Brontide

For the next few days, the four of us flitted in and out of the Burrow to help Mrs. Weasley prepare for Bill and Fleur's wedding when we weren’t working. She was immensely stressed out, what with the event extremely close and the fact that Harry, Ron, and Hermione weren’t planning on going to Hogwarts in September. They'd been left an important mission by Dumbledore and were refusing to tell her anything about it. I tried my best to stay out of her way and busied myself with organizing wedding presents with Ginny and helping Rae create decorations. The huge white tent that would house the wedding guests was set up in the orchard. Charlie Weasley had arrived from Romania and, much to his displeasure, was forced to endure his mother cutting his hair. We celebrated Harry’s seventeenth birthday the day before the wedding, with a surprise and rather unpleasant visit from the Minister of Magic.

We stayed the night at the Burrow and woke up early the next morning to chaos. Clothes were thrown around haphazardly, Mrs. Weasley wanted everyone washed and dressed before the guests started arriving and footsteps thundered as people went up and down the stairs. I took a bath and threw on a robe, moving aside as Rae hurried into the bathroom. I went back to Fred and George’s room, where they were still lying in bed half awake. I rifled through the bag I’d brought with me and pulled out the dress I planned to wear; a strappy, deep navy floor-length gown made of velvet. It was still in the bag I’d gotten it in, and Fred poked his head up from his pillow to see what I had.

“What’s that?” he grumbled, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

“My dress,” I told him matter-of-factly, brushing out my wet hair. “Are either of you ever going to get up? I fear your mother will resort to dressing you herself.”

Fred mumbled something incoherent and rolled over, pulling his blankets over his head. George was only slightly more cooperative.

“People don’t start getting here ‘til three, we’ve got loads of time,” he stated, lying on his bed with his arms behind his head.

I threw the brush back in my bag, glaring back and forth at the two of them. “Seriously, get up. You’re not leaving me to your mother’s mercy by myself, I’m scared to go downstairs.”

Fred called me something that sounded remarkably like the word “numpty” and I yanked the pillow out from under him, hitting the back of his head with it repeatedly. He covered his head and tried to shield himself while George snickered loudly from behind me. I put an end to that when I switched to George’s side of the room, beating him with the pillow next. Eventually, they got tired of this and shambled out of bed, scratching their stomachs and rubbing their eyes.

When Rae got out of the bath we kicked them out of their room so we could get dressed. I was trying to figure out how to style my hair using magic, having never really succeeded at it and Rae was no better. She’d let her hair grow a bit and it was now around bob length. Not having much to do with it she clipped some of it back with a few pretty pins, and I zipped her into her dress; a pretty, one-shoulder violet dress that went down to around mid-calf. I settled with putting my hair half up and half down, making some loose curls. I slipped on my dress and put on some silver slingback heels, along with a bit of makeup.

Unfortunately, George had been wrong; it wasn’t too much longer before three o’clock rolled around, and gradually everyone started making their way downstairs. Fred, George, Ron, and Harry were nowhere to be found, as they were at the marquee entrance with seating plans, ready to greet the guests. I walked into the kitchen to find Mrs. Weasley, all dressed up in a beautiful set of amethyst colored dress robes, sobbing on her husband and muttering about Percy not being there. He patted her back and looked at me and Rae as we entered the room, giving us a smile and a small nod. Mrs. Weasley wiped her eyes and tried to compose herself, turning to us with a bright smile.

“Oh, you both look completely wonderful!” she chimed, fixing a bit of my hair and smoothing out Rae’s dress. She engulfed us both in hugs. “I can’t wait until the day you and George get married, I always worried that he was too busy causing havoc to have a girlfriend,” Mrs. Weasley beamed, smiling at my best friend.

Rae looked somewhat like a deer in headlights, her face draining of color. She stuttered, looking like she wanted to say something but was unable to. I steered her out of the kitchen and told Mrs. Weasley we would see her outside, stepping out onto the porch so Rae could get some air.

She took great, heaving breaths and looked at me, a hand over her chest. “I’m okay,” she said quietly, “I’m alright…”

I tried not to laugh at how uncomfortable she looked and was able to control myself as we stepped off the porch, linking arms and striding across the freshly mowed grass. The Burrow looked almost unrecognizable. The Wellington boots were gone from the porch and beautiful bushes of flowers had been planted on either side. The gnomes were absent from the garden, which was beautiful and budding, free of weeds. Different colored butterflies flew around by the hedges, dancing around with some humming bees. The huge, white marquee was supported by poles wrapped in white and gold flowers, and standing in front of the structure were Fred, George, Harry, and Ron.

All of the boys were wearing dress robes. George was easily distinguishable from Fred by the white bandage wrapped around his head, covering where his ear used to be. As a safety precaution, Harry was disguised as a ginger muggle boy from the nearby village and this information was only made known to the Order and the Weasleys. Ron had gone off to escort an elderly witch that I recognized as the ever unpleasant Aunt Muriel to her seat, while Harry was off to the side talking to Luna Lovegood and her father. Fred and George must’ve been making some sort of joke before they saw us because when we appeared in their line of vision their laughter stopped abruptly.

“Rae, you look stunning,” George said rather breathlessly, doing a silly little bow and kissing the top of her hand. She let out a sheepish laugh and I released my arm from hers, looking at Fred with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

“Hello,” I said quietly.

“Blimey,” he said awkwardly, his cheeks flushed as he scratched the back of his neck, “you, um – well, I – wow.”

I let out a nervous laugh. “You don’t look too shabby yourself. I think you should wear that more often.”

“Oh, come off it. When I get married,” Fred said, tugging at the collar of his dress robes, “I won’t be bothering with any of this nonsense. You can all wear what you like, and I’ll put a full Body-Bind Curse on Mum until it’s all over.”

“She wasn’t too bad this morning, considering,” George pointed out, wrapping an arm around Rae’s shoulders. “Cried a bit about Percy the Ponce not being here, but who wants him? Oh blimey, brace yourselves – here they come, look.”

Way off in the yard people in different color dress robes had begun to appear, a procession slowly making its way over to the marquee – aunts and uncles who hadn’t been seen in years, friends from Hogwarts and witches with exotic flowers and birds on their hats, expensive jewelry adorning their necks and earlobes. There were a lot of people, so Rae and I helped the boys seat the guests in their designated spots, trying to talk over the growing chatter.

As I escorted an elderly witch inside I noticed Fred go off, grinning, with a group of giggling Veela cousins of Fleur’s. My eyes narrowed, a sick feeling erupting in the pit of my stomach and I ignored the woman as she practically yelled at me, asking me where she was supposed to go.

Under the shade of the marquee were over a hundred golden chairs set up in rows. Fred and George had fastened a huge bundle of golden balloons exactly where Bill and Fleur would be married. Bit by bit the seats began to fill up, and I turned around when I heard a familiar voice say, “Wotcher, Cassie!”

Tonks’ hair was blonde and at shoulder length, a thin smile across her face. Remus stood behind her wearing a similar expression, bearing the signs of a man who was very tired and stressed. I engulfed them both in hugs and chatted briefly before escorting them to their designated seats, noticing the look of misery etched onto Remus’ face when he looked away.

Not too long after, when the marquee was full to bursting, Rae and I found our own seats in the second row directly behind Fred and George. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting with us, all of us chatting amongst ourselves until a hush fell over the waiting crowd. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley strolled up the aisle, beaming and waving at their family members. Bill and Charlie soon stood up at the front of the queue, looking sharp in their dress robes.

Fred let out a wolf-whistle in front of us, which sent the Veela cousins into a fit of giggles. My teeth were slightly clenched, my jaw set until I heard the soft, beautiful music coming from the golden balloons. I turned around to see Fleur, wearing an elegant, simple white dress and seemingly gliding down the aisle, accompanied by her father, Monsieur Delacour. Everyone gazed on in awe, my jaw unclenched and I felt my heart swell. Ginny and Gabrielle Delacour looked radiant in their golden dresses, and Bill was beaming at the sight of Fleur.

The little wizard that had overseen Dumbledore’s funeral had appeared. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he started, “we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of two faithful souls…”

I heard a sniffle to my left and turned to look at Rae, noticing tears trickling down her cheeks as she watched the scene in front of us. Hermione seemed to be having the same problem a few seats down, as well as Mrs. Weasley and Madam Delacour, who were quietly sobbing into handkerchiefs in the front row. Maybe weddings didn’t have the same effect on me, maybe I was just a little heartless or maybe I couldn’t stop thinking about Fred, because at some point in the little wizard’s speech I’d zoned out.

My mind drifted back a few days to the moment I stole with Fred in the orchard. It sent my heart into little flutters, and for a brief moment I could’ve sworn I felt his lips against mine, returning the kiss with urgency, as though he were afraid that I would disappear…

And then I remembered Fred going off with the giggling Veela cousins, and my happy moment popped like a soap bubble. I blinked a few times, paying attention as the little wizard spoke loudly.

“Do you, William Arthur, take Fleur Isabelle…?”

Above all the other crying were the sounds of Hagrid blowing into his own handkerchief, the noises much like that of a trumpet. Rae let out another sniffle and turned to look at me, quietly laughing at how silly she must’ve seemed.

“…then I declare you bonded for life.”

The wizard waved his wand above Bill and Fleur’s heads, and a shower of swirling stars fell around their entwined figures. Fred and George clapped and whistled loudly, the balloons bursting with magnificent birds of paradise and itsy bitsy golden bells, adding their chimes to the excited chatter.

“Ladies and gentlemen – if you would please stand up!”

We all did, and the seats we’d been sitting on rose into the air, and the walls of the marquee vanished. We now stood beneath a canopy supported by the flower-wrapped poles, a beautiful view of the countryside and the sun setting in the orchard surrounding us. A gleaming, golden dance floor formed in the middle of the tent. The chairs floated back down to the ground and grouped together around tables covered in white cloth. A golden-jacketed band had appeared, walking over to the podium and starting in on their instruments. Waiters began popping up all over the place, carrying silver trays of sandwiches, Firewhiskey, pumpkin juice, butterbeer, tarts…the list was endless.

We congratulated Bill and Fleur after waiting to get through a long line of relatives, and following that Rae and I snatched glasses of Firewhiskey from one of the waiters. We went around the dance floor and selected a table, plopping ourselves down and clinking our glasses together. The Firewhiskey felt nice going down, and the burn of it felt even nicer when I spotted Fred on the dance floor, a beautiful, blonde Veela girl twirling around with him. The grip on my glass tightened and I downed the rest of its contents, swiping another one from a nearby waiter.

Rae followed my line of vision and her face fell. “Well, isn’t that lovely,” she muttered. I was too encompassed by my emotions to say anything, so I merely nodded my head. George soon appeared at our tableside and held his hand out to Rae, looking at her expectantly.

"Mind if I steal her for a bit, Cass?"

She glanced back and forth between me and George, unsure of what to do. I nodded to her encouragingly, and with a quick swig from her glass she took George’s hand, letting him pull her onto the dance floor and disappearing into the throng of people.

I tried not to focus on Fred and his date, but hell if it wasn't bloody difficult. I’d never felt so sick in my life, and I guessed this must’ve been what jealousy felt like. There it was– I was jealous.

I hoped Fred was happy because I was the furthest thing from it. I finished off my third glass of Firewhiskey too quickly and felt my head spin a little, closing my eyes and focusing on my breathing. Despite the tent being open and full of fresh air, I felt like my lungs were devoid of it. I pushed back my chair and stood up, smoothing out my dress and heading over to the tent entrance. Over the music I heard my name being called and, despite myself, I turned around to see what Fred wanted.

He looked winded, his hair pushed out of his face and his cheeks red. “Where are you going? I was just about to ask you to dance.”

I hesitated for a moment, trying not to think about how good he looked in those dress robes. “Just getting some fresh air,” I replied thinly, playing with a loose curl.

“Here, I’ll join you. I could use a break,” he said breathlessly, and rather begrudgingly I exited the tent with Fred at my heels.

We walked across the lawn and he offered me his arm, though I pretended as though I didn’t see it. Past the garden were a few golden benches, facing the onlooking hills and the sun as it set behind the tree line. I settled myself at the end of one of the benches and wrapped my arms around my middle, trying not to look at Fred.

“Beautiful ceremony,” I commented offhandedly, “I’ve never been to a wizarding wedding before but I thought it was nice.”

“Bit too organized for my tastes, but at least Bill’s happy,” Fred shrugged, leaning back on the bench and stretching his arms across the back of it. “Now, are you going to tell me what’s bothering you? Or do I need to force it out of you?”

I felt my body go rigid. “Nothing’s bothering me,” I said stiffly, picking at a piece of lint on my dress.

“Cassie,” Fred said in a knowing tone, a smirk growing across his handsome face, “are you…jealous?”

“No,” I said a little too quickly, “of course I’m not jealous, what are you, thick in the head?”

His smirk didn’t wane. “I dunno, you look pretty jealous to me. In all the years I’ve known you, you haven’t struck me as the jealous type.”

“I’m not the jealous type, but that doesn't mean I can't experience it from time to time,” I said defensively, wrapping my arms tighter around my middle. “I – I don’t even see what the big deal is, everyone gets jealous sometimes. She’s probably got the brains of a flobberworm.” I muttered the last part under my breath, focusing my attention on some very nice blades of grass.

“Cassie,” Fred said quietly. He wanted me to look at him, so I did. “Cass, we’ve been playing this cat and mouse game for about a year now, and I still don’t know what you want. Blimey, half the time I don’t even know what I want anymore.” My heart began pounding loudly. “Sometimes I feel like you’re into this whole thing, and other times it doesn’t seem like you are, so…I don’t wanna seem like a bloody prat or anything, but help me out here,” he said, half laughing. “Does you being jealous –” I opened my mouth to protest “– and don’t deny it, you just admitted it, you numpty – mean that you, ya know, fancy me? In more than a 'we’re best friends who kissed in an orchard once' sort of way?”

I thought perhaps my nerves had multiplied in numbers. “Technically we’ve kissed twice, and we went on one date,” I pointed out, “but that’s beside the point.” The sky was now a pinkish orange, the last signs of daylight sinking into the evening. I noticed Fred move a little closer to me, and I let him. “You know, George and I had a conversation about this once. I haven’t quite taken his advice into full swing, but I’ve thought about it, seriously thought about it. I’m just scared,” I admitted, my blue eyes meeting his clear brown ones, “which seems so silly in retrospect. Here I am, nineteen years old and unafraid of fighting Death Eaters, ready to take on this war with my bare fists, but the thought of a relationship, particularly one with my best friend, terrifies me out of my wits. Is that wrong? Am I mental?”

“Wrong? No. Mental? Definitely,” he grinned. I couldn’t help but snicker.

“Anyway, it’s taken me awhile, ages when you consider it, really, but I'm realizing I need to pursue what makes me happy. You –” I prodded him on the chest “– make me happy, despite our silly arguments, despite our slightly worse arguments, despite all the horrible things happening around us, despite everything.” I felt a surge of confidence, fueled by the look of eagerness on his face. “And I think it’s about time that I told you, Fred Weasley, that I really fucking like you and I don’t know how to deny it to myself anymore.”

Fred looked as though he’d never been happier, his whole face lighting up like the sun. “You know, that was a bit more dramatic than necessary,” he added.

I rolled my eyes but smiled, some loose hairs falling over my face. “You know I've always had a flair for being a bit dramatic. Have I answered your question, numpty?"

He put his hands on either side of my face and kissed me, really kissed me. I responded with such enthusiasm that I wrapped my arms around his neck, not even caring when he pulled me into his lap. I felt this warmth inside my chest that spread to the very ends of my fingers and toes. My heels were kicked off and we were wrapped around each other in a tangle of arms, my lips never leaving his.

His hand slid up the outside of my thigh and he stopped kissing me for a moment, looking down to see the slightly raised scar that stretched across my thigh. He gingerly ran his fingertips along it and goosebumps rose in their wake.

Fred gazed up at me, his brows slightly furrowed. "No matter what happens, no one's allowed to hurt you again, alright? They'll bloody regret it if they try."

I felt my cheeks burn even hotter when he leaned over and started trailing kisses on my neck, making it difficult for me to think let alone speak. "I must be the biggest idiot to have waited for so long," I managed to get out.

"Mm?" he mumbled into my neck.

The feeling tickled and I tried not to jump. "Next time I decide to be stupid, do me a favor and Stupefy me into next week. We could've been doing this ages ago."

He lifted his head from my neck and started kissing along my jaw. "Cass," he muttered, "keep talking and I might just do that."

The tone of his voice roused something within me, and just as I leaned in to press my lips to his again I heard footsteps tromping across the grass. Before I could move off of Fred’s lap Rae appeared around the shrubbery, stopping in her tracks when she spotted us looking back at her like deer in headlights.

“Oh – damn, I’m sorry, I was just – I wondered where you’d gone off to, Cass, and well…I guess I found you! Um, I wanted to dance but, uh – I guess I can wait,” she said awkwardly, looking around nervously. I climbed off of Fred and smoothed out my dress, trying not to look utterly embarrassed.

“No, no it’s alright, I’ll come and dance with you.” I started walking toward Rae but glanced back at Fred, whose ears had turned red. “Do you mind?”

“No, not at all, go enjoy yourselves. I’ll be right there,” he said quietly, clearing his throat. I nodded and followed Rae back to the marquee, trying to ignore the looks she was giving me.

I danced with Rae for a while, twirling her around and she dipped me a few times, both of us giggling and tripping over our shoes. It was a little while before Fred returned to the tent, as I assumed he’d been trying to compose himself again. He stole me away from Rae and George snatched her up, the two of them hurriedly leaving the marquee. I noticed Ron and Hermione dancing together nearby, and when Ron glanced in my direction I gave him a thumbs up, causing his ears to turn red.

“They’re cute,” I said to Fred, our dance slowing down to where we were swaying on the spot, my hands on the back of his neck and his at my sides.

“They are,” he agreed, following my line of vision, “but I reckon we’re better looking.”

I snorted back a laugh and accidentally stepped on his foot. “No wonder why Ron told me he likes George better than you,” I said with a roll of my eyes.

Fred looked scandalized. “No, he doesn’t. Did he tell you that? What’s George got on me?”

“Well, for one I think he’s a bit nicer, and maybe even a bit better looking,” I smirked, watching as his face turned stony.

“You’re only saying that because I was flirting with that Veela girl,” he said defensively.

“You’re right, I am,” I grinned, yelping in surprise when he suddenly dipped me.

“You’re a git,” he smirked, slowly bring me back to a standing position.

There was a beautiful wedding cake with several tiers, and on top were two model phoenixes that took flight when the cake was cut. Bottles of champagne floated around above our heads and it was now dark out, moths and lightning bugs flying in and out of the tent. The canopy was lit with golden lanterns, floating all on their own. Hagrid and Charlie could be heard off in a corner, drunkenly singing “Odo the Hero”. Rae and George returned to the marquee awhile after the cake was cut, looking a bit flustered. After they got their cake Rae smooshed a bit of it onto George’s face, she and I giggling behind our hands. The champagne was delicious and bubbly, and after I finished my glass Tonks swooped over to our table, pulling me onto the dance floor with her.

“Cassie, you look beautiful,” she gushed, spinning me around.

“Oh, stop it, you look fantastic,” I said truthfully, swaying back and forth with her and being careful not to knock into the people around us. She really did look lovely, but even though she smiled behind it I could see there was something troubling her. Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“I sometimes wonder what it would’ve been like if Remus and I had a larger wedding,” she admitted, looking around us. “It was just easier to do it our way, probably safer, too.”

I nodded, looking behind her where Remus was sitting with Mr. Weasley. The two of them were having a conversation, though Remus had that far off look about him that seemed a lot like misery. “Tonks, I don’t mean to pry or anything, but is everything alright? With you and Remus, I mean,” I asked carefully.

She seemed to tense a little, as though hearing his name bothered her in some way. “We’re – we’re okay,” she said thoughtfully, swaying side to side. I couldn’t help but notice that she looked nervous. “There’re just some things going on right now that are making it difficult.”

“What things?” I asked curiously, hoping I wasn’t overstepping my boundaries.

Tonks glanced back at her husband and let out a deep sigh, looking down. “To be honest, he probably doesn’t want me saying anything but I don’t care. Someone needs to know. Cassie, I – I’m –”

But Tonks was cut off because at that exact moment a silvery light fell through the canopy over the dance floor. It was large, and as it landed in the middle of the crowd, who backed away from it in confusion, I recognized it as a Patronus – a lynx to be exact. The music stopped and everyone’s eyes were on the silvery cat, watching as it opened its mouth. The voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt emitted from it, slow, deep and loud.

“The Ministry has fallen. The Minister of Magic is dead. They are coming…they are coming…they are coming…”

My mind seemed to slow down, as though time itself was stopping in front of my eyes. The tent was deathly silent and I only just realized that Tonks and I had drawn our wands, my breathing noticeably increased. Someone screamed and the crowd was thrown into chaos, my eyes looking around wildly for Rae, for Fred, for George –

The guests were running in all directions and I got caught in the panicking crowd, finding myself separated from Tonks. People were apparating left and right, the protective enchantments around the Burrow having broken.

“Rae!” I screamed, seeing the top of her head all the way on the other side of the tent. I pushed my way in the opposite direction that people were running, trying to get to my best friend. Masked and cloaked figures began appearing in the crowd, jets of light flying over my head and in every direction. “Fred? George? Where are you? Protego!” I shouted, blocking a jet of light aimed my way. I spotted Tonks and Remus dueling with a few Death Eaters, and as much as I wanted to help I knew I needed to locate everyone else first.

Rae had finally reached me and took my hand, both of us looking around wildly for Fred and George. They found us first, pushing past the terrified guests as more cloaked figures arrived. Their wands were out and their faces were paper white, their shaggy red hair mussed up.

“Oh, thank god you’re alright,” I breathed. “Come on, they need us –”

“No,” Fred said firmly, grabbing my hands, “go back to the flat, both of you – you need to get out of here!”

“What?” I asked incredulously, “Are you mad? I’m not leaving, you can’t –”

“Go!” George urged. Rae was looking at both of them with wide eyes.

“Cassie, you need to go –” Fred started to yell, stopping abruptly when two Death Eaters appeared right in front of us. “We’ll meet you back at the flat! Go!” He and George turned their backs to me and Rae to square off against the Death Eaters.

I stood there for a moment, completely stunned. Lights of green and red flashed before me, a glass shattering next to me from a spell hitting it. Screams filled my ears and I began to smell smoke - had the marquee started to go ablaze? The chaos happening around me didn’t even register in my head. Rae grabbed my hand and with a last fleeting glance at the twins we were gone, sucked into the darkness that pressed down upon me.