The day of the wedding was finally here and even though there wouldn't be too many guests, the Tonks worked hard all morning on the last minutes preparations. They wanted everything to be perfect for their only daughter's wedding, though the bride didn't mind if everything wasn't perfect.
"Why do we have an empty table in that corner? Shouldn't there be food on it or something?" Ted asked his wife.
"Of course not honey, it's for the presents!" Andromeda exclaimed.
"Right, I completely forgot about this. Do they really need such a big table though? There aren't that many guests..." Ted frowned.
"Well, I wanted it smaller but Dobby insisted that it needed to be bigger, because Remus is from Harry Potter's family and so he deserves more presents. Not that having a bigger table will magically multiply the gifts or anything, but Dobby is so determined to make this day perfect, I didn't have it in me to deny him this." The mother of the bride replied with a chuckle.
"You know, I've heard of brides becoming bridezilla's on their wedding days, or even of their mother becoming obsessed perfectionists, but I've never heard of a house elf, who doesn't even belong to the family of the bride or even of the groom, becoming so obsessed and perfectionist... He should go into wedding planning that one. Isn't he the one who insisted we needed prettier cakes, not just normal ones? He's the one who did the fancy decorations too, isn't he?" Ted asked his wife who nodded.
"He's also the one who followed Dora with a measuring tape for over 2 hours to make sure he had everything covered." She chuckled.
"I do like this house elf though, he's fun." Ted shrugged his shoulders.
"He used to belong to Lucius and Narcissa before Harry tricked Lucius into freeing him. Cissa told me that Dobby was never like this when he worked for them. She can see that he's much happier now, though it's hard for her to accept that house elves have their own opinions and needs."
"It amuses Sirius to see Dobby around Harry. He treats him like some sort of super star." Ted nodded.
"I've heard Dumbledore speaking of this with Remus and Moody after a meeting of the Order. Dumbledore thinks that Dobby unknowingly linked himself with Harry after he was freed. Some sort of half bond, made stronger because Dobby was willing to have it. I think that's why Albus hired Dobby at Hogwarts." Andromeda replied.
"Now, everything's ready, we should go up and get ready ourselves. We can't marry our only daughter in our nightgowns, what would people say?" Ted chuckled, pushing his wife upstairs.
"We'd be sure to get people's attention, that's for sure." Andromeda chuckled, letting her husband guide her to her room.
As they walked past their daughter's bedroom, she smiled. Dora had slept a little later and she was now getting ready, with the help of Winky. For the occasion, her hair were a bright and cheerful pink, and Andy wondered if they would stay that way all day or if they'd change as the day goes.
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At the beginning of the afternoon, the Tonk's backyard filled rather quickly. Albus Dumbledore arrived first, then Alastor Moody arrived at the same time as Kinglsey Shacklebolt and they were soon followed by Remus. Sirius arrived a bit later with Narcissa, Draco, Harry and Rose. The Weasley family arrived just 10 minutes before Hagrid did and soon, it looked like their backyard was filled up. They were all dressed up and the guests alone made the back yard colorful and festive.
"It's a good thing they didn't invite more people, there wouldn't be room for many more here." Narcissa whispered to Sirius.
"They wanted to keep things small... We offered to have it in our backyard, with the new land I bought, it would have been much bigger, but they refused..." Sirius nodded.
"I think Hagrid makes it look like it's fuller than it truly is." Rose commented on her way to her boyfriend.
"She's got a point." Narcissa smiled.
"Anyway, you want in on the action, cousin? We're all betting on whether or not Dora's hair will change color through the ceremony." Sirius asked her.
"I think I'll stay out of this one. I know from experience how fast a woman's emotions can shift on her wedding day, and since her hair color tend to reflect her emotions... I'll stay out of this." She smiled before she took her seat.
Remus was already standing at his place, waiting for his bride as all the guests were sitting down as well. Dobby and Winky were there as well. They had worked so hard on everything, they deserved to enjoy the result of their efforts.
Kreacher had been invited too, and he sat happily by Draco's side.
Ted was waiting at the door that led to the back yard, probably so he could walk his daughter to her husband, as the tradition wanted. When Andromeda arrived and went to take her seat, next to her sister, the father of the bride stood taller.
Nymphadora arrived and walked, holding on to her father's arm, without tripping once, which was a miracle for her. Her hair was a bright and cheerful pink and she was beautiful.
The ceremony was going well, until the master of ceremony asked the bride:
"Do you, Nymphadora, take Remus Lupin to be your husband?"
Everyone watched the bride's hair at that moment and most of them smiled, amused, when her hair turned a deep red.
Still, she didn't say anything special about this, she just said "Yes" in a quiet voice.
While the ceremony continued and Remus said "yes" as well, Sirius exchanged money discreetly with Moody, Dumbledore, Kingsley and Arthur. Rose also noticed money changing hands among the Weasley children.
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Once the ceremony ended and everyone had their turn congratulating the newly weds, everyone moved the chairs and brought the tables so they could start eating. While the tables and chairs were being moved, Remus and his new wife moved to the present table to open them.
Nymphadora's hair were back to their bright pink, but Ginny, who had been asked to snap a few pictures during the ceremony, had snapped a couple of pictures of the bride with her red hair, to make sure it would have been remembered.
The first present they opened was Dumbledore's, who told them that his brother, who apparently knew the couple and liked them a lot, had participated. They had gotten the newly weds a complete dish set for their future meals. Serving plates, forks, spoons, knives, bowls, plates, glasses, serving dish... It was all there and coordinated, though it was several different boxes. There was even a magical tea set in the lot, though Albus refused to tell them what it did, they'd have to figure it out on their own.
After that, they opened Moody's gift, which was a foe-glass. He assured them that it was essential for them to have one, which made them smile. None of them thought it truly essential but they still thanked him.
The Weasley had gotten the couple several sets of sheets and curtains for their future house. It was very pretty and in the spirit of the house they had started designing with Sirius.
Kingsley got them a oven, once again, it would fit perfectly in the house they had discussed these past few days.
Sirius was already paying for most of the house and he had been warned by the couple that he better not get them anything else, so he just gave them the deed to the land he had bought next to his, the one where their house would be built.
Hagrid had made them an absolutely beautiful table with chairs for their new house.
Andromeda and Ted had gotten their daughter a bedroom set, one that apparently used to belong to Ted's mother in the past and that their daughter had always loved, along with a couch for their living room.
Harry had bought the couple matching dressing robes.
Rose got them a gift certificate for a meal at a great muggle restaurant in London along with another hand made gift certificate promising 20 hours of free babysitting for their future children. This second gift made Remus blush deeply.
Narcissa and Draco, though invited and warned at the last minute, had decided not to come empty handed. Knowing everyone was helping the couple with their future house, they went along and gave them a gift certificate, with a pretty generous amount, to a furniture store in Diagon Alley. Draco added a few boxes of Remus' favorite chocolate.
Fred and George gave the couple an empty box, telling them that the gift was the fire works they would set as soon as night fell.
Ron and Ginny had wanted to give something too but they didn't have much money so Ginny gave them an empty photo album, telling them that when they'd come back from their honeymoon, it would be filled with their wedding pictures. Ron had thought about promising babysitting but he wasn't sure if he'd be any good at this, so instead he promised them all the manual labor he could provide on his own once they moved in.
Hermione, though she wasn't present, had sent them a present as well. She had gotten them a gift basket full of beer, wine, sweets, crackers and other muggle goods.
Dobby gave the couple a portrait of them he had made himself. They smiled, not to upset the kind house elf, but they didn't know where they would hang it.
Winky promised, with her master's permission, to come and help them out as soon as they had their first child.
Kreacher had wanted to give them something as well and, with Sirius' permission, he had given them a ancient Black family plate that Sirius didn't care much about. Since Dora was a Black too, Kreacher found it important that she owned something with the Black crest in her new home and he had told Sirius so. Sirius had then suggested that Kreacher selected something himself out of Grimault place, to give the couple. Kreacher had been proud of this mission. He also offered to help them out whenever they needed it, something Sirius had also permitted him to do.
Other Order members who hadn't been invited and collegues of Tonks had gotten them presents. It was all either things that would decorate their house or fill their stomachs. Wine, vase, picture frames, sweets, chocolates, gift certificates... The couple was touched by all of those presents that would help them settle in their new home.
Once the opening of the presents was done, everyone moved to the tables and started eating the delicious food cooked by Dobby, Winky and Kreacher.
As soon as night fell, Fred and George started their special custom made fireworks. Of course it was marauder themed. There was a werewolf, a large dog, a stag, a doe, for Lily and everyone noticed that the rat wasn't present. The animals danced at first, bright, happy, changing colors, until Albus decided to have fun and cast a spell at it. Then the different shapes met, changed, exploded into several others... It lasted over an hour and was very popular.
Everyone had fun of course. There was music, and Rose enjoyed dancing with Fred.
In a corner, Bill, Percy, George and Ron had cornered their brother Charlie.
"Oh come on, you guys have got to let this go!" Charlie complained as they asked him, once again, if he was with anyone.
This time, they had been more direct and open, asking him if he was gay and, if he was, why he didn't tell them. They'd be fine with it.
"We just want to know!" Bill insisted.
"I don't see how it's any of your business! I'm single, that's all you need to know." Charlie shook his head, amused and annoyed at the same time.
"But we tell you about us, our love lives... We want to know about you, too." George added.
"Fine, I'm not gay, I'm bi. I've had a few one night stands, with both girls and boys. No serious boyfriend or girlfriend. Now I've decided to stop looking for short term relationships and to wait for the real deal, the one I'll want to marry." Charlie ended up confessing, speaking in a small voice so that his parents, mostly his mother, didn't hear him talking about one night stands.
"And what's your style?" Ron asked Charlie.
"My style?" Charlie asked his younger brother with a frown as he saw, in the corner of his mind, Ginny dancing with Harry Potter.
"Yes, what are you looking for in a significant other?" Percy added.
"I don't know. Someone smart, at least smart enough to hold on a conversation. Someone who can see the beauty in dragons, because I'm never giving up my work. Someone who likes to have fun, but know when to be serious..." Charlie replied, shrugging his shoulders.
"Ron almost made a joke that Hargid could hold a conversation and loved Dragons too, but he kept it back, knowing it wouldn't be as fnny as he thought.
"Taller than you or smaller?" George asked.
"I don't know, I don't think I care. Why? You guys are not going to try and set me up, right? Because I'm not interested. It will happen when it happens." Charlie warned them before he left them, planning on going to get something to drink.
Around 1 in the morning, the newlyweds were about to leave the party to go on their honeymoon, so they thanked their friends for coming and were about to leave when Tonks grabbed Remus' arm and exclaimed.
"I forgot to throw the flowers!" She told him in a loud voice.
"It's okay, you can keep them." Sirius said, shaking his head.
"There's just Ginny and Rose to catch them..." Remus frowned, not liking this much.
Sirius and Remus' reaction amused Narcissa who turned to her sister and said:
"It's a good thing we didn't bet, I would have won this one."
"I thought of that, Rose and Ginny won't stand alone. They'll be joined with the eligible, meaning unmarried men of all ages!" The bride decided.
"I guess..." Remus nodded and so everyone concerned regrouped, some quite reluctantly.
Bill, Percy, Hagrid, Albus, Sirius, Moody, Draco, Ron, Harry, Fred, George, Charlie joined Rose and Ginny.
Albus wanted to stand out first, not to do it but the bride had insisted that since he wasn't married, he had to stand with them.
With a wink, Nymphadora turned her back to the group and threw her bouquet of flowers in the air, behind her. Sirius saw the flowers heading right to Rose and jumped in the way, giving it a second kick, sending it back up in the air, just so Rose wouldn't catch it. They weren't ready for her to get married yet. It would come soon enough.
The flowers followed their path, heading right for Mad-Eye Moody who frowned at them and kicked them back in the air with a growl, to bounce on Draco's head. They were coming closer to Ron who kicked them back in the air with a small, very girly, scream, before they were caught by...
"No! I can't believe it!" Andromeda exclaimed, both hands covering her mouth as Albus Dumbledore, elderly headmaster of Hogwarts, stood with the flowers in his hands.
"I'm not sure how I feel about this..." Albus commented with a chuckle.
"Well, you know what it means, Albus. Married within the year!" Sirius exclaimed, feeling free to joke about it now that Rose and Harry were out of reach of the flowers.
"Are we supposed to ignore that they were going to land on Rose before you kicked them back up in the air?" Narcissa commented with an amused smile.
"I have no idea what you mean." Sirius denied, making everyone laugh.
"I didn't see anything either." Remus lied, supporting Sirius in his action.
"They sure traveled these flowers." Dora chuckled, remembering the number of times they had been kicked back up in the air before they fell in Albus' hands.
Maybe, if he had been paying more attention, he'd have kicked them back up as well.
Finally, after more laughter and goodbyes, the couple left for their honeymoon and the guests went back to their homes, promising to meet the next day to start on building the Lupin's house.
What did you think of Albus catching the flowers? it was a last minute idea when I wrote the chapter... I just loved having the flowers moving around like this.
The more I work on the storyline, the more this story grows. I still don't know how or when it'll end.
Review please?
Lorelei Candice Black