Disclaimer: I am just a mere visitor in the sublime world constructed by the brilliant mind that is J.K Rowling. Anything that rings a bell is hers.

Chapter 50

"More to the left…NO, not so much, back to the right, OK I got it." I ignored the pain of the little prick like I did the six others prior to this and cut the stem, cursing myself for not bringing garden clippers.

"I don't get why Linus would ask for seven roses five minutes before his wedding, couldn't he have thought of that before." Len's voice drifted from my midriff as I balanced on his shoulders picking out the most acceptable roses from a very huge rose bush a few houses away from the black manor at 9 55 pm on New Years Eve.

"Fine, he didn't ask for them now, he asked me to get it last week from that flower shop near West End but I forgot OK. So sue me! OK this is all we need-"

"HEY! GET AWAY FROM THOSE ROSES! THIEF! THIEF! THIEF!"

Oh crapsicles. I jumped down from Len's shoulder, jostling slightly in my glittering high heels.

"We're not thieves mam, if you would listen, it's actually a funny-"

"Len, I don't know what Fil Zio has been teaching you, but when a furious muggle is fast approaching with a rake you do not talk sense to her."

"I can't attack her!"

I sighed at my brothers affronted expression, "I meant run, we have what we-"

BANG

Salazar's sac, the woman's husband just showed up with a shotgun! We exchanged looks of dread and turned on our heels and ran, I ignored the very loud tearing sound, trying to not imagine the damage I had done to the dress Mona had spent most of the last two days making.

"Oh wait." I was trying to ignore the pain in my hand as I clutched the thorned roses whilst Len turned around and threw shiny things at the pursuing couple. "It's not stealing if we paid for it, right?"

"Yeah sure, throw galleons at the muggles…brilliant idea."

We bounded into Grimmauld place and Harry stopped me from hurtling head first into a wall with a steady hand,

"Are you-"

"YOUR DRESS! YOUR MAKE UP! YOUR DRESS!"

"FILTHY MUDBLOOD! HOW DARE SHE-"

"SHUT UP YOU OLD HAG!"

Sirius came bustling in a black suit much like Harry's, shutting his mother up. To say she took offense that a muggle was getting married in her house would be a gross understatement.

"Move." Mi pushed Harry away as he was thinking aloud of a way to fix my hands, she muttered the correct spell quickly and they started sealing up.

"Errr…OK." I heard another tear and looked down, my previously full length mermaid gold sequined gown know stopped just above my knee.

"You know, I kind of-"

"Shut it, we have two minutes to adjust your make up!" Mi's cocoa eyes shined with a crazy level so certifiable I forgot what I was going to say.

"Where are-Oh heaving Helga." Tonks stopped at the entrance of the Drawing room, her jet black hair contrasting beautifully with her full length gold gown.

I waited patiently as Mi reapplied my make up, "There. This would have to do."

"OUCH."

Mi pulled the grips on my hair and the strands came tumbling down in long curls, "No use trying to fix that. Did you manage to get the roses?"

"Here." Harry handed the roses to Mi and Tonks started straightening Len's matching gold tie.

"OK. Let's see if I can remember this properly… I left the paper Linus had given me upstairs. White for Dumbledore, pink for Agnes, Blue for Linus, Hazel for Len, scarlet for McGonagal, green for Snape and black for Ky."

Awww I got black! She tapped each rose I had plucked and it changed the colour and then placed the scarlet, pink and black roses in the middle and the others around it. With another wave of her wand instead of removing the thorns, they grew out and wrapped themselves around the stems like long green wires.

"There. That's why we couldn't just magic up some flowers like you so eloquently put it ten minutes ago, because they disappear after time and Linus wants these to be kept in resin for Agnes. Now walk!"

"I'll see you after the ceremony." Harry gave Mi a tentative look as if she might bite him as he walked away. Wedding planning really did not become her, but she Hermione'd it. Harry stopped at the door, turning around to smile at me appreciatively one last time.

"I don't like that smile." Len hooked his arm into mine and we walked to the drawing room entrance.

"Funny thing, I've seen it on your face hundreds of times."

He chuckled. We just reached Nessie who was patiently standing at the entrance her hand tightly around Nonno's elbow. He smiled and nodded at us both while Mi handed the bouquet to Agnes. Oddly enough the mismatched colours didn't seem out of place…it kind of became the centrepiece of Agnes' outfit.

One of the strangest things about this Wedding was how manageable it turned out to be. Everything just came before we could even give it a passing thought. The wedding dress, which looked breath taking on Nessie, belonged to Minnie. I knew there was a story there that she would one day tell me and I was in no hurry to rush her. The dress was elegant in its simplicity, the majority of its beauty brought out by the delicate lace that clung to Agnes from forearm to shoulder, bosom to waist and then flowed out in a sea of silk.

As I walked down the aisle I smiled at Linus who didn't even spare me a glance, his attention completely stolen by Nessie and for once I had no qualms with that. He, like most of the men, wore a simple black tuxedo that fitted him immaculately. Len was on his left, his usual untidy hair slicked back. A surprise to most was the presence of Sev one step below Len, his black hair tied at the nape of his neck, an expressionless look on his face. Agnes had simply stated when asked on his inclusion, that Wedding's were a family affair and there was no more discussion on it. His black eyes were steadfastly on the altar, none were more uncomfortable with his position in this wedding more than himself, but I thought he wore the suit of a best man brilliantly.

I took the bouquet from Nessie has Kingsley started speaking and turned to the crowd, I winked at Harry and he gave me his famous crooked grin that probably made the blush Mi applied five minutes ago unnecessary. The Drawing room was decked in simple white silks with a lot of glittering orb like structures floating around interspersed by scented candles. I smiled at Minnie who was seated next to Nonno who had finished his duties as the bride's escort. Mi was on the edge of her seat, as if waiting for the pin to drop and the the grenade to go off, well she did expend her time on this wedding.

I smiled at the beautiful melody that floated across the room from the piano that was brought downstairs and my smile widened at the grey eyed wink from the smirking piano man. Nessie and Sirius had grown attached to one another, both playing prisoners in Black Manor and Linus had asked him to be best man. Unfortunately we needed a musician and judging by the fluid movement of his fingers there was none better for the job. It would have been a right sight to have Sev and Sirius stand shoulder to shoulder as best men, but no such luck.

Yeah, a lot surprised me about this wedding, but none so much as the loudest cheer that echoed through the room has the dapper dark haired prince kissed his blue eyed princess… and that cheer being emitted by none other than myself.

"May I cut in?" I bit my lip to hide the smirk that was growing on my face at the look on Len's face. His hazel eyes glowed with amusement at the flush on Harry's face, who would have thought that the boy who faced the most dangerous dark wizard countless times would tremble in the face of his girlfriend's brother. His hand stabilised as he held my own, I laughed out loud as his other hand quickly ascended from my lower hip to my waist as Len shot him a threatening look as he glanced back at us.

"Glad you find this amusing. I wonder what you would do if I had an older sister that you had to tip toe around."

I swayed in the direction he was pulling me, not knowing how to dance myself and smiled up at him, "That's easy, woman are easy, I'll slap some diamonds on her wrist and chocolates in her mouth."

He shook his head slowly, "How I miss the days when I actually believed that."

I let my hand drift from his shoulder to the nape of his neck, "I'm much easier to please, I don't even like diamonds."

"I would much prefer if you liked diamonds…it would be simple to shop for you."

"If you want a simple-"

He twirled me around and stopped me mid sentence with a quick kiss at the nape of my neck, "Not even for a second."

"Ahem." The warmth left my neck instantly as midnight blue eyes glared at us. I giggled and Harry scratched his neck, "Go dance with my wife Potter."

Harry nodded and made a beeline for Nessie whilst I let Linus pull me to him and I hopped onto his shoes as Len played our song, The Beatles' I'm happy just to dance with you, "Aren't I too old to be dancing on your toes."

"Age never stopped you from dancing on my nerves."

I laughed and let Li spin me around, "Only because you are so rhythmic when angry, you can't blame me for wanting to strike a beat."

"Yes and a tone deaf one at that. What did Madame Meyton say...she might as well have been born an octopus with the way her arms flail around?"

"Only because I wanted to reach all the keys, I thought that's the purpose of playing the piano."

"She was teaching you the violin."

I laughed, "Remember the look on her face when the piano started making those violin sounds, guess the old bird was right when she ran out screaming I was a little witch."

He scowled at me but he finally let up and laughed. He spun me around and I forgot how tall I used to feel when I danced on his feet, how invincible because Li was always so graceful, so fluid.

I looked up and all signs of laughter were gone from his face, "When did you stop fitting under my chin?"

I stared straight ahead at his long nose and smiled, I kicked off my heels and tucked my head under his chin, "Who said I don't fit under your chin?"

I felt his chest rumble against my ear, the rumbling quietened to a steady beat. "Sometimes I wish I had never agreed to have a huge wedding in a castle in Scotland just so things could be the way they were."

I forget that it was his agreement to have a Wedding in Nessie's mother's home country which had led to us finding out about our true selves. About our magic. About our Nonno. I lifted my eyes, glancing at his chin in the position I was in, "When life was boring."

"When life was simple. Easy. Uncomplicated…and then I look at you…and there is nothing I am more grateful for than you running off to go see some random castle in Scotland."

"Because you realise how awesome life is with magic."

"Life was always going to be magic with you kid. I just would have been robbed of the two most beautiful things I have ever been blessed with." He pecked my hair, "Your laugh and her smile."

I hid my blush in his chest, not knowing what to say to that. I guess wedding's bring out the soppiness in everything, I let my hands fall from his shoulder and wrap tightly around his waist, Linus would never know how grateful I was that he was my brother because there would be no words powerful enough to describe it. I pulled away and he cleared his throat awkwardly, emotional displays were never one of a Thornton's strong suits.

"Is that Mundungus? Eating our wedding cake…the one we haven't even cut yet? Oh Agnes will have a fit, I'll be right back Ky." Linus disappeared after the trail of crumbs left by the dodgy character. I was barely on my feet when I was swept up again by warm hands.

"Linus is lucky he didn't get his hand on the wedding ring." I scowled at Sirius and let him twirl me around the room as Len played The Beatle's Hey Jude.

"Don't think I don't know what you did."

He smiled, his face glowing with probably a cup too many of Ogden's, "It displeases me to hear that milady hath found something-"

"Cut the bull Sirius. Now I have to live with the fact that Harry and my song is a Stone's song."

"Well you didn't seem to mind when my godson waltzed you across the room. Forgive me for thinking that She's like a rainbow is a very apt song for you."

"Oh sure, I bet it was all innocence." I glared at his amused grey eyes but couldn't help but smile back eventually. This man must have been a terror in his youth,

"However can I seek redemption for my selfish deeds god daughter-in-law."

"Well there actually is something you can do." I whirled under his arm and let him tip me down and up again, it came as no surprise to me that Sirius could dance, it was practically a staple in the bad boy CV.

"Ask it madame and it is yours."

"Stop being a coward and go and ask her to dance. I am getting tired of the deep longing exchange of glances filled with the mounting air of sexual tension, I would like to breathe more freely in this house." For once Sirius Black seemed shocked at anothers impropriety, but someone needed to say it. I don't know why he didn't want to try with Alexia but if I had to hazard a guess it had something to do with the fact that he was a convict in hiding, the fact that he was innocent was forgotten more by Sirius than the outside world. "Well, go!"

"Ky it's-"

"No it is not. Now if I can dance to a Stone's song, you can do this."

"You know what…you are absolutely right. It was a pleasure as always Miss Thornton."

I rolled my eyes at the flamboyant bow and watched as he made his way through the room. Just then I caught familiar head out of my periphery and I followed it out of the room,

"Hey! Wait."

The honeyed haired stranger turned around, leaning against the wall halfway down the passage to the exit. His amber eyes glowed black in the darkness, a shadow of a smile on his face. "Miss Imposter. I must say this face looks much better on you."

"Bicorn horn has no scent, that's one of the reasons why it's used in Veritaserum as well as polyjuice potion. How did you know I was using polyjuice?"

His teeth glowed in the corridor as his smile widened, "I told you-"

"Don't give me some bull about my scent being some sort of narcotic."

The corridor echoed with his quiet laughter, "Goodbye Miss Imposter."

"Wait! You can't just- "But with a momentary ray of light from the opened door, he was gone. That potion was brewed to perfection…how did this guy know…wait, who was this guy?

"If you stare at the door long enough, it won't turn into chocolate."

I turned back to the long corridor, frowning at the joke that didn't fit the voice, "Sensei?"

I heard a growl as Sev moved into the light that leaked out of the drawing room, the growl quickly became a curse as he hit the staircase banister with his shoulder which he tried to inconspicuously hide as he leaned against it.

"Have you been drinking?"

I raised my eyebrows at the question, "Me?"

He rolled his eyes, much in the same way I do to him every so often, "No, the cat behind you. Don't think I didn't see the demon pair run off with a bottle of firewhiskey, if I find you've been drinking I'll…I'll ground you."

"Ground me? Are you sure you're not the one that ran off with a bottle of firewhiskey."

"I do not need to run off with a bottle firewhiskey seeing as I am an adult and I can drink as much as I want to wherever I please."

"Sure…so you're lurking in the dark away from the reception because? "

"I am not lurking. I am merely…standing silently in the quiet…away from that absurd noise."

"Sirius happens to be a really good pianist actually."

"Well of course Black is a good pianist, anything that aids in helping him snake his way into a woman's pants his proficient in, if the dark lord was in fact a dark lady they would be no war but little Black babies running around."

I laughed at his little outburst, looks like Sev was a sharer when he was tipsy.

"Oh yes, you would find that funny. Black is ever so amusing isn't he, his humorous little quips, charming smile. I saw you laughing away at him as he spun you across the dance floor like some…ballerina."

I rolled my eyes at the bitterness instead of pointing out that I was laughing at the joke he had made. Was Sev sulking because I had danced with Sirius? I walked towards the staircase and held out my hand.

"What?"

"Dance with me."

"What?"

"You heard me, let's dance."

His black eyes glowered down at me, "Don't be ridiculous."

"Come on Sensei, just dance with me."

He pushed off the banister and walked towards the front door, shaking his head,

"I would like you to dance with me." He stopped halfway to the door,

"There is no music."

I sighed and went forward, "I thought you didn't like the infernal noise."

"Absurd noise. And no I don't but it is still-"

I grabbed his hands in my own and started moving back and forward, his black eyes huge with shock, "I can't dance either." I knew that was why he had never asked me to, and why he had skulked away. I continued moving back and forward in horrible angular movements that screamed awkwardness.

"Salazars sac, keep your elbows in. Head up, shoulders out, back straight."

He tapped each body part until I did as he said, I laughed up at him, "You know how to dance!"

"No, but I know how to not look foolish." He moved me back and forward, his back rigid. He twirled me around and I laughed,

"Why do you hate weddings?"

We swayed in the spot, his face hidden in the dark, "Who said I hated weddings."

"Nobody, but I can tell."

He scoffed, "I highly doubt you can tell the things I hate considering you do them so often."

"Still didn't answer the question."

"Because just like most of your questions…it's inappropriate." He twirled me around again, "I don't hate them, I haven't been to a great many to hate them. I find them boring. The whole concept seems unnecessary; if anything things like these should be kept private. You shouldn't have to validate your love in the presence of others for it to be considered as real."

That was such a Sev sentiment, "I used to think that. Now I think people want to share their happiness."

"People do not want to share their happiness, they want to-"

The rest of his sentence was stopped by a growl has he yanked his right hand out of my hand,

"Sensei, are you-"

"Shove it in others faces."

"What?" He placed his hand back in my own and it trembled slightly and twirled me around,

"People want to shove their happiness in others faces at weddings, don't you pay any attention."

"I hope you're less cynical at my wedding."

"I doubt I'd even be at your wedding."

I stopped moving, forcing him to do so too, "Take that back."

"Why?"

"I don't want you talking like that." I couldn't help the infliction in my voice, I knew why he had pulled his hand away, that was the hand with the mark. Voldemort was calling him and he was here, dancing with me. How long would Sev be able to play this game…

He sighed and raised an eyebrow, "I meant I doubt I'd even be at your wedding considering your taste in man. I don't plan on kicking the bucket anytime soon, especially considering your inability to exist without my instruction."

I let him pull me back into our slow swaying and I digested his words in silence. Everybody had their part to play in this fight, but Sev's sword was double edged…Voldemort wasn't stupid…far from it, there is only so much wool that can be pulled over his eyes.

"Bane-"
"Why don't you stop. Just pick a side and stay on it. Stop-"

"Bane, I have to go." For once his voice held no cynicism.

"You don't have to."

He let out a huge sigh and left my hands and they fell to my sides, picking up his coat, he hovered at the door, "You're right. I don't have to."

There was a soft click after his confusing words. What did that mean? He admitted that he didn't have to, so was he going to stop, or was he saying he didn't have to but he wanted to instead. Why would he ever want to do that though, why would he want to risk his life like that? Why?

"Ky?"

I turned to the drawing room, Harry walked towards me, "What are you doing standing by the door all alone in the dark?"

I shrugged and he took of his coat and placed it on my shoulders, "Come with me."

He didn't lead me to the drawing room though, but up the stairs.

"Harry-"

"Shhhh." He held a finger to his lips and pulled me up the stairs. We stopped when we reached the library; I looked at him in confusion which only made his crooked grin more endearing.

He pushed open the door and pulled me to a cupboard on the left. He opened the door and a small basin slid out,

"What is it?"

"Touch it, go on." There was a layer of liquid mist that hovered in the basin, I didn't think twice though as the look on Harry's face was so expectant. A moment later I was falling through a tunnel and my legs clapped on solid ground. I covered my ears at the high pitched scream that surrounded me and then let out a gasp of surprise.

"Happy New Year." I turned to Harry, who now stood next to me, slipping his hand into my own and pulling me to his lips. He kissed me deeply then straightened up. My mouth was hanging open and I was fumbling for words. He chuckled at my expression, "It's a memory. Remus'. "

I realised the sandy haired teen in front of us must have been Lupin, I jumped up and down in excitement, laughing with joy. I knew I couldn't be heard but it wasn't because it was a memory but because I was just one of the thousands of screaming fans that was watching the Beatles perform live. I turned to Harry again, who was all smiles at his present and I jumped on him and gave him the biggest kiss I could manage.

"Now all I need is chocolate and this would be perfect."

He smiled his crooked grin and reached into his back pocket pulling out a slab of Mars Bars, "You were saying?"

"Screw Voldemort, there's a new evil genius in town." I smiled and took a bite of chocolate; listening to the music that sculpted an age with a boy I knew had already changed my life.

A/N: Such a long chapter, had no idea where to stop it because I didn't want to ruin the flow. I hope you guys enjoyed it,

Please review

Kalina