I apologise for the wait it's been so terribly long ! but the new chapters here now and hopefully it was worth the wait.

Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me through all of this by the way - everyone who has favourite-d or alerted or reviewed! THANK YOU

-o-

"My Dear! Why aren't you ready yet?" Rhoda burst into my small, cluttered room, already dressed in her long blue bridesmaid robes.

I looked up from where I was helping Lily do the lacings at the back of her dress and smiled at my almost-sister-in-law.

"Hey Rhoda, you look nice."

She beamed at me "Thank you darling, but why aren't you ready? You'll be needed down stairs in twenty minutes."

"I know, I was helping mum - she's a nervous wreck you know, so I recommend staying away from here for as long as possible."

"When's the baby due again?" Lily asked, expertly applying lipstick to her bottom lip.

"June 21st." I reeled off, picking up my coffee cup and taking a final gulp.

"Which leaves..." Lily started to mentally count through the weeks.

"-Entirely too long until she's back to normal." Rhoda finished.

"About two months." I said, setting the mug back onto the dressing table and smoothing down my blue robes. "And it's only gonna get worse from now on."

Lily mock groaned but I could feel Rhoda's eyes on me.

"You do know that your hair is slightly green don't you?" She asked.

I had managed to get the green to fade almost back to its original brown with a mixture of heavy duty grease-remover shampoo and Remus's charms but my hair still looked suspiciously vomit coloured at the roots and tips. Even with Lily's expert hair style it was impossible to hide it completely.

I touched a curl self consciously and nodded, "Yeah, Everlasting green sap."

Rhoda laughed, then on seeing my face, hastily stopped. "Come here darling."

I walked over to her and she pulled out her wand. She flicked it at my hair and my head felt very heavy for a second. Then, like paint trickling down a wall, the sap ran out of my hair and vanished into nothingness. I ran to the mirror and admired my chocolate coloured locks again with a new found appreciation.

"Thank you!" I wrapped my arms around Rhoda and she hugged me back, somehow managing to avoid my bony elbows.

"Your boyfriend is obviously more trouble than he's worth." She said.

"Oh I'll get him trained one day, it just takes time." I replied, then after gesturing to Lily and Rhoda to step through the door before me, closed the bedroom door and followed them downstairs.

-o-

The beach was packed with people. I could my aunty sitting on the front row, facing straight ahead, a lace handkerchief being wrung, almost unconsciously, between her fingers. Next to her, I could see my elderly Grandmother who had a smile on her vague face, white curly hair springing out madly from beneath her hat. The rest of the front seats where filled with Martin's large family - his parents and muggle relations.

The contrast between my mother's tiny family and her soon-to-be-husband's giant one was startling. Martin's family took up three rows of seats, all beaming around and chatting the wizards and witches around them. One of them, (Martin's uncle I thought) had a wand between his fingers and was making silver music notes fly out of the end. Apparently Rhoda wasn't the only magical being in the family.

Behind the two families stretch the rows of friends and acquaintances. I watched as Lily and James, then Sirius, Remus and Peter slid into their seats, all clutching the silver seating plans they had been using to usher guests to their places as the first notes of music began to play.

I pulled back and hurried over to where my mother was stood, looking beautiful in her white gown, hair magically morphed into a coiffure with a few loose strands framing her face. She looked anxious, alternatively biting her nails, then growing them back only to repeat the procedure again.

I caught her hand in mine and clasped it tight.

"It's time." I said and she took a deep breath and nodded. I kissed her on the cheek and smiled down at her, her hand resting on her bump. I placed my own hand there too, feeling the smallest amount of movement, a infinitesimal shifting of the new life my mother was carrying inside her. My little brother or sister suddenly kicked out and we both felt it through skin and flesh and womb. My mother's eyes met mine and then she turned and, with me and Rhoda following, began the long walk between her friends and family to her new life and to the man she loved who was waiting for her, to pull her through to the new dawn.

So here, we go, another chapter - hope is wasn't too deep, let me know:)

R&R pleasepleaseplease!