Gunpowder & Cinnamon {Fred Weasley}

Chapter Forty Two

Eleanor didn't know who was going to be accompanying her when it came to dress shopping that day, besides Molly, when she arrived to the Burrow. But was quite surprise when she saw Fleur, dressed and ready to go.

"Are you coming with us?" she asked Fleur curiously.

"Oh yes! I just love weddings, I cannot wait to see what dress you choose."

"She hasn't shut up about it all morning." Ginny said walking into the kitchen. "I kept telling her that more than likely you wouldn't find a dress on the first day, but she won't hear any of it."

Eleanor smiled at Fleur who was watching her and Ginny interact. "I'm glad you come with us, Fleur. Really, it'll be fun."

"Yes it will be!" Fleur clapped her hands together. "What kind of dress are you looking at?"

The woman began naming off designers, the fit, the cut, and Eleanor or Ginny could keep up with her.

"Uh well, now that you mention it...Fred and I were going for casual." Eleanor said.

"Casual?" Fleur stared at her blankly. "I do not understand."

"We were just thinking about saying no dresses or tuxedos and wearing pajamas." Eleanor grinned.

Fleur's eyes widened and her jaw dropped in utter horror while Ginny cheered. "Yes! I already know which pajamas I would wear!"

Eleanor laughed. "Well, I would like to do that, but I don't think everyone is on the same page with the idea."

"Pajamas are for sleeping, dear." Molly said coming into the room with Nixie behind her. "Don't you want Fred to see how beautiful you look in a dress?"

"He already tells me I'm beautiful everyday, and that's without wearing a dress." Eleanor said.

"Awww." Nixie said before Molly gave her a look. "I mean...dress good, pajamas bad."

"You're coming too?" Eleanor asked.

"Well, I hadn't orginally planned on it, but your dad and Tonks obviously wanted to go but with Teddy spiking a fever this morning, Sirius and I were requested as stand ins. Hopefully, you don't mind?"

"No, not at all!" Eleanor said. "Wait, Sirius is coming."

"Yes."

"Where is he?"

"Pouting in the living room."

"Aww Sirius," Eleanor began as she walked into the living room, "I'm not going to force you to go."

"I wasn't worried about you forcing me." Sirius said shooting a glance towards Molly.

"I wasn't expecting this to be such a...big deal actually." Eleanor told everyone. "I mean, it's just a dress."

"To some, Ellie." Nixie said. "To some it's just a dress...to others..." she looked in Fleur's direction," not so much."

Originally, Eleanor had planned Marnie on being the one she went dress shopping with, if she ever did go dress shopping. But it was that day that Marnie and Cedric were going to face Marnie's parents and tell them about the pregnancy. She welcomed Verity and Judith to come along as well but they said they would cover for her at the shop.

But the group was pretty big as it was, so perhaps it was best that no one else volunteered to go as well.

Inside one dress shop, Eleanor sat down while the group dispersed to find dresses for her to try on. Mainly Molly and Fleur.

Nixie sat next to her.

"Well, this is quite exciting isn't it? Trying on wedding dresses."

"Did you try on wedding dresses...wait..are you two actually married, I never asked." Eleanor said looking to Nixie and Sirius. "Oh...I'm really sorry if that came across as extremely forward and blunt."

"Goodness, you are a Hufflepuff." Sirius chuckled. "Too kind for your own good, Ellie. You weren't forward or blunt, it was just a question."

"Right," Eleanor nodded, "I just...the question has been on my mind since I found out you two were together because..well...you call him Mr. Black and...your last name is still Dover, Nixie."

Nixie smiled. "There's reasons behind that."

"So...you two are married?"

"Yes." Sirius grinned leaning against Nixie's shoulder. "Well, actually we should rephrase that shouldn't we? Not married by law, but in the eyes of friends and family, we're married."

Eleanor sat up straighter as she wanted to hear more.

"I didn't want Nixie to take my family name." Sirius said.

"Why not?" Eleanor said.

"Because the Blacks outside of myself and perhaps Andromeda were never nice to Nixie. Didn't think it was right for her to take the surname of a family that continued to call her filthy half-breed all the time."

Eleanor grimaced. "Yeah, I guess that's good enough reason. Okay, but what about your rings-"

Nixie and Sirius held their rings up from the chains they wore around their necks.

"Oh....you don't wear them on your fingers?"

"We did at one point." Sirius said as he sat down. "But when I was sent to Azkaban, I had to hide my ring or they would have taken it from me."

"Where did you hide it...wait you know what, I don't think I want to know." Eleanor said.

"Wise decision." Sirius laughed.

"And no matter how much I get my ring adjusted," Nixie said, "it just slides right off my finger when I enter the water, so I kept it around my neck whenever I was at sea...it became habit really."

"Also, if you haven't noticed, Ellie. We're not the most traditional couple." Sirius added.

"Right...a dog and a mermaid." Eleanor giggled. "That is far from traditional."

"You don't have to follow tradition, Ellie." Nixie told her. "Just because everyone else does one thing, doesn't mean you have to. I think if you and Fred want to wear pajamas at your wedding, you should do it."

"Wait, this was an option?!" Sirius cried out. "I vote pajamas!"

More adorable fan art by the lovely XxAsTaRsObRiGhTxX.

Thank you so much!