THE ONE WITH THE WEDDING
Disclaimer: Anything you see or recognise is not mine….
Luna found herself seated on one of the pews, in between Neville who had rushed off to the washroom and some sweet looking elderly Italian lady. Fred was seated with the rest of his family a few rows down.
"Are you married?" The lady asked her, after exchanging friendly smiles.
"No." Luna gave the usual answer to the usual question. That would most likely end their conversation unless this was another zealous old lady who wanted every young girl to suffer that same fate that she had – marriage, children and watching the man you spent half your life loving, drool in his food in his ripe old age.
Instead, the old lady asked, "Are you a lesbian?"
Luna stared at the old woman, no longer thinking of her as just sweet but sweet and quirky. Curiosity got the better of her, of course. "What makes you ask that?"
"Well, it is one of the possibilities for unmarried girls nowadays, and it's rather more interesting than saying, "Oh dear, never met the right chap," eh?"
"Quite right. Why be dull?" Luna agreed wholeheartedly.
"Thank you."
After a long pause as the chamber music filtered the air and guests continued to file in, Luna glanced at the lady and spoke, "I was a lesbian once at school, but only for about fifteen minutes."
A few rows down, Bill glanced around, absent-mindedly scanning the guests seated in the gazebo and those latecomers who were taking their seats. A familiar flash of blonde hair and a tall, slender figure caught his eye. He knitted his eyebrows in a frown.
"What's wrong?" Van who was sitting beside him, asked. He shook his head, distracted.
Lowering his voice so that Van would not hear him, "What's Fleur Delacour doing here?" He asked Charlie who was sitting on his right.
Charlie turned his head to scan the crowd for his elder brother's ex-girlfriend. He knew that they had not had an exactly amiable breakup – there had been a lot of tears, hysterics and yelling, not all from Fleur.
"A friend of the Bernoullis?" Charlie offered, uncertainly.
"No, she worked with Zedka in the war." Fred, who had heard the entire exchange from his seat on Charlie's right, informed them.
"Oh." Bill looked none too happy.
"Ah, don't worry. She won't bother you."
"It's not that, Charlie. I just don't like her being around. It'll be awkward."
Bill turned to Van who had poked him in the arm. "Stop whispering with your brothers. Haven't you learnt that you Weasley boys can never whisper?" She teased with a knowing smile.
Bill blinked in surprise, undecided on how exactly to react.
"So what if Fleur is here? Doesn't matter to me." Van shrugged, nonchalant. Bill's face broke into a handsome grin of relief.
At the altar, the bridegroom and his groomsmen had taken their places and were waiting for Zedka to arrive. Remus stood in front of the Justice of Peace, a benevolent old man with a long white beard who reminded him distinctly of the late Professor Dumbledore. Sirius was standing beside him. Harry and other grooms men were standing directly behind.
"All these weddings, all these years, all that blasted salmon and champagne and here I am on my own wedding day, and I'm... eh... em... eh... still thinking." Remus trailed off.
"Well, can I ask about what?" Sirius asked, in a half whisper.
"No... no... I think, best not." Remus replied.
Sirius glanced at his best friend to ascertain that he was lost in his own thoughts before looking over at Harry who gave him a thumb's up as if to indicate everything would go according to plan.
Remus, however, caught this action and closed his eyes momentarily, as if in great pain. "Sirius, no surprises right?"
"Not at all." Sirius lied through his teeth, looking Remus right in the eye. Remus sighed, obviously not believing his fellow Marauder one bit.
The first notes of the 'Here comes the bride' filled the air. Remus' eyes were fixed on the entrance beyond the arch, as he stood rigid in anticipation.
As Zedka stepped into the wedding hall and walked down the aisle on her father's arm, she looked at Remus through the veil - she felt her fears and doubts disappear and thought that she was the luckiest girl in the world. She felt her heart brimming with love and adoration for him.
She had on ivory silk wedding dress robes that nipped in at the waist. It had translucent cap sleeves, and fell around her feet with a twelve-foot long train, which required the three bridesmaids and maid-of-honor to carry. She had on a hat as well – ivory colored like the dress, with a dusty-white silk flower at the brim, a white that matched the white roses in the bouquet she is holding. The veil was attached to the front of the hat, concealing her face.
The entire gazebo had fallen silent with the occasional hushed whispering and the beautiful notes of the organ music resounding around them.
When they reached the altar, her father kissed her on the cheek tenderly. She looked up into her father's dove colored eyes – they were filled with unshed tears. She squeezed his hand as she stepped up to the altar to stand beside Remus.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered her to witness the union of Zedka RosettaBernoulli and Remus Jiles Lupin…." The justice of the peace intoned, beginning the ceremony.
Remus placed the ring Harry passed him on Zedka's finger and for a moment held it there. She looked at his fingers on the silver, at the gleam of silver itself. He was wearing his official Ministry dress robes for the occasion, navy blue dress robes in which he looked handsome to her.
The Justice of Peace spoke, in clear solemn tones, "Marriage hath in it less of beauty but more of safety, than the single life; it hath more care, but less danger, it is more merry, and more sad; it is fuller of sorrows, and fuller of joys; it lies under more burdens, but it is supported by all the strengths of love and charity, and those burdens are delightful."
Then with a big smile at the couple in front of him, "With that, I pronounce you man and wife. Ladies and Gentlemen, I have the utmost pleasure and honor to present you, Mr. And Mrs. Lupin."
Remus lifted the veil off his wife's face for a kiss that was anything but chaste and exceptionally prolonged. The wide brimmed hat slipped from Zedka's head and she barely noticed. It was to raucous catcalls and loud applause that they broke apart, the length of smiles on both their faces identical.
"That kiss belongs in a box, so I can show my grandkids some day." Zedka whispered to him.
Remus laughed, "Ti amo. I'll always love you." He said to her, eyes full of tender longing.
He turned to Sirius with a smile that rivaled the North Star, "Looks like you resisted the temptation for surprises." Sirius nodded, biting back a smug smile.
Zedka hooked her arm through Remus' as he led her down the aisle, towards the archway that was put up at the end, marking the entrance. Halfway down the aisle though, the loud organ music that had been playing seemed to change its tune all of a sudden, playing the first notes of a rather familiar sounding song.
A chorus of melodious voices could be heard coming from the black wrought iron balcony tucked in at the corners of the beam, above the arched entrance.
Say a little prayer for you..
Everyone turned and looked up at the balcony as the curtains rose quickly to reveal an entire choir of singers, singing along to the organ music. A petite African woman stepped into sight, singing loudly, her voice obviously amplified by the sonorous charm.
From the moment I wake up
Before I put on my makeup
I say a little prayer for you…
While combing my hair now
And wond'ring what dress to wear now
I say a little prayer for you...
Zedka clutched Remus' arm in unbuttered excitement, her cheeks aching from all the smiling. "Did you do this?" She asked Remus in disbelief.
Remus shook his head just as baffled, turning to look at Sirius and Harry who were still standing at the altar beside the Justice of Peace. Sirius simply shrugged and managed a look of mock innocence at Remus' accusatory glance.
"She's a really famous muggle singer right?" Ginny asked Freda, who nodded and was in complete shock.
Ginny glanced at Harry and saw that he looked not in the least bit surprised. He caught her eye and grinned. "There's more." He mouthed to her, across the aisle.
Chris, who was standing beside Ginny, noticed this exchange. "They planned this?" She asked the younger bridesmaid who nodded proudly. Chris was flabbergasted. She was obviously not familiar with the Marauders and their marauding ways.
The music of the organ backed the choir and the singer up as they began to sing the chorus together, harmonizing note for note beautifully.
Forever, and ever, you'll stay in my heart, and I'll love you
Forever, and ever, we never will part, oh I love you
Three rows from the front on the left side of wedding hall, four men suddenly stood up with saxophones in their hands, and begun to play their instruments in accompaniment to the song. Excited murmurs in the crowd turned into outright gasps and laughter. Zedka blinked in surprise as Remus started laughing, taken aback yet delighted. At that juncture, two men sitting in the same row as Luna stood up, playing their flutes.
Together, forever, that's how it should be
Living without you
Would only mean heartbreak for me...
Hagrid nearly decapitated the three men who rose from their seats beside him, in surprise, as they pulled out trombones and began playing along. The entire wedding hall was filled with exclamations of surprise, laughter from the crowd, the music and the singers' voices.
I run for the bus dear, while riding I think of us dear,
I say a lil prayer for you
At work I just take time, and all through my coffee break time
I say a lil prayer for you...
No one knew where exactly to look – at the balcony where the singer was crooning the chorus with the choir, or at the three saxophone players, or at the trombone players or the flutists.
My darling believe me
For me there is no one but you
Say you love me too...
I'm in love with you
Answer my prayer
Say you love me too
Answer my prayer..
Best of all, to end the last verse of the song on a memorable riff, there on a raised pulpit at the corner of the room, a guitarist had appeared, strumming on his electric guitar. Even the Justice of Peace was smiling and clapping his hands along with the music.
Forever, and ever, you'll stay in my heart, and I'll love you
Forever, and ever, we never will part, oh I love you
Together, forever, that's how it should be
Living without you
Would only mean heartbreak for me...
The entire hall burst into highly appreciative applause as the choir and the singer finished off by singing the chorus in a splendid fashion. Sirius saw the amazed and thrilled looks on Remus' and Zedka's faces and knew his plan had been a success.
He high fived Harry who looked rather pleased – mainly due to the fact that Ginny was laughing and smiling and enjoying this surprise performance. Sirius caught Bill's eye and nodded his head in a gesture of approval. All the musicians were Bill's contacts and he was the one who had pulled strings to get the original singer to perform. The eldest Weasley was anything but not smug as his family, even the twins clapped enthusiastically, completely impressed.
The gazebo on the inside looked more like an authentic wedding banquet hall rather than a pavilion constructed from tents, as it appeared to be on the outside. One of the many advantages of being born in the wizarding world, Remus realized.
Zedka gasped as she stepped inside. One surprise after another. She did not think her heart would be able to stand so much joy and happiness in one day. Remus beamed with pride beside her. With help from his new father-in-law, he had managed to plan the designs of wedding banquet pavilion and keep it a secret from his beautiful bride.
The wizards he had hired to set up the magically enhanced gazebos had really outdone themselves this time. Where the wedding hall itself had been simple and elegant, this was like a dream tour of the Italian imagination. Vaulted beams of polished pine made the ceiling look like the Duomo in Florence, and the painting that covered the whole thing was on the theme of seasons – marriage being, after all, the commencement of wheel of birth and harvest.
A ceramic model of the Fontana di Trevi coated in marbleized paint and more than five feet tall took up the length of one whole wall. The Trevi Fountain gushed Champagne out of a jug in the arms of the sea god. It was cheap stuff – Patrick Bernoulli had insisted that he was not going to run Chandon or Moet in such wasteful excess. In an alcove beside it, the polished bar was nearly concealed. The bartenders there were handing out glasses of the champagne to the guests.
At the head of the hall was a raised platform for the cutting of the wedding cake, which would take place later. Beside it was the bandstand where the band, a popular Irish band which Zedka loved, called 'The Corrs' were performing. The melodious Irish music had not enraptured Zedka as much as the fresco on the wall behind the bandstand and platform. Even from halfway across the hall, she realized she was looking at her own face.
Remus noticed what she was looking at. "You're Mimi," He said, with a kind of uncorked delight. "And I'm Rodolfo."
Zedka smiled, unshed tears filling her eyes. She was touched beyond words as she stared at the depiction of a scene from La Boheme. It was painted with a diaphanous technique that made not just the painting but also the wall itself to look hundreds of years old.
"Look." Remus pointed to the floor they were standing on when they reached their table right in front.
The entire floor Zedka realized was parquet inlaid in a mosaic, deep burgundy around the edges radiating in to the twenty-four foot face of a woman in profile. Her forehead and crown above her olive cheek were draped in folds of cloth, in varying shades of blond and yellow oak, so sinuous they seemed to move.
"Oh, Remus, Carrissimo," Zedka whispered. "The hood of gold."
"You like it?"
"It's lovely. Lovely." She breathed.
"It was all his idea." Mr. Bernoulli said gently, from behind her.
Zedka could not stop smiling. To hear her father give her husband such credit was his way of accepting Remus and even acknowledging that she had made the right choice in marrying him. She turned around and hugged her father.
After hugging his daughter, Mr. Bernoulli turned to Remus and surprised him with a hearty embrace. "Buono Fortuna, son." He murmured.
Remus exchanged grins with his bride as they took their seats at the table. The tables were rough cypress, spread with shawls and abutted by cushioned seats. Even the napkins had Zedka and Remus' names scrolled in gold leaf. Remus did not seem to have left out a single detail.
She leaned across, and as he turned around to face her, kissed him. If he had to have just one last kiss from Zedka, that would have been it. That kiss would have been enough. All her love and passion for him was in that kiss.
There were gasps of admiration as people milled about the dining hall, admiring the décor and finding their seats. Harry who had offered Ginny his arm as they walked down the aisle, accompanied her all the way into the reception hall.
"It's beyond words," Ginny murmured, dazedly looking around as she stepped inside.
"Isn't it?" Harry murmured, his eyes resting attentively on Ginny's face.
Before Ginny herself could note his undivided attention, Vincent Cappadora, Ron and another tall, dark haired Italian guy: Charley Tempesta, walked by, laughing and talking loudly.
It was Vincent who noticed Harry, "Hey, mate, let's get to the champagne before it runs out!" He urged.
Ginny rolled her eyes at him, "Harry can't drink. It brings out his dark side." She stated with a straight face.
Harry bit back a smile. Ron nudged Charley, "Watch my sister have a go at your cousin, without her wand."
Vincent arched an eyebrow questioningly, "Oh, really? When I buy a new book, I read the last page first. That way, in case I die before I finish, I know how it ends. That, my friend, is a dark side." Ron gaped at him while Harry and Charley dissolved into silent guffaws. Ginny could not help laughing out loud.
"These two should really get together." Charley said, much to Harry's chagrin.
Ginny glanced at Harry, noticed the strange contortion of his handsome features and looked away quickly before he could catch her eye. Wishing to diffuse the awkward moment, she smiled politely at the two Italian men, "And how are you'll related to the bride?"
"We're her cousins." Vincent answered, offering his hand for a handshake, as did Charley.
"Well then, how about the champagne?" Harry reminded, wanting to remove these dangerously charming Italian men from Ginny's presense.
"Yes, yes, let's get a move on, lads." Ron, the apparent leader of the group, announced leading them away to the champagne fountain.
Before Ginny could ponder about the dangerous glint she had seen in Harry's eye, her girlfriends and fellow bridesmaids swarmed around her.
"You look gorgeous Ginny, so what's with the sad face?" Luna asked, swinging an arm around her shoulder and giving her a peck on the cheek.
Ginny sighed wearily. "I just don't know what to do about Harry…I don't know what to make out of his behavior. All these years, I've completely let him go, come to terms with his non-presence in my life and now…"
"If you ever want something badly, let it go. If it comes back to you, then it's yours forever. If it doesn't, then it was never yours to begin with." Luna told her sagely.
Hermione who had been standing beside them, griping to Chris about Ron behaving more like a bachelor than a man with a wife and a child on the way, overheard Luna's comment. "Gees, that's just plain morbid and strange…but that's you anyway."
Ginny had managed to find their table by then, right in front, near the bandstand and led the way to the front of the reception hall.
Chris shook her head, bemused, as they walked towards the front. "My darling girl, when are you going to understand that "normal" isn't a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage."
"But to be as strange as Luna?" Hermione looked puzzled, taking her seat between Ginny and Luna at the Weasley table. Chris having no luck in locating her family or the table she was rightfully supposed to be seated at, decided to sit with them for a while.
"I am not strange Herm…just loony.." Luna said half jokingly, as she blew a kiss at Fred who came to sit beside her.
"Lu, I need to talk to you, now." Ginny had never seen her brother look this anxious, not even when he had to tell George that he was in love with Luna, whom George happened to be dating at that time.
Luna seemed exasperated though, "You always want what you want when you want it. Why is everything so urgent with you?"
"Let me tell you somethin'. This here, right now, at this very moment, is all that matters to me. I love you. That's urgent like a motherfucker."
Ginny looked around and realized the only reason why Fred was swearing like a sailor was because their mother was out of hearing range, at the Bernoullis' table, introducing herself to Remus' in-laws. She turned to exchange amused glances with Chris and Hermione but found that Chris had spotted her brother at the next table and had gone to join him, while Hermione was busy scanning the room for her husband.
"That's what you never understand – true love lasts a lifetime so you shouldn't have to rush it." Luna advised Fred, patiently.
"Eh, Lu, I'm afraid I'll lose my nerve. That's why."
"You lose your nerve? For what?" Luna looked incredulous. Now Ginny was definitely interested – what was her brother going on about?
Hermione was not paying them the least attention. She had just spotted Ron by the champagne fountain with a whole bunch of guys, laughing and obviously getting drunk. She was thinking of the many ways of hexing him to Azkaban, when Neville wandered over.
He caught her eye and smiled, "How've you been?" He asked, concerned.
"Pregnant." Hermione replied curtly.
Fortunately, Neville never had to think of an adequate reply because their attention was piqued by the sight of Fred rising from his seat and going down on his knee in front of Luna who was staring at him in a rather astonished fashion. Ginny was sure her own eyes were going to fall out of her head.
Fixing his gaze on Luna's face so that he would not lose the bravado that was required to do what he doing, Fred begin to speak, "Look, I guarantee there'll be tough times. I guarantee that at some time, one or both of us is gonna want to get out of this thing. But I also guarantee that if I don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for the rest of my life, because I know, in my heart, you're the only one for me. So will you marry me, Luna?"
Luna for the first time in her life was completely, absolutely speechless.
Some distance away, at the next table, Molly Weasley who had just introduced herself to the Bernoullis heard the quiet gasp go up in the air, like a deflating hot air balloon. She and Mr.Weasley had been talking to Mr. And Mrs. Bernoulli.
"So you must be the Weasleys that Remus talks so much about." Patrick Bernoulli had boomed, shaking their hands.
"Hope it's all good." Mr. Weasley commented affably.
"Of course, it is." Molly sounded affronted, "Why would Remus ever have anything bad to say about us, right Remus?" She asked, turning on the unsuspecting groom who looked rather lonely since Zedka had abandoned him to go chat with her numerous cousins. He shook his head in the affirmative.
Patrick Bernoulli caught Arthur Weasley's eye, and leaned towards him with a conspiratory grin, "I see we're in the same boat, Mr. Weasley, the missus is the boss in our house too."
"Call me Arthur," Mr.Weasley told him, liking the Bernoulli patriarch instantly.
"Well, my brother-in-law Joey is the boss as well, in my case." Patrick pointed to the older man sitting at the table with his white hair slicked back, clad in an all black suit, smoking an expensive looking cigar in one hand, holding a walking stick in the other, and a black patch over one eye.
Arthur laughed uncertainly, staring at the old man's eye patch. Joey caught Arthur staring at him, and stared right back with his good eye. "What are you looking at?" He asked in a thick Sicilian accent, his good eye unblinking, reminding Remus who was watching them from his seat safely across the table, of the late Mad Eye Moody.
"Don't mind him." Patrick muttered quietly, "He just tries to scare everyone with the story of how he lost his eye."
"Remus is like the respectable son we never had," Molly was telling Sylvia Bernoulli.
Bill who happened to be right behind his mother could not help overhearing her statement, "Mum! What are we?Unrespectable loafers?" He asked, half jokingly.
Molly turned around and fingered her son's fang earring, "That speaks for itself don't you think?"
Bill grimaced, before shrugging and introducing himself to the Bernoullis – Patrick, Sylvia and the formidable Bernoulli whom everyone addressed as 'Uncle Joey'. Having dealt with Goblins, Bill thought he was probably the most able in dealing with a character like the oldest Bernoulli. He was right – Joey Bernoulli took such a shining to him that he patted the seat next to him and offered Bill a cigar.
"So how'd you get that eye patch, Uncle Joey?" Bill asked, unknowingly setting himself up for a long evening.
Fortunately, that was precisely when everyone noticed the loud gasps followed by deathly silence that was emanating from the next table. Molly put her hand to her mouth as she realized almost immediately what was happening from the sight that met her eyes.
Fred, however, barely noticed all the eyes on him as he gazed up at Luna, feeling every fiber in his body quiver with anticipation. Please say yes, please say yes was just about the only thought he could manage. He had been thinking of doing this all that day. So fresh had been this idea he had not even had time to buy a ring. That did not deter him – when Fred Weasley wanted something, he went all the way to get it.
"Yes." Luna whispered, awestruck. It took a moment her reply to register before Fred leapt to his feet and pulled her out of her seat, right into his arms, kissing her with everything he felt.
"I think you'll be having another wedding soon, Molly." Zedka murmured upon rejoining Remus at their table.
Molly nodded, beaming and tears welling up in her eyes. Sylvia immediately pulled out a tissue from her purse and handed it to her, patting her shoulder reassuringly.
"Congratulations! Buona Fortuna!" Patrick Bernoulli boomed, as people began to clap and call out good wishes.
A seemingly already drunk guy, whom Ginny recognized as one of Zedka's colleagues from St. Mungo, walked up to Fred and Luna at their table, "Well, let me be the first to say congratulations to you man; you have one vagina for the rest of your life. Real smart man." He slurred, before wandering off.
Fred almost looked as if he was going to change his mind about the whole thing when Remus and Zedka came over to congratulate them.
"Sorry we stole your thunder." Fred apologized sincerely as Remus shook his hand while Zedka hugged Luna.
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that life is full of interruptions and complications." Remus smiled.
"Yeah and anyway, welcome to the club." Zedka told Luna.
"Figures; misery loves company." Luna mused.
"The man just proposed, Luna. You should at least maintain some idealism for the next half an hour or so." Hermione chided, as a very amused Zedka and Remus departed to go back to their seats.
Ginny was still sitting in her seat, stunned beyond belief. She had this incredibly insatiable urge to get completely wasted. How could this be happening? No offense to Luna but Ginny always thought between the two of them she would be the first to settle down. But now she was the unhappy, unfulfilled singleton while Luna was officially one of the 'happily married'- to fickle, restless, reckless Fred no less.
Ginny was just about to get her arse off her seat and make a mad dash for the bar at the Champagne fountain when one of Zedka's cousins, Dominick Tempesta went up on the raised platform, motioned for the band to stop their music and began to make an announcement, "Everyone kindly take your seats please."
"Daddy!" His eight-year-old daughter Joy shrieked from across the hall, waving at him. There were titters of laughter through the crowd as Dominick sheepishly waved back.
"Get on with the show, Dom!" Someone called out from a table nearby.
"Okay, before we can sate our ravenous appetites-" This was interrupted by a loud chorus from the tables where most of the Italians and Weasleys sat, of 'Yeah! Food!'
"-There are some other important things to do." Dominick continued.
"What could be more important than food!" Charley yelled out, to his two teenaged sisters' complete embarrassment.
"Sex!" George blurted out and instantly found himself facing the ends of three wands – Luna's, Ginny's and Hermione's. Gail, Charlie's wife, was too busy covering her two-year-old daughter Abby's ears.
Dominick continued, attempting to ignore all these interruptions, "First on the agenda are the toasts."
A silence descended on the hall as Remus rose from his seat, his champagne glass in one hand, "Thanks, Dominick. I'd like to make a toast first. I know, I know, it's unprecedented for a groom to make a toast at his wedding but I would very much like to have this opportunity to make a toast to my bride."
Since there were no protests whatsoever besides the blush on Zedka's cheeks as she gazed at him from her seat beside him, Remus continued, "All I have to say is find the love. It's all around you. Find it, showcase it, and you'll start believing in it, just as I have."
Seeing Sirius' blatantly cynical look, he added, "Some people think love's a disease. Well, if that's so," At this point, he raised his champagne glass in Zedka's direction, "then, she's my cure. She is my world. To Zedka!"
"To Zedka!" Everyone else echoed, raising his or her glasses in Zedka's direction from all over the dinning hall, following suit as Remus took a sip of champagne before sitting back down in his seat. Zedka's hand found his under the table, interlacing her fingers with his and giving him one of her most beautiful smiles, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.
Just then Sirius rose from his seat across the table, between Harry and Freda, hitting his spoon lightly against the rim of champagne glass, the clinking sound getting everyone's attention.
"Thanks a lot Remus for stealing my moment," amidst bubbles of laughter from the crowd, "As you all know, I'm the dashing best man and I'm the one supposed to be making the toast. Before that though, I'd like you all to watch this very short clip."
Remus shot a look of panic at Harry who gave him a reassuring smile. Sirius pulled out his wand and pointed it at the raised platform where a huge screen magically appeared out of thin air, hanging from the ceiling. It was situated right above the platform so everyone from all corners of the dining hall could view it. Then the screen came to live as Sirius himself appeared on it.
The Sirius on screen smiled at the audience before speaking, "This is what Remus wrote in his diary after he met his father-in law – "Note to self ... rent Goodfellas, Casino, Godfather 1, 2, 3." Not sure that helped. I think my lessons did though…"
Another scene filled the screen. It was in the living room of Sirius' bachelor pad. Remus was lounging on an armchair while Sirius paced the floor in front of him. Sirius spoke, his brows furrowed, "Here, try this, "Hey, fuggeddabout it!""
Remus looked at him as if he were mad before imitating him, "Hey, forget about it!"
Sirius shook his vehemently, "No, like this, "Hey, fuggeddabout it!" Change you T's to D's."
Remus tried again, "Hey, fuggeddaboud id!"
Sirius stopped in front of Remus and stared at him, "Id?"
"You said change Ts to Ds!" Remus reasoned.
"Not the last one!" Sirius exclaimed.
The audience, including Remus himself, was in stitches as the screen went blank after that scene. Even Uncle Joey had his lips twisted in what looked to be a reluctant smile. With a flick of his wand, Sirius made the screen vanish.
He waited for the raucous laughter to die down before he began to speak once more, "So I would very much like to think that it was my rigorous training that has given Zedka her husband, and Remus the girl he is bend on loving. Cheers to you two!" He raised his glass towards them.
Shouts of "Cheers!" filled the room as everyone clinked glasses, a certain lighthearted joyousness filling the atmosphere and initiating the dinner reception in a highly festive manner.
Italian – English Translations:
Ti Amoi: I love you
Buona Fortuna: Congratulations
Carissimo: Dearest
Author's Note -
Btw, the hugh grant movie is 'Two Weeks Notice' with Sandra Bullock..
You got all the movies right!
I LOVE HUGH GRANT!
If it's a bit unreal, forgive me ma'ams…but isn't this a projection of the future? Do you think things will stay exactly the same ALWAYS..ridiculous..things ALWAYS change..even people change as the years pass..
In case your're wondering, the muggle singer they invited is Aretha Franklin – I would love to have her sing at my wedding..IF there is a man mad enough to WANT to marry me in the first place..lol
I upped the rating because of language and also because of future scenes – if you know what I mean..hehe
This is the unbetaed version. Will be posting the betaed version soon. So forgive any errors whatsoever
Also apologise for the lack of HG action in this chapter but that my dears is because the next chapter is ALL HG….scout's honour.
The thing is I'm a very insecure writer. I need loads of motivation in the form of reviews to keep me updating the story. So seeing how little reviews I have been getting for this chapter, i might just NOT update this story PRONTO...
A sneak peek of next chapter - (if you guys review and I feel encouraged enough to update)
What did Ginny make of this man (Harry)beside her? When he gazed at her, it was as if he was looking at something else entirely. He was looking inside of her. She nibbled on the chocolate truffles that were placed on a tray in the middle of every table. People said that chocolate could bring on a rush much like falling in love. It made a heart beat too fast and stimulated far-fetched ideas.