The day that Lyra married Charlie dawned and Lyra was awake as the sun rose to shine brightly into her bedroom. Today would be her last day in this bedroom for nine days, and when she returned Charlie would be by her side.
But now, still with only one ring gracing her finger, she had all that to come. A ring to wear, a husband to have, a love to celebrate. That would all happen in mere hours from the moment Lyra's feet left her bed and touched the floor as she rose to greet her guests.
When she arrived downstairs she was greeted by not just Sirius, Dudley and Kreacher, but by Remus, Tonks and Teddy, Hermione, Ginny, Parvati and Fleur. Fleur had left her husbands side to be at Lyra's and do her makeup and hair, while Parvati was carefully bearing the wedding dress that all had adored.
Her hair was soon plaited, her makeup done. Fleur had chosen to follow Lyra's only preference of naturalness, and had gone with a touch of simple makeup to allow her natural beauty to shine. A bit of eyeshadow, mascara, and lip gloss. Although Lyra had worn a touch of makeup daily throughout Hogwarts, which was more than Hermione ever did, she had not bothered to do so in the year she had spent on her feet and had almost fallen out of the habit when she had returned home. Physical appearances did not matter so much any more, probably never would again. She took care of herself, wore it if she felt like it, but it was no longer necessary. Charlie loved her for who she was, not what she looked like.
Sirius and Remus had not seen the dress, had never seen her wearing it, and so when Lyra came down the stairs wearing it their hearts stopped. Tonks had told them of it, had told them she was beautiful, but they had accepted it and moved on. Never for one moment believing that any dress could make their Lyra more beautiful.
But beautiful she was. The dress more than made her beautiful, it was hers, it fitted her, her personality was woven into the dress, every stitch seemed to reflect her deepest self. Teddy was overjoyed to see Lyra in the dress he had adored. She stood before them, smiling at them while her friends stood behind her, for just a few seconds before a cry of "Lyly!" Was heard and Teddy hurtled forwards into his godmothers arms.
The dress did not impede her holding him, as it had not done when she chose it, and Lyra lifted him up and kissed him before she noticed what he was wearing. Either Remus or Tonks had dressed him in black dungarees, with a white t-shirt underneath. From a distance, Teddy looked smart, looked as if he belonged in a wedding party, but up close he still looked smart but also appeared to be in typical clothes for his age. His clothes ensured that if he were to get messy (and being his mother's son, it was almost inevitable), it wouldn't matter as it would if Teddy was dressed in smarter clothes.
Sirius and Remus were each dressed in impeccable black robes, looking possibly smarter than Lyra had ever seen either of them. Tonks, by their side, was wearing a light blue dress. Fleur was wearing cream robes and Luna, Lyra presumed, was wearing yellow. Luna would soon be at Godric's Hollow to aid the photographer from the Quibbler in getting the pictures needed for the article that would be produced. Hermione and Ginny, Lyra's two bridesmaids, were dressed in green.
They all stood, grouped together in the living room of Grimmauld Place, and Lyra felt suddenly shy. She had a couple more hours though to get through before they made their way to Godrics Hollow.
Over at the Burrow, Charlie was in his old childhood bedroom. It had been in this room he had decided he wanted to marry Lyra, and it was in this room that he would dress for their bonding. Bill stood beside him as he had done for his wedding, but where Bill had married at the Burrow, Charlie was to marry elsewhere and when they were both dressed in their smartest robes they made their way down to the kitchen of their parents home, where their parents met them.
Molly was almost in tears when she saw her two oldest sons. One married, one about to be, standing before her. Charlie looked ecstatically happy and so she smiled at her sons through her tears.
The Weasley's were the first to arrive at the old cottage in Godric's Hollow. The marquee had been set up the day before and so when they arrived it was to the gate they went, so they could greet the few early guests. Charlie and Bill, however, headed to the front where they would wait for Lyra to arrive.
Molly was in her element, and greeted the earliest guests before heading over to the food. Fred, George, and Ron were ushers again, as they had been two years previously for Bill's wedding. This time, however, they were joined by Percy, who stood proudly with them.
Guests were soon queueing to get in, and it wasn't until a pop sounded that the wards erected around the house were obvious. A furious looking Rita Skeeter stood on the other side of the boundary, unable to get through either in her human form or using her Animagus form.
She watched as guests filed past her: the Longbottoms, Seamus, Dean, Viktor Krum, Kingsley Shacklebolt. But every time she took a step forward the wards repelled her, and she was forced backwards past the queue. Ron sighed when he saw her, and took a step forward to deal with her.
"You haven't been invited Rita. So you can't get past the wards." He explained, passing Hannah Abbot across to Percy with instructions to seat her next to Neville.
Rita Skeeter bristled, and her quill sidled out of her handbag, into her hand, and onto paper almost before Ron noticed.
"I'm sure the readers would love to know that their intrepid reporter was banished from the wedding of the century. Perhaps there is a reason why?" She all but purred as her quill skidded across the parchment.
"We already have a reporter here Rita." Ron replied, "and Lyra and Charlie's wedding isn't supposed to be the wedding of the century. The readers of the Prophet aren't entitled to read about it. But if they want to, they'll have to read the Quibbler."
Rita gasped, "the Quibbler? That loathsome magazine?" Her glasses almost fell off her face in shock. Ron nodded.
"Yes, the Quibbler. If Charlie and Lyra want to announce anything, it will be through them. The Prophet is the last place they'd approach."
"The Prophet is the newspaper that reaches all members of the community, it is a most highly thought of form of media!" Rita snapped, but bristled when Ron just burst into laughter.
"Highly thought of? With you writing for them?" Ron eventually managed to say, but once he'd asked his second question he burst out laughing again. He turned away, refusing to answer any more questions - instead greeting Xenophilius Lovegood who was met by George and - to Rita's shame - crossed the boundary effortlessly.
The 'journalist' returned to badgering the four Weasleys who approached the front of the last few groups of people to enter. Because she was facing them, she did not notice a figure appear behind her, until Hagrid physically picked her up and dropped her several feet away.
She was so shocked, she stayed where she was dropped, and watched the last of the guests cross the boundary and enter the garden which she couldn't see as the wards prevented those outside from seeing any further than the Weasley ushers.
A portkey took the wedding party directly to the living room in Lyra's parents cottage in Godric's Hollow. Parvati checked that Lyra's dress had survived the journey before she wished Lyra good luck and left the cottage to enter the garden where she met her sister. Fleur followed, finding a seat among the Weasleys who were mostly sitting down. Ron quickly excused himself to wish Lyra luck, but when he walked into the cottage he was struck speechless. While Hermione and his sister looked amazing dressed up in their bridesmaids dresses, his attention fell on Lyra, the blushing bride. She looked beautiful, and radiantly happy.
Once he had wished his best friend good luck, Ron escorted Tonks and Dudley to their seats, on the other side of the aisle from where he, as a Weasley, was sitting. Dudley was still bemused from this latest form of Wizarding transport that he had just used, so was only half paying attention to the proceedings going on beside him. The chattering of the excited guests - friends of Lyra's and Charlie's, family, it faded away into nothing as he stared at several of the people seated behind him, and the Weasleys on the opposite side of the aisle.
These were people Lyra knew, was friends with, meant something to, and he - her cousin - didn't know who many were. A few he recognised, but he couldn't remember names. It was a sobering thought, that Lyra had a massive life that he, until she had defeated that person, had not been aware of at all. If he had not grown up, seen that he should and could and absolutely would be a better person, he would still be stuck in Privet Drive with his parents.
All of a sudden, the music changed, swelled around them, and from across the aisle Dudley noticed Charlie and his older brother stand up. Charlie looked nervous, but ecstatic, and Bill clapped a hand on his shoulder as they stood in front of the small man who would bond Lyra and Charlie.
Tonks turned to face the aisle then, and Dudley followed her lead to look back towards the house. Teddy was toddling down the aisle, smiling proudly as everyone looked at him. His hair was black, the same colour as Lyra's hair, and his eyes the same emerald green. He looked as if he could be Lyra's son, the resemblance was startling. A grin spread across Tonks' face as she watched her son lead the way down the aisle and join Charlie.
Charlie crouched down to Teddy's level, and then Teddy came to stand by his side. The three already in front of Mr Prune, the man who had overseen Dumbledore's funeral and presided over Bill and Fleur's wedding two years before, stood together. Bill, Charlie, and little Teddy.
After Teddy came Ginny, the sister of the groom. Her dress was a floaty chiffon, and knee length. It was, and so too was Hermione's, the exact colour of Lyra (and Teddy's) eyes as well as complementing Ginny, Charlie, and the rest of the Weasleys' hair. Hermione's dress, although the same shade of green, was slightly longer and was a little straighter. It was Hermione, as Ginny's dress reflected her personality, so did Hermione's.
And finally, here came the bride. Lyra floated down the aisle, with Sirius and Remus beaming on either side. Their arms were linked with hers, and united, the three faced the future. She met her groom with the two people who had known her parents by her side. The two people that she meant the world to escorted her down the aisle.
Luna and her photographer, as well as Dennis Creevey, were chronicling every second of the wedding, and the photo that Luna published in the Quibbler of Lyra glowing as she walked down the aisle with Sirius and Remus did more for wizard/werewolf relations than anyone could ever have guessed. That their heroine had a werewolf at her side for the most important day of her life, showed that those who were werewolves were able to mean something to someone. Lyra's wedding, along with the hard work of several others including Tonks, Kingsley and Remus himself, went a long way to abolishing the anti werewolf legislation of Umbridge's reign.
Lyra met Charlie at the front, and kissed both Sirius and Remus on the cheeks before they took their seats beside Tonks, but both whispered "I love you" as they did so.
With her family in their seats, her best friends beside her and another just metres away, Lyra was bonded to Charlie. Thin, golden tendrils of magic wove their way around their wrists, joining together between their bodies and above their hearts. Maurice Prune's words and the golden tendrils danced together as Charlie and Lyra moved together as if drawn magnetically. As Maurice finished speaking, he pronounced them bonded. Their eyes met, emerald and sapphire, and suddenly there was no gap between the two. They were husband and wife, and they were kissing.
There were tears in several people's eyes, and Hermione had to quickly grab Teddy before he screamed "Lyly!" and disturbed the moment. Sirius and Remus both were on the verge of tears, as their little girl who had sat on their laps and held onto their hearts nineteen years before in this very garden was finally married.
When the newly bonded couple separated, smiles were both on their faces as they gazed into each other's eyes, both oblivious to the actions of those around them. Many of the guests stood, and moved to the side. Dudley, confused, followed them, watching as in unison they pointed their wands to the ceiling.
The seats lifted, moved, settled themselves around tables as a dance floor formed in the centre of the tent. People were converging on Charlie and Lyra, offering congratulations. Charlie's friends, Lyra's, their old teachers. Their families gathered around, hugging Lyra and shaking Charlie's hand. Teddy was once again in Lyra's arms, refusing his mother's, father's, or godfather's hold for Lyra's hip once again.
She moved around with him clinging onto her, but while one hand held Teddy securely to her, the other was firmly clasped in Charlie's. Once she was finally able to return Teddy to his mother, Lyra's other hand was immediately taken by her husband and with both hands held in his, she turned to face him. The look in both pairs of eyes was utter love, such a love that everyone present felt insignificant in the face of it.
As the music began to play once more, Charlie led Lyra in a dance, their first as man and wife. Soon, others joined them on the dance floor. Bill and Fleur, Molly and Arthur, Ron and Hermione, and Remus and Tonks, among others.
Morning turned into afternoon, afternoon into evening, and Lyra made sure to have dances with both Sirius and Remus, as well as several other guests. She danced with Kingsley Shacklebolt, many of the Weasleys, Dudley, and Viktor Krum, the final member of the surviving trio of Triwizard competitors. She also attempted to dance with Hagrid, before finally joining Charlie again.
As evening turned into night, Charlie and Lyra bade farewell to everyone, before they took their suitcases and gripped the portkey that took them on their honeymoon.
They swirled into the unknown, before they stood together in a small village. Lyra recognised it.
Charlie had brought them both to Romania.
There was a small group of people standing around where they and the portkey had landed, and as they steadied themselves the group cheered, congratulating them enthusiastically. When Lyra took a closer look, she realised that it was all the dragon workers who had been unable to get leave and come to England for the wedding.
It was another hour before they were finally able to retreat to Charlie's hut. When Lyra had last been here, Charlie had given her his bed and he had taken the sofa. Their wedding night would be the first time they shared a bed, and Lyra was nervous. When she emerged into their bedroom, dressed in a nightgown, Charlie stood before her. He took her hands, kissed her softly, led her to the bed. Their kisses grew more and more passionate as the moons reflection on the lake shone through the window, and it was with the moonlight lighting their bedroom and the distant sound of dragons roaring that Charlie and Lyra consummated their marriage for the first time.