“I do,” I replied, staring in my true love’s eyes. He raised my veil and kissed me while our family and friends applauded. My wildest dreams were made reality as I walked back down the aisle as Mrs. Remus John Lupin.
“Tonks! Tonks, wake up!” a voice urged, followed by hands violently shaking me out of my slumber.
I opened my eyes to see Ginny Potter standing over me. “You interrupted a very good dream!” I stated groggily and somewhat angrily. “Why’d you have to wake me up?”
“Hermione’s wedding is today, that’s why!” she said as she grabbed my arm and hauled me out of the cot I had been sleeping on in the corner of her old bedroom.
How could I forget? I was a bridesmaid, after all. Luna Lovegood was, too, and Ginny was the Matron of Honor. She had married Harry, who was Ron’s Best Man, the previous summer. (I was also her bridesmaid.)
It seemed like I was the only girl left to be wed. First Fleur married Bill, then Ginny and Harry tied the knot, and today was Hermione’s wedding to Ron. Remus and I had been dating for quite a while, almost three years, but he didn’t appear to be comfortable with the idea of settling down yet. I couldn’t understand why. I mean, we’d already won the war, and Voldemort was dead. Everyone was happy and going back to their normal lives again.
“Tonks, are you coming to breakfast or not?” Ginny asked. I quickly ran a brush through my short, pink hair and followed her down the many flights of stairs to the kitchen, where Molly was making bacon and eggs. It was obvious that she was happy to have a full house again. “Good morning,” she greeted cheerfully as we sat down at the scrubbed wooden table.
“Good morning,” we chorused and accepted our breakfasts from her. We were joined by Ron and Harry, who had also spent the night at the Burrow. They were soon followed by the yawning twins and a tousle-haired Arthur.
After the meal, Hermione arrived and Ginny and I went to help her get ready. Hermione looked absolutely stunning in a long white dress with her hair pulled up in an elegant bun.
The ceremony was wonderful. The look in Ron’s eyes as he saw Mr. Granger leading Hermione down the aisle was something I’m sure she’ll never forget. It was the same one Remus had in my dream.
Afterward, we went back to the Burrow for the reception. When it was time for Hermione to throw the bouquet, Luna, Lavender Brown, Gabrielle Delacour, Bill’s young daughter Jacqueline, and I were the only contenders. Luna didn’t seem to notice what was going on, Lavender dove for it but missed, Gabrielle hovered in the back of the group, and two-year-old Jacqueline didn’t understand what was happening. I caught it.
I looked over at Hermione, who was gazing at Remus with a smile on her face. He was sitting at a table with Ron, Harry, and Arthur, who appeared to be teasing him. He was seemingly oblivious to the discussion, because he was staring at me. I’d never seen him look at me like that before. Then suddenly, as if snapping out of a trance, he was conversing with them again, leaving me a little confused. I glanced back at Hermione, who was now beaming at me.
“So we’ll be at your wedding next,” she said, strolling over to me.
I held up the bouquet. “I hope so.” I stole a quick peek to where Remus was sitting, but he wasn’t there anymore.
“He’ll come around. If Ron can propose, he can,” she told me.
“He...Remus is...complicated,” I said, struggling to find the right words to describe him. “He knows I love him, but he doesn’t think he deserves me. He’s afraid of being rejected since girls he’s dated before left him because of his condition. Until me. It doesn’t matter to me that he’s a werewolf and can’t get a job because of it.” I ignored the small group of wizards chatting quietly beside me as I went on, “I don’t care about age, either. Remus isn’t old, anyway....But he’s lost a lot: Lily, James, Sirius, and Peter. He lost his entire life in a way, too, because of something he can’t control. Think about it. He can’t get a job, people stereotype him, and he has many scars where he scratched and bit himself....He goes through so much pain, but is still so calm and caring. He has so many problems of his own, but he still takes time to hear everybody else’s to see if he can help. He’s such an amazing person. I don’t deserve him,” I finished dramatically. Hermione was looking at me with the biggest grin I had ever seen.
“What?” I asked, bewildered. It’s not a happy story, after all.
She pointed to the four wizards to my right. “I found someone who can help,” she said. I looked over and gasped. Remus was standing there with Ron, Harry, and Arthur.
“Do you really mean that?” he inquired.
“Yes, of course,” I told him. “I love you, no matter what.” He pulled me into a hug and I stood on tiptoe for a kiss, which he returned with passion.
“Aww, look at that,” Fred and George shouted, causing us to break apart as heads turned in our direction.
“What are you all staring at? This isn’t a free show!” I said. Everyone chuckled and returned to their previous doings while Gred and Forge laughed mischievously.
The next day I received an owl from Remus asking me if I would stop by after work. I Flooed to his flat from the Ministry to find him waiting for me in the kitchen, looking extremely nervous.
“What is it? Is something wrong?” I asked.
“Oh no, everything’s fine. It’s not a big deal....Well, yes, it is,” he stammered. I waited patiently for him to finish, which was an extraordinary feat for me, as I was bursting with curiosity. “Well, I just wanted to ask you something,” he said.
“I do,” I replied, staring in my true love’s eyes. He raised my veil and kissed me while our family and friends applauded. My wildest dreams were made reality as I walked back down the aisle as Mrs. Remus John Lupin.
Only this time, it was reality.
A/N: I’d love to know what you think about it!