By the time Harry got up on the day of the wedding, Hermione and Beth had already headed off to help Rosmerta get ready while Lucius and Draco had shown up for breakfast. As Harry slid into the seat next to his best friend, he was pleased to note that Draco seemed more like his normal self. Since the werewolf incident, Harry had been trying to give his friend some space, but even when he had seen him, Draco had been withdrawn and sullen. However, Draco now seemed like his normal self as he greeted Harry happily as their fathers and Voldemort sat at the other end of the table talking quietly.
"Someone seems happy," Harry remarked as he grabbed some toast and smeared it with marmalade.
"It's a lovely day," Draco answered with a shrug.
"And here was me thinking it was last night that put the smile on your face," Harry said cheekily.
"You know about last night?" Draco asked with a frown.
In actual fact it was the previous evening that had him in such a good mood. Despite his talk with Greyback and his decision to accept and embrace what had happened to him, he was still struggling with the whole werewolf thing and as such he hadn't been the best company. However, last night Hermione had shown up in his room wearing the skimpiest of lingerie sets and the pair had spent most of the night making love. Not once had the wolf thing risen its head and for the first time since it happened, Draco felt like a normal wizard.
"Let's just say I acted as cupid last night," Harry replied with a smile.
"You told your aunt to seduce me and spend the night shagging my brains out?" Draco questioned, laughing lightly when Harry grimaced at his plain talking.
"I'm not sure I would put it quite like that," Harry muttered.
"Well whatever you did, thank you," Draco said sincerely. "Last night was just what I needed. For once I wasn't thinking about being a wolf, I was just like everyone else."
"You're welcome," Harry replied. "How is the wolf thing going?" He asked warily. He didn't want to upset Draco, but at the same time he didn't think it was healthy to just ignore the fact that Draco was now a werewolf.
"I guess the big test will come next full moon," Draco answered. "At the moment, I'm still coming to terms with it. I know I've been a moody bugger these last few weeks."
"Really?" Harry shot his friend a shocked look. "I'd never noticed."
"Bollocks," Draco laughed. "I'm sure you and Hermione were ready to punch me. I've been such a miserable git."
"I didn't like to say," Harry joked. "I didn't want to upset the big bad wolf."
"Why, frightened I might bite?" Draco questioned, flashing his teeth at Harry.
"Terrified," Harry returned with a smirk, pleased to see Draco joking about his new condition.
Feeling more light-hearted since the night he'd been bitten by Lupin, Draco grinned back at Harry as the pair finished their breakfast while they chatted about the day ahead. The wedding wasn't due to take place until the afternoon, and then the formal reception and evening party would be held at Malfoy Manor. Narcissa had organised both the reception and the party as a wedding present for the happy couple.
"Severus is going to tell you to go home and pack," Draco whispered to Harry, seconds before Severus turned his attention to his son and said exactly what Draco had predicted.
After the party, Severus and Rosmerta planned to spend their wedding night in a top class country hotel, courtesy of Voldemort and Beth, before having a two week honeymoon in the south of France. For the duration of their honeymoon, Harry was going to be staying with Hermione and his grandparents.
"How did you know what Dad was going to say?" Harry asked Draco as the pair left the dining room.
"My hearing is improving all the time," Draco replied. Even though he was still adjusting to being a werewolf, things weren't all bad and the hearing thing was definitely handy.
"That's so cool," Harry replied, leading the way to the floo room as Draco was going to help him get packed.
When they arrived at Harry's house, they found the place awash with witches getting ready for the wedding. While the men were planning on spending the morning relaxing, before getting ready nearer to the time of the wedding, preparations were well under way for the female portion of the wedding party.
"What are you two doing here?" Beth questioned, suddenly appearing in front of the two boys.
"I need to grab my things for my stay with you and Grandpa," Harry explained.
"Be quick, we're snowed under here," Beth replied.
"So we can see," Harry muttered as he led the way to the stairs, stepping over all sorts of wedding paraphernalia.
"Wow, women take this wedding stuff seriously," Draco remarked with a low whistle as he and Harry hastily hurried to Harry's large bedroom on the top floor of the house.
"They do, don't they?" Harry agreed with a nod as he grabbed a bag and began packing. "And we'll have to go through this whole palaver again when you and Hermione get married."
"Who says we're getting married?" Draco asked, perching on Harry's bed. "I'm not sure Hermione will want to marry a werewolf."
"You could be a zombie and Hermione would still want to marry you," Harry retorted with a snort. "Don't start feeling sorry for yourself Draco, or I'll be forced to kick your arse."
"I'd like to see you try," Draco chuckled. Although to be honest, he wasn't sure who would win in a fight between him and Harry as the need to fight had never arisen between the two friends.
"Just don't let the wolf thing change your life," Harry warned seriously. "At least not the important parts. Hermione loves you, wolf and all, so don't ever forget that."
"I won't," Draco vowed in a quiet voice. He knew Harry was right and that Hermione loved him regardless of recent events, but that wasn't to say he didn't think she would be better off without him in his darkest moments.
Changing the subject, Harry got Draco to help with his packing before the two boys once again braved the circus downstairs. Leaving the women to their pampering and preparations, the two teenagers headed back to Voldemort's house, where they spent the rest of the morning hanging out in the garden until finally it was time for the men to start and get ready for the wedding.
C.O.T.D.
The wedding took place in a picturesque country chapel, with only a handful of guests. More people were invited to the reception, and the party later on, but for the actual ceremony itself was only going to be attended by a small portion of people. Aside from the family and the Malfoys, the guests were mainly made up of other family friends. The Notts were present, along with the Greengrasses and Parkinsons. Blaise Zabini and his beautiful mother were also among the guests, along with a selection of Rosmerta's friends from Hogsmeade and just her life in general.
The men were the first to arrive, all in their fancy black dress robes. While Lucius, Voldemort and Draco took their seats in the congregation, Harry and Severus took their place at the altar. Harry half expected his father to be a bag of nerves, but Severus was surprisingly calm as they waited for Rosmerta to arrive. It was only once the rest of the guests had gathered and Narcissa and Beth took their seats that Severus began to get nervous.
"What if she hasn't turned up?" Severus whispered to his son.
"Of course she's turned up," Harry reassured his father. "Beth and Narcissa have just taken their seats. Do you not think they would have said something if Rosmerta was having second thoughts?"
"I guess you're right," Severus admitted. "I just don't want anything to go wrong."
"It won't," Harry replied confidently.
Thankfully, Harry was proved right and the wedding went off without a hitch. Only seconds after their conversation, the music began to play and Rosmerta made her entrance with Hermione and Daphne following behind her. While Severus's eyes were glued to his future wife, Harry couldn't tear his eyes away from Daphne, who looked stunning in a flattering lilac gown. Hermione looked equally as stunning in her dress, and Draco was practically drooling as he watched her glide down the aisle behind her future sister-in-law.
The ceremony itself was the essence of romance, with Severus and Rosmerta exchanging personal vows before the more traditional ones. The couple were then magically bonded before the minister pronounced them man and wife. As the newlyweds shared their first kiss as a married couple even Harry and Hermione didn't turn away in disgust. Everyone in the chapel knew just how much this moment meant to the couple and no-one begrudged them their happiness.
Once the ceremony was over, Severus and Rosmerta did the official paperwork before joining their family and guests outside for the pictures. The official pictures took quite a while to get them all taken as Rosmerta wanted to include everyone who had attended the wedding in the pictures. Large group pictures were taken, before various pictures of the wedding party were taken. Rosmerta then had family pictures taken, as well as insisting that Harry and Daphne, and then Draco and Hermione, got their picture taken together.
By the time the pictures were over, it was nearly time for the reception so Narcissa and Beth rushed off to check everything was in hand at the manor. Of course everything was running smoothly and within forty minutes of Severus and Rosmerta getting married they were settled in the gardens of Malfoy Manor enjoying their wedding reception.
"Any regrets?" Severus asked his wife as they sat at the top table watching their friends and family celebrating their reunion.
"None whatsoever," Rosmerta replied. Turning to her husband, she leant up and give him a deep kiss, letting him know that marrying him had been the best decision she'd ever made.
C.O.T.D.
Voldemort stood leaning against the makeshift bar in the Malfoys ballroom, watching with pride as his son shared a dance with his new wife. Also on the dancefloor was his grandson with his girlfriend and his daughter with Draco. Both Hermione and Daphne had been changed for the evening party, and Voldemort thought his daughter was looking particularly grown up in a sweeping emerald dress.
"Feeling old?" Beth's teasing voice whispered in his ear as his pregnant wife arrived at his side.
"I am actually," Voldemort confessed. Even though people lived for a lot longer in the wizarding world, it did make him feel old to witness his adult son get married and his little girl blossoming into a truly amazing adult.
"You'll be feeling anything but old in a few months," Beth chuckled. "There's nothing like a baby to make you feel young at heart."
Smiling fondly at his wife, Voldemort gave her a quick kiss before she wandered off to socialise. Instead of making the rounds himself, Voldemort remained where he was and people gravitated towards him. He spoke to several of his Death Eaters, including the Minister of Magic, Bernard Nott.
"How are things going, Ezra?" He asked when Ezra Greengrass came over to speak with him. "Enjoying the party?"
"I am, My Lord," Ezra replied. "And may I just say your grandson is a lovely boy."
"Ah yes, he's dating your oldest, isn't he?" Voldemort said with a nod.
"He is," Ezra confirmed. Daphne had made the official introductions to her boyfriend a few weeks ago and since then the Greengrasses had met Harry several times and he was pretty popular with the family.
"Young love," Voldemort said with a wistful sigh as he watched Daphne throw her head back and laugh at something Harry had just said to her. "They do make a striking couple."
"Indeed they do," Ezra agreed. "And I hear congratulations are in order for you and your lovely wife."
"Thank you," Voldemort said. "Although, I'm sure I don't need to stress the importance of keeping such news private."
"Of course not," Ezra reassured the dark wizard. "Everyone here understands the need to be circumspect."
"Hopefully it won't be an issue much longer," Voldemort said. "I'm hoping the Order are pretty much defunct. I don't suppose you've spoken to Fletcher recently, have you?"
The previous year, Voldemort had tasked Ezra with approaching Mundungus Fletcher and bribe him to pass information from the Order. Ezra had done exactly as The Dark Lord required, but unfortunately Fletcher was far too insignificant to offer much insight into the workings of the Order. However, even having a useless git like Fletcher on side was better than having no insight at all into what the Order were up to.
"I have actually," Ezra replied. "Officially the Order still exists, but he has no idea who's in charge these days. It's certainly not run with the same vigour as in Dumbledore's days."
"I hardly thought it would," Voldemort said. "The Weasleys are pretty much the stronghold of the Order now, and given what happened to their family last year, I'm guessing they're not much use."
"Actually, Fletcher did mention the Weasleys," Ezra said. "He seems to think the two eldest boys could be a problem. He reckons they're as thick as thieves and they don't believe their brother killed himself. He thinks we need to watch out for them. They could be dangerous."
"Thank you Ezra, I'll certainly keep an eye on things," Voldemort said thoughtfully, turning his attention to the two eldest Weasleys as Ezra made his way back over to where his wife was sitting.
He'd thought Ron's death would have destroyed the entire family, but clearly he'd underestimated them. He would have to keep a close check on the two Weasley brothers. He wasn't going to allow anyone to ruin everything he'd worked so hard for, especially not now Beth was expecting again and their family was growing. If he had to he would strike first and take out both Bill and Charlie before they became a danger to him or his family.