O

APHRODITE

Love

April

Hope, no longer plagued by vivid nightmares, found she had a new distraction when the summer term came about.

"Who's that?" she enquired, looking across the grounds to where James Potter was sitting by the lake, stretched out in the sun, next to another boy she was certain she'd never seen before.

"Who?"

"That guy who's sitting with James."

Roxanne looked over and then back at her friend in astonishment.

"Have you been living under a rock since the start of the year, Hope?"

Hope supposed she had been, in some ways, what with her fears about Greyback and guilt over her attitude towards her parents. "Maybe," she acknowledged. "I don't recognise him. Who is he?"

"Adam Towler," Roxanne replied. "He transferred from Ilvermorny after Christmas." She lowered her voice. "I know what happened – Dad told me, because he and Mum knew Adam's dad at school - but don't spread it around, yeah?"

Hope agreed at once. She loved a bit of gossip.

"His dad's Welsh and went to Hogwarts, but his mum's from America," Roxanne said. "They've lived in America for years but then his parents split up. Adam came back to Britain with his dad, even though his brother has stayed out in The States with their mum."

Hope stared over at Adam. She wondered if she would ever be willing to leave Teddy behind. Then she tried to imagine her parents splitting up and having to pick who she lived with. She couldn't. Her parents were her parents. They were a unit. The prospect of them living their lives in two separate worlds was simply unfathomable.

"That's a shame," she said, but Adam, from what she could see, didn't look too unhappy. He was laughing along with James, showing very white, even teeth.

"He wasn't hanging out with James before, though," she mused.

"No, that does seem to be a recent development," Roxanne concurred. Her dark eyes sparkled. "Liking what we see, are we?"

"No," Hope said at once, morphing away the blush that was threatening to spread over her cheeks.

Roxanne and Dom exchanged amused glances behind her back.

O

Whatever she might have told her friends, Hope couldn't help but notice Adam almost daily after that, and was delighted when a chance to speak with him came about a few weeks later.

She and Dom were sitting in the courtyard discussing their recent quidditch match against Slytherin, which, although hadn't secured them the cup, had brought them a lot closer to winning it, when she saw James and Adam settle themselves down on the bench across from them.

"That reminds me," she said casually, trying not to betray her instant leap of delight. "I have a package to give to James."

Dom raised her eyebrows. "You mean the one that came this morning, that you've been carrying round in your bag all day?"

Dom always saw right through her. She was smiling though.

"Go on then. Here's your chance to talk to him. I'll wait here."

Hope didn't move. "But - but you have to come with me."

Dom seemed to find this amusing, but consented to accompany Hope over towards the two boys.

James looked up at them as they approached and flicked his dark hair out of his eyes. He had been irritating Hope recently. Having gained several inches in height over the year, an improved haircut and a more muscular frame due to his training as part of the Gryffindor reserve team, he was now generating a large amount of attention from girls all over the school. Hope, unimpressed, thought he was behaving like an arrogant piece of crap.

"What do you want?" he demanded, as they reached him. Hope glared at him. Twat.

"I've got a parcel for you, haven't I, dungbrains?" She instantly regretted her choice of tone and words and found that she had to morph away another flush of colour from her face. She had wanted Adam to think that she was cool and sophisticated, not a five-year-old.

"From Teddy," she added, in her normal voice, digging it out of her bag. "He was in Madrid for a research conference and he picked up some Aguilas quidditch stuff for you."

James did at least have the grace to look ashamed of himself. "Thanks," he muttered, taking the parcel. "This is Adam, by the way. Adam, this is my cousin Dom and my sort-of-cousin-but-not-blood-relative Hope."

Adam smiled. "I've heard a lot about you."

Hope sensed Dom stiffen beside her and knew this was the first test. As much as she would like to get to know Adam, if he was rude or cold to Dom, as a lot of people were, then it was game over.

"I saw you both fly in the last match!" he went on. "Slytherin didn't stand a chance against you two."

Dom seemed to relax. James snorted as he unwrapped his parcel to inspect the contents.

"The season's not over yet!" he reminded them. "Everyone else has another match to play, remember."

"Yes," Hope acknowledged. "But no one is undefeated this year, so it will come down to points difference in the end. We're leading on that front."

Adam shook his head. "I doubt anyone will fly well enough to catch you up now. I've never seen so many goals scored in a school match. Not even at Ilvermorny. You were awesome."

Hope tried to arrange her face in a modest expression and Dom shrugged.

"Cal should have most of the credit," she said. "He's been a great captain the last two years."

"He's leaving next year though," Hope said. "Then Dom will be captain. She'll be just as good."

"It won't matter," James declared, pinning a red and black quidditch badge that he had extracted from the parcel onto his robes. The eagle logo on it cocked its head. "Whatever happens this year, Gryffindor are definitely going to win next year, so captain or not, I'm afraid your victory streak is about to be cut short."

"Whatever," Hope said. Then, not sure what else to say and not wanting to appear lost for words in front of Adam, added, "We've got to go, see you around."

She couldn't help grinning from ear to ear as they went on their way. Adam had noticed her flying. He had said she was good! Awesome, even.

"Speaking of Cal," she added to Dom, deciding this was a good enough moment to probe. "What's going on there, with you two?"

Dom shook her head and averted her eyes. "Nothing."

Hope was unconvinced.

"But you were getting on so well and he seems to like you. You like him too, don't you?"

Dom chewed a fingernail, still avoiding her gaze. "He's leaving next year, and planning on going to work in America. There's no point liking him at all."

oOo

May

Hope found that she was falling into more frequent daydreams about Adam as the term wore on, dreaming up increasingly unrealistic scenarios in which they might run into each other, how she might react, impress him, make him laugh...

Of course, when the situation did present itself, one afternoon as she was heading into the grounds after History of Magic class, she found herself at a complete loss at what to say.

"Hope!"

She turned and her stomach did a backflip as she saw Adam hurrying along the corridor towards her.

"You dropped this!" he said, holding out a book.

Hope hesitated for a fraction of a second. The book was actually Marion's, but that might be embarrassing for Adam if she told him.

"Thanks," she said, taking it and putting it in her bag. "Err.. yeah. Thanks! Cool."

She cringed internally. After all her imagined conversations with Adam, how ridiculous that she now couldn't think of a single interesting sentence.

Say something funny.

Nothing came to mind.

"Quidditch cup safely yours then, after Saturday?" Adam enquired, and Hope nodded, relieved at the conversation lead. Quidditch was easy to talk about.

"Yes! No one can catch up now."

"I did tell you. Seriously, your flying's incredible. Have you been on the team since you started Hogwarts?"

"Since last year," Hope replied. "You don't stand much chance getting on the team as a first year. Unless you're Harry Potter of course."

"James' dad?" Adam enquired. "He played quidditch too?"

About to reply, Hope's attention was suddenly caught by the sight of Dom, who was immersed in an intense conversation with Cal in the entrance hall. Even as Hope looked towards them, Dom shook her head and walked away, her face crumpled. Cal watched her go, visibly distressed, before departing in the opposite direction.

The urge to stay and talk to Adam (and no doubt generate more compliments about her flying ability) was overwhelming, but Hope knew she was a better friend than that.

"Sorry," she said to Adam. "I'm sorry, I have to go and speak to Dom. Thanks for picking up my book."

"Yeah... no problem. See you-"

Hope was already on her way. She caught up with Dom at the foot of a staircase.

"Dom!"

Dom turned, hastily wiping her hand across her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Hope felt bewildered. It was clearly not nothing. A couple more tears were glimmering on Dom's lashes.

"Come on, it's me. You can tell me. Did Cal upset you?"

"No," Dom said at once. "Of course not. I - I don't want to talk about it Hope. Not now. Maybe another time."

As she so often did when Dom became closed and secretive, Hope let the matter drop, feeling concerned.

oOo

June

Dom continued to be mysterious about Cal and Hope gave up trying to ask her what was going on. As for Adam, she did not run in to him again by chance at all, and certainly didn't have the nerve to seek him out for the sake of talking to him. But it was hard to forget the subject of romance all together. June had come, exams had finished, and with that time of year came an added excitement for those in third year and above - the summer solstice Hogsmeade visit, the absolute favourite of the year. Keen to get as much Hogwarts business before the holidays, merchants always lined the streets with outdoor stalls, playing music and giving out free samples. Best of all, the curfew for students getting back to school was several hours later than usual.

Hope had assumed that she would be going to this with Dom and Roxanne, as always, until she overheard Elodie one night in the dormitory.

"Who are you going on the Hogsmeade visit with?" Elodie asked Natalie and Marion as she brushed out her thick, curly hair before bed.

"Going with?" Marion stared at her blankly. "I - I thought we were all going together?"

Elodie laughed. "I'll be going with Jack. No offence, but I don't want you tagging along, do I?"

Marion looked even more anxious. "We have to go with a date?"

"You don't have to," Elodie said. "It's cool to, isn't it? But don't worry. I'm sure some people won't have one, so you won't be the only one."

She shot Hope a very pointed look, and Hope glared back at her, but inside there was a certain sense of disquiet. No one had said anything to her about needing a date.

"That's absolute rubbish," Roxanne declared the next day. "You definitely don't need a date. Loads of people get together at the end of the year for the sake of it. But it's way more fun without."

"Easy to say when you have a boyfriend," Dom muttered.

"You mean Dorian? Urgh, not any more," Roxanne scoffed. "He was being super annoying so we're over now. I'm not wasting my last Hogsmeade visit of the year on him."

"So we can go just the three of us?" Dom brightened at this. "That will be fun then."

"Unless you have plans to go with someone else?" Roxanne said pointedly, but Dom's instant glower demonstrated that she was still not willing to discuss Cal, and Roxanne turned to Hope at once. "What about you? Adam won't have been to a solstice visit before either. Perfect match!"

Hope's imagination went into overdrive for a second as she pictured Adam's laughing face as they wandered round Hogsmeade together. It would be kind of fun to have a date. But...

"We've only spoken properly twice," she said firmly to Roxanne. "It would be weird to ask him out and anyway, I want to go with you two. Friends come first."

O

A week later, Hope woke up abruptly in the middle of the night. At first, she couldn't work out what had roused her. Elodie and Natalie were whispering together, but they often did that, nattering away long into the early hours of the morning, while Marion snored peacefully and Hope blocked it out and went to sleep. She had always been a deep sleeper, nightmares aside, and a few whispers didn't usually bother her at all.

She shifted onto her side, her eyes adjusting to the bright light, moonlight, that was seeping in through the window. It was the full moon.

That would be it then. She knew the habitual swell of sadness for her father, curled up alone in their cellar at home. Used to it he may be, but to have to experience that month on month, year after year. She prayed that Teddy's research would soon provide a permanent cure.

There would be no going back to sleep for a while now. She wondered what Elodie and Natalie were saying. She knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but she had never been able to help adopting James Potter's philosophy, that if people were talking within extendable earshot, then they shouldn't be surprised if people heard what they were saying. It was surely mindless crap that no one really cared about. Dismissing a prickle of guilt, Hope reached for an extendable ear from the disorderly pile of belongings next to her bed.

"…getting so boring," Elodie was saying as she put it in her ear. "And like, I think I can do better, you know?"

As Hope had expected. Mind numbing chatter about her latest boyfriend. About to pull the string back out of her ear, she stopped at Elodie's next words.

"I might dump him and get together with Towler. He's more in my league, I reckon."

Adam. Hope seethed internally. Surely Adam would never go for someone like Elodie? But then, Elodie was pretty, whatever else, and she had toned down her outright unkindness over the last year or so. A lot of boys chased after her like flies to a honeypot.

"Definitely," Natalie said. Hope wondered if Natalie ever dared disagree with her.

"I'll ask him to go with me on the Hogsmeade trip. Then maybe you could get with Potter and we can double date."

Potter? Hope's interest intensified. Maybe this was worth listening to after all.

"What you talking about?" Natalie's reply was very sharp.

"Come onn," Elodie was tittering under her breath. "I saw what you wrote in your notepad. Natalie Potter. With the pink swirly hearts."

"What were you going through my notebook for?"

"To see if your homework was in there," Elodie hissed. "I didn't know there would be private stuff in it, did I? Like your secret desire to become part of the Potter family."

Natalie did not answer.

"I'm joking," Elodie sighed at last. "Come on Nat, I tell you who I fancy, what does it matter? And just 'cos I think the Potters are full of crap doesn't mean you have to. James is kind of cute, especially since doing all that beater training."

Ew, Hope thought. James Potter is not cute.

"I bet I can make it happen," Elodie continued. "You're a bit prettier than the girls in his year, and he isn't going out with anyone right now."

Hope smirked to herself in the darkness. Elodie was deluded. As if James would ever, ever go out with Natalie. He might be arrogant beyond belief at the moment, but he came through for family when it mattered, and he too despised Elodie and her friend for how they had treated his cousin the previous year.

"Nah, I'm good," Natalie mumbled.

"Why not?"

"You know… it's fine…"

"You're not bothered about Hopeless, are you? She barely hangs out with him at the moment. Bet he got sick of her too!"

"Shh," Natalie said, as Hope rolled her eyes at the dark ceiling, far too used to Elodie's jibes to care.

"Oh, like she's awake. An earthquake wouldn't wake her up."

"Yeah but still. Anyway, it's not that. I don't fancy James. I don't even like him."

"Then why were you doodling his-"

Elodie broke of and gave a snort. It seemed she had clapped her hand over her mouth to stop herself from making too much noise. Marion stirred a little but didn't wake.

"No!"

"What?"

"You don't fancy Albus?"

Albus? Surely not? But there was no reply from Natalie. Muffled snorts of mirth were still coming from Elodie's bed.

"Albus Potter? Seriously Nat? James, I understood, but not Albus!"

"Why not?" Natalie sounded very defensive.

"He's way younger than you, for starters."

"No he's not," Natalie protested. "His birthday's in September, he would have been in our year if he were a couple of weeks older."

"But still, he's all skinny and scrawny and a bit weird, isn't he," Elodie sniggered. "Also he probably fancies Scorpius, they spend that much time together. Even if you got with him, you'd have Scorpius third wheeling the whole time."

Hope was surprised at the indignation she felt on Natalie's behalf. How horrible to be treated like this by the person who was supposed to be your best friend. She, Dom and Roxanne teased each other sometimes, but they never mocked each other cruelly the way Elodie was doing now.

Natalie was evidently not amused. "I'm going to sleep," she huffed. "Forget about James and Albus, and tomorrow we'll work out how you're going to get together with Adam."

Sympathy pang over.

That that didn't last long.

Hope lay there in the silence for a long time after the whispers had died away, wiling away the hours until the moonlight was no longer visible through the window. She tried to imagine Natalie asking Albus out, picturing his horrified reaction as he mumbled some sort of polite refusal before backing away as quickly as possible.

Chortling internally, Hope rolled over and finally went back to sleep.

O

The very next day, James came bounding over to where Hope, Dom and Roxanne were sitting in the courtyard.

"Guess what!" he said, a gleeful smile playing on his lips. "Your favourite person came and asked Adam out."

Hope scowled up at him. "Elodie?"

"Yep!" James said. "She came up all twirly, flipping her curls everywhere - you know how she does - and asked him if he wanted to go with her on the Hogsmeade visit. And Adam was a bit shocked and said he'd let her know, but-" James looked extremely pleased with himself, "I told him absolutely not, as soon as she'd gone. Said she was evil and that he could do way better. I figured you'd be happy with me."

"Yeah," Hope said, blinking in some surprise at James, who had never been one for reading people's feelings, much less in recent months. "Yeah. Err. Thanks!"

"Did you tell him anything else?" Roxanne enquired smoothly, winking at Hope.

"Yeah," said James. "I said I didn't think I'd be bothered about girls at all, if I were him, but that if he wanted a date he should go for Stella Morton, in our year. She's way prettier and cooler, and I heard that she's fancied him since he started here. Anyway, got to dash! Just thought you'd appreciate that."

"I honestly think he meant well," Dom said, as Hope gave a groan and Roxanne appeared torn between exasperation and a mad desire to laugh, as James scurried off. "I don't think he would have done that on purpose. He's just clueless."

"Yeah, I know," Hope sighed.

"I doubt Stella will in the picture for long, even if he does ask her out," Roxanne said bracingly. "She goes through boyfriends quicker than Al gets through a bag of sweets."

"You could always go and ask Adam out now, before he gets a chance to ask anyone else," Dom added.

Hope's cheeks went hot with mortification at the idea. "I have more pride than that, thanks! I'm going with you two. We've already decided."

"Ah, well, you'll have plenty of chances next year," Roxanne insisted. "I reckon you'd be great together, if you get to know him a bit more."

"And," Dom said, grim satisfaction in her voice. "It has got to be a good thing that he said no to Elodie."

Hope could only agree, and although Adam did indeed end up going into Hogsmeade with Stella, when Hope heard Elodie ranting to Natalie afterwards that Adam Towler had absolutely no taste whatsoever – there was no need for extendable ears this time – she thought fondly of James Potter as she drifted off to sleep. Clueless he might be, but he had done her a favour that week.

oOo

July

"I can't believe Roxanne got herself grounded for the very first week of the holidays," Dom moaned, as she, Hope, Rose, Lily, Hugo and Albus sat enjoying the sun down by the shore below Shell Cottage. "She's such an idiot. She loves the beach more than any of us!"

The beach - or their beach, as they liked to think of it - was glorious at this time of year. Always deserted, as the only two houses for miles were Shell Cottage and the Lupins' own home, it was the younger Weasleys' favourite place to congregate in the summer months. Even Rosie had been too tempted by the hot weather to stay indoors studying on a day like today. Teddy and Victoire were there too, under strict instructions to supervise and to send everyone home as soon as the sun set, but determinedly keeping as much distance from their younger siblings as they could.

"Urgh, gross," Dom muttered, noticing as Teddy picked Victoire up and spun her round, and she bent her head to kiss him, her long silvery locks falling down to his shoulders. Hope made a fake vomiting noise.

"Aww, don't!" Lily protested. "I think they're cute."

"That's because you don't live with Victoire," Dom snapped at her. "Just because she thinks she's a princess doesn't mean the rest of the world has to treat her like one."

Hope shot Lily a warning look. Dom and Victoire were always at loggerheads, and she knew that Victoire showing off her perfectly proportioned figure in a skimpy bikini was not going to improve Dom's mood. It had always been a sore point that of Bill and Fleur's three children, Dom was the only one not to have inherited their mother's Veela colouring, cream complexion and tall, elegant frame.

Lily took the hint.

"Is Louis is definitely going to Beauxbatons?" she asked. Dom mellowed instantly and nodded.

"He wants to keep up his French, and he's also interested in Alchemy. Beauxbatons do a module on that after third year. You have to wait until seventh year at Hogwarts."

Lily's face fell. She was very fond of Louis.

"I am happy for him," she said hastily. "But it would have been fun with all three of us in the same year at Hogwarts!"

"It is a shame," Hope agreed. "He would have been in Ravenclaw with us, I bet. But he'll fit in perfectly at Beauxbatons."

She finished building the pile of sticks they had gathered for the campfire, and sent several firecrackers onto it from the end of her wand.

"Hope!" Teddy materialised suddenly behind her, looked stern. "You know you're not supposed to do that."

"No one will know," Hope objected. "The trace can't tell the difference between you doing it right next to me and me doing it myself."

Teddy's expression didn't change and Hope subsided, forcing contrition. Teddy had her back, but rules were rules and she knew better than to push it.

"Do we have marshmallows?" Al asked, as the fire roared into life.

"You think I'd dare show up at a campfire with Albus Potter and not bring any?" Teddy threw a packet over to him. "Save some for us though, yeah?"

It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening, as they sat chatting away and sharing the marshmallows. Even Dom and Victoire were civil to each other in the end, not wanting to ruin the light hearted atmosphere. Eventually, as the sun began to set, Lily looked wistfully out at the horizon.

"This would be such a lovely place for a wedding," she sighed. "Imagine, you could put a marquee on the beach right here and enjoy the sunset. It's quiet, no one lives round here except for you guys. Muggles can never come here. It's so perfect."

Hugo rolled his eyes. "Sure, it's perfect Lily, but no one's getting married."

"You never know!" Dom cast a crafty look at her sister and Victoire responded with a death stare, but Teddy seemed unperturbed.

Lily, however, turned to Hope. "Haven't your parents been saying for years that they want to renew their wedding vows, because they couldn't have the people they wanted there the first time?"

A wicked grin appeared on Teddy's face as he and Hope looked at each other.

"Yes," Hope replied. "Yes, they have."

O

"Mum. Dad. We've taken matters into our own hands," Teddy announced, as they sat down for dinner together two days later. "You've been saying for years now that you want to renew your wedding vows. It's about time that you did."

Remus raised his eyebrows. "That's us told."

"We've already picked the venue," Hope went on. "And the date. It's going to be on the beach down from Bill and Fleur's house, in three weeks' time. It'll be well after the full moon, but before the July birthday gathering so it won't clash with that, and two weeks after your twenty-second wedding anniversary. Couldn't be more perfect."

"Oh, yes! Twenty-two years and two weeks, that famous milestone," Remus twinkled at his daughter. "What tradition is that then? Cotton? Velvet? Dragon hide?"

"Well, it's definitely not good jokes," Hope shot back. "But you can't back out. The whole family's in on it. Just get preparing what you are going to say and we'll take care of the rest."

O

"What exactly happens at a vow renewal ceremony?" Dom enquired, as she sat sketching out some ideas for flower arrangements, Roxanne and Hope peering over her shoulder and giving her their opinions.

"I'm not actually sure," Hope admitted. "We're treating it like a wedding, but without the weeks of planning, and without the pressure to invite a load of people we don't want to see. Minister Shacklebolt is going to do the ceremony, and Ginny's going to be Mum's maid of honour bridesmaid-y person, and Harry's going to be best man. Hermione and Ron did that first time round. Fleur's going to do all the paper stuff, because she can get fancy envelopes and parchment from Gabrielle."

Aunt Gabrielle owned Fée Extraordinaire, a luxury French stationary brand based in Lyon, therefore Fleur was able to get free writing and design products whenever she wanted. Letters from Bill and Fleur's side of the family were always sent on beautiful, thick parchment, flecked slightly with violets and scented with a delightful yet not overpowering scent of jasmine, and Fleur had promised to procure an even lovelier design for invitations to the vow renewal.

"Then Granny Molly and Gran are going to prepare loads of food," Hope went on. "Hermione's going to figure out the logistical stuff like seating. Mum and Dad sort out their vows and me and Teddy do the rest. Voila!"

"I can't wait!" Roxanne said. "I love weddings, it's been ages since Charlie and Alex's."

"I'm still so upset I couldn't go to that," Dom said, concentrating on the roses she was drawing. "Stupid Knarl Flu. The last one I went to was Percy and Audrey's. When Mum and Dad wouldn't let me wear my dress."

"They did feel bad about that," Hope told her. "I heard your dad say to my parents."

"I know," Dom sighed. "It was the only time they stopped me wearing what I wanted, and it was ages ago. This one I can wear whatever I like. Although I don't know what that will be..." she trailed off.

"You can borrow a dress from me if you like," Roxanne offered. "Mum can alter it if necessary. Although," she was looking at Dom's drawing. "You should seriously start designing your own clothes, you know. You're talented enough, and Mum could put you in touch with her old friend Alicia, the one we visit in New York sometimes. She does robe designing."

"Maybe," Dom said in a half hearted tone. Roxanne had been telling her this for years now. "But not right now. Let's focus on the wedding. Vow renewal I mean. What decorations are you going to have? Other than flowers?"

"Your mum's making her silver floating ornaments, like she made for Percy and Audrey. Then we'll need colourful stuff – it is my mum, after all. Some levitating light flares from Hogsmeade, probably. George can get them when he's up for work."

"I'll ask him to get colour changing balloons, too," Roxanne said.

"Maybe you should get some old photos as well?" Dom suggested. "Like of their first wedding or from over the years. You could put them up round the marquee."

"That's a great idea!" Hope said with enthusiasm. "Gran should have plenty."

"Harry will too," Dom said. "He'll have some of when they were younger, because he inherited Sirius's possessions."

Hope nodded, but at the mention of the man she had never met but heard so much about, a sudden pang of sadness engulfed her.

"What's up?" Roxanne enquired, seeing her face fall.

"Nothing," Hope said. "I once heard Mum say that she wouldn't have got to know Dad properly if it hadn't been for Sirius. And Teddy wondered if - if the reason they've put off doing this all these years is because they don't feel right doing it without him, you know?"

Roxanne patted her on the arm sympathetically.

"That doesn't mean they aren't grateful that you've finally encouraged them do it," Dom said, her voice gentle. "They'll love it, Hope. We all will."

O

Preparations for the ceremony progressed smoothly over the following days, marred only by a piece of bad news that Remus and Tonks received a week after notifying their friends of the date.

"We had an owl back from Adair," Tonks said to Remus. "They won't be able to come, unfortunately. Dedalus has progressed to final stage Gorsemoor's. He had the official diagnosis last month."

Remus let out a dismayed groan.

"What's Gorsemoor's?" Hope asked Teddy, who had given his mother a sympathetic squeeze of the shoulder then motioned that they should leave their parents to have a minute alone. He led her through to the living room and closed the door behind them.

"Goorsemoor's disease is an incurable wizarding illness," he explained. "It attacks nearly every part of the body. The mind, the body, the bones. It's very hard to diagnose, unfortunately, as there's no straightforward test for it, which means that most people don't realise they've got it until it's in the third or final stage, when the attacks become more frequent. In the end it paralyses the victim completely, cell by cell, until the brain shuts down all together."

"That's awful." Hope stroked Oompa's soft orange fur as her pet burrowed into the crook of her arm, sensing her dismay.

"I know. Dedalus - Mum and Dad's friend - was given a suspected diagnosis based on his symptoms six years ago. You might remember him from when he was healthy. He used to come to parties sometimes. Always dressed in purple."

Straining her memory, Hope did have a vague recollection of an effervescent figure in bright violet robes and a top hat which had often had a long suffering white rabbit pulled forth, but she could not recall any distinguishable features of the man beyond that.

"So he'll die?"

"Eventually, yes. But if he's only just been confirmed in the final stage he's got a long, downward battle ahead of him. Mum and Dad will be quite subdued over the next few days, I imagine. They haven't seen him for a while."

"Should we put off the ceremony?"

Their parents, on the suggestion, would not hear of such a thing. They had already planned on paying their old friend a visit once the vow renewal had taken place, and would tell him all about it, even though he may not be able to fully understand or acknowledge them.

"Diggle would always have wanted the show to go on," Tonks insisted. "No doubt about that."

O

A week before the ceremony, Hope went round to the Potters' to look at photos. Andromeda, eager to assist, had also brought over a small box of them from her house.

"Molly would have some too," Harry told Hope, setting a dusty old box down beside her. "But the chances of her finding them in The Burrow right now are slim to none. She's in a whirl with the food preparations – I wouldn't distract her from that, if I were you."

"It's OK," Hope said. "This is plenty. But Teddy and I did tell her we want the food to be simple."

"You can't expect Molly Weasley to keep it simple when catering is concerned," Harry informed her, laughing.

Hope grinned and immersed herself in the photos. She knew that Molly was thrilled to be involved in this day, despite the frenzy she had worked herself into.

"This one's nice," she exclaimed, pulling out a large print. Her mother, dressed in a white cotton dress, beamed back at them, her new husband's arm around her shoulder. "That's from their actual wedding, isn't it? Can you enlarge it?" she added to Harry.

"Absolutely. There are others from that day, I think. Although some of them don't move. Arthur had an obsession with Muggle cameras at the time, but he didn't get them all developed properly."

Sure enough, Hope soon found a static group picture, which showed her parents, surrounded by Ron, Hermione, Fleur and Granny Molly, and Mad Eye Moody, her mother's mentor when she had first started as an Auror, who had died not long after.

"How come you weren't there, again?" she said to Harry and Ginny.

Ginny gave a mock scowl.

"It's a sore point," she said. "Neither of us were of age. Harry had to stay at his relatives until his seventeenth birthday and I was only fifteen at the time. I wanted to go, believe me. The row I had with Mum when she wouldn't let me. But she was right, I suppose, looking back. I had the trace on me, and that could have put everyone in danger. They came back to The Burrow afterwards, I think there's a photo of that."

Hope found that too. Her parents stood in front of all the Weasleys, cutting a white cake with congratulations written on it in shaky silver writing. Then a couple of others, also taken at The Burrow: her mother giving Ginny a fierce hug, her father having his hand shaken enthusiastically by the Weasley twins, Granny Molly talking earnestly to both of them, her eyes shining with emotion.

She turned to her grandmother suddenly.

"Where were you?"

There was a short silence. "It was… dangerous, for us to leave our house at the time," Andromeda said. "With your grandfather's blood status. It would have been too risky."

Her expression was closed. Hope wasn't sure that was the full story, but she decided not to ask any more questions.

"There is a photo of the four of us somewhere though," Andromeda went on, her tone softer. "Your parents and myself and your grandfather. It was taken shortly after they were married. They lived with us for a while, you know, before getting their own place - ah yes, there you go."

Hope had found it. Her mother and father stood arm in arm, in between Andromeda and a jovial, sandy-haired man. Her Grandpa Ted, Teddy's namesake, who had died shortly before Teddy's birth and long before she had even been thought of. She looked down at him, taking in his cheerful face and kind blue eyes.

Andromeda held out her hand for the photo, a sad sort of longing in her face as she gazed at her late husband. Twenty-one years now, give or take, since he had been murdered, Hope thought. Surely the pain of losing your life partner never fully left you. Andromeda held her head up bravely. "He'll be there too, on Saturday," she said. "In his own way."

Hope's saddened smile morphed into outright laughter at the sight of the next photo. Her father sat on a chair, looking extremely unimpressed, as her mother stood over him with a pair of scissors, cutting off chunks of his hair. "That was taken at ours too," Andromeda said, an amused gleam in her eyes. "I have to say that Nymphadora did an atrocious job – that expression is entirely justified. I had to tidy it up for him myself."

Still giggling, Hope sifted through Harry's box, and eventually pulled out an old-fashioned gold frame containing a picture of one woman. On first glance, Hope had thought it was an old photo of her grandmother, but on closer inspection realised it wasn't Gran at all. The woman had jet black curls, not brown, a longer nose, more harshly carved features and very heavy eyelids.

"Who's this?" she said, turning it round to show them.

Her grandmother's whole body stiffened. Ginny's eyes widened. Harry's nostrils flared as he stared back at the frame.

"I didn't know that was in there," he murmured. He seemed to be speaking to Andromeda. "I'm so sorry, I thought we got rid of it years ago."

"But who is it?" Hope persisted.

Harry collected himself, his jaw working furiously and held out his hand to take the frame. "An evil, evil woman, Hope," he said coldly. "Trust me, you don't want to hear about her right now."

The rage on Harry's face was downright alarming. He took the frame and muttered an incantation, waving his wand over it, and the photo cracked silently into fragments, which then dissolved into thin air.

Hope swallowed and returned her attention to the photos, hoping to find one that didn't cause quite so much tension.

"Oh this one's cute! That's Sirius, isn't it?"

Her mother, six years old with purple curls right down to her waist, waved at her gleefully from her position on the shoulders of a wiry, floppy haired teenager.

"Yes." Harry's livid expression gave way to fond nostalgia. "That's Sirius alright."

"That one should be put up for the ceremony," Andromeda added. "Definitely."

"I think that's enough then," Hope said, looking down at the ones she had chosen. "Along with the ones we have at home. I'll take them back and Teddy and I can get them ready to put up on the day. By the way," she added to Harry, as she packed the photos into her bag. "Mum and Dad said they don't want you to give a speech."

He merely raised an eyebrow.

"Do you and Teddy want me to give a speech?"

"Maybe..."

Harry shrugged. "Guess I'll have to use my own judgement on that then."

O

A week later, they were ready. The marquee was set up, the flowers arranged, the decorations, designed and enchanted by Fleur, hung wherever there was space. They had been lucky with the weather and it was another warm, clear evening.

It was to be a simple ceremony, although more extravagant than either Tonks or Remus had initially wanted. Hope and Teddy had turned deaf ears to any protests and in the end their parents had done as instructed – focused on their vows and left the rest of the planning to everyone else.

Hope watched as the guests began to take their seats. Minerva McGonagall was here, her face as sharp and alert as ever. Then there was Hagrid, seated on a reinforced bench that had been made specifically for him. The Longbottoms had arrived. Michael, unusually smart in navy blue dress robes, waved at her. Hestia Jones, who was a dear friend of both her parents, and who had delivered both Hope and Teddy into the world, caught her eye and winked. Other than that, it was just Potters and Weasleys and her own grandmother, Hope realised, looking round the marquee.

For the first time, Hope thought she understood what Teddy had once meant about the Weasley "bubble". Her parents had plenty of other friends and acquaintances; work colleagues, other parents, people from the Ministry. But when it came down to it, these were the only ones here to share this day with them. Other than poor Dedalus Diggle and Luna Lovegood, had sent her heartfelt apologies that she and Rolf were making significant progress with their snorkack hunt and weren't able to squeeze in the visit, there was no one else they would have chosen to invite.

Remus was standing at the front already, wearing dark blue robes with silver trimming, speaking to Kingsley, majestic in purple and gold, and Harry, who had donned his usual bottle green dress robes. They all appeared very at ease as they laughed together, and Granny Molly commented on this.

"Your dad wasn't anywhere near as relaxed the first time round," she whispered to Hope. "It's lovely to see."

"He looks so happy." Lily already had joyful tears sparkling in her eyes, and Hope and Dom nudged each other in amusement. Lily was definitely the hopeless romantic of the Potter-Weasley children.

Percy, seated at a little piano in the corner, held up his hand imperiously for silence, and Dom, Roxanne and Hope all avoided looking at each other, resisting the temptation to burst into fits of giggles. But when the music began, the urge subsided. Hope watched as her mother walked down the aisle between the rows of seats, Ginny on one side and Gran on the other. She was wearing a colourful dress, but nothing too bright; pastel shades of mint green and pale pink. Her hair was natural, in supple chestnut waves down to her shoulders. She winked at Remus as she approached. "Can't believe we're finally getting married."

A ripple of laughter spread through the tent. Kingsley introduced the ceremony in his deep, calming voice, and Tonks, more seriously now, looked directly into her husband's eyes as he took her hands in his.

"Remus, you have been by my side for twenty-two years. Through the good and the bad, the ups and downs, the moments I will remember forever and the ones I would happily forget. I wouldn't have had it any other way. And I am so happy that I have a chance to tell you this now, in front of all our friends and family, who couldn't be there the first time. But for me, the word renewal doesn't feel right. There is nothing about my love for you that has ever needed renewing. You are my best friend, my rock, my partner, and you have been since the day we stood together, in that tiny church with a handful of witnesses and were bonded for life. I loved you then. I love you now. And I will love you always."

Lily's tears had already spilled over. Hope handed her friend a tissue, as it seemed Molly would soon have need of her own.

Now her father was speaking.

"There was once a time when I didn't think I would ever feel this way about anyone. A time when I couldn't imagine anyone loving me the way that you love me. A time when I certainly could not have pictured spending my life and raising my children with someone as devoted, as compassionate, and as fantastically weird," his mouth twitched, "as you."

Molly and Dom had tears in their eyes now. Even Roxanne, usually so unemotional, was looking very moved.

"I don't need to imagine it now," he continued. "Because it's all here, right in front of me, and has been for twenty-two years. My wife, to love with all my heart. My world, to pick me up and show me the way when sometimes I can't see it myself. And now my family, our children, to raise and cherish and protect. I will never, even for a day, not be grateful for everything I now have; never, even for a minute, worry that this isn't exactly where I'm supposed to be; and never, even for a second, stop loving you, Dora. Not now, and not for as long as I live."

Hope patiently handed Lily another batch of tissues, but she was feeling unusually emotional herself. She didn't cry, of course. She hadn't cried for years, meltdown on the Knight Bus at Easter aside, but as Kingsley spoke again, well-chosen words of emotion, compassion and love, she felt a deep stirring in her chest.

She watched as her father bent his head to kiss his wife, took her hand and led her back down the aisle between the seating and out onto the beach, where Fred Weasley was now waiting with a camera. Lily had been right, Hope thought, as the audience followed, and she took in the sight of the calm sea and the setting sun staining the clouds orange and pink. Their beach was the perfect setting for an occasion like this.

A while later, when they were all back underneath the marquee, Harry immediately took centre stage, tapping a glass with his wand.

"Speech!" Someone called out.

Both her parents turned to look at Hope, but she just twitched her shoulders and feigned ignorance.

"I'll keep this short," Harry assured them, in response to their nervous expressions. "I guess the first thing to say, given how long you've been talking about doing this, is: about bloody time. Then again, that could have applied the first time round as well."

There were chuckles and appreciative murmurs around the tent. Hope saw her mother wink at her father and he smiled reluctantly.

"But here we are at last, largely thanks to your wonderful children," Harry said. "Otherwise, I doubt it would have happened at all."

A few people nearby patted Teddy on the back and Lily squeezed Hope's hand.

"I once heard Sirius say," Harry went on, more softly, looking at Remus now, a deep emotion burning in his green eyes, "after a few too many beers at New Year, mind, that Remus was going to get a happy family in the end, and that if Sirius had any say in the matter at all – believe me, he planned to – it would be a rainbow one. Of course," Harry gave an awkward half-cough, "being a clueless and somewhat self-absorbed teenager at the time, I had no idea what he was referring to." Hope saw Ginny and Hermione exchange a pointed grimace and Ron sniggered.

"But I know now," Harry continued. "I'll bet that Sirius knows too. He knows you made it, rainbow family and all." He winked at Hope and Teddy. Teddy's hair was bright turquoise and Hope had coloured hers vivid pink in honour of their mother's favourite shade. "He knows you're as in love today as you were all those years ago and he's up there somewhere, enjoying this as much as we are, several glasses of wine ahead of everyone else, moaning at me for not embarrassing you more and telling me to hurry up and stop keeping people away from the drink and the dance floor."

There were more laughs. Hope's gaze was fixed on her parents. Her mother seemed to be fighting tears, but Hope knew they were joyful ones, as her father put an arm around her and kissed her chestnut hair.

"So I'll say this to finish," Harry said. "I'm pretty sure I speak for every person here when I say that you are the most wonderful surrogate family we could ever have asked for, and it is a privilege to share this day with you, even if it is twenty-two years late."

Cheers followed this, and everyone drank. Hope watched as Harry put down his glass, and went over to where her parents stood, her mother pulling him into a fierce hug as soon as he reached them. Then Teddy flicked his wand at the sound box in the corner and music started filling the tent as the lights dimmed and the colourful flares that George had brought back from Hogsmeade glowed in all corners. Hope stayed seated with Dom, Roxanne and Lily and watched her father lead her mother onto the dance floor.

"What is this song?" Roxanne laughed, as the introduction started.

"Search me. It was Teddy's choice."

"I still can't believe you let Teddy take charge of the music."

Hope secretly adored her brother's weird taste in muggle music, however much Roxanne and Victoire might disagree.

"I like it," Dom said loyally. "I've never heard it before, but that's generally the case with Teddy's music."

The muggle singer, whoever he was, began to sing, in deep tones that vibrated through the tent.

"L is for the way you look at me."

Hope watched as her father gazed down at her mother, a soft, loving smile on his face. She stared right back up at him, her eyes shining.

"O is for the only one I see."

Hope bit back a laugh as her mother nearly tripped and her father had to steady her.

"V is very, very, extraordinary."

"Oh they are just so cute," Lily breathed, as she watched Remus spin his wife round and pull her close again. Hope grinned yet again. Lily was a romantic soul, no doubt about that, but perhaps it was justified in this instance.

"E is even more than anyone that you adore can love."

oOo

September

Lily was still rhapsodising about the ceremony several weeks later, as she and Hugo sat with Dom, Hope and Roxanne on the train back for the new term at Hogwarts. Rose, whose best friend Niamh lived in Glasgow and therefore boarded the train on the border with Scotland, sat in a corner, engrossed in a new spell book. Hope had never been able to understand how Rosie could be so enthusiastic about studying before the term had even started. She found it hard enough when it was in full swing.

"…and it was so beautiful," Lily said, her eyes shining.

"They enjoyed it, right?" Roxanne said to Hope. "They're glad you made them do it?"

Hope nodded. Her mother had enveloped both her and Teddy in an enormous hug on returning home after the party, and told them that she could not have asked for better children and that the ceremony had been more wonderful than she could ever have imagined.

"Your parents are so romantic, Hope," Lily sighed. "Our parents aren't like that."

"Your dad is romantic," Dom retorted. "Didn't he propose to Aunt Ginny up a mountain at sunset?"

"Yeah." Lily wrinkled her nose, unimpressed. "That was years ago. Now they are all old and boring. Hope's parents have been together way longer, and they are still adorable."

"I think you mean gross," Hope grumbled, but she didn't really mean it. The devotion in her parents' eyes as they danced together had made her heart ache a little. She wondered if anyone would ever look at her like that. "Anyway, Dom's parents are pretty soppy sometimes too."

Dom pulled an equally disgusted face.

"They are all more romantic than our parents, that's for sure," Rosie piped up, and the others looked over in some surprise at her unexpected contribution. "Do you know how Mum and Dad ended up getting engaged? Mum said she wanted to have kids, and Dad was like 'I'm not having children without being married'. And that was it."

They all laughed at this.

"I bet your parents' wedding was lovely though," Roxanne said to Rose and Hugo. "I've seen pictures. I know Aunt Hermione goes on at your dad all the time but she's only joking. They don't argue properly. Not like mine."

A silence fell over the carriage.

Pushing through the awkward moment, Roxanne turned to Lily and Hugo. "Looking forward to starting?"

"Yeah!" Hugo said. "Although I so hope me and Lily are in the same house."

"Lily and I." Rose corrected him automatically, her focus now returned to her books, and the others exchanged grins. That was more like the Rosie they knew.

O

Hope and Dom, as they always did, watched critically as each new first year took their place on the stool.

"Wait, is that Cal's sister?" Hope muttered, as Burchess, Louise was called up to the front.

"Half-sister, I think. His parents are separated."

"Do you know how he's doing? Cal? Have you heard from him?"

"No. I wasn't expecting to though."

Hope was not fooled by her forced casual tone, although she did not press the point, as Dom clearly did not want to talk about it. Louise was placed in Slytherin.

"What do we think for Lily and Hugo?" Dom said, as the line dwindled.

"Hmm.. I think that wherever Lily goes, Hugo will follow."

"I don't think he'll have much choice," Dom said. Hope wasn't so sure. She thought the hat went with personal choice above all. It was becoming more obvious as time went on that she wasn't a true Ravenclaw. She didn't have the cool head and analytic qualities that so many of her peers, Dom included, shared. She wasn't stupid, she knew that, and not all Ravenclaws were brainboxes, but the hat had been right about the house not fully suiting her. Yet it had respected her wishes and put her with Dom in the end.

Lily went to Gryffindor, the hat barely touching her red curls before making its announcement. Then a Slytherin, two Hufflepuffs, a Ravenclaw and:

"Weasley Hugo."

Hugo tripped up to the stool. The last Weasley she would ever see sorted, Hope realised, as Molly and Lucy would not be attending until after she had left and Louis was currently settling into his first year at Beauxbatons.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Hugo's face lit up and he scurried off to the Gryffindor table. He sat down next to Lily and gave her a high five, and James, seated not far away, reached over to pat him on the back. James had become much nicer over the holidays, Hope had noticed. Less cocky and more humble than before. Adam, seated next to him, saw Hope watching and caught her eye, smiling. She did like that smile. Anyone who smiled like that had to have a personality to match, surely. Her chest fluttered and she hurriedly turned her attention to the food in front of them.

She was uplifted as she looked around the hall. This was going to be a good year. Her first two years had been fun, if a little marred by Elodie's unkind behaviour towards Dom. Then she had spent much of last year worrying about Greyback and Professor Edgecombe, who she still didn't understand at all. But here she was for her fourth year, after the best summer holidays of her life. Lily and Hugo had started Hogwarts, placed together as they had wanted. Adam had just smiled at her. Roxanne and her friends had her back and Dom was more confident and sure in herself than Hope had ever seen her, no doubt emboldened by her ascension to quidditch captain and the support of her teammates. Ravenclaw still had a great chance of maintaining the quidditch cup, and Hope was resolved to work hard and do her best.

Surely nothing, not even Edgy Edgecombe or nasty Elodie, was going to stop her enjoying her fourth year at Hogwarts.

OOO