I do not own Harry Potter, wish I did, really.
Chapter 10: Jitters
The next few days passed in a whirlwind of activity, and now, on the day before the wedding, the whole community of Stepenwolv had turned out for a group picnic on the west lawn of the valley. Harry was astounded that the population was as large as it was. There were fully twenty families living there, as well as about thirty singles. The singles were nearly all werewolves, though some of them were grown children of some of the werewolves and loved the community at Stepenwolv so much that they decided not to leave when they were grown. They were young and old, children and adults. And everyone there but for he and his friends had a werewolf in the family. The elder ones were marked much as Lupin was, with premature gray hair and lined faces. The younger generation, however, had the advances that the Snowfoots had developed and they looked healthier and happier.
Harry sat on a huge blanket between Texi and Ginny, gnawing on a cold chicken leg. Texi kept pointing out people and telling Harry about them and their pasts. "Genner was bitten when he was very young, his mother and father moved here soon after." Genner was a young man with messy medium brown hair, he was talking to a pretty witch with long dark brown hair and glasses. "That's Tric, her father is a werewolf, and she stayed because of Genner." This was with a grin. "She'll get him around to her way of thinking one of these days."
"That's Jephili, and her mother and father. They moved here all the way from India." The little dark-eyed, black haired girl darted past with a small group of other little girls on her heels. They ranged from the ages of five to the age of ten in this little group. The giggling little witches were playing some sort of complicated game of tag, of which only they knew the rules. The boys joined in from time to time, but mostly they were laying on the bank of the river, poking sticks into the water and occasionally getting into splashing matches.
The adults were lounging around, full and sleepy, watching the sun as it moved lazily towards the western mountains. Occasionally one or two would come over to talk to Tala and Lupin, and Harry wasn't sure if they were wishing them luck on the wedding, or on the war with Voldemort. Either was appreciated, he knew. Ron was laying on the blanket across from him, stretched out on his back and watching the occasional cloud pass overhead.
Hermione was sitting propped against a tree near them, a book open in her lap. She would occasionally comment about something to Sarven, and, depending on his answer, would either agree, or get into a loud discussion on why either one of them was wrong. The two scholars had taken a liking to each other, and Sarven didn't seem to mind Hermione's know-it-allness, unlike his look alike. They would grin even while saying insulting things about each other's intelligence, enjoying the meeting of minds.
He had asked Texi about Sarven once, and she had become reluctant to share information, which was very unlike her. All she would volunteer was that his mother had died and the Snowfoots took him in. She didn't know much more about him, she admitted, but was very tight-mouthed as she said it. She loved him very much, she told him, isolating her speech to Harry's mind, and the thought of his past hurt him, so she didn't bring it up. She glanced over at the dark-haired wizard and he, feeling her eyes, looked up and smiled. It looked most peculiar to see him smiling with Snape's face. He had a feeling Snape would not approve of his face to be used in such a manner.
Sarven closed his book and, with a wave at Hermione, headed over to the blanket. She reached out his hand and Texi allowed him to help her up. "I'm going to go to the house, Harry, big day tomorrow." Sarven set his book on the basket and they walked off into the lengthening shadows, holding hands. Harry shook his head, wondering how some people found it so easy to be in love. He glanced back, and saw the shadow of Texi, towing Sarven by his hand, make a dash into the woods. They were both laughing.
He looked at the blanket with a blush. And caught Ginny look at him, then in the direction that the two had disappeared in. She raised her eyebrows and laughed. Harry joined in a bit ruefully. Ron snored, and they laughed harder, as though he had made a joke. Hermione wandered over when they were both red-faced and gasping for breath. She asked what was so funny, and the two of them shook their heads, at a loss to explain.
Ron snored again, and Ginny dissolved into the giggles. Hermione fought down a smile and went over to nudge him with her toe. "Ron?" she asked. "Ron, get up."
He rolled over with a grunt, mumbling, "Give us a snog 'Mione." Ginny positively howled, and she clung to Harry, trying to get enough air to breathe. Hermione, however, was not amused, she turned horribly red and drew back her foot, preparing to kick him all the way into the river, Harry thought.
Ron rolled back over and opened one eye, peering at her cheerfully. "Well, how about it?" He grinned. She gave an inarticulate howl of rage and kicked him in the ribs, he yelped in pain. And struggled to his feet, following her as she stomped off.
"He's in trouble now." Harry commented.
"Just watch." Ginny strangled, shaking her head and pointing between giggles. The two of them turned around and watched as Ron caught Hermione. She yelled at him, he yelled back, but luckily their words were inaudible. She stomped away again, he caught her and darted around so she had to stop. He stepped forward and took her in his arms, saying something softly. She shook her head, obviously telling him to get off. He said something else, and she touched his face as he lowered it towards hers, and they kissed in one of the last rays of sunlight, before walking off towards the house.
"You see? I told you." Ginny said. "He's getting better at it, and Hermione knows how to get him to do what she wants...eventually." She sat back up, straightening her robes, her eyes teary from her laughing fit, red staining her cheeks, and her hair straggling in her eyes. Harry, on impulse, reached up and brushed a strand behind her ear. "You're getting better, too." She said with a little smile, brushing her lips over his cheek before standing and heading off into the shadows.
Harry woke the next morning to find the whole house awake, even Ron, who usually slept longer than Harry, was out of the room. Yawning, Harry visited the bathroom. By the time he got out, Ron was back in the room, standing at the foot of his four-poster, holding up his dress robes with a look of worry on his face. "They look like they've spent the week in a duffel bag!" Which they had.
Harry scrubbed his hands through his still-damp hair, examining Ron's robes. They were sapphire blue and had a handsome leather belt that went around Ron's waist, and leather buckles across the chest. They were quite handsome, other than the fact that they were horribly wrinkled. "I bet Hermione knows a spell..." Harry commented. And Ron, looking terribly grateful, dashed out with the robes in hand.
Harry turned and started rummaging in his own bag, finally coming up with his bottle-green robes. They were fitted across his shoulders and buttoned with silver down the left side of his chest before flaring out below the waist. He pulled on a pair of black trousers and white t-shirt, attempted once more to fix his hair, finally gave up and pulled his robes on, fastening them. He grabbed his glasses, looked in the mirror above the bureau, which was missing half of its handles, then glanced around and, seeing no one, spun, liking how the light material swirled around before falling precisely at the toes of his boots. The mirror applauded. He made a noise in his throat and, stowing his wand in his pocket, made his way out and down the creaking, dusty stairs.
The kitchen was in a terrible state, Mingan was standing in the middle of it, a dangerous look on his face, brandishing a long oak staff around, decorating a cake and making appetizers at the same time as retrieving a steaming goose from the oven and stirring a sauce on the stovetop. Harry made to back away, but Mingan glanced him and a few donuts hurtled towards the boy, who caught them and retreated into the living room. Moody and Hurst were sitting on the couch, both dressed in wedding finery, and both with their feet up on the coffee table.
"Harry," Moody grunted cheerfully at him, "See you made it out of the kitchen alive, good job."
Hurst snorted with laughter beside him. "My boy is in his element with all this work to be done." He looked up as a crash and a few curses came filtering through the door. "He's on vacation from the Assembly. He works for magical co-operation, pretends it drives him up the wall, but he enjoys it."
Ron darted into the room, his eyes wild, his robes twisted. "Nearly killed me with a bowl of cereal," he gulped. Hermione and Ginny followed soon after. They looked extraordinarily pretty this morning. They had apparently been doing things to each other's hair, and Ginny's was pulled up into a purposefully messy knot on her head, wisps hanging down around her face. She was wearing dark green dress robes and they were fitted around her top, off the shoulder, before ending at a drop waist after which they fit loosely around her legs, matching slippers peeked out from underneath her hem.
Hermione's hair was braided back from her face, twisting before forming a coil, threaded through with a string of pearls. Her dress robes were opalescent violet, and shifted to blue and silver as she moved. They had a high neck but left her arms bare, and had a princess waist. Harry, of course, knew nothing about clothes, but he thought theirs were rather nice. He grinned. "You both look smashing this morning." He commented. Hurst, peering around him, nodded in agreement.
"So many lovely ladies around, Chepi must be getting worried," He said with a perfectly straight face.
"Why? I'm the only one who really appreciates your scars." Chepi laughed from the doorway, ducking a flying saucer, still with a cup of tea on it, as she moved inside. She had smoothed her hair down, which made her look less wild, and she wore aqua colored robes draped over a gown in a lighter shade of the same color. Harry wasn't sure whether or not her finery made her scars more, or less noticeable. She flopped down into a threadbare armchair with a sigh. "Texi's with Tala." She said tiredly, "And Tainn is with Lupin, so you boys may want to go rescue him."
"We'll go help Texi." Hermione said as the boys left the room to find their professor.
They moved down the hall, dodging cutlery as they passed through the kitchen, and found Lupin sitting on his bed, looking calm but strained. Tainn was giving him all sorts of advice on married life, which he was politely ignoring.
"Good morning, boys." He said, then buried his head in his hands, breathing deeply and quickly. He was wearing the same silver and blue robes he had worn before the Session.
"He's been doing that every few minutes," Tainn supplied cheerfully. He was dressed in a long black jacket over a green shirt and black trousers. His hair was brushed and tied back into a long tail, and he had several feathers stuck in a small braid that hung in front of his ear. His feet were still bare under his pants legs. "Just nerves." He added in a wise sort of voice that didn't go well with his feral smile.
Lupin uncovered his face again. "Glad to see you, by Merlin! I didn't think I would be so nervous." He stared at Harry for a long moment, then stood up and turned to look out the window, leaning his arm against the frame, which creaked threateningly. "Would that I could get it over with," He murmured to himself. "So many unexpected memories, and how I wish...how I wish..." He turned back around and Harry was startled to see tears standing in his eyes. "I'm glad you boys could come. Everyone else was too wrapped up in..." He shook his head. "Don't think about it today," He said, agitated.
Tainn perched on the bureau, watching Lupin curiously as he paced around the room. Finally he perched back on the bed, burying his head in his hands and breathing quickly and heavily. The boys stood there helplessly, looking at each other and trying to find something to say.
"You'll be just fine, Professor," Ron finally said supportively, sitting on the bed beside him and clasping his shoulder.
"Thank you, Ronald." Lupin replied thickly, his head still buried in his hands. "Is it nearly time yet?" He asked Tainn who glanced at the clock, which read, 'A few minutes.'
"We can head out now," He replied, showing himself off of the bureau and landing lightly on his unshod feet.
Lupin nodded and he and Ron stood. The bed creaked in a dangerous way. Lupin swallowed a couple times before asking, "Do I look alright?" They assured him that he looked perfectly fine, and led him out the door.
They stood behind him at the front of a long aisle, filled with the residents of Stepenwolv. Lupin's eyes kept darting around, and he looked as though he were about to choke. His eyes fell on Harry and he attempted to smile before giving up and looking out over their heads. A few tears slipped down his lined face.
It was then that Harry understood Lupin's muttered wishes. He stood there, basically alone, no Prongs to welcome him to the club of married men, no Padfoot to clap him on the shoulder and joke about giving up his freedom for a ball and chain. The ones that he wished for most in the world to be with him on the most important day of his life were gone. And at this moment he mourned for his lost friends, perhaps remembering another wedding more than sixteen years ago, perhaps remembering laughing faces and another bride and groom.
Harry swallowed with difficulty. He knew what was wrong, but he didn't know what to do.
He was saved by a muffled gasp from his professor, and looked up to find his eyes fastened on the opposite end of the aisle. There Tala stood, her father and mother at her side, her brother behind her and her niece and nephew proceeding her up the aisle. Lupin grinned through his tears, and Harry knew that the faces he had seen in his mind's eye just a moment before were moved to the side as he looked upon the glowing face of the woman he loved. The face of his bride.
Please review.
Chapter 10: Jitters
The next few days passed in a whirlwind of activity, and now, on the day before the wedding, the whole community of Stepenwolv had turned out for a group picnic on the west lawn of the valley. Harry was astounded that the population was as large as it was. There were fully twenty families living there, as well as about thirty singles. The singles were nearly all werewolves, though some of them were grown children of some of the werewolves and loved the community at Stepenwolv so much that they decided not to leave when they were grown. They were young and old, children and adults. And everyone there but for he and his friends had a werewolf in the family. The elder ones were marked much as Lupin was, with premature gray hair and lined faces. The younger generation, however, had the advances that the Snowfoots had developed and they looked healthier and happier.
Harry sat on a huge blanket between Texi and Ginny, gnawing on a cold chicken leg. Texi kept pointing out people and telling Harry about them and their pasts. "Genner was bitten when he was very young, his mother and father moved here soon after." Genner was a young man with messy medium brown hair, he was talking to a pretty witch with long dark brown hair and glasses. "That's Tric, her father is a werewolf, and she stayed because of Genner." This was with a grin. "She'll get him around to her way of thinking one of these days."
"That's Jephili, and her mother and father. They moved here all the way from India." The little dark-eyed, black haired girl darted past with a small group of other little girls on her heels. They ranged from the ages of five to the age of ten in this little group. The giggling little witches were playing some sort of complicated game of tag, of which only they knew the rules. The boys joined in from time to time, but mostly they were laying on the bank of the river, poking sticks into the water and occasionally getting into splashing matches.
The adults were lounging around, full and sleepy, watching the sun as it moved lazily towards the western mountains. Occasionally one or two would come over to talk to Tala and Lupin, and Harry wasn't sure if they were wishing them luck on the wedding, or on the war with Voldemort. Either was appreciated, he knew. Ron was laying on the blanket across from him, stretched out on his back and watching the occasional cloud pass overhead.
Hermione was sitting propped against a tree near them, a book open in her lap. She would occasionally comment about something to Sarven, and, depending on his answer, would either agree, or get into a loud discussion on why either one of them was wrong. The two scholars had taken a liking to each other, and Sarven didn't seem to mind Hermione's know-it-allness, unlike his look alike. They would grin even while saying insulting things about each other's intelligence, enjoying the meeting of minds.
He had asked Texi about Sarven once, and she had become reluctant to share information, which was very unlike her. All she would volunteer was that his mother had died and the Snowfoots took him in. She didn't know much more about him, she admitted, but was very tight-mouthed as she said it. She loved him very much, she told him, isolating her speech to Harry's mind, and the thought of his past hurt him, so she didn't bring it up. She glanced over at the dark-haired wizard and he, feeling her eyes, looked up and smiled. It looked most peculiar to see him smiling with Snape's face. He had a feeling Snape would not approve of his face to be used in such a manner.
Sarven closed his book and, with a wave at Hermione, headed over to the blanket. She reached out his hand and Texi allowed him to help her up. "I'm going to go to the house, Harry, big day tomorrow." Sarven set his book on the basket and they walked off into the lengthening shadows, holding hands. Harry shook his head, wondering how some people found it so easy to be in love. He glanced back, and saw the shadow of Texi, towing Sarven by his hand, make a dash into the woods. They were both laughing.
He looked at the blanket with a blush. And caught Ginny look at him, then in the direction that the two had disappeared in. She raised her eyebrows and laughed. Harry joined in a bit ruefully. Ron snored, and they laughed harder, as though he had made a joke. Hermione wandered over when they were both red-faced and gasping for breath. She asked what was so funny, and the two of them shook their heads, at a loss to explain.
Ron snored again, and Ginny dissolved into the giggles. Hermione fought down a smile and went over to nudge him with her toe. "Ron?" she asked. "Ron, get up."
He rolled over with a grunt, mumbling, "Give us a snog 'Mione." Ginny positively howled, and she clung to Harry, trying to get enough air to breathe. Hermione, however, was not amused, she turned horribly red and drew back her foot, preparing to kick him all the way into the river, Harry thought.
Ron rolled back over and opened one eye, peering at her cheerfully. "Well, how about it?" He grinned. She gave an inarticulate howl of rage and kicked him in the ribs, he yelped in pain. And struggled to his feet, following her as she stomped off.
"He's in trouble now." Harry commented.
"Just watch." Ginny strangled, shaking her head and pointing between giggles. The two of them turned around and watched as Ron caught Hermione. She yelled at him, he yelled back, but luckily their words were inaudible. She stomped away again, he caught her and darted around so she had to stop. He stepped forward and took her in his arms, saying something softly. She shook her head, obviously telling him to get off. He said something else, and she touched his face as he lowered it towards hers, and they kissed in one of the last rays of sunlight, before walking off towards the house.
"You see? I told you." Ginny said. "He's getting better at it, and Hermione knows how to get him to do what she wants...eventually." She sat back up, straightening her robes, her eyes teary from her laughing fit, red staining her cheeks, and her hair straggling in her eyes. Harry, on impulse, reached up and brushed a strand behind her ear. "You're getting better, too." She said with a little smile, brushing her lips over his cheek before standing and heading off into the shadows.
Harry woke the next morning to find the whole house awake, even Ron, who usually slept longer than Harry, was out of the room. Yawning, Harry visited the bathroom. By the time he got out, Ron was back in the room, standing at the foot of his four-poster, holding up his dress robes with a look of worry on his face. "They look like they've spent the week in a duffel bag!" Which they had.
Harry scrubbed his hands through his still-damp hair, examining Ron's robes. They were sapphire blue and had a handsome leather belt that went around Ron's waist, and leather buckles across the chest. They were quite handsome, other than the fact that they were horribly wrinkled. "I bet Hermione knows a spell..." Harry commented. And Ron, looking terribly grateful, dashed out with the robes in hand.
Harry turned and started rummaging in his own bag, finally coming up with his bottle-green robes. They were fitted across his shoulders and buttoned with silver down the left side of his chest before flaring out below the waist. He pulled on a pair of black trousers and white t-shirt, attempted once more to fix his hair, finally gave up and pulled his robes on, fastening them. He grabbed his glasses, looked in the mirror above the bureau, which was missing half of its handles, then glanced around and, seeing no one, spun, liking how the light material swirled around before falling precisely at the toes of his boots. The mirror applauded. He made a noise in his throat and, stowing his wand in his pocket, made his way out and down the creaking, dusty stairs.
The kitchen was in a terrible state, Mingan was standing in the middle of it, a dangerous look on his face, brandishing a long oak staff around, decorating a cake and making appetizers at the same time as retrieving a steaming goose from the oven and stirring a sauce on the stovetop. Harry made to back away, but Mingan glanced him and a few donuts hurtled towards the boy, who caught them and retreated into the living room. Moody and Hurst were sitting on the couch, both dressed in wedding finery, and both with their feet up on the coffee table.
"Harry," Moody grunted cheerfully at him, "See you made it out of the kitchen alive, good job."
Hurst snorted with laughter beside him. "My boy is in his element with all this work to be done." He looked up as a crash and a few curses came filtering through the door. "He's on vacation from the Assembly. He works for magical co-operation, pretends it drives him up the wall, but he enjoys it."
Ron darted into the room, his eyes wild, his robes twisted. "Nearly killed me with a bowl of cereal," he gulped. Hermione and Ginny followed soon after. They looked extraordinarily pretty this morning. They had apparently been doing things to each other's hair, and Ginny's was pulled up into a purposefully messy knot on her head, wisps hanging down around her face. She was wearing dark green dress robes and they were fitted around her top, off the shoulder, before ending at a drop waist after which they fit loosely around her legs, matching slippers peeked out from underneath her hem.
Hermione's hair was braided back from her face, twisting before forming a coil, threaded through with a string of pearls. Her dress robes were opalescent violet, and shifted to blue and silver as she moved. They had a high neck but left her arms bare, and had a princess waist. Harry, of course, knew nothing about clothes, but he thought theirs were rather nice. He grinned. "You both look smashing this morning." He commented. Hurst, peering around him, nodded in agreement.
"So many lovely ladies around, Chepi must be getting worried," He said with a perfectly straight face.
"Why? I'm the only one who really appreciates your scars." Chepi laughed from the doorway, ducking a flying saucer, still with a cup of tea on it, as she moved inside. She had smoothed her hair down, which made her look less wild, and she wore aqua colored robes draped over a gown in a lighter shade of the same color. Harry wasn't sure whether or not her finery made her scars more, or less noticeable. She flopped down into a threadbare armchair with a sigh. "Texi's with Tala." She said tiredly, "And Tainn is with Lupin, so you boys may want to go rescue him."
"We'll go help Texi." Hermione said as the boys left the room to find their professor.
They moved down the hall, dodging cutlery as they passed through the kitchen, and found Lupin sitting on his bed, looking calm but strained. Tainn was giving him all sorts of advice on married life, which he was politely ignoring.
"Good morning, boys." He said, then buried his head in his hands, breathing deeply and quickly. He was wearing the same silver and blue robes he had worn before the Session.
"He's been doing that every few minutes," Tainn supplied cheerfully. He was dressed in a long black jacket over a green shirt and black trousers. His hair was brushed and tied back into a long tail, and he had several feathers stuck in a small braid that hung in front of his ear. His feet were still bare under his pants legs. "Just nerves." He added in a wise sort of voice that didn't go well with his feral smile.
Lupin uncovered his face again. "Glad to see you, by Merlin! I didn't think I would be so nervous." He stared at Harry for a long moment, then stood up and turned to look out the window, leaning his arm against the frame, which creaked threateningly. "Would that I could get it over with," He murmured to himself. "So many unexpected memories, and how I wish...how I wish..." He turned back around and Harry was startled to see tears standing in his eyes. "I'm glad you boys could come. Everyone else was too wrapped up in..." He shook his head. "Don't think about it today," He said, agitated.
Tainn perched on the bureau, watching Lupin curiously as he paced around the room. Finally he perched back on the bed, burying his head in his hands and breathing quickly and heavily. The boys stood there helplessly, looking at each other and trying to find something to say.
"You'll be just fine, Professor," Ron finally said supportively, sitting on the bed beside him and clasping his shoulder.
"Thank you, Ronald." Lupin replied thickly, his head still buried in his hands. "Is it nearly time yet?" He asked Tainn who glanced at the clock, which read, 'A few minutes.'
"We can head out now," He replied, showing himself off of the bureau and landing lightly on his unshod feet.
Lupin nodded and he and Ron stood. The bed creaked in a dangerous way. Lupin swallowed a couple times before asking, "Do I look alright?" They assured him that he looked perfectly fine, and led him out the door.
They stood behind him at the front of a long aisle, filled with the residents of Stepenwolv. Lupin's eyes kept darting around, and he looked as though he were about to choke. His eyes fell on Harry and he attempted to smile before giving up and looking out over their heads. A few tears slipped down his lined face.
It was then that Harry understood Lupin's muttered wishes. He stood there, basically alone, no Prongs to welcome him to the club of married men, no Padfoot to clap him on the shoulder and joke about giving up his freedom for a ball and chain. The ones that he wished for most in the world to be with him on the most important day of his life were gone. And at this moment he mourned for his lost friends, perhaps remembering another wedding more than sixteen years ago, perhaps remembering laughing faces and another bride and groom.
Harry swallowed with difficulty. He knew what was wrong, but he didn't know what to do.
He was saved by a muffled gasp from his professor, and looked up to find his eyes fastened on the opposite end of the aisle. There Tala stood, her father and mother at her side, her brother behind her and her niece and nephew proceeding her up the aisle. Lupin grinned through his tears, and Harry knew that the faces he had seen in his mind's eye just a moment before were moved to the side as he looked upon the glowing face of the woman he loved. The face of his bride.
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