A/N - Thank you everyone for letting me know about how this chapter was corrupted. I am so sorry it took me so long to fix it, but I have not been able to get online until now. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 3: April, 2014

The next morning Melony rolled groggily out of her bed and hazily made her way to the kitchen. For a few wonderfully brief moments, she wondered why she felt so tense and stressed, but then, her brain started the wake up and she remembered. She was getting married to a wizard. And not just any wizard, the son of Harry Potter.

She sat in her kitchen drinking her coffee and staring out the window, mulling over everything she had learned. After she had left Al, she spent all day researching everything she could about the Harry Potter universe. She couldn't be sure if everything she learned on the internet was true, but at least she wouldn't be caught off guard.

She was deep in thought when there was a loud CRACK and Al appeared right in front of her which caused Melony to jump, spilling coffee all over her bathrobe.

"Arg!" she yelled, jumping up, the hot coffee burning her.

"Hold on," Al said, running up to her and taking his wand out. He waved it over her and instantly the burning subsided and the coffee stain started disappearing. "I am so sorry, are you okay?"

"Yeah," Melony said looking down at her clean robe. "You just startled me, that's all."

"I know, I'm sorry," Al apologized again. "I was trying to get over here to make you coffee before you got up. I didn't think you would be up this early."

"I kind of had a restless night," Melony said, pouring herself another cup.

"Really?" Al asked concerned.

"A little but don't worry about it. Where's your family?"

"That's also why I'm here," Al said, shuffling around the small kitchen and avoiding Melony's eye. "They want to come over and make breakfast for you. They feel really bad about yesterday."

"They want to come over here?" Melony asked, looking around at her tiny apartment. "Why don't I go over to our place?"

"They don't want to make you travel all the way over. It's faster and easier for them to come here."

"But I don't really have the room"

"It's only going to be the six of us...plus my aunt and uncle," Al said, muttering the last part.

"Your aunt and uncle are already here?"

"No, not yet, but they will be in an hour. My parents want to come over and have breakfast ready before they get here."

"Okay," Melony said, taking a deep breath. "Can you give me ten minutes to get ready?"

"Sure, take all the time you need."

Al gave Melony a quick peck on the cheek and started to turn, but Melony stopped him. "Al, next time you do that," she said waving toward where he had appeared and was now about to disappear, "shoot me a quick text first, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, okay," he said.

And then he was gone.

Twenty minutes later Melony headed out of her bedroom and into the kitchen. Al had texted her ten minutes earlier to let her know that they were all there and had started breakfast, but Melony could have guessed from all the noise. She quietly stood in the entrance to the kitchen/livingroom, staring at the way the eggs and bacon leapt in and out of the pan without any assistance, the hash browns fried themselves and the toast put itself in and out of the toaster.

All of the Potters were crammed around the small table that was shoved into one of the corners of the living room. Mr Potter was hidden behind a newspaper whose pictures kept moving around, Mrs. Potter was chatting Al's ear off about family events, James was butting in when he felt Mrs. Potter wasn't doing the story justice (which was often), and Lily was staring down at her cup of tea, quietly stirring it.

During one of James' interruptions, Mrs. Potter stood and headed into the kitchen to supervise the cooking.

"Melony, hello, it's so good to see you again!" Mrs. Potter said when she saw Melony standing in the entryway and giving her a big hug. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good, thanks. Do you need any help?" Melony asked, eyeing the flying food and wondering how she even could help.

"No, dear, you just relax and let me finish up. I am so sorry about barging in like that yesterday, I had no idea that you didn't know. Al hasn't kept in touch with us as much as we would like."

"It's fine, I'm just trying to get used to it still."

"Of course, of course. Now, you sit and let me finish up in here."

Mrs. Potter gave Melony a slight nudge toward the table where she took the unoccupied seat next to Al.

"So, Melony," James said, rocking back in his chair and smiling from ear to ear, a gleam of mischief ever present in his eyes. "Al here told us that you had no idea about us."

"Yeah," Melony said. "It was a bit surprising."

"I bet! Imagine not knowing about wizards. Has he told you about quidditch yet? It's a sport us wizards play. I play it professionally. It's kind of a big deal."

"Al told me you played professionally."

"He did, did he? Look at my little brother bragging on me," James said, ruffling Al's hair. "Maybe he and I can take you out later and show you how it's done. You still got your broomstick, Al?"

"Er, no," Al said, not looking at James.

"No? Well, that's okay, I'll show you, Mel. Al would probably just slow us down anyway, isn't that right Al? Al used to be on the quidditch team at school, but couldn't hack it past a year. Pressure got to him."

"What do you do, Lily?" Melony asked, feeling Al tense up beside her.

"I'm a journalist," Lily said quietly.

"Lily writes for the Daily Prophet," Al said proudly, nodding his head toward the newspaper his father was still hiding behind.

"Wow, really?" Melony asked.

Lily nodded, staring at the paper, absentmindedly stirring her tea. "That one's mine," she said, pointing to an article entitled "Breakdown of Ministry: Who is going, and who is going to replace them?"

"Yes, and it's very good, sweety," Mr Potter said, folding the paper and setting it down. "Just finished reading it."

Melony looked at Mr. Potter closely and could just make out the faint scar, hidden among wrinkles, running like a lightning bolt down the right side of his forehead.

"I was just telling Melony that we should take her out for quidditch," James said to his father.

"Yes, I heard, son," Mr. Potter replied smiling, his eyes twinkling.

"Pop used to play quidditch too," James continued, now turning toward Melony. "He was excellent."

"Your mother was the professional player," Mr. Potter said. "I only played a couple years for the school team."

"Yes, but you are wicked fast on a broomstick," James said. "Just the other day…."

"James," Mrs. Potter said coming in from the kitchen and sitting in a chair Melony didn't recognize, "be quiet and let the poor girl speak. Now, Melony, what is it you do?"

"I'm a Special Ed teacher."

"Oh, a professor," Mrs. Potter said. "Good for you, Al"

"Did I tell you I'm dating a model?" James broke in. "A muggle model."

"Last I heard you were dating several," Al muttered under his breath.

"Now, boys, that's enough," Mr. Potter said as James opened his mouth to retaliate. "I'm very sorry, Melony. Please continue."

"Well, that's about it," Melony said, shrugging, "not very exciting. Moved to New York to go to school and two years later I met Al. Sitting on a bus bench. In the rain."

Melony smiled up at Al and he leaned down to kiss her on the forehead.

"That is so sweet," Mrs. Potter crooned. "I wish your father and I had a story like that."

"That's not exactly fair, we met as children," Mr. Potter said. "Besides, our story is pretty romantic. We got to fight side by side in one of the greatest battles in history."

"That's true," Mrs. Potter said, her eyes twinkling as she looked off.

"I would love to write about you guys," Lily said to Al. "I think it would make a great story."

"Thank you, Lily, but no," Al said hastily.

"Oh, come on, sweety, everyone's dying to know what happened to you and your exciting life in New York," Mrs. Potter said.

"I'd rather everyone didn't know," Al said into his cup.

"Why not?" his mother demanded. "Is this because you are marrying a muggle, because I did not raise you-"

"Mum!"

"Well, is it?"

"No!"

"Then why won't you let your sister write the piece?"

There was a tense silence as Al and his mother stared each other down.

"It's really okay," Lily said quietly. "It was just a suggestion."

Three more elongated seconds of silence followed this statement before the doorbell rang and everyone jumped.

"Oh my goodness, they're early!"

Mrs. Potter jumped up and ran to the front door as the rest of the family slowly rose and followed her. Melony stayed in the back with Al and watched as the family crowded into the small entryway and Mrs. Potter swung the door open.

Standing on the threshold was a man and a woman who were the same age as Al's parents. The woman had wild, bushy brown hair that had streaks of gray in it, while the man's was the same color red as the rest of the family's, and was thinning on top.

As soon as the door opened, the woman and Mrs. Potter squealed and hugged while the man and Mr. Potter shook hands.

"Oy, mate, how's it going?" said the man with a huge smile on his face before turning to James. "And how's my godson? Keeping out of trouble?"

"Of course, Uncle Ron," James said before lowering his voice to add, "but between you and me, I'm excited to check out the New York scene."

"You and me both," Ron muttered.

"Ron!" the woman exclaimed, apparently hearing him.

"Only joking," he said shrugging.

"Hello, James," the woman said hugging him.

"Hello, Aunt Hermione, how's Rose?" James asked, the twinkle of mischief in his eye practically blinding.

"She's fine," Hermione said, pursing her lips. "How's Amber?"

"Clueless as always," James said smiling widely.

"Honestly," Hermione muttered as she turned to Lily. "Hello, Lily, how are you?"

"I'm good, Aunt Hermione," Lily said.

Hermione eyed Lily suspiciously before finally turning to Mr. Potter. "Harry," she said curtly.

"Hermione," he replied.

"Why don't we head into the kitchen?" Mrs. Potter said loudly and then shooed everyone backward out of the entranceway and into the kitchen.

Melony hung back with Al, who grabbed Lily as she walked by. "Lil, what was all that with dad and Aunt Hermione?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"They've been butting heads as work. Aunt Hermione is trying to get a new law passed and dad's delaying it."

"What's the law?" Melony asked.

"Some kind of extended rights for House Elves."

Al groaned. "How long?"

"A couple of months."

"Great."

"They won't talk about it here though," Lily said. "Mum has forbidden it."

"Well, at least that's something," said Al. "By the way, what was with the look Aunt Hermione gave you?"

"You noticed that too?" Lily asked, worried.

Al nodded just as Mrs. Potter shouted from the kitchen. "Al! Get in here and say hello to your Aunt and Uncle!"

Al, Melony, and Lily headed into the living room, which now contained a huge table Melony knew she didn't own, laden with food.

"Al, there you are," Hermione said, moving over to the trio and giving Al a big hug. "I must have missed you in all the hustle and bustle."

"Hello, Aunt Hermione, it's good to see you," Al said, giving his aunt a long and affectionate hug and then turning to Melony. "This is Melony."

"Hello, Melony, it is so very nice to meet you," she said, shaking Melony's hand and then turning her head to shout into the kitchen. "Ron!"

Hermione looked around and saw Ron talking to Mr. Potter. "Ron!" she shouted again.

"What?" Ron shouted back.

"Come say hello to Melony!"

Ron heaved himself off of the counter he was leaning on and shuffled over.

"This is Melony," Hermione said as soon as he made it over. "Al's fiance."

"Ah, so this is Melony," he said, shaking Melony's hand. "Good going marrying a muggle, son," he said, shaking Al's hand. "Your grandfather is very proud."

"Okay, everyone! Come sit and eat!" Mrs. Potter called.

Everyone made their way to the table and started negotiating over spots, but Al made a beeline to the chair right across from his mother. "You told Grandpa?" he asked, shouting over all the noise.

"Of course, dear," Mrs. Potter said calmly. "I told everyone."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because it's great news, dear. Everyone was worried about you living out here."

"Okay, but they can't all come to the wedding. Melony and I are planning a small ceremony."

"Of course they are coming! I can't tell them no now."

"You already invited them!"

"Now, Al, this is nothing to get upset over. Everyone wants to see you and catch up. they are all very excited for you."

"Melony has put a lot of time and effort into this wedding, we can't change everything now."

"Oh, that won't be a problem," Mrs. Potter said, waving Al's comment away.

Al opened his mouth to retaliate, but Melony stopped him. "It's okay," she said.

"No, it's not okay," Al shouted. "This is why I didn't want to invite them in the first place."

"You weren't going to invite us to your wedding?" Mrs. Potter said in such a deadly tone it made Melony cringe.

"No, I wasn't," Al said, unaffected by his mother's deadly stare. "Because I knew this," he waved his hands around the table, "would happen."

"This," Mrs. Potter said, making the same gesture as Al, "is your family, young man, and it's the only one you've got."

A ringing silence followed Mrs. Potter's declaration. Everyone sat still watching as Al and Mrs. Potter sat seething at each other.

Finally, after two very long and painful minutes, Ron spoke up. "So," he said, "who's going to be showing me the sights?"