Chapter 37
"I'm glad you all could make it this afternoon at such short notice. So let me get underway and tell you why you're here. Alicia and I decided after a little bit of thought and negotiations between our families, to get married." Warrington announced.
He stood at the head of a long table with Alicia by his side, she was still in her knee length dress with a scoop neck and ¾ sleeves and black tights from the morning, she wore an apron over the top of it and her hair was pulled back into a bun. She still looked a little fatigued but otherwise in good spirits considering Cillian and Maura had decided to pull out nearly all the stops on traditions in regards to their wedding. Luckily for Warrington and Alicia there was no superstitions about seeing the bride before the wedding otherwise they would have been getting off the wrong foot entirely from the start.
Down the left side of table sat Montague, Marcus and lee and on the right; Katie, Fred and George. His Mother and Cillian would be sitting at the opposite ends but they were currently occupied in the kitchen and the bar area.
"We knew that already, I was nearly blinded by the rock on her finger when you two arrived at Malfoy's shindig" Fred said, he like George had received a written invite from Warrington's mother stating they were urgently needed. Expecting the worst they had left the shop in Verity's hands and left immediately only to arrive in the pub and be handed a ale and told to sit down and shut up by Cillian.
Fred and George were never people to complain so they followed Cillian's orders and took the ales and went to the table. Soon after their arrival, Katie and Montague appeared followed by Lee and Marcus. They all sat around having a pint and generally swapping barbs until Warrington and Alicia had appeared.
"Yes, well what you don't know is that the wedding will be in exactly three hours" Warrington said as he looked at his watch.
"Merlin, why the rush?" Fred asked looking at the couple genuinely surprised.
"because we're having a child" Warrington said, George who had been taking a drink of ale started to choke and after a few seconds of Katie pounding his back he managed to breathe again.
"You haven't even had your honeymoon yet" George wheezed.
"Wow" Fred said completely shocked and everyone looked at Fred like he was an idiot as he hadn't enunciated his 'W' and it sounded like he said 'how'.
"He looked at me sideways" Alicia said dryly.
"Hopefully the kid will inherit Spinnet's looks and not her temperament" Flint commented as he took a pull of his ale. He smiled like a Cheshire cat as enjoyed the taste of the drink and Alicia's sarcasm.
"Flint, you're always a charmer" Katie said from across the table.
"So when are you expecting this joyous birth?" Flint said ignoring Katie's comment and looking Alicia's frame over trying to see if he could tell she was pregnant. Luckily she was wearing an apron and a dress that did nothing to help his search.
"Let's not get bogged down in the details." Warrington said as he didn't want an argument to arise out of it.
"You know this kid is going to be a Slytherin and he'll be one hell of a quidditch player considering his parents" Montague said smugly.
"Really? A 'he'?" Alicia asked looking at Montague. He smiled and gave a playful shrug.
"Hold on, how do you know about this before us?" George asked Montague, he looked at the others on that side of the table. He had noticed that none of them were surprised.
"Because it was foretold by a seer" Montague said mockingly.
"He's Alicia's physician" Warrington explained to George. Fred, George and Katie looked at Alicia in shock.
"You let him be your healer?" Katie asked Alicia in disbelief.
"He's your healer too" Alicia said defensively.
"For my job and it's not a choice for me whereas yours is" Katie said making a face that was a mixture of disgust and disapproval.
"Hey Bell, you can't be all high and mighty when only last week you were purring like a kitten under me" Montague drawled in a laviscious manner, inferring that they had a sexual interlude with one another.
"Katie?" Alicia asked in a mocking manner as the blond blushed.
"It wasn't like that, he was- No, I know whatever I say will be misconstrued into something deviant and sexual" Katie said embarrassed as she had been putty in his hands when he massaged her. It wasn't her fault that she enjoyed a good rub down but she knew how everyone was mistaking it.
"Which is exactly how you like it right?" Montague asked in an innocent manner to her, Katie opened her mouth to argue the point but before she could speak Fred cut in first.
"Merlin, you bunch complain more than muggles. Where's the congratulations? And the joyous nature among you? Our friend couldn't keep her legs closed" Fred said changing the topic back to Alicia. It was Alicia's turn to blush.
"I'm going to deck you" Alicia told Fred. He immediately held his hands up in surrender and chuckles came from the table as Warrington placed a hand onto Alicia's hip as if to stop her.
"Ok I'll reword it." Fred said, he gave a sheepish smile and lowered his hands before looking at the table "This is a joyous occasion.. Our friend is going to spawn" Fred paused for a moment and Alicia wondered if it was for dramatic effect or to choose the right words. "What I'm sure will be a beautiful little baby, and I'm honoured that when they get around to choosing god parents that I'll be up for nomination as God mother" he finished with a smile.
They all looked at him for a moment and Fred took a sip of his ale relishing the moments that passed as he could just hear the cogs in their brains moving.
"You mean God Father" Flint corrected.
"No, he means God Mother" Lee said to Flint before he took a pull of his ale. Flint and Montague sat back and looked a little off put by Fred's sense of humour while Fred spoke again.
"Yeah, I meant God Mother because I have fantastic calves and great fashion sense. That kid is going to be one snazzy dressed boy or girl thanks to me and I don't mind the odd tea party with cake" Fred said with a smug smile.
"And you're in a relationship with Johnson or is she just your beard?" Montague asked out of curiosity. The conversation continued and Alicia looked up at Warrington who wore a bemused smile as their friends argued who would make a better god parent to their child.
"You wanted our friends to get together" Alicia said to Warrington in a low voice.
"It had to happen eventually" Warrington remarked to her, he pressed a gently kiss to her temple before George caught their attention with a question.
"Alicia, I didn't think you were into Seers and Divination, all a bit woo woo?" He asked making wild hand gestures.
"Seer is a friend of my family" Alicia told George.
"Ah is this seer reliable?" Lee asked her.
"Are any Seer reliable?" Alicia shot back.
"True, so what did the Seer say?" Lee asked.
"We're having a boy" Warrington said smugly.
"He's going to Gaol" Alicia added with a smug smile.
"If you retain my council I'm sure that sentence is will be incredibly short like a brief holiday from the hell your life will become from being married to a Gryffindor" Flint said Warrington.
"Well, then maybe we should be looking forward to a girl. That way Warrington can suffer" Katie said scathingly as she didn't like Flint's comment. The man just smiled at her and she shook her head as Flint and Montague were impossible.
"Bell, it's going to be a boy and he is already a Slytherin" Montague told her adamantly.
"I agree he's already shown ambition in being created and he's sly and cunning to instigate the wedded bliss between Spinnet and Warrington-" Flint said but was cut off by Alicia.
"Or you could argue that our friends are just two passionate people who got caught up in the heat of the moment and forgot a simple spell" Katie retorted.
"It's was longer than a moment. I assure you" Warrington told her.
"Cassius" Alicia said chiding him but Warrington was unrepented. She looked at the table at their friends who definitely enjoying themselves "Anyway, it's barely a baby yet, and you can't tell the sex for another 7 weeks" Alicia told the table.
"how far along are you?" Flint asked finally getting the answer they were all curious to know.
"11?" Alicia offered she wasn't exactly keeping count.
"13 weeks, which means 3 weeks and we'll know" Montague said. Katie looked at him weirdly "What? I'm her healer. I would be a poor physcian if I didn't know" he said, he was half way tempted to tell her that he knew when Katie would get her monthly's but decided not too.
"Slytherin all the way" Flint said before he and Montague clinked glasses. Only they could be smug about Alicia's pregnancy.
"Will you stop with the pissing match? This kid is going to be Ravenclaw" Alicia told them, and everyone stopped and looked at her like she had grown a second head. "What?" she asked.
"Ravenclaw? You want her to be a nerd?" Katie asked in disbelief it was shared by all the occupants at the table. Alicia gave an exasperated sigh and nodded.
"Yeah, I do so then all of you will shut up about the house he or she will be in because it won't Gryffindor or Slytherin. I'm going back to the kitchen" Alicia said exasperated more with herself for being pulled into the conversation.
"Where a good woman belongs" Flint said goading Alicia for a response.
"Ignore him he is baiting you." Warrington said to Alicia.
"No? you think?" Alicia asked in a mocking manner, they exchanged a brief kiss before she left the room. Warrington took his seat and looked at the others. "Now the gender of child aside, today we're honouring to Alicia's Irish heritage at twilight Alicia and I will be exchanging vows, we do hope you'll join us. If not please leave as that will mean more roasted goose for me" he told them.
"I'm a little lost" Katie said.
"A feast is eaten before the ceremony. The bride roasts the groom a goose. Something about plucking feathers and getting advice from her family about what married life will be like" Montague explained.
"You know Irish marriage vows are incredibly old fashioned and strict. They take the 'til death do we part' is taken very literally among its many other vows. Are you sure about this?" Flint asked.
"Yes, we are" Warrington said looking content with his lot in life.
"We should ask Alicia-" Katie started but was cut off by Montague.
"Please, Spinnet is definitely sure. She's killed, gutted and defeathered a bird by hand for the man. If that isn't love, I don't know what it" Montague said with a chuckle.
"That's disgusting" Katie told him.
"Anyway being with a Slytherin agrees with her. You saw her Gryffindork, has she ever looked so good?" Montague asked.
"A woman is beautiful when she is loved and only then" Flint remarked.
"So you're saying because I don't have a partner I'm ugly" Katie said dryly to Flint.
"It would be hard for you to be ugly Bell considering how many partners you've been reported to have and been loved by" Montague quipped. Katie threw her napkin at his head but he caught it before it hit him and then he placed it on the table.
"Well at least your vows will save you legal fees in a Prenup and any subsequent divorce" Flint said bringing the conversation back to the wedding.
"How do you know so much about Irish Ceremonies?" Fred asked.
"I make it business to know a little something about everything" Flint said.
"We also attended an Irish Wedding last year" Montague said.
"Together?" Katie asked inferring that Flint and Montague had gone as a couple.
"If that is your delight Bell then far be it for us to deny you the pleasure of both my and Montague's company" Flint drawled in a salacious manner.
"Not in this lifetime" Katie said blushing as Montague and Flint gave her heated looks. It was making her uncomfortable.
"Who knew you'd be such a prude?" Flint said.
"I'm- that's a trap, you two are baiting me" Katie said, she had started to defend herself but stopped as she could see they were just teasing her.
"She's catching on Montague" Flint said while the table watched on amused.
"Anyway, I say we salute our friends on their upcoming nuptials and their forward thinking in getting a head start on the new population laws" Flint said raising his glass.
"Wait. What new population laws?" George asked.
"Well due to the war and the last few years of census results that the wizarding culture needs a population boost" Flint explained.
"It hasn't been decided yet. The Wizengamot are still arguing over it and have been for the past six months" Lee said.
"Ah but it will happen with the declining magical population" Montague said, he had read the numbers of the study that had been cinducted over the last four years.
"Seriously?" Fred asked.
"Yes, apparently there will be incredible tax benefits for getting married and producing 2 or more magical children" Flint said with a smile.
"That disgusting" Katie said.
"I know, I image the Weasley's here will end up never having to pay tax if they are prolific in breeding as their parents" Montague said.
"I'm not sure whether that is a compliment or an insult" Fred said to George.
"Either way, Cheers to the happy couple" George said, they raised their glasses and clinked them together.
Hours later,
Clara woke up abruptly when she heard footfalls inside her cottage. She had no idea what day it was or the time. Only that it was dark. She sat up in the arm chair and the world swam around her. The booze she drank had earlier still affecting her, she pulled out her wand at the ready.
She vainly pushed to her feet and stumbled towards the front door knowing a retreat was better than trying to fight who would come into her home as she was too drunk to perform any magic. She looked around the dark front room and moved into the hallway, too drunk for her senses to be keen she missed sight of movement in the hallway and before she knew it she was slammed against the wall face first.
Pain exploded throughout her body, sobering her slightly to her situation as the person who grabbed her turned her around and slammed her against the wall again. He pressed his body hard against hers squeezing the air from between them as he pressed his forearm against her neck.
"Velasquez" he said in a low voice. Clara recognised the voice well as she choked for air. "Drinking to excess is very unladylike" he said in a taunting manner.
"How did you find me?" Clara choked out as she vainly tried think of a way to escape his hold.
"How do you think? Now tell me where the memories are" he said in a commanding voice.
"They are gone" She rasped, he growled in anger and pulled her off the wall and threw her into the opposite wall. Clara dropped to the floor, her senses jarred from the impact for a moment before she stood up and attacked him. First with a roundhouse kick, he stumbled from the hit and stepped forward and grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him off balance and kneed him in the chest as as he fell elbowed him in the back.
He dropped to the floor and rolled away to his feet then came at her. First with a right hook, she ducked and then he threw a punch with his left arm that she blocked. She parried the next and stepped in close delivering her own strikes to his chest and sternum. She grabbed his shirt as leverage and head butted him. He crooned in pain as she released his jacket and turned in a swift movement striking her elbow into his face.
She turned to face him to pull him down to strike him in the chest with her knee when he returned the favour. His elbow connected with her right cheek. Her grip loosened enough that he was able to wrench her hands off him. He turned her in his arms and pulled her left arm behind her in a full shoulder lock. He held her there, their breathing erratic. He pushed her locked arm and Clara expelled a groan of pain.
"Look the more you try to impede my efforts the more painful it will be for you. Tell me where they are. Are they in your head or did you hide them away?" He demanded. He pushed the shoulder again threatening to dislocate it.
"Screw you" She told him, she wrenched in his grip and purposefully dislocated her arm. She cried out in pain as her shoulder tore from its joint. He released her arm in shock from her manoeuvre and it gave her a window. She gripped her dislocated arm dizzy from the pain and the booze and came at him with a kick to chest, and then a second one to his flank. He was pushed back but as she moved in to punch him, he deflected her punch and hit her with his own punch to her flank.
He then punched her in the stomach and then hit her in the back of her head. She dropped the floor in a heap, black spots and stars sparked across her vision. He walked around her, waiting for her to recover as she rolled onto her back, out of breath and in unfathomable pain.
"Velasquez" he said in a chastising manner. "You kept the memories, I know you did and I want them. Don't think that I am above destroying your body and mind to get them" he told her. Clara gripped her arm and pushed herself to her feet. She was barely standing but it didn't dim the spirit in her eyes.
"Go ahead. Try me" she said, he laughed and she took the moment to kick him but he caught her leg in one swift movement brought his elbow down hard on her knee cap. Clara screamed out in agony, he swept her standing leg out from under her and released her leg. She dropped to the floor.
"Stop wasting my time" he growled, Clara laid on the floor and trying to stay conscious while pain tore through her senses. He moved over and pushed her legs out of the way and straddled her. She tried to fight him with her one workable arm but he caught it in his grip and broke her elbow. The pain intensified to the point that Clara blacked out.
It didn't last long as he revived her with magic, like a bucket of cold water on her senses. He loomed over. "No rest for the wicked" he told her. Clara was powerless to stop him.
He pointed the wand at her "Legilimens" he said. Clara screamed out in agony as he tore through her mind.
Alicia laughed as she danced with her grandfather a spirited dance with the live dance. The wedding had been beautiful, amazing in her opinion and amusing thanks to O'Callaghan's antics and his views on marriage.
She wore her mother's wedding robes, white full length robes with a high mandarin collar and long bell sleeve, the dress was embroidered in ice blue and silver thread in a beautiful calligraphy of Irish blessings, other patterns of flora and fauna all interwoven with one another. It was tradition that the robes be worn from the start of the ceremony until her husband stripped them off her for their first night as a married couple. She had stood opposite Warrington and had her hands tied to his, during Twilight as the sun had set and it was not entirely dark.
She had never felt a stronger sense of love and security until the moment of when the vows were said and the magic formed around them. It felt like she had finally come home. A sense peace washed through her and any doubts she had disappeared completely. The past 24 hours of pain and suffering were a distant memory as all she saw was her future with Warrington.
After the ceremony they retired to the pub for food and drinks and revelling. Cillian opened the pub to the locals people Alicia knew from her childhood. They all came and celebrated drinking, singing and dancing. It was very different to the wedding the Malfoys had. In fact, Alicia was surprised at how fast their small party grew and how well Maura and Warrington were letting go of their upper eschelon strictures and were enjoying themselves.
She linked arms with Cillian again and danced in a circle before switching arms. On the second round, Alicia felt as though the world slowed for her. The room spun. She felt Cillian grab hold of her, looking at her with concern.
"Alicia?" he asked but he spoke slowly, she frowned as her vision clouded and for a moment she thought she was lying on the ground with fire around her. But as soon as the vision came to her, it snapped away and she found herself being held in Cillian's arms. The music had paused and everyone was looking at her.
"Alicia?" Warrington said, he had seen her stumble in her dance with Cillian and crumple into his arms. He placed his tankard of Ale down and rushed to her side where he was now gently cradling her face. Searching her eyes for answers as they went from being glassy to normal again. "Alicia speak to me" he said.
"I don't know, I don't feel so good" Alicia said as if proving her point, her pallor turned slightly green.
"Boy why don't you take Alicia to a chair by the door for some fresh air" Cillian suggested as he handed Alicia to him. Warrington wrapped and arm around Alicia waist and helped her off the dancefloor.
"Too much exuberance on the dance floor, let's get the music playing" Cillian said to the room. The room murmured sympathy and laughed before the music started up again and the party continued.
"Are you ok?" Warrington asked her.
"I will be" Alicia said as he sat her down at the 'bridal' table.
"Here have some water" Maura said handing Alicia a cup of water, Alicia accepted with glee as she needed to wash away the nausea and what she assumed to be a memory that flashed through her mind.
"Thank you" Alicia said as she took a sip.
"Are you sure you're ok? You look shaken" Warrington told her, he noted the cup trembling in her hands and placed his hands on top of them to steady her hold.
"It's nothing, I'm fine" Alicia assured him, giving him her best smile but he wasn't fooled.
The man cursed his bad luck as he watched the cottage burn. The flames licked through the small building and a loud crack sounded as the roof caved in. He had made sure of it as he didn't need any presence of his DNA to be found in the cottage. He had scoured through Clara's head to find nothing of use. After discovering nothing useful to him inside of her mind he searched her cottage. There was nothing and now he was in a predicament. The woman was lying on the floor entirely useless to him, her body broken and near death. He had to clean up the mess he had made as no could ever know he was here or his life that he had protected for so long would come to ruin.
"I think it is time we left and retired to our honeymoon" Warrington murmured in Alicia's ear before nuzzling her neck. They had remained seated since her moment of lightheadedness on the dancefloor and watched the celebration that was in their honor.
"Oi get a room!" George and Fred shouted from the bar. Cillian had allowed the boys to take over bar duty because they wanted to try their hand at bartending and it gave the staff a break to enjoy. Katie was on the dancefloor dancing with some man from the villiage. Lee was at the bar talking with O'Callaghan and Cillian while Montague and Flint were speaking with Maura.
"By honeymoon you mean sleep right?" Alicia asked ignoring the commentary from their friends.
"Do I bore you already?" Warrington asked with a smile, he could see Alicia was completely exhausted. It had been a long two days.
"Take me home" She begged too tired to flirt with her husband.
"I think we should slip away quietly" Warrington said.
"I'm in complete agreement. If that is possible" Alicia said in relief as the people in the room were completely inebriated and she did not want to go through the send off from their group of highly inebriated friends.
"Here's what we'll do, you go upstairs and I'll follow you in a few moments." Warrington said, they wouldn't be fooling anyone but he didn't care as he was more than glad to go home and curl up with his wife in his arms. Wife he thought did like how it sounded, his possessive nature relished in their newly made nuptials as Alicia was now forever his.
"Ok" Alicia said, Warrington pulled her into a deep kiss and the room erupted into more wolf whistles and cat calls from the drunken crowd. When he released her lips from his, he wore wide smile as Alicia blushed and shook her head at the antics of the room.
"I'm going now" Alicia told him more to calm her jangled nerves of being the centre of attention than anything else. She rose from her chair and Warrington pinched her ass making her jump. She turned and narrowed her eyes at him. "You're going to pay for that" she told him.
"I look forward to it Mrs Warrington" he replied with a smug smile, he watched her walk through the crowd to Maura. The two women spoke and then hugged, Alicia then moved to Cillian and O'Callaghan obviously saying her farewells before she went upstairs. He looked at his watch and noted the time before he reclined back to wait for his own window to escape.
TBC- cya all soon