Chapter 22

Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this fiction belong to JK Rowling, her heirs and her assignees, except for those who belong to me.

Author's Notes: Kudos to noybate for stepping in as beta for this story. This chapter has been Britpicked by the incomparable SlytherinsHeirx, but any mistakes are my own.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Longbottom–Abbott Nuptials

by Birdie Tweeter

Social reporter, Daily Prophet

The wedding of Mr Neville Longbottom, slayer of the great snake Nagini, and Miss Hannah Abbott, both alumni of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was celebrated today on the grounds of the school where they first met.

The former Miss Abbott wore a floor-length robe of white Chinese silk embroidered with white-on-white roses around the hem, neckline, and sleeve hems. Her headdress consisted of a coronet of white roses and baby's breath braided with pale green ribbons that extended down her back, and her slippers were white satin weave silk with white-on-white embroidered roses to match the embroidery on her robes. She carried a bouquet of white roses tied with the same pale green ribbon as her coronet.

Her attendant, Miss Susan Bones, wore a tea-length robe of pale green silk, the exact same shade as the bride's ribbons and sprinkled with embroidered white rosebuds, and satin weave silk slippers in the same pale green as her robes. The new Mrs Longbottom's young cousin Jerusha, who was dressed in a miniature copy of Miss Bones' robes and slippers, acted as flower girl, leading the bride and her attendant to the altar while strewing white rose petals along their path.

The new Mrs Longbottom's father gave the bride away...and this reporter is certain she saw a tear in his eye as he did so, perhaps in memory of the bride's mother, one of the victims of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. The bride's grandmother wore robes of the same pale green as the bride's attendants, but without the embroidery that graced the robes of Miss Bones and the younger Miss Abbott.

The grandmother of the groom, Mrs Augusta Longbottom, wore lavender robes of satin weave Chinese silk embroidered with white accents along the hem and sleeve edges. The groom's robes were of white satin weave Chinese silk with complementary accents the same shade of lavender as his grandmother's robes. Mr Harry Potter, The-Man-Who-Lived-Twice, served as Mr Longbottom's attendant.

The celebrant for the ceremony was Professor Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Mr Ronald Weasley, an alumnus of the school and an Auror currently stationed in Hogsmeade with Mr Potter, served as cup bearer to Professor McGonagall.

The reception was outdoors under pavilions provided by the school. Music for dancing was provided by Celestina Warbeck and the Weird Sisters. The reception was catered by the Three Broomsticks pub of Hogsmeade, with the assistance of house-elves from the school. The wedding cake was from the bakery of Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, also located in Hogsmeade.

The cake itself was a marvel of baking splendour...four tiers of Italian crème cake layered with chocolate ganache and covered by a creamy white fondant with coloured buttercream frosting roses cascading down the sides and surrounding the bottom tier. The top of the cake contained images of the bride and groom, spelled to kiss continuously.

The new Mr and Mrs Longbottom will begin their life together in Hogsmeade after the wedding trip. Mr Longbottom has accepted a position as apprentice to Professor Pomona Sprout, the Herbology teacher of Hogwarts. The new Madam Longbottom has purchased the Three Broomsticks from its previous owner, Madam Rosmerta, and will take over as landlady when the couple return from their honeymoon at an undisclosed location. The new couple plan to live in quarters above the pub for the time being.

* * *

Longbottom–Abbott Nuptials Erupt Into Violence

by Birdie Tweeter

Correspondent, Daily Prophet

A short time after the newly married couple took a Portkey to their secret honeymoon site, the guests at the Longbottom–Abbott wedding were witness to a scene of jealousy and violence almost too horrific to describe.

Mr Ronald Weasley of Ottery St. Catchpole in Devon, and the cup bearer at the wedding of his old school friends, physically assaulted Mr Draco Malfoy of Wiltshire. Mr Malfoy was attending the wedding as the escort of Miss Hermione Granger, the newest teacher at the school and an invited guest of the newly wedded Longbottoms as well.

During the altercation, Mr Weasley was heard to utter the words, 'Keep your filthy ferret paws off of my girl,' to which Mr Malfoy was heard to reply, 'Maybe you should ask Herms whose girl she is.' At that, wands were drawn and hexes flew until the Headmistress stepped in and confiscated both wands. Poppy Pomfrey, Hogwarts' mediwitch as well as an invited wedding guest, moved in and proceeded to heal the boils, tentacles, fur, and other maladies the combatants had suffered as well as the sufferings of those guests who weren't quick enough to move out of the way.

Miss Granger, the cause of all the commotion, stood back and watched the duelling pair while casting shield spells to protect her Muggle parents, guests of the groom. Mr Granger was heard to say he had not had so much fun at a wedding since his own. Both wife and daughter were seen to shush him rather forcefully. Lucius Malfoy, who is apparently very friendly with the Granger family (as reported in this paper previously), looked as if he wished to hear more about Mr Granger's wedding (as would this reporter).

In the end, Miss Granger looked very put out by the actions of both young men and scolded them indiscriminately about ruining the wedding of a close friend. In this reporter's observations, Miss Granger treated both men as brothers and not, as has been reported by another member of this newspaper staff who shall remain nameless, as potential marriage partners.

* * *

Severus finished reading aloud the Sunday Prophet's accounts of the wedding and its aftermath and, clearing his throat, looked at his audience. "Well, Hermione, we can only hope this will spike Miss Skeeter's guns as thoroughly as we might have wished," he said, folding the paper and laying it aside on the table next to his chair. Most of the conspirators were there, enjoying a late Sunday brunch in his quarters. "I like how it was pointed out you only care about the young men like brothers."

"Yeah, Herms, what gives?" Draco asked from where he lazed on the sofa, a cup of tea balanced on his chest. "I suffered all that because I'm your brother? And what happened to Skeeter? I thought she would be there. Not this Birdie Whatever person."

"At least you're still breathing, Ferret," she retorted from her easy chair. "I'm not sure about my dad. Mum looked really sore at him when they left. I don't know why the paper didn't send Skeeter, but I'm rather glad she wasn't there, to tell the truth."

Severus cleared his throat and looked up at the ceiling. "I believe Miss Skeeter received an anonymous gift that left her rather incapacitated. Something to do with a pound of the best Honeydukes chocolates laced with Veritaserum. I imagine the paper was more than happy to send someone else." He smirked at Hermione.

"You didn't!" She grinned at the thought of Rita Skeeter under the influence of Veritaserum.

"Of course not," Severus answered easily. "We all know I'm not allowed to leave the grounds for any reason or send owls. Even my Floo has been blocked for the last four and a half years." He sighed dramatically. "She obviously has someone else irked at her. Now, about your parents and their wedding..."

"What happened at your parents' wedding?" Lucius asked, walking in from the dining area. He eyed his son, who quickly sat up and looked innocent of anything but perfect posture.

"I'm not really sure," Hermione said, as she stood up and took Draco's cup into the kitchenette. "Mum won't let him talk about it, and she makes sure anybody else who might have been there doesn't mention it in front of me. Must've been really embarrassing."

"Perhaps I should take your father to the pub and talk the story out of him." Lucius grinned impishly as he sat down on the sofa. "I never thought I would say this, but I like your parents."

"Who are you and what did you do to Lucius?" Severus teased his friend. "Narcissa, did you hear your husband?" he called out.

She walked into the sitting room from the kitchenette and sat down on the sofa beside her husband and son. "Of course I heard him, Severus. And I agree with him. I like Hermione's parents. I think they're very astute to have raised such an intelligent witch as Hermione."

"And they didn't even realize the wizarding world existed until Minerva came to visit with my Hogwarts letter." Hermione grinned in remembrance as she sat back down. "Mum thought it was all a big joke until Minerva Transfigured a tea set out of some of Mum's china figurines, and poured us each a cup of tea."

"Elizabeth is like a breath of fresh air," Narcissa said, sighing in delight. "She and I have discovered we enjoy many of the same interests. Your parents did an excellent job in raising you to be self-assured and proud of who you are. Most pure-bloods try to do that with their children as well."

"And succeed," Draco said, tossing his shoulder-length hair back from his forehead as he puffed out his chest.

"Not always," Narcissa chastised him, then looked back at Hermione in consideration. "But you do look a lot like your mother. You have the same facial features."

"And I believe she inherited her father's brain," Lucius finished. "Although I tend to believe Elizabeth is just as intelligent."

"And here I thought all I got from my dad was his hair." Hermione laughed. "At least it's finally taming down," she continued, running a hand through the unruly curls.

"I think it's cute," Draco said. She just glared at him. "What? It's cute in a curly way. Like that old Muggle moo-vy you dragged me to last year. What was her name?"

"Shirley Temple?" Hermione screeched. "You think I look like Shirley Temple? What are you laughing at?" She sneered at Severus.

"I haven't seen a Shirley Temple movie since I was a boy," he sniggered, "but Draco is right. You have almost the same hairstyle."

Hermione muttered under her breath and watched as Severus' black and Draco's blond hair sprang into riotous masses of corkscrew curls. "That's better," she said with a smirk.

Draco yelped and ran for a mirror while his mother snickered behind her hand and his father actually guffawed. Severus simply smirked and ran a hand down the back of his head. As his curls smoothed out, he looked over at Hermione.

"All right," he said. "I apologize for comparing you to Shirley Temple. I wasn't aware your training with Minerva had gone as far as it had."

"Who's Shirley Temple?" Lucius chortled. "And why is it an insult to be compared to her?"

"She was an American Muggle child actress in the thirties," Severus explained. "Basically, she was known for her singing and dancing in cutesy movies, which are still being shown in cinemas that showcase vintage movies. Her best known feature was probably her hair, which was always dressed in ringlet curls."

Draco yowled from Severus' bedroom, where he had retreated after being hexed. Barging back into the sitting room, his eyes wild, he shouted, "I can't get it out! Make it go away! Please, Granger! I apologize! Really!"

Hermione snickered and waved her hand. Draco yelped as he felt a tug at his hair, but relaxed as he felt the curls drop and the strands return to their usual straight length.

"Very funny, Herms," he sneered. "You have got to teach that one to me. Weasel would have looked so precious yesterday."

Hermione laughed. "I need to keep some secrets, Ferret. Besides, he hit you with some pretty heavy hexes himself."

"Yeah, I know," he admitted. "I think he's been practicing."

"Being as Mr Weasley is an Auror," Severus said, clearing his throat, "such practice, I believe, is mandatory. I understand Mr Potter is just as capable, if not as hot-headed, as his red-headed friend was yesterday."

"Miss Weasley pulled him away when the hexing started," Narcissa said. "I heard her tell him not to get mixed up in something that wasn't his affair. Smart girl."

"I don't think she wanted her fiancé hurt." Hermione smirked. "She's getting him nicely trained, and probably doesn't want to start over."

Narcissa laughed. "Isn't it the truth?" She looked lovingly at Lucius. "Of course, some wizards are harder to train than others."

Lucius drew himself up to his full height. "I resemble that remark," he quipped, reducing the rest of the room to laughter.

Draco wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes and said, "I wonder what kept Weasley in check until after the reception. He was looking daggers at me the whole time from behind Professor McGonagall."

"That would have been your Mr Potter," Severus said snidely.

"You were there?" Hermione asked, looking at the Potions teacher. "I didn't see you at all."

"I observed the affair from the Headmistress' office rather than attend in person, so as not to cause Mr Longbottom any discomfort on his wedding day," Severus admitted. "The oriel window in the office has been charmed. It will allow whoever is in the office to view the entire grounds with accompanying audio. Of course, the old goat had me describing everything to him while I was watching.

"However, I did watch Mr Potter convince the youngest Mr Weasley that he did not want to make a fuss while the newly married couple was still there. I believe Augusta had a word with Potter before the ceremony to make sure he could handle Weasley even while he served as Longbottom's attendant."

"Indeed," Minerva said, stepping into the room from the corridor. "No, don't get up," she said as the men started to rise to their feet. Hermione quickly got up and fetched the Headmistress a tray filled with a plate of spinach and bacon quiche...still warm due to Winky's magic...and a bowl of mixed fruit, then poured Minerva a cup of tea from the pot on the table in front of the sofa. "Thank you, my dear."

Minerva Transfigured an end table into another easy chair and sighed deeply as she sat down to enjoy her brunch. "I told Augusta what we were planning, and she was entirely too happy to help," she said as she picked up her fork. "Augusta spoke with Harry, but didn't tell him anything other than Hermione had asked Draco to be her escort, and Augusta wished to avoid trouble during the ceremony if possible. She flattered him that he had enough influence with his friends that he could help prevent trouble. Needless to say, Augusta was right."

"Old Scarhead saves the day again, eh?" Draco said.

"Indeed," Severus said. "And where are the other members of our conspiracy?"

"Oh," Minerva swallowed her mouthful of quiche. "Filius should be here soon. The Grey Lady asked to speak with him. And Hermione's parents, of course, went home yesterday evening. I do wish they could have stayed. We could have accommodated them in a guest room as we did with the Malfoys."

"I think Mum wanted to get Dad away before Mr Malfoy talked him into telling what happened at their wedding." Hermione laughed. "All I really know is it involved my dad, his dad, and Mum's dad. And since Grandmum died last summer, the only family members left who know what happened are Mum and Dad...and they won't tell me."

Hermione looked down at her lap as she spoke. "At least Grandmum did what she said she would do. She lived long enough to see me graduate from University. Even if she couldn't attend the ceremony." She looked up, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "I miss her."

Filius chose that moment to make his entrance. "Sorry I'm late. Ravenclaw business. What's this, Hermione? Tears?"

She wiped a hand under her eyes. "It's nothing, Filius. Just feeling maudlin and missing my grandmother. Have you eaten?"

"Yes, yes, I ate earlier," Filius said as she got up to take Minerva's empty tray. "But thank you for the offer. I will, however, take a cup of this delicious looking tea." He poured himself a cup and sat down on the sofa next to Draco.

Minerva patted her hand. "You've got an entire family here, Hermione. I'm happy that your parents would even think to share you with us."

"Hear, hear," the rest of the company said, toasting her with their teacups while she blushed.

* * *