The Love Of A Wizard

CHAPTER 35
A Wedding


The afternoon of Bill and Fluer’s wedding was a fantastic one with the sun was shining in the blue sky. The wedding was at the Burrow, outside at sunset, under that warm, end of summer sun. The Weasley’s back yard was decorated in crimson and white flowers that were everywhere a person was not. Little fairies were mingled into the flower arrangements to give them light, much to Emma‘s amusement. When one leaned in close enough, they could hear the fairies humming a happy tune. Chairs were lined in rows facing away from the sunset facing an archway made of flowers, set on a platform of white wood. Everyone was in a wonderful mood and ready to enjoy a day for love and beauty.
Arriving at the wedding was pretty simple. They used a portkey Remus made for them and learned yet another way wizards travel. Zulu did not enjoy the ride at all. But everyone else thought it was great fun. By now, it was kind of hard to shield Emma from the fact that her friends had certain…abilities. Emma took it all in stride and acted as if she had been around magic all her life.
Claudia noticed that they were in fact the only muggles attending the wedding. However, there were all sorts of “people” who attended that Claudia had to have Tonks narrate what they were under her breath as they came in. The goblins with whom Bill worked with were there. Small, wrinkled little people with harsh voices, stalked in to backyard and brought small leather purses filled with diamonds. Hagrid brought a woman who was just as tall as he was. Tonks introduced her as Madame Maxine. All in all it was a pretty rag tag bunch that had all come in friendship to see two people they care about get married.
When they had taken their seats, Claudia next to Tonks and Emma on the other side, Tonks whispered into her ear.
“I don’t want a large wedding like this. I think we’ll just have a small one with my parents and a few friends. What do you think?” Claudia answered her yes, just as the music started playing from enchanted instruments behind the alter. Everyone turned to see Bill enter with Fred, George, Charlie, Ron and Arthur in his wake. Oddly, this was just like a muggle wedding, except when they walked down the aisle, everyone lifted their wands into the air and sparklers fizzed from the tips. The sun was setting and it was a beautiful sight.
The music changed into a slow, mournful tune and everyone turned to see a goddess walking toward them. Claudia couldn’t deny that Fleur was indeed the most beautiful bride she had ever seen. Dressed in white satin, with a train at least six feet long, she seemed to glide down the aisle. A silver tiara topped her perfectly manicured hair. Emma was standing on her seat as Fleur passed her and she said ‘oohh’ and ‘ahh’, over and over again. Claudia had a moment of remembrance as she saw Bill take Fleur’s hand and hold it as the squat little man at the podium began to talk. Claudia allowed herself to go back in time as she remembered her own wedding and how happy she was. She saw Bill, still scarred, but blissfully happy and had a pang of sadness for her late husband, dead too soon. Fleur was looking ravishing and Claudia was jealous of every minute they had together. She found herself counting the minutes until she could leave. Everyone was cuddled up to someone in the audience and it made Claudia’s heart ache. She missed Severus. She would have given anything to have him here with her, holding his hand, snuggled under the newborn stars, making moon eyes at each other like Ron and Hermione were right in front of her.
As Fleur was magically bonded to Bill, everyone shot more electric sparklers from their wands into the air. But it was Fred and George who stole the moment. Up in the night sky, written in fireworks was:

CONGRATULATIONS BILL AND FLEURRRRRRRRRRRR

Everyone roared with laughter and the chairs were magically rearranged around the yard to make way for tables of food and drink. The enchanted musical instruments began to play a slow waltz that was meant for the newly weds. Soon, they were joined by many other couples on the dance floor, someone had magically put there. Emma was walking around sniffing flowers and pointing at the fairies with Fluer’s younger sister Gabrielle. Claudia made a drink and sat down to watch, even her friends, out on the dance floor having a ball.
“Excuse me?” Said a ruff voice and Claudia turned to see Mad-Eye Moody standing over her with his hand extended. Claudia smiled and took his rough, scarred hand and he led her on the dance floor with the others. She actually had a pretty good time dancing with Mad-Eye, who insisted she call him Alastor, while slamming Firewhiskey faster than Nick could drink Vodka. Claudia scanned the crowd to keep her eye on Emma and saw Harry and Ginny heading, arm in arm, behind some trees. Someone was getting a little action tonight, she thought. It was a beautiful, sad night for Claudia and she was relieved when the night was over. Nick carried a sleeping Emma as they made their way home, painfully, by portkey.
It would be in the morning that Claudia would tell Emma that she had to leave for her grandmother’s house in the states again. Claudia had thought about it and knew that things were getting worse, even before they get better, and she knew this time she had to let her stay there. So she tucked her baby girl into bed and kissed her soft cheeks. Claudia held her and snuggled up to the only person she was sure she was allowed to love in the entire world. The other one, she had to be content to loving him in secret. And she fell asleep crying softly into her pillow.
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A/N: Just a note to thank you for your reviews. I love hearing from you, even a little note to tell me you\'re reading. You all make me happy! More to come later this weekend!