"I can't believe we are finally here" Alicia said from behind me while I was getting my makeup done.
We were sitting in, of all places, the Gryffindor quidditch team changing rooms.
"Really took your time getting here" Angelina said sporting a radiant pregnant belly.
"Do you mean this morning, or in general life?" I said, trying not to smile and disrupt the makeup artist.
"Well, both frankly." She laughed.
"Not everyone rushes to plan their wedding in mere months ya know" I teased. But she may have had some bit of a point. Having been so dire to get married during her and Alicia's weddings, Oliver and I really took our time getting to the altar after we finally figured things out. I think we both were constantly waiting for the other boot to drop and to realize that all of New Zealand, our relationship included, had been some sort of perfect dream. We got back into our lives and things continued to work well. I went back to play for the Wasps, him for Puddlemore, we both had outstanding seasons only losing the league championship to the Holyhead Harpies and their newest star chaser Ginny Potter.
The following season I took another big fall and managed to injure my same hip again and decided that in the interest of being able to walk for the remainder of my life it might suit me better to find some ways to work in quidditch a bit farther away from the bludgers. Henry ended up taking me on as an assistant coach for Puddlemore United which led to a new and interesting dynamic in Oliver and my relationship. But still it persisted. It was around this point that Oliver started pointing out that I did once say that I'd marry him if England won the world cup and we now owned a sizable house together with the money we had gotten in endorsements because of said win.
So here we were, on a beautiful summer's day almost two years after the final match of the world cup, getting married at Hogwarts Castle. Oh, but not just anywhere at the castle, on the quidditch pitch. As soon as I said yes, Oliver went to plan. The only thing I had ever cared about was my dress, and I knew exactly where to go to get that.
One day while Oliver was at the school working everything out to happen over the summer break with the Headmistress, Angelina, Alicia, Tori and Hank (Alicia's now toddlers), and I went into Ace of Spades Gowns in Hogsmeade. The moment we walked through the door the old seamstress came shuffling over giving me the biggest hug. Even though nothing had been in the papers yet about Oliver and I getting married she said she had been wondering when I was coming and had made a dress specifically for me. It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life. I truly wish I could wear it every minute of every day until I die. I would shower in it. Never has anyone ever seen me as clearly as this woman obviously did, and just because I often liked to come and try on her gowns as a teen.
The gown was a simple white silk on the top that had a v-neck cut with thin straps. The straps lead to an intricate crochet lace back, the lace continued to a delicate overlay that turned from white to gold to red to deep scarlet like the tail feathers of a phoenix as it flowed into the train. It made me feel like a phoenix, which made me realize how in many ways I had been one. Nearly taken out by so much, but each time reborn new and stronger than before.
"Tori! What do you have? Bring it here to Mummy! Tori! Give it to mummy!" Alicia was saying, chasing the one and a half year old around back in the gryffindor changing rooms.
"No!" Tori said and took off at her best attempt of running.
Alcia and George were brilliant parents, but it was clear that both Tori and Hank were going to be just as much a pair of spitfires as their parents had been. Tori was wild, always running and jumping off of things, you'd just see a streak of her red hair flowing behind her. Hank was more cuddly and loving, but when he got the idea of mischief in his adorable blonde head, there wasn't much that could stop him.
"Mumma, apple?" Hank said, grabbing at his mother who was grabbing at his sister.
"Oh not now dear, go see if Auntie Angie has anything" She sighed hoisting her daughter up and prying whatever it was from her mouth.
"Come here Hank darling, we can read babbity rabbity" Angelina said, pulling the small boy onto her lap.
"BABBITY!" Hank giggled and clapped.
"Aren't you so excited for this Ange?" Alicia laughed exhaustedly.
"To be fair, I only have to deal with one," Angelina said. She was about five months pregnant with her first son. There was something about Alicia and George's bundles of joy that halted Angelina and Fred in starting a family for a bit.
"With Fred all excited, he's got George talking about wanting to have more. I said, let's at least get these two potty trained before we start thinking about having more. The way I see it I got a girl and a boy in my first go, I'm all set. Don't have to try six times like poor Molly." Alicia laughed.
"Fred and I had to have a talk about that when we found that Colin was a boy, I said I'm not about to be having another clan just to get to a girl you know. He just laughed. Said something about a curse being broken with Ginny. You and Ol talk about trying for kids soon or you going to wait a bit?" Angelina said.
"Oh I don't know, took us this long to get here. Give us time to congratulate ourselves on that front before you start putting more expectations on us will ya" I laughed.
"Oh Tori, look how beautiful your Auntie Katie is" Alicia said, already starting to tear up as I put on my dress.
"Pwetty! SO Pwetty Aunt Kitty!" Tori said.
"Yeah! Aunt Kitty Pwetty!" Hank repeated and clapped.
"Well you two look very pretty as well!" I said. Tori was wearing a scarlet dress and Hank had on gold dress robes with white wings that hung from his shoulders giving him the appearance of a large snitch. They were the flower girl and page boy in title if nothing else.
"GRAN!" Hank shouted as Molly and Ginny came into the room.
"So sorry I'm late Kates!" Ginny said rushing over and kissing my cheek. "You look amazing. I didn't look nearly this good on my wedding day!" she continued.
"Hello lovies!" Molly scoped up the twins in a big hug with one in each arm while they giggled.
"Do you girls need anything, want me to take the kids for a bit Alicia?" Molly asked.
"No we should be good for now, Mum. Ceremony is starting soon" Alicia said, joining in on the hug.
"Molly you really need to adopt Oliver or me, our entire wedding party is your family in some form and it really isn't fair" I laughed.
"Oh Katherine you two are always family. And Ginny's right she didn't look this good on her wedding day" Molly laughed and gave me a kiss on the cheek.
"Nonsense! Mine is all this dress, Ginny didn't need anything more showy at her wedding." I teased.
"Well well well, if it isn't a bunch of lovely ladies that never had time for me" said a voice I hadn't heard in ages.
"LEE! What? How? I thought you lived in Germany with a muggle wife or something like that!" I shouted and ran up to hug him.
"This is true, Greta, she is here actually. Muggle-born though, not full muggle. Gotta have someone to watch the 'ditch with me! Then when good ol' Fred and George showed up at my door to say there was a gryffindor quidditch wedding happening. Well you know I had to be part of it!" He laughed and hugged Angelina and Alicia.
"Part of it? What are you doing?" I asked.
"What am I doing? I'm commenting of course! I'm the officiant. Got the paperwork through the Ministry last month and everything. Should have thought of it ages ago, could have started up a side hustle performing everyone's wedding. Anywho, I'm here to say we are going to start in 5 minutes." Lee chuckled.
"So this is it, this is happening. And Lee Jordan is the officiant" I laughed.
"Does make it rather official" Angelina laughed.
"You've been hanging out with your husband too much" I laughed.
"We need to get this over with so I can come back at you with No you have!" she chuckled.
So we did what any normal bridal party does before they headed to the altar and we grabbed our brooms.
All of our guests were seated up in the stands like Hogwarts spectators in fancier dress wear. It was a rather humorous sight when we first walked out. The guys were already hovering on their brooms up near the three goal posts. Lee was stood on a pedestal in front of the middle hoop and Oliver was next to him on his broom wearing a kilt. There is no way that is comfortable if he isn't wearing any pants, I giggled thinking he has to have something on for at least this part. It made me think of all the prewedding conversations he and I have had and how even now I am here and he can't yet see me but I am thinking such a ridiculous thing as my first thought upon seeing him there at the altar waiting to marry me. Behind him was George, then Fred, then Harry. All wearing their Gryffindor quidditch robes.
There was a live band to play music and they began. Ginny flew up catching a quaffle that was passed to her from the ground by none other than Madame Hooch and as the quaffle reached her hands it turned into a bouquet of flowers. The same thing happened for Angelina, and then Alicia and then all lined up at the goal posts. Alicia had Tori on her broom with her, and Hank was with his Uncle Harry. They were also all in their original Gryffindor quidditch robes. Ginny never played on team Wood or with Alicia or Angelina, but she played with me for two years and I wanted her to be a part of this.
I had to ride side-saddle on my broom because of my dress but it made my flying feel more elegant somehow. The moment Oliver could see me I could tell he began to cry and it made me cry. I didn't know anything else that was happening, I just saw him, sitting likely uncomfortably on a broom in a kilt, crying while he looked at me, sitting definitely uncomfortably on a broom in a dress getting married in the place where our lives began, where our love began.
"Ladies and Gentleman, it is truly the greatest honour for me to be back here before you today. The many years I was able to commentate the outstanding matches performed by the beautiful people before you is one of my most cherished memories. I knew I was never skilled enough to play on the team, but with my words I could showcase just how wonderful these players were, even if it was sometimes against McGonagall's better judgement" Lee began and the whole crowd laughed.
"Qudditch brought the entire school together, no matter what. It gave Harry here something he could be happy to be famous for, and now he's got a hot wife who's an even better player than him" Lee paused again for everyone's laughter.
"But no one was brought closer together by quidditch than eight people you see before me. And of those eight there is the most beautiful story of the greatest match, that of Oliver and Katie's. Anyone who has ever known them, knows even a bit of their story, understands how much they have gone through to get here today. They have literally gone to the edge of the world and back, though I suppose some people just call it New Zealand" Lee paused again for moderate amounts of laughter as I held Oliver's hands and looked deeply into his ice blue eyes.
"And all of that, just to end up right back here where it all began. Back to the 4 am practices where Oliver would punish the others by making that practice last all day, just so he could see Katie for longer. To Katie getting a rise out of Oliver just to make him force those punishments. To the endless will they/won't they that those of us who sat on the outside watching in just wanted to smack you for. And to finally get to shout the only thing I've ever held back from saying into this microphone…" Lee stopped and looked directly at me.
"Approximately eleven years ago, I got to sit in that booth and announce that for the first time in years Gryffindor had won the quidditch house. Everyone was celebrating and I could see a twinge of regret in Oliver's eyes looking across the pitch at you. I leaned towards the microphone and took a deep breath and had every intention of shouting something at you but for the first, and last time, there was something in me that couldn't do it. You don't understand what it's been like for me, to have that inside me eating away. Knowing that there was an opinion or a statement I didn't shout in front of the whole school. But it's perfect that Fred and George asked me to be here today to be your officiant because now I can finally do it justice." He laughed and took a deep breath.
"KATIE BELL, OLIVER WOOD IS MADLY IN LOVE WITH YOU AND DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO SAY IT AND WE ALL KNOW YOU LOVE HIM TOO SO WON'T YOU JUST SNOG HIM AND GET IT OVER WITH!" Lee shouted at the top of his lungs into the microphone-like device.
"Though I suppose you should say your vows and everything first" Lee laughed. And we both chuckled.
"We voted and decided I would start, because if you go first I'm not going to be able to say anything at all. And neither one of us was quite sure if this counted if I couldn't say my vows outloud" Oliver began and laughed. There was already a tear in his eye. "Those eleven years ago I made a weird sort of vow to myself that I was going to protect you, and then in the years to follow that strange vow got even more garbled when for some reason it became protecting you instead of loving you. I was so caught up in keeping you safe I lost sight in why I wanted to. Then as you pointed out a few years later, it turns out I was not very good at protecting you. Yes you were alive, but only just barely; you had broken your heart, and shattered your hip like five times." I laughed but was crying and still holding his hands.
"Thankfully, I am a lot better at loving you than I ever was at protecting you. And I promise to always love you to the best of my abilities. I promise to always love your horrible singing, even when you think it's at my expense, and laugh at your jokes for the same reason. I promise to agree to disagree on what the best quidditch plays are and whether ice cream constitutes as a meal. But I promise to always make new promises, because the two of us, we are always going to be facing new challenges, and we've got to know we can come up with a good game plan. You are the love of my life and the greatest thing I could win in the whole wide world of cups." He finished and I could hear Alicia sniffling behind me.
"Except you went first and mine sounds shit now" I laughed, but you could barely understand me because I was all choked up.
"For so many years of my life I have felt lost or without purpose, and most of those years I realize now that I just felt that way because I hadn't realized that my purpose was loving you. You have been my rock through every difficult time I've ever known and never failed me even when you ought to have. I promise to be even an ounce of the person you deserve. I promise to sing often, sing loudly, and sing poorly. I promise to always remind you when your head is getting a bit too large to be seen next to. Or to once again prove that I am far superior at planning practices. I promise to always be there to hold the bucket when you are sick, and know exactly what to say to make you feel better...or worse. Whichever the situation calls for really. And above all I promise to be here to support you and show you that you are able to accomplish anything and everything you put that big head of yours to. You are my favourite thing, you are my everything. I'll love you for longer than a billion games against Canada. I'm fairly certain I already have." I finished.
"Now for the good part," Lee said.
"Do you Oliver Nolan Wood, take Katherine Elizabeth Bell to be your wife?" He smirked.
"I do" Oliver smiled, his famous cocky smile.
"Beautiful, and do you Katherine Elizabeth Bell FINALLY take Oliver Nolan Wood to be your husband?" Lee laughed.
"Boy do I!" I chuckled.
"Then I declare you bonded for life! Snog him and get it over with!" Lee shouted and everyone cheered. Oliver reached over and dipped me into a deep kiss, though thankfully not quite a snog. As we were kissing all three quidditch hoops erupted in red and gold paint and there were small flashing fireworks around the outsides. There seemed to be a shield charm on Oliver and I but the rest of the party got covered. Tori and Hank screamed out in happiness at both being covered in wet paint.
We flew down to the ground laughing at everyone covered in paint other than us for once.
"You're my husband now" I wrinkled my nose at him when we landed.
"Yeah. The Mrs. The ol' ball n' chain you are" He kissed my forehead. "You look stunning" He kissed my lips.
Fred had cleared all of the paint and the bridal party had returned to the changing rooms to well...change. They came out shortly after the girls all in elegant scarlet dresses that had some gold details on them, and the boys all had scarlet and gold kilts on like Oliver's.
A large marquee had been put up on the pitch and the guests were all piling inside of it now. The inside was made up to look almost exactly like the Gryffindor common room. The walls were covered in large tapestries and there were a number of red overly stuffed armchairs here and there. The big differences being that there were tables set up for dinner, and it was about five times the size.
"Well you guys finally did it, you're married. Wood and Wood" Mica said strutting over to us. He was still playing on Puddlemore and had become one of our best friends.
"We see you brought a date, not so lonely anymore are you little Mica" I teased.
"Oh we'll see. Still not waking up like you two, that's for sure" He gave us both a hug and messed up Oliver's hair a bit before moving on.
Most of our quidditch teams had attended the wedding. Everyone was beyond happy for us. One of the craziest moments in my life was a few days prior when I received a letter from Jake's mum. She had seen in the paper that Oliver and I were getting married and was so happy for us. She had said that she was worried I was going to be heartbroken over Jake for the rest of my life, and that Jake had told her about me and Oliver, and that this is how he would have wanted everything to turn out. I'm not so sure about that, but it felt nice to hear nonetheless. I'm sure that second to him and I being together he is happy that I am with Oliver, or maybe he knows that I was always meant to be with Oliver to begin with. Maybe that's why he was so quick to try to propose, before I realized it. All I knew was that this was what felt like was right, and I can't imagine it having been any other way.
Oliver, Fred, and George were laughing at the difference of size and design of the house cup and the world cup that were both being displayed.
"It seems a little harsh to put them right next to each other" George laughed. The house cup was probably decades of years old and each year the names of the players would be etched into it, so it just grew longer over time and eventually(I assume each century) they would start a new one. Not much finesse to it. Whereas the world cup was clearly designed for each cup and this one was smooth and had a sort of polynesian meets technology meets magic meets quidditch meets cup look to it that the house cup had none of.
"Funny, that's what we always say about you and Fred" I said walking up to them.
"Very nice, McGonagall made the new millenium house cup a bit fancier, but this one will always be the one in my heart. It's nice to have my three greatest achievements right in the room" Oliver laughed.
"I am happy your life achievements can be so thusly and easily ranked" I laughed.
"What are yours then?" Oliver asked.
"...Yeah probably these trophies and you. But I'm not going to tell you in what order" I said and stuck my tongue out at him. He grabbed me and pulled me into a kiss.
The dinner had finished and the tables moved to make room for dancing. Everyone was already hitting the dance floor and busting out the moves of the century.
"I don't know if I have ever seen you look so happy Katie" Mcgonagall said walking up to me.
"I don't know if I ever have been" I smiled, and she returned the smile knowingly.
I looked over to the dance floor. "Push it" by Salt-N-Pepa was playing and everyone was going wild. George, Alicia, and Angelina were dancing a routine we had come up with back in school and Fred was doing a form of it with Hank on his feet while Oliver danced with Tori in his arms. These people were ridiculous and I loved every second of them. I loved every second of everything. I had been through some rough and interesting times, that is for sure, but they lead to some amazing things like this moment right here. And this. This was how everything was always meant to be, My friends, the loves of my life, dancing like idiots on my wedding day to Oliver Wood.
END