Author's Notes, Part 1:

1. Mandy actually gets writing credit on this chapter, lol. She helped me troubleshoot some of it, and gave me some ideas on how to write the part between the dress shopping scene and Alicia's time at Chrysanthe's parents' estate.

2. The characters of Dougal and Fergus belong to Mandy, as does the headcanon that they were killed in a battle in Little Helga, which features in one of her stories. She was incredibly kind to let me borrow that and work it into my story, too. I was very nervous about borrowing her characters (including Catriona, Campbell, Roberta and Cal) even with her very kind permission - because, well, they're her characters. She knows she can always borrow any of mine. I love her headcanons, though.

3. We're almost at the point where these two reunite!

~EA

A Wedding Invitation

April 1997

Alicia's happiness at having Katie alive and well again lasted all of one week and two days. And that was when everything went south again.

It was the twins who alerted them, though Fred and George hadn't been directly involved. But Bill and Arthur had, and that was how the twins found out so quickly. Dougal and Fergus Wood, Oliver's older brothers and Bill and Charlie's best friends, had been killed in a battle with Death Eaters in Little Helga. Together. On the same night.

Angelina had gripped the back of the kitchen chair rather tightly when the twins told them. "Does Oliver know?" she demanded.

Fred nodded. "Bill went to him."

"Katie," Alicia said sharply, looking at Angelina.

"We can't go to Hogwarts," Angelina reminded her. "McGonagall and Dumbledore won't let anyone anyone in, not after Katie was cursed back in October —"

"No, but we can owl her."

Katie owled back within a day. Oliver had already let her know. He was needed at home and was taking some time off from Puddlemere. She begged her friends to please check on the Woods if they could. She was worried about him and she couldn't get away from Hogwarts; she'd already missed six months of school. Angelina and Alicia agreed, but they felt awkward going to Red's Wood, like they were intruding on the family's intense, bone-deep grief, so they only visited twice. Both times, Oliver's father let them in, and they found Oliver taking care of his baby nephew, in order to give his sister-in-law, Dougal's widow, a break. The two girls could tell he was tired, but he always said he didn't need anything.

They didn't believe him. The trouble was, it was hard to know what to do for Oliver and his family.

Between grieving for Oliver and worrying about the Woods, Alicia wasn't sure how she made it through the rest of the month.

But at the end of the month, she received an owl with an unexpected surprise: awedding invitation.

Who in the world would she know who was getting married,she wondered? Curiously, Alicia opened the heavy, cream-colored parchment. Her mouth immediately dropped.

You are cordially invited to

the wedding of

Elisabeth Ailsa Oakfield

and

Conall Nairn Galbraith III

Saturday, 14 June 1997

5 o'clock in the afternoon

Galbraith Castle, Scotland

Dinner & Dancing Reception to Follow

Wear Your House Colors

Bess had been Head Girl during Alicia's sixth-year at Hogwarts; the Hufflepuff was vivacious and well-liked by everyone, but she had also played the field while she had been in school. Alicia had no idea Bess would ever get married so soon! She had been with so many boys that no one could really keep count! Was she seriously getting married?

Alicia didn't know Conall Galbraith because he had graduated the year before she started Hogwarts, but she knew he had been in Gryffindor, and he had been a Quidditch Beater. In fact, he was now a professional Beater; he played for Pride of Portree. She wondered how he and Bess knew each other, or where they'd met. There was a nearly seven-year age difference between them.

She also wondered why Bess was inviting her. Sure, Alicia had been a prefect alongside Bess — she'd only been one year below the older girl, and they had gotten on very well while at school. Alicia remembered Bess once telling her she was always welcome to hang out with them in the Hufflepuff common room. Gilbert had even given her the password that particular day, and Bess had merely laughed and said Alicia could come by anytime. But Alicia hadn't been in contact with Bess for a while. Maybe Bess was inviting other prefects too, she thought.

Alicia would have to ask Chrysanthe when she saw her at the Healer Institute the next day. She charmed the invitation to the icebox so she wouldn't forget.

"Merlin, I'm knackered," Angelina groaned as she stumbled in the door that night. "Jones kept us forever. I can't even think of a security question." She dropped her Quidditch gear just inside and leaned against the door as soon as she'd closed it.

Alicia floated her a cup of tea. "How many teeth did Sloper knock out of your mouth last May?"

At that, Angelina grimaced and pushed off the door. "Nine, the fucking arse. Did Katie ever find that bone-rotting acid?"

"No, but not for lack of trying. She even considered breaking into Snape's office, but Kenneth talked her out of it. Umbridge would have blamed all of Gryffindor if she'd attempted that and gotten caught."

Angelina scowled as she went to the icebox to get some cream. "Too bad. I sort of wish she'd found some. Sloper deserved it." Her wand hesitated before she opened the icebox. "What's this? A wedding invitation?"

"Oh!" Alicia smiled; it felt odd, considering how worried she had been about Oliver the past week. "Yes. Bess Oakfield is getting married this June."

Angelina's eyebrows arched. "Bess is getting married?"

"I know, right? I thought it was odd, too."

Angelina waved her wand and the cream came out of the icebox. She splashed a dollop in her cup, and sent it back. Then she mused, "She dated half the lads in school. Wonder what made her decide to settle down?"

"No idea. I plan to ask Chrysanthe tomorrow."

Angelina nodded. "She would know." She looked back at the invitation again as she sipped her tea, but suddenly, her eyes went wide. "Oh, shite. Alicia, that's the week I have to be on the continent!"

Alicia looked at her curiously, and Angelina elaborated. "Jones arranged for the Harpies to have a big training session in Germany that week. We're leaving Monday, June 9th. And since I'm a new recruit, I won't get a portkey back until the 16th, at the earliest."

Alicia shrugged. "It's okay, Ang. I'll be fine here."

"No. I don't like you here by yourself all week with no one around," Angelina said tersely. "Maybe you should stay with the twins or —"

"Absolutely not." Alicia rolled her eyes.

Angelina scowled. "Alicia, it's dangerous. If you don't want to stay with the twins and Lee, stay with Kenneth and Karen. But —"

"I'm not staying with Kenneth and Karen, either. I'll be fine."

"Or go to your parents' —!"

"Definitely not." Alicia put her mug in the sink and conjured soap bubbles to clean it.

"What about Chrysanthe?"

Alicia paused. That wouldn't be so bad, actually. Chrysanthe alternated between living with her parents at their country estate outside Hertfordshire, and with Danny in a small, crappy flat in muggle London. She wouldn't feel as awkward staying with Chrysanthe as she would Kenneth and Karen. And Merlin knew if she stayed with the twins and Lee, Lee would find some way to slip into her room all the time. She hadn't forgotten that he'd asked to snog her after they left the Bell's place only two and a half weeks ago.

"I'll ask her," Alicia agreed.

"So…" Angelina glanced back at the invitation. "It says you can take a date to the wedding…"

Alicia rolled her eyes again. "No."

"All wedding invitations allow you to take a date, Alicia."

"I know how a wedding invitation reads, thank you. I meant, I don't intendto take a date."

Ang pursed her lips and ignored Alicia. "Well, if you want myopinion, I think you should ask Pucey. Send him a Patronus, have him meet you. Bet he'd look fit as fuck in a suit or dress robes."

Alicia felt her stomach flip. No bet, there. The boy wore clothes like a model. She could stillsee him in his dress robes at the Yule Ball. But all she said was, "I'm sure he would, but I'm not going to ask him. That would be really awkward, don't you think? Asking him out of the blue to a wedding?When we haven't seen each other in months? No, I'm going to go by myself. I don't plan to stay long, anyways. Bess's grandmother is a pureblood; she'll probably invite all of the wizarding elite. I won't fit in very well. So I'll make an appearance, take a gift off her registry, and leave when dinner starts."

"You're no fun. At least stay through dinner and get a free meal."

"Good point. I'll do that. And then I'll leave."

Angelina rolled her eyes. "Check with Chrysanthe tomorrow, yeah? About staying with her that week."

"I will."

The next day was sunny, so Alicia, Chrysanthe, and Courtney ate lunch in the courtyard of the Healer Institute. Spring was in the air and it felt nice outside for a change. As she soaked up the sunshine, Alicia wondered how she could ask Chrysanthe about Bess's wedding without offending Vanhausen. She had no idea if Bess had sent an invitation to the former Slytherin prefect. It was probably best to wait until after classes, and ask Chrysanthe when they were alone.

But to her surprise, Chrysanthe brought it up herself.

"Get an invitation to Bess's wedding?" she asked around a mouthful of carrot stick.

Startled, Alicia nodded. "I did. Though I was wondering why I did, actually."

"She invited a lot of her old friends from school. All the Hufflepuffs in her year, our year, and the year above her. And I know she always liked you, so I figured you got one, too."

Courtney's eyebrows knitted together. "Bit young to get married, isn't it? She's… what? Twenty?"

Chrysanthe shrugged. "Some people just know and are ready to get married that young. Danny's been telling me he knew he was going to marry me when we were fifteen."

Courtney rolled her eyes. "Bollocks. That's way too early. Fifteen and twenty."

"Well, there is a bit more to Bess's story, actually," Chrysanthe explained. "She's been in love with Conall since they were kids."

Alicia had just taken a sip of butterbeer and she nearly spit it out. "What?"

Chrysanthe laughed. "Yeah, they grew up together. Most people don't know it, but Galbraith Castle and Donelson Fortress are neighbors, going back centuries. Bess and Conall have known each other since she was born, and Bess has fancied him since she was a little girl."

"But she dated everyoneat Hogwarts," Alicia sputtered.

"True enough." Chrysanthe grinned. "It was her way of having fun and learning about sex and boys. But her heart's always been with Conall. When she went back home between her sixth and seventh years, he finally noticed her. She was so happy. But he wouldn't make a move until she graduated, and then her great-grandmother insisted they date for at least a year before they made any decisions. Thenthe woman insisted they wait another year to get married, because she wanted to plan the biggest wedding of the season."

"Wow." Alicia stared at her. "Bess sure kept all of that a secret."

Chrysanthe nodded. "Very few people know. She kept it really close to the chest. Which makes sense. She was running around with half the school. She didn't want to make any of the other guys jealous. That was always her rule: nothing serious. She wouldn't go with a guy if she thought he was going to get serious about her."

"Which is pretty good advice, really," Courtney threw in. "Don't get too attached to anyone."

Chrysanthe and Alicia just managed not to roll their eyes. It had been apparent for a while that Courtney preferred to operate alone and had some hang-up against men in general. They didn't press her for information, but Alicia was slightly curious to know why Courtney was so adamant about doing things by herself all the time.

They ate in silence for a few seconds before Alicia spoke again. "Actually," she said to Chrysanthe, "I was hoping I could ask a favor."

"Oh?"

"I need a place to stay that week. June 9th through the 14th or 15th, at least. The Harpies are going to a training camp in Germany, and Ang will be away. She would rather I stayed with someone else, and I refuseto stay with the twins and Lee. Or my parents."

Chrysanthe's eyes lit up. "Oh! Of course. We can stay at my parents' place. They have plenty of room and it'll be just after exams. We can relax and enjoy the countryside a bit."

"That sounds nice." Alicia smiled. She glanced at Courtney, who was quietly listening. "Did you get an invitation to Bess's wedding?" she asked, trying to be polite.

Courtney's smile turned cold. "Definitely not. The Donelsons won't invite Slytherins. Oakfield's great-grandmother is a tyrant, sure, but she's adamantly against the Dark Lord."

"Not all Slytherins are Death Eaters," Chrysanthe said sharply. "If I'm being honest, I wouldn't peg you as one."

"Thanks." Courtney's face became expressionless. "But it doesn't stop others from being prejudiced or making assumptions. Mark my words— old lady Donelson won't invite Slytherins to that wedding. I suspect it'll be a bunch of Hufflepuffs, Gryffindors, and a few Ravenclaws. And it'll be over the top. She won't be outdone by anyone, giving her only great-granddaughter away to the Galbraiths."

"Which reminds me… we need killer gowns." Chrysanthe grinned at Alicia. "We can't afford Donelson-level stuff, but we should at least look amazing. The invitation said we should wear something in our house colors. That means you need to find something red and I need to find something yellow or black."

"Maybe I want something gold." Alicia grinned.

"No, no. Gold is too ostentatious. Red or burgundy for you, love."

Courtney arched an eyebrow. "Then you need to go with black, Hayden. Yellow will clash like hell with your hair."

Chrysanthe laughed. "Point taken, Vanhausen. Black it is."

A couple of Saturdays later, Alicia spent the day shopping forformalwear withChrysanthe and Karen in muggle London. She had to admit, it was a good distraction from the bad news and her studies. Chrysanthe and Karen weren't Angelina and Katie, but they were still fun to be around, and because Karen was a half-blood and Chrysanthe was dating a muggle-born, they didn't stand out as they shopped. They looked like normal muggle teenagers enjoying a day at the mall.

But halfway through the afternoon, as they were passing a store window full of trendy jeans, Karen asked, "Who are you taking to the wedding, Alicia?"

Alicia shook her head. "I'm going alone."

"But you can take a date," Karen said, surprised.

"I know. But I'd rather go by myself."

"What about Lee?"

Alicia snorted. "Absolutelynot." Lee, Fred, and George were the lastblokes she'd take to a wedding. Bloody hell, that would be a nightmare! Old lady Donelson would probably blackball Alicia for the rest of her life! She would almost bet it would be bollocks at Bill and Fleur's wedding in August, except that Mrs. Weasley would likely murder the twins if they messed things up.

Chrysanthe stopped beside the window of another formalwear store. They still hadn't found the perfect dresses yet. "What about Gil? You two agreed to be friends, right?"

"We did," Alicia said reasonably, "but I think it would be a bit awkward if we went to a weddingtogether after things didn't work out romantically between us. Don't you?"

Karen looked thoughtful. "Well, I'm sure he got an invitation. Bess always thought Gil was sweet. His parents will probably get one too, since his mother was… in the same house."

"But wasn't his father… wasn't he in a different house, though?" Alicia asked pointedly.

Chrysanthe frowned at her thoughtfully. "I know what Vanhausen said, that old lady Donelson wouldn't invite anyone from that house, but she's not quitecorrect. Donelson wouldn't invite any… DE's, if you get my drift. But there are some people from that house who don't think like that. Gil's father, for instance. He's nothing like Gil's grandfather. I can promise you, Donelson would neverinvite Gil's grandfather, and if the stories I've heard are true, the great arse will be livid about it." Her face darkened. "But she would invite both of Gil's parents, I think. She couldn't invite his mum and not his father."

Karen nodded. "Besides, Bess's great-grandmother will want all the wealthy and elite there who fit with their values, and Gil's parents certainly do."

"Merlin," Alicia muttered. "I'm going to feel soout of place."

Karen laughed and looped her arm through Alicia's. "You and me both, love. That's why we need to find amazing dresses. Come on."

As they stepped inside the store and walked up to the first rack, Chrysanthe looked up suddenly at Alicia and Karen. "Do you know who else definitely got an invitation?"

Alicia pulled out a red dress. It was a little too bright for her tastes, but she supposed she could try it on. "Who?" she asked, without really thinking.

"Adrian Pucey."

Alicia nearly dropped the gown. Her eyes snapped back to Chrysanthe'sand she sucked in a quick breath. "…what?"

Chrysanthe was watching her shrewdly. "He and Bess weregood friends. He was one of the guys she went around with during our sixth year, because she knew he wasn't going to get attached. I can guarantee you she'll invite him. I think she was closer to him than most of the other guys, actually. Adrian keeps secrets really well, and Bess appreciated that."

Alicia had already known that Pucey and Bess had a history between them, but for some reason, it stung a little bit now. Chrysanthe had told her in sixth year that Adrian and Bess had been involved to some extent, and it hadn't really bothered her back then. So… what the heck had changed? Why was she jealous all of a sudden?

And then she got angry at herself. Bess was madly in love with Conall Galbraith, not Adrian Pucey! Bess was marryingConall, damn it. It didn't matter if she'd snuck around with Adrian at Hogwarts!Surely Alicia wasn't jealous of Bess! That was just stupid!

Karen brought her out of those thoughts."Or, you could invite him to be yourdate."

"No! I couldn't!" Alicia blurted. She could feelthe heat in her cheeks.

Chrysanthe turned to Karen in surprise. "How do you know about them?"

Karen smirked. "I guessed back in September. Do you remember when things didn't work out between her and Gil, and she got drunk at the twins' party? Kenneth and I took her back to our place. She said she was having trouble getting over a guy she liked during our last year of school, and they had to hidethings. So I guessed it must be a pureblood Slytherin, and we all know there was only one fit, nice Slytherin in our class."

Chrysanthe burst out laughing. "Too true, that!" Then she turned back to Alicia, who was gaping at the both of them. "You've been exchanging um… animals, haven't you?"

Alicia sputtered. "I mean… yes… but it's just mundane conversation every night, just making sure each other is okay! It's not—"

Karen's smile was way too wicked. "Every night?"

Alicia was sure her face looked like a beacon."We're just friends," she insisted weakly. "Actually, I don't even know if we're friends, if I'm being honest. Acquaintances? We haven't seen each other since…"

"January?" Chrysanthe prodded. "And if I remember correctly, didn't you snog his brains out that night?"

Karen laughed. "Did she really? Good for you, 'Licia."

Alicia shoved the bright red dress back on the rack and hurried to the next rack. "I'm not going to invite Adrian. He still hasn't told me what he's been doing for the past year."

"Maybe that's a moot point," Chrysanthe said, following her. "Who cares what he's been doing? We know he's not a…" She glanced around before she whispered, "DE."

"Of course he's not," Alicia said, her teeth gritted. She reached for a pale pink dress. It was very feminine and pretty.

"Too pastel for you," Karen said, snatching it away from her and shoving it back on the rack. "You need something bolder. If you don't go withAdrian, at least make sure he noticesyou at the wedding!"

"Agreed," Chrysanthe said firmly. She grabbed Alicia's arm. "And at least make sure he leaves with you."

"That too," Karen added, falling in step on her other side.

"Adrian isn't going to leave with me," Alicia hissed, glaring between the two of them.

Chrysanthe grinned. "You never know. Oh, what about this one?" She pulled a short formal dress out from one of the racks. It was strapless, all burnished burgundy satin with a ruched waist. "Come on, go try it on and let's see."

Protesting against two determined Hufflepuffs was utterlyuseless. Alicia found herself thrust into a dressing room, and five minutes later, she stepped out wearing the short burgundy dress to see what it looked like in the mirror.

Karen stepped out of the next dressing room at the same time wearing a pale yellow silk slip dress, and immediately grinned. "Oh, that burgundy is perfect for you 'Licia! It looks just right with your hair!"

Alicia turned, admiring it from different angles. It fell above her knees, and it showed off two of her best physical features: her legs and her breasts. She said softly, "It is really nice. Do you think it's okay that it's short?"

"Of course!"

Chrysanthe stepped out then, wearing a black, fitted velvet dress that was shoulderless on one side. "Oh, Alicia! That's perfect!" She came up, leaned close to her ear, met her eyes in the dressing room mirror, and whispered conspiratorially, "When he sees you in this, he's going to want to pull you into the cloakroom and rip it off of you…"

Alicia hissed, "Oh my God, seriously?! I don't think we need to shag in the cloakroom of Galbraith Castle, Chrysanthe!"

Karen murmured sexily, "I'd do Kenneth in the cloakroom at Galbraith Castle." She turned to see what her dress looked like from the back, holding her long, ash-blonde hair up while looking over her shoulder. It was completely backless and it looked smashing on Karen.

Alicia blustered, "Of course you would! But you've been dating Kenneth for nearly a year and a half! I haven't seen Adrian but oncein the past year."

"Well," Chrysanthe said decidedly, "I love this one on you, Alicia. Make sure you wear your hair down, too. You know he likes you just need a pair of shoes to match."

"Or," Karen grinned, "Buy a pair of nude-colored heels and use your wand to change the color."

They all laughed at that. It was certainly the easiest option.

Shopping for dresses had been nice, and at least Alicia didn't have to worry about what she was going to wear to the wedding. But the finals for the Healer program were at the end of May, and Alicia needed to buckle down and study. Her scholarship rode on whether or not she retained top marks in every section, and if she wasn't at St. Mungo's in rotations, she had her nose in a book or her notes. It was far more intense than her N.E.W.T. year, and she hated that she didn't have Adrian as a form of stress relief.

In the midst of studying for finals, she and Angelina received a letter from Katie. If there was one thing that Alicia would put studying aside for, it was Katie. The final Quidditch game of the Hogwarts season was Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw, and even though Angelina had sent Professor McGonagall two owls, begging permission for her, Alicia, and Oliver to come watch, the answer had remained the same: absolutely not, Miss Johnson. Security around the school was tighter than ever, particularly with Katie's return. McGonagall and Dumbledore were not taking chances, not even for Katie's closest friends.

Of course, Quidditch never went the way anyone expected. A few days before the match, they received a letter from Katie, telling them that Harry had gotten involved in a duel with Draco Malfoy, nearly killed the Slytherin Seeker, and ended up with a lifetime's worth of detentions for it. He was damned lucky he wasn't expelled. None of that was terribly surprising, since Harry hated Draco and believed Draco was responsible for Katie's curse and Ron's poisoning, but it meant Harry couldn't play in the final game. Ginny was pulled from her position as Chaser to play Seeker, and Dean Thomas took Ginny's place as the third Chaser alongside Katie and Demelza Robins.

Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long for news. Katie wrote them a hurriedly scribbled note at some point after the match, which only said, "WE WON THE CUP!"

Merlin, it felt good to have even a bit of happy news, Alicia thought. She and Angelina had screamed, hugged each other, laughed, and decided to go out for drinks at the Gryphon. Angelina even went to Red's Wood and wheedled Ollie into joining them for an hour or two (his parents agreed he needed the break, though Oliver was highly reluctant to leave his family), and Alicia roped in the twins and Lee to help celebrate. Kenneth and Karen came as well, and they all had a great time. Even Oliver smiled once or twice, which was better than not at all.

But the next day, it was back to the grind. Alicia and Chrysanthe went into the Healer examinations as prepared as they could possibly be, and soon as those were over, Alicia packed her bags, asked Angelina to send her an owl as soon as she arrived in Germany, and Apparated to Danny's flat to meet Chrysanthe, who Apparated them to her parents' estate in Hertfordshire.

Hayden Park was a modest estate, but comfortable and beautiful. The large, symmetrical, pale golden, brick Georgian house was set back from the road down a short straight drive overhung with tall, leafy trees. The gardens were expansive and gorgeous. Both of Chrysanthe's parents were talented, well-known herbologists in the wizarding world who thoroughly enjoyed gardening and nature, and they used their property and greenhouses to cultivate different species of wizarding plants.

Jove Hayden was short and rotund, with a balding pate, sparkling sky blue eyes, and a cheerful countenance. His hair had once been blond, but what little was left had turned gray. Dahlia Ashworth Hayden was tall and willowy, with light brown hair streaked with gray,and a gentle smile. Both had been sorted into Hufflepuff when they had been at Hogwarts, and they welcomed Alicia into their home for the week before the wedding as if she was their daughter, too.

The day after she arrived at Hayden Park, Alicia received an owl from Angelina, letting her know that Angelina had arrived safely in Munich. Alicia breathed a sigh of relief, sent Angie an owl back to wish her luck with training, sent a second owl to her parents to let them know where she was for the week, and then focused on relaxing. It was heavenly to enjoy a few quiet days without worrying about studying or going to rotations.

The absolute best part about Hayden Park was that Alicia could fly. Alicia hadn't flown for months,and Merlin, but she missed it. It felt bloody brilliant to be on a broom again. Chrysanthe didn't enjoy flying as much, so Alicia woke early just to race over the grounds and weave between the groves of trees at breakneck speeds. She would spend at least an hour or two flying each morning, before going back inside to get a shower and join the Haydens for breakfast. Then, after breakfast, Alicia and Chrysanthe would spend time roaming the grounds together, enjoying the gardens and greenhouses. Alicia was a little envious — her parents' house was quite small with only a tiny backyard in an older, distinctly working class neighborhood. It would have been lovely to grow up in a place like Hayden Park, with space to fly and gardens to enjoy.

Three days after they arrived, they received owls with their final exam results. Alicia had not only passed everything, but retained the top spot in the program for the second term. It meant she would keep her scholarship going into the second year of the program, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Chrysanthe had done extremely well, too. Mr. Hayden celebrated by taking the two girls to a nearby pub for drinks, and when they returned home, Mrs. Hayden had arranged for a big dinner. She invited Danny to join them for the evening and they all had a grand time, laughing and enjoying each other's company.

They didn't do much the day of the wedding. They spent the morning in the gardens, but that afternoon, Alicia and Chrysanthe washed their hair, did their make-up, and got dressed in Chrysanthe's spacious, sunny bedroom. Danny was going to Apparate to Hayden Park at 4:15, and they were all going to Apparate to Galbraith Castle together at 4:20. Alicia was glad they weren't taking a portkey— she didn't want to land a spinning stop in high heels and a short formal dress.

She left her hair down, but Chrysanthe pulled one side back with a rhinestone barrette for her, and lightly curled the ends with her wand.

"Do you want me to do your hair?" Alicia asked.

"Nah, I'm just going to put mine up," Chrysanthe said, critically eyeing her own long, curly blonde hair in the vanity mirror. She waved her wand and the curls twisted into a messy, cute updo. "Oh," she added. "And I'll let my parents know that you probably won't be coming back with us tonight."

Alicia had justcharmed her cloak color to match her burgundy gown and heels, and was transfiguring the clasp into something more decorative, but at Chrysanthe's statement, she paused. "What? What are you on about? Why wouldn't I come back here?"

Chrysanthe gave her a look that distinctly unnerved Alicia before she said evasively, "Because my woman's intuition tells me that there is no way in bloody hellthat Adrian Pucey is going to let you leave that reception alone, Spinnet."

Alicia groaned. "Chrysanthe! He may not even go!"

"Oh, he'll be there. He and Bess were too good of friends for him notto it occurred to me that he may not realize you'llbe there. And I can't wait to see his face when he sees you." Chrysanthe's expression was truly wicked.

"You find far too much enjoyment in this kind of thing," Alicia muttered.

Chrysanthe only smirked and conjured a yellow daisy to affix to her hair. "I have to find enjoyment somewhere."

Adrian was one of the very few people who knew that Bess Oakfield had been in love with Conall Galbraith since she'd been a child.

Bess had been extremely popular at Hogwarts,never settling on one guy and never actually dating anyone. Shesawboys, yes, but she didn'tdatethem, and all of theguys thought she was fit —including Adrian. Bess was the sort of girl who could drink with guys, tell raunchy jokes, hex your arse off, and yet happily style another girl's hair in the latest fashion just to be nice. Her own long, curly brown hair was always perfect — whether up in a ponytail or hanging down her back or windswept like she'd just gotten off a broom — and her robes and uniform were always flawless, too.

Adrian's personal experiences with Bess had come at a time when he was pining for Alicia during his sixth-year and didn't think there was any possible way he could be with her. Bess had been a distraction — but it had been her idea, not his. She saw what he desperately hoped others would never notice: the minute glances Adrian spared for Alicia in prefect meetings or across the library.

He hadn't wanted to confide in Bess initially, because he didn't wantanyoneto know where his secret feelings strayed, but Bess had offered him an opportunity. Friends with benefits, she'd said. Nothing more. She didn't fancy him, and he was absolutelynot allowed to fancy her— end of discussion — and they would keep each other's secrets, no questions asked. Adrian had only agreedin hopes that he would forget Alicia. That hadn't happened, and Bess had told him he was a right daft prat if he had expected to forget Alicia in the first place. She had been right, of course.

And, throughout the year, he'd gradually learned more about Bess Oakfield than just the fact that she was that year's very fit Head Girl who enjoyed a good shag. He learned that Bess's great-grandmother, the formidable and slightly terrifying family matriarch, had disowned Bess's grandmother, after Grizel Donelson ran away with an English Muggle-born wizard in the 1940's. The fact that the bloke was Muggle-born wasn't the issue; the problem was that he was English. Enraged, the very Scottish Jamisina Donelson had cut her daughter Grizel out of her life completely.

Until, of course, it became apparent that Jamisina had no heirs to carry on the Donelson family legacy and fortune.

Grizel and her husband had one son — Barry Oakfield, who was a half-blood, and Barry and his pureblood Scottish wife Colleen Proudfoot Oakfield had two children: Bess, and her older brother Beathan. Jamesina agreed to welcome Barry into the Scottish branch of the family, if he was willing to take over as manager of the Donelson estate under her hand. Barry had agreed, only because he saw opportunities for his son and daughter that would otherwise be denied. But Bess's grandmother, Grizel, was livid. The bargain did not include welcoming herback.

It meant that Bess had grown up in Scotland from her infancy; Beathan had been only three at the time. They were groomed to be the heirs to the Donelson fortune.

Adrian had kept her secrets and she had kept his, and he was thankful for that. It was why he had received a personal invitation to her wedding.

His parents, on the other hand, received a general wedding invitation from Bess's great-grandmother, because a wedding between two prominent pureblood families such as the Donelsons and the Galbraiths required other prominent wizarding families to be present. Though, she would at least make certain no Death Eaters were on the list. That was a relief.

As he came down the grand staircase of Pucey Villa that Saturday afternoon, his mother beamed at him from the front entry. "Oh,mon fils, that does look nice on you," she said, eyeing his three-piece suit. "Le cravat vertbrings out your eyes."

"So Salsby says." Adrian cringed. The waistcoat was probably a bit much, but the Donelsons would expect things like that. "Where is Att?"

"Right behind you," his brother Adrian, he was wearing a black suit and a green-blue cravat. Alania had always implored her sons to wear colors that brought out their eyes, but Bess wanted everyone to wear dress robes or formalwear in their house colors for the wedding, so Atticus had to wear something green, even if his mother would have preferred him to wear blue.

He and Bridget had arrived the night before by portkey. Bridget ate dinner with them, but then Apparated to Scotland on Saturday morning to visit with her family before the wedding. She was going to Apparate to Galbraith Castle with the rest of the MacMillans and had promised to save seats for the Puceys.

Adrian's father frowned. "We're going to be late if we don't hurry. Our Apparation time is 4:10."

Alexander wasn't one for socializing like Alania. He would probably want to leave the reception as soon as possible, which was not their mother's style. As for Adrian, he planned to stay a while, regardless. He suspected there would be a lot of people there that he would enjoy seeing again. Over the past summer, Dumbledore's orders had kept him in circles he otherwise detested, and since October, he had mostly stayed home to avoid running into anyone, except for the few times he had gone into Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade for his mother, and searching for safehouses for the Order. It would be nice to see non-Death Eaters and people who didn't cling to blood purity for a change, and to catch up with classmates he'd known in other houses while at school.

Adrian glanced at his parents as he adjusted his cuffs and Salsby handed him his cloak. His father was wearing dark green dress robes, but his mother was wearing a stunning, long, flouncy, layered chiffon gown in fresh mint, which left her shoulders completely bare and fastened behind her neck. She took a matching cloak from Cressy and swung it around her.

Smiling at her husband and sons andopening the door with her wand, she said, "Well then. Shall we?"

Galbraith Castle was not the largest castle in Scotland by any means, but to Alicia, it looked massive when they Apparated in front of it at their arrival time. The second thing she noticed was that it was chilly in the Highlands and she was glad she had her cloak. Chrysanthe's father cast a charm around the five of them to keep the wind from blowing their hair and clothing too much as they made their way through the huge drawbridge and past several of Conall's male relatives, who were standing guard and welcoming guests. The Galbraiths were staunch supporters of Dumbledore, and they were being very cautious.

Once inside, they were allowed to leave their cloaks in the cloakroom, which was quite honestly as large as at least half the downstairs of Alicia's parents' house. And, much to her consternation, all she could think about was whatChrysanthe had said while they had been shopping for dresses, about shagging in the bloody cloakroom. As she hung her cloak up on one of the many hooks on the stone walls, her mind immediately pictured Adrian pinning her to the bloody wall, hiking her skirt up while thrusting his tongue down her throat, and sliding his hands over her thighs to her arse.

Alicia blushed furiously. Merlin, she had to stop thinking about things like that; she was at Bess's wedding, damn it! She resolutely pushed the image to the back of her brain, took a deep breath, and followed the Haydens through the castle to the inner courtyard, where the wedding would be held.

A huge white sail had been spread above the courtyard to keep the elements off, and extensive charms had been placed to keep the entire space warm and dry. White chairs had been set up on either side of a center aisle, and the altar at the front was overflowing with white and yellow flowers— yellow in every shade imaginable. Urns around the perimeter of the courtyard were also full of yellow, white, and occasional red flowers. Alicia couldn't even fathom what the two families had spent on this wedding.

As they moved down the center aisle to find seats, Chrsyanthe nudged her into an empty row. Alicia nodded in response and began shifting down between the chairs, when she heard Dahlia Hayden speak somewhere behind her.

"— it's so good to see you! How are you?"

Another woman replied brightly, "Exceptional, thank you! Is this your daughter? Goodness, she is stunning!"

"Yes, this is Chrysanthe! And her good friend, Alicia Spinnet; they're in the Healer program together. Alicia is a scholarship student—I'm sure you know that already, though."

Alicia immediately turned around to face the conversation and smiled, since Mrs. Hayden was introducing her to someone. To her slight surprise, thewoman that Chrysanthe's mother had been talking to was absolutely beautiful. Though she was seated, Alicia could tell she was tall and slender, and she was wearing a resplendent chiffon gown in crisp mint, revealing what house she had been in at Hogwarts. Her gorgeous raven black hair was twisted in a fancy updo and she had the most striking, dark blue eyes Alicia had ever seen. But she also had an intense, arrested expression across her features — something between surprise, awe, intrigue, and wicked delight, perhaps? That was odd. Alicia wondered why.

Then, unconsciously, Alicia's eyes flickered from the beautiful woman to the handsome young man sitting next to her, and her world suddenly slipped out from under her.