***A/N*** here we are. The last chapter. The following images are what the big five (plus Evie of course) are wearing to Freddie's wedding that takes place in this chapter.
Also! The images that I chose for Evie's board are how I imagine Evie to look. I do not want to see/read any negative comments about the models that I have chosen to represent Evie. If you have been imagining her differently, that is totally okay but please keep everything happy. This is the last chapter after all.
------------------------------------------
I can't breathe.
I'm supposed to be able to breathe. Right?
Louis, Amar, Ophelia, Theo, and Theseus look like they're having the time of their lives. Fixing their looks in the big mirror that was brought into the small room. Everyone but Theo is taking shots and drinking beer, 'just getting ready for tonight mate,' Ophelia told me before she had her third shot.
"I need Mum," I say, tugging on my tie.
The only person that hears me is Theo, "Hey, we should give the bachelor some space," they say.
Ophelia looks at me and smiles, "Not a bachelor for long, half-hour till showtime."
"Can you get me Mum?" I breathe out.
Theo nods, "Yeah. Yeah, we'll be outside. I can check on Evie if you want me to."
"Please, yeah," I manage to choke out.
"Mummy!" Ophelia screams, "Snuggly Bear Sweetie Pie needs you!"
Theo shoves her out of the room along with everyone else. They turn back and look at me, "Do you want me to... come back and tell you how Evie is feeling or..."
"No, uh. Just check in on her. You're her favourite," I say with a curt nod.
Theo smiles, "I'm everyone's favourite," they leave the door slightly ajar when they leave.
"Is that a hickey!?" I can hear Uncle Lee gasp, "Gilbert Jordan Clarence do you have a hickey!?"
"No...? it's a birthmark," I can hear Gilbert say.
I have to tune out the rest of their conversation. If it is a hickey then my little sibling gave it to him and I'm not sure I have the mental capacity to deal with that information right now.
I hang my head and rest my elbows on my knees. I don't feel like myself in this suit. I mean yeah I like it, but it's too posh for me.
Someone knocks on the door and I look over just as Mum pokes her head around the corner, "Hi bubba," She says, "Can I come in?"
I nod and stand up from the bed, "I uh..."
"Nervous?" she asks.
I nod three more times and Mum comes over and takes both my hands in hers, "What do you need from me," she asks, "Getaway car? A hug? I can't take a shot with you but I can get Daddy up here and he can have one with you... There's a couple spliffs in the van..."
I laugh and Mum smiles, "Up to you Freddie. Though I don't think you should run."
"I'm not going to run," I laugh and wipe my eye with my hand, "Why was that even your first option?"
"It's... sort of what we do around here," Mum says with a short laugh.
"I could go for a fag if I'm being quite honest with you," I say to Mum.
One of her eyebrows raises but she doesn't snap at me for smoking cigarettes. I honestly don't think she's allowed to snap at me when she just offered me a spliff to take the edge off on my wedding day.
"As long as you don't tell your father I could get you a few of those too," she says with a smile that I've only ever seen on Dad and Ophelia's face right before they pull a prank.
"You have cigarettes too? And Dad doesn't know?"
Mum shrugs, "Some things are better left a secret. My cousin introduced me to smoking. I only do it when I'm stressed out though and never when I'm pregnant. It's a very bad habit."
I nod and smile at my Mum, "Oh the worst."
Mum and I head downstairs, pretending to be in serious conversation so no one bothers us,
"Rubber ducks are very vital to the way that muggles live their lives," Mum says to me in the same tone that she uses when she's telling one of us off.
I look at her funny and she does her best not to laugh.
When we are outside she drops the act, "When are you leaving for your next job?" she asks as she sorts through the glove compartment of our van.
"Evie and I are taking our honeymoon in Bora Bora for two weeks then we are going to the island of Makatea. It's not too far away so we figure that was the best decision."
Mum turns around and tosses me a pack of cigarettes and an orange lighter, "And you and Evie... you're good on money, right? I know that neither of your jobs pay great."
I nod and take a cigarette out of the pack.
"Not here, there's a smoker's pit that me and your aunts and uncles used to use in the reeds," Mum says nodding over to the reeds on the other side of the yard.
"Why have you never told me that you and Dad smoke weed?" I ask as we walk across the yard.
"You never asked," Mum says with a smile, "It's also not something that you tend to tell your children before they become legal."
We break through the reeds and stumble onto Ophelia, Ash, Cass, Theseus, Amar, and Louis passing a spliff around.
"Mumma!" Cassie shrieks and coughs out the smoke from her lungs.
Mum snorts, "Hello... you lot should really be by the tents greeting our guests don't you think?"
Ophelia, too drunk to care that Mum just walked in on their little smoke circle takes a drag, "Suppose we should," She hands me the half-finished spliff, "You look like you need this a lot more than any of us do right now."
I glance over at Mum who's got a very amused face on and I take it, "Cheers."
"See you in a few," Theseus says clapping me on the shoulder, "Don't be late."
"Evie would kill us all," Ash says. She pecks me on the cheek as she passes by.
Mum sits on a stump of wood, which takes her a minute because she's so pregnant.
"I never asked," I say to her, "Does it hurt? Being pregnant?"
Mum laughs and shakes her head, "Feels a bit odd the first time, but it only hurts when you go into labour."
"Odd? Odd how?"
She shrugs, "Like right now he's kicking like mad."
"Kicking?" I scrunch up my face, "I don't like that."
"Do you want to feel?"
"You can feel it from the outside?"
Mum laughs loudly and nods, "Yes you can feel it from the outside. Come here, give me your hand."
I stall for a second before going over and sitting on the stump beside her. Mum takes my hand and puts it over her stomach. It takes a second and then it moves.
"No, no, no, no. That's – no," I yank my hand away and take a drag of the spliff that Ophelia gave me, making sure to blow the smoke as far away from Mum as I can.
"Have you and Evie spoken about having kids?" Mum asks, "Not that I want to be a grandmother, goodness I don't even have grey hair yet. I'm just curious."
"Sort of," I say with a nod, "When we were talking about baby names for Hollis. I told her one that I had in mind and she said to keep it to myself just in case we have a son. But other than that..."
"Do you think that's something you want? Children?"
"Dunno. Haven't thought about it much."
Mum nods.
"What if I cry? What if I break down in front of my whole family and all my friends and just cry when I see her?" I look at Mum.
"If you cry then I'll stand up from my seat and start singing the ABCs so everyone looks at me instead of you," Mum says, "Or I'll get your father to start setting off whizbangs."
"Mumma..."
"Fine, not the ABCs then. What about... twinkle, twinkle little star? The itsy bitsy spider? This little light of mine?" Mum laughs and puts her hand on my knee, "I'll do anything to make sure that you feel comfortable darling. That's what Mums do."
"Thank you."
Mum sits with me till I finish both the spiff and the fag and we walk back towards the house with our arms linked together.
"I don't want you to worry about anything," Mum says as we walk back, "This day is special sure, but what you two are going to create after today is what really matters."
"That... helps actually. Thank you."
"Course, and think of it this way. Emmie, me, and the littles are going to be the only ones sober so it's not like people are going to care if you make a fool of yourself."
"That's a little less good," I laugh.
Dad is standing by the front door of the house when we get there, "So Theo said that you don't feel like yourself in your suit."
"I'm going to kill that kid," I grumble.
Dad tosses me a pink paper bag, "Consider it your something new."
I let go of Mum and open the bag. Inside are a pair of horrible socks with fried eggs on them.
"Not so posh wearing those," Dad says with a smile, "Hurry up and shove your big feet in them then, your Mum and I have got to walk you down the aisle in a minute."
I smile at Dad and do what he asks me to do as fast as I can. I don't know if it's because I'm slightly buzzed or what but they really do make me feel loads better.
"Ready?" Dad asks me.
"The car's right there if you want to run," Mum says with a wink.
I laugh and look at my parents, "Ready."
My groom's people walk down the aisle first, arm in arm with Evie's bridesmaids. I've never really got to know Evie's friends from Hogwarts. Sure we partied together when we were students and we had a few conversations but we didn't actually talk.
Theo and Ameila Davies go first, then Amar and Ella Warren, Louis and Phoebe Martins, Ophelia and Ruby Pech, Theseus and Isabella Kemp, and finally Mum, Dad, and me.
Cassiopeia is on the piano playing something that I've never heard before but it sounds really pretty. It's dumb and I know it's dumb but the socks that Dad gave me makes the staring I'm getting from all of our guests and families a little less horrible.
When we reach the front of the tent I kiss Mum's cheek and give Dad a hug before I step up beside the pastor that Evie found for us. Louis is right behind me and he puts a hand on my shoulder and squeezes to let me know that he's here.
I wait a moment, the nerves start building up again despite the weed in my system.
Little Dora comes running down the aisle with a basket full of flower petals and everyone stands to watch. Sure she's only three but I'm so thankful that she showed up when she did.
Instead of dropping the flowers here and there as we practiced, Dora dumps the basket full over her head and giggles like mad. Out of the corner of my eye I watch as Victoire pinches the bridge of her nose in annoyance.
"Feddie!" Dora squeals before stumbling up the rest of the aisle and hugging onto my legs. The entire tent bursts into laughter and honestly it's the best sound in the entire world cause it's so much better than the silence that was hanging in the air moments ago.
"Why don't you go see Mumma eh?" I say to her.
Victoire steps forward and Dora lets go of me before running over to her.
When I stand up straight again, Evie is standing on the other end of the aisle.
For the first time in my entire life... I'm speechless.
I mean...
Woah.
I can feel pinpricks in my eyes, the start of tears threatening to fall down my face. Even from so far away, her smile is the brightest thing in the entire place.
Everyone stands and turns around to watch Evie. And I mean... who wouldn't want to watch her? She's perfect in every form of the word and then some.
The closer she comes, the harder it is to hold back my tears. I sniff my nose and Louis pats me on the shoulder, "Let it out mate," he whispers into my ear.
Something about my best mate and favourite cousin giving me permission to sob like a baby triggers something inside me and I stop fighting the tears. I let them fall down my face and I smile at my beautiful fiancée. My beautiful bride.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Mum preparing herself to sing. I shake my head no slightly, to the point that you wouldn't notice it if you weren't looking for it and Mum smiles at me, going back to watching Evie take the last couple steps towards me.
"Fucking hell," I say a bit too loud when she stands up in front of me.
Evie smiles and the rest of the tent laughs, "I could say the same thing about you Weasley. Who knew you cleaned up so well?"
"Sure as shit not me," I say back to her.
"You should wear a suit more often," she says with a tilt of her head.
"You should wear a dress like this more often."
The pastor clears his throat, "Can we begin?"
"Can't I just snog him and get it over with?" Evie asks staring at me.
I thought that it would be a lot worse, standing in front of everyone I've ever known like this. But with Evie standing in front of me with that little mischievous smirk of hers on her face... it just feels like we're alone together in one of our many hotel rooms at two in the morning trying to figure out if you can boil an egg for too long.
"Yeah I'm with her," I say to the pastor, though I don't take my eyes off of her, "You can't expect me to stand in front of a girl like that and listen to a word you say."
The entire tent laughs though it's all background noise, like the laugh track of some bad muggle reality show.
The pastor looks at us funny, "I suppose we can... skip some steps? Though that wasn't what..."
"Skipping is good, I love jump rope," Evie says.
I smile at her and I fight every single fibre in my body not to kiss her right now.
"Fred? If you want to say your vows?" The pastor asks.
I expected to freeze when I heard those words. I expected to just lose the ability to speak. But I don't. Sure everything that I had planned to say escapes me and I'm left with a completely empty head, but I decide to talk from the heart.
"The fact that we first met during a lesson on Thestrals is a tad bit concerning if you think about it,"
Evie laughs and takes my hand in hers.
"But we met again at a party, and we were both pretty pissed. I took you up to the Astronomy Tower and you talked about how you loved the view. To be quite honest with you, I wasn't really listening to a word you said. It's hard to pay attention to anything else when you're around me, but you know that by now. Anyways, that day I knew that I was going to fall in love with you..."
"Actually, that's a lie; I fell in love with you that night, course the next time I started flirting with you, you said and I quote, 'Don't get your hopes up Weasley, I don't even know if I fancy you sober.' And I know you said that to try and get me to stop talking to you or whatever but that only made me even more positive. I knew at sixteen I was going to marry you, I knew that this day was going to happen. And now look at us. Shit, I didn't even take Divination and I can predict the bloody future..."
"I'm so in love with you it scares me in the best possible way. Every single fucking thing about you makes me lose my mind. You're the love of my life Evie West, soon to be Weasley."
The crowd is a mixture of laugher and tears and every other emotion you could possibly think of. I search Evie's eyes and all I find is love and admiration.
"And Evie?" The pastor says.
She nods and squeezes my hand, "A very intelligent witch once told me, 'why say hundreds of words when you can say just one," Evie says, "So... in honour of my mother-in-law, the all-knowing and all beautiful Violet Weasley," she clears her throat, "What he said."
Mum and Dad jump to their feet and clap like mad, cheering our names like we're some famous band or something and they're our biggest fans at a concert.
"Fuck you," I laugh.
"Later," Evie says with a wink.
The pastor clears his throat, "Do we have the rings?"
I fucking knew that this was going too well. I haven't seen Annie all day. I don't even know if she has the rings.
All of a sudden every single light in the tent goes out like someone just pulled out a deluminator. A few people on Evie's side of the tent gasps and looks around where as the Weasley side of the tent laughs and prepares themselves for whatever it is that Annie has planned.
Then a siren goes off. Like a police siren, then another, and another, and another. They get louder by the second. Red lights start flashing.
"Is this... real?" Evie asks looking at me, "Like are the police..."
Before she can finish that sentence Annie's voice booms throughout the tent, "BREACH IN SECURITY! BREACH IN SECURITY! THE RING BOX HAS BEEN STOLEN! I REPEAT THE RING BOX HAS BEEN STOLEN!"
The lights stop flashing but they stay red. Everyone looks to the back of the tent where Annie comes running in. Her hair is a mess, her dress is torn in places and covered in mud, but she's got a killer smile on her face and she's waving the ring box over her head, "GO GO GO!" she screams, "THEY'RE RIGHT ON MY TAIL!"
She reaches Evie and me in record time and totally out of breath, "Hey!" She says, doing her best not to smile, "Sorry I'm late, traffic was a nightmare. Got your package though boss, like we discussed." She pops the ring box open and hands it to me, "It's all there, all FIVE MILLION GALLEONS of it!"
Evie and the rest of the tent are in a fit of laughter. I try my very best to keep a straight face and play along with my little sister, "Cheers mate. You'll get your cut tonight. Same place, same time."
Annie smiles so big I'm scared that she might break her face. She stands on her tiptoes and I lean down just a bit so she can peck me on the cheek and whisper, 'Love you Freddie' into my ear before running off to Mum and Dad.
The lights go back to normal when she sits down. Dad is sobbing he was laughing so hard and I can practically hear the slight annoyance radiating off of Mum cause Annie destroyed her dress.
The pastor looks confused out of his mind but he continues, "Fredrick Arthur Weasley, do you take Evie West as your lawfully wedded wife? In sickness and in health, till death do you part?"
I scrunch up my nose, "Sickness too? You know how I feel about vomit."
"Fuck off Weasley," Evie laughs.
"I do, I guess," I say to her as I slip the custom-made ring I got her onto her finger. She's never seen it before and her eyes go wide when she looks down at her hand. She doesn't have to tell me that she loves it.
"Evie West, do you take Fredrick Arthur Weasley as your lawfully wedded husband? In sickness and in health, till death do you part?" The pastor says. He's not trying to hide the fact that unimpressed with our banter at this point.
Evie looks me up and down, "Nah I just dragged our entire families here for shits and giggles. I'm actually a lesbian and sleeping with your sister."
Ophelia chokes on air behind me and everyone laughs again.
"Awh," I laugh, "I knew it."
"I do. I'll marry you, bloody carrot top," she says before slipping my ring onto my finger.
The pastor sighs out of sheer relief that we're nearly finished, "With the power invested in me by the Ministry of Magic, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss –"
Evie doesn't even let him get the last couple of words in before she grabs the back of my neck and pulls me down into the best kiss of my entire life.
Throughout the entire feast, I can't keep my hands off Evie and she can't keep her hands off me. It's bliss. It's everything I could have ever dreamed of.
Evie fucking West.
Evie fucking Weasley is my wife.
My bloody wife, mate.
Cassiopeia plays us a song on the piano for our first dance. I hold my wife close to me as we sway back and forth.
I don't give a damn that everyone is staring, that people are judging the way I dance.
None of that matters because Evie Weasley is my wife.
"I love you," She whispers to me.
"I love you," I whisper back to her.
My sisters move out tomorrow, starting lives of their own.
Theo is leaving hickeys on their partner's neck and is worried about sex. But they're happy and that means that I'm happy.
Annie is growing up, that much is clear. She's starting her own little life, going on her own adventures. She's going to figure out who she wants to be as a person and I can't wait to see where it will lead her.
Mum and Dad are getting ready for baby Hollis which is only going to bring so much more joy into our lives.
And I'm married to Evie. I'm married to the love of my life.
And life is good.