Guess who's back? Right, it's me. Back with a brand new chapter of 'It's All in the Family'. It's a bit short (About 3200 words). I was planning on making it around 5000 but couldn't resist the urge of making a comeback earlier than due. There might be a few mistakes, do tell me about them.

Lily Potter dressed herself with unusual attention, frowning at every crease in her dress. Once she finished with the daunting task, she stood back to admire her own handiwork. She was putting on a bit of weight, a not so unusual thing for a middle aged woman. She had never quite recovered her figure after her third child. She shuddered when she thought of Molly Weasley. No wonder she looked the way she did. What was the big deal? Why was she so careful with her dress? It was because her youngest son was getting married.

Yes, Mr. Hector Potter was getting married to his 'childhood sweetheart'. She shuddered again. Never mind the bourgeoisie clichés. It did not make sense. Families were not supposed to marry that way, marry for love. They were supposed to be pawns at the hands of their parents, to be directed by them as to whom they should marry. James of course, would have none of it. "Let them marry as they wish," he said, "love is something them kids must experience."

She had tried to argue, but she knew that it would seem ridiculous for her to take a stand against her sons marrying for love when she and James had themselves eloped and got married. Of course, this would not have been a problem if she had her third son with her. Her third son, Harry Potter. Harry Potter Black, she cruelly reminded herself. She cursed Sirius Black for taking her most prized possession away from her. She still remembered the day, when her precious son had been snatched away from her. To distract herself, she tried to think of something else. Of course, once you try to hide something from yourself, the very thing would come back to haunt you. The same happened with Lily Evans Potter. Try as she might, she could only think of the last interview with her son or rather, her ex son. In despair, she settled herself down on a settee and let herself be carried away by her own thoughts.

She herself had visited the Black Manor to invite Mr. Potter Black to the wedding. This was seen as a folly, especially after she reviewed the plight of the last two messengers. Broken bones, trauma, spinal injury and a whole lot more. Regardless, she felt that her 'ex son' would treat her with a little more respect. So off she went to Black Manor, armed with the conviction that her ex son would do nothing to her.

A Week Back

Swallowing her trepidation, Lily Evans Potter stepped into the Black Manor. Here she was, in the lion's den, armed only with the conviction that her son wouldn't harm her. After been given a cursory glance, she was trundled straight into Mr. Potter Black's private chambers. Apparently, Ms. Weasley and Mr. Potter Black were discussing something important, because they shut up like clams the moment Mrs. Potter entered the room. Instantly Harry, Mr. Potter Black , whispered something in Ginny, Ms. Weasley's ear. She nodded her head and exited via a side door.

"Well, Mrs. Potter…"

She could see that he did not waste time in pointless greetings. She too decided to jump straight to the point.

"I want you to attend your brother's wedding." She said.

He looked at her coldly. "I have no brother, Mrs. Potter."

"Oh sorry, I meant your, 'ex' brother." She replied, putting emphasis on the 'ex'.

Harry's eyes narrowed slightly. Perhaps he had expected his mother, rather ex mother, to grovel and beg. Perhaps she was walking into a trap that he was preparing for her. With Harry, you never knew. Unexpectedly, he changed the subject completely. "Were you frisked?" he asked Lily, who shook her head. He took out his mobile phone and pressed a number on his speed dial.

"Ron, get me the person who is guarding the front gates."

Mobile phones, how the hell?

A few minutes passed before Ron arrived with the guard in tow. "Did you frisk the lady?" Harry asked the guard. The guard shook his head. "Why didn't you?" Harry asked him. The guard looked at him in obvious confusion. "Well sir, I…" he did not know how to tell the master that the lady in question was his own mother. Rather than answering back, he just hung his head in shame. "Get back to your post," Harry told him. "This is my first and final warning."

Turning to Ron he said, "take care that this guy doesn't suffer anything this time. But he should be careful from next time."

Ron and the guard both nodded their heads in unison. Ron then escorted the guard out of the door and then went back to take his place at Harry's right hand. As if on cue, Hermione Granger entered via a side door and settled herself on Harry's left side.

"So," Harry started in a conversational tone. "I hear my 'ex' brother is getting married. Lucky sod."

Lily nodded. "Yes, the 'sod' is indeed lucky to have a girl like her."

"He's lucky to have a girl at all. Thought he was a homo" Harry shot back.

Lily had had enough of this. "Look, Mr. Potter-Black, I…"

Harry waved a hand, silencing her. "All right, I'll be there. Happy?"

Lily nodded. "Very."

"I wish him the best of luck. Sophie's a very nice girl."

"Thank you," Lily said. "I'll tell him that."

It was not until she reached home that she remembered that she hadn't told Harry the girl's name.

A few minutes after Mrs. Potter left

"Harry, you shouldn't have told her that, it could have ruined everything."

Harry grinned sheepishly. "Sorry 'Mione," he said. "I couldn't help it."

"Well, your mother didn't seem to suspect anything," Ron offered.

"Not the first time, you know," Harry said contemptuously. "She's Mrs. 'Dark Side of the Moon'. What kind of dumbass… oh well, who cares?"

"You said it," Ron agreed.

"The girl, she here yet?" Harry asked.

Ron nodded. "Being frisked as we speak."

"Good. Now you," he said, pointing towards Ron. "Leave now. Hermione, you stay."

Ron winked and departed through the same side door. About thirty seconds later, a tall buxom brunette entered the room. She was not pretty in the conventional sense of the word, but her penetrating gray eyes, straight nose and a long chestnut brown hair gave her an ethereal, otherworldly beauty.

"Hi there guvnor! Miss me much luv?"

As can be seen, she also had an alarming cockney accent which rather tilted things against her. Both Harry and Hermione winced when they heard her discordant tones.

"Now, Sophie, don't forget your lessons."

Sophie shot Harry an irritated look. Correcting herself, she slipped effortlessly into a refined accent.

"Who is this, by the way?" She asked, indicating Hermione. "Your new bed warmer? Wasn't I good enough for you, my dear?"

Harry sighed. "You were a bit too…shall we say, experienced? And no, she is not my mistress."

Sophie nodded. "You were amazing in bed," she said dreamily. "It's the first time a man satisfied me completely…"

Hermione cleared her throat noisily and the sound brought Sophie back to her senses.

"Whatever," Harry said indifferently. "Remember the deal. I'm giving you two thousand galleons per month and ten thousand when the job is over. And let me remind you, that is at least ten times more than what you would have earned working on the streets."

"But I don't want to marry that bastard! He is the worst lay that I ever had."

Harry had had enough of this. "Look," he said. "Either do this job for three months and retire to your own villa in France or spend your life pleasuring drunkards in bars for loose change. The choice is yours, I leave it to you."

Such a barbed observation would've incensed even the meekest of women, but for Sophie, who had lived for eight years the way Harry had described it, it was a wake up call.

She nodded. "I'll take it. Don't you worry, I'll see myself out."

After she had gone, Hermione laid a hand on Harry's arms. "Those were pretty strong words," she said.

Harry laughed sourly. "Stay with her long enough and you will get enough material to write a pornographic novel."

"Ten thousand galleons…we cannot give her that much. Have you thought about this, Harry?" She smacked herself mentally. Of course he had. He must have some sort of plan to get cash or something.

"Of course I have, Hermione. Leave it to me. All will be explained in due time. Oh, and by the way, brew me a love potion."

"WHAT?"

The Wedding

Three o'clock on the following afternoon found Harry, Ron, Hermine and Ginny standing outside the great white marquee in the orchard, awaiting the arrival of the other wedding guests. A host of white-robed waiters had arrived an hour earlier, along with a golden jacketed band, and all of these wizards were currently sitting a short distance away under a tree. Harry could see a blue haze of pipe smoke issuing from the spot. Behind Harry, the entrance to the marquee revealed rows and rows of fragile golden chairs set on either side of a long purple carpet. The supporting poles were entwined with white and gold flowers. Lily and James had fastened an enormous bunch of golden balloons over the exact point where Hector and Sophie would shortly become husband and wife. Outside, butterflies and bees were hovering lazily over the grass and hedgerow.

"When I get married," said Ron, tugging at the collar of his own suit, "I won't be bothering with any of this nonsense. You can all wear what you like."

"Depends on whether any girl is foolish enough to marry you." Harry replied.

Ron shrugged. "You know what they say, love is blind."

While they were exchanging witticisms, brightly colored figures were appearing, one by one out of nowhere at the distant boundary of the yard. Within minutes a procession had formed, which began to snake its way up through the garden toward the marquee. Exotic flowers and bewitched birds fluttered on the witches' hats, while precious gems glittered from many of the wizards' cravats; a hum of excited chatter grew louder and louder, drowning the sound of the bees as the crowd approached the tent.

"Excellent, I think I see a few of Fleur's veela cousins," said Ron, craning his neck for a better look. "They will need help understanding our English customs; I'll look after them…."

"Behave yourself Ron," Harry snapped, "remember that you're a grown man and not a diaper wearing baby. You stay here. I will assist them."

"You saw that lucky son of a-," Ron said in a strangled whisper. "He took all the girls and managed to insult me all in one go."

Ginny and Hermione just shot him a bored look.

"Recognize me, yeh lot?" somebody boomed out.

"Hagrid!" Hermione said, "What a pleasant surprise!"

"Thanks Hermione" Hagrid said, bemused by her reaction. He lowered his tone and then asked her "By th way, were 's Harry? Dumbledore got sum word fo him."

"There he is Hagrid."

Hagrid went over to Harry and engaged him in a whispered conservation. Ron, Hermione and Ginny meanwhile started exchanging notes on the guests that had arrived.

"That's the Changs, isn't it? Wow, Cho looks hot."

"Ron! Look at Narcissa. Behaving like a class A bitch, as usual."

"Can't say she doesn't look hot, though."

"I swear I'll castrate you Ron. Stop this perverted behavior at once."

While Ron and Hermione were bickering, a tall and rather broad shouldered man joined their little group. Ginny smiled at him and said loudly, "Neville, what a surprise."

This obviously had the desired effect on Ron and Hermione, who stopped arguing to greet Neville. "By the way," said Neville, "where is Harry?"

"Sleeping with a veela?" Ron suggested.

Hermione smiled. "Not with a veela, no."

Ron narrowed his eyes at this. "Does that mean he is sleeping with someone?"

"Maybe he is?" Hermione said in a tantalizing whisper. It was at this point that Harry chose to make an entrance.

"There you are guys. So, what's been on?"

"Nothing," Ginny replied. "This is the shittiest wedding I have ever been to."

"I wish old Uncle Bilius was still with us, though; he was a right laugh at weddings." Ron said.

"Wasn't he the one who saw a Grim and died twenty-four hours later?" asked Hermione.

"Well, yeah, he went a bit odd toward the end," conceded Ginny.

"But before he went loopy he was the life and soul of the party," said Ron. "He used to down an entire bottle of firewhisky, then run onto the dance floor, hoist up his robes, and start pulling bunches of flowers out of his –"

"Yes, he sounds a real charmer," said Hermione, while Harry roared with laughter.

"Never married, for some reason," said Ron.

"You amaze me," said Hermione.

They were all laughing so much that none of them noticed the latecomer, a dark-haired young woman with perfect, porcelain features and a sensational figure. "Hi, may I join the group?"

"Cho," Harry said sardonically, "what a pleasant surprise."

A sense of jittery anticipation had filled the warm tent, the general murmuring broken by occasional spurts of excited laughter. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley strolled up the aisle, smiling and waving at relatives; Mrs. Weasley was wearing a brand-new set of amethyst colored robes with a matching hat.

Ron let out a laugh of derision. "Wonder how much the Potters paid my parents."

A moment later Hector and Harold stood up at the front of the marquee, both wearing dress robes, with larger white roses in their buttonholes. Then the crowd fell silent as music swelled from what seemed to be the golden balloons.

"Ooooh!" said Hermione, swiveling around in her seat to look at the entrance.

A great collective sigh issued from the assembled witches and wizards as Mr. Carter and Sophie came walking up the aisle, Sophie gliding, her father Mr. Carter bouncing and beaming. Sophie was wearing a very simple white dress, a bit low cut, which accentuated her curves and highlighted her cleavage to perfection.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said a slightly singsong voice, belonging to a small, tufty-hired wizard who was standing in front of Hector and Sophie. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of two faithful souls…"

"Faithful, yeah I can see that." Ron whispered to Harry. "She worked on the streets, didn't she?"

Ginny glanced around, grinning, winked at Harry, then quickly faced the front again. Harry's mind wandered a long way from the marquee, plotting his next move. If he played his cards right, he would have the chance of eliminating one family at this wedding. Not the end, of course, but the beginning of the end….

"Do you, Hector James, take Sophie Isabelle…?"

In the front row, Mrs. Weasley and Madame Carter were both sobbing quietly into scraps of lace. Trumpetlike sounds from the back of the marquee told everyone that Hagrid had taken out one of his own tablecloth-sized handkerchiefs.

"Where did you get Mr. and Mrs. Carter?" Ron asked.

"One of those artist workshops," Harry replied absently.

"…then I declare you bonded for life."

The tufty-haired wizard waved his hand high over the heads of Hector and Sophie and a shower of silver stars fell upon them, spiraling around their now entwined figures. As Lily and James led a round of applause, the golden balloons overhead burst. Birds of paradise and tiny golden bells flew and floated out of them, adding their songs and chimes to the din.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" called the tufty-haired wizard. "If you would please stand up!"

They all did so; he waved his wand again. The scars on which they had been sitting rose gracefully into the air as the canvas walls of the marquee vanished, so that they stood beneath a canopy supported by golden poles, with a glorious view of the sunlit orchard and surrounding countryside. Next, a pool of molten gold spread from the center of the tent to form a gleaming dance floor; the hovering chairs grouped themselves around small, white-clothed tables, which all floated gracefully back to earth round it, and the golden-jacketed hand trooped toward a podium.

"Smooth," said Ron approvingly as the waiters popped up on all sides, some hearing silver trays of pumpkin juice, butterbeer, and firewhisky, others tottering piles of tarts and sandwiches.

"We should go and congratulate them!" said Hermione, standing on tiptoe to see the place where Hector and Sophie had vanished amid a crowd of well-wishers.

"We'll have time later," shrugged Ron, snatching three butterbeers from a passing tray and handing one to Harry. "Hermione, cop hold, let's grab a table…. Not there! Nowhere near my parents-"

Who is Sophie Carter? What did she do earlier? Why is she getting married? What will Harry do with the love potion? Does he have a love potion at all? Where does Cho come into all this? Does she come in at all? Does Narcissa? Does Daphne? Some questions which need to be answered. And will be.

As usual, do review. Tell me whether this stuff is good or if I have lost my edge or whether I never had an edge at all. As an extra note, the dialogue is supposed to be spoken, not written. As a result, the dialogue is a bit terse but sounds proper when it is spoken. Dwell on that review part I told you about.