2.| ✮𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮, 𝓑𝓲𝓵𝓵. ✮ {𝓑. 𝓦𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓵𝓮𝔂}

\𝒻𝒾𝓋ℯ\

~

"Oh, sit still, will you?" Mrs. Weasley sighed for what felt like the hundredth time, trying to tame Eleanora's hair as Eleanora fidgeted and kept turning her head. "This could've been over in seconds, you know."

"I know, I know," Eleanora murmured, unable to keep her leg from bouncing up and down under the robe she was wearing before putting her dress on.

From across the room, Ginny called, "She's nervous, Mum. Can you blame her? She's getting married to a guy who can't go a month without a near-death experience."

"That's not funny," Mrs. Weasley said, finally managing to pin a few strands of Eleanora's hair up in an elegant half-up do. "We're lucky Bill's still here."

"And I'm not nervous about getting married," Eleanora chimed in, "I'm nervous about not tripping on my way up the aisle."

She looked over at the shoes sitting next to her bed and grimaced. When she'd picked them out at a shop down the street from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes with Tonks, they'd both gushed excitedly over how beautiful they were. Now the six-inch heel just looked ominous.

Mrs. Weasley made a few finishing touches on Eleanora's hair and then stood back, admiring her handiwork. "Well, Cillian'll be there to catch you if you fall."

Ginny snorted. "So she really does have reason to worry."

At that moment, there was a light knock on the door and Hermione let herself in, followed closely by Daisy. Hermione was wearing a beautiful lilac colored dress with a matching necklace, and Daisy was looking absolutely luminous in a dress that was almost as golden as her hair falling in curls the whole way down her back. "Fred and George told me to come up here and tell you almost all of the guests are here," Daisy said, picking at a loose thread on her dress.

"Oh, let me get it." Hermione hurried over, brandishing her wand to fix the dress. Eleanora was surprised at how willing Hermione had been to follow Daisy around that whole day, making sure she didn't get dirty or get herself into trouble. She was reminded yet again of how grateful she was to have so many people looking after herself and her sister.

Mrs. Weasley leapt up and hurried to the closet to get Eleanora's dress for her while Ginny stood too and knelt down in front of Eleanora, making some last minute adjustments to her makeup. She was wearing an almost identical dress to Daisy's since she was a bridesmaid too, but Eleanora had let her make whatever adjustments she wanted so it didn't look as childish. "I think..." she said, dabbing lightly at the corner of Eleanora's right eye, "I think you're ready."

"Just need your dress," Mrs. Weasley said, brandishing the beautiful white wedding dress Eleanora hadn't touched since the first time she tried it on. She'd been too afraid of ripping it or ruining it somehow. "Ready?"

Eleanora stood up and stared at the dress, taking a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm ready."

After the wedding, Eleanora had no recollection of how she got from her bedroom near the top of the Burrow all the way down to the back of the aisle in the garden. When she got there, however, the twins were there to help her stay standing and to give her moral support. "You'll be fine," George said comfortingly, "You're only signing your entire life away to one person in front of everyone you know."

Eleanora punched him in the arm and he winced away, groaning. "I'm not signing my life away, Georgie," she said, leaning on Fred's arm to give herself a break from the heels. She looked up at him nervously. "Right?"

Fred turned to face her, taking both of her hands in his. "Eleanora, out of everyone here, I'd like to say I know you best. I know when you're really excited about something and when you're faking it; and whether what you're feeling is real or not. You've liked Bill since you met him, trust me, I remember it. You're not signing your life away, you're just making an agreement to love him forever, which I know you would've done anyways."

"Awww, Freddie," Eleanora said blinking hard, "Stop it, you're going to make me cry."

"That was the plan, Weasley," Fred said, pulling Eleanora into a tight hug so she wouldn't see that his eyes had filled with tears as well. "Gotcha."

Eleanora and Fred hugged for a long time, and then were interrupted by Cillian. "You ready?" he said, clearing his throat. Eleanora broke away from Fred, who stepped back to join George, Daisy, and Charlie, rubbing his eyes.

Eleanora stood up straighter and looked up at her father. Cillian recognized her expression immediately. It was the one she'd worn when he'd first taught her to read the difficult books in the library at Marks Manor when she was a little kid. The one she had on when their cat got sick and she'd nursed it back to health all by herself. The expression she got when she was so overjoyed with something, the feeling was practically bursting out of her. Her mouth settled into determination, her eyes alive. "I'm ready," she said, taking Cillian's arm.

The procession began, but Eleanora wasn't paying attention. When it was finally her and Cillian's turn to walk up the aisle, she stood up straight, holding her head high, and stepped out into the center of the rows of seats. She couldn't help the smile growing on her face as heads turned to see her and Fred let out a wolf whistle. She reminded herself to get him back for that later. Then, she saw Bill.

He was standing at the front of the aisle wearing his best dress robes, his scarred face looking as handsome as ever in the afternoon light. As soon as his eyes met hers, the nerves went away. There was so much love in Bill's gaze, so much excitement and adventure, but at the same time, safety and comfort. When Eleanora reached the front of the aisle, she turned to give her father a genuine smile and stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. Cillian patted her on the shoulder and whispered, "I'm proud of you, kid."

Eleanora managed to make it to where she was supposed to stand without falling, and when she got there, Bill took her hands in his. "You look so beautiful," he whispered so only she could hear, blinking tears from his eyes.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said a slightly singsong voice. The same tufty-haired wizard who had performed Dumbledore's funeral was also officiating Eleanora and Bill's wedding. She had had no part in that decision, but according to Mr. Weasley he was one of the only wizards for miles who did good weddings. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of two faithfulsouls . . ." Eleanora lost herself gazing into Bill's ocean-blue eyes, which were dancing in the sunlight. He seemed to be just as lost, an affectionate smile playing on his lips. "Do you, William Arthur, take Eleanora Elizabeth . . . ?"In the front row, Mrs. Weasley was both sobbing quietly into aof lace while Cillian patted her awkwardly on the shoulder. Trumpetlike sounds from the back of the marquee told everyone that Hagrid had takenout one of his own tablecloth-sized handkerchiefs. ". . . then I declare you bonded for life." Bill and Eleanora snapped out of their trance and he pulled her in, cupping her face in her hands and kissing her for what felt like the first time ever. It felt like something was exploding in Eleanora's heart, filling her with ecstatic joy that spread over her entire body.

The tufty-haired wizard waved his wand high over the heads of Bill and Eleanora and a shower of silver stars fell upon them, spiraling around their now entwined figures. As Fred and George led a round of applause, the golden balloons overhead burst: Birds of paradise and tiny golden bells flew and floated out of them, adding their songs and chimes to the din."Ladies and gentlemen!" called the tufty-haired wizard. "If you would please stand up!"