A/N: The information about the Duke of Rutland's castle below is all true. There is a website here: .com. Check it out its beautiful.

Chapter Thirty Eight

Once Upon a Time…

"… there was a wizard named Albus Potter and he had a heart like a sponge. Every girl he kissed he fell in love with, but after three loves found and lost darkness began to take hold of his heart. He lost his faith in love and women in general. Soon he took to kissing all different kinds of girls, some nice and others… well not so nice. It wasn't until he chased down an evil, if dimwitted, man that all of this changed. This evil and stupid man took a beautiful woman captive. It was up to Albus to save her! And when he did she was so grateful that she bestowed her very first kiss upon him. With that kiss his heart was lost. And they lived happily ever after. The End."

Albus grinned at Calla as she wrapped up her silly sweet story. He and his fiancé were visiting her father at Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire. The ornate family parlor was private and reserved solely from the family; it wasn't open for the tour. And there was a tour. Albus had told David Cambray, Calla's father, that he would definitely leave the castle open for tours after he was given the title, but secretly Albus knew that that would never work. Hell a lot of the stuff he'd promised David was a lie. He'd promised to keep the staff, that wouldn't work. With his children running around and accidental magic spewing from them every once and a while, having a Muggle staff was a disaster waiting to happen. He'd promised to raise his children in Church of England, that… would be up to Calla. Albus wasn't a terribly religious man so it didn't really matter to him.

But Albus was willing to lie to Calla's father if it meant he could marry her. The biggest problem facing him at the moment was that David wanted to begin planning the wedding, he wanted to set a date for that summer. So far it didn't matter what Calla had to say, her father was determined. The pair of them went up to Leicestershire to try and convince her father that being engaged for longer than a year wasn't the end of the world and was what they wanted to do.

Calla told Albus that he would be the one to convince her father that they should wait for marriage.

Albus wasn't so sure. He knew that David liked and respected and most importantly approved of him, but he wasn't certain that the man would listen to him without another dose of magic which Albus was reluctant to do. It was one thing to jinx the man into approving of Hogwarts and quite another to force him into changing his mind about their wedding. One was vastly important to the future of his children and the other was rather frivolous to his thinking. Besides the thought of being married to Calla sooner rather than later wasn't scary but exciting. The sooner they were married the sooner he could have her completely and totally.

Not that he considered purposefully failing to change David's mind just so he could get Calla into bed sooner. Not for very long anyway. He was a man after all.

Long story short he would try his best. He just didn't think his best would be anywhere near good enough to change the Duke of Rutland's mind. The first time Albus met the man he'd been informed that David had dated his wife for two months before proposing and married her within the year. They were happily married until her tragic death ten years ago. David didn't need very long to know that Calla's mother was the one and in all honesty neither did Albus. He knew he was going to marry Calla. Their relationship, while not necessarily easy, was (at least emotionally) effortless. He didn't even think for a moment that he would need time to fall in love with her, he just did. It was natural. Like breathing.

It was also the very first time that he'd ever felt that way so he knew it was something special.

Truth be told he didn't want to wait a few years to get married. If he thought Calla would be okay with it he'd marry her tomorrow. That wasn't going to happen though and he didn't believe that Calla would be okay with getting married tomorrow or even that she wanted to get married tomorrow. He was aware enough of how her emotions played into their relationship to understand the need to take her feelings into account when thinking about his own desires. She mattered. The way she felt about things mattered. He had to think about her in everything that he did. Where would she be without him?

At the mercy of her father in his attempt to marry her off as quickly as possible and at the mercy of the Ministry which would wipe her memory clean of him as soon as possible if anything unsavory (i.e. death in the line of duty) should happen to him. For that reason he was actually looking forward to no longer being an Auror. Being duke would afford him some protection from life threatening situations and would thus protect Calla. And protecting Calla was quickly becoming the most important thing in his life, next to being with Calla, loving Calla and making sure Calla knew how much he loved her.

Really the more he thought about the more it was in his best interest to marry Calla as soon as possible.

Albus shook his head. It was going to be bloody impossible to talk David into letting them have a long engagement.

Calla got up and moved over to where he sat on an ornate (not terribly comfortable) couch. The whole house seemed gold trimmed, decorated with swirls and floral patterns and satiny, expensive cloths. Belvoir Castle was a castle only on the outside. Inside it was proper French style palace. The walls covered in frozen paintings of dead dukes and duchesses, china that is hundreds of years old and tapestries hand sown in the fifteen hundreds if not earlier. It was some kind of place to grow up. Honestly Albus hadn't a clue how Calla came out so normal.

"Did you like my story, Albi?" she asked, curled up next to him.

"It was perfectly accurate, if not overly simplified," he said, wrapping an arm around her waist. "And what about this beautiful, and might I add modest, woman? All we know about her is that she's beautiful? Oh darling, she so much more than that."

"Right well… the beautiful woman came with a burdensome title, an insane father and an unnatural attraction to handsome wizards."

"That attraction could prove problematic as well as unnatural. I do look an awful lot like my father."

"Albie!" Calla squealed, pushing away from him halfheartedly.

Albus kept a good strong hold on her and laughed. "Now, now, wait a moment. If you think I'm handsome and I look like my father it only holds that you have an unnatural attraction to my father." He began tickling her side, right under his ribs where he knew she was the most ticklish. She screamed with laughter and began to fight off his hands.

"Albie, please!"

"Please, what?"

"Please!"

"All I'll answer to is 'please kiss me,'" he said continuing to attack her with his fingers.

"Please, please, Albie!"

"You heard me, Calla."

"PLEASE! Kiss me!"

More than willing to oblige, Albus did. He pulled her onto his lap and kissed her with all the love in his heart. He rubbed his lips back and forth along hers with his eyes closed. Just reveling in the feel of her. In his arms, safe and whole, waiting to be his wife, waiting to have his children. Who was he kidding? He could wait forever for her. He felt like he already had. What was a few more years (or more likely months)?

"It's times like this, Albie," Calla whispered while his lips drifted over her throat. "That I think you would wait forever for me if I asked you to."

"I do hope you won't," Albus said.

"I like to hear that, Mr. Potter."

Albus looked over his shoulder. David Cambray was standing in the doorway looking approvingly at his future son-in-law. David Cambray married when he was forty five to a twenty two year old. They were married for almost seven years before they had Calla and that was twenty one years ago. At seventy three David Cambray was stumbling to the end of his life and desperate for his daughter to marry and marry well. Albus thanked Merlin that David thought his daughter marrying him was marrying well.

Or perhaps he would have approved of any man with sufficient wealth.

Albus preferred to think that his love's father cared enough about her happiness to only approve of a young man who truly loved his daughter. Even so he had his doubts, all of which became apparent when he moved Calla off his lap and stood to greet his future father-in-law. David took close stock of his suit, his shoes, his vest and cravat before shaking his hand. Albus already knew how much the older man despised his hair. The only way that Albus had found he could make up for it was by dressing in the most expensive clothes he could find.

Appearance was far too important to David in Albus' opinion.

David took a seat across from Albus and Calla in an equally uncomfortable- I mean ornate- chair. "It is very good to know that you and I are on the same page, Mr. Potter. It's long past time you and Calla set a date for the wedding. Her mother and I set the date the day I proposed. Calla's been putting me off for a month now, it's getting ridiculous. I was thinking a summer wedding. What do you think, Albus?"

"Well, actually-"

"I just think my Calla is a summer bride, don't you?"

"Daddy!"

"The only issue with a summer wedding is that in the Anglican Church the bride has to wear long sleeves, so depending on when during the summer it could be hot-"

"What if I think I'm a winter bride?"

"Don't be silly, Calla. Winter is a year from now. That's much too long. Seven months is long enough to plan a proper London wedding at Westminster. I've had it reserved since you told me you were seeing each other."

"For when?" Albus asked.

"July 23rd. We'll have to figure out all the other little details in the next few months-"

"Daddy, we couldn't possibly!"

"There will be no arguments about this Calla."

"David, Calla and I want to wait at least a year to get married," Albus said.

"I have the Abbey reserved, Albus. I've already told all my peers it would be an embarrassment to postpone it. You're middleclass, Albus so you don't know how these things work. The nobility doesn't wait years to get married once they've agreed to wed. I only knew Calla's mother for two months before I asked her to marry me. Nine months before we married and we were married happily for eighteen years. You've been together for four months when you marry you'll have been together for almost a year. Is that or is that not long enough? You know you love each other, you know you work well together, what else is there?"

And for the life of him Albus couldn't think of a thing. He looked over at Calla. She was staring at her father with her mouth hanging open. She knew they were stuck. They had to fit in with David's peers and alienating them by postponing the wedding would do little for them. Of course in the future they would have to remain at a distance because of Albus' abilities but while David was alive they needed to fit in. They needed to at least appear normal. In this way Albus agreed about the importance of appearances.

Calla looked at Albus and he understood.

"We'll need to talk about it."

"What's to talk about, my boy? It's a waste of time! Time we haven't got. We need to begin planning. I've been interviewing wedding planners and I've found a few that seem promising, but I'll leave the final decision up to the two of you. If you've got tomorrow afternoon free you can meet with them, select your favorite and we can get planning."

"Right, David, I'll get back to you on that one. Calla and I are going to take a walk. We'll be back."

Albus didn't wait for David to answer. He just took Calla's arm and led her out into the garden. They walked in silence for a while. Wondering around the tight English roses that were artfully managed by David's longtime gardener. There were fountains and sculptures hand carved by artists from Greece and Rome, it was a truly beautiful place. Albus wished they could get married right there.

"What are thinking about?" Calla asked, breaking the silence.

"Getting married here. Surrounded by the roses and the sounds of water. Just me and you, starting our life together on our own terms," he said.

"Sounds like a fantasy," she said.

"It doesn't have to be, Calla. I could jinx him again."

Calla smiled. "Would you ever forgive yourself for jinxing an old man? He just wants me married before he dies. So that I'll be taken care of."

Albus nodded but didn't look at her. He knew that her father wanted her married before he died, but he didn't think it was so that she would be taken care of. David wanted a male heir and marriage was the only way for him to get one.

"We might not be able start our life together on our terms. In fact it looks like we won't be. But once we have we can live however we like. We can live in Grimmauld place if we want! He won't be able to stop us."

Albus smiled and looked at her. "All I want is you, Calla. If you're okay with getting married in seven months so am I. The sooner I can have you as my wife the better. It's entirely up to you. I want you to be happy. I want you to rejoice in our marriage and to look back our wedding as day of love and joy. I want it to a dream come true for you."

Calla moved into his arms, got up on her toes to kiss him. Albus wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her with all his might. He hadn't known when he met Calla how much his life would be changing. Even so he didn't regret a second of it. He didn't regret how his family or mates reacted, even though they didn't react very favorably. Especially Scorpius. Though his mate was trying and Albus appreciated that.

He placed one last lingering kiss on Calla's lips and began walking back towards the castle.

"Now, we can control the wedding even if we can't control when or apparently where it is."

Calla laid her head on Albus' shoulder, an endearing habit of hers. She did it when she was uncertain, worried or even when she was happy and just wanted to be close to him.

"Where was that wonderful place we went for dinner the other night? In London?" Albus asked. It had been almost disgustingly fancy, not just in decorations but also in the dining options. All the portions had been tiny and expensive. It seemed like the sort of place David would approve of.

"You mean the Ritz? I would love to have the reception there! The food was delicious and the ballroom was beautiful."

Albus smiled as he and Calla reentered the castle. David was peeking out of the parlor. Albus moved Calla in front of him so that she wouldn't see her father eavesdropping on them. Albus nodded at his future father-in-law and was treated to a proud smile from David. He looked down at Calla. She was gazing up at him with his favorite look on her face.

Love, pure and simple. Just love and adoration. And joy which Albus liked most of all. She was happy. Even though they were marrying sooner than they had intended she was happy. That was all that mattered.