They were back in 12 and there was a festive feeling in the early autumn air.
It was Peeta and Katniss' wedding day. Finally.
It was a relatively small event. Haymitch, Effie, Annie, and Finnley were all in attendance. Mrs. Everdeen had come in for the big day, as had Pollux and Cressida, Flavius, Octavia, and Venia. Hazelle, Rory, Vick, and Posy were also present, as were Delly Cartwright and Greasy Sae and her granddaughter.
The "legal" part of the ceremony had taken place in City Hall. An exchange of words, of promises, a few signatures, and a kiss while the couple's family and friends looked on. Johanna and Annie had been asked by Katniss to stand with her, Peeta had asked Haymitch and Finnley (which everyone cooed over). After the formalities had taken place, the newlyweds had led the small but enthusiastic caravan of wedding guests back to their house, where the fun of the wedding would take place.
As Johanna understood it, this was where the traditions of District 12 would take place, all culminating in the Toasting at the end of the night. These traditions involved eating, something involving cake, and dancing. All of these sounded typical of weddings to the former resident of District 7, but apparently the way they did things in 12 was a bit different.
The festivities happened in the yard behind Katniss and Peeta's house. After everyone had eaten and the tables cleared, it was time for Katniss and Peeta's first dance as a married couple. A few fellow district 12 residents had offered to play the music for the evening and a slow but enthusiastic tune filled the air as the fiddle players and percussionist began to play. Gale and whispered to Johanna that whatever this song was had always been used for the first dance in 12.
Katniss and Peeta danced together, and is was quite the sweet sight. Peeta looked tearful and Katniss was misty-eyed, but they were both beaming as they waltzed around their backyard together. Katniss' simple, but beautiful white dress gave her the appearance of floating and it spread out into a circle around her legs as Peeta spun her. When that song ended, the crowd clapped for the couple, and Katniss and Peeta almost tripped over each other getting back to their seats.
"They're supposed to dance with their parents now," Gale had muttered to Johanna when she had given him a quizzical look. "But Mr. Everdeen and Mrs. Mellark aren't here. They're going to skip over that part."
Johanna nodded.
To his surprise however, the band started yet another tune and Haymitch and Effie rose from their seats and approached the couple. Katniss had started to cry and Peeta flushed.
"Come on, sweetheart." Haymitch said, offering Katniss his hand. "Ain't every day I get to dance with you."
Katniss took his hand and stood up as Peeta stood up with Effie. There wasn't a dry eye anywhere as Haymitch led Katniss in a traditional District 12 dance and Effie and Peeta both laughed tearfully at themselves for not being the best dancers.
The applause was raucous as the song ended. Johanna wiped at her tears, but she managed to see the big smiles on her friends' faces, Haymitch and Katniss hug, and Peeta kiss Effie's cheek. Johanna was not a crier, and the sight prompted Gale to chuckle good-naturedly at her. She liked seeing her friends happy. They had all been through too much. They needed to be happy now.
Then the real fun started. An upbeat, cheerful tune filled the air and Peeta and Katniss returned to each other. Annie had moved to the dance floor with Finnley, so had Haymitch and Effie. Pollux had extended an invitation to dance to Cressida, and Rory danced with his mother as Vick danced with Posy. Delly and Mrs. Everdeen ended up as partners because they both knew the dances of District 12, but Katniss' old prep team sat politely at their seats with the ancient Greasy Sae and her granddaughter, who twisted and folded her napkin methodically. They were the only ones sitting besides Gale, who clearly remembered this dance and Johanna, who looked bewildered at the ease of which her friends managed to dance.
Gale looked to her. He looked hopeful. "Will you dance with me?"
She snorted. "I don't dance." She wasn't good at it, she never had been. She couldn't remember a time where she could manage to clap in time, let alone anything else.
"Come on, I'll teach you."
"It'll be a lost cause, Hawthorne."
"It's really not that hard, Jo. Even Finnley's figured it out." Gale promised nodding at Finnley who was, in fact, bouncing along in time and keeping up with everyone else, though he was not tall enough to spin his mother when the dance called for it, so she spun him instead, making him laugh hysterically. Annie and Finnley were a vision of District 4 in their clothes, Annie in a sea green and light blue knee-length dress with just a little sparkle and Finnley in a pale blue shirt and a darker blue little bow tie. And they were glowing. "You don't have to be good. It's just for fun."
She sighed, but agreed. But only to make him happy.
He smiled and together they joined the lively crowd.
Johanna bumped into Haymitch in the first 30 seconds of trying to keep up with everyone, who lightheartedly told her to watch it.
Gale found it funny that Johanna was concentrating so hard. She wasn't going to give up now that she decided to try, she was stubborn that way, but she was stumbling about none the less.
Hazelle caught notice of this, and decided to start yelling out directions. Unfortunately for everyone else, no one knew why she started yelling left, LEFT, go left, especially Johanna who was so focused on not stepping on anyone that she had tuned out just about anything else.
"Johanna! Left!" Hazelle tried again.
"Left!" cried at least three other people.
"What? Okay left!" Johanna replied, finally hearing those around her.
Hazelle continued to call out directions to Johanna, and Johanna finally seemed to be catching on, or at least, she quit stepping on feet. The hilarity of the situation and giddiness of the day finally caught up to Johanna, and she started laughing.
"Spin!"
And so Johanna spun, and then song ended.
The wedding guests politely clapped for the band and Johanna was still smiling.
"I told you it was fun," Gale told her, pulling her closer than he needed to.
"Once I figured out what the hel-heck I was supposed to be doing, sure." Johanna replied, censoring herself due to Finnley's presence.
Gale smiled at her, and probably would've kissed her if the next song started and Mrs. Everdeen reminding everyone on the outside that they were moving down the circle one partner.
Johanna stepped to the left, and ran straight into Hazelle. Johanna flushed slightly out of embarrassment, but the older lady only laughed kindly. "Other way, dear. We always go to the right for things like this. I'll let you know when to move down again."
Johanna nodded quickly and stepped to the right, in front of her partner just as it was time to start dancing.
Haymitch laughed and took her hands. "This one's easier, promise. All you gotta do is keep up."
"Good," Johanna said, as they sashayed to the left together, before going back, and then forward and then left. The pattern repeated itself and Haymitch laughed.
"Look at you, you got it!"
"Well, I guess my teacher last time wasn't the greatest." Johanna replied, meeting Gale's eye, who smiled and shook his head in response.
Haymitch laughed.
"Okay Johanna," Hazelle said. "Spin to Peeta."
"Spin?" Johanna clarified, eyes wide.
"Yes,"
"Spin when?"
"Now!"
And so Johanna spun down one partner to Peeta, who laughed at her over-zealous spin. "Don't worry, you'll get used to these sorts of dances."
The question of why fell flat on her tongue as Peeta glanced at Gale, who had ended up with Delly.
"Are you having fun?" Peeta asked her.
"You know what? I am." Johanna replied honestly. "District 12 weddings are a lot more fun than the ones back home ever were."
Peeta smiled at her as she spun away again, only to end up with Annie as her partner.
And they laughed together as they danced and the fabric of Annie's green dress and Johanna's dark purple swirled together.
For a split second in her joy, Johanna saw herself dancing in a white dress, but as fast as the thought came, it went away as Pollux became her new partner.
Besides, it would never happen.
A/N: I've always imagined that at some point Katniss and Peeta would remember that they aren't married and then get married. That's why Haymitch and Effie are married first. Hope you liked this chapter!