Chapter Thirty Nine
29th March- 2008
Danica woke up on the morning of her wedding day to find red rose petals raining down on her bed. She smiled as the heavily scented flower petals fluttered over her arms and head.
"Good morning sunshine." Lily said, poking her head round the door, "Oh wow."
"This wasn't you?" Danica asked as the rose petals slowed to a stop.
Lily shook her head, "Nope, not me. There's a note though." she pointed to the pillow by Danica's head.
Danica pushed herself up so she was sitting and brushed the petals off the small card.
'To my dearest love,
A beautiful flower to wake you on our wedding day.
All my love
Your Daniel'
"He is sweet." Lily smiled, sitting herself down on the edge of Danica's bed.
"I never thought I could be so happy." Danica grinned, blushing slightly.
Lily stroked a hand down her daughter's cheek, wondering when the little girl who demanded ice cream every time they went anywhere that could possibly sell ice cream had gotten so grown up.
"You ok mum?" Danica asked.
Lily nodded, blinking the tears of happiness away, "Of course. Just… remembering."
Danica shuffled so she could lean her head on her mother's shoulder, "Put it to good use and tell me about your weddings."
Lily laughed, some things never changed, Danica had and always would, love hearing wedding stories.
"My first wedding was in a local church. I wore a dress I'd found in a charity shop because I'd fallen in love with it. James wore the robes he'd worn when we were given the title of head boy and girl. Uncle Sirius was there, of course. And a few other close friends but not many people as it was during the war." Lily told her, "I carried white lilies and had lots of greenery in my bouquet. My wedding to your dad was bigger. I got a brand new dress that Sirius insisted he pay for. Harry looked so cute in his first set of dress robes. I carried roses and bluebells… we could have more people there as well. Both were completely perfect, in their own way."
Danica smiled, breathing in the relaxing scent of Lily's perfume.
"Come on you, up you get. Your bath is run, Beatrice is downstairs making your breakfast." Lily told her, "I think she's planning on making enough pancakes to feed the entire wedding."
Danica laughed, climbing out of bed and stretching, her nightdress falling back into place as she did so.
She'd stayed at her parents house on the Potter estate for the last few days. Daniel had planned on a few decorating projects in their house and wanted everything to be perfect for her when she returned once they were married. Besides, it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding.
Danica wondered into the bathroom and slipped the nightdress off, leaving it in the laundry basket by the door.
The large bath was already filled with bubbles that had left the room smelling sweetly like flowers. There was a large mirror that stretched over the length and width of one wall, giving Danica a detailed chance to look over her face and hair.
Daphne had promised that Danica didn't need to do anything to prepare her hair for the intricate hair do she had planned, so her hair currently hung in two plaits either side of her face.
She climbed into the bath, hot to the point of turning her skin bright pink, just the way she liked it and leaned back, allowing her mind to empty.
An hour later she was downstairs, wrapped in a fluffy dressing gown, her hair wrapped in a towel to dry it.
Beatrice served them all tall stacks of American style pancakes, covered in butter and maple syrup. Danica ate hungrily, occasionally having to adjust her hair towel to stop it all from falling onto her syrup covered plate.
"That was amazing, thank you Beatrice." Lily said, taking the plate through to the kitchen sink.
"You're very welcome." Beatrice grinned, "I might not be the best cook in the world but pancakes, pancakes I can do."
"I'll say." Danica laughed, checking the time.
"Don't worry. Daphne will be here any minute." Lily said, giving Danica's shoulder a comforting squeeze.
As if on queue Daphne arrived and took Danica through to her room.
Two hours later, between Beatrice and Daphne Danica had been primped and polished to nothing short of perfection.
Daphne had curled and pinned her hair into an elegant bun made from ringlets, before covering it in several layers of magical hairspray.
They'd smoothed several bottles of creams and serums over Danica's face before giving her a subtle make up base. Danica had watched as the layers of eye shadow had been added, making her eyes look bigger and smokey before finishing the look with a dark red lipstick.
Daphne had then helped Beatrice with her own make-up, and Lily's before leaving to meet them at the venue.
Beatrice pulled on the copper and black bridesmaid dress before asking Lily to help her with the corset back.
Once Lily and Beatrice were both dressed, Lily wearing a matching copper dress suit, they helped Danica into her wedding dress of white silk tulle and copper lace. Finally putting the long, white lace veil over her black hair.
"If you cry Mrs Snape, you will make your make-up run." Beatrice warned.
"I can't help it." Lily sniffed, "Look at you." she pulled Danica into a hug.
"Oh wow…" Severus said, stepping into the room, "I…" he felt emotion choke his words as tears brimmed in his own eyes.
Thankfully the pocket of his copper robes had a neat black handkerchief that he used to dab his eyes dry.
"You approve?" Danica asked, giving him a twirl.
"You look so beautiful." Severus promised her, "Just as beautiful as your mother did."
"Thank you daddy." Danica said, pulling him into a hug, "We're going to be late if we don't get going." she laughed.
A few minutes later they were standing in a local park. It was beautiful, filled with trees and a stream that ran through it.
The venue was a ten minute carriage ride away, meaning the park was popular with magical and non-magical people on their way to get married.
Harry and Cho were waiting by the huge, white Cinderella carriage, pulled by six impressive black horses. Their hooves as big as a dinner plate.
Caihong and Jee-Yun were waiting in their flower girl dresses. Both matched Danica's dress only were shorter and slightly less puffy so the girls could run and play later on.
"Are we all here?" the carriage driver asked, checking his clipboard as they approached, "I have Beatrice, Lily, Severus, Caihong and two Danicas?"
"This is Caihong and the little Danica, although everyone calls her Jee-Yun, or just Jee." Cho explained.
The carriage driver nodded and made a note on the clipboard, "Do you want to ride with the children? We could probably squish you in."
Cho smiled, "No that's ok. Looking forward to the walk and you guys will be ok with Granny, yeah?"
Jee reached for Lily clenching her fists in excitement. Lily laughed and took her granddaughter, who immediately snuggled into the crook of her neck.
The driver checked the list again before helping everyone into the carriage. Danica got in last, Severus sitting next to her with Lily and Beatrice sitting opposite so they were travelling backwards, Caihong and Jee ridding on their laps.
Several people stopped and waved as they past, Danica and the girls waving back excitedly. The girls not really understanding why they were in the carriage, let alone why people kept waving to them.
They arrived at the grand early Victorian house, its walls covered with branches of ivy and trailing roses.
Lily and Beatrice climbed down from the carriage first, carefully helping Caihong and Jee-Yun down and straightening their dresses out.
Severus stepped down, reaching up his hand to help Danica down. She gratefully took her father's hand and stepped down, her small heeled, Victorian boots in white leather and copper lace, clicking slightly as she stepped on the metal worked step.
Lily went to the entrance of the house and collected the bouquets for Beatrice and Danica, as well as the matching buttonhole for Severus and the flower crowns for her young granddaughters.
Harry and Cho arrived shortly after they had, Harry also fixing his buttonhole into place on his smart dress robes.
"You look really beautiful little sister." Harry smiled, hugging Danica tightly, "And make sure that Daniel knows if he ever hurts you they'll never find the body."
Danica laughed, rolling her eyes, "I love you too. Now go and get your seats so you don't make me late for my grand entrance."
Harry grinned and hugged her once more before taking Cho's hand and walking into the building. Lily followed him in, also taking the time to give her daughter a tight hug first.
"Ready?" Beatrice asked.
The music from inside drifted slowly out to them, and Danica knew that her queue was only a few seconds away.
She nodded, getting Severus and Beatrice to help her cover her face with her veil, before taking Severus's steadying arm and walking through the grand door.
Inside the large entrance hall had been decorated with hundreds of flowers, filling the room with a heady perfume.
Rows of chairs, covered with black cloths and copper sashes formed an aisle down the middle of the room, the floor covered in a red carpet.
Caihong held tightly to her little sister's hand as they started down the aisle. She knew what she had to do, walk to grandma who was waiting for them at the end, next to uncle Daniel.
She took a deep breath and smiled, holding the basket of white rose petals between them, her and Jee-Yun walked slowly down the aisle, scattering the flower petals as they went.
Jee-Yun was still not entirely steady on her feet but made it to the end, where Lily scooped her up and congratulated both girls on how brilliantly they'd done.
Beatrice made one final check that the train on Danica's dress and veil were perfectly straight before taking her place behind her school friend as the music of the bridal procession began.
Daniel fought the urge to turn round and see Danica. He could hear her walking slowly, many people behind him awwing as she walked past, several cameras snapping pictures every few seconds.
Their fingers interlaced the second they were within reach of one another, giving each other just a second of reassurance.
"Welcome all." The officiant said, smiling broadly as he motioned for them all to sit.
Severus carefully moved the veil from Danica's face, giving her a soft kiss on the cheek and hoping she didn't spot the tears in his eyes.
"Thank you Daddy." Danica whispered, pulling him in for a hug.
Severus smiled and took his seat next to the rest of his ever growing family.
There was a deep peace that settled over the wedding. Several people stood to read poems or readings for the happy couple. Danica and Daniel looking almost etherial throughout the ceremony.
After a little under and hour, they had exchanged matching silver rings, both carved with two D's forming a heart.
Daniel felt his heart soar as his lips met with Danica's and the hundred people around them started to clap and cheer.
After two rounds of drinks, small nibbles being taken around on silver trays by very smartly dressed waiters, their white tie suits finished with dark copper pocket squares, as well many, many photographs, Danica was very grateful to be sitting at the long top table, having a salad with hot chicken strips as they started the meal.
Once the last of the plate from pudding, an Eton mess with rich cream and piled with fresh strawberries, had been cleared away, Severus stood to begin the speeches.
"Hello, firstly I would like to welcome you all. Thank you so much for coming, for experiencing this, truly amazing day with us and helping my wonderful daughter celebrate her wedding." Severus said clearly and confidently, "Thank you, also, for helping us to welcome Daniel into our family. As I am sure Daniel is aware of by now, we are a bit of a strange family, and we have certainly had a few ups and downs, never the less, we all welcome you with open arms and hope that you will be very happy with us. I would be amiss in not toasting those who could not be here with us today, and am sure they are with us in thought, and certainly in love. Love is a big theme, understandably, for today. I was worried when Danica confided in us that she was very serious about Daniel, that she was planning on moving in with him and shortly after that, telling us they were thinking of getting married. I need not have worried though, seeing the two of them together you would have to be blind or stupid to think there was any doubt in their love and commitment to one another. Danica is, and always has been, one of the shining lights in my life. Helping to raise her and her brother Harry is the thing I am most proud of. They are my shining joy and I could not be prouder of them both. Danica has fought through a lot in her life and she deserves every happiness that the world can possibly throw at her. And with that, before I bore you all completely to death, I will ask you all to raise your glasses to the happy couple. To Daniel and Danica Phelps."
Danica blushed slightly, leaning into Daniel and giving him another kiss as everyone clapped around them.
Once the traditional speeches were over and Daniel's best man, his friend Andrew, sat back down having left everyone crying with laughter, Danica stood up.
She smiled, waiting for the guests to settle themselves.
"I would like to do my bouquet toss." She smiled, a slightly mischievous smile gracing her lips, "Daniel proposed to me at Harry and Cho's new year's eve party and I figured that now, I would pass on that moment of being asked to spend your life with someone you love while not only all dressed up for the occasion, but also surrounded by your family and friends. So…"
She walked over to Neville and handed him her bouquet.
Neville grinned and turned to face Odette, gracefully dropping down off the chair and onto one knee.
"Odette, please don't kill me for them but I want you to have everything, and that includes a fairy tale proposal. You are such an amazing person, you've fitting into a hole in my life I didn't even know was there. Would you do me the honour of spending the rest of my life trying to make you as happy as you make me? Will you be my wife?" Neville asked, holding the bouquet out to her in one hand, the other holding his three times great-grandmother's wedding ring, recently polished with a fourth gem added to mark the new proposal it had been used in.
Odette gasped, covering her mouth with her long fingers hands, "Yes! Yes of course I will marry you!"
Neville stood up and kissed Odette, slipping the ring onto her finger.
"Zank you, Danica." Odette smiled, a light blush on her cheeks, "Zhis is amazing!"
Danica hugged her, "You are very welcome."
Daniel walked down and wrapped an arm around his new bride, "We should go and get ready for our first dance, Mrs Phelps."
Danica laughed, "I'll race you to the room."
They changed quickly. Danica slipping on her dress for the evening. It was still ivory and copper lace but a shorter ballet length and slightly looser fitting.
There was a tap on the window, surprising Danica as they were on the third floor. She wondered over, even more surprised to see a Ministry owl sitting on the window box filled with flowers waiting for her.
The old iron window creaked slightly as Danica opened it, taking the letter from the owl, watching it soar off into the darkening sky.
She opened it, her eyes scanning the letter as a deep sense of hope filled her chest, making her cry slightly at the strength of the feeling.
'To Miss Danica Snape,
We hope that this letter finds you well. Thank you for being understanding in our need to look over your request carefully and consider all possible results of your proposal.
After said careful consideration we have found you an office space for no less than four years, at which time the department will be reassessed. This office space is on the fourth floor, room 273. We have also agreed on a small budget for your new department, details of which are inclosed but it is roughly enough to employ two lower level staff. Extra funding options are allowed, details of which are also inclosed over leaf.
We would like to offer congratulations on the acceptance of your proposal and wish you all the best in your future work.
Yours sincerely,
Rosalind Davidson,
Secretary to the Minister for Magic'
"Are you alright my love?" Daniel asked, wondering over.
Danica nodded, "Yes… yes I really am. Look."
Daniel looked over the letter and smiled, "I always knew that you'd get it."
She smiled, nodding and taking several much needed calming breaths, "I'm not giving up. This will make a change. I'm going to make it so that no other child gets rejected for something as stupid as being a werewolf."
Daniel pulled her into his chest, "I have every faith that you will. You have no idea just how amazing you are."
In that moment, Danica really did feel invincible, "Come dance with me?"
Daniel nodded, "Always."