The Wedding Planner.
Disclaimer: The characters do not belong to me but to JK Rowling.
Summary: Xiomara Hooch has forgotten her own wedding and enlistes the help of Minerva McGonagall
a/n: This is a response to the challenge set by Arabella Figgs on the AD/MM story board. This story has already been posted on that site but I am posting it here as well. Thank you to my beta reader Ang
"I haven't planned a wedding before Xio," pointed out Minerva "I could ruin your special day."
Xiomara Hooch flung herself on the bed and kicked the cushions off the bed so she could get more comfortable. She had just popped by Minerva's rooms to ask her best friend if she would help plan her wedding which was to take place in two days time. Xiomara had completely forgotten about the big way as her was filled with Quidditch timetables and the latest broom on the market, it wasn't till her husband to be Severus Snape told her that he was going out on a stag night and not to expect him home that night.
"Minerva, you would be perfect" exclaimed Xiomara playing with her short spikey hair "you planned your wedding to the finest detail."
"Yes but remember," added Minerva rolling her eyes "my wedding still hasn't happened yet."
"Can I have your idea then?" Xiomara asked hopefully
"No you certainly may not," replied Minerva coolly "I haven't yet given up hope that Albus may finally set a date."
It was true that Minerva had been planning her perfect wedding for a few years now, each year came and she hoped that Albus would finally say 'Let's set a date!' but he knew did as things always seemed to get in the way. They had been together for ten years now and engaged for eight of those ten while Xiomara and Severus had only been together eighteen months in total. Minerva was slightly envious but she knew that her friend was in desperate need of help.
"I can't believe you forgot about your own wedding." Minerva chuckled as she threw Xiomara a bunch 'Witch Brides Monthly' to read.
"I'm not wearing a fluffy thing like that!" Xiomara exclaimed in disgust "I will look like a girl!"
"Xiomara," replied Minerva "I hate to point out the obvious but you are a girl."
Xiomara wrinkled up her nose and flicked through the magazines, she didn't seem remotely interested in what she was looking at. Minerva pulled out some parchment and dipped her quill into some ink, she quickly wrote a down a list of things that would be needed to prepare a wedding.
"Can't I just wear my finest Quidditch robes?" Xiomara asked as she looked up from the magazine.
"No," answered Minerva sternly "and don't even suggest your Halloween outfit."
"How did you know I was going to say that?" Xiomara asked with surprise.
Before Minerva could answer, the door to her bedroom opened and in walked a tired looking Albus Dumbledore with what appeared to be one eyebrow shaved off. He had a pair of handcuffs attached to one of his wrists and his robes looked like they hadn't seen a cleaning charm for months.
"Albus," gasped Minerva "your eyebrow?"
"Hello darling," he answered with a silly smile "you look beautiful."
Minerva got to her feet and crossed her arms across her chest, her foot tapping impatiently against the wooden floor as she waited for an answer to her question. Albus simply stood there, looking like a naughty school boy who had been caught doing something he shouldn't have been. Xiomara placed her hand over her mouth to prevent her giggles; the headmaster had obviously just rolled in from Severus' stag night the night before and was looking a bit green around the gills.
"You didn't get my owl, did you?" Albus asked quietly
"Oh I got it Albus," replied Minerva "but I couldn't read it."
"Ah you see," began Albus "by the time I sent it erm I had, had a few drinks with the lads and well…."
"I don't care Albus," interrupted Minerva with a small smile "I want to know why you are missing an eyebrow."
"I'm what?" asked Albus in alarm "I'll hex those....."
"Albus please!" warned Minerva before he had chance to curse.
"You see Severus though," Albus began chuckling loudly "we shaved half his hair off."
Minerva's eyes widened and Xiomara looked from Albus, to Minerva and back to Albus again, she wasn't quite sure if she had heard the headmaster right. Xiomara slipped off the bed and stood beside Minerva and looked at the headmaster.
"His hair?" she asked
"It wasn't me," Albus added quickly "Alastor did it!"
Minerva placed her hand on her head and walked away as she tried to get her thoughts together. They were meant to be grown man for Merlin's sake and they had behaved like teenagers, she couldn't quite believe that Albus had allowed his employees to behave in such a manner.
"Where is Severus now?" asked Minerva
"Well there is a problem," answered Albus sheepishly "we chained him up and well we can't remember where exactly he is now."
"WHAT!" screamed Minerva "of all the stupid things in the world Albus?"
"I'm sorry Min," replied Albus as he looked at her with puppy dog eyes "I am really am."
"Get yourself sobered up Albus," she ordered "and then we are going to look for Severus and when we get back you are going to help me plan their bloody wedding because Xiomara hasn't done a thing and there is only two days to get it done."
Albus did as he was told and wandered into the bathroom to shower and get ready. Minerva charmed her quill to write letters to the flower shop in Hogsmeade and also wrote a letter to Madam Malkins to ask if they should do a fitting for a wedding dress that afternoon. Half an hour later, Albus, Minerva and Xiomara where out looking for the potion master who by all accounts would be freezing as his so called friends had stripped him down to his underwear and tied him to a tree somewhere in the school grounds.
"Professor McGonagall!" cried a voice of a student running towards them "Professor Snape is taking points off all the houses."
"What you mean?" asked Minerva
"He is tied to a tree by the brook and when anyone goes near to help him, he deducts points." Explained Ethan McGhie, a first year Hufflepuff
"Oh Merlin!" said Minerva under her breath as she quickly made her way towards the brook closely followed by Albus and Xiomara, who was finding the whole things rather amusing.
They reached the brook just in time to hear Severus take forty points from Ravenclaw, Minerva gently pushed her way through the mass crowd that had surrounded the potions master and then addressed them.
"Please all return to your common rooms and all points taken will be redeemed."
The crowd of students quickly disappeared and even Minerva had to stifle a giggle that she felt rising as she looked at the sorry state of the forbidding Severus Snape, the head of Slytherin.
"Don't just stand there," snapped Severus "help me."
An hour later, Severus was sat in the Headmaster's office drinking a cup of tea and moaning about what had happened to him. Albus had apologised several times and had even placed a hair growth charm on Severus' hair so that it would be back to normal by the day of the wedding. Severus had declared that when he got his hands on Alastor and the rest of the men, he would hex them into the next century. Minerva had given Albus orders to take Severus to get his wedding robes measured and then go and speak to the house elves about preparing a wedding feast. While Albus was busy with Severus, Minerva had taken a reluctant Xiomara into London to search for a wedding outfit.
"For Merlin's sake Xiomara" gasped Minerva in annoyance "would it kill you this once just to wear something a bit womanly?"
"Yes it would!" Xiomara snapped back
Minerva sat back against the chair and sighed, they had been in Madam Malkin's for several hours now and Xiomara was refusing every single suggestion. Minerva felt like tearing her hair out and walking out of the shop in protest but her good natured side stopped her and so she was stuck.
"If you had actually remembered you were getting married Xio," said Minerva "we wouldn't have to rush this and you would probably find the perfect outfit but we don't have that luxury."
"I'm not expected to remember everything Minerva" moaned Xiomara as she tried on another set of wedding robes.
"Those robes look perfect!" said Minerva calmly
"Don't you think they are a bit plain?" questioned Xiomara looking at herself in the full length mirror
"I swear I am going to hex you!" mumbled Minerva through gritted teeth.
Twenty minutes later, they left carrying bag that contained the cream wedding robes, shoes and plain cream dress that went with the robes. They rushed around Diagon Alley picking up items which would be needed; Minerva left Xiomara to choose something for the wedding night while she went off and saw to the entertainment for the reception. Minerva hoped that Albus was having an easier time with Severus because otherwise the whole thing would be a disaster. Minerva had never felt so stressed in her whole entire life and she couldn't quite believe the relaxed attitude Xiomara was having towards it and top it off, Xiomara had demanded that she be a bridesmaid. Minerva was sure that Xiomara had chosen the off the shoulder pale blue dress on spite her but what could she say, it wasn't her wedding and so she couldn't complain.
Minerva arrived back home late, the sky was now black and the moon was out in all her glory. There was only one thing left on her list to do and that was to sort out the main song for the service, once again Xiomara had been no help in the matter and told her to choose one.
"Oh Min, you look like your at all your wits end." Observed Albus as she walked into the living room they shared secretly.
"That would because I am Albus, "she answered softy
"Let me run you a bath." He suggested
"Maybe later," she told him "I have one more thing to do."
"Maybe I can do it for sweetheart; you have done more than enough." Albus said pulling her into his arms.
"Music," she mumbled as she snuggled into his arms
"That is all done," replied Albus "Severus knew what he wanted and it's all arranged. He wants a song called 'You're still the one 'and it's by a muggle woman called Shania Twain."
"Oh Albus, I'm so glad that you did have covered the music and I also glad your eyebrow is back."
"Yes it is back my love," he chuckled "come on lets get you in the bath."
Minerva happily let him lead her into the bathroom and she watched as he turned on the taps and added her bath salts. He turned around and walked back over to her and held her hands in his before getting down on to his knees.
"Did you enjoy being a wedding planner?" he asked
"No!" she answered with a tired smile
"Oh dear," he said "well I had better let your next clients down then."
"What?" she asked
"Someone had heard what a wonderful job you had done in such a short amount of time and they wanted you to plan their wedding."
"I am in no mood for jokes Albus," she said rising to her feet and beginning to undress "I am not for hire ever."
"I am most disappointed that you won't plan my wedding" he replied with a pout.
"Your wedding?" asked Minerva with a frown
"I am the client I told you about and I had finally set a date." Albus said with a bright smile
"Albus!" she screamed in excitement as she flew into his arms.
The End