Chapter Thirty Two

May 1st -2005

Luna stood alone in front of the huge mirror in her bedroom and took a deep breath. There was dust on the top of it. There was always dust on the top of her mirror, she kept meaning to clean it but there was always a distraction. Always something more interesting that she ended up doing instead.

She shook her head, removing the dust from her mind. Now certainly was not the time to be cleaning, and she certainly couldn't get a single speck of dust on her dress.

The pale pink and yellow of the fabric Luna had chosen for her dress was more forgiving than white but would still show up dirt if she tried to start cleaning.

It was floaty and soft, fluttering down its length with even the smallest of movements. The puffy sleeves and tight bodice were yellow, slowly fading down to pink at the hem, Luna thought it looked like a sunset.

"I really with you could be here today." Luna whispered to the photo of her mother and father.

All her friends had offered to be with her, to help her get ready, but it had felt wrong to have Hermione, Daphne, Cho or Pansy there helping her to get ready when her parents couldn't be. It should be her mother to put on her veil, her father to help her walk down the stairs but that wasn't possible.

Instead she would get ready herself, shed the tears she knew would come in private and then walk down the stairs to where her friends were waiting for her with a smile on her face.

Luna was determined to enjoy her wedding day. Her parents would have been heartbroken to think they had spoiled her happiness.

She took the flower crown made of pink and yellow roses that had been sat on her dressing table since she'd finished making it a week ago. It was enchanted so that the flowers and greenery would never fade or grow frail and she had lovingly enchanted each flower and leaf herself before weaving them together with ivory silk.

The silk had come from her mother's wedding dress. It had been a sash and while the dress was painfully dated now, the sash hadn't needed changing at all to become the base of the flower crown.

It matched her golden hair perfectly.

Luna had had Daphne and Pansy pin her down to curl her hair last night, and while sleeping had been interesting as she kept managing to stab her head with the bobby pins, it had resulted in perfect ringlets when she'd woken.

"Right… no more dwelling up here." Luna told herself firmly.

She placed her hand on the banister to walk down to the main room of the house and realised that it was the last time she would be walking down the stairs as Luna Lovegood. The realisation hit her like a ton of bricks, making her feel light headed for a moment.

It wasn't a bad feeling though, she was excited.

Daphne, Hermione, Cho and Pansy were all waiting downstairs for her. They were all dressed in dresses matching Luna's, although there's were pale lavender rather than yellow and pink.

"You look amazing." Hermione smiled, covering her mouth with her hand, "Truly you do."

"I can second that." Cho smiled, walking over to Luna and taking her hand to help her down the last few steps.

"Are you all ready to go?" Pansy asked.

Luna had changed a lot in the years since the war but her looks hadn't. She still had the same pale skin, round face and the far away look in her eyes, which suggested she could see worlds everyone else didn't know even existed.

"I am." Luna smiled, "Are you all ready as well?"

The ladies nodded in agreement, each grabbing their flowers from by the door. The strong smell of lilacs and hyacinths filled the air as they moved the flowers.

Pansy held Luna's bouquet for her as they made their way outside the strange circular house. It was still early, and there was still dew on the grass.

"It's a perfect May day." Daphne said, taking a deep breath of the air that smelt clean after the rain.

"I always knew it would be." Luna shrugged, "Is it time to go?"

Hermione checked her watch and nodded, "Yes. We don't want to be late."

The five women took one another's hands and looked up to the sky.

It was only a few moments before a huge, silver carriage pulled by six large Thestrals. It pulled to a stop in front of them, landing with only the smallest of bumps.

Hagrid climbed down from the drivers seat and gave them all a deep bow. He was looking very smart in his fluffy suit, a large sunflower in his lapel.

"You don't 'alf look beautiful girls." Hagrid beamed, "You ready ta go? Up you get then."

He helped them in one by one into the carriage, Luna going last, before closing the door securely and getting the carriage flying once again.

Inside Hagrid had laid out a large bottle of champagne with five crystal glasses for them. There was also a small cake for them to share, including a note in which Hagrid promised that he hadn't made it himself.

After twenty minutes or so the carriage touched down just outside the church. Hagrid once again jumped down and helped them out.

The way into the church had been decorated with garlands of flowers, lining the path to the grand double doors.

The church itself was huge, more of a cathedral than a church really.

Luna and the others waited until Hagrid had entered the church before lining up to walk in. Luna took a deep breath and paused just by the door, waiting for the music to mark her cue.

She felt as though she was floating as she glided down the long aisle. Although most of the pews were empty, they had all be decorated with the same flowers that had decorated the entrance. She could see Draco waiting for her by the alter, Lucius standing by his side, their pale blond hair shimmering in sunshine streaming through the stained glass windows.

Luna reached for Draco's hand as she reached the top of the aisle, giving his fingers a quick squeeze and smiling as he gripped onto her fingers in return. She could tell that he wanted to turn around, but knew that he wasn't meant to. Not yet.

Pansy reached forward and took Luna's flowers from her so her hands were free, before she, Hermione, Daphne and Cho took their seats in the front row, next to Narcissa.

The vicar smiled down to Luna and Draco, raising his hands for silence that already filled the church.

"Welcome all." the vicar said, "We are here today to welcome Draco Malfoy and Luna Lovegood, who have chosen to invite you all to witness their holy union. Both Draco and Luna have asked that here today we put away formality, we put away titles and focus on the love that they feel between them. Draco and Luna met at Hogwarts school and over their years there became good friends. This friendship was only increased when Luna lost her beloved father at the end of her sixth year. But of course, you all know that. You are all familiar with the lives of both Draco and Luna, so instead I would like to focus not on the past but on the future. I believe that our first reading is a poem by Mr Potter. Would you like to come up?"

Harry stood, patting Draco on the back as he went past.

There weren't a lot of people there, Luna and Draco had only wanted close friends and family for the ceremony, they were having a much larger dinner and party afterwards back at Malfoy Manor.

"Thank you." Harry smiled, "This is a poem chosen by Draco as he feels it expresses the love between Luna and him. It's called 'I saw two clouds at morning' by John Brainard. I saw two clouds at morning, tinged by the rising sun, and in the dawn they floated on, and mingled into one: I thought that morning cloud was blessed, it moved so sweetly to the west. I saw two summer currents flow smoothly to their meeting, and join their course, with silent force, in peace each other greeting; calm was their course through banks of green, while dimpling eddies played between. Such be your gentle motion, 'till life's last pulse shall beat; like summer's beam and summer's stream, float on in joy, to meet a calmer sea, where storms shall cease, and purer sky, where all is peace."

The watching crowd clapped as Harry sat back down, hugging Luna and Draco as he went past.

"That was lovely." the vicar said honestly, "Now I would like to ask who here, who knows of any reason why these two should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now, or forever hold your peace." he paused for the predicable silence, "very well. Now for the poem chosen by Luna, read by Mrs Potter this time."

Cho handed her flowers to Daphne and came up to the front, smoothing out her dress as she walked, "This poem is called, 'To love is not to Possess' and it's by James Kavanaugh. To love is not to possess, To own or imprison, Nor to lose one's self in another. Love is to join and separate, To walk alone and together, To find a laughing freedom, That lonely isolation does not permit. It is finally to be able, To be who we really are. No longer clinging in childish dependency, Nor docilely living separate lives in silence, It is to be perfectly one's self, And perfectly joined in permanent commitment, To another- and to one's inner self. Love only endures when it moves like waves, Receding and returning gently or passionately, Or moving lovingly like the tide, In the moon's own predictable harmony. Because finally, despite a child's scars, Or an adult's deepest wounds, They are openly free to be, Who they really are- and always secretly were, In the very core of their being, Where true and lasting love can alone abide. Draco, Luna, I wish you every happiness."

Again there was a ripple of applause as Cho took her seat, taking a moment to blow a kiss over to her husband. It was the first time they'd been out without Caihong and it was a strange feeling to have a few hours without her.

"Now, Draco please repeat after me, I Draco Malfoy, take thee, Luna Lovegood to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part." the vicar told him.

Draco repeated the words, unable to stop himself from smiling at Luna as he did so.

The vicar turned to Luna, "Please repeat after me, I Luna Lovegood, take thee, Draco Malfoy to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part."

Luna also repeated the words.

"Wonderful," the vicar smiled, "Now do you have the rings?"

Lucius reached into his top pocket and pulled out the two silver hoops, "These belonged to your great, grandparents. We had them sized specially for you."

"Draco, place the ring on Luna's third finger," the vicar instructed.

"With this ring, I take thee to be my lawfully wedded wife." Draco declared.

"Luna, will you now place the other ring on Draco's third finger." the vicar told her.

"With this ring, I take thee, to be my lawfully wedded husband." Luna smiled.

"Now with the power invested in me by the church, I pronounce you man and wife, you may kiss the bride." the vicar cheered, showering them with paper confetti.

Luna leaned over and kissed Draco, the cheers from their guests ringing in their ears.