Love & Scheming
Daisy smiled as she looked around the reception. They had made it through the toasts - she had had the crowd roaring in laughter, then wiping tears with her recollections of her and Lucy's time at Hogwarts and how they would always be best friends. John gave a heartwarming toast about how Kelly had taken him under his wing when he first arrived to play on the Arrows and had no friends.
Then Percy sputtered through his own. While it was apparent he still hadn't fully accepted Ryan, he did at least put it aside for the day in order to make sure his youngest had the best wedding possible.
Now the dance floor was full of couples and love was most certainly about.
"There you are, Daisy," Lucy said, walking up to her. Daisy smiled and offered her cousin a hug.
"You seemed to have calmed down finally," she commented. Lucy chuckled and held her glass up.
"Champagne helps. And well, we made it through the ceremony so all there is to do now is to just relax and enjoy the party," she said.
"Seems Kelly is doing just that," Daisy said, seeing her captain doing a shot with the entire team. Lucy just sighed.
"What did I do to end up with such a wonderful man like him?" she said, a dreamy smile on her face.
"Dunno, here I thought he was the lucky one," Daisy said, taking a sip of her champagne. Lucy just chuckled as she glanced over at her. "How's it feel to be Mrs. Lucy Kelly?"
"About the same as it felt to be Lucy Weasley. Just now I've got a permanent roommate that I'm madly in love with," she said. "Got you feeling the itch yet?" Daisy shrugged.
"I'm not in any rush. We're living together. We know we're going to be together. Doesn't seem like we need to push it at the moment. Especially with Dad still in the midst of his hysterics regarding Wills," she said.
"Uncle Oliver will come around," Lucy said. "He loves you and all he wants is for you to be happy." Daisy chuckled.
"We'll see about that," she said. Looking around. Her eyes fell on Toby and Tessa. "You think Toby will confess tonight?" Lucy followed her gaze and snorted.
"He's likely to. Remus and Alan have been plying him with enough liquor," she said. Daisy shook her head.
"Couldn't even put aside the scheming for one day," she said. Lucy looked over at her, her eyes bright.
"Please, Daisy. Today is the day everyone is going to put out all the stops in terms of romance," she said. She looked back at the crowd. "Speaking of which, seems your Prince Charming has found you." Daisy looked out, seeing a grinning Wills walking towards her.
"We really have gotten lucky, haven't we?" she murmured.
"That we have."
"Daisy!" someone shouted, grabbing her attention from the conversation she was having with John, Wills, Tori and Chris a bit later. She grinned as she caught sight of Lily walking towards her. The teen girl launched into a hug that nearly knocked her over, despite the two being about the same size - pint-size, that is. "Been looking for you all night."
"You ready for Hogwarts?" Daisy asked, stepping back from her.
"Of course. Ready to put to use those tricks you taught me," the teen said, grinning. "Got to keep up the family tradition and all. Our captain graduated so I'm likely to take over."
"Lily plays seeker on Gryffindor's team," Wills explained to Tori.
"So I've heard," the auror said.
"Ready to get away from home as well," she said. "Albus is driving me crazy. I don't know why he won't move out."
"He still at home?" Wills asked. Lily looked over at the tall chaser and nodded.
"He's a bit sore that Scorpio and Rose are considering moving in together," she said lightly. "Granted they still haven't told Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione about it."
"I'm glad to be out of that Hogwarts mess," Daisy said with a sigh.
"Please, we all heard how Uncle Oliver was when he found out about you and Wills. Both times," Lily said, grinning. She then looked around, noticing her parents weren't nearby and grabbed Daisy's glass, nearly emptying it.
"Lily!" Daisy shouted, though she was grinning.
"Get off it, Pixie. You let me drink whenever I came to the flat this summer," Lily said, starting to walk off with her glass.
"Just don't tell your dad it was me!" Daisy hissed after her. The girl just giggled and continued walking. Wills grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing server and handed it to Daisy.
"Would Harry get on to you about that?" John asked, knowing for certain that Daisy had her older cousin wrapped around her finger and could get away with just about anything if he was involved.
"It's Ginny I'm more worried about," Daisy replied.
"And why would you be worried about Ginny?" Harry asked, stepping up to the group.
"Nothing," Daisy said quickly before smiling. "Just ran into Lily. Said that Albus is still at home." Harry sighed.
"Ginny's happy, and really, it's probably for the best. He's heading off to the potions institute soon and won't be making much until he gets a job afterwards," he said. "I offered to help should he want to get his own place. And James certainly doesn't need it now that he's on first string."
"What happened to him and Scorpio getting a flat?" Daisy asked.
"Not sure. They were talking about it constantly before they graduated, but that died off for some reason," Harry said. Daisy glanced over at Wills and John, then looked back at her cousin. Tori's eyes widened as she looked over at Chris.
"You'll get used to all the family gossip soon enough," Wills whispered to her.
"To be honest, I'm not sure what any of them are planning to do," Harry said before taking a drink and looking around. "If you'll excuse me, I think I just saw my 16-year-old daughter do a shot with your brothers. Ginny'll kill me if she finds out." He chuckled and then walked off.
"Sometimes I forget he's a dad. He's really different outside the office," Tori said. "More laid back."
"Don't forget he's the Chosen One," Wills added.
"Is there anyone in your family that's not famous?" Tori asked, smiling.
"They're not that famous… not really," Daisy said before taking a drink.
"You sure about that?" John asked, smiling. Daisy just frowned at him. "Okay, so maybe Albus, Hugo, Rose, Roxanne and Freddie aren't famous, but Lily will be in about two years."
"Give them time," Wills said, smiling. "The whole lot were popular in Hogwarts."
"Side effect of having the last name Potter or Weasley," Daisy replied.
"Or Wood," Chris added, his eyes twinkling. "Face it, you're part of a dynasty in terms of popularity. All started with your aunts, uncles and dad." Daisy just shrugged.
"I wasn't that popular," she said. Chris laughed loudly.
"Yes, you were," he said. Daisy glared at him.
"Was not! Why didn't I get asked out more?" she asked.
"Because the blokes were terrified of your brothers," Chris said. "Or you. But didn't stop everyone from liking you."
"Please," Daisy huffed. Chris just chuckled.
"There you are! One of my favorite students!" a voice boomed. Daisy choked on her drink a bit before turning and seeing a grinning Prof. Longbottom walk up.
"Prof. Longbottom," she said, sputtering slightly, not expecting to see her old teacher at her cousin's wedding. He looked around at the group.
"Good to see you as well, Chris, Wills," he replied. "Take it you're John Kingfisher."
"Yes," John said, holding his hand out. Prof. Longbottom took it, shaking it. "This is Tori Rollins - she's an auror with MACUSA." The professor smiled warmly at her, shaking her hand as well.
"I taught these three at Hogwarts. Herbology," he said. "But I was an auror with the Ministry for a few years before that. Interesting work but in the end, not something I wanted to do forever."
"And he's good friends with Harry, Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione from back in the day. They were all in the same year and house," Daisy added. He looked around.
"A bit odd to be coming to my students' weddings. I was surprised to get the invitation. Never was that closed to Audrey or Percy in school or Kelly's parents," he said.
"Fairly sure it was Lucy's idea. She rather liked herbology," Daisy mused. Wills looked down at her.
"I thought it was Kelly's idea," he said. "Remembered him being rather good at it even though we were in different houses."
"What house was he in again?" Chris asked. Wills, Daisy and Prof. Longbottom just stared at him.
"Gryffindor," they all said together, as if it were the most obvious answer.
"Like any of these lot would marry outside that house," the professor said with a chuckle. Daisy and Wills just stared at him. "Oh, right. Sure your dad loves that. He hated Slytherin when we were all in school."
"What is it about Gryffindor and Slytherin?" John muttered.
"Absolutely nothing," Daisy declared. Tori just looked at Chris in confusion.
"I'll explain later," he whispered to her.
"As I was saying," Neville said after clearing his throat. "Daisy here was one of my favorite students."
"Daisy was everyone's favorite student," muttered Chris, causing her to frown at him.
"Because I always did my homework on time," she said, sticking her nose up in the air.
"That so? Then why was it you were never picked as prefect or head girl?" Chris asked, smirking. Daisy narrowed her eyes at him as Neville chuckled.
"Too many detentions. Though not nearly as much as her brothers. Or you, Abbott," he said. It was Daisy's turn to look smug. "Though, she would have gotten more if we had just figured out how she did half the things she did." Daisy looked at him wide-eyed as Chris started laughing. "Don't give me that look, Daisy. We all knew you were involved in a lot more than what you got punished for. Just couldn't prove it."
"Even McGonagall?" she asked.
"Even McGonagall," Neville replied. "By the way, we both know about you and Teddy posing as your parents. Just by the time we figured it out, too long had passed that we didn't feel it necessary to punish you. In fact, we were both impressed." Daisy just blinked as Chris and Wills laughed loudly.
"How did you figure it out?" she asked.
"The next time I saw your dad over the summer, he mentioned something annoying Wills did in practice that day," he replied. "Ah, seems my wife is calling me over. Good chat." Wills and Chris kept laughing as Daisy was silent.
"And here you thought you got away with it all these years," Chris said.
"I didn't get punished, did I?" Daisy asked.
"That's my Pix," Wills said, kissing her head. Tori looked over at John, who just shrugged.
"Hogwarts," he said.
"So, Perce, how does it feel to have your youngest married?" Oliver asked, grinning. He had been in the firewhisky for some time now and seemed to have forgotten about glaring at Wills, who was now congratulating Kelly while Daisy was off dancing with James.
"Still not sure about my son-in-law," Percy said, frowning. Audrey just rolled her eyes.
"Come on now, Perce. It's a done deal! You'll have to get used to it. Preferably before the children come," George said, grinning.
"He's got a point," Bill added.
"You're one to talk," Percey said, glaring at his older brother.
"I've always accepted Teddy," Bill replied. "Helps that he and Victoire dated several years before getting married."
"Yes, but you had a few of your own moments," Fleur said, looking up at her husband.
"Only when they were younger. And it was because they got detention - again - after getting caught snogging in a broom closet for about the 20th time," Bill said, frowning. "Should have been focusing on their studies."
"Like you didn't sneak around in broom closets," George said, chuckling. "Dare say we all did."
"I do remember coming across you and Roger Davies at the Yule Ball," Harry said, looking at a now scandalized Fleur.
"It was another time. Before I met Bill," she said quickly.
"Didn't you and Ginny sneak around a bit?" Bill asked, looking at him.
"A bit… though we didn't have much time for that with everything going on," Harry replied.
"I do remember walking in on you two at the Burrow once," George said, grinning.
"Well, Ron was the one whose lips were glued to Lavender Brown for nearly all term sixth year," Ginny said. Ron frowned at his sister.
"Another life," he said as Hermione chuckled from next to him.
"At least he came around in the end," she said, kissing his cheek. She glanced over at Iris and Oliver. "And I remember walking in on Iris and Oliver in her room one time…"
Iris blushed as her eyes widened while George started laughing loudly.
"You saw nothing," she said.
"Is that how it was?" George asked. "You didn't snog in Iris' chambers at Hogwarts?"
"George," Oliver said in warning.
"That seems incredibly inappropriate," Percy said. "You were a professor, Iris."
"Would you lighten up?" Audrey said, smacking him on the arm. "I find it romantic."
"At least none of you has walked in on your children snogging," Angelina said with a sigh. They all looked at her.
"Which one?" Audrey asked, leaning towards her.
"Roxanne and Christos. They were at Freddie and James' flat. I came by to drop off some things for Freddie and there they were on the sofa," she said. "Though probably better it was me than George. He'd never let them live it down."
"I wouldn't have, that's true," George said, smiling. "Still don't even though I wasn't there." He glanced over at Oliver, his grin widening. "Speaking of children… see you've finally stopped glaring at Wills. Finally accepting that he's your future son-in-law?" Oliver immediately frowned.
"We were having a good time, George. Why are you trying to ruin my good mood?" he said. Iris just rolled her eyes.
"I cannot keep running interference all night," she said with a huff. "But you are going to have to accept it eventually."
"I don't have to do a goddamn thing," Oliver said, looking at her. The rest of the group started chuckling.
"Face it, Woodsie, your children are now all adults and thinking things like marriage. Jamie and Lila will tie the knot soon enough. And then Daisy and Wills, Remus and Laura," he said. "Probably Alan and Bridget as well."
"But not yet," Oliver said, turning his glower to George, only causing him to laugh harder.
"I wouldn't mind Wills as a son-in-law," he replied. "Certainly gets on with the rest of the family."
"Too well," Oliver said before taking a sip of his firewhisky.
"And that's a bad thing?" Bill asked, smiling. Oliver looked at him.
"Yes," he said.
"No, it's not. And he's not that bad. Honestly, Oliver," Iris said.
"Why couldn't she have just gotten on with Toby?" Oliver asked with a sigh. "He's much more quiet and less… annoying."
"That ship has sailed," George said, looking over to see Toby dancing with Tessa again. Wills had left the happy groom and was now leading Daisy across the dance floor. "Really, Wills isn't that bad."
"You're not the one stuck with him for life," Oliver grumbled.
"Ah, but aren't we all? In case you forgot, we're a rather close knit family," George said. "I, for one, welcome him with open arms." Oliver glared at him.
"Not. Yet," he said firmly. Iris just shook her head and shared a look with Audrey and Angelina.
"He'll come around. Eventually," she muttered.
"Did you enjoy the wedding?" Toby asked Tessa as the two stood off the dance floor in a quiet corner. Most everyone else was either dancing or gathered around the bar. Toby was personally glad to get away from Remus and Alan, who always seemed to magically appear with a strong drink any time his glass was empty.
"It was beautiful," Tessa said, smiling at him. "I am so grateful that you invited me to come with you." Toby chuckled and ran his hand up the back of his neck.
"Couldn't very well let you stay home by yourself," he said, blushing slightly. "Everyone was coming." Tessa nodded and looked around at the couples dancing. Daisy was laughing at something Wills said while the two moved slowly. Not far off Laura was playfully frowning at Remus as he apologized for stepping on her foot again. Bridget leaned her head against Alan's chest as he kissed the top of her head. Even Teddy was leading a happy Victoire around the dance floor as he gazed lovingly at her.
The bride and groom were conspicuously missing, though likely off in a dark corner, taking advantage of a little privacy before the party ended.
"Love is in the air," she said, smiling. "It is beautiful to see."
"That it is," Toby said softly. She looked up at him and blushed slightly at the look in his eyes.
"Lucy looked beautiful, did she not?" Tessa asked, looking away nervously.
"Yea. Hard to imagine her as Mrs. Kelly, to be honest. We've been friends since we were young," he said, looking around the crowd and locating all the various couples in the family. "And that one's soon to be Mrs. Wills. Over there is soon to be Mrs. Cunningham. Dare say there are three future Mrs. Woods out there too." Tessa chuckled.
"So many weddings to come," she said. "You don't feel left out, do you?" Toby shook his head.
"Not really. Figured love'll come to me in the right time," he said, glancing down at her.
"When you are ready," she said.
"I kind of feel ready now," he said softly, surprising himself with his boldness. He glanced around, wondering if Remus and Alan had slipped something into his drink, but then looked back down at her. Tessa looked up at him, her brown eyes wide.
"Really?" she asked. Toby nodded and swallowed, steeling himself for what he was about to do. Slowly, he bent down, his eyes not leaving hers.
"Aren't you?" he asked just before his lips brushed hers. Tessa blinked a few times, momentarily stunned.
"I, I think so," she said before smiling. She went up on her toes and kissed him back. Toby grinned from ear to ear as his face turned pink.
"Finally! Was wondering when you'd get that out of the way," Remus shouted from the dance floor. Both Toby and Tessa turned to stare at him while everyone else cheered and clapped.
"Do not tell me you just ruined their moment," Daisy shouted from Wills' arms as she smacked Remus on the back of the head. "They deserved a moment!"
Toby and Tessa looked at each other and smiled, Tessa starting to laugh softly.
"Perhaps we should join the others," she said. Toby nodded and offered his arm, leading her over to dance.
"Now it's as it should be," Wills said softly. Daisy looked up at him.
"Is that so?" she asked. He leaned down and pecked her on the lips.
"Well… now it is," he said, grinning. Daisy just laughed softly.
"Come on, Wills. Get me a drink?"
"Gladly."
I loved writing these wedding chapters. Everyone needed some fun, mushy time. And Toby and Tessa needed a moment. Not to mention it was a good time to bring in some characters we haven't seen before or seen in a long time. There's going to be more of Lily, Albus, Hugo and Rose to come in the Christmas chapter. And, I realized a bit too late that there may be some timeline/age issues with "Surviving Hogwarts" though I think I eventually fixed it... Need to go back and check that out - possibly do some edits. Even with the detailed family tree I made up, it's hard to keep track of everyone's ages at all times.
Anywho, hope you guys enjoyed these chapters and the cameos. We get back into the plot after this.
As always, thanks for reading, following and reviewing!
