DEVIL'S SNARE ━ james sirius potter ✓

「 EPILOGUE 」

⠀⠀Laurel folded the paper back into her pocket. Adjusting her self in the chair, Laurel decided to leave her long blonde curls down, putting on a crown of white baby's breath, which settled nicely on her head. Laurel put on lipstick that was a light shade of red, slipping on her shoes. Putting on her jewelry—the pinecone necklace from her grandmother, the gold rose and crescent moon charm necklace from her parents, the cork necklace, the massive sun earrings she had never gotten rid of, and her many rings—she let only her parents in.

⠀⠀"My Little Leaf," Rolf said, wrapping his arms around his daughter in a bear hug. "You look beautiful."
⠀⠀"Thanks, Dad," she said, hugging him back. She could feel the crown crushing under his tight grasp but maybe she didn't really care.

⠀⠀"Not exactly my taste," Luna said, in a good-hearted manner, reaching to fix the flower crown her husband had half-crushed. "But, Laury, you look wonderful." She stroked her daughter's face, smiling. Her silvery grey eyes shone.

⠀⠀"Thanks, Mum," Laurel said.
⠀⠀Luna studied her daughter's face. "You're nervous, aren't you?"
⠀⠀"Maybe a little."
⠀⠀Luna looked at her husband, both sitting their daughter down. "I suppose you're nervous you're getting married to the wrong person."
⠀⠀Laurel nodded. Her mother's intellect never failed to penetrate any sort of human emotion.

⠀⠀"That and...Mum...I just wish I were more like you. Not a care in the world for what people think of you."
⠀⠀"Laury," Rolf chided, squeezing Laurel's hand lightly, "you're already so much like her. Beautiful, smart...kind beyond measure."

⠀⠀Luna smiled, kissing her husband on the cheek. She turned back to her daughter. "You know, when we got married, I realize I did care. But I only cared about what he thought of me. Even then I only cared about what I thought of me."

⠀⠀Laurel nodded slowly as her mother continued. "You can either go about this world and care too much about what people who don't know you think of you, or you can forget about it and marry the person you love."
⠀⠀The blonde didn't say anything, listening intently to her mother's calming voice. Luna smiled.
⠀⠀"What do you think of you?" she asked.

⠀⠀At her age of 25, Laurel was used to her mother asking questions like this, but she hadn't really thought about it in a way that she was now.

⠀⠀"Erm...I think...we deserve this," Laurel said slowly. "I've spent the last four years dating James again. Rebuilding. And we both deserve to marry and be happy forever."
⠀⠀Luna laughed. "I asked about you, silly."
⠀⠀Laurel hesitated.
⠀⠀"I suppose...I deserve this. I picked the right person, otherwise, he wouldn't have come back to me the way he did," she said. She genuinely believed it. Her mother squeezed her hand and already, Laurel was feeling so much better.

⠀⠀Callen literally squealed so loud when she saw Laurel, while Lily beamed at her. Dominique and Roxanne stood off to the side, staring at her pridefully, like they were saying 'yeah, I helped dressed her. I knew what the hell I was doing and I was right.' Lysander walked in last, slightly out of breath. There was a small fire on the tip of his suit jacket, which he extinguished quickly.

⠀⠀"Lysander?" Rolf asked warningly. "What did you do?"
⠀⠀"Not me!" Lysander exclaimed like a child as if he wasn't approaching his thirties. "The garden gnomes here are...ferocious."
⠀⠀"I'm inclined to believe you," Luna said heartily. They all laughed.
⠀⠀"You look great, by the way," Lysander said, hugging Laurel.
⠀⠀"Now for the finishing touch," Lily said dramatically, reaching for the long gold veil that sat on a chair. The redhead had grown almost taller than Laurel in the last few years, easily sweeping the veil across her soon-to-be sister-in-law's head. The veil seemed to be covered in gold stars, glistening in the light. It fluttered down on top of the flower crown and cascaded down around Laurel's shoulders, making her look like a literal Greek goddess.