Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Neville Longbottom paced back and forth in the room he'd been instructed to use to get ready for the wedding. It was the guestroom in the far corner of the small cottage as far away from the room Janessa was dressing in as physically possible. Well, actually, as far as magically possible. He was pretty sure Leonard had magically stretched the house, because he didn't remember the rooms being so quite so far apart the last time he and Janessa made the trip from their flat in London to her parents home in Devon along the Jurassic Coast.
He stopped pacing for a second to stare out the window. The witches and wizards employed by Millamant's Magic Marquees magicking up a large white tent in the yard. He and Janessa had wanted a small, small wedding – close family and friends only – but, once they had told her parents and his gran, everything exploded. The wedding was still rather small, but it was still larger than they had initially imagined. Ten minutes after being told, Gran started listing distant relatives and estranged friends that had to be invited and Neville saw the horrified, slightly nauseated look on Janessa's face and intervened.
There was a time when Neville never would have dared cross Augusta Longbottom, but the tension in their relationship had dissipated remarkably since The Battle of Hogwarts five years ago. They spoke easier now, there was less stress between them and Neville wasn't sure if it was because he wasn't scared of her any longer or if she respected him more now, but he enjoyed it. So he managed to reign in Gran, assuage Janessa's panic and now there were about sixty-three people (not the nineteen he and Janessa had wanted, but not the three hundred or so that Gran and the Kloves had compiled within ten minutes) set to arrive in an hour to watch him marry the only girl he'd ever loved.
"You ready?" Harry asked, adjusting the tie of his dress robes.
"I think so," Neville nodded, turning away from the window to see Harry, Seamus, Dean and Ron standing there. For the briefest of moments it was almost like being back in the Gryffindor dormitory in which they had spent so much time together.
"Having any second thoughts?" Seamus asked. "Doubts?"
"No," Neville shook his head. "No doubts."
"Ron was so nervous it was like he'd accidently eating a Puking Pastie," Harry laughed.
"It wasn't that bad!" Ron argued.
"It wasn't that bad?" Harry laughed, "You nearly fainted when you saw Hermione."
"At least I didn't mess up my vows."
"Your voice cracked," Harry countered.
"Okay, now I'm starting to get nervous," Neville bit his bottom lip and fiddled with his hands.
"Don't listen to them," Dean butted in, "You'll be fine."
"Yeah, ignore the stupid git," Ron agreed, throwing one of bed's several throw pillows at Harry despite the fact that he'd contributed as well. Neville smiled. It had taken a long time for life to get back to some semblance of normal after Voldemort was finally gone, but it was normal again. There was nothing remotely awkward between the five Gryffindors anymore; they each fell into their familiar patterns and roles when they were together. It was comfortable. Safe.
So much could change, but so much would always stay the same.
Somehow, Seamus managed to magick his tie too tight and it wouldn't stop shrinking tighter and tighter around his neck. Dean and Harry wrestled their hands beneath the neck of Seamus' tie to keep it from closing completely while Ron ran to fetch Hermione. Neville watched the entire scene unfold, only able to be glad Seamus hadn't exploded his tie.
Hermione righted the accident in less than a minute and spent three more scolding Seamus for mucking up such a simple spell. After she satisfied her need to lecture, Hermione turned and smiled at Neville.
"Oh my goodness, Neville! You look brilliant."
"I look like I did in our fourth year when we went to the Yule Ball."
"You look much more mature and not nearly as unsure of yourself as you did then."
"Thanks, Hermione," Neville smiled. "Have you… uh… have you seen her?"
Hermione shook her head, "Sorry. I haven't. I'm sure she looks wonderful."
"That's what I'm afraid of," he whispered.
"What?" Seamus started laughing.
"She's going to look beautiful and I'm not going to remember to speak because I'm going to be too busy staring at her like a first year."
"You're going to be fine," Hermione assured him. "The only words you have to say that you aren't repeating are 'I' and 'do.' That's all you have to say unprompted. 'I do.' That's it."
Neville nodded slowly and stared at his hands, mouthing the words 'I do' to himself. Hermione tucked her lips in to keep from laughing aloud and, with a parting wave, left with Ron and Dean to find their seats. There was a loud knock on the door and a brief pause before it was pushed open to reveal Augusta Longbottom. Seamus and Harry made excuses about bathrooms and glasses of water to leave before Gran could make a comment about why they weren't leaving when the moment so obviously called for a moment of privacy.
"Hullo, Gran."
"Neville." She smiled at him. She hadn't always smiled at him that way when he was a boy, like she was proud of him. "Your tie is crooked, Neville."
"It is? Oh. I thought I had it."
"I can fix it," she offered, "if you'd like."
"Thanks, Gran," Neville stood still while she walked across the room and reached up. She had it straightened in a few moments and stepped back. "I'm doing the right thing, aren't I?"
"Your parents would be very proud," Gran nodded, with a slight smile. "I am very proud of you."
"You are?"
"I am." Gran was never one for many words, but the ones she chose usually sufficed well and Neville stooped down and hugged her. She seemed startled at first, but, after a second of hesitation, hugged him back. "I am exceptionally proud of you, Neville Longbottom.
"Thanks, Gran. For everything."
Gran opened her mouth as if to say something, but closed it instead, "Yes, well… we best be getting on with it or we'll hold everyone up. I'll see you out there, Neville."
"Gran?"
"Yes?" Gran stopped with one hand lingering on the doorknob. She waited a moment before turning to look at him and Neville saw the tears glistening in her brown eyes.
"She's the one."
"I know," Gran nodded. "I knew it the moment I met her. She's a lot like your mum, Neville."
"Really?" Neville smiled a small smile, unable to name or describe the emotion he felt at that knowledge. He couldn't remember anything about his mum as anything other than the vacant woman who gave him bubble gum wrappers. "Nessa is like Mum?"
"She used the Blasting Curse as well as Alice. I've never seen the curse do the damage she did to Greyback. She's very good with her wand. Janessa's a talented young witch, Neville."
"She's going to make a great Healer," Neville smiled widely. "Ness is so excited to finish her last level of training."
Gran nodded again and, with that, she slipped through the door, closing it quietly behind her. Neville sat down on the bed and took a deep breath. He'd never been quite this nervous before in his life. Not even staring down Voldemort, not even when the Sorting Hat was burning atop his head. Because then, all he'd faced was death. It was fight back or die. There had been no choice.
But now… what if he failed her? What if he let her down? Death would be a more welcome choice.
"You'll be fine." Neville looked up at the voice to see a portrait of a woman with black hair smiling at him kindly. "Best get on with it. You don't want to leave her waiting."
Neville nodded robotically stood and started to head the way his gran had left, but stopped at a picture sitting on the dresser. He picked up the photograph of himself and Janessa, one in which they were holding hands and walking past Honeydukes in Hogsmeade.
Looking down at the photograph, Neville could still feel the unbridled terror surge through his veins when he saw Dolohov direct a curse at Janessa's back. It wasn't until after he had used the Killing Curse for the first and only time in his life that he realized the body on the floor wasn't Janessa, but Janella – that Janessa was across the Hall next to Seamus.
"Neville, hurry it up," Seamus appeared in the doorway. "Almost the whole lot's sitting down now."
"Right," Neville set the picture frame back where it belonged and followed after Seamus.
The marquee along the beach was full and humming, people catching up with friends and laughing at jokes. Hagrid sat in the very back, very still and trying not to break anything. Harry and Aberforth were nodding politely to whatever Xenophilius Lovegood was saying, Aberforth far less politely than Harry, to be sure. George Weasley made a group laugh loudly over something Neville couldn't hear. Professor McGonagall sat in the front next to Gran, the two discussing the latest change Kingsley Shacklebolt had made to the Ministry.
A sort of calming, focus feeling spread through the crowd and the humming of chatter dulled as people began finding their seats quickly until every witch or wizard was seated. Nervously, Neville took his place at the top of the marquee, Seamus by his side.
The music swelled and Neville bit his bottom lip as he waited anxiously for Janessa to appear at the other end of the isle. He saw Leonard first, his heavy dress robes flowing and obscuring all but the very edges of Janessa's white dress. Neville could see Luna and Janetta walking behind Leonard in the sunshine yellow dresses, but Janessa still hid from his eyes.
The guests noticed Neville's attention had focused and they turned in their seats. An audible gasp went up when Janessa came into view. Neville had to remind himself to close his mouth. He met her grey eyes and Neville felt himself relax.
Janessa smiled at him and he smiled back. All the fear he'd felt alone in the room just a little while ago slipped away. He could do this. Before he realized, Janessa and her father were standing right before him and Luna and Janetta were settling themselves on Janessa's other side.
He waited as Leonard kissed his daughter's cheek and then took her hand when Leonard offered it.
"Take care of her."
"I will," Neville nodded, staring into his love's eyes. "I will. I promise."
A/N:
Well, it's been like a bazillion years since I started this and I promise it won't be a billion years until I finish it. I don't know what happened. All inspiration when POOF and disapparated. It's all back now, though.
Thank you for reading and I hope you like it!
Love, Thalia