Chapter 33 Final Countdown

The word that could be used to describe Windy Corner the day before the ceremony was chaotic. Remus, Cassius, Harry, Draco, Stevens and Clara were in the kitchen which was Central Control for the wedding preparations. Tabby's sister, Professor Sprout had come over an hour before and taken Tabby to Hogwarts for a tea with Professor McGonagall. Moody had left at the same time to have a bachelor's party with Dumbledore and a few of their cronies. Harry had asked Gramps what their plans were but he had only winked as his magic eye rolled around.

"How many people will be here tomorrow?" Cassius asked for the umpteenth time.

"Two hundred thirty seven." Everyone else chorused for the umpteenth time in answer.

"Stop chewing your fingers." Remus said again, Harry had lost count how many times. "Cassius Lupin, I swear…give me your hand."

"And it will only be connected to the Floo Network for ten hours, right?" Cassius said as he held out his bloody hand yet again. "That's what you said."

"Yes, just ten hours. And everyone on the guest list was approved by Moody. And everyone has special floo powder in order to be able to floo here. Gramps and Draco worked for a week to make it all."

"All right."

"And Windy Corner isn't connected to Malfoy Manor – I asked especially."

"What?" Draco blurted out.

"When he moved here, your uncle swore he'd never connect Windy Corner to Malfoy Manor and so it won't be connected." Remus stroked his hand through Cassius's hair soothingly. Harry noticed his Dad rocking slightly as he sat on the other side of Stevens.

"It really won't be connected?" Cassius reached for Remus's hand.

"It really won't be connected." Remus sounded slightly exasperated, Harry knew that was because this conversation had happened many times in the past few weeks.

"Honestly, Cassie, anyone would think you're the one getting married tomorrow." Clara laughed.

"Probably because Mad-Eye is so calm – Cassie feels he has to pick up the slack." Stevens said, looking up from the Quidditch magazine he and Harry were reading. They'd finished cleaning the house and were now awaiting their next orders.

"He is unnaturally calm – Gramps, not Dad, obviously." Remus said thoughtfully as Cassius's long fingers sought out the pulse on his wrist. "I think he might be the calmest groom I've ever known…not that I've known that many."

"I was calm."

"Oh, sweetie, you were not." Clara laughed. "I could see the sweat on your brow as I walked down the aisle."

"I was worried you were going to tell me to go jump in the lake at Hogwarts." Stevens grinned. "Couldn't believe my luck." Clara blushed.

"And by calm, we mean that Gramps isn't any more jumpy or paranoid than usual, is that right?" Draco asked, he was making the napkins for the reception into fancy folded shapes with a spell.

"Well…Yes." Remus nodded, laughing.

"Was my father calm?" Harry asked Remus.

"No, James was a wreck. I remember he spent five hours trying to get his hair to lie flat, he was suddenly terrified your mother wouldn't marry him because of his hair. And then…"

"Then what?" Harry prompted

"We all got really drunk on Tequila and James forgot about being nervous. And Sirius didn't wear anything under his robes and flashed everyone at the reception. That's…that's pretty much all I remember." Remus smiled ruefully. "That and I'll never drink Tequila again."

"Was Dad calm?"

"Well, he…" Remus looked at Cassius who still had hold of Remus's wrist and was reading the Quidditch magazine over Stevens's shoulder.

"I didn't have time to get nervous." Cassius answered.

"That's true…it wasn't really planned."

"Actually, I was very calm." Cassius looked over at Remus, "Wasn't I? You were the one who was nervous. When you proposed, you started babbling."

"You were the one who proposed, Papa?" Harry asked, he'd never heard the exact details of how Papa and Dad had gotten married.

"Well, no…I mean I did, I had the ring and everything, but Cass had proposed a month earlier."

"And you said no. Boy, do I remember that day. Cassie came over and smashed up my kitchen."

"Yes, well…." Remus blushed. "I'm a werewolf and –"

"We know!" Everyone shouted, Remus smiled as he realized that no one in the kitchen thought that was a horrible thing.

"I came to my senses, didn't I?" Remus looked at Cassius lovingly.

"Thank Merlin. Only took him a month." Stevens muttered. Harry laughed and Cassius embraced Remus and pulled him into a deep kiss.

"All right, enough fun," Clara said sternly, "We still have things to get done today. Excuse me, Cassius, I need the help of that man you're kissing."

"Sorry, Clara." Cassius let Remus go.

"You better be sorry, don't upset the pregnant lady." Clara mock-glared at him, tapping her foot on the floor.

"Shouldn't you be sitting down?" Cassius asked, suddenly looking very concerned.

"No, no, I'm fine."

"Do you want tea? We have herbal tea because you shouldn't have caffeine." Cassius persisted.

"I've got juice, thank you." Clara patted his shoulder.

"So…what else needs to be done?" Cassius turned to Remus, his hand going up to his mouth. Remus raised an eyebrow and Cassius lowered his hand immediately.

"I think we have it under control. How about you and Stevens go to Hogsmeade for a drink or two and relax."

"Don't have to ask me twice," Stevens stood and tousled Harry's hair. "See you later, Mama." He kissed Clara's cheek. "Can we have money, Remus?"

"Sure. It's in the sideboard." Remus pulled Cassius close. Harry could hear the murmur of their voices but couldn't tell what they were saying. Stevens rummages through the sideboard and retrieved a handful of money.

"Let's go, beauty."

"All right." Cassius kissed Harry's forehead then ruffled Draco's hair (which Draco immediately smoothed back into place), "See you all later."

With a loud crack, Stevens and Cassius Apparated. Clara and Remus breathed a sigh of relief once they were gone. They'd discovered that things were much more manageable with the two of them and Harry and Draco helping.

"Chairs and tables are all set up." Harry said, two hours later, wiping his forehead as he came into the kitchen followed by Draco. It was a hot day. Harry and Draco were charged with setting up chairs for the ceremony and the tables and chairs for the reception. Even though they used levitation spells, it still was hard work. The yard had already been decorated earlier in the day with fairy lights and ribbons.

"Good." Clara made a check on the scroll in front of her. "That's everything on my list."

"Everything's checked off mine as well." Remus said, scanning his scroll.

"You've got the scroll for tomorrow?"

"Yes, here." Remus patted it where it lay on the sideboard.

"Then…" Clara gave a loud whoop. "We can relax!"

"I think this calls for tea at our favorite place." Remus said with a grin.

"You said it! Come on, boys! Help me up." Clara held out her hand to Harry and Draco who immediately went over and pulled her up from the chair.

"So…where are you going?" Harry asked slowly.

"We are going to Betty's in York, it's lovely. And you two are coming with us, of course."

"I'll just leave a note for Cass." Remus quickly wrote a note and charmed a big bubble over it saying 'Cassius – Read this.'

"That's quite clever." Clara said.

"He won't notice it otherwise. And then he'll really panic."

"You'll have to teach me that sometime." Clara waddled over to the door. She looked like she was due at any moment when in fact she still had two months to go. "Who wants to drive first?" She picked the keys off the hook.

"I do!" Harry and Draco shouted together.

"Draco can drive there and Harry will drive back." Remus said, putting his wallet in his pocket. Clara tossed the keys to Draco.

"I don't see why Draco always gets to go first just because he's older." Harry said sulkily, wishing, not for the first time, that he was the only child at Windy Corner again.

"He's taller too." Remus pointed out calmly.

"And he comes first alphabetically." Clara added lightly.

"But I was here first." Harry muttered as he climbed into the car.

"Technically, that's not true, since I visited here when I was two and you didn't arrive until you were fifteen." Draco said as he steered the car into the air. Harry gritted his teeth and didn't say anything.

"Southeast, please." Clara said and Draco turned the car, guiding himself by the compass on the dashboard. She and Draco started talking about the scenery and York, since Draco had never been there.

"Next time we go somewhere you'll drive first," said Remus, "All right?"

"All right." Harry said, sliding closer to Remus in the back seat.

Remus leaned close to Harry's ear and whispered, "We talked about this, didn't we? He's not Dudley, you're not relegated to the cupboard again. It's not a competition." Harry nodded. Sometimes he wondered if Papa could read his mind. "I love you very much, Harry." Remus hugged Harry tightly and smoothed his hair, kissing his forehead.

"Just in that group of trees, there. Land there and we can walk to the tea shop." Clara said, pointing to her left. They walked through the park, past the ruin of a church, to the square and into the tea house.

"Remus, Clara!" A plump, white haired lady came rushing over.

"Norna! Hello!" Clara hugged her.

"How's baby?" Norna asked.

"Baby is very well."

"And you look well, too, Remus. Getting enough rest?"

"Yes, ma'am." Remus nodded.

"And who are these young gentlemen?" Norna looked at Harry and Draco.

"This is Harry."

"Harry? Finally! I've heard about you for years. I'm glad your papa finally brought you to meet me." The lady pinched Harry's cheek causing Harry to flush.

"And this is Draco, my nephew. He's staying with us now."

"Nice to meet you." Draco said politely, holding out his hand. Harry rubbed his cheek wishing that the lady would pinch Draco's cheek, that would be something to see – and to tease Draco about later.

"Very nice to meet you." Norna shook Draco's hand.

"Come sit down. You want full tea?" Norna bustled them over to a table by the large windows.

"Yes, please." Clara said. Norna nodded and hurried away.

"Yes, she's a muggle, Draco." Remus said quietly as Draco opened his mouth.

"I just wondered so I would know not to say anything about magic." Draco said quickly. "She seems very nice." He looked out the window, and suddenly seemed mesmerized by all the muggles passing by. Harry had to remind himself that Draco had never had any interaction with the muggle world before coming to Windy Corner.

"So, why would she have heard about me?" Harry asked.

"Because I've talked about you, of course." Remus said, smiling. "I told her when you came to live with us, and she always asks about you when we come here."

"You come here a lot?" Draco asked.

"This is where we have our weekly tea outing." Clara answered. "We've been coming here…how many years now?"

"Three." Remus answered.

Norna brought the tea out a few minutes later. There was a large amount of food. Harry dug in, suddenly realizing how hungry he was.

Ok…my muse kind of abandoned me once we got to the tea house so…we're just leaving it there. Betty's is a real place in York, as is the park and the ruin of the church. I visited York a few years ago and LOVED it. (I'm an American). I would love to go back so…I just had my characters go there.

Next chapter…drum roll please!!! The WEDDING of Moody and Tabby!! :-)