It was one of those splendidly beautiful summer days. It was a sun washed morning and seemed like an invitation to come out and live and cherish the day. The sun hung lazily in the sky like a distant gold and yellow orb. The soft mist about this place had not yet lifted. The grass beneath his feet grew in warm green blades and the same inviting warm and rich shade of verdure suffused the foliage around. The breeze blew lightly, caressing the faces of those who cared to feel its soft presence and played with others’ tresses.
Along with its presence, the breeze brought about the sweet, light scent of summer flowers. Wildflowers emblazoned the setting in vivid splashes and bursts of magnificent colors. Stalks of hyacinths, lavenders, bluebells and lupines shook and swayed gently to the inaudible rhythm of the wind as it blew among them. Cotton candy clouds drifted peacefully across the calm, vast ocean of azure sky.
The rays of the golden sun reached the surface of the lake in the middle of the setting and shimmered off the water’s green-blue surface. The lake water rippled softly in amorphous, undulated waves and Harry felt a bubble arise in his very insides, causing the sensation of floating. He stretched and then stood in the open space, savoring the gaze of the sun on his cheeks and the light glaze of the moist mist.
All around were low beech and maple trees which invited others into their shade for a rest or picnic. Witches and wizards strode about and some were already seated under the trees, indulging in pleasant, idle chatter. The birds twittered melodiously. In the middle of the colorful setting, a huge tent stood out in stark, pure whiteness.
As Harry walked towards the ‘tent’, he noticed and recognized many faces of those whom he knew. “Hiya, Harry!” shouted a voice from under one of the beech trees. Harry turned and saw Bill waving at him jovially, so was Fleur. Unlike the last time Harry saw him, Bill’s cuts were almost fully healed and he was looking handsome in his formal, black apparel. Fleur was looking resplendent in pale gold and cream dress robes. Her face was aglow and there was a tinge of pink in her cheeks. Harry wondered if this was because she was with Bill. As Harry stepped towards the ‘tent’, he heard melodious music start to play and for a moment, he thought he heard the trilling of the phoenix.
Under the canopy of the tent, rows of chairs had been arranged facing an archway of flowers and the lake. From the white canopy, there hung shimmering, translucent, white drapes decorated with sequins that glimmered under the sun. Everything under the canopy was pure, white and clean. Suddenly, something silvery flitted past Harry’s face. As Harry turned to look for what it was, Harry noticed that it was a small fairy and there was not just one of them but there seemed to be two, three, four…There were so many of them that Harry counted awhile and gave up.
There were so many of them, gleaming like shiny, translucent mist under as they playfully chased one another under the sun. The tune of the music had now changed and there was singing.
You….did not love me because….I was beautiful, but I was beautiful…because you loved me…
Harry looked around and no one seemed to be singing. Then, he noticed that the singing was coming from the golden statues of witches poised elegantly at the very front; their lips moving and their faces eloquent with expression. Yet, Harry thought, you could still tell that they were statues. He shrugged and smiled.
Most of the decorations in the tent were not too grand, but were pure and white instead. In that simplicity, was the beauty. Boughs of white roses in full bloom hung from the ceiling. Green vine grew on the archway and expectedly here too, were white roses interspersed with light scarlet ones. However, these were buds of white roses that did not show any signs that they were about to bloom. Harry wondered why white roses in bloom were not used; they looked nicer.
Two girls stood near the archway, fussing at the decorations with their wands. One of them looked up at Harry, the one with auburn hair and wearing scarlet and pink dress robes.
“You might mean one person to the world…” Harry caught her eyes. “But you mean the world to me…”
They looked at each other for sometime until Hermione who was standing next to Ginny cleared her throat rather loudly. Their gaze broke and they turned away, embarrassed. He caught Mrs.Weasley barking last minute orders at Ron who was scowling behind her back. Fred and George stood in a corner, smirking and laughing at Ron. Soon, witches and wizards began to enter the place and began to take their seats. Harry sat right next to the aisle in the second row, with Ginny next to him. Ron and Hermione sat next to them. The statues were now singing a slow, touching tune, just melodies without words. Their voices sounded amazingly like a symphony of magical instruments.
A woman with flowing auburn tresses was sitting in the front row, next to a man with jet-black hair. The man turned and when he saw Harry, he smiled. Harry smiled in return at James Potter, his father. At this, James winked and turned to chat with Lily who was sitting next to him. Everyone was chatting animatedly. An elderly man with a crooked nose and periwinkle blue eyes entered and silently took his place on the raised dais behind the archway, where a Minister would usually stand in Muggle weddings.
The buzz of chatter ceased in respect for the old man in magnificent turquoise and magenta robes with enormous silver swirls. The statue of the witches began to sing a new tune, this one soft and touching. This too, was just a symphony of melodies without words. Remus and Sirius entered the scene. The sun shone serenely and the lake water lapped against the shore of the lake. Remus’ face had a healthy glow to it and his grey eyes twinkled as if they were smiling on his behalf. Harry noticed that there was very little grey in his hair. Sirius looked as handsome as he did in James’ wedding, only his face looked more mature now.
Sirius looked at Dumbledore. “You look good today, Professor,” Sirius said rather earnestly, motioning to Dumbledore’s robes. “Just almost as good Remus and I here,” Sirius said, a smile already peeking at the corners of his mouth. Dumbledore chuckled and a few people in the crowd laughed. Sirius caught James’ eyes and both the men grinned cheekily.
“Why, thank you, Sirius. Of course I do not look as good you or Remus here, though I am quite sure Minerva could always tell you how exceptionally good I looked in those days if you cared to ask her,” Dumbledore smiled, his clear, blue eyes also smiling gaily as Professor McGonagall who was blushing a furious shade of scarlet tried hard to look as if Dumbledore never mentioned her name.
As Harry heard Sirius’ familiar bark of laughter, he saw all eyes turn down the aisle and land on one lissome figure walking down the aisle. Harry saw Remus gasp in awe, his mouth slightly open in amazement. Sirius who seemed to realize Remus’ awestruck condition after a moment or two quickly whispered something in Remus’ ear. Remus quickly straightened up, looking rather embarrassed. He retrieved his wand from his smart, black robes and brought it down with a flourish through the air. Delicate patterns that looked as if they were made of thin glass rained from above and glittered as the rays of the sun passed through them. People gasped. Snowflakes? Harry wondered.
“Snowflakes? In the middle of summer?” Ron’s skeptical voice echoed Harry’s
thoughts.
“Oh, do shut up, Ron. It’s so sweet of Remus to do this for Tonks,” Hermione snapped at an abashed looking Ron, gazing up at the falling snowflakes, trying to catch them with her hand.
As soon as the snowflakes touched anyone, they turned into small, silver gleaming fairies and butterflies. The statues sang the most beautiful song as Tonks walked down the aisle in her pearl-white layered robes, which were gathered rather low off her shoulders. The flimsy outer layer of her dress robes fell around her figure beautifully and aimlessly. Her hair was now a lustrous mane of black twisted into an elegant bun on her head. It was amazing how much better Tonks looked without her usual pink hair.
The snowflakes rained on and as they touched Tonks, they turned into scented white rose petals, some of which caught in her hair. By now, the whole tent was glimmering with the presence of the fairies and silver butterflies. Tonks stood opposite Remus in front of the archway. The buds of the white roses on the archway remained closed. She was surveying the floor with newfound interest and there was a tinge of pink in her pale, heart-shaped face.
Albus Dumbldore cleared his voice. “To those who are present today, I extend my arms in welcome and appreciation on behalf of Remus John Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks. How blessed we are to be present here today to witness the unity of two complex human minds, souls and bodies through a simple, cherished bond called love simply cannot be put into words,” Dumbledore looked down and smiled warmly at the bride and groom from the dais.
“Indeed, it seems to me as if James and Lily just married and yet here I am, given this wonderfully invaluable opportunity to witness the marriage of this two wonderful young people. I do not them even for half my life, Merlin bless me, but it seems as if I have known these two courageous individuals forever,” Dumbledore sighed and then winked at Remus and Tonks who were waiting in quiet nervousness.
“I do not wish to drone on and bore all of you who are eagerly present here. Indeed, when two hearts have reached out and touched each another and had their say, what say do we have? It is said that love makes the world go round. I personally think that this is not true, love does not make the world go round, rather it is the one that makes the ride worthwhile.” Dumbledore drew his breath. “Remus, Nymphadora, are you ready?”
Both Remus and Tonks nodded. Sirius held out a small, velvet box that was already open. Inside the box was a single, white rose petal. Remus retrieved the petal and Tonks removed a scented white petal that was caught in her hair. Remus’ left hand took Tonks’ outstretched hand with a white petal on it and Tonks’ hand found Remus’ hand which held the white petal. They held each other’s gaze as the soft, sweet music played on. The closed buds of the white roses on the archway opened and small, shimmering beings like fairies flew out and formed a circle around Remus and Tonks, glimmering with a mystical glow.
“Remus John Lupin, do you give your word to love Nymphadora Tonks, care for her being with all your soul, protect her with all your strength, cherish her presence with all your love, hold her hands through all her tears and tread her path of fears till even death cannot part you, for there is no happy ending or sad ending to love; it has no ending?”
“I do.”
“Nymphadora Tonks, do you give your word to love Remus John Lupin, care for his being with all your soul, protect him with all your strength, cherish his presence with all your love, hold his hands through all his tears and tread his path of fears till even death cannot part you, for there is no happy ending or sad ending to love; it has no ending?”
“I do.”
A silver-white stream of flame wrapped itself around Remus’ and Tonks’ hands. Ginny’s hand found Harry’s and Harry felt warmth spreading through his body. As the flames evaporated, Remus and Tonks unclasped their hands from each other’s. Remus’ and Tonks’ hands that held a rose petal earlier now held a silver ring. Remus took the ring on his palm and put it on Tonks’ left ring finger and Tonks did the same.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” said Dumbledore cheerily. Remus and Tonks looked at each other as if they saw the world in each other’s eyes. “You may kiss the bride.”
“I love you, Tonks. These words have my life in them,” Remus said, still looking at Tonks tenderly.
Tonks nodded, her eyes glassy with tears, as if to say, “I love you, too.” As the music reached a crescendo, they kissed. The fairies circled higher and faster, dissolving into a vortex of gold and flew up and disappeared through the roof of the tent. Simultaneously, Dumbledore pointed his wand at the ceiling and a flap that looked like the Enchanted Ceiling at Hogwarts opened. Vivid firecrackers seemed to erupt in the sky, which looked like dark, night sky through the flap.
Harry heard a huge howl, and turned to see Hermione patting Hagrid, who was blowing his nose with a pink, laced handkerchief with white polka dots. Harry smiled and felt the back of his throat burn and his eye brim with tears. He brushed away his tears and one look at James and Sirius told him that they, too, had shed a few tears. Harry squeezed Ginny’s hands.The Marauders, he thought proudly. Ron, Hermione and I will be that way, too, he said to himself. Everyone assembled for a picture.
Harry heard joyous laughter from the jubilant crowd. His ears caught a familiar bark of laughter and his mother’s tinkling laughter, which sounded like wind chimes in the passing breeze. He felt hands thump his back in a friendly manner. The music continued to play softly in the background. For one sudden heart-stopping moment, Harry’s ears caught the beautiful melody of the phoenix's song that seemed to reach out to the very depths of his soul.
‘Click! the camera sounded. There was a sudden, blinding, dazzling flash of white light. In his mind’s eye, Harry saw a monochrome black and white picture of everyone smiling and waving at the camera. Tonks was waving at the camera while, James was trying to mess up Remus’ sleekly groomed hair and Sirius held a glass of what seemed to be Firewhisky above Remus’ head, ready to pour it on him. Harry’s eyes twinkled and his lips curved into a knowing smile. His closed eyelids drew open, expecting to see Remus emerging from the crowd, coughing and spluttering and drenched in Firewhisky.
Yet, all that he could see was bleak darkness all around. Hang on, he thought to himself, that must be the effect of seeing after looking at the bright light from the camera. The soft, melodious music was still humming in his ears. Harry squinted his eyes as hard as he could, his heart full of hope to find everyone else. He heard Lily’s tinkling laughter. All he could see was vague outlines of people that seemed to evaporate into the darkness.
No! An orange light that robbed everything of color fell on the floor. And then a sudden, vivid realization dawned upon him, a realization so cold and heavy that his heart seemed to stop beating from the sheer burden of it. Without quite thinking, he reached out desperately to pull someone’s dress robes, anything to stop them from disappearing.
Now everything was quiet, it was a quiet that was almost deathly. The music in the background had stopped in entirety. Silence. A cold gust of wind whistled into his bedroom through his window at number.4, Privet Drive. Hedwig hooted softly in her cage. Slow despair crept upon Harry. Sorrow as deep and dark as a black ocean slowly crawled its way into his heart. A silent tear trickled down his cheek, burning his cheek slightly, wetting his pillow. As vivid as it was, it had been a silly, stupid dream. It was a dream wedding.
A Dream Wedding by blacsilver_serpent
Chapter Notes: Please forward this story to this moderator: dory_the_fishie.Thanks.
Disclaimer: J.K Rowling owns this entire magical world and the wonderful characters.