A flash of dark, olive green swept past the mirror. If someone looked right, at last glance, they would have seen a huge amount of horrible white ruffles and lace. For a girl raised by a fashion designer and with looks even Aphrodite would be envious of, Victoire had the absolute worst dress sense known to the Delacours! Molly Weasley II fully believed that it was, anyway.
Molly turned and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her black curls were twisted here and there with silver flowers pinning them up, and her soft blue eyes were staring at her in disgust. There was more fluff and poof to the dress than the last time she put it on! Not to mention this particular shade of green made her skin look ghostly white and unhealthy. Nonetheless, as it was Victoire’s wedding day and Molly was one of Victoire’s bridesmaids, she couldn’t really complain.
She sighed and flopped into a tattered old chapel chair behind her. The dress shot up at odd ends, but Molly hardly cared. Honestly, she couldn't wait for the whole day to be over. Victoire and Teddy were too young to even consider what the word marriage meant, let alone follow through with it. Molly knew when her thoughts were wanted and unwanted, so she didn't say much to the couple, but she did let the rest of the family know about what she thought.
In fact, her opinion was so unwanted, it was half the reason why she was left alone in the dressing room. No one wanted to hear what the bridesmaid had to say about her best friend's and cousin's wedding. Her solitude did not last very long however, when someone rapped lightly on the door.
"Molly, babe. Are you going to be much longer?"
It was Noah Clark. Molly's boyfriend.
"Come in," she said, slumping even more so into the chair and placing her hand over her eyes as a sudden headache crept along the right side of her head. She peeked through her fingers as he walked in to see how much better his appearance was compared to hers.
Noah was clad in dress robes that nearly matched hers, with white ruffles but less lace. He was not a groomsman but Molly was glad she had someone to go along with the torture. The olive green didn't look any better on him than it did her, especially with his sandy blond hair untamed and gracing over his shoulders. His darker complexion didn't go well with it at all either. Although he spent the majority of his time inside reading books, the Australian tan stuck with him.
"Well, don't you look beautiful, babe," he complimented while extending a hand out to her. She accepted it and glared at him. "Aw, come on now, sweety. Cheer up! It's your cousin's special day, and you only have to wear the dress once." He grinned a very boyish grin and blew a strand of hair out of his face.
Molly went for her bag and pulled out a tonic for her headache, turning on Noah as she did so.
"That's all you have to say? It's my cousin's special day? Noah, she's walking down the aisle in less than an hour to the beginning of the next four marriages in her life! Merlin, she's only twenty years old. They've been dating two months and then all of the sudden we're standing here. If she thinks this is some romantic Disney princess deal, then she needs to realize she hasn't lived her life yet! Am I the only one worrying about this?" Tears were falling down her pale cheeks, but she wasn't so much as furious as she was terribly upset.
Noah lightly chuckled and tried to embrace his short-fused girlfriend but she jerked away from him. He sighed and looked down into her eyes.
"You're not really the person who’s worrying about this, but more of the only person who is making a big deal out of nothing."
"A big deal out of nothing? Noah, two months isn't-" Molly started but he interrupted.
"They broke up for two weeks after a four year relationship, Molly. I don't think it really counts for two months." He wiped a tear from her face with his thumb but she turned away and wiped it herself.
Sometimes she didn't know why she continued to go out with Noah because he angered her so often, but the thought of rejection bothered her more than her anger did. What he said, however, was not true at all. Yes, they may have been dating for four years before they broke up for two weeks, before getting back together again, but it was the reason why they broke up that bothered her. There was really no reason at all for Teddy to break up with Victoire at all, yet he still did. Molly thought that they were not mature enough for a married relationship.
A clock nearby started to chime five o'clock. They had thirty minutes until the wedding. She looked up at Noah and bit her tongue from arguing further with him.
"We'll talk more about this later. Right, let me fix your hair before we go out there. You're a mess."
"Are you seriously annoyed at me for defending them? I mean, come on, Molly I-"
"Noah, I've told you. I don't think they're ready, you don't want to stand by me on that issue and that's the end of it. Do you want me to fix your bloody hair or not?" Molly asked belligerently. She crossed her arms and glared at him. He still showed no real signs of anger, only of hurt and confusion.
He couldn't believe what he was hearing, that she was actually irritated at him for sticking up for Teddy and Victoire. He shrugged and turned toward the door.
"My hair’s fine, Molly," he said. He opened the door and looked around to see her grab her bag and stomp toward him with her clacking heels.
"Fine." She walked right past him and continued to trudge along in the hallway. He shut the door and followed her.
"Seriously, Molly. Think for a moment about this wedding and why they're even having one in the first place. If you think long enough, I bet you'll find out that it's not just to make you hate them for eternity." He said as he caught up right behind her. Even though Molly was so short, he was finding it difficult to keep up with her.
Molly didn't stop, but turned her head to look at him momentarily before she answered him. It was more of a death glare, but sometimes she did that even when she meant to show true compassion to him.
"Is it to know what it's like to be young and attached forever to someone who leaves for no reason?" She retorted and faced forward again.
"Um, no..." He countered, grabbing hold of her shoulder and stopping her. He walked around her and faced her again, this time making sure that he didn't let go. "They're marrying each other because they love each other, Molly. You know how that is. They've been dating each other for four years. It’s about time they show that love by marrying."
"Four years is hardly enough time to decide if you love someone, Noah. Apparently Teddy wasn't so sure of himself two months ago," she replied, flushing. Still he didn't let go.
"Really? ‘Cause everyone has their hard times, Molly. And who even knows, maybe something happened those two months ago we don't know about. Either way, four years is plenty of time. I mean, look at us!" Noah smiled at her, his hands still on her shoulders.
She looked up into his brown eyes as if she was expecting something different to come out of his mouth after that. As though she thought he was joking.
"Look at us, Noah? What do you mean look at us? We've only been dating for three years. That doesn't mean that we're in love. And you'd better think twice if you ask me any time soon to marry you, because I do not plan on being the only Hogwarts sixth year married couple!" Molly was still looking up at him, but that was a mistake. Her anger fell almost immediately along with her stomach dropping.
Noah's face fell and his grip loosened until he let go of her completely. He didn't look away, but something was in his expression that wasn't there before.
"What's wrong now?" She asked. She was determined not to let her guard down completely but her voice quivered slightly and betrayed her.
He pulled her close to him and hugged her tenderly before whispering in her ear, "But I do love you, Molly."
~~~
The doors finally opened and the old dusty pipe organ began to play. No one was at the organ, of course, but it still played beautifully. The music wasn't nearly as beautiful as the woman walking through those doors, though. Molly watched as Victoire Weasley walked slowly down the long, silver carpet laid across the marble chapel floor.
Her cousin was being accompanied by Molly’s Uncle Bill, Victoire’s father, as they walked past rows and rows of family and friends. He too was wearing green dress robes, but Victoire was wearing a white dress with a huge olive green bow tied behind it and green sequins spiraling down the front. Of course Molly couldn't see how beautiful her face was because it was hidden behind a veil, but she was certain that her one-eighth Veela cousin was absolutely gorgeous in the horrid color, unlike anyone else.
Tears found their way yet again on Molly's face, but it wasn't because she was happy for her cousin. No, that was pretty much shown from the start that even though she thought her cousin was gorgeous in a wedding gown, she was far from happy for her. Nor did they start because of the bouquet of flowers she was holding that she was mildly allergic to. As Molly's eyes were following Victoire make her way down the aisle, she passed Noah.
He was sitting right behind Aunt Fleur, who was still very gorgeous even with her red blotchy face borne from the tears of joy for her daughter and soon-to-be son-in-law. Noah was looking at the bride, but his eyes were sad and he avoided following her any further once she was close enough to include Molly in his vision.
What should she have done? He told her just moments ago that he loved her for the first time in their three year relationship, and she just left him standing there behind her. It wasn't easy, but she did.
"I have to go and get ready before they start this dreadful thing without me." Was the last thing she said to him before she just walked away.
Victoire finally came to a halt in front of everyone and Uncle Bill removed her veil. Sure enough, her pale blond hair was curled elegantly and it framed her face just right. Her blue eyes were very bright and shiny with tears of joy as Uncle Bill kissed her and gave her away to Teddy. Soon, Molly's cousin would become Victoire Lupin, and all Molly could think about still was how she had just left Noah the way she did. With no answer at all.
Not that she had one for him.
~~~
"I do." Theodore Remus Lupin said to her.
"I do." Victoire Ginevra Weasley answered back to him.
"You may now kiss your bride." The priest said to the both of them.
Teddy kissed her, and at first she thought it was their first kiss again. It was just as lovely and passionate as their first, but she knew that it was the first kiss of their marriage and how he would continue to kiss her every day of their lives together.
When they finally broke apart, her new husband's hair, which was as close to normal as he could get for the wedding, changed from a mousy brown to a very deep purple. Victoire laughed and kissed him again as her family and friends stood and cheered for their new respective members of the family. Not that they weren't always family.
Victoire Lupin looked out into the crowd and smiled, clinging to her new husband, and tears were glistening on her cheeks. Thankfully, she wasn't the only one crying. One of her bridesmaids, Molly Weasley, was crying for her as well. Molly smiled slightly at Victoire and the new bride reached out for her cousin's hand and squeezed it gently.
"Thank you," she said softly and then turned her attention on her other bridesmaids and maid of honour, which were her sisters. The day ended up being absolutely perfect, and she couldn't be any more in love than she was now.
She and her new husband made their way back down the aisle and greeted family outside of the chapel. The reception would be soon, and the chapel was hosting that as well. Though her parents were fully capable of affording the whole wedding on their own, the Potters agreed to take care of it as long as the wedding was held in London. Victoire couldn't complain; it was an absolutely beautiful wedding.
"Darling," Teddy said, pulling her towards him and smiling down at her. His hair was still a dark shade of purple. "I love you." He kissed her again. And again. And again. She laughed and pushed away, winking at him and walking ahead of him.
"There will be plenty of that later during the honeymoon, dear." She teased and the two of them made their way to a small tent around the back of the chapel. "We have to celebrate with everyone else first."
~~~
"You s'pose she's pregnant?"
Molly choked on her Firewhiskey and sat up immediately from her stool to see her younger cousin, James Potter, smiling at her.
"Ugh-bluh-whu?" she managed to get out and put the glass down behind her.
"You know," James said looking directly at Victoire now, "they split up and all of a sudden they're getting back together and making sure they get married right afterwards? Seems a bit odd to me, ya know what I mean?" His attention went right back to Molly. He was still in his olive dress robes, too. He was Teddy's best man.
Molly hadn't thought of that. Her eyes were wide and she stared right at her newly wedded cousin.
"I- I never thought that!"
"Calm down there, cuz! I was only joking!" He laughed and then turned around to order a butterbeer. "Besides, you don't really think they'd do that sort of thing, do you? Not tell us, I mean."
"Well it does make a lot of sense, if you think about it." Molly wasn't about to let this theory down.
James laughed and spun around in his is stool. "Come now, Mols, look at her! There isn't an ounce of fat, er, I mean, morning glow on that woman! Aw, if only she wasn't my cousin!"
"JAMES!" Molly was revolted, and she slapped his arm, causing him to spill a little of his Butterbeer on his dress robes. He didn't seem to mind and just continued to laugh.
"I mean that in the most non-disgusting way possible, Mols. Trust me. I'd say the same thing about you if you had a better attitude most of the time. It's a mystery Noah can tollerate you as much as he does. What's going on between you two anyway? He’s been looking a bit bummed out for the whole wedding. Wishing it was his own wedding, eh?" He jeered and elbowed her side.
"Stop that! And- and no. Not at all. We just had a little argument, that’s all." Molly said quickly, returning to her glass and taking another swig.
James took a quick look at Noah and back to Molly. The Butterbeer must have been taking a real effect on him, because he was really beginning to get a bit loopy. The Potter's must have slightly tampered with it.
"Oh really? Wha' was it 'bout?" He hiccuped.
"How many of those things have you had, James?" Molly asked, taking the empty butterbeer bottle from his hands as he ordered another one.
"Huh? Oh. I dunno. Four? Five? I dunno but I'm loving it! Waiter!" He was absolutely beaming with nearly drunken joy. He was as weak as a House Elf when it came down to it.
"And why, may I ask, are you even drinking all of these anyway?" She demanded, taking the new bottle he just ordered from him and setting it on her other side.
"The same bloody reason you are, Mols! Celebration! If you 'aven't noticed yet, we just finished a wedding!" James staggered from his seat and grabbed for his bottle again and took a huge drink from it. "Ahhhhh. Nothing better than a good ol' butterbeer. Whatcha got there, anyway?"
"Firewhiskey." Molly answered, taking a drink of her own. "And I'll have you know, I'm not drinking for celebration. I'm grieving."
"Grieving? Godric's Sword, you make it sound as'if someone's died! No one 'as died 'ave they?" Complete shock overtook James as he waited for her answer.
Molly looked at him with disgust and took another drink.
"No, James. No one has died! I'm grieving because I don't think this wedding was done properly. They just sort of jumped into this whole thing. That answers your question too, by the way. Why Noah looks so annoyed. We're currently fighting over what we think about this wedding and we just simply don't agree."
"Tha's it? I though' you two 'ad broken up or somethin'. Tha' can' be it. Noah's totally whipped, he woul'n' be so bummed ou' jus' 'cause you two are figh’in'!" James went for another drink again, but found that Molly had it once again. "Ey! Give tha' back!"
"I'm finding it very hard to understand you when you're so drunk. You can have it back after you have a civil conversation and prove that you're decently sober. What do you mean, he doesn't looked bummed out because of a fight?" Molly asked suddenly, more concerned than she thought she would be.
"I dunno. Jus' though' that maybe the two of ya broke up or somethin'. Well, you broke up with 'im. He's too miserable to 'ave broken up with ya. Jus' doesn' seem whatever yer fightin' over is 'cause of this weddin'." James shrugged.
Molly tossed the butterbeer back at James.
"That's enough from you!" She groweled. Her heart was pounding and her face was flushed. "There’s nothing going on with Noah and I. We're just having a little fight and that’s all. We haven’t split up or anything. Now go on, and this better be your last one or else I'm telling Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry."
"Alrigh'! Alrigh'! I gotcha. Jus'... jus' lighten up, OK? Noah's a good guy, and he's been waitin' round on ya hand an' foot. 'Sides, whatcha gotta argue over this weddin' for? Seems perfectly righ' to me." James turned to watch as Victoire and Teddy danced in the middle of the dance floor. He was right. Everyone besides Molly was very happy to be at the wedding with one another. Everyone was smiling, laughing, and dancing.
Uncle Harry was dancing with his daughter, Lily, and Molly’s dad was sitting at a table making a toast with her mum while her sister Lucy waited patiently for him to take her to the dance floor. Some of her friends that weren't on the dance floor were chatting away at a large table with a silver cloth draped over it. Everyone seemed to be having fun. Everyone but herself and Noah of course, and the latter of the two was sitting at a table full of old spinster ladies and a few older gentlemen.
The piano was playing by itself again, and soon everyone was sitting or standing at the sides as the bride and groom danced by themselves while their wedding song filled the room. Soon, everyone moved onto the dance floor. Even James left Molly’s side and began to try and get his younger brother, Albus, to ask a girl to dance with him.
Noah caught Molly staring at him and looked at her. He didn't greet her with warm eyes or a welcoming smile, but with sad eyes and a small smile. Her thin lips formed into a smile as well, and he made his way across the room to her.
"You know," he said, "for a wedding that was a bad idea, everyone seems to be having a good time on the dance floor. Care to join me?" Noah asked, extending his hand out to her. She hesitated, but accepted it anyway. She didn't say a word while they made their way to the dance floor, and she laid her head on his shoulder as he rested his chin on top of her head.
That's how it was for a while. Silence. Nothing but the music playing in the background and the occasional distinct laugh she could pick out from an old aunt or someone, but otherwise they were lost on their own deserted island. Finally, Molly broke the silence.
"About what you said earlier-"
"I meant it, you know?" Noah said hoarsely, his chin still resting on her head. He felt her jaw clench against his chest. "About what I said earlier. You really do look beautiful in that dress."
"Oh..."
"Unless you meant what I said after that. When I said-"
"I know." Molly cut in, her voice choked. "I know what you said. There's no point in bringing it up again. Otherwise I'm just going to have the same answer as before." Her arms gripped him even tighter, as though she were hoping that no matter what either of them said, he wouldn't let go of her. It was these kind of things that she did that kept him from leaving her. It was these things that made him tell her that he loved her. Because he did. Noah loved her nearly from the moment she walked into his life in third year.
"OK." He said, kissing the top of her head.
The song ended and she looked up at him for the first time. She had been crying again, but she leaned in and pecked him on the lips before turning around and headed back to the bar. He stood there and watched her go, not sure of what was currently going on in his life. It wasn't until the next song started did he move to a table of friends and ordered his own drink of Firewhiskey.
He didn't really care about what Rose or Michael were currently arguing over at his newfound table. With one last look at Molly, he took a huge gulp of his Firewhiskey and finished the night listening to an argument about Muggles and children born without magical parents (because that's how Michael Dursley's sister was) and how they could not get along.
Seven Years and Counting by ginnypotter19
Chapter Notes: They were lost on their own deserted island.
Chapter Endnotes: So the main purpose of this chapter was to really introduce you to Molly and Noah so you can get a feel for their personalities and how dramatic Molly can be. I hope it wasn't too confusing! I'd love to know what you think in a review! Thanks for reading!
Gin