Chapter 30
The next morning, Amelia woke alone. Oliver had left a note on her pillow that he had gone out for a bit but would meet her at the hospital later that day. He had gone to make sure that she would have flowers with her for the ceremony and he wanted to get a cake for the family, since Amelia had mentioned both of them.
He arrived at the hospital, with his suit, the flowers, and the cake just before his parents. He met them in the lobby and had them follow him up to Joseph's room. "Da, could you carry this, please?" he asked, handing him the cake.
"You're really doing this?" Jane asked.
"Yes, Mum," he insisted. "We want to get married and I'd rather have 5 minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of regret. I'm marrying her today."
"And you don't want your family there?" she pressed.
"You and Da are here," he protested. "That's all the family I need, and since it's a muggle wedding, we can have a ministry service when the war is over."
"What war?" Jane asked.
"The war that's about to start now that everyone knows You-Know-Who is back," he said. Jane silently wondered when her son had gotten so wise. She couldn't believe that the little boy who flew around on his toy broomstick and cried when he had to get off was the man standing before her. She also couldn't believe that the teenager who never seemed to have time for girls before he met Amelia was getting married.
Amelia was at the hospital when Oliver arrived. She left the group in her father's room to get into her dress while Oliver changed into his suit. Just as she finished, the justice of the peace showed up and the group was directed to the chapel for the service. Oliver had handed her the flowers, for which she was very grateful.
Amelia's father, in a wheelchair, led her down the aisle, pushed by Brandon. Jack stood next to Oliver and Maria, Brandon's wife, stood next to Amelia. The ceremony was brief, but it was exactly what both Oliver and Amelia wanted. Afterwards, they shared the cake that Oliver had brought and then, Oliver and Amelia returned to London.
"So, all in all, one of our better days," he said when they landed in the alley by her flat.
"Yes," she said. "One of our best days."
"Can I carry you in?" he asked.
"Old fashioned, cheeky bugger," she teased. "And yes, you may." He scooped her up and carried her into her flat. He set her down and kissed her softly; she grabbed his arm and tugged him into the bedroom.
An hour later, Amelia turned to Oliver and said, "I'm going to finish school in May, if I go over the Christmas holidays."
"And then, we can look for flats," he said.
"I'd really like that," she said, "But perhaps, we could look for flats sooner rather than later."
"You're sure?" he asked.
"Oliver, we just got married. Of course I'm sure I want to live with you," she replied. "Now, I think we've talked enough. It's time for round 2." She straddled him and made love to him, again.
After a few hours in bed, Oliver got up and decided it was time for dinner. "Where can I take you out?" he offered.
"It doesn't matter," she replied. "We can eat here even."
"No, we have to do something special; it's our wedding night," he scolded.
"Yes, but here, we could eat in our current state of undress. If we go out, that will require clothes," she whined.
"True, but it's our wedding night and it should be special. So, why don't you put that lovely dress back on while I get into my suit and we'll go and have a nice dinner, followed, perhaps, by dancing, and then we can spend the rest of tonight and tomorrow naked," Oliver offered.
"That does sound rather nice," she mused. She got up and donned her dress while Oliver got back into his suit. Then, they went out into London. Oliver took them to Diagon Alley for dinner at a small wizarding restaurant that also had a dance floor. As they were strolling back down the alley, they ran into Fred and George.
"It's good to see you lot are still together," Fred teased. "And dressed so fancy. Are we celebrating?"
"We are," Oliver replied. "We're celebrating a very important occasion."
"And what, pray tell, is that occasion?" George asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Nothing so salacious," Amelia promised. "Just that we got married this afternoon."
George and Fred shared perplexed looks. "Is this the same girl that turned up at our flat in the middle of the night smashed out of her mind because things were moving too fast?" George asked.
"It is, but since then, I've realized that this is what I want, and my father was in an accident and nearly died," she said. "I'd rather have this for a day than regret not doing it for a lifetime."
"Couldn't have said it better myself," Oliver stated, with a cheeky grin. "Now, I'm about to take this lovely bird dancing. Where would I do that around here?"
"We're just off to pub, but I've heard there's a new club down the alley," Fred suggested.
Oliver and Amelia thanked Fred and George and set off walking. They found the club and quickly left. Instead, they joined Fred and George at the Leaky Cauldron for drinks. Eventually, they left the pub and returned home. They ended up spending the rest of the night and the next day naked before Amelia had to return to classes.
They had managed to work out a Christmas schedule that would allow them some time with both families since Amelia would have no classes from December 24 to the 27th. When they arrived in Leeds, the entire family was there, including Amelia's aunts and uncles. Some of them were shocked when Camilla let her and Oliver share a bedroom until Jack stepped in and told them that she and Oliver had eloped. The family was then even more shocked.
They had the same reaction from Oliver's family when they found out that the pair had eloped and gotten married on, what his aunt called, a whim. His grandfather stepped in and insisted that they get the good present that year, since they had been married. There was only minor grumbling from the rest of the family.
In February, Amelia and Oliver managed to find a flat near Puddlemere that they both loved and moved in just before Valentine's Day. For the Valentine's Day dinner, Oliver opened the bottle of very expensive champagne they got from his grandfather for Christmas.
In June, they received word that Professor Dumbledore had been killed in a battle at the school and they went to Hogwarts for the funeral. There, Amelia ran into Kate and Charity, whom she hadn't seen since graduation, while Oliver was chatting with some of his mates. "Bloody hell, Ames, you look fantastic," Charity said.
"Cheers," Amelia replied. "You look well yourself. How've you been?"
"Good," Charity answered. "How's healer training?"
"I dropped out after the first term," Amelia explained. "I really hated it. Now, I've just graduated from music school and I'm playing a few gigs in London and Puddlemere."
"Puddlemere?" Kate questioned.
"Yes, I'm back with Oliver," Amelia said, rolling her eyes. She then explained to Kate and Charity how she and Oliver had gotten back together and eloped in the fall. "We just wanted simple and it worked out quite nicely."
"Who was there?" Charity asked.
"Our parents and my brothers and sister-in-law," Amelia answered. "No one else, and it was a muggle service."
Oliver had joined the group and Charity glared at him. "Don't give me that look, Charity," Oliver ordered. "If you learn nothing else from today, learn that life is fleeting and we made a decision to do something to make us happy."
"Of course you did," Kate chimed. "And we're happy for you. Now, I've got to be getting back to Cardiff and Charity, you need to be getting back to Stratford. We'll owl soon. We should meet up in London."
"I'd really like that," Amelia said. "Maybe you'll come and hear me play." Kate promised to try to make it, but Charity simply fumed.
"What's got her wand in a knot?" Oliver asked.
"No idea," Amelia replied. "We should be getting back to Puddlemere. Don't you have a match tomorrow?"
"Yes," he said. They took hands and apparated to their flat near Puddlemere.
A month later, the ministry of magic was overthrown. Oliver was at a game when Percy Weasley approached him. "Oliver," Percy said, "Do you have a moment?"
"Sure," Oliver replied. "What's going on, Perce?"
Percy looked around to make sure that they hadn't been followed. "It's the ministry. They're making big changes and they haven't announced this yet, but there are going to be threats to muggle borns. I understand that you and Amelia live together?"
"Aye," Oliver corrected. "We've been living together for almost a year."
"Then you'll both have to go into hiding," Percy warned. "If you don't she's likely to end up in Azkaban. They're going to question muggle borns about how they stole the magic."
"Why are you telling me this?" Oliver asked.
"Because," Percy answered, "I was always quite fond of Amelia and I don't want to see either of you get hurt. Get in touch with my brothers, but don't tell them I sent you. They'll help you out." With that, Percy apparated away and left Oliver confused.
Oliver went home and found Amelia in the sitting room with her guitar. He sat down with her and said, "We have to have a serious conversation."
"We haven't done that since we broke up," Amelia said, suddenly nervous.
"It's nothing bad and I'm not breaking up with you," he promised. "At least, it's nothing bad that either of us can control. I saw Percy Weasley after the match. He had a warning. There are going to be big changes at the ministry soon.
"He thinks that they're going to make muggle-born witches and wizards register with a committee and submit themselves to questioning. If the ministry doesn't like their answers, and he's certain that they won't, the witch or wizard will be placed in Azkaban. He suggested that you may need to go into hiding."
Amelia sat in silence for several long minutes. Oliver got so nervous that he poured them each a healthy measure of whiskey. "I won't go into hiding," she protested.
"Love, you may need to. I'll need to know you're safe and if you go, you won't go alone," he promised. "I'll be with you. I'll want to protect you."
"I haven't needed your protection in years," she teased. "When will we have to go?"
"We should be fine for the summer, but he got me thinking that perhaps you should start booking gigs out of the country," he said, seriously.
"What about my parents and brothers?" she asked.
"We'll set up whatever enchantments we can to protect them," he promised. "We can do fidelius charms, but neither of us should be secret keeper."
"Who would you suggest?" she asked.
"My Da," Oliver replied. "If we use a fidelius charm for your location and I somehow get captured, they'll torture me to tell them and while I'd die to protect you, it'll be easier if I can't tell them where you are."
"Why do they hate me?" She started crying and Oliver moved behind her and massaged her shoulders.
"They can't hate you; they don't know you," he replied. "They are stupid and frightened of people who are different than they are. It doesn't mean anything."
"And if you weren't with me?" she asked.
"It doesn't matter, because I am with you," he promised.
"If I wasn't around, you wouldn't have to even think about going into hiding, would you?"
"Probably not," he said. "That doesn't mean that I wouldn't fight for the rights of muggle borns, and it doesn't matter because my life is better when you're in it."
"Thanks," she whispered. She finished her drink and wandered to their bedroom. Oliver followed immediately.
"You know I won't let them hurt you," he promised.
"I know but I wish you didn't have to," she said.
"I know," he answered. "I haven't said it today, so I love you."
"Romantic sod," she teased. "And I love you, too."
The time came when Amelia and Oliver did need to go into hiding. They were able to locate a house in the Scottish highlands that belonged to one of Oliver's relatives and with the help of Fred, George and the Order of the Phoenix, they set up as many protective charms as possible. They ended up choosing George as their Secret Keeper when they protected the home with the fidelius charm. Amelia was terribly nervous about Oliver's career until the quidditch season was canceled due to the war.
They were both at Hogwarts for the final battle. Fred saved Amelia when the wall exploded by shoving her out of the way and taking most of the blast, which resulted in his death. Oliver found Amelia weeping over Fred's body with Percy when the smoke cleared. He pulled her away and held her tightly, shedding a tear for Fred and for his own near loss.
"I was so scared," Oliver said, through his tears. "When the wall exploded, I thought…"
"Shh," she replied. "I know. I'm right here."
When the fighting finally ended and Harry Potter defeated Voldemort, Amelia grabbed Oliver's hand and led him to Gryffindor tower and into his old dormitory. "Why are we here?" he asked.
"It was right over there," she said. "That's where I fell irrevocably in love with you. Do you know when it was?"
"No," he answered.
"Do you remember your last year, after we broke up and I stopped the fight between you and the twins?" she asked; he nodded. She continued, "I stormed in here and you sat there, drunk, and angry. I had never known how much one person could affect someone else until that moment and that was when you won my heart."
"Thanks," he sniffed. "We should get home. Mum and Da will be worried."
"They'll be alright," she reasoned. "I want to snog you for a bit before we leave." And she did. They snogged for as long as they dared until they were interrupted by others coming into the tower to catch some sleep before leaving. They decided to nap before leaving as well and went to sleep in Oliver's old bed.