wed in May and rue the day'."

      "You have that many traditions to work around?"

      "Unfortunately."

      "Wow, it must take a long time for your people to plan a wedding."

      "Sometimes, but most start planning their weddings before they ever find their grooms. I never really thought I would find someone I wanted to marry, so I never started. It shouldn't take that long though."

      "laughs So when do you want to have this wedding? I want a Spring Wedding."

      "Christmas Eve. In a winter garden surrounded by snow at dusk."

      "Wow."

      "nods I know, I just hope Remus proposed before then."

      "It would be unfortunate if the wedding came and Remus hadn't proposed yet. Now if Severus knows what is in his best interests he will propose soon. I waited for the war to end and now I have no plans on waiting."

      "I don't think you will have to wait too long, he is just as anxious as you. I know the two of you will be happy together."

      They spent another hour or so like that, trading wedding plans and such, before yawning and the inability to see clearly drove both women to bed.