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Crumble Horned Snorkack
By Dana
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"Are you ready for this?" Ron asked Harry, as he straightened his jacket and plain white shirt. Harry was fiddling with his bowtie, so nervous that his hands were shaking and he couldn't grip the black material. Ron took pity on him and strolled towards him, fixing up the tie in less than a minute. His hands rested on Harry's shoulder, a tight grip of comfort that quelled his nerves.
"I think so." Harry said with a shaky voice, breathing slowly.
"You'll be fine!" Ron said with an encouraging smile, squeezing his shoulders briefly before letting them go.
"I hope so..." Harry mumbled running hand through his hair. No matter what he tried, he couldn't brush it so it would rest neatly. It still stuck up all over the place, especially at the back. Even though it had tamed slightly after he had left Hogwarts, it was still incredibly messy as if he had just gotten up from bed. Looking over at his redheaded friend, he envied Ron's calm face and confident smile. He felt weak and shaky, body shivering from nerves.
Not matter what he did; he couldn't stop his hands and knees shaking. In the end he collapsed onto a plush green armchair, glancing at the clock. Ron followed his gaze and turned to him smiling.
"Fifteen minutes, mate." He said as Harry visibly gulped and placed his face in his hands. They still quivered against his skin.
"Oh – I don't know about this..." he mumbled into his palms, a strange feeling making its way up his body.
"You can't back out now!" Ron said with a start. "She's expecting you." Harry groaned. "They both are." Ron added after a moments pause with raised eyebrows.
"What if I mess up –?"
"You won't." Ron said truthfully, his goofy smile somehow intensifying his nerves.
"So you say." Harry moaned, pressing his palms against his eyes, the rim of his glasses digging into his skin. "You're not the one doing this!"
"Don't worry, Harry, everything will be fine!" Ron said, his eyes glancing at the door. "I might go and talk to Albus, see if there's anything we missed. I'll be right back; don't go running off on me!"
Harry glared at him. "I wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing." Ron chuckled and walked to the tall oak double doors, and vanishing into the room beyond. The room was lapsed into a thick silence, only broken by the pounding of Harry's own heart. It sounded incredibly loud, thumping away inside his ribcage, practically quaking his bones.
His palms were wet with a cool sweat; he rubbed them on his long, black pants.
Never in his entire life had he felt so scared. Voldemort was nothing compared to the fear rising inside him. Dark Lords he could deal with, but this...this was torture. He could never comprehend how Hermione and Ron did it. They made it seem so easy, so natural. And Harry had been there with them, had even felt more nervous than both of them put together. Now he had to do it by himself, in front of hundreds of people.
He groaned, trying to rip his hair out from his scalp. "What was I thinking!" he looked up at the clock. The hands seemed to be moving dreadfully fast, and actually skipped a few numbers. Deciding that sitting was not the best thing to do, as all the pounding blood had built up in his feet, he jumped up and started pacing.
The room was smaller than he first imagined, the walls closing in and the ceiling drooping ever lower. Determined, he kept his eyes glued on the scarlet carpet beneath his feet, trying not to think of what was to come – and failing.
"How can I defeat the worlds most powerful dark wizard and live – and not be able to do this one, simple thing?" he said aloud to the room. His voice sounded so young and weak, hitting each wall to bounce back and taunt him. His footsteps tapped lightly on the floor, and he turned his attention to them. But his mind was so full of broken memories and jumbled thoughts, that he ended up leaning against the far wall, hitting his head repeatedly on the hard boards.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he said through gritted teeth. How he hated himself for putting him in this situation. Couldn't they have put this day off, until the next year, or the year after? They already had everything they could ever want, love, family, each other. Why would they need two bands of metal and a few speeches to prove their love?
It wasn't as if he didn't want to be with her forever, it was just the fact that they had to do it in front of so many people. He hated crowds – everybody knew it. It would have been nicer if it was just close friends and family, on the beach or in the country. The place they picked out was nice; it was a original setting in an ancient church, stained glass windows and a sweeping middle aisle. Harry had expected a few people like the Weasley Family and few others – nothing to this extent.
It was as if the whole of London had packed out underneath the historic canopy, on long oak benches with lilies and roses scattered about the wooden ground. He had seen the setup that morning, before everyone had arrived. He was too scared to imagine how many more people had joined the audience.
He just hoped he wouldn't stuff up. The rattling of the doorknob drew his attention. He stared at it fearfully as the face and body of Ron Weasley entered. "It's time, Harry." He said with a grin.
His mouth was dry and heart beating, but he found his feet moving automatically towards the door. He was like a robot, controlled by another being. He looked through eyes not his own and realized that it was really happening. This was really happening. In less than an hour he would have a wife. A family. Just what he had always wanted.
Ron stuck by his side as he walked stiffly down a brown hallway, the sounds of many voices reverberating from the closed doors at the end. They were getting closer, and the remaining few feet were finally gone. Harry found himself staring blankly at the door, not daring to reach for the handle. He didn't have to. Ron had already pushed them open, giving view to a podium sitting solitarily at the front of the room.
The voices stopped. Harry found himself once again the centre of attention. Ignoring the pointed gazes and knowing smiles, he allowed Ron to pull him into the cavernous hall. His eyes roamed across the floor, where he tried not to step on any of the beautiful flowers. As he neared the podium, a woman came forward. She was dressed in a pale green, with her dark hair pulled up into a bun on the top of her head. Tendrils of brown locks fell loosely down her neck as she approached him with a wide smile.
Harry allowed himself to be pulled into a tight embrace by his best friend, not wanting the moment to disappear. So many things had changed, as he realized when he finally released Hermione where she was kissed passionately by Ron.
"You'll be fine!" She said soothingly as she took her position on the right of the tall podium. Another woman came up to him, wrapping him in a sisterly embrace. Her orange locks smelt of strawberries and he breathed in the comforting scent of Ginny Weasley. When they pulled apart, he was startled to see tears welling in her eyes.
"Good luck!" she said with a last squeeze of his hands before joining Hermione. Harry felt odd inside, as if he was back at Ron and Hermione's wedding; except this time, he was the groom not the Best Man. Ron directed him over to the left of the hall, where another two men were standing nervously in their straight black suits. They had decided to go Muggle Style, as neither of them had liked the dress robes for a Wizarding wedding.
Remus Lupin came forward and pulled Harry into an incredibly tight hug. They remained in the embrace for a while, until Remus finally let go. He too, had tears in his eyes and Harry briefly felt like crying too.
"Your mother and father would be so proud!" he said into Harry's ear. Harry nodded, feeling a wave of sadness and joy wash over him. The nervousness was forgotten as he watched his old friend move back into line next to Ron as Neville Longbottom stepped forward. The two shared a brotherly embrace, shorter than all others had lasted. Harry and Neville had become great friends while at Hogwarts, which had ended over seven years previously.
Even after school, they had stayed close, both living in the same town with Ron and Hermione. Neville was currently living with Ginny, the two of them in a steady relationship. He was no longer the pudgy, nervous boy tripping over his own feet. He was now a confident man, head of St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries and Maladies, known widely as the Healer responsible for re-awakening Frank and Alice Longbottom from their damaged sleep; his parents.
"C'mon mate, liven up; she'll be here soon!" Neville's words, meant to comfort, only added to his rising nerves. The tall man stepped back next to Remus, smiling broadly. Now that he was alone at the front of the hall, he had a clear view of the entire room. In the left side, were his own visitors and guests. The entire Weasley Family was sitting in the front row, a long line of redheads. Molly was crying, holding a blue handkerchief to her nose. She smiled warmly up at him, her face shining in pride.
Harry smiled down at them, his eyes resting on a small, redheaded boy, who looked up at him with wide, clever eyes: his godson. Daniel Weasley was nearing his fifth birthday, with the intelligence of Hermione and the calm, goofy nature of Ron. He took after his parents in every way, from his bossy voice to bright red hair. He was a true Weasley.
Harry waved at his small godson. Daniel grinned and waved, just as Hermione and Ginny disappeared into a side room, their faces shining in excitement. Harry felt his stomach flop uncomfortably and he started to feel sick. The crowd started to talk softly amongst themselves, as he felt like melting into the floor.
He had been waiting for this day his whole life. This was the day he dreamed about. This was the day when he would become part of something greater, something that would mean a little more than what he had. He would join into a family, what he had always wanted. It was what he had been robbed off at so young an age, and wished for his entire life.
And today, he would get it.
A soothing melody started up, gaining complete silence. All eyes turned to the back of the room, where a pair of great doors had swung open. And in came Hermione, her face beaming as she walked down the aisle. Ginny followed a few meters behind, both looking beautiful in their flowing light emerald gowns. Another woman followed the two and Harry grinned at Susan Bones, another or his newfound friends. With her deep red hair pulled into a bun and her face full and shining. The three of them made their way up to the front and settled to the right side of the podium. All three of them smiled at him charmingly, before their eyes fell to the back of the hall.
The wedding march started playing and the audience rose as another figure emerged. Harry felt his heart hitch in his throat. The girl was no older than five years old, dressed in a darker green dress, sparkling with glitter and diamonds. Blond hair spilled down her back, framing an angelic face. A pair of bright emerald eyes shone out at him and he couldn't believe that she was his. And his alone.
His daughter.
Lily Evelyn Potter had been born on the fifth of June, four years previously. It was only a few months before her birthday came, a fact she bragged about constantly. She was beautiful, the true visage of the word gorgeous. Harry couldn't word the amount of love he felt for his little girl, because he had never even known the meaning of love until he met his friends and soon-to-be-wife. Lily was the mirror image of her mother, except for her eyes; she had Harry's eyes.
Soon, she was right in front of him, so he bent down and placed a hand on her smooth cheek. She giggled and placed a kiss on his forehead, smiling stunningly. Harry looked up in time to see a goddess emerge from the double doors, pausing briefly before her arm was claimed by a tall, brown haired man. Cameras went off as she walked slowly down the aisle, her eyes on Harry and Harry alone.
There was no word for it. Beautiful didn't even compare to what she was. Her gown was bright white and fell to the floor in soft waves of shimmering satin. A thin veil hid her perfect face, holding back a glittering mass of blonde curls, that fell softly down her back. Harry found himself on his feet, too stunned to move little lone breathe.
All nerves left him, to be filled by a tremendous amount of love and joy. It was really happening.
She was so close now that he could see her large blue eyes through the netted veil. The corners of her lips were curved up in an enticing smile. The man leading her paused in front of him, his blue eyes shining with tears of pride. He reached out and clasped Harry's hand, removing his own from his daughters, to replace it with Harry's.
It was only Harry and her standing alone at the front of the hall, staring into each other's eyes. Lily stood a few paces away, a large grin plastered on her young face as she looked at her parents. The audience sat, none daring disturb the tranquil silence by speaking or moving. A tall, silver haired man stood erect at the back of the podium, a pair of half-moon spectacles at rest on his long, crooked nose.
Albus Dumbledore looked down at two of his old students, a twinkle in his clear blue eyes. Harry and his bride turned to face the ancient wizard, hands interlocked and anxious smiles gracing their faces.
"We are gathered here on this marvelous day, to celebrate the marriage of Harry James Potter and Luna Esmeralda Lovegood." Harry squeezed Luna's hand, his own heart thumping painfully in his chest. Albus Dumbledore continued the traditional speech and soon it was time for their vows to be read.
Harry turned to Luna, clasping her hands in his. He smiled nervously, the words of his own vow running through his head.
"Luna, before I met you, my life was slowly being destroyed. Guilt and pain plagued me daily, and I found myself sinking into darkness. But you came along, and showed me the things that were worth living for – the things worth fighting for. You helped me out of some of the darkest times of my life, when I thought there was no hope left. You helped me in more ways than I can think of. You have given me something that I thought I would never have – love. Love and the will to keep fighting; keep living each day to the fullest. I would never be here if it wasn't for you. I am eternally grateful. For this, I wish for you to be my wife. I love you. Now and forever."
Harry sighed in relief. He had done it without stuffing up, now it was Luna's turn. He waited in a nervous excitement as her eyes shined with tears.
"Harry, before I met you, I was considered strange and weird. No one really liked me; they all thought I was some strange girl who did what she wanted, when she wanted to do it. Then I met you. I thought you would be like the others; judge me on what you hear, not what you see. But you proved me wrong. You didn't care if I was strange, or believed in things that seemed a little odd. You loved me for who I was. Before I met you, I tried to hide the pain inside. The pain from years of teasing and being left out. Whe you came into my life, I didn't need to hide the pain, because it wasn't there. Instead, it had been filled with love and happiness. You gave me something I didn't think I would ever be given: acceptance. You made me feel wanted and a part of something more. I am eternally grateful. For this, I wish for you to be my husband. I love you. Now and forever."
She smiled and squeezed his hands in return. Harry was astounded. Her vow brought tears to his eyes and even more love rose inside him. How he loved her.
"There are just two simple steps left." Albus said, breaking the two's love filled stare. "The rings, if you please?" Lily jumped into action, pulling out two boxes, one black the other white. She fumbled when giving the white one to Harry, who smiled down at her kissed her lightly on her golden hair. A he opened the velvet box, a sparkling silver ring shone up. An emerald lay embedded in the centre, with small, round diamonds running the length of the band. On inside of the band, lay an inscription.
"I love you. Now and forever."
He pushed it onto Luna's thin fingers, stumbling in his haste. She smiled at him from behind the veil, while pushing a similar ring on his finger. It was feminine than hers, with the emerald smaller and smoothed into the metal, as were the diamonds. The same words were carved into the band, as a symbol of their eternal love. They both turned to Dumbledore who smiled, while is blue eyes glistening in unshed tears.
"By the powers invested in my by the Wizengamot, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." Harry didn't need anymore words to coax him on. All nerved were gone, as he reached up and lifted her veil, revealing a smiling, beautiful face. Her large blue eyes twinkled at him as he stared into them for a moment. He smiled as he leant in, capturing her lips in a kiss of bonding. It was soft and sweet, lasting for as long as they wished. When he pulled away, the audience stood, cheering and clapping. Harry and Luna smiled, looking into each other's eyes before kissing again.
"Such is love." Luna said when they pulled away, her eyes closed and a smile on her lips.
"Mummy, daddy!" a small voice called. They broke apart, and he looked down to see Lily tugging on his pant legs. Harry smiled and pulled her up into his arms, kissing her softly on the cheek. It had happened. He now had a family. A true family. His own family. With a daughter and wife, his life was complete.
Their track down the aisle was one of love and memory. Luna's father was in tears and hugged them both. Molly Weasley was worse than Henry Lovegood was. Her eyes were red and puffy, and tears were streaming freely down her face. Harry hugged her tightly, touched by how she didn't want to let go.
Lily sat quite contentedly in his arms, shying away from most of the attention. Harry and Luna walked side-by-side, arm-in-arm, down the middle of the church. People congratulated them as they went, wishing them good luck for the future.
Back in Hogwarts, Harry thought that he wouldn't have a future. That Voldemort would finally succeed in killing him and all his friends. The future looked non-existent, as rare as a Crumble Horned Snorkack, as Luna says. He thought he wouldn't live old enough to have children or a family. But now, now he had both.
He was free from Voldemort and the dark, unbound except for his love for Luna and Lily. He was allowed to do whatever he pleased, whenever he wanted. There was no one there to hold him back, no prophecies condemning his life to hardship and death.
He finally had someone to love, who loved him back. Luna loved him for who he was inside, not what was scratched on his forehead. She was the most beautiful and extraordinary person he had ever met. And he still couldn't believe that he had had a child with her. His child. He would make sure that Lily had a proper childhood, full of love and affection; all things his old youth lacked. She would know how much he loved her, and how she was wanted and always would be.
Lily would have the things that Harry couldn't have. A life free from burdens and pain. She would grow up knowing how much she was loved and how much she meant to her parents. Besides, that was all he could give.
Harry stepped out into the sweet spring air, with his daughter and wife. He looked to Luna and then at Lily, and smiled.
A family. What he always wanted.
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– Disclaimer –
I do not own Harry Potter and never will.
Hey peoples.
This came to me last night, don't ask why. So I had to write it to give way for my actual stories. This was only a one shot but if I get enough reviews I may extend on it some time, maybe with Lily's first day at Hogwarts or something of the like.
Please review and all that.
Later Days...
DW