Taming

“If you two are quite finished, I think it’s my turn,” Lily interrupted. Scorpius reluctantly let go of Rose and they sat down.

Scorpius was, frankly, a little nervous at what Lily’s idea of a good wedding toast would be, and he fervently hoped that she wouldn’t embarrass him.

Lily pulled out a rolled-up piece of parchment that looked rather old. “Unlike Rose, I wasn’t there the day that Albus and Scorpius started dating, but I happened to have been there when they fell in love. And something that they don’t know is that it was because of me.” Scorpius looked at Albus questioningly, but Albus shrugged.

“See, my dear brother had been in love with Scorpius Malfoy for, what seemed to me to be his entire life. I’d heard more about Scorpius than I ever wanted to. When Albus wrote me letters before I started at Hogwarts, he wrote more about Scorpius than about himself. I bet you never even told him that, did you Albus?” Albus blushed and the guests laughed again.

“So anyway, it was my brother’s last year at Hogwarts. I knew that he only had one year left to get Scorpius to notice him. And I knew if I could just get them to meet that Scorpius wouldn’t be able to resist. Because my brother in love is a powerful thing. I knew that they had a class together, since Albus managed to mention it about a thousand times in the first week of school alone.” Everyone laughed at that.

“But Albus was far too shy to actually talk to him in class. So I also meddled. I went to their classroom and waited outside and distracted Scorpius. Then I introduced him to Albus so that they’d have no choice but to actually make eye-contact. If I do say so myself, it was a brilliantly simple plan. And it worked just as well as I’d thought it would. Scorpius took one look into Albus’s eyes and I could see the look on his face. He was gone.” The guests laughed again.

“And I was sure that it worked because Scorpius immediately invited us to a party. And I say ‘us,’ but he never took his eyes off Albus. So basically, I’m a genius.” She grinned. “But the point of all this is that I knew I had to do something. Why? Well, I’d like to embarrass my brother, and probably my brother-in-law as well, by reading something to you. This is the first letter that I received from my brother when he got to Hogwarts. He was eleven at the time and I was nine.”

“Oh, no!” Albus exclaimed, and the entire assembly laughed. “You kept that? All this time?”

“Of course I kept it,” she said indignantly. “Anyway, I’d like to read it to you. ‘Dear Sissy.’ He used to call me Sissy,” she said, crossing her eyes. “Moving on. ‘Dear Sissy, Hogwarts is great, but I miss you a lot. I’m sure that mum and dad told you that I was sorted into Hufflepuff. After worrying about being a Slytherin, I’m actually disappointed not to be one. Why? Because I’m in love. Hopelessly in love with a Slytherin.’” All the guests ‘awwwww’ed again, and Scorpius took Albus’s hand, and kissed it. Albus covered his eyes with his free hand.

“Can you believe what a drama queen my brother was already at eleven? Anyway, he goes on, ‘He’s literally perfect in every way. He has beautiful blonde hair, silvery eyes, and the most perfect eyelashes. I don’t know how someone like him will ever notice me, though. At times like these, I wish I were more like you, Lil - able to say what you’re thinking so easily. I wish that I could just go up to him and ask him to be my boyfriend, but I know I wouldn’t have the nerve. All I can do is hope that one day he notices me. And then I can make him love me back. I know I can. Someday, Sissy. It has to happen or I’m just going to die. All my love, Your brother, Alby.’”

Scorpius had tears in his eyes, and he noticed a few of the guests dabbing at their eyes as well. Ginny and Astoria were both weeping noisily into hankies. Scorpius leaned over and kissed Albus. “You didn’t need to worry,” he whispered. Albus beamed at him.

“Anyway,” Lily continued, “Now that I’ve made everyone cry, I have just one more thing to say. It worked. It was a love story six years in the making, but my brother finally did it. With a little help from me. But if you’d gotten this letter in the mail when you were nine, you’d all have done the same thing. And later, the same evening, only a few hours after they met, I had the supreme joy of seeing Scorpius drag Albus out of a crowded party, making a complete spectacle of himself. Now I’m not saying where they went, or for what purpose, but the rest is, as they say, history.”

Everyone laughed and cheered and Albus stood up and scooped Lily into a huge hug. And when Albus released her, Scorpius hugged her, too. “That was perfect, Sissy,” he teased.

She laughed. “You? You can get away with calling me that.”

*******************

Later, a few quick spells rearranged the tables to small groupings around the dance floor and a band began to play. Albus and Scorpius danced their first dance as husbands together. After a brief period where they both tried to lead, Albus allowed Scorpius to take control and steer him around the floor. Then they danced with their mothers, which made both mothers sniffle and tear up again.

After that, the bandleader suggested that they each dance with their maids of honor, and Scorpius took Rose in his arms and swept her around the floor.

“You dance divinely, Sweetie.”

“The advantages of a polite society upbringing,” he told her with a laugh.

“So what did you think of Brad?” She’d introduced them shortly before. Brad had turned out to be a tall, pleasant-looking young man with light brown hair. He seemed very nice, and Scorpius had approved, despite himself. Although he’d never tell Rose that.
“He’s alright I suppose. If you like that type.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” she asked angrily. “He’s a lovely man.”

“I’m sure he is. Not nearly as good-looking as I am,” he teased.

“Who is?”

“Excellent point.”

“Arrogant.”

“He’s clearly not good enough for you.”

She smiled at him. “Thank you. I love you, too.” He rested his cheek on her hair and held her close.

“Why am I getting cuddles? Not that I’m complaining,” she joked.

“Because Brad is watching me as if he wants to cause me bodily injury. He’d better know that what you said goes for me, too. If he hurts you, he’ll have me to answer to.”

“He already knows.”

“Good.”

**********************

Later in the evening, when the guests were starting to leave, Draco and Astoria tracked down Albus and Scorpius. “Boys,” Draco said, interrupting their dance. “Could we have a word?”

They stepped to the side of the dance floor. Draco smiled at them. “Your mother and I want to give you your wedding present.”

Albus’s eyes lit up. “I thought the wedding was our present.”

“No, that’s a parental obligation,” Draco joked. “This is something just for you. I know you wanted to take a honeymoon, but that you hadn’t planned anything yet, so…”

He handed Scorpius an envelope which contained a brochure from a company called Wizarding Tours Worldwide. He scanned it quickly and grinned, handing it to Albus.

“We’re going to Paris?” Albus squeaked.

“I know you’ve been before dear,” Astoria said to Scorpius, “But dear Albus mentioned that he’d never been and wanted to visit.”

“It’s perfect,” Scorpius assured them. “Thank you so much!”

Albus grabbed Astoria and hugged her. “I love you!”

“I love you, too, Sweetums,” she said, beaming and she cuddled him. Draco and Scorpius shared a look and tried not to laugh.

“Thanks father,” Scorpius said, and his father pulled him into a hug.

“In case I don’t say it enough, I’m so proud of you. You’ve turned your life around completely. Hermione says that you’re doing wonderfully at your job and everyone is impressed with you. And Hermione wouldn’t say it unless it were true. You’ve become a man that any father would be proud to call his son.”

Scorpius’s eyes welled up for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. “Thank you father. That means a lot to me.”

“I love you son. Now take your husband and enjoy the party. I’d like to dance with my wife.” He extricated Astoria from Albus’s clutches, ruffled Albus’s hair, and pulled Astoria into his arms.

Scorpius grinned and followed his father’s good example.”