The Wedding Edited
The day had come faster than Spencer thought it would. He was getting married today. He stood in front of the full length mirror, in the room he was given to get ready in. He straightened his bow tie once more, and tugged on the bottom of his suit coat, before pacing across the room. Spencer stopped at the window and watched people arrive. He heard the door open and close behind him.
"How are you holding up, Pretty Boy?" Morgan came to stand beside Spencer.
"Trying to distract myself from the fact that Amaryllis is just down the hall." Both men chuckled.
"Understandable, man. I just saw Garcia, she said that everything is going good."
"Did you see Amaryllis?"
"No, man. They aren't letting any men in there."
Spencer huffed out a breath. "Okay, I suppose it is time to head down there."
"Yep, you get to wait at the front for that pretty lady of yours."
They walked out together. Spencer paused just outside the doorway. He looked down the hallway, a mere three doors down was the room where Amaryllis and her bridesmaids were getting ready.
"Come on, Lover boy" Morgan pulled him in the opposite direction. They slowly made their way downstairs, stopping to talk to people. But in a relatively short amount of time, Spencer was standing up at the front, staring at the doors, waiting for Amaryllis to walk through.
The wedding march started and the guests all stood and turned to the back of the room. Two doormen opened the double doors, but as the music played on, no one walked through. The congregation started to glance at each other and up at Spencer. An agonizingly slow minute later, quick steps could be heard. But it wasn't Amaryllis that appeared at the doorway, it was Garcia. The expression on her face was a mix between panic and deep sadness. She just shook her head.
"She's gone!" was all she said.
Spencer jolted awake, right before he fell off the side of his bed, but was able to catch himself. He was breathing heavily and was disoriented. Once he had calmed down he looked at his clock. It was 5:36 am, the morning of his wedding. Spencer laid back on his pillows and thought about the dream he just had. It seemed to come out of nowhere. He had never had a fear of Amaryllis calling the wedding off before. Maybe it was all of Morgan's teasing last night at the rehearsal dinner. But it didn't really matter. Spencer knew it was just a dream and that Amaryllis would never do that to him. But the dream seemed so real, he couldn't shake it.
Spencer sat up with an idea. He walked over to his small desk and took out the old fashioned paper he used to write his mother. Quickly he wrote a short note to Amaryllis. As he finished, he was trying to think of a way to get it to her as soon as possible. Then he remembered something.
"Dobby?" he called softly, but firmly and waited to see if the house-elf would come. After Amaryllis moved to the U.S., Dobby offered to help Spencer. So when he was off on cases, Dobby would come and watch over his apartment, clean out the fridge, stuff like that. Spencer had never called Dobby before, so he wasn't sure if the house-elf would hear him. But just a few moments later he heard a small pop.
"Mister Spencer, is everything okay?"
"Yeah, I think so, I was just hoping you could deliver this letter to Amaryllis for me?"
"Of course, Mister Spencer."
"Thank you, Dobby." Spencer replied. The house-elf simply bobbed a bow and popped away.
Spencer slumped down in the chair and rubbed his face with his hands. He glanced at the clock again. There was still a couple hours before Morgan said he would come over. He might as well see if he could get any more sleep, though he didn't think he would be able to.
Amaryllis sat in front of the vanity mirror in the dressing room that was given to her. After waking up at seven, she simply took a shower and ate a small breakfast. She had made sure she had everything she needed before heading to the assembly hall where she and Spencer had decided to have their wedding. She wasn't alone in the room but her bridesmaids were in a separate part. They were quickly finishing up getting ready before they converged on her.
She put her earrings on and adjusted her necklace to lay more comfortably around her neck. The only other jewelry she wore was her engagement ring. Gazing at it, the memories of these last months since Spencer proposed shot through her mind. Thinking of Spencer reminded her of the letter Dobby had given her as soon as she woke up. Amaryllis had brought it with her. She took it out again, even though she had already read it many times before.
"Dear Amaryllis,
I've started this letter without a clear vision of what exactly I want to say. The nerves seem to have gotten to me, I had a rather horrible dream. When it had come time to say our vows, you weren't there and no one could find you. I know in my heart that you love me, I just can't shake the feeling that something is going to come along and ruin today. It seems too good to be true that this is finally happening. So I guess this letter is meant to ease my nervousness, more than yours. In a few hours I will be standing in front of the people closest to us. And I can't wait for you to be standing there with me.
I Love You. Tan yfory, fy nghariad.
Spencer
Amaryllis was surprised when Dobby gave her the letter. She thought it funny how Spencer claimed the letter was to calm his nerves. What he didn't know is that she had had a dream as well. In her's the doors opened for her to walk down the aisle but when she went through them, the room was completely empty. She spun in a circle, hoping to see someone. Then Amaryllis heard a cackling laugh behind her. She turned to see it was Hermione. Amaryllis just stood there frozen as her former friend jeered at her.
"I guess there will be no wedding today, 'Lis" Hermione scorned. She raised her wand and Amaryllis couldn't move while the green spell sped towards her.
Amaryllis had jerked awake as the spell would have hit her. Like Spencer she felt like the day was just too good to be true. Before she had done anything else she had written Spencer a reply:
"My Dear Spencer
Your letter may have been for you but it brought such comfort to me as well. You were not the only one who had a less than pleasant dream last night. This won't be a long letter because I will see you, so very soon. And I will see you. Nothing is going to take this day away from us.
Rwyf wrth fy modd i chi!
And I hope this isn't too premature but, with all the love in my heart
Amaryllis Reid
Amaryllis gave her reply to Dobby to deliver. She hoped that her letter had brought him the same peace that his letter had brought her. She heard her friends finishing up and coming over to her. She folded her love's letter and placed it with her written vows, not knowing Spencer was doing the same thing with her letter.
Remus knocked on the Bride's waiting room door.
"Who is it?" he heard from the other side of the door.
"Remus Lupin, no groom in sight, I promise."
The door opened slowly to reveal Penelope Garcia
"It is almost time, is everything going okay?" he asked as he walked into the room.
"Yep, Amaryllis is just being finicky now."
Remus looked around the room, there were coats, purses, make-up, and hair accessories spread everywhere. He saw Saxony, who was going to be the flower girl, sitting at one of the tables, drawing with some crayons.
"Hey, Saxony,"
"Uncle Remus!" She rushed over to embrace the older man. He swept her up into his arms.
"Oh, you are getting so big, and I am too old."
Saxony's only response was to giggle. After one more squeeze, Remus set Saxony back on the floor.
"Wow, aren't you pretty! Are you ready to be a flower girl?"
"Yeah"
"Well it is almost time. I came up to get your mum."
"Okay" Saxony went back to her seat and Garcia directed him to the other door in the room, where Amaryllis was waiting.
He lightly tapped on the door before walking in.
"Amaryllis?"
As he spoke, Amaryllis spun around to face him. Remus was stunned at how beautiful she looked in her dress. She was in an ivory satin gown that flowed with her body. It was fitted up top, but flared gently out from her waist to the floor, without the traditional poofiness. There was lace on top giving the dress off the shoulder sleeves that reached down to her elbows. But the most beautiful thing she was wearing was her smile. Remus just walked forward and took her hands in his. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat. Amaryllis' smile just got more radiant. Remus finally found his voice.
"You look amazing!"
Amaryllis simply huffed a small chuckle and drew her uncle, in everything but blood, into a tight hug.
"Oh 'Lis, I wish your parents and Sirius were here to see this."
Amaryllis pulled back with tears in her eyes.
"Yeah, me too. Thank you for agreeing to walk me down the aisle."
Now it was Remus' turn to tear up.
"Oh no, don't you start going on like that. Walking you down that aisle will be the single most honor of my life." Remus' tone brooked no argument. Amaryllis simply smiled again. There was another knock at the door.
"Hey, Amaryllis, we really should start to head down." Ginny poked her head in the room and saw the pairs of teary eyes. Her face became very serious.
"Don't you go messing up your make-up. It took hours to get everyone to agree that it was perfect."
The other two laughed.
"I am all ready, Ginny, just need my shoes." Amaryllis lifted her dress just enough for the others to see her bare feet.
Ginny nodded, "We are going to start heading down."
"Okay, see you down there."
Remus turned back to Amaryllis "Alright, where are you shoes?"
"Under a chair somewhere. I took them off after we checked the dress hem again." Amaryllis turned back towards the mirror behind her, and made sure her veil was sitting straight.
Remus quickly spotted the shoes. He was shocked when he picked them up. They looked like normal high heeled shoes, but once he picked them up, he saw the backs. Hanging from the back of each of her shoes was one charm. They were small metal frames, the size of a postage stamp. In one was a picture of James Potter, while in the other was a picture of Sirius Black. He took a moment to stare at his late friends' faces, before silently bringing the shoes over to Amaryllis. She had turned back towards him and saw him gazing at the pictures. Her smile softened.
"Penny found them, aren't they brillant." Amaryllis reached out and wrapped her hands around his, which were still holding the shoes. "This way I can have all three of you walking me down the aisle."
Remus just gave her a sad smile and she leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.
"I'll…uh" Remus cleared his throat "I'll help you put these on." He offered and knelt down. Amaryllis once again lifted her dress and Remus helped her step into each of her shoes. When he stood back up, he wrapped his pseudo-niece in another warm hug.
"We had better go downstairs." Remus offered Amaryllis his arm and they walked out of the dressing room.
"We can't have Spencer thinking you left him at the altar." He continued.
"No, let's not have that."
Spencer stood at the front of the hall. He was trying very hard not to ask Morgan if he still had the ring…again. As he looked out over the guests he couldn't help but be momentarily reminded of his nightmare. He reached into his inside pocket and felt the thick parchment of their letter, and was instantly calmed.
The hall they had chosen was not very large, as neither he nor Amaryllis had many close family and friends. Spencer looked to the faces of his team, sitting on the front row of the groom's side. Everyone was there smiling except Morgan and Garcia. He saw his mother being helped into her seat by Gideon, a nurse discreetly choosing the seat behind her. Spencer was ecstatic that his mother was able to come. She had been getting pretty bad, but today was a good day. She waved up at him, with tears in her eyes.
After glancing over his guests, his eyes switched over to Amaryllis' side. It was hard to miss the sea of red hair on her side of the aisle. The Weasley clan took up almost the whole space. Spencer focused on her front row. Though her side of the hall had more people, her front row was nearly empty. On the first three chairs there were pictures of her parents and Sirius. The next one was empty, but Spencer knew that Remus would take that one. The only occupied chair on the front row was Albus Dumbledore, who was getting quite a few weird looks due to his maroon velvet suit and incredibly long hair and beard. Other Hogwarts teachers and former classmates filled in the back. Some even sat on Spencer's side. He knew not to expect any druids, as they were to have a traditional druidic ceremony in Wales the day after tomorrow.
As Spencer observed their family and friends, the ushers quietly sat the last of the guests and closed the back doors, in preparation for the bride's entrance. The chatter stopped as the music began to play. It played for a few moments, while the officiator got into place and Spencer's groomsmen straightened themselves into a line. The double doors at the back opened and Saxony came through. She walked excitedly down the aisle, throwing rose petals everywhere. Spencer thought she would just stop at the top of the aisle and go sit with her grandparents, so he was surprised when Saxony came right up to him. She gestured for him to bend down. He knelt down to her level and she gave a kiss on the cheek before darting off to sit on her grandfather's lap. The whole exchange received a series of "Ahhs" for the audience, including Katie Weasley, George's wife, and Garcia, who had started down the aisle. Spencer stood back up to see Ginny step into the hall and the doors being closed behind her.
Spencer kept his eyes trained on the doors while Amaryllis' bridesmaids made their way down the aisle. When Ginny had taken her place at the front the music changed. It wasn't the traditional wedding march. It was Amarantine by Enya. After the first two notes, the doors once again opened, revealing two smiling figures. Spencer was stunned speechless and Amaryllis stepped alongside Remus into the light of the hall. She was utterly beautiful, almost beyond comprehension. He would have to stare at her for days to get the whole effect. He glanced down to her feet and back, quickly taking in her dress before going back to her face. Her eyes were sparkling like emerald crystals. They bore into his soul like they always have done. They poured all the love of her heart into him. He felt that he would burst. Before his brain could truly catch up with his eyes, Amaryllis was in front of him. Remus gave her a loving kiss on the cheek before taking his seat next to Dumbledore. Spencer and Amaryllis faced each other as the officiant asked everyone to be seated.
"Welcome, one and all. We are here to witness the union of love between Amaryllis Potter and Spencer Reid. Marriage is a union that is full of light, laughter, and life. It is fidelity, charity, and cooperation. It is a step that is not to be taken lightly or with any reservation."
"When two people are at one in their inmost hearts, they shatter even the strongest of iron or bronze and when two people understand each other in their innermost hearts, their words are sweet and strong like the fragrance of orchids."
The officiator then looked away from the crowd and glanced at Amaryllis and Spencer with a smile, before continuing.
"It takes only a moment for one to see the everlasting love these two people have for each other. Nothing I can say could equal what they could say to each other. Spencer and Amaryllis have prepared their own vows to each other. Amaryllis, Spencer, please take each other's hands, and you may begin Spencer."
Amaryllis leaned back slightly to give Ginny her bouquet to hold, before gently placing her hands in Spencer's.
Spencer took a deep breath. "Amaryllis…When we first met it was, oddly enough, your shirt that first caught my attention. I was so focused on making sure I didn't spill my coffee on it that the person wearing the shirt took second thought. At least, until I finally looked up to apologize. Your smile took my breath away, but it was the depth in your eyes that pierced my very core. It was that day that I lost a portion of my soul to you. Every day since you have taken more and more of me captive, until finally, even if I had the strength to pull away, I would never wish to do so. I am a better, more understanding, more compassionate, and more confident man when I am with you. You bring me more happiness than I ever thought was possible to feel. I promise to love and cherish you, to never take you for granted, and to spend the rest of my life trying to be the kind of man you deserve and to make you as happy as you make me. I love you, with all of my heart, every fiber of my being and every action I make."
As Spencer finished speaking the whole hall was silent except for a few sniffles here and there. The officiant smiled softly at him before turning towards Amaryllis. She was looking at Spencer with a gentle, tearful look in her eyes.
"Amaryllis…" the officiant prompted. Tears fell from her eyes as she gave a gentle shake of the head.
"That was mighty unfair of you to go first and make me follow that."
Small chuckles ran around the room and Amaryllis straightened up a bit before taking a deep breath. She adjusted her hands to hold his more comfortably and stared straight into his eyes.
"Spencer, a couple years ago, if someone were to say that I would be standing here, in front of the best man I have ever met, I probably would have laughed in their face. I never could have imagined that there was a man so kind and compassionate, so open minded and trustworthy. And all this while being the smartest man I have ever met. I love you more than words can express, but I will try everyday to show you. From this moment, I take you as my companion for life. From this day forward, you shall not walk alone. My heart will be your shelter and my arms will be your home. I pledge to honor, encourage, and support you on this long walk together. When our way becomes difficult, I promise to stand by you and uplift you, so that through our union we can accomplish more than we could alone. I promise to work at our love and always make you a priority in my life. With every beat of my heart, I will love you."
The officiant let her words sink into all you heard before speaking again "Before the exchanging of the rings, would Miss Saxony Weasley come up please."
The whole crowd swiveled to look at the small girl, who looked confused, but with some encouragement from her mother and grandmother, she quickly made her way back up to the front of the aisle. Spencer reached down to take her hand. Saxony turned towards him and watched as he knelt down in front of her. She didn't know what to expect so she just waited for him to talk.
"Saxony, I want you to know that I dearly love your mother. We have become very good friends over the months and we have learned to love each other. You have kindly shared this wonderful woman with me and I will share the love I feel for her with you. I promise to be fair and to be honest, to be available for you as I am for you mom, and in due time, to earn your love, respect and true friendship. I will not attempt to replace anyone, but to make a place in your heart that is for me alone. I will be father and friend, and I will cherish my life with all of you. On this day when I marry your mom, I promise to love and support you as my own."
Spencer finished with a simple smile. Saxony just wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight hug. When she felt him return the gesture she said "I love you, too, Papa Spencer."
If there had been a dry eye in the hall, there certainly was not anymore, especially Spencer's. He let go of his new step-daughter and stood back up. Saxony did not want to go back to her seat, so she stayed with her parents.
The officiant continued "I don't think any more needs to be said. If you could exchange rings."
Spencer and Amaryllis took the rings from their attendants and one at a time placed the bands on the other's finger. After that was done they once again grasped hands and waited for the officiant to say the words they had been waiting for.
"It is with great honor and privilege that I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Both of them leaned forward. The kiss was sweet and smooth, and they broke off at the cheers of the crowd.
'Finally' they both thought.
"And now, for the first time being introduced together as husband and wife, Spencer and Amaryllis Reid!"
The couple walked into the reception hall to the applause of their friends and family. They went right into their first dance together. It was a beautiful Viennese waltz. They looked so at peace with one another, and as they were dancing it was as if the rest of the world didn't exist. As the song came to a close, Spencer twirled Amaryllis out and brought her back in, only to dip her as the last notes sounded. The dance truly reflected the couple's relationship, simple and subtle, but utterly breathtaking.
The hall once again rang with applause and the Amaryllis and Spencer took their seats at the head table. Dinner was served immediately and the only sounds were of eating and laughter. Nothing else happened for the majority of the meal. But right near the end, Morgan, as the Best Man, stood up to give his speech.
"Welcome Everyone! I am Derek Morgan, the Best Man. So it is my job to tell everyone all sorts of embarrassing stories about Reid and his relationship with Amaryllis."
"I met Reid through work, of course. And to be honest when I first met him I didn't think he belonged on the team. I thought that he wouldn't last, that the job would get the better of him. Subsequently, I didn't bother to be very nice or welcoming."
"Never have I been so happy to have been proven wrong. From his first case and every one since, he has been invaluable to our team. I am proud to call him my best friend."
Morgan paused for a moment. "Now, for those embarrassing stories I mentioned. Both Reid and Amaryllis and rather private people. The truth is Reid has been very good at not giving us any ammunition for teasing. He knew Amaryllis for months before we found out. That was a funny day. Reid was video chatting with her at the office during lunch. He didn't quite get off in time before the rest of us came back. It was a scene to remember. Our shocked exclamations about Reid meeting a woman, outside of the team, and our attempts to ask multiple questions at once. Reid was sitting there defeated, while Amaryllis was laughing at the situation on the other end."
He let his imagery sink in before continuing.
"I didn't see then, what is so obvious now. And that is how right these two are for each other. They have similar interests, with enough differences to keep it from getting boring. Their quirks balance each other out. It is almost mystifying how in sync they are. When I get asked about their relationship, there is one instance that always comes to mind."
"The BAU had gone to England for work and when we had time, Amaryllis invited us to breakfast. The rest of us were waiting for Reid and Amaryllis. We saw them turn a corner and come towards us. They were talking and laughing, acting like they had just stepped out of some rom-com, chick-flick. We quickly noticed that they weren't speaking English. Out of everything they said, we only understood one word, my name, over and over, with the two of them laughing harder as it went on."
"I was worried about what story Reid was telling her, which I still don't know by the way, but I had never seen Reid as at ease with a woman before, let alone one he had known for such a short amount of time. I couldn't be more happy that Reid has found someone outside the team that he could connect with."
"Amaryllis, you are a very special woman, and the both of you are the luckiest people I know. I wish the two of you utmost happiness."
He raised his glass, "To the Bride and Groom!"
"The Bride and Groom!" Everyone else echoed.
Amaryllis and Spencer stood to thank while Amaryllis kissed his cheek, she handed him a folded piece of paper, and the newly-weds sat down as if everything was normal. Morgan unfolded and read what was written on it.
"Seriously, man!" Morgan exclaimed as he sunk to his seat "Oh my Gosh!" He buried his face into his arms on the table. Spencer and Amaryllis were sitting silently, but you could tell that they were needing to hold in their laughter. The whole exchange caught everyone's attention, especially Ginny's, who had stood to give her own toast.
"Well, I think he finally found out what they were talking about. Would you mind sharing with the rest of us, Derek?"
Morgan lifted his head and simply held a hand out for the microphone.
"This is word for word what the note says. 'A question was posed before we turned the corner: How many times do you think it would take us saying Morgan's name, while speaking randomly in another language, before he thinks you are telling me something that he wouldn't want told?"
The whole room erupted into laughter. The BAU could hardly keep their seats for laughing. Fred and George Weasley, even gave a standing ovation. Morgan gave Spencer another hug and the room calmed down, allowing Ginny to go along with her toast.
Dinner had been cleared away and the DJ had been entertaining everyone for about a half hour. As his first set was finished the crowd gave him a round of applause.
"I hope everyone's having a good time," the DJ offered. "Now, there is someone who has a special presentation for the bride. So if you could clear the floor, please."
Everyone started to move off the dance floor. Amaryllis looked to Spencer, he shrugged, but she saw the knowing smile on his face. She felt a touch on her back and turned to see Remus smiling at her. Remus took her hand and led her to stand in the middle of the empty floor. He left her there and went to pick up the microphone.
"Hello everyone, I am so glad that so many people were able to make it here to celebrate with Amaryllis and Spencer, from both sides of the pond. As was said, I have a special gift for Amaryllis.
"Most of you have probably noticed that we are missing several people who would have been here if they hadn't passed on from this world. Especially, a man, who was one of my best friends, and would have been here to dance with his little girl."
The direction of Remus' speech and the extreme amount of attention she was getting from standing alone, caused Amaryllis to fidget a little. She had no idea where Remus was going with this. She hadn't planned anything for a Father/Daughter dance. She certainly didn't plan on drawing much attention to it as Remus was doing. But she trusted him and was curious about where this was going.
"When Lily announced she was expecting, I have never seen someone so excited to be a father than James Potter. Since the first time he held Amaryllis she had him wrapped around her finger. Every new accomplishment, from the first laugh, tooth, step, word, or anything else, everyone and their dog knew about it."
Chuckles ran through the hall, with those who knew the Potter's nodding with agreement. Some even leaned towards others, sharing short memories they had. Remus waited for a moment before continuing on.
"Now, James worked long hours, so when he was home, he would spend as much time with his daughter as he could. At night if Amaryllis ever needed anything, James would let Lily sleep, and he would go and take care of Amaryllis. One night, I was over there, with Sirius, Amaryllis' godfather, and another friend. Amaryllis had been put to bed already and we were simply hanging out, when we heard the crying start. James went up , and it wasn't long before the crying stopped, but as it stopped we were able to hear something else. James was singing."
Amaryllis raised her eyebrows. She had never heard this before.
"Now, I had shared a dorm room with James Potter for 7 years, and never once did I hear him so much as hum a tune. Not even in the shower. Lily told us that James singing was the best way to get Amaryllis to sleep. She had been trying to get James to record some stuff, but hadn't had any luck. But now there were more of us and soon James caved. I had forgotten about all of this until I found this"
He held up a CD case. Amaryllis was in shock but she automatically reached out in a small motion, almost to grab the CD from Remus.
"Now, Amaryllis, I put a copy of this in your present. But I bring it up because one of the songs on this is, "Everything I Do" by Bryan Adams, a song that James said came to mind whenever he looked at you. And it was the song he sang to you most often.
"I know that nothing and no one can replace your father being here. But I wanted to do something for you but for James as well, knowing he would be elated to be with us today."
Remus turned to address everyone. "So I am going to play the recording of James singing, while a few of the men here, who have had the honor of considering Amaryllis a daughter or granddaughter, dance with her for the song."
Amaryllis was still rather surprised with all Remus had said. Spencer watched as she didn't move at all while the CD was placed in its player. Out of the corner of his eye he saw someone stand. He turned slightly to see Arthur Weasley walking towards Amaryllis. He reached her after the first couple notes of the intro. She turned as he touched her back and gave him a sad smile. They settled into a simple swaying step. Then a smooth voice came over the speakers:
Look into my eyes-you will see
What you mean to me
Search your heart, search your soul
And when you find me there you'll search no more.
Amaryllis was calm, until she heard her father's voice singing. It was a sound that she had no real memories of hearing before. She put her hand to her mouth and closed her eyes tight. Spencer could tell that she was trying to imprint the sound of her father singing, to her, into her mind. Arthur brought her in closer, to hold her more firmly as her shoulders trembled with suppressed tears.
Don't tell me it's not worth trying for
You can't tell me it's not worth dying for
The chorus broke through Amaryllis' hold on her tears. A sob shook her body as her knees weakened and Arthur had to support her weight for a moment, before continuing to dance. Spencer and anyone who knew the Potter's full story could hardly believe that a song James Potter had used as a lullaby would illustrate so perfectly what actually happened.
You know it's true
Everything I do, I do it for you.
There was a small interlude of music before the next verse. Albus Dumbledore had walked up to cut in. Amaryllis gave Arthur one last hug and kiss on the cheek, before stepping into her old Headmaster's arms.
Look into your heart-you will find
There's nothing there to hide
Take me as I am, take my life.
I would give it all, I would sacrifice.
They had been able to dance smoothly with one another for the whole verse. At least until the last line. Amaryllis' tears came all the stronger and they stopped dancing. Dumbledore simply hugged her closed as she clung to him.
Don't tell me it's not worth fighting for
I can't help it, there's nothing I want more
You know it's true
Everything I do, I do it for you
Throughout the next chorus the two on the dance floor stood there. They swayed a little to the music. Amaryllis sniffed and hid her face in Dumbledore's velvet suit, while he made soothing sounds in her ear and rubbed her back.
There's no love like your love
And no other could give more love
There's nowhere unless you're there
All the time, all the way, yeah.
Amaryllis recovered her composure enough so that they could once again dance. But their steps remained a simple side-to-side step. Spencer remembered when Remus had told him of his plan. They both know it would be emotional, for everyone, but especially for Amaryllis. Spencer didn't think anyone could have predicted this reaction, but he knew that, when looking back on today Amaryllis would remember the words her father was singing, and the love coming from his voice.
An instrumental part of the song began and Remus approached the dancers to take Dumbledore's place. Before he even had a chance to lead Amaryllis into the dance, she grabbed him into a tight hug. She whispered something into his ear, and Spencer couldn't hear what was said, he knew Amaryllis was thanking Remus. They held each other for a couple more moments before leaning back. Remus gave her a tissue that Garcia had slipped to him, to wipe her eyes. Amaryllis was calm enough that they started to actually dance, they were able to move around the dance space more than before. As the instrumental ended and the singing began, Remus slowed and tightened their steps. Amaryllis moved closer to him. She laid her head on his shoulder, closed her eyes and let her father's voice fill her ears, mind, and heart.
Look into your heart, baby...
Oh, you can't tell me it's not worth trying for.
I can't help it, there's nothing I want more.
Yeah, I would fight for you, I'd lie for you,
Walk the wire for you, year, I'd die for you.
You know it's true:
Everything I do,
I do it for you.
As the last strains of the song rang through the hall, Amaryllis gave Remus another hug. Applause sounded as he led her back to Spencer. There was hardly a dry eye in the room. Even those who didn't know the whole story were touched by the bride being able to feel the love of both those men who were there, but also, more importantly, the father she never got the opportunity to know.
Aaron Hotchner was standing with some of the Weasleys, just chatting about little things. Though most of the conversation consisted of Hotch explaining muggle things to the magic wielders. He glanced down to the table where Jack had sat to eat his cake, but he didn't see his son. He saw the dirty plate but Jack was no where to be seen. He excused himself from the conversation to go looking for his son. He couldn't see him among the tables and started to worry. Hotch spotted JJ, Emily, and Gideon talking at the edge of the dance floor and walked over to them.
"Hey, Hotch" JJ greets him.
"Hey, have you seen Jack, I can't see him." Hotch asks all of them.
There was a series of 'No's and all four adults started to glance around. Gideon was the one to spot the wayward little boy. He nudged Hotch in the side to get his friend's attention.
"Look." Gideon pointed to the other side of the dance floor. They all looked to where Gideon was indicating. What they saw made them all smile and the two women went 'Ahh.'
They saw Jack walk up to Saxony Weasley, hold his hand out, and say something they couldn't hear. Saxony's smile widened a bit as she took Jack's hand and walked with him out onto the dance area. They stopped in the middle, near where Spencer and Amaryllis were waltzing. The two children looked at the bride and groom and clumsily tried to copy them. It didn't take more than a couple stumbles for the adults to notice their followers. They shared a glance before stopping their own movement.
The newlyweds took a step closer to the children. Jack and Saxony looked up sheepishly but the adults just smiled and stepped back into the proper dance frame for the waltz. The only difference being, Amaryllis brought her left hand down to lift up her skirt so that her feet could be seen. Spencer led them into a slow simple box step. Jack and Saxony copied the stance as best they could and after watching for a few moments started to slowly copy the steps as well, in time with the adults. If they stumbled, Spencer would slow down for them.
About halfway through the song, the children were able to go through the steps without looking at the adults' feet. Amaryllis noticed and dropped her skirts to put her hand back on her husband's arm.
Gideon leaned over to Hotch "Looks like you've got a bit of a Romeo on your hands, Aaron."
The two women giggle and Hotch responds.
"Yeah, I wonder where he got that from?"
The whole group laughed.
"Oh, look!" Prentiss gestured back out to the dance floor.
The photographer had spotted the two children dancing. She quickly walked over and snapped several pictures, making sure to get the bride and groom in some of them. Hotch watched his young son for the rest of the song with a small smile on his face.
The song that came up next was upbeat and the two little dancers were joined by the other young children at the reception. Hotch watched happily as his son ran and played with the other children. He turned back to his friends, as well as Amaryllis and Spencer, who had come over. Before joining the conversation, he made a mental note to get a copy of those pictures.
"Oh, Amaryllis, my dear, every time I speak to you I marvel at how good you are for my Spencer." Diana Reid held Amaryllis' hand in one of hers and patted it with the other.
Amaryllis smiled, "Diana, you give me too much credit."
"No, no, no. I would never lie or exaggerate about this. I never thought I would ever approve of any woman for my boy. But you are such a treasure."
Amaryllis added her other hand on top of her Diana's. She smiled before responding to her mother-in-law.
"Whether you are exaggerating or not, it is very comforting to hear you say that. You could probably tell that I was incredibly nervous to meet you. Spencer spoke about you all the time with such a look of love in his eyes. With how important you are to him. I would never want to be a point of tension between the both of you."
"I wasn't worried about that at all." Diana responded. "Spencer told me all about you as well. The tone of his letters, when he was describing you, was full of so much love and respect."
A group of giggling children, including Saxony, ran past the table distracting the two women.
Diana leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially "It helps that your daughter is an absolute sweetheart."
Both women descend into laughter. They calmed down as they saw Spencer coming towards them with the nurse that accompanied Diana.
"Hey, Mom."
"Spencer, where have you been? You left your beautiful new wife all by herself."
"Oh, we can't have that, can we?" Spencer joked as he put a hand on Amaryllis' shoulder and leaned down to kiss her on her forehead.
"But I think another couple minutes won't hurt her. Marie says you have to go in a few minutes, Mom. And you have yet to dance with your son at his wedding. So, may I have this dance, Mom?" he held out his hand for her.
"Of course, dear"
The mother and son pair walked hand in hand out to the dance floor. A new song started as they reached the floor.
Amaryllis watched them step and sway to the music. She again thanked the powers that be, that Diana was able to come to the wedding. She knew it was difficult to make it happen. As they were planning the wedding, Spencer spent weeks working with his mother's doctors, as well as doctors here, just in case something happened. She knew that her mother-in-law's mind was fastly failing her. Her coming was almost canceled three times this month alone. But according to Spencer and Marie, today has been Diana's best day in months.
Spencer had acted like he would have been okay if she wasn't able to come, disappointed, but okay. But Amaryllis could tell that it would have hurt more than he was letting on to everyone. As much as he considers the BAU his family, Amaryllis is glad that a blood relative was here too.
As Amaryllis was reflecting, her husband's team came over and filled in the chairs around her. Rossi spoke first.
"I was going to claim the bride for a dance but it has turned into a Mother and Son thing out there."
Amaryllis smiled at him and saw that he was right, other mother and son pairs had headed out to the dance floor, surrounding the groom and his mom.
Rossi continued "It is good to see Mrs. Reid, I heard there were a couple close calls on whether she was coming or not."
"Yeah, even up to yesterday, we didn't know for sure. I was just thinking about how glad I was that she was able to come."
The rest of the team voiced their agreement. Amaryllis let her eyes sweep over each of her husband's team, before going back to watching the dancers. She had heard descriptions of how people feel when they are in the presence of the whole BAU team. The most common word being intimidating and this is from seasoned cops. But intimidating was the furthest thing from what she felt when she was around any or all of them. It was the same thing she felt when she was around the Weasleys; acceptance, without expectations, and family. Gideon reached out and patted her arm. She smiled at him before turning back to watch her husband and mother-in-law.
She truly was the luckiest of women.