The Eighth Year Universe
Love Wins
We Are the Kings and the Queens
The chapter title is from the song:
Long Live by Taylor Swift.
Charlus's song is – My Old Man by Eli Young Band.
Theo & Charlus's talk was inspired by the song – Things Dads Do by Thomas Rhett.
Charlus's speech is inspired by the song – Boy From Anderson County by Kolby Cooper.
March 2022
Spring had sprung, the air was warm, flowers were in bloom in the surrounding fields. Wild horses were roaming, and birdsong could be heard in the early morning air.
They were in France because this was what Victoire wanted, and Charlus was not too proud to admit that he would do anything for her.
Victoire was with her mother and her bridesmaids getting ready, which meant that 5-month-old Phoenix needed a babysitter, and Draco had gladly volunteered himself. It left Charlus twiddling his thumbs in the cottage that Victoire's family owned near the little chapel where they would be getting married so, with time on his hands and his nerves running wild, he picked up the guitar that his Pops had given him when he was a teenager who needed a hobby.
It wasn't something he played much these days, but a few minutes after picking it up, Charlus was able to strum out some chords to find something close to a tune, then the lyrics came to him, easier than they ever had.
Victoire was in a room at the back of the chapel where the intimate wedding that they had spent three months planning would take place. She wasn't pacing, but she tapped her high-heeled foot against the stone floor.
"Stop biting your lip," Nevaeh said, "You'll ruin your lipstick."
"She's nervous, Nevee," Edith said softly, "She's allowed to bite her lip. Let me see it, Vic."
Victoire let out a breath and turned around to look at Edith. The redheaded woman touched her lip and murmured a glamour charm that refreshed her lipstick, "There, no harm done."
Victoire smiled slightly and smoothed her dress down, "This isn't stupid, is it?"
"Marrying the father of your child?" Nevee quipped sarcastically, "Why on earth would that be stupid?"
Edith glared at her girlfriend, "You are the worst maid of honour ever, you know that, right?"
Victoire laughed and smoothed her dress down again.
"Would you stop doing that?" Nevaeh asked with a smile, "You look bloody portrait perfect."
Victoire did look incredible, her ivory lace dress was lightweight but form-fitting, and she wore a pink and white flower crown in her blonde hair. She had been very specific about her look because she had always imagined herself getting married in the French countryside.
"You do," Edith said with a warm smile, "So stop being self-conscious. You're beautiful, Victoire."
"And you definitely don't look like you have a 5-month-old baby," Nevaeh added.
"Which I think Nina might hate you for," Edith said with a slight smile.
Victoire chuckled. Nina had given birth two months ago, her little girl had been born a couple of weeks early, but she had been perfectly healthy, and everything had gone fine for Nina too. She was tired, all of the Potter-Wolfes were, but they did have two babies at the moment. Piper had turned one a month after Nina gave birth – a two-month-old and a 1-year-old were undeniably a handful, even split between four parents.
Their latest addition was called Gaia Lydia Potter-Wolfe, and she had won the hearts of her family as quickly as Piper had. Her skin was a little lighter than Nick's, but she had his curls and Nina's blue eyes, although they were a shade or two darker. The moment she was born, they had known who her father was, but Nick and Teddy had both cried when they held her for the first time because that didn't matter.
She and Piper were like chalk and cheese – Gaia with her darker skin, and Piper, whose skin was so pale, Daphne had taken to affectionately calling her 'snow white'. Gaia's hair was honey brown and Piper's jet black, their eyes were a different shade of blue, and their face shapes were entirely different.
But they didn't care now, and as Almina had said to the others not long after Nina and Gaia had come home from the hospital, "It's our job to make sure that they never care."
Victoire was grateful for her friendship with Almina. She knew that things would have been harder if Charlus and his twin sister weren't going through the same stage of their life right now. The playdates they had with Phoenix, Piper and Gaia kept Victoire going some days, and she could tell that they were just as important to Almina and Nina. They were doing most of the parenting while Nick and Teddy helped rebuild the Ministry.
It had officially reopened two weeks earlier; Draco had given a speech that people had called profound. Charlus had complained that it would be quoted for years to come and joked that having a famous father sucked. But Victoire had smiled because she could see that underneath the mask, he was proud.
A bell sounded outside the chapel, drawing Victoire out of her thoughts.
Edith smiled at her friend, "It's almost time. Are you ready for this?"
Victoire took a breath, then nodded, "Yes."
"Good," Nevaeh said, "Because too much money has been spent, and too many people have flocked to France for you to get cold feet now."
"Nevee!"
Victoire laughed aloud at her bickering friends, and it seemed to relieve some of the pressure. A second bell sounded, and she took another breath.
She was ready.
Charlus hadn't minded his morning in the cottage. He knew he could have had Angel there as his best man if he so wished; she was his best friend, after all. But as it so happened, the solitude had treated him well.
When his mother came to tell him that it was time to apparate to the church, she heard the soft strumming of his guitar, so she paused outside the door to the cosy little lounge.
Sadie peered inside and smiled when she saw him with Theo's old guitar. She knocked once and stepped into the room.
"It's been a while since I saw you pick up that old thing," Sadie remarked.
Charlus shrugged and smiled at his mother, "I felt inspired."
Sadie looked at him in surprise, "You wrote something?"
"Yeah," Charlus said quietly. He looked from his mother to his guitar, "Do you want to hear it?"
Sadie nodded and sat down in an armchair by the fire, "Of course I do," she replied softly.
Charlus began to strum a soulful tune on the old guitar, then he sang. He was a good singer, but Sadie hadn't heard him sing properly in years. He always messed around when Theo suggested karaoke, but he sang softly and from the heart that morning, and it was all the more beautiful for it.
"He was a giant, and I was just a kid,
I was always trying to do everything he did,
I can still remember every lesson he taught me,
Growing up, learning how to be,
Like my old man."
Sadie smiled a little tearfully, but Charlus kept his eyes on his fingers as he strummed the guitar's strings.
"He was a lion, we were our father's pride,
But I was defiant when he made me walk the line,
He knew how to lift me up,
And when to let me fall,
Looking back, he always had a plan,
My old man."
Charlus took a breath, then sang the final verse.
"Now I'm a giant, got a son of my own,
Soon he'll be trying to go everywhere I go,
I'll do the best to raise him up the right way,
Hope one day, he'll want to be like his old man."
He played the final chord then looked up at Sadie, who had tears in her eyes. She patted him on the leg, "Was that about Pops?"
"It was about him and Dad," Charlus admitted, "I thought about them a lot after you told us about the prophecy, you know? I kept thinking that if something did happen to any of you….I just hoped you were proud of who I was."
"We are," Sadie promised her son, "All four of us are so proud of all six of you, Charlus."
Charlus smiled and looked at his mother, "It's hard, you know? Trying to fill their shoes with Phoenix. I just….I do the best I can, but I don't know if I'll ever be as good as they were."
"You already are," Sadie promised, "You love your son, and you would do anything for him. It's an old cliché, Charlie, but sometimes, love is all you need."
Charlus managed a more genuine smile then. He looked up and took a breath, "Yeah."
Sadie quickly re-did her glamour and admonished Charlus for making her cry after she had spent two hours making herself look glamorous. He laughed and let his mother hook her arm through his, then the two of them left the little cottage together to apparate over to the chapel.
In the chapel, Victoire was nervous. The bells they had heard earlier were the signal to the guests that it was time to start filling the little chapel. They really had kept this small; their family and their closest friends were the only people here.
Victoire peered out as the chapel began to fill up. She smiled when she saw Phoenix - Charlus's mum had him on her hip. Hermione smiled at everyone and greeted them as they stepped into the chapel while bouncing a very content little boy. Victoire was more and more convinced that Phoenix would look just like Charlie when he grew up, his hair just kept getting darker, but he still had bright blue eyes.
Victoire remembered the night Charlus looked up from their son, who had just fallen asleep in the crib next to their bed, and whispered, "I hope he always has your eyes."
It was probably the most romantic thing he had ever said to her, which was surprising because he was a closet romantic at the best of times.
Edith tapped Victoire on the shoulder and smiled, "Charlus just arrived. It's not going to be long now."
"Good," Victoire said. She let out a breath, "I feel sick."
"Me too, and I'm not even getting married," Edith joked, "Remind me never to do this."
Nevaeh grinned and hugged her from behind, "Alright, we'll live in sin forever."
Edith laughed and looked at her girlfriend, "Aren't we already doing that by being together?"
"Pfft," Nevaeh said with a wave of her hand, "This is the 21st century, Edie. People love whoever they want to love, and we walk hand in hand with Muggles thanks to someone's daddy."
"Your future father-in-law," Edith agreed with a nod.
Victoire smiled and peered out again as Draco took Phoenix from Hermione and immediately had the little boy smiling and giggling.
"Oh, I could have done so much worse with the in-laws," She said fondly.
When Charlus saw the chapel, he didn't get cold feet. But the nerves he had been pushing down all morning returned with a vengeance, so he took a breath and decided that he needed a minute to himself before heading over there. It was early yet, the wedding wasn't due to start for another half an hour anyway, but Victoire wasn't the kind of girl who would show up late just for dramatic effect.
With Victoire, what you saw was what you got, and he had always loved that about her. He loved that she knuckled down and worked hard, that she wasn't afraid to talk about a gory day at work the first time they met. She looked beautiful in high heels and expensive dresses, and she looked sophisticated drinking red wine with rouge painted lips.
But Charlie would always see her the way he did in those early days when it was just sex and fun because they pretended the feelings they had for each other didn't exist. He still looked at Victoire and saw her in a faded band t-shirt she had stolen from him. He still saw her as the girl who begged for a ride on the back of his flying bike then nearly gave him a heart attack when she let go of him and threw her hands up in the air over the English Channel.
To Charlus, she would always be that girl who had stolen his heart by grinning at him over her shoulder and flicking her long blonde hair out of the way. She was the woman who had convinced him to stop smoking after Phoenix had been born. But that didn't matter because she would always be the girl who had kissed him when he tasted like cigarette smoke and nabbed the cigarette to take a drag when she'd been drinking firewhiskey.
He took a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it up, he knew it was a bad habit, but he didn't think a time would come when he felt more nervous than he did today so Vic would forgive him, he was sure of it.
Charlus sat down in the field of wildflowers and breathed in the smoke appreciatively. He closed his eyes and blew out a relieved breath.
"Thought Vic made you stop?"
Charlus looked up at his Pops and quipped, "Thought Mum made you stop?"
Theo grinned and dropped down next to his son, "Touché."
Charlus snorted, "Vic won't mind, she's not stupid. She knows I still smoke when I drink, just not in front of Phoenix."
Theo nodded and leaned against the wooden boundary fence, "Your mum thinks I've stopped, but the others know I still smoke."
"Well, obviously Dad does," Charlus remarked, "He still does too."
Theo blew out a ring of smoke and nodded, "He's got a stressful job."
"What's your excuse?" Charlus asked curiously.
Theo was silent, then he shrugged, "I was 16 when I started smoking. It's hard to break the habit of a lifetime."
Charlus nodded thoughtfully.
Theo blew out another ring of smoke then asked, "What's got you back to a habit you quit months ago?"
Charlus shrugged, "Nerves, I suppose."
"Hm," Theo mused with a nod, "I don't know what you've got to be nervous about, Charlie. You're marrying the girl of your dreams, aren't you?"
"Yeah," Charlus said. He took a drag, then sighed, "Were you nervous on your wedding day?"
Theo gave his son an amused look, "Yeah. You're scared about messing it up, then?"
Charlus nodded again, "Yeah, and not just the wedding. I don't know if I'm cut out for marriage or being a dad. I want it, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna be any good at it."
Theo patted Charlus on the back, "You remember what I said when you met Victoire?"
Charlus looked sidelong at his father, "Uh, she's too good for you?"
Theo snorted and gave him an amused look, "After that."
Charlus smiled slightly, "But the best ones usually are."
Theo nodded, "Your mother was always too good for me, and trust me, I was just as nervous as you on our wedding day. But it all worked out for us, and it will for you too."
Charlus took a breath and nodded, "Thanks, Pops."
Theo put his cigarette out and banished the evidence, "Isn't it my duty to calm you down on your wedding day?" he joked.
Charlus smiled and looked down, "I don't just mean for today. I guess I meant thanks for always knowing what to say."
And it wasn't a sentimental thing he was saying just because he was getting married today; it was true. Every time he had hit a curve in the road, his Pops had been the one who guided him around it.
"I don't know how you do it," Charlus admitted, "And I don't know how I'll be able to do it for Phoenix."
Theo smiled a little tightly, "When I was growing up, I didn't have anyone I could go to for advice. I didn't have a dad I could ask about girls, or boys," he shrugged.
"I didn't have someone who told me that things would work out if I could just ride it out. I had to work that out on my own."
He shook his head and reached over to pat Charlus's knee, "And I didn't want that for my kids. That's why I always know what to say. I tell you what I wish someone had told me when I was your age."
Charlus nodded and kept his gaze down. He knew he had been lucky, growing up with four parents who all loved each other as much as they loved their children. He knew he had been lucky to grow up with such a supportive family.
But today, he felt grateful to his Pops more than anyone else.
Charlus remembered the sense of freedom he had felt when his Pops had thrown him the keys to his flying bike and said, "She's yours now." But the lesson he learned a few weeks later was what stuck with him. He'd had one drink, just one beer, then flown it home and crash-landed. He'd gotten away with scrapes and bruises because, unbeknownst to Charlus, his Pops had installed a safety device - a deployable shield charm that activated when it sensed an impact.
Theo hadn't been angry; he'd just held out his hand, and Charlus had dropped the bike keys into the palm of his Pop's hand without question. He'd done every chore imaginable for two months before he got them back, and he had never had a drink and gotten on that bike again. He flew it more carefully than ever, which had been the lesson his Pops intended to show him.
And how was he supposed to live up to that when Phoenix grew up?
Charlus let his mind run wild for a moment. He remembered how his first broken heart had felt - after Blake Fletcher decided that Charlus thought he was too good for him. His Pops had been the first person he had told, and they had talked it out over a beer until Charlus didn't feel angry about it anymore.
"Love will come, and love will go. Your first won't be your last," Theo had said, patting Charlus on the back.
And although Charlus hadn't always been able to admit it, his Pops had always been right.
"What's really going on inside that head of yours, Charlie?" Theo asked, cutting through his idle thoughts.
Charlus decided to be honest, "I just don't know how I'll ever be as good a dad to Phoenix as you were to me."
Theo got a little tearful when his son said that, but he smiled tightly and said, "You will be, and you know why? Because you love that kid to pieces. I know you think I'm crazy sometimes and too emotional, but now you're a dad yourself, you'll understand. You lose your mind and a couple of years of sleep when they're small, but then the next thing you know, you blink and the oldest is at Hogwarts and she's writing home about boys, and two of them are seven, and both of them are a pair of smart-arses."
Charlus smiled slightly.
Theo shook his head as he thought back, "One of them is four, and another is two; all they do is bicker, and the babies are one and cutting their teeth."
He smiled over at Charlus and said, "And you wish you could go back and stop time moving so fast, but you can't, so you keep doing the best you can, and you watch them grow."
Charlus reached over and patted his Pops on the back.
"Then," Theo said, his voice rough with emotion, "Before you know it, they're all grown up, and you have four grandchildren. Two of your kids are married, and another is about to marry the love of his life."
He smiled tearfully at Charlus, "One is carving out a life for herself on the other side of the world, and the other three are almost grown too, and you feel like if you blink, you'll miss it."
Charlus swallowed a lump in his throat and nodded, keeping his gaze on the ground.
"That's the most important lesson, Charlie," Theo said softly, "When you're a parent, time moves too fast, so you hold onto every moment for as long as you can. Okay?"
Charlus nodded a little tearfully, "Yeah, thanks Pops. Thanks for everything you've done to help us get to today."
Theo smiled and said, "Ah, all I did was pay for the beer and that crappy Winged Snitches tribute band."
Charlus chuckled and said, "Yeah, and it's gonna be perfect because of that, so thank you."
"Anytime, Charlie," Theo promised.
Once Charlus stepped into the chapel, his nerves began to ease slightly. Angel Strang, his best friend from the moment he had sat down at the Slytherin table in his first year, was also his Best Man today. She wore a dress, not a suit, unlike Delphi had when she had been Teddy's Best Man.
"It should be called 'Best Person' and 'Person of Honour'," Angel had complained when they had pre-wedding drinks, then she had launched into a rant about gender-specific terms, and Charlus had chuckled and let her.
"You smell of cigarette smoke," Angel clocked instantly.
"I cast a masking charm," Charlus whispered.
"Not a strong enough one," Angel muttered. She pulled her wand out from a holster underneath her dress and cast a stronger masking charm on Charlus, who whispered a thank you in response.
"We don't want her to kill you before she marries you," Angel said, shooting Charlus a smirk.
He laughed nervously and looked at the chapel doors as they were pulled shut. Angel patted him on the back, "It's gonna be fine, Charlie, just relax."
Charlus nodded and looked out at the guests. He and Victoire had big families, so the sides of the chapel were pretty even, and they easily filled the small chapel.
Theo was being berated in the front row, which made Charlus chuckle under his breath.
"I'm not stupid, Theo," Hermione said, "I am very perceptive. If you honestly think I believed you when you said you stopped smoking, you are the stupid one."
Theo held up his hands and said, "Okay, then I'm sorry for insulting your intelligence. How did you know anyway?"
"Your masking charms are very good," Hermione admitted, "But every time things get stressful, you and Draco disappear, and both come back smelling far too clean. It was obvious."
Theo glanced over at Draco. The blonde man just shrugged and said, "Theo gave me my first cigarette; it's all his fault."
Theo looked affronted, "Draco, what happened to loyalty?"
Sadie chuckled at the interplay between them as she passed Phoenix over to Fleur on the other side of the church.
"Simply stating a truth, Theo," Draco smirked.
Theo tutted, "What happened to Familia est Omnia, huh? You traitor."
Hermione smiled and shook her head fondly in Sadie's direction. The other woman sat down and said, "Are you ever going to stop talking about the new family motto?"
"No," Theo remarked matter of factly, "Just like I'm never going to stop talking about the new family crest. Why does it have a peacock on it?"
"I like peacocks!" Draco objected a little too loudly.
A snort from behind them came from Harry, who leant forward and whispered, "I bet you do."
Hermione glared at her best friend and smacked him with the wedding programme.
"Ow, Hermione!"
Some things never changed.
Bill hooked his arm through his daughters in the little hall outside the chapel and smiled tearfully at her.
"You okay?"
Victoire smiled back and asked, "Are you okay?"
Bill laughed weakly, "You're my only daughter. I was never going to get through today without crying, Vic. Just wait until I have to give my speech."
Victoire kissed him on the cheek, "I'll always be your little girl, Dad. Getting married doesn't change that."
Bill smiled tearfully and pulled his daughter into a hug. She looked so grown up, and Bill knew that it was because she was. She was a mother, she was about to become a wife, but she would always be the little girl with sparkling blue eyes and platinum blonde hair running through the waves outside Shell Cottage.
She would always be the little girl who could melt his heart with her crooked smile. Since she could speak, she was able to brighten up his day. And he had messed things up with her mother; Bill knew that. He knew he had missed out on so much of Victoire's life because of that. He had only ever been a weekend dad, but he had lived for those weekends. He had lived for the week-long holidays that she would spend with him.
Letting her go today was probably the hardest thing Bill had ever had to do.
"I love you so much, sweetheart, and I'm so proud of you."
"I know, Dad," Victoire said with a tearful smile.
She'd had him wrapped around her finger from the day she had been born, and time hadn't changed that. It took a nod and the words, "But I'm ready."
Bill nodded and dabbed at his eyes. He smiled warmly at her and knocked on the door of the chapel. Inside, music began to play, and the doors slowly began to open themselves.
When they were fully open, Victoire clung to Bill's arm, and they walked into the church together. Her eyes met Charlus's, and he beamed when he saw her walking down the aisle towards him.
Bill kept it together on that walk, which felt like the longest of his life. He tried not to look at Lara, who was here with the rest of the Weasley family. She had seen Victoire grow up, and Arthur was Victoire's half-sister. But his eyes met hers, and she smiled tearfully and gave him a slight nod.
Bill nodded back, then kept his eyes forward until they reached the altar. When he kissed Victoire's cheek and let go of her arm, it was metaphorical, but it still felt like his heart was being ripped out.
Victoire grabbed Charlus's hand, and Bill sat down in the front row on Victoire's family's side of the church. The moment he did, Fleur gripped his hand and whispered, "Pleure, c'est bon (Cry, it's okay)."
Bill let out a shaky breath and let his tears fall. Fleur tightened her grip on his hand, and Bill let the comfort of her presence wash over him.
At the front of the chapel, Victoire and Charlus went through a fairly traditional wedding ceremony. They opted for no readings, and just the standard 'in sickness and health, till death, do us part' vows. When Charlus had told his family that they wanted nothing fancy, he had meant it.
But the part that everyone always wanted to see was the marriage bond. Charlus looked Victoire in the eye with tears in his own eyes and said, "I do."
And Victoire blinked her tears away and said, "I do."
That was when the wizard conducting the ceremony began the marriage bond ritual, and everyone in the chapel held their breath as they waited to see the colour of their bond.
Victoire and Charlus joined hands and closed their eyes as their magic mixed, and the tendrils of magic leaving their body became intertwined to form a bronze glow around them.
Neville smiled slightly at Lilly, "Bronze, like ours."
Lilly smiled and moved her hand to his knee, "For growth, strength and security."
Theo smiled warmly, "Sounds like everything Charlus wants to give Victoire and Phoenix."
Draco put his arm around the other man, and Sadie tightened her grip on Theo's hand.
"I don't think my nerves can take any more weddings," Theo said tearfully.
The glow around Charlus and Victoire faded, and the announcement of, "You can now kiss the bride!" came.
Charlus pulled Victoire into a kiss, and everyone got to their feet to clap loudly.
The wedding reception was at the Delacour family's property in northern France. There was a large marquee outside, just like there had been at Bill and Fleur's wedding.
Bill had commented on that while they ate their meal at the head table. They didn't sit in any traditional order, Victoire had said she didn't care about that, but it would also have been difficult to arrange because Charlus had four parents.
He nudged the woman by his side and murmured, "This reminds me of our wedding."
Fleur smiled and took his hand, "Me too."
They smiled at each other, and just like it had on their wedding day, time stopped, and they forgot about the world around them. Only Fleur made Bill feel like that, and that wasn't to say that he hadn't loved Lara; he had. But there was a difference between love and whatever this was.
…
The set-up for the wedding was two long tables where people could sit wherever they liked and inter-mingle. Lara had found herself sitting with her son Arthur on one side and Ginny on the other.
Lara sighed and tore her eyes away from Bill and Fleur. Ginny noticed and asked her if she was okay.
There was a moment of silence when all around them, people continued to chatter away happily, but Lara just couldn't find the words. She shook her head and looked over at Ginny, "That was never us."
Ginny gave her former sister-in-law a sympathetic look, but Lara lowered her voice, "We never had that, and he….he never looked at me like that."
"I think that's something you only feel once in a lifetime, Lara," Ginny said gently, "Twice, if you're lucky."
She inadvertently looked further down the table at Blanche, who was laughing at something Lux was saying. Blaise noticed, but he didn't say anything.
"It doesn't mean that he didn't love you," Ginny continued, "He did, but…."
"Not like that," Lara finished.
Ginny just nodded; there was no sugar coating the truth after all. She looked down, "There's being comfortable, happy, content, and in love and then there's being so in love that you act insane."
Lara looked over at Ginny. She smiled sadly and said, "You know, fighting and making up, feeling everything so intensely like…a rush. It's wild, crazy and intoxicating but it doesn't usually last. Love like that…it burns hotter, and it goes out faster. Sometimes the flame re-ignites though, like it did with Bill and Fleur."
Lara picked up her wine glass and looked at Ginny, "I did feel that way about someone once, but it wasn't Bill."
"Your first husband?" Ginny guessed.
Lara nodded and sipped her wine, "Greg, he's a Muggle and an impulsive idiot. He was always trying to bootleg some scam he had invented, and things were hot or cold. We lived on cloud number nine and cruised in the Caribbean or screamed at each other in the kitchen. It wasn't healthy, but…."
"It wasn't the way you loved Bill," Ginny finished.
Lara nodded, "Who was it for you?"
Ginny smiled sadly and said, "Blanche, but like you said, love like that? It's not healthy."
"Unless you're Harry and Daphne," Blaise mused from Ginny's side.
Ginny looked up at Harry and Daphne, who were bickering about whether you should put the milk in the tea before or after taking the teabag out.
"Yeah, they suck."
Lara clinked her glass against Ginny's, "Yes, they do."
The wedding speeches were a nice mixture of funny and emotional. Bill began, and he didn't have a problem speaking up. He quite enjoyed being in the spotlight.
He smiled at everyone and thanked them all for coming, then he launched into his speech.
"When Victoire told me at Christmas that she and Charlus were getting married in March, I thought I would have plenty of time to prepare my father of the bride speech, but those of you who know me will not be surprised in the slightest when I tell you that I hadn't written anything down before last night."
Charlie chuckled from his spot between Astoria and Amber further down the table. He knew how much it meant for his brother today, and it was a moment that Charlie had never thought he would have until Amber dropped the bombshell on him at Christmas that she was pregnant, and it was a girl. Today held a little more meaning for him now, knowing one day, if he were lucky, he would be the one walking his little girl down the aisle.
"When you're an OAP," Daphne had joked.
Astoria had snorted in amusement then tried to cover it up, while Charlie scoffed and Amber glared at her, and Daphne had grinned at the chaos she had caused.
Bill's comment about how unprepared he was had caused more people than Charlie to chuckle, so he smiled and carried on with his speech.
"I can do a scripted speech when I need to, but I don't think that's what today ought to be about," Bill admitted, "So I'm going to speak from the heart instead."
Victoire smiled up at her dad, and Fleur reached across the table to place her hand on top of her daughter's. Further down the table, Gabrielle watched on happily. She was here with her husband, Roger Davies, and their two children, Deveraux and Noelle.
"When I was young, like Charlus here, I had no idea how to talk to girls. I remember not being able to get the words out properly when I asked my first girlfriend to come to the Yule Ball with me, and I remember all the cheap pick-up lines I stole from my little brother when I left school and tried dating on the other side of the world. The night I proposed to Victoire's mother, I had no idea what to say. I was in my 20s, and I still had no idea how to talk to girls."
Fleur smiled slightly, and some of the other guests chuckled.
"But when Victoire was born, everything changed," Bill said, smiling from Fleur to Victoire, "I had to learn how to talk to girls because I had a little one to bring up, and I wanted to make sure I did it right. The first two thoughts I had when I saw her were that she had her mother's eyes, and Good Godric, I hope she doesn't act like me."
This sent a ripple of laughter around the room, and Bill chuckled too, "And she didn't. She grew up into a wonderful, intelligent, brilliantly capable young woman. But one day, I knew she would bring a boy home, and I just hoped she didn't bring home a bad one."
He looked over at Charlus and said, "And then in he comes, Charlie Nott, a curse breaker with tattoos and piercings. In he walked in a worn leather jacket, the bloody boy showed up at my house on a damn flying motorbike, and I just thought, shit, she's got the exact same crappy taste in men as her mother."
At this, everyone laughed, Daphne more so than some of the others. Fleur laughed too, but Ginny felt a little sorry for Lara, who was forced to be a backseat driver to all of this.
"But, I had to confess, pretty early on," Bill finished, "That Charlie Nott was so much more than I gave him credit for. I've worked with him myself; I know how hard he works and how much he cares about the people he loves. He would sacrifice everything for Victoire or his son, Phoenix, so I can't complain about him not being good enough for my little girl."
Charlus smiled up at Bill and nodded his thanks.
Bill smiled back, then placed his hand on Victoire's shoulder, "So, here's to good girls falling in love with bad boys and making them into good men."
Everyone raised their glasses, and Bill said, "To Victoire and Charlus!"
The toast was echoed, and everyone clinked their glasses together. Bill kissed Victoire on the cheek and sat down, then Fleur grabbed his hand and murmured something to him in French. He smiled and turned around, kissing her lightly and whispering, "Je t'aime aussi."
As Charlus prepared to give his speech, Gabrielle sipped her wine and spoke to Daphne, who was sitting on one side of her, Roger was on her other side.
"Ils se complètent l'un l'autre [They complement each other]."
Daphne smiled and bowed her head, "Ils le font [They do]."
Charlus got to his feet and smiled at Bill. He was a larger than life character at the best of times, but Almina smiled slightly at the look on his face. She knew he wasn't going to be as brash as usual today.
"He's nervous," She whispered to Nina.
Nina shifted Piper on her knee and whispered back, "Of course he is; it's his wedding day."
"I know, but this is Charlie," Almina said. She looked from her brother to Gaia, who was half-asleep in her arms, "He doesn't get nervous."
Nina shifted her gaze to Charlus, he did look nervous and out of place in the dress robes he was wearing. Charlus's usual attire was skinny jeans, band t-shirts and his faithful leather jacket. Today he was wearing black dress robes with silver hems and cuffs, his shoulder-length dark hair was tamer than usual, but there was still a tell-tale tattoo slipping out from beneath a sleeve and another just visible above his collar. He didn't mind, though, and neither did Victoire; she had told him not to try and hide who he was for her posh French family.
"Thanks, Bill," Charlus said. He tried to resist shoving his hands into his pockets, "And thanks to everyone for coming out to France today; we appreciate it. Vic really does because a French wedding out in the countryside is all she's imagined since she was a little girl, and those of you who know me well know I'm too soft on her to ever say no."
Almina chuckled, as did several others.
Charlus smiled and spoke a little easier, "I'm sure most of you see Victoire as this funny, brilliant woman. She's a fantastic mother, a loyal friend and a brilliant Healer."
Victoire smiled warmly at Charlus, and he smiled right back.
"But that's not how I see her," Charlus admitted, "Sometimes I look at her, and I feel like I'm back in the summerhouse at Potter Manor. I still remember the night I first saw her as clear as day, from what she was wearing when she walked in, to the first thing I heard her say, which I'm pretty sure was that she'd spent her day covered in dragon shit."
The Healers in attendance laughed at that, and Victoire shook her head.
Charlus grinned and continued, "And that wasn't too long ago, really, but it's crazy when I look at where I was when I met Victoire on New Years' Eve 2020, to where we are now."
He smiled at his new wife and said, "Victoire hasn't just given me a son; she's given me a reason to live. She made me a better person, and she made me wish that forever wasn't all the time we had because it doesn't seem long enough."
Victoire's smile was a little tearful, and Charlus felt tears burning in his eyes, but he carried on anyway, "I thought I knew who I was before I met Vic, but I didn't. I was good at what I did, but I didn't have the passion to push forward or the drive to get better until Vic told me that she believed in me. She made me believe in myself, in her and in love when I didn't think I could believe in anything again."
He paused to clear his throat, then Charlus smiled tearfully, "So I thank my lucky stars every day that my sister forced me to get out of bed and go to her stupid boyfriend's stupid New Years' party."
Almina smiled tearfully too, and Teddy chuckled and threw his arm around her shoulder.
"Because the moment Victoire walked into that party, my life changed," Charlus finished, "Like her dad said earlier, girls like her turn boys like me into men, so thank you, Victoire."
He leant down to kiss her, and the room filled with applause. There were also quite a lot of tears. Theo and Sadie were crying, and Hermione was on the verge of tears. Only Draco managed to hold it together where the Blacknots were concerned.
There was another toast, then Angel got to her feet and clinked her fork against her champagne glass, "Alright, that's enough of the cheesy stuff. Let's get our teeth into all the embarrassing stories now!"
Laughter rippled through the marquee, and Angel grinned, "Firstly, I would like to start this speech with a well-deserved thank you. Teddy Potter-Wolfe, where the hell are you?"
Teddy raised his hand, and Angel pointed at him, "On your feet, Teddy, you're a guest of honour, after all."
Teddy chuckled and got to his feet, he knew where this was going, and he didn't have a problem being the centre of attention or the butt of anyone's joke.
Angel motioned toward Teddy and said, "This man right here is single-handedly responsible for this relationship, isn't that right, Teddy?"
Teddy grinned and said, "I may have nudged those two towards each other at the New Years' party that's been alluded to a few times tonight."
Angel laughed and looked out at the guests, "That's an understatement, but you can sit down now, Teddy."
Teddy did a mock bow, then took his seat, and Angel continued, "Now, to put those of you who don't know in the picture, this New Years' party is legendary in certain circles. It was, of course, where Charlus and Victoire met. Until that night, all Charlus knew about Victoire was that she was his boss's daughter, and all Victoire knew about Charlus was that her dad complained about him all the time."
Bill and Daphne both laughed at that, but Charlus grinned. He had always been able to laugh at his own expense.
"They met, and sparks flew," Angel said dramatically, "You know, like the beginning of every single Taylor Swift song."
Several snorts or barks of laughter went around the younger members of the audience then.
"Victoire noticed Charlie's tattoos, and he asked her if she had any," Angel continued, "She said she had one, but Charlie would only get to see it if he guessed her middle name, which should have been an impossible task. Someone who had never met her was never going to guess Apolline."
Fleur and Gabrielle both laughed at that because it was very true.
"But, Charlie cheated and asked Teddy," Angel said, giving Teddy an amused look, "And Teddy, being one of Victoire's best friends, decided she could do with a break from the idiotic boys she had been dating, so he told Charlus."
Angel raised her hands, "And thus, Teddy Potter-Wolfe is the reason for all of this. Phoenix Blacknot would not exist without him. So I suggest we actually toast Teddy tonight, not Victoire and Charlus."
Charlus raised his glass of firewhiskey and said, "Cheers, Teddy!"
Teddy held up his own glass of whiskey and gave Charlus a thumbs up, "You're welcome, mate!"
Harry chuckled and shook his head in amusement. Sometimes Teddy and Charlus reminded him of himself and Neville, and this was one of those occasions.
Angel finished her speech on a more serious note, "I'm sure Teddy won't mind me saying that everyone else at that party doubted that the match he'd just made would last past 9 am the next morning. After all, Charlus Nott was a bad boy, but he wasn't stupid enough to mess around with the boss's daughter behind his back."
Bill snorted, and Angel grinned, "Only, he was, and Victoire Delacour wasn't the perfect angel Charlie thought she was from the stories he had heard his boss tell."
She shot them both a smile and said, "But despite everyone's reservations, it did last because Victoire didn't just steal Charlie's cigarettes or his favourite band t-shirts, she stole his heart, and he's the sort of guy who holds onto that tight, but when he lets someone in, they're in there for life."
Charlus smiled, and Victoire grabbed his hand, smiling radiantly at him.
"So," Angel said with a devious grin, "We'll just forget about the fact that Phoenix was conceived at that party, on the night they first met, and pretend that Charlie is Romeo and Victoire is Juliet and life is a Taylor Swift song!"
At that, the room erupted into laughter. Victoire was less impressed with Angel telling the entire room about the nature of Phoenix's conception, but Charlus was laughing harder than anyone else.
The cake was cut, Victoire danced with her husband and then her father. The free drinks continued to be passed out, and as the night wore on, everyone continued to enjoy themselves.
Well, almost everyone, anyway.
"You look bored."
"I'm sober," Amber complained.
Harry nodded and sat down next to her, "It does suck, to begin with. You get used to it after ten years or so, though."
Amber snorted and dropped her hand to rest on her stomach, "Ten years? Get away. This little girl is coming out in a couple of months, then I'll be enjoying my whiskey again."
Harry chuckled and followed her gaze. She was watching Charlie spin Astoria around on the dancefloor.
"Have you agreed on any names yet?"
"No," Amber scoffed, "I like Sophie, but Astoria reckons it's too common. She wants to call her Athena or Artemis because she's into Greek names, but Charlie agrees with me that it's pretentious."
"The Greengrass's do have a thing about Greek names," Harry mused, "Daphne wanted to call Andrea Penelope, and she liked Cassiopeia for Thea. I had to draw a line, you know?"
"Right?" Amber agreed, "Like, come on, fucking Artemis, she'd get the shit ripped out of her at school."
Harry chuckled at how much of a Londoner Amber was, he knew Lilly could be just as bad when she was with her family, but she had cleaned up her act quite a bit since getting together with Neville.
"What does Charlie want to call her?" Harry asked curiously.
Amber smiled slightly, "He says there's no chance she won't have red hair."
Harry laughed and nodded; that was true. Amber was an Avery, and she had distinctive deep red hair, and of course, Charlie was a Weasley, so he also had red hair.
"So he keeps coming up with names that mean red," Amber said with a fond smile, "Like Rosie or Ruby."
"Ruby is nice," Harry mused, "Ruby Weasley?"
Amber tore her eyes away from Charlie and Astoria, "I don't know. We haven't talked about what her surname will be."
Harry smiled and leaned back in his chair, "I think that's because you know you don't need to. Charlie will want his daughter to have his name. He'll want her to share the same surname as his son. She'll be a Weasley, Amber, just like you are in everything but name."
Amber smiled slightly and bowed her head, "Thanks, Harry. I needed to hear that tonight."
Harry patted her on the shoulder and got to his feet, "Anytime," he promised.
As the night wore on, the kids all went home with babysitters. Harry and Daphne had their hands full because they had promised to watch Piper and Gaia so that the Potter-Wolfes could enjoy their night.
"I think this is the earliest you two have ever left a party," Lilly joked.
"And the soberest," Neville said, giving Daphne an amused look.
Daphne rolled her eyes and said, "Well, we are grandparents now."
"I know," Lilly teased, "You're so old."
Daphne gave her an exasperated look, and Lilly grinned.
"Are you sure you'll manage alright with them both, Mum?" Teddy asked a little anxiously.
"Dad said he didn't mind having one of them if it's too much," Nick piped up.
"It's not too much; it's fine," Daphne assured them, "Don't forget that there were very small age gaps between Alastor, Andrea and Thea. Your father and I have this under control, Teddy. Just enjoy yourselves."
"But not too much," Harry joked, "Two grandkids is enough for now."
Teddy snorted, "Dad jokes, really?"
Harry grinned and patted his son on the shoulder as he took Piper from him.
"Grandad jokes," Harry corrected, "I've been promoted."
Daphne chuckled, she was already holding Gaia, and Nina was hovering, her eyes on the 2-month-old.
"Are you sure - "
Daphne held up a hand, "Nina, I remember the panic I felt when I had to leave my babies for the first time, so I am not going to get offended that you think I know nothing. But I promise, it will be fine – she needs to be fed every three hours, I have to swaddle her with the fluffy side of the blanket on the inside, and the room has to be precisely 18.6 degrees, yes?"
Nina smiled sheepishly and stepped forward to hug Daphne, "Thank you," she said a little tearfully.
Daphne smiled back and said, "No problem, you ought to know by now, we're Potters; family always comes first."
Harry nodded and slung Piper's bag of clothes and nappies over his shoulder, "We'll see you guys tomorrow, have a good time."
They all said a final goodbye to Piper and Gaia, eventually letting Harry and Daphne leave.
"They will be fine, won't they?" Almina asked a little anxiously.
"They'll be fine," Lilly said in what Neville called her 'soothing Healer' voice, "Enjoy yourselves."
The Potter-Wolfe's nodded and headed off to get drinks or made their way onto the dancefloor. Neville slung an arm over Lilly's shoulder and said, "They will be exhausted tomorrow, won't they?"
"So exhausted," Lilly grinned, "I mean, yeah, they did it all before, but they were in their 20s then."
Neville chuckled and steered Lilly towards the dance floor, "Ten galleons says that Harry falls asleep with Piper, and Daphne is up all night with Gaia."
Lilly snorted and grinned at her husband, "No bet."
By the end of the night, the younger generation was still partying, for the most part. The Potter-Wolfe's had spent the last hour dancing and enjoying the freedom of a child-free night, and Charlus and Victoire were much the same. Hermione and Draco had volunteered to take Phoenix home, which gave Sadie and Theo a little longer to enjoy the wedding celebrations.
They had left around the same time that Harry and Daphne had, but Theo was still happily socialising with the wedding guests and bringing Sadie drinks, then stealing a dance or two before socialising some more.
He brought her a firewhiskey, then sat down by her side, pushing his hair out of his face and smiling brightly at her, "You okay?"
Sadie smiled at the kids on the dance floor and nodded, "I'm great," she promised.
Theo leant back and followed her line of sight; everyone was happy. Charlus and Victoire were dancing with the Potter-Wolfes to some upbeat pop song that Sadie and Theo didn't know. Ella was dancing with Carina, who she had openly introduced as her girlfriend. Carina was lovely; her Italian accent was very strong, but her English was excellent, and so far, everyone liked her.
Alastor was dancing nearby with Swann, who was having a good time now. It had taken him a while to come out of his shell, but Alastor had eventually coaxed him onto the dance floor. Andrea and Freddie were with Ella and Carina. Every so often, Freddie would grab Ella and Carina's hands and spin them both around. It seemed like Carina had warmed to Freddie quickly. Sadie supposed Ella would be happy because Andrea was her best friend.
Edith and Nevaeh were dancing together too. Earlier in the night, Sadie had overheard a conversation when Nevaeh asked Edith jokingly if she wanted to get married. Edith had gotten flustered and said, "Let's see how my Mum's wedding goes first," which was a deflection technique, but they hadn't been together long.
"Hey, Pops. Can I ask you a question?"
Theo looked up and smiled at his son, "Yeah, Cas?"
Cas leant against the table, "How'd you know when you love someone? Like, when you're in love with them?"
Theo didn't miss how Cas's eyes flicked towards Thea, who was dancing with her older sister.
He smiled slightly and said, "When the movies make sense."
Cas frowned, "What d'you mean?"
Theo shrugged and said, "When love feels like it does in the movies, you know you jump, I jump."
Sadie smiled slightly, and Theo continued, "It's like when Johnny asked Baby for one more dance or when the Beast saw Belle in that yellow dress."
Cas shook his head and looked at his mother, "Is he making sense to you?"
"In his drunken way, he's telling you that you know it's love when you watch a movie, and that typical over-romantic movie love seems real to you," Sadie explained.
Cas frowned, and Ella stopped by her brother's side, "Why do you look constipated, Cas?"
Sadie and Theo both chuckled, but Cas just looked at his sister, "How do you know when it's love?"
Ella didn't even have to think about that. She answered straight away.
"When all of the Taylor Swift songs make sense."
"Ella!" Carina called from the bar, "Altro vino?"
Ella called back, "Sempre!" then rushed after her girlfriend.
"How is her Italian so good?" Theo asked in disbelief.
"I dunno, but I heard that the first words she learned were sì and fanculo," Charlus retorted.
"Charlie!" Victoire and Sadie chastised in unison.
Theo chuckled and said, "You're only going to get it in stereo from now on, Charlie."
Charlus just grinned and put his arm around his little brother, "So, are you in love with Theodora Potter, Cassy boy?"
A song had begun to play in the background, but nobody had really registered what it was yet.
All I knew this morning when I woke,
Is I know something now,
Know something now I didn't before,
And all I've seen since eighteen hours ago,
Is green eyes and freckles and your smile,
In the back of my mind making me feel like,
I just wanna know you better,
know you better,
know you better now
Cas looked across the room and caught Thea's eye, then his breath caught, "Shit."
Charlus raised an eyebrow, "Shit?"
"The Taylor Swift songs make sense."
Victoire laughed and nudged him towards Thea, "Then it's love, on you go."
He headed off towards Thea, who he had been making out with all over Hogwarts to the best of Sadie's knowledge since they went back after Christmas break.
As Charlus dragged Victoire back onto the dance floor, she smiled and shook her head in amusement.
Sadie took Theo's hand, "I have something to show you, but I was waiting until you were so drunk you couldn't possibly cry."
"Oh, I don't know if that's possible," Theo joked, "I'm hydrated on beer and whiskey. There's plenty of scope for tears."
Sadie laughed and pressed her forehead against his, "Just trust me."
"Always," Theo promised, his eyes fluttered shut automatically.
Sadie murmured, "Legilimens," and pushed the memory of the song that Charlus had sung that morning into Theo's head. Once it was there, she drew back but kept her hand in his.
Theo kept his eyes shut, a smile playing on his lips as he watched the memory in his mind.
When it was over, he opened his eyes and looked at Sadie tearfully, "He's a good kid."
"Of course he is," Sadie replied. She brushed Theo's hair away from his face, "He's just like you."
Theo smiled and leaned forward to kiss her, murmuring the words, "I love you," against her lips.
Sadie whispered them back and pulled back but kept her forehead resting against his.
Theo tightened his grip on her hand and said sincerely, "Thank you for never giving up on me and for always loving me."
"We're a family," Sadie said softly, "It's what we do."
- TBC -
