Chapter 40 – Suits and Dresses
GN
Bill and I apparated to Grimmauld place. And once the house had erected from the ground, we stepped to the door. George's clothes too baggy on my smaller body, almost making me trip over the legs of the trousers. Before Bill went to open the door, I changed into the twins and the clothes fitted me perfectly.
"Still weird." Bill snickered pulling a strand of my now red hair. "Alright, plan's a go." He pulled the doorhandle down and walked in.
"I'll go get them." I whispered and took the case from his hand and bounded the stairs.
"Hey, Fred." Hermione smiled as I stepped on the first floor. I cleared my throat before uttering a sentence.
"Hey, Hermione. Whatcha doing?" I asked in Fred like way.
"Just heading to Sirius's library. What do you have there? Things for the shop?"
"Right in one." I – Fred – smiled and bobbed her nose and Hermione pursed her lips at him but a smile appeared through it. "I got to get upstairs; George is waiting. Maybe I can keep you company later." I winked and walked up the stairs before she could answer. "George?" I knocked on the door.
"Safe!" I heard him call back and walked in the room, quickly closing the door behind me. "That's freaky!"
"Do you know which one I am?" I asked as I walked in further. The twins examined me closely.
"Fred." They both said after a minute. "Why?"
"I bumped into Hermione, and she knew in an instant I was you." I pointed to Fred. "She must have it bad." I grinned as I nudged Fred's shoulder. "Maybe I should ask her out in your place." My grin went deviously, and Fred paled. "I'm just joking." I laughed.
"No, that's a great idea." Fred jumped up.
"No, no, no. I won't do all the work for you, Fred." I shook my head. "Come on, climb in before you guys are going to be late." I placed the briefcase on the floor and clicked it open, Fred stepped in first and George looked at me as he came to stand in front of it. It looked like he was contemplating if he wanted to give me a kiss. I chuckled lightly and cupped his cheek. "Kiss me later." George smiled before climbing in after his brother. I closed the case and headed back downstairs. Bill was just coming out of the kitchen and turned to me with a frown. "It's me." I clarified. "I packed it up like you asked." I grinned. Bill grinned back and winked before he headed out the house.
I made a short appearance in the kitchen before heading up the stairs to the twins' room. I took one of my books out of my pocket and enlarged it again. I flopped down on George's bed and opened my book, travel guide for wizards and witches across the world, and started reading and highlighting the parts that were interesting with the tip of my wand.
It was two hours later when Bill was back in Grimmauld with his briefcase filled with the twins. I had just fallen asleep on George's bed; my travel guide had fallen out of my hand and off the bed. But the thud didn't wake me, Bill entering the room didn't wake me either. Bill placed the case on the floor softly and George and Fred stepped out. Bill hushed them and pointed at my sleeping form on the bed.
"This is so weird." Bill whispered and the twins nodded with a grin. George walked over closer and gently nudged my shoulder.
"Guinevere, love? We're back." George whispered, pushing a lock of red hair from my eyes. I opened my eyes slowly to see George's face a few inches away from me.
"Can I turn back?" I asked with a sleepy voice, pushing myself up.
"Yeah." George smiled as I started to turn back into myself. "Finally." He sighed dramatically before he kissed me.
"Geez, you would think they haven't seen each other for weeks." Fred rolled his eyes and we turned to glare at him.
"What time is it?" I frowned as I climbed of the bed.
"Nearly twelve, so we better get going."
"Lunch, right." I nodded. "How did it go?" I looked between the twins and transfigured my clothes to something more fitting.
"Great!" They boys chimed.
"We're going to owl to discuss the prize."
"See if we can't buy it instead of leasing."
"That's great, boys." I smiled at them.
"All thanks to you." Fred grinned and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
"I just told you about it." I kissed Fred's cheek and kissed George lightly. "I'll see you back at school." They said their goodbyes and I climbed in Bill's suitcase. Once we were safely out of the house, Bill let me out and we apparated right to the café where we were having lunch with Bask and Charlie before going shopping.
GN
"Can a groom see his groom in his tux before the wedding?" I asked with a chuckle as Bash was in the dressing room.
"What?" Charlie asked confused on the armchair next to me.
"It's a muggle superstition. A groom can't see the wedding gown before the wedding or it's bad luck."
"But since we aren't muggles, we don't believe in superstition and is no gown, I think we're safe." Charlie grinned.
"Who says I'm not wearing a wedding gown?" Bash called from behind the curtain, making us both laugh. Bill came back holding a couple of nice muggle suits in his hand.
"I think you would look lovely in a wedding gown." Bill chuckled. Bash poked his head out of the curtain.
"Thank you, Bill." He laughed. "Mine, yours or Charlie's?" He asked pointed at the suits.
"These are for you." He handed over a couple of them. "These for me and the rest for Charlie."
I pushed Charlie out of the chair and Bill and Charlie disappeared behind the curtains on either side of Bash. "Is there a colour theme or something?" I asked, flipping through a magazine.
"Mum was going on about choosing colours, but we just want something simple." Charlie said behind the curtain, just as Bash stepped out of his dressing room. I gasped as I shot up, my eyes watering.
"Oh, Bash! You look amazing." I stood next to him in front of the mirror. I heard Charlie stumble in his own dressing before he flung the curtain aside. Charlie stood there, mouth dropped open, his shirt only half buttoned up as he looked at his fiancé. He swallowed thickly as he saw Bash standing there in a pale gold blazer, almost white and black trousers.
"What's going on out there?" Bill's voice was heard in the silent shop before he walked out of his dressing room, tying his tie. His eyes found Bash. "Bash, you look -"
"Stunning." Charlie whispered as he stepped closer to Bash. "I can't wait to marry you." He said before he placed his hands on his cheeks and kissed him.
"You really like it?" Bash asked as they pulled away, a goofy smile on their faces.
"You should only wear this." Charlie said and Bash leaned his head against his.
"I love you."
"I love you."
"Okay, so first suit is out of the way. Charlie, Bill, get back in." Charlie rolled his eyes playfully before doing as he was instructed. I called the saleswoman to alter the suit and pack it up once she was done. She was removing his jacket filled with needles when Charlie stepped back out. I had to stifle a laugh at the suits he chose. It was a purple sort of suit, that clashed horribly with his hair and was way too big for him.
"I don't think that's the one, love." Bash said with a small smile. And I couldn't contain myself anymore and the laughter escaped. Charlie and Bash looked at me for a moment before laughing themselves. Charlie agreed this wasn't the one and stepped back behind the curtain.
Bash had just changed back into his normal clothes and sat down next to me, smiling at the saleswoman as she offered us a glass of champagne when Bill stepped out wearing a dark grey 1920's muggle suit, Charlie followed a minute later with almost the same suit but in black.
"Wow!" Bash and I gasped, looking at the two handsome Weasleys in front of us. "You two look -"
"Stunning." Bash repeated Charlie's words, but his eyes were only on him. No one else. As Bash walked over to Charlie, I made my way to Bill and took his tie and handkerchief from the pocket and did the same with Charlie.
"What are you doing?" Charlie asked.
"Give me a minute." I walked away to the saleswoman, leaving three stunned boys behind. I found the saleswoman altering Bash's clothes and walked back grinning a few minutes later with two pale golden ties and two pale golden handkerchiefs.
"Now we have a colour." I grinned as I wrapped the tie around Bill's neck, while Bash did the same to Charlie.
"I guess we do." Charlie grinned at me through the mirror. "You're amazing, Gwen." He gestured me over and wrapped me up in a tight hug.
"Anything for my brother and future brother-in-law." I smiled. "Dory?" I called to the saleswoman, who came over packed with needles and tape measures.
GN
An hour later, I was standing in my own dressing room in a shop a little further from the shop the boys had found their suits. As I wanted to stay in the same colour, I had a ray of different dresses in all types of gold hanging on the pegs in the large dressing room. Mini dresses to maxi dresses, long sleeves, short sleeve, puffy sleeves. I had at least twenty dresses in my dressing room. I poked my head out and looked to the three men sitting on a large couch in front of me.
"You guys had only a few suits, why do I have twenty dresses?"
"You have more options." Bash grinned.
"You can take these away." I said hanging four mini dresses on the rack next to my dressing room. "I don't want everyone to see my ovaries." I chuckled at their reaction and close the curtain behind me. I started trying on a knee-length dress and stepped out.
"Looks good." Bill said.
"I don't know." I said as I looked at the A-line dress with a bejewelled neckline and a pleated skirt. "The reactions you all got where stunning and gasping.
"I think if I say or did that, George will somehow know. I'll be on the other side of his wand." Bill chuckled. I smiled at him before I looked back to the mirror with a frown.
"It's not you." Bash said, and my eyes found him in the mirror. He smiled at me, knowing exactly where my head was. "Next!" He called out with a grin as he leaned back.
I went back behind the curtain and tried out the next one, and the next one, and the next one. I had tried every single dress that hung in my dressing room and with the last dress, that had too much tule, I dropped down in my dressing and groaned.
"Hey, little one." Bash came to sit next to me. The three of them had all been so patient with me. Complimenting, commenting on every dress that I tried out. "Are you okay?"
"I just want your day to be perfect." I leaned into him as he placed his arm around me.
"As long as you're there, it will be. And Charlie of course." He grinned, making me chuckle. "You could wear a garbage for all I care, as long as you're there."
"A garbage bag?" I huffed at him. "Maybe one of these." I pointed at the rack.
"Or this one." Charlie suggested as he and Bill appeared in front of them. Charlie was holding a satin, golden floor-length dress. "I asked Indra if she may have something new in the back."
"It's beautiful." I said in awe as my fingers grazed the fabric. Bash jumped up and held out his hands and pulled me up. "Thank you." I looked at the three of them with a smile.
"Anytime." They winked and closed the curtain. I wiggled myself out of the big tule dress and I slide myself easily in the satin dress. The straps were about two centimetres wide; it had a V-neckline, triangle waist, and full envelope skirt with slit. I pulled up the back zipper with a wave of my wand, and I turned even more giddy as I find out it has deep side pockets. I walked out of the dressing room with a large grin. The three men's mouths fell open as they watched me walk up to the large mirror. Indra came over with her own beaming smile and slid a pair of heels on my feet.
"Gwen." Bash whispered as he came closer with tears in his eyes, his hands rested on my shoulders as he we linked eyes in the mirror. "You look beautiful."
Charlie appeared on my other side. "Absolutely stunning." He took my hand in his. "A perfect maid of honour/grooms woman."
"Don't care if George finds out, you look gorgeous, Gwen." Bill said lastly appearing next to Charlie.
"Can't imagine how beautiful you're going to look when it's your wedding." Bash said wrapping his arms around me, pulling my back against his chest, while his head rested on top of mine.
"I think we have a winner, Indra." Charlie smiled at the saleswoman.
"I believe so." She smiled and looked at me. "And it fits you perfectly, I don't have to adjust a thing. That doesn't happen much. Why don't you go change and I'll pack it up for you."
"Thank you." I took of my shoes and handed them over to her, and she walked away getting the box for them. "Do you need my muggle card?" I asked.
"Don't worry about it." Bash waved me off, but I didn't move and looked at him. "Mum and dad are paying. You know them." He shrugged. "It's their way of making up for not being here."
"Are they coming to the wedding?" I asked once I was back behind the curtain.
"Not sure yet." Bash voice came from right next to the dressing room and I handed the dress over on the hanger. "Depends on their work."
"It's your wedding! Their only son's wedding, they should come." I cried out pulling up my jeans. I hear him mumble something incoherent as I pulled my sweater over my head. I pulled the curtain open and walked out.
"Like I said before. I only need you and Charlie there."
"Ouch, mate." Bill snickered, clutching his heart. With four garments bags packed, they apparated back to the flat from the alley around the corner of the shop. We all dropped on the couch and kicked of our shoes before turning on the tv, enjoying a quiet night. It wasn't long before the four of us fell asleep in front of the tv. Bash and Charlie snuggled together under a blanket on one side while I was sleeping with my head on Bill's chest, his arm around me as a blanket covered us both, Dirty Dancing still played in the background.