Chapter 79: In Which There's One Day Left
Severus awoke to find Hermione's chin on his chest, her eyes looking into his.
"Good morning," he said.
She smiled at him. "We're getting married tomorrow."
He rubbed his hands over his eyes. "Yes."
"These few hours between now and when we need to get to Alhana's Haven for decorating are our last ones alone until tomorrow night."
"Really?" he sounded like his brain was rapidly waking up.
"Really, various Weasleys have decided it's unfitting for a man and woman to get to sleep together on the night before their wedding, so I'll be at Ginny's, and who knows where Arthur plans to stash you. How'd Ginny put it? Oh yes, 'If you want to sleep with him, the least you can do is sneak around and get splinters on your bum like all the rest of us had to.'"
Snape winced. "That's more than I needed to know, especially at," he looked at the clock, "7:15 in the morning."
"I didn't ask for an explanation about the splinters, probably something to do with the broom shed at the Weasley's place."
"Ungh." Snape stretched, closed his eyes, and yawned. Hermione rolled off of him and snuggled by his side. He waited two breaths, making sure she was calm and restful, and then suddenly sprang up, rolled her over, and began to tickle her mercilessly.
"If this is the last of our alone time, I don't want to waste a second of it!"
It looks like a nursery exploded here. Snape knew saying that out loud probably wasn't the best plan he had ever had. But, when it came down to it, the large number of flowers Daphne Longbottom was removing from her lorry, and placing in strategic staging areas, did give that impression.
He also wasn't sure exactly what he was supposed to be doing. As soon as they had arrived Hermione had hustled off to join Daphne.
"Severus, give a hand over here!" Harry called to him, gesturing to the pile of tables. Severus joined Harry and began to levitate the tables into the grassy space between the house and the chapel. Between the two of them that job was done in ten minutes.
"Now what?" Snape asked Harry.
"Ginny told me to put up tables, so I put them up. We're just foot soldiers here; we need to find one of the generals and get some more orders."
Snape looked around, and caught a quick glimpse of Ginny's hair through the hole in the house. "And from the looks of it, the generals are in the house."
They walked into the house and found what looked like total chaos. Five house elves were prepping the wedding food. Knives were slicing so quickly they blurred. Food was flying from one station to the next, each elf adding his or her bit to it. In the far corner Kreacher and Hermione were consulting about something. Ginny saw the men enter and intercepted them before they got too far into the house.
She turned them around and began leading them back into the sunshine. "The fewer people in there the less likely someone is to be hit with a flying marrow or cut with a stray knife." She looked up and saw the tables were in place. "Oh, that looks lovely. Here," she gestured with her wand and a large box landed on the middle table. "The linens are in there, put them on the tables."
Harry fired off a salute. Ginny gave him a quick kiss. "Thanks, love."
They returned to the tables, and Severus opened the box. It seemed much fuller then he would have expected. How much space can six table cloths and thirty-six napkins take? As Harry unpacked, and he put the cloths on the tables, he found it was actually eighteen table cloths. Six white long cloths which reached the ground. Six smaller black ones were draped across the table and ended midway between the table top and the grass. Finally they placed the six smallest red cloths that just covered the table tops.
"That looks pretty good," Snape said to Harry.
"Yeah it does. When they get done with the crystal and flowers, it'll look even better."
"Do you think we'll be putting flowers in vases?"
"You're kidding right?" Harry looked like he thought that was one of the funniest things he had heard all day.
"No. I can put flowers in a vase. How hard can it be?" Snape looked perplexed.
Harry shook his head. "They aren't going to trust us with anything like that. We might get to put the flowers that are already in the vases on the tables, but they won't let us arrange them."
"Sounds kind of silly."
"I know, but that's the way it is. Daphne's done the flowers for three Weasley weddings, that's how she met Neville, and she's only just now letting Ginny and Hermione help. No one else is deemed skilled enough to touch her babies."
"Babies?"
"She's really into flowers."
"I won't ask to touch the flowers." Snape placed the last white napkin. "So what do we do now?"
"Dance floor?"
"I'm game. Do you think the generals will approve of us doing this without direct orders?"
"We'll just have to risk it. Unless you want to re-enter the house?"
"No, I'm perfectly happy to avoid that."
The first thing Hermione saw upon landing at Alhana's Haven was Daphne. She gave Severus a quick wave and then headed over to join the florist.
"How are things going?"
"Lovely. Just a few more boxes to unpack, and I'll be ready to start arranging the flowers."
Hermione bent over the nearest box and stroked the smooth stem and petal of a black calla lily. "These are so beautiful."
"Thanks, once we've got them arranged with the roses and the ivy, they'll be fantastic." Daphne grabbed another box and handed it to Hermione. "Take a look."
Hermione opened it carefully. Inside was her bouquet. She picked it up tentatively, almost afraid that a wrong touch would cause it to fall apart.
"You can touch it, trust me. It looks delicate, but it's not."
Hermione lifted it with both hands. A cascade of black calla lilies, white roses, and tendrils of green ivy fell to just above her knees. Tiny red and pink bleeding hearts provided little flashes of color.
Ginny joined them. "Beautiful isn't it?"
"Daphne, you do fabulous work."
"I wish I could take all the credit, but this one isn't all mine. Neville and Luna also helped to put it together for you. It was Luna's idea to toss in the bleeding hearts."
"Good idea. I thought it was missing something before, but I couldn't figure out what."
"Luckily she did. Not to rush you, but I've got to get this all unpacked and set up before my next delivery." Daphne waved at Ginny who was walking towards them.
"Oh, no problem."
"Come on Hermione, I'll show you the room we've got set up for you. The bouquet can go in there right?" Ginny said.
"Sure, everything's got a forty-eight hour stasis on it. Just make sure it's settled so nothing gets smushed," Daphne replied.
"Easy enough." Ginny led Hermione through the house, past the food prep station, and up the stairs.
"We figured that setting up the second floor for the guys, and the third floor for us would work out pretty well. So, when it's time to get ready, you'll be in here." Ginny opened the door to a comfortable room. "Harry was in charge of getting it ready for you. I think he did a pretty good job."
There were sofas, a full length mirror, a dressing table with a smaller mirror, and more lights than she had ever seen in a room. There was even a smaller table that looked like it had been designed to hold her bouquet, and next to the table, hanging from a dress form, was her dress.
"Did he get this just for the flowers?"
"I don't think so, but I don't know. You'll have to ask him."
"Where is he?"
"I think he stole Severus and they're setting up the tables and chairs."
Hermione laid her flowers on the table next to her dress, and stood back to look at it. Ginny put her arm around Hermione.
"Oh, you both look so lovely. Let me get a picture of this," Arthur said as he walked into the room.
"Dad?"
"Nothing's happening at the Ministry, so I begged off and came here. Thought I might be able to lend a hand. Plus, I wanted to get shots of it all being set up. You know Molly collects pictures of everything and makes up a wedding book for each of you. Now, stand there, just like you were."
The shot was one of Ginny and Hermione in profile, Hermione's gown and flowers in the background. Both of the women were smiling widely.
Arthur then set the camera floating, and had it take a shot of the three of them. "Wonderful. So what can I do?"
"Spike's in the chapel setting up the music. He might want some help," Ginny told him.
Arthur headed off to the chapel, excitement at meeting a real vampire and getting to play with muggle musical equipment putting a spring into his step.
"You think Spike needs help?" Hermione asked.
"Not really, unless he wants to put something in a sunny patch. But I figured Dad would like it."
"He certainly looked happy. I should go see how Kreacher is doing with the food."
"Bloody, buggering bastard!" That and other less polite words greeted Arthur's ears as he ducked into the chapel.
"Hello?" Arthur asked.
Spike looked up from several small interlocking squares of plastic, coils of wire, and a few plugs.
"Hello, mate. Mr Weasley?"
"Yes. Mr Grimes?"
"Not usually. Call me Spike."
"Arthur."
"How can I help?" Arthur asked the frustrated looking vampire.
"I can't get the bastard to play. It's worked perfectly fine for the last three months, and now, it's just dead."
"Too much magic?"
"If I'm lucky, it'll need a new battery if I'm not."
"I've got lots of batteries at home."
"Not this kind. You have to have one of the Mac people put a new one in if the old one dies."
"Huh? Not very convenient."
"Nope."
"Well, let's see what I can do about neutralizing the effects of the magic in the area."
"You can do that?"
"I learned how a long time ago. I like to play with muggle things, and they just don't work if you can't keep the magic under control. So, what's this thing supposed to do?"
"It plays music." Spike handed the iPod to Arthur.
"This little thing?
"Yeah. If we can get it working, it's got five hundred songs on it."
Arthur goggled. "Five hundred?"
"Give or take a few."
"So, how should it work?"
"Put these in your ears." Spike placed the ear buds in Arthur's hand. He stared at them. "Like this." Spike fitted one bud in Arthur's ear. Arthur smiled and placed the other. "And press that button." He pressed the button. Nothing happened.
"I'll be back in a moment. I might as well test it somewhere that isn't quite so magic."
Arthur was back five minutes later. "It's very loud."
"So it worked?"
"I think so, nothing like any music I've ever heard, but I could hear something when I got into London."
"Wonderful. I'll get it wired, you tone down the magic, and we can get this wedding rocking!"
"Severus, Hermione, come over here!" Severus caught Arthur's voice as he and Harry placed the last section of the dance floor into place. He looked at Harry and cocked an eyebrow. Harry shrugged back. Neither man had even known Arthur was here, let alone that he was in the Chapel.
"Go see what he wants. I'll get Hermione," Harry said before heading toward the house.
Severus found Arthur and Spike in the far corner of the chapel. As soon as he stepped inside a wave of music washed over him.
"Is that Maggie May?" Severus asked as the familiar music wrapped around him.
"In honour of my Rod Stewart loving friend." Spike smiled.
"It's brilliant, isn't it? This little thing, an iPod?" Spike nodded at Arthur. "Can play just about anything you can imagine. And so loud! You'd need a live band to get this much sound out of Celestina Warbeck."
"Take a listen." Severus started a new piece of music. Soft, eerie notes wove through the chapel. Snape cocked his head, he was sure he knew this music, but it wasn't registering immediately.
"I was thinking this would work for you and Arthur's entrance."
"It's Nine Inch Nails, isn't it?"
"Well caught. 'A Warm Place.' Buffy thinks this is perfect 'you' music, and Willow agreed."
"I always have been fond of that bit. A little sombre for a wedding though?" Severus had never even considered the idea of Nine Inch Nails as wedding music.
Hermione and Harry walked in at that point. "Hello, Spike." She walked over to him and received a kiss on the cheek.
"Here's the music I picked for your entrance, love." A soft ethereal melody was punctuated by a collection of brass instruments.
"That's beautiful. What is it?"
"The 'Angels In America' theme music. I went for more sombre music to begin with, and when you both leave…" The music that filled the chapel started low and slow, but with each passing movement it grew in strength, intensity and joyfulness. By the end a sense of accomplishment and triumph filled everyone who had heard it.
"It's a pretty obscure piece, but Giles, of all people, had it tucked in the back of his closet. It's a part of the soundtrack to a movie called Witness. If you can fathom it, the music goes along with a barn raising."
"What's a barn raising?" Arthur asked.
"When a bunch of people get together and build a barn in one day."
"Without magic?" Hermione asked.
"Without power tools," Spike said.
"Determined people," Severus said.
"So, do you like it?" Spike asked.
"I like it," Severus answered. Hermione nodded in agreement.
"So, where are your ladies?" Hermione asked him.
"Killing me... slowly. They're off watching Manchester U in the glorious sunlight, and I'm here setting up a sound system. Meanwhile I'm sure Xander is calling it soccer and talking about what a poncy game it is compared to football. And I'm not there to see the game or the yobs beat him to a pulp."
"Poor Spike, so many crosses to bear," Hermione teased.
"Hell, I'd gladly bear a cross if I could see Man U play again. But the game should be done soon, and then I'll take them to the British Museum, Giles says there's a copy of my book in the Victorian section, then back here for the dinner, and off for one last night of mayhem and debauchery in honour of Mr Snape here."
"Wait, you have a book?" Arthur asked.
"I'll have you know that once upon a time I was a truly horrendous poet with too much time and money on my hands, so I had a book published. What it's doing in the British Museum I'd love to know, which is why we're going hunting for it. Hell, Giles might be pulling one over on me." Spike and Arthur continued to talk about poetry while Snape put an arm around Hermione.
"So, what's left?" Snape asked Hermione.
"I think the flowers are ready to be placed, and once they're done then it's just a matter of going over everything and waiting for everyone for the rehearsal." She spent a moment just looking at the way the light hit the altar. Then an idea hit, and she pulled her eyes away.
"Oh, is your pre-wedding sitting area all set?"
Arthur nodded. "Not that we'll be using it all that much, most of the time we'll be out here greeting people and making sure they get seated."
"In that case, go grab some flowers and get directions from Daphne as to where they go."
An hour later Willow and Buffy teleported onto the dance floor. They decided to spend a moment walking around and peeking at the preparations before grabbing Spike and heading off. To the left of the dance floor was a long table that would be covered in food tomorrow.
They walked toward the dining tables.
"How pretty," Willow said looking at the lovely colours and textures, the black, red, and white flowers which were in a low, wide centrepiece so that they wouldn't obscure the view across the tables, and the afternoon sunlight sparkling off the crystal and silverware.
"So beautiful." Buffy let one of her hands lightly stroke a fork and the radiant white napkin under it.
Willow saw the look of longing in her friend's eyes. "You're really jonesing for a wedding, aren't you?"
"Yeah. I haven't felt this way since that stupid spell way back when. I want it so bad I can taste it."
"Talk to Spike, yet?"
"Soon, tonight, tomorrow night. I don't know. I feel a little silly wanting one so badly all of a sudden."
"Well, it's not like our lives have been full of happy wedding examples."
"That just might be in the running for the understatement-of-the-year-award."
"Maybe it's Anya. Perhaps if we keep her out of the equation, you'll have a lovely wedding."
"Her and Giles' wedding wasn't so bad."
"It wasn't a wedding. They snuck out of town, got hitched by the Justice of the Peace, and told us about it three days later when they came back. Nothing about that to get Buffy in a ringy kind of mood."
"No one to be in a ringy kind of mood about at that time either."
They walked toward the chapel. Music was echoing from it, and muted British voices underscored the melody.
The women walked in. Buffy let out a soft gasp, and Willow whistled. The chapel glowed from the afternoon sunlight filtering through the stained glass windows. Spike, Arthur, Harry, Snape, Hermione, and Ginny were all working on attaching flowers to the end of the pews. Another woman, who neither Willow nor Buffy knew, was placing more flowers on an altar at the front of the chapel. Spike looked up from his work before any of the humans could have heard them enter, and waved to the women.
"Who won?" Spike called across the chapel.
"Manchester, by a landslide!" Buffy called back to him.
He strode rapidly to her, picked her up, and swung her around. "Bloody Excellent! Hello, Red."
"Hello Spike. When did you become a florist?"
"A long, long time ago. Just showing them how to do it right."
The woman they didn't know looked up and then burst into undignified laughter. "Yeah, he's been a bloody lifesaver. Nothing like a bloke with sun allergies to help with getting an outdoor wedding together."
"Ta, luv," Spike said back to Daphne.
"Sun allergies?" Willow mouthed. Spike nodded and winked.
"I see you're getting along well," Buffy said with a smile.
"I'm enjoying being home. Nice to hear someone besides Giles who knows how to speak."
"You don't find our California American English entrancing? I'm wounded." Spike kissed Buffy's lips to still them.
"So, we're off to explore my less than savoury past. See you all tonight?"
"See you then." Severus called. The others waved. Willow apparated, teleported she called it, them out of there. The others returned to decorating.