"You ready babe?" Called Teddy as he stood leaning against the hallway wall of their apartment. "Yeah just grabbing Jake's gift!" She yelled back.
Quinn struggled to pull open the door as she carried three small boxes and one bigger one, along with a tray of her infamous brownies. This was a recipe she had inherited from her grandmother.
In his hands Teddy held three smaller crates as well and a box of beer cans for the party.
It was now March 24th, Jake's 21st birthday and the whole group was meeting at Jake's parents house to celebrate.
Teddy and Quinn were planning to ask their friends to be their bridesmaids and groomsmen with the smaller boxes.
Quinn put the boxes down momentarily on the floor as she withdrew her wand from her dress pocket and took out her small hand clutch.
She put an extending charm on her bag and quickly shrunk all of the boxes. Then she threw them all into her bag and they were ready to go.
They stepped out of the apartment and locked the door. Teddy and Quinn held hands as they apparated away.
The familiar feeling of being sucked through a big glass tube invaded Quinn's senses. Then it stopped and she found herself outside of a large family home.
The couple held hands as they walked up the porch steps and Teddy reached forward to knock on the door.
"Ah, you're here!" Debra Trent opened the door to the two and eagerly pulled them both inside. "Jake-y! Teddy and Quinn are here!" Called the woman as she patted her elegant cocktail dress down on her knees.
"Out here mum!" Called the voice of their friend from the garden. "Teddy dear, the boys are all helping Mark set up the canopy." Teddy nodded kissing Quinn's head gently before he left through the sliding back door.
"Would you mind helping me in the kitchen a moment Quinn dear?"
"Oh sure. Are the others all here?" Quinn carried her platter into the kitchen and placed it down on the directed island space. "Not all of them. Daniel and his girlfriend are though, she's a nice girl." Debbie told her.
"Yeah Vic, she's my cousin." Quinn reminded the woman with a laugh. "Oh yes! How silly of me."
"Quinn!" There stood Victoria with a smile as she tossed a salad. "Hey V." Quinn gave her cousin a quick hug then she turned to Debbie.
"Where are people's gifts?" Asked Quinn. Debbie pointed to a table back in the sitting room and Quinn nodded. She moved over to it, placing Jake's present on it. "Can I put my clutch somewhere Debbie?"
"Just throw it down in the sitting room dear." Called the older woman.
As Quinn re-entered the kitchen she found Debbie taking a few trays out of the oven, "So Jacob tells me you two just got engaged, how exciting." Debra said as she turned around with a huge grin at the younger woman.
Quinn smiled sheepishly as she nodded. "Well let me see the ring then Quinn dear." The woman gestured for her to come closer.
Quinn smiled, complying and holding her hand out to the woman. "Awww well aren't you two just precious. Have you two set a date yet?"
"Yeah. November 1st this year."
"How wonderful. We'll be sure to clear the Callander."
"Oh ok." Quinn said shooting a look to Vic who smirked.
"Well no matter....would you two mind taking those plates out for me and setting the table? The boys should be done with the gazebo by now." Quinn nodded, she picked up the plates and headed outside, Vic closely following her.
There they found, Dan, Jake, Adam and Teddy laughing and joking around as Patrick (Jake's older brother) stood taking photos of them.
Dan wore a black and white patterned shirt with dark trousers, while Teddy wore a brown tie and a a pinstriped beige shirt, tucked into his jeans.
Adam wore a blue vest over a white shirt with black trousers.
Finally Jake wore a white shirt and blue tie with blue trousers.
Quinn had worn a wine-red off the shoulder dress with a fountain hemline and a synched waist. she had curled her brown hair around her face and had worn a pair of black heels and had paired this with a black clutch.
Vic has worn a royal-blue cocktail dress with a small leg slit on her left thigh and a lower cut neckline. She has pared this with a pare of blue heels.
The boys all greeted the two girls and offered to help them with the table before they all exchanged hugs.
"Happy birthday JJ." Quinn said with a smile as she hugged the boy.
He laughed.
"So you have any clue when Laur and Stace are getting here?" Asked Adam as he stood by Teddy. "Not a clue but it's Stacy so, my money would be on them being late." Said Teddy making them all laugh.
Quinn pulled away from hugging Jake and went to hug the other boys. "You all look handsome." She said with a grin. "Why thank you Mrs Lupin." Adam joked.
"Not just yet Ad." Teddy reminded.
"It's gonna be weird calling you Quinn Lupin." Jake told her. "I know I realised that earlier."
"Speaking of your two's wedding. You two set a date yet?" Asked Jake gesturing with his beer to the soon-to-be bride and groom.
"Oh yeah.....November 1st." Teddy told them. They all smiled. "Speaking of which, once the girls get here I have something for all of you." Quinn said making Dan perk up beside Vic, "ooooh sounds exciting."
"It should be." Said Teddy with a worried smile. "Don't worry dude, I won't be mad if I'm not your best man." Said Dan making Teddy slightly smile.
"You girls want a drink?" Asked Jake pointing over to the drinks table. "Yeah sure-."
"Hola losers." Called a familiar voice.
"Stacy, Laurie. Fashionably late as always." Greeted Dan.
"Welcome ladies." Jake said with a big smile. The two of them rushed forward embracing Jake first and wishing him a happy birthday before they moved across the group.
Stacy wore a shimmering low cut dress with sleeves and a tie at the waist. It was decorated in ring stones of the rainbow and made her sun kissed skin glow.
While Laurie wore a dark purple dress with a skater-style skirt and a more conservative neckline.
"Looking lovely." Quinn said with a smirk as she hugged both girls. "Why thank you Mrs Lupin."
"Are we all calling me that now?"
"Yes, yes we are." Jake nodded with a laugh. "Can it birthday boy." Snapped Quinn. "Rude." Mumbled Jake.
"So JJ, you nervous?" Asked Stacy, referring to his soon-to-be revealed sexuality. Jake nodded slightly as his gaze landed on his three brothers who all stood with their wives and their parents.
More guests began to flood into the Trent's garden. Many of them were from Jake's extended family while small few came in from his father's and mother's works. People who Jake had been raised around and certain members of Jake's sister-in-laws' families.
Quinn and Teddy stood politely with their other friends as they watched Jake mingle with his family and family friends. Everyone was wishing him a happy birthday while he passed them.
"What was it you two had for us?" Asked Adam pointing at Teddy and Quinn. "Their in my clutch." Quinn said as she looked up to Jake's boyfriend. "I'll go get them." Teddy said with a smile.
He walked off and just as he did Jake arrived back at the group. "Teddy's gone to get his and Quinn's surprise." Dan told the birthday boy. "Ok." Jake answered.
They waited for a while longer until Teddy reappeared with six small boxes in his arms. "Ooooh. Presents." Laughed Stacy making them all giggle.
"So these decisions were hard to make but I realised that eventually we'd all have a chance to be a maid of honour at each other's weddings and seen as I met Adam first. Here you go man." Teddy handed Adam over the first crate.
Inside was a bow-tie, a whiskey glass, a small bottle of whiskey and a flask with Adam's name on it. On the inside of the lid read "Adam- Will you be my Best Man."
Adam nodded with a laugh reaching over to hug Teddy "damn this means I have to write a speech and plan a party. Uh." The others all laughed.
Quinn was next. She took her four boxes from Teddy and prepared to give her first one.
"So like Teddy said, we'll all have a chance to be bridesmaids and since I'm having you all at my wedding anyway. I thought it would be ok to ask, Stace if you'd be my Maid of Honour. Vic I know you wanted it but-."
"I get it. I'll be Laur's anyway." Said Vic with a laugh. Laurie giggled too.
Stacy nodded with a smile taking the box as she grinned at her best friend.
Insider was a picture of Stacy and Quinn together from when they were on a beach in Thailand. Next was a card and some nail polish and finally some small jelly sweets that spelt "LOVE".
Stacy spent a moment reading the inside of the box before she hugged Quinn. "Thanks Q."
"No problem."
"Haha! Suck it Vic!" Yelled the Maid of Honour-to-be. "Hahaha." Laughed Adam with a huge smile.
"These for you four." Stacy said handing Vic and Laurie both another box and letting Teddy do the same with the other two he held.
The boys were given identical boxes to Adam's whilst the girls got these:
"Awww Q, you already knew we'd say yes." Said Laurie as she hugged the girl. Quinn laughed. "Can't wait to go dress shopping with you guys." Cooed Vic making them all laugh.
The boys all stood waiting for the girls to stop hugging and when they finally did the group moved over to the giant marque and sat down at a small round table.
"So when are you gonna tell them?" Asked Dan to Jake.
"I dunno, I was thinking I'd take them aside later."
"Good idea babe." Said Adam grasping his boyfriend's shaking hand under the table.
"You know there's no rush if you don't want to tell them today. We're not gonna hold you to it." Laurie said with a sympathetic smile.
"I know, but I do want to do this today. I mean, I've already told Luke and Pat they were fine with it. But Max is so close with mum and dad and....the way they acted at the airport last year just puts me off you know." Jake paused to hold Adam's hand tighter, "But I wanna do this today. I'm sick of hiding who I am, because I'm too scared of what they'll say. I don't care any more."
The whole group was astonished by how determined he seemed but all of them nodded along. "Well we're hear for you no matter what."
"Yeah JJ, I'm just so proud of you, Stace, Ad and Laur for coming out to us." Said Teddy.
"And for being yourselves. We love you guys." Said Quinn the two couples looked at their four friends and both Jake and Adam and Stacy and Laurie pulled the others into a group hug.
"Ok. My mum and dad are alone....I'm gonna go do it now." Said Jake with a determined face. "You want me there or?" Adam asked him.
"It's ok. I'm not gonna use you as a human shield." Said Jake making them all chuckle lightly. He sent them one last nervous look and they all returned it with supportive smiles.