One-shot: Lucy and family gen
Title: It Never Does Run Smooth, Does It?
Author: mollywheezy
Prompt:
Pairing: Roxanne or Lucy-- any non-incestuous pairing (canon or OC)
Maximum Rating: any
Prompt: Always a bridesmaid. She's been a bridesmaid in every one of her cousins' weddings. Will it ever be her turn?
Likes: Humor, romance, wry sense of humor, finding love in unexpected places/when you least expect it, ridiculous bridesmaids dresses, family dynamics, snark, banter, happy endings
Dislikes: incest including cousincest, Percy bashing, rape/non-con/dub-con
by katmarajade
Pairing(s): Primarily Lucy, Molly, Roxanne Gen; mentions of Lucy/OMC, Molly/OMC, Roxanne/OMC, Victoire/Teddy, Dominique/OMC, Louis/OMC, James/OFC, Rose/Scorpius, Percy/Audrey, Bill/Fleur, George/Angelina and other assorted Weasleys and Potters
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 14,000
Content/Warnings: [None (click to open)]
Summary: Lucy participates in several of her cousins' weddings, excited for her own. But when her long-time relationship falls apart, will she ever find love again?
Author's Notes: Huge thanks and many hugs to my friend and beta rumpelsnorcack for her encouragement, brainstorming prowess, and fabulous beta skills.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling and associates. No copyright infringement intended.
Part 1
~*~ Summer 2022 ~*~
"Okay. Now say, 'Thank you.'"
"Er . . . I know there's a 'kar' in it?" Molly answered uncertainly.
"Right! It's 'eff-kar-ees-TOE,'" Lucy carefully pronounced the word.
"It's effing something, that's for sure," Molly muttered.
"Molly!" Lucy chided. "You can at least remember one Greek word!"
"I'm trying! I didn't inherit Dad's gift for languages like you did."
"You're not getting sympathy from me. I'm trying to learn Welsh, and it's a lot harder than Greek."
"Isn't Welsh harder than anything? There aren't any vowels in it."
"There are vowels . . . sometimes. Maybe you should help me study Welsh to take your mind off of learning Greek."
"I think we can come up with something better than that for a break. I'm nervous about meeting Mason's family, and you know my brain doesn't work when I'm nervous."
"Why would you be nervous?"
Molly snorted. "After your fiasco meeting Gareth's family? Have you even seen them since?"
"Yes! We had dinner last month! And it went better than before, even though the restaurant was a bit fancy for me."
"How do you mean?"
"I didn't know what half the things on the menu were, and there was this waiter . . . I think his only job was to stand there and watch people eat, then to swoop in and sweep up their breadcrumbs with this little brush and tray-thing. I like my breadcrumbs where they are, thanks."
Molly laughed. "Mason's family isn't as wealthy as Gareth's and they're a large family, too. They sound a lot more like us from what he's said."
"At least you get to see Mason." Lucy sighed.
"How long has Gareth been travelling this time?"
"A month. I haven't seen him since we had dinner with his parents. Not having a job is starting to sound like a plan, so I could travel with him."
"But you love your job! And you're good at it!"
"I love Gareth, too, and I never see him! I owled my boss and asked about the possibility of working out of the office, or scheduling my meetings on one day each week to come in, so I'd be able to at least travel with Gareth some of the time once we're married. I don't want to quit my job, and I made sure I was clear on that point. I know we have six months to work something out, but I wanted to get started early. Now I'm getting nervous, too."
"Want to go flying?"
"I'll grab our brooms."
~*~
Percy, Audrey, Molly, Mason, and Lucy stepped out of the International Portkey Office in Athens. Mason frantically waved to seven people who were hurrying towards them, everyone exclaiming in Greek. Lucy caught a few words from helping Molly study, but the blank look on Molly's face made it pretty clear she hadn't.
Lucy whispered to Molly, "Say 'Ka-lee-mare-uh'" which means 'Good Morning.'"
Molly obediently said, "Kali Mera, Mr and Mrs Kokinos."
They both hugged her and exclaimed, "A beautiful angel and she speaks our language, too! We are not Mr and Mrs, but Theo and Agata."
Molly laughed, and said, "I only speak about two words of Greek, and that's with my sister whispering in my ear."
The entire Kokinos family laughed.
Mason said, "All right, formal introductions." He gestured to each person in turn as he spoke. "My parents Agata and Theodore Kokinos, my sister Aileen and her husband Tyge-Ty for short, my brother Alexander and his wife Calla, and my nephew Darrius."
Molly added, "My parents Audrey and Percy Weasley, and my sister Lucy."
Agata Kokinos said, "Good! We all know each other. No we will go eat!" She busily divided everyone into pairs to side-along Apparate them. Darrius took Lucy. She thought he looked to be about her age.
She almost stumbled when they landed, but Darrius caught her. Lucy was very aware of his firm, warm hand on her arm, and noticed his well-defined bicep. She shook herself of that thought and looked around, wondering where they were. Darrius said, "It's the Athens Open Air Market. We can pick up some food and have a picnic for lunch."
They all chattered as they wandered through the various sections of the Market. They hurried through the Fish Market which smelled dreadful, but lingered in the Bread Market, which made Lucy's stomach rumble from all of the aromas of fresh-baked breads. They all followed Agata, and just looked around as she made various selections. When she had determined that everyone was ready, she again had all of the Kokinos family Apparate the Weasleys to the Acropolis, where they enjoyed a fabulous view while they ate lunch. Lunch turned out to be a huge assortment of homemade breads and cheeses from the market, as well as wine and mineral water.
They all talked as they ate, and Lucy felt like her family and Mason's family had known each other forever. There was no awkwardness or discomfort at all. After they finished eating, they all walked around the Acropolis, and saw the Erechthion and Mars Hill, and took a rather longer walk to the Olympic Stadium, where they examined both the Muggle and Wizarding parts.
Lucy spent most of the time talking to Darrius, who she was surprised to learn was her age.
"Uncle Mason-I really only call him 'uncle' to tease him-is only six years older than me. We were raised more like siblings. My dad is eighteen years older than Mason, and my Aunt Aileen is sixteen years older. Mason was a bit of a surprise to my grandparents."
Lucy laughed. "Do you have siblings?"
"Yes, I have two younger sisters. They're still in school. The rest of us took the day off work to come meet all of you. My sisters aren’t happy that I got to come and our parents wouldn't let them out of school."
"I'm glad I took the day off from work, too. Athens is beautiful."
Darrius winked. "Wait until you see Napflio."
They again were side-along Apparated to Napflio, Mason's hometown. Lucy was stunned by the white buildings against the bright blue sky, and the bluest, clearest water she had ever seen. They went to a restaurant in the center of town owned by Mason's aunt, and met more family members, who were not off of work, and enjoyed wonderful food and fellowship.
~*~
The next day was spent at the beach, since Napflio is a port town on the Mediterranean Sea. They sat in the sun or under umbrellas, swam, enjoyed a wonderful beach barbecue provided by Theo and Agata, and watched the children playing in the water. Mason's cousins were there with their children as well as his nieces and nephews.
In the midst of the chaos, Molly and Lucy did have a chance to talk while resting under an umbrella in the shade.
"So. You're spending a lot of time with Darrius."
"Agata paired us up." Lucy shrugged. "Besides, he speaks English really well, and he'll be my sister's nephew." Lucy grinned mischievously. "I don't know what that makes him to me, but some vague sort of family."
"It's not a hardship either since he's smoking hot," Molly fanned herself and grinned.
"Molly! You're with Mason!"
"Of course I am, and I love Mason, but I'm not dead. Or blind, either. I can appreciate the perfection of Darrius' body as one would appreciate fine art." Molly winked.
Lucy rolled her eyes, and didn't answer her sister, even though she was correct about Darrius. If Lucy hadn't been engaged, she probably wouldn't even be able to talk to Darrius since she'd be so tongue tied. Molly was also right that Mason's family was as big as theirs. It was a wonderful day. Lucy didn't voice her thoughts that she had imagined meeting Gareth's family would have been like this.
~*~
The following day was Sunday, and Mason's family invited the Weasleys to join them for church. The Greek Orthodox Church in Napflio was within walking distance of the hotel where Lucy was staying with her family. Molly seemed excited about going since Mason had told her how beautiful the church was. They walked together to the service, and Lucy saw the bright white of the outside of the church outlined against the clear blue sky and agreed it was beautiful. The entire city was. Colors seemed brighter and the white buildings against the blue sky provided a backdrop for the tree-lined streets and colorful flowers in window boxes.
When Lucy walked inside the church, she gasped. It was exquisite. Everything was intricately decorated with gold scroll-work and beautiful paintings. She tried to look around carefully to absorb every detail, but there was too much to see. The plain white of the outside was deceptive, almost like opening a geode. There were no pews, just a few seats built into the walls where a handful of very elderly people were sitting. Lucy and her family joined the group of people standing in the middle of the room, and very shortly Mason found Molly and put an arm around her.
Lucy smelled the incense which was lovely, and not overpowering, and listened to the music, as the entire service was sung. She only caught a word or two, but it didn't matter. The music touched her heart without her needing to understand the words.
The service lasted for several hours, but people came and went as they wanted. Mason's family was there when Lucy and her family arrived, and they probably stayed for an hour, and then went to Agata and Theo's home for lunch. Even Lucy felt welcomed as part of the family, and Molly and Mason weren't even engaged. Yet, Lucy thought. They all had a wonderful weekend with Mason's family, and Lucy knew she was disappointed to have to portkey back to England and go to work the next day.
~*~
As Lucy drudged through Monday, she received an owl from her mum inviting her to lunch. She gladly sent back an acceptance.
After they ordered their food, Lucy's mum said, "You've seemed sad over the weekend. What's bothering you, love?"
Lucy sighed. She never could hide anything from her mum. "It's just that Mason's family was so wonderful, and Mason and Molly aren't even engaged. I sort of expected Gareth's family to treat me like Mason's family treated Molly."
Her mum nodded thoughtfully. "When your dad met my parents, things didn't go well at all. They didn't like him one bit, and like you and Gareth, we were already engaged. My parents didn't like your Grandma and Grandpa Weasley either, although the Weasleys were all wonderful to me."
"But Grandma and Grandpa Mitchell like Grandma and Grandpa Weasley and dad now, don't they?"
"They do, but it didn't happen immediately. My parents are very private people. They aren't unfriendly, but it takes them some time to open up. I think Gareth's parents seem like that. They were kind to you and looked after you when you got hurt, but they aren't one of those extremely friendly families like the Weasleys or the Kokinos. It doesn't make them bad, just different, and a bit more reserved."
Lucy nodded thoughtfully.
"It probably does not help that you and Gareth both have new jobs and he travels a lot for his. It's hard to be apart from someone you love."
"It is!" Lucy agreed. "And you're right. I think I was comparing Gareth's family to Mason's and that's not fair. Thanks, Mum."
Lucy decided she needed to make more of an effort to see Gareth more often, and greatly enjoyed her lunch with her mum.
~*~ December 2022 ~*~
Lucy finished the final fitting of her dress at the Burrow, earlier than expected and decided to surprise Gareth at his flat before they went to her parents' house for dinner. They had been seeing each other every week or two rather than every month, but if she hurried they'd have time for a lovely snog . . .
She Apparated directly into the flat and shrieked at what she saw-Gareth and two blonds . . . Lucy couldn't even think it.
"Bloody Fucking Hell!!!" she swore. She must be channeling Uncle Ron. She couldn't remember if she'd ever sworn before.
"Is she mad we started without her?" Blond Number 1 asked Gareth.
Blond Number 2 waved to Lucy and said, "Hi! I'm Bobbi! Come join us! The more the merrier!" She giggled.
"No, thank you," Lucy said to Bobbi. She was determined not to cry in front of them and Disapparated.
Lucy reappeared in her own flat, and immediately pulled open her kitchen cupboard. "Bloody Hell!" she muttered, starting to cry. She was out of Firewhisky. She glanced at the rack across the kitchen. No wine either. She Apparated again, this time arriving in her parents' kitchen.
"Lucy! You're early!" Her mum hurried to hug her and saw her face. "Sweetie, what happened?"
Lucy couldn't form words. She started sobbing hysterically into her mum's shoulder, and felt her mum's arms wrap around her. When she finally stopped for breath and looked up, her dad was standing there holding a handkerchief and a large glass of wine. She whispered, "Thanks" and took the handkerchief and blew her nose. Then took the glass of wine, and after her first sip, realized it was her favorite Merlot, and took several more large sips.
Lucy knew she needed to say something to her parents who had been so patiently and quietly comforting her. She took a deep breath and another fortifying gulp of wine. Her mum sat down and patted the chair next to her, and Lucy sat. Her dad took the chair across from her, and patted her hand. Lucy finally started, "Grandmum finished with my dress early, so I thought I'd go surprise Gareth at his flat, and . . . and . . ." Lucy felt tears welling in her eyes again. "And . . . he and two blonds were . . . they were . . . naked and well . . . they were . . ., and one of them invited me . . . to join them." Lucy burst into sobs again.
Her mum hugged her, while her dad held her hand. She had managed to quit crying again when the doorbell rang. Her dad squeezed her hand and went to answer it. Lucy heard Gareth's voice, "Er . . . Mr Weasley . . . is Lucy here?"
Her dad answered with a terse, "Yes."
Gareth responded, "May I see her?"
Her dad closed the door and returned to her and her mum. "Do you want to talk to him? I'll tell him to go away if you don't."
Lucy shrugged, "I guess I need to talk to him sometime. You can both come with me." Lucy looked at each of her parents in turn. "Please?"
The three of them walked back to the door and opened it to see Gareth still outside and shivering since he wasn't wearing a coat. Lucy didn't care one bit. Let him freeze.
"What do you want?" Lucy asked.
Gareth looked to both of Lucy's parents and whispered, "Can we talk alone?"
Lucy shook her head, no.
"Well, er . . . we're getting married in just less than a month, and you seemed upset, so . . ."
"We are NOT getting married after what I saw today! You cheated on me!"
"We aren't married yet!"
Sparks came out of Lucy's fingertips. She hadn't done accidental magic since before she started at Hogwarts, but she hadn't been this angry before either.
Her dad said, "Young man, you are in violation of Wizarding Law. Codicil #77 of the Betrothal Covenant of 1772 clearly states that the laws of marriage also apply to the premarital period of betrothal, and any wizard who violates said covenant is liable for the transgression and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Punishments include up to a 100,000 galleon fine, a month in Azkaban, and castration. Personally, I plan to push for the latter."
"What?!" Gareth squeaked.
"I'm not marrying you, and I never want to see you again."
Gareth stood there looking dumbfounded.
"You heard her. Vacate our property immediately. My barrister will contact you with the date of your appearance before the Wizengamot."
Gareth looked terrified, but he Disapparated without another word.
Lucy hugged her dad. "Are you really going to have Gareth castrated? I'm very much in favor of it."
Percy responded, "I wish I could, honey, but I made all of that up."
Lucy snorted.
"You were extremely convincing, love. I knew you were making it up, and you had me fooled."
"But what if Gareth researches it, and figures out you made it up?"
Percy shrugged. "So? I made up a law. If he believes it, he'll dread hearing from my barrister. He'll probably realize eventually that I did make it up when he doesn't hear anything, but a few days of worry will serve him right. Actually, I need to talk to George. Maybe he has a product."
They heard two pops, and Molly called, "Hello? Where is everyone?"
Lucy, Percy, and Audrey returned to the kitchen to find Mason and Molly, who was holding her bridesmaid's dress.
"Hi! We came straight from Grandmum's, so I just need to hang this up somewhere."
Lucy said, "You can throw it in the fireplace. The wedding's off."
"What?!" Molly thrust her dress at Mason and hugged Lucy tightly. "I'm so sorry! I'm sure you've already told Mum and Daddy what happened, so you can tell me later. I'll do whatever I can to help."
"Thank you," Lucy muttered into Molly's shoulder, starting to cry again at her sister's thoughtfulness. "I'm going to be a hundred-year-old virgin with thirty cats!" she wailed.
"You're only twenty. I didn't even meet your mum until I was older than you. And I thought you didn't like cats," her dad said.
"I don't like cats," Lucy sniffled.
"Then why would you have one cat, let alone thirty, if you don't like them?" Mason asked, still holding Molly's bridesmaid's dress.
Lucy chuckled wetly. "I guess you have a point."
"Why don't we all have dinner?" Audrey said. "Difficult things are always easier to face with full stomachs."
~*~
After eating her mum's delicious food and on her second large glass of wine, Lucy was starting to feel better, even if her future, so certain a few hours ago, was now completely unplanned. Well, not completely, she reminded herself. Her family loved her, and she enjoyed her job in the Ministry Arithmancy Department, and now wouldn't have to change anything about it.
Lucy's dad put the last of their plates in the sink, brought the Firewhisky bottle to the table and sat back down, pouring glasses for himself and Mason. She, Molly, and their mum were drinking wine, and the bottle was already in front of Lucy.
"Firstly, we need to tell all of the guests the wedding is off," her dad began. "I'll compose a letter, which we can duplicate, but additional owls would be helpful."
"I can go get my and Molly's owls," Mason offered.
"Thank you, Mason. Could you please get mine, too?" Lucy asked. "I can let you through the wards to my flat," Lucy tapped Mason with her wand. "My flat!" Lucy shrieked. "I didn't renew my lease, since I was going to move in with Gareth after the wedding!"
"Send your landlord a patronus. Maybe she hasn't let the flat yet."
Lucy concentrated on the message and sent off her owl patronus. She only waited a moment before a beaver returned. Lucy sighed at hearing the message and said to her family, "She's sorry, but she already let the flat."
Her dad said, "That's too bad, but you can move in here after your lease is up. Or now if you want to."
Lucy noticed a strange look pass between Molly and Mason she didn't understand.
"Well, I'll get the owls," Mason said and Disapparated.
Molly said, "Excuse me for a moment. Loo." And she left the room, too.
Lucy poured herself another glass of wine, took a gulp, and said to her parents, "I'm sorry I'm causing you so much trouble. I know you've already paid for so many things."
"Sweetie, none of this is your fault. And there's really not much that we've paid for."
"Your mum's right. You're even more frugal than me," her dad said, sounding proud. "You had Grandmum remake Victoire's bridesmaids' dresses, so there was no purchasing fabric, and Hannah is donating the reception at The Leaky Cauldron as a gift. She probably won't mind being open on New Year's Eve after all, but she hasn't spent money and certainly didn't want a deposit."
"We did put a deposit on Grandma and Grandpa's church, but it wasn't much. We'll call it a donation."
"The fabric for your wedding gown was on sale, and Grandma made it, so not much expense there. Victoire was going to make your wedding cake as her gift to you, and Molly, Dominique, and Roxie were doing the decorations, so no expense there either. And even if we had paid for everything, it's nothing for you to worry about. We can afford it."
~*~
Later that night, Molly went back to Lucy's flat with her to hear the entire story of what had happened. Lucy told Molly far more details than she had told her parents, and Molly was appropriately horrified.
Lucy slept for twelve hours straight from sheer exhaustion after Molly left. Mum had always said things would look better in the morning, but as Lucy made tea in her small kitchen she choked up with tears again. Her days in her beloved flat were numbered.
By early afternoon, flocks of owls began arriving with sympathy from all of her family. Her maternal grandparents telephoned with their condolences, and invited Lucy to come raid their wine cellar. Grandma Molly sent a box of meat pies and a box of Lucy's favorite biscuits. Hannah brought over so much food that Lucy's entire family could eat for two weeks.
That night, Roxie appeared at Lucy's door. "I'm taking you to a club to get you drunk. My treat, and I won't take no for an answer."
Lucy obediently changed into the clothes Roxie selected for her and didn't argue.
The next day, Lucy received yet another owl, this time from Louis.
Dear Lucy,
May I come through the Floo? I would like to speak with you.
Louis
Lucy couldn't remember Louis' owling her before, and he certainly had never been to her flat since he lived in France and she didn't see him as often as some of her other cousins. Her curiosity piqued, she changed her wards accordingly, spoke to Louis briefly through the Floo, and let him come over.
"Hello, Lucy," Louis greeted as he brushed ash off of his robes. "I know I am not the best correspondent of our cousins, so I will get to the point. Louie has a great-uncle, he's not really close to him or anything, but he can contact him as needed, who is part of the French Milieu, and he will take care of Gareth if you like."
Lucy gave Louis a confused look. "What is . . ."
Louis cut her off with a whisper. "Organized crime. You can see why I didn't want to include this information in an owl. "
"Yes, of course. Er . . . I appreciate the offer, but Dad said he was going to talk to Uncle George, so I think they already have something in the works."
"That's fine. I just wanted to make the offer."
"I appreciate it."
Louis hugged Lucy, and Flooed back to France.
~*~
Not knowing what else to do, Lucy packed up her flat, and with her family's help moved back in with her parents. After a week, she was about to die from sympathy overload, although her entire family was enjoying all of the wonderful food and alcohol that everyone was bringing. Weasleys had a strong tradition of dealing with tragedy by eating, after all.
Lucy missed having her own space. She loved all of her family and saw everyone frequently, but now she was never alone. She was starting to wonder if she should owl everyone, including her grandparents, all of the explicit details of why she had called off her wedding, in hopes they'd be shocked speechless, and she could have some peace and quiet.
Just over a week after she called off her wedding, Molly and Roxie knocked on her bedroom door. She invited them in and listened to what they had to tell her.
"Let me get this straight. You want one of our family members to go to a Muggle singing telegram shop-is it called a shop?"
Molly and Roxanne both shrugged.
"And have our as-yet-unnamed relative pretend to be a friend of Gareth's and order a singing telegram as a stag night prank since he apparently didn't get the message that the wedding's off, and said relative will take one of Uncle George's products, for the singing telegram bloke to give to Gareth which will do something to him you haven't told me yet."
"Excellent summary, Luce," Molly said, smiling at her sister.
"There's at least one large problem with this plan. The only one of our male cousins who is comfortable using a telephone is Hugo, and his voice hasn't changed yet. Roxie, didn't you say the bloke had to be 18?"
"That's right."
"So . . ." Lucy splayed her hands in question.
Molly started talking again. "Actually, in order to include Uncle George's product, the person who orders the singing telegram would have to actually go to the shop, and Hugo definitely doesn't look eighteen, but we do have other male relatives who would be willing to help you get back at Gareth."
"Well, of course, all of our cousins would help, and Louis even came over to my flat and offered help . . . of a similar type. But they aren't going to pass for Muggles."
"There's someone who will."
"Who?"
"Dad."
"Dad!? You think our dad is going to help pull a prank?"
"He wanted to have Gareth castrated! I'm sure he'd help with a prank!"
Lucy rolled her eyes.
Roxanne joined the conversation. "I've never pulled a prank before and I thought of this scheme. I think it's worth it to at least ask Uncle Percy."
Lucy shrugged. "Ask away."
Lucy's dad agreed to the plan immediately, and her mum offered to perform charms to help him look younger and hide his glasses.
"And Rosie has volunteered to provide the product Uncle George gave her!" Molly enthused.
"What product?" Lucy asked.
Lucy saw Molly briefly glance at their parents, but she responded, "The adult version of Lizard Licorice. It will turn one part of a man into a lizard for a very long time."
Lucy snorted, as her dad exclaimed, "Wow! He actually made it? I helped invent that!"
Lucy and Molly stared at their dad in shock.
"When The Tosser broke your heart, Molly, Your Uncle George, Uncle Bill, and Uncle Ron took me out for drinks, and we commiserated about hating to see our teenage daughters hurt and what we'd like to do to those who hurt them, and well . . ."
"Well, it looks like the Adult Lizard Licorice will be put to good use." Roxanne added.
~*~
Only the day after she agreed to Molly and Roxanne's insane prank, an owl arrived from Gareth.
Dearest Lucy,
I gave you some time to calm down and hope you have. I have not told my family you called off the wedding in hopes you would have changed your mind and contacted me by now.
I also know the law your dad mentioned does not exist-I looked it up, and your dad invented it. I won't hold it against him, though.
I know you were shocked by what you saw, and for that I apologize, but I didn't do anything wrong. Some friends bought me a "Teaching Companion" for my 17th birthday, and I have practiced occasionally since. You know the saying, "Practice makes perfect." I wanted to be well-studied for our wedding night.
You are the only woman who has or ever will have my heart.
Love,
Your husband-to-be Gareth
Lucy shrieked. She felt so furious she was beyond words. That was another problem with living with her parents-they both Apparated into her room upon hearing her shriek.
"Lucy! Are you OK?"
"What happened, Sweetie?"
Lucy thrust the letter at them. It was easier than trying to speak. She watched her dad's mouth drop open, and her mother's face heat up with anger as they read Gareth's letter. When they finished and handed it back to her, Lucy's mum asked, "How do you plan to respond?"
Lucy snarled, "I plan to tell him to sod off!"
Her dad snorted, and said, "Good."
"Would you like help?" Lucy's mum asked.
Lucy shrugged, and looked quizzically at her mum.
She took the letter and waved her wand over it producing an identical copy. She turned both letters over, waved her wand again and identical words appeared on the backs of each. Her mum gave her the letters and Lucy saw that they were in her handwriting.
Gareth,
Heart, soul, mind and body are all connected. If your body cheated, so did the rest of you. I deserve someone faithful.
SOD OFF!!!
Lucy
Lucy's dad had read over her shoulder. "One for Gareth and one for his parents?"
"That's the plan if Lucy approves."
"Brilliant," Lucy whispered. "I definitely approve."
~*~
A few days later, George, Roxanne, Ron, Harry, Ginny, Molly, and Mason came over to Percy and Audrey's for dinner and for Phase One of Operation Lizard.
"Are you sure about this, Dad?" Lucy asked for the hundredth time. "I don't want you to get in trouble with the Ministry."
Her dad nodded, but before he could speak, Uncle George exclaimed, "Of course he's sure! This plan is brilliant and my little girl thought of it!" Uncle George kissed the top of Roxanne's head. She rolled her eyes. "I couldn't be more proud! Your first prank! And come to think of it, this is your first prank, too, isn't it, Perce?"
Percy shrugged. "That depends. It's definitely the biggest."
Everyone gathered around the telephone and Percy called about the singing telegram.
"I would like to schedule a singing telegram for December 30th please. I didn't know if advanced reservations are required . . . They are to make sure the telegram is delivered at the requested time? Good, then. December 30th. It's a stag night prank and I would like to include some licorice to be eaten all at once, as well as some beer for the recipient to drink. Will that be possible? Good. I would also like to request Hector for the delivery. He performed admirably for a friend of mine, is that . . . Yes, thank you. And could I have the event filmed? Excellent . . . Yes, that will be fine. Will Monday be soon enough to stop by with the payment? You can put the reservation under the name Weatherby. All right, I will see you Monday. Thank you."
"Weatherby!" Uncle George shrieked and pulled Percy into a hug, laughing.
"I have an announcement," Molly stated. Lucy noticed she was clutching Mason's hand. "I'm moving in with Mason!"
This announcement was met with silence from the family until Roxanne said, "That's great! Lucy will be able to have your flat!"
Lucy saw the not exactly happy looks on her parents' faces and said, "Molly, you don't have to move in with Mason just to give me your flat. I'm fine staying here until I find something."
"I'm not moving in with Mason for you. I've already moved in with Mason because I want to, and my flat's empty, so you may as well go live there. I told my landlord I would let him know if you would be taking over my lease or if I'd be canceling it, so if you don't want my flat . . ."
"I'll take your flat!" Lucy said quickly.
The rest of the family was still speechless, but George burst out, "My daughter and my brother are pulling pranks together, and my niece is causing even more mischief! This is the best day of my life!" Everyone laughed.
~*~
Everything went smoothly with the transaction the following Monday. Even though the family would not be available to watch, a less busy day was decided to be the better plan.
The viewing of the prank by the entire Weasley family and their friends who were considered family required more planning than the actual prank. They had to have a location with the Muggle devices to enable the watching of the disk which Percy picked up at the specified time. The choices were either the home of Lucy and Molly's Muggle grandparents, the Mitchells, or the Grangers. While both couples were often invited to the Burrow for family gatherings, neither had ever hosted all of the Weasleys in their home, and when Lucy's wedding was cancelled, the Grangers decided to go on a New Year's holiday. They also decided when they heard about the prank to allow everyone to come to their home while they were away and watch the recording. The Mitchell's offered to buy pizza for everyone.
Lucy's wedding had turned into a New Year's Eve Party at the Granger's instead. As they began watching, they saw Hector singing a silly song, which made Gareth and his friends laugh. Then Hector made Gareth eat a double batch of the licorice and drink several beers. His friends yelled encouragement for him to eat and drink everything offered to him.
"Why'd you include the beers, Perce? That wasn't part of the original plan?"
Several cries of "Shhh!" and "Hush Uncle George!" rang out.
But the video had ended.
"We really didn't see much, did we?" Lucy asked.
"We couldn't exactly have Hector film him peeing, could we?"
"I included the beers to draw attention away from the licorice. Plus, as this is supposed to be a Stag Night prank, it made sense to include alcohol."
"And Gareth hates beer, so that's a bonus."
~*~
The video had been a bit of a let-down, but Lucy was glad to have had a reason not to think on the night which would have been her wedding. She actually had fun, and enjoyed spending time with so many people she loved. And even if she didn't get to see it, she trusted Uncle George's product had worked.
She also enjoyed sleeping in, and having peace and quiet in what was formerly her sister's flat. She didn't like it quite as well as she had her own, but as much as she loved her parents, this was preferable to living with them.
She went to the Burrow for New Year's Day brunch and to spend time relaxing with her family again. She was flying with her cousins for the Weasley Family Quidditch Tournament when she saw Gareth coming through the gate onto the property. She called a time-out and everyone landed.
"YOU!" Gareth screamed, pointing an accusatory finger at Lucy. "YOU DID THIS TO ME!!!"
Lucy had never seen Gareth like this. His face was red and his chest was heaving. He looked rather scary, but she responded calmly, "Did what to you?"
"THIS!" Gareth gestured vaguely to his body.
"What? You look perfectly fine." All of Lucy's family had moved to stand with her, but were keeping quiet.
"I know you are responsible," Gareth hissed, "or if not you, then one of your cousins or your Uncle George and his fucking shite from his store."
"Hey!" Uncle George exclaimed.
"If I find one shred of evidence to prove . . . I will have all of you arrested!"
Uncle Harry stepped forward. "As Head of the Auror Department, I would be glad to take your statement, as I am sure my fellow Aurors would be." Uncle Ron and Roxanne stepped forward behind Uncle Harry.
"All of you were probably in on it! I'll have your jobs!"
"Threatening an Auror is against the law, Mr Uchafgramen," Uncle Harry said, "but I will let that slide as you are so visibly upset. If you wish to make a report accusing me or my family members of any sort of wrongdoing, you are welcome to do so at the Ministry. There are Aurors working today, ready to take your statement. However, you will need to tell them what it is we allegedly did."
Gareth glared at Uncle Harry, and without another word, turned around, walked out of the gate and Apparated.
Once he was gone, the entire family broke into excited chattering and laughter. Lucy said, "Uncle Harry, Gareth couldn't really get you and Uncle Ron, and Roxie into trouble, could he?"
"No. First of all, he would have to show the Aurors what it is he thinks we did. And even then, nothing's truly wrong with him. There aren't any laws about turning people or parts of people into animals or your Uncle George would be called into my office all the time. Don't worry about it, Lucy."
"Besides, honey," her dad said. "Gareth was drunk at the time. If they did an investigation and asked his friends what happened, they will hear he was drinking, and could even see him drinking on the video. He's not going to do anything."
"OK. Back to Quidditch!" Lucy yelled, and all of her family cheered.
~*~
The next day, Lucy received a rather unexpected owl.
Dear Lucy,
We apologize for the lateness of this communication, but we did not know of the true situation until now. Gareth told us on the morning of your wedding day that it was off, but would not tell us why. Of course we rushed to let our friends and relatives know. As Gareth was not talking to us, we questioned our house elves. Although Gareth ordered them to keep quiet, our orders trump his. Clyde finally showed your owl to us which Gareth had made him conceal.
We know this doesn't help at this point, but we are appalled by Gareth's behavior, and do not in the least approve of his actions or his attitude. Gareth is in the wrong and treated you poorly. We apologize for the pain our son has caused you.
We suspect that you (possibly with the help of your ingenious uncle and his excellent joke products) have taken some sort of revenge on Gareth. We are quite glad of this, as he heartily deserved it. There will be no repercussions to you or your family. Gareth may have blustered about suing, but we will not allow it.
You are an exceptional young woman, Lucy, and we regret not having the joy of having you as a daughter.
Sincerely,
Megan and Rhys Uchafgramen
~*~ Summer 2023 ~*~
Lucy was rather disgruntled she did not have a partner for the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of the Defeat of Voldemort Ball. She actually had not gone out with anyone since Gareth. It had only been five months, but she was frustrated, especially since two more of her cousins would be getting married this summer and both bridesmaid dresses were horrible, and would not be helpful to her in finding a new boyfriend.
Uncle George was the Master of Ceremonies, and towards the end of the program, he announced a special surprise. Scorpius Malfoy went to the front of the room and proposed to Rose!
Even without asking, Lucy was quite sure the public proposal was to prevent Uncle Ron and Mr Malfoy from making a scene or saying they didn't want their children getting married. Rose didn't look the least bit surprised, and did not seem to be putting on her ring for the first time, either.
After congratulating Rose with a huge hug and welcoming Scorpius as a new cousin, Lucy left to find a restroom. She did need the loo, but she needed a break from the crowd, too.
When she returned to the ballroom, she saw her dad and Molly talking, with their heads close together. She stood behind one of the decorative Corinthian columns, and cast an Amplificatus charm in their direction.
She heard her dad say, ". . . Mason at least engaged yet?"
Dad didn't sound as if he were giving Molly a hard time, so that was good.
Molly looked around the room before she answered, "To tell you the truth, Dad, Mason proposed the night before Lucy called off her wedding. I just couldn't bear to announce it when Lucy was so devastated."
Lucy saw her dad hug Molly and kiss the top of her head. "You are a wonderful big sister."
Lucy cancelled the charm and left the ballroom. She needed some place quiet to think, but where could she find in the midst of all of these people? There was the loo, but she hated to take up a stall if it wasn't necessary, and if she was in there too long chances were someone would ask her if she was sick. She needed somewhere nobody would find her. She wandered around until she saw the perfect place-the cloakroom!
Lucy had seen an attendant when they came in, but he wasn't there now. She crept into the cloakroom and walked to the back. There was a small area around the corner behind a hat rack, and she sat down on the floor, the hat rack hiding her from sight, at least if anyone looked into the door.
Lucy sighed. She didn't know how to feel. She wasn't surprised Molly and Mason were engaged, and she would have been happy for them. But, she thought, would I have been happy for them on the very day I called off my wedding? Lucy couldn't answer that question. There was no doubt that Molly's moving in with Mason without the family knowing she was engaged caused a bit of a scandal. She knew both sets of grandparents had disapproved of Molly's actions. While she didn't think their parents approved exactly, they both liked Mason a lot, and kept their views to themselves. She had to agree with Dad. Molly was a wonderful big sister. And she liked Mason, too. Now that she knew, she could tell them, and they could get married soon, too. Just what she needed-a third wedding this summer for which she would not have a date. Lucy sighed again.
"Hello?"
Lucy jumped up so quickly she knocked over the hat rack, sending hats flying everywhere. "I'm so sorry!" Lucy tried to pick up the hats, but the young man who had spoken grabbed her hands and stopped her.
"It's OK. I can get them later. I'm Brian, by the way."
"Hi Brian. I'm Lucy."
Brian sat down in the corner where Lucy had been and pulled her down next to him, ignoring the scattered hats. "So Lucy, what brings you to the cloakroom?"
Lucy stared into Brian's warm brown eyes, and while leaving out the details, she told him the truth. Since the Ball was being held in a Muggle hotel, she thought Brian might be a Muggle so she needed to be careful with what she said.
"How could someone ever cheat on a fiancé as beautiful as you? Your ex must be a blind idiot."
"That's probably the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me." Lucy moved her face a bit closer to Brian's.
"You need to meet some nicer people." And Brian kissed her. Lucy kissed him back.
~*~
When Lucy was at the door of the ballroom, Molly grabbed her arm. "Where have you been?! We've been looking all over for you!"
"It's not time to leave, is it?"
"No. Mum and I were worried you might be upset about Rose's engagement."
"I'm not upset at all! I went to the loo and then decided I wanted to walk around a bit, and I . . . met the cloakroom attendant, and we started talking . . ." Lucy lowered her voice, "and we've been snogging."
"Good!" Molly hugged Lucy. "I'm glad you're finally moving on. Are you going to see him again?"
"Yes. We've exchanged numbers."
"That's great!"
Lucy had to agree. She had finally kissed someone other than Gareth, and she liked Brian.
~*~
"This has to be the worst dress ever," Lucy moaned to Molly.
"The style is pretty. At least there isn't a huge bow on the bum."
"It's orange with purple polka dots!"
"I know," Molly laughed. "Roxie just wanted to do something for Uncle George."
"She could have made it purple with orange polka dots. Then it wouldn't have clashed so badly with our hair. No hope of finding a boyfriend in this dress." Lucy rolled her eyes.
"Aren't you here with Brian?"
"Brian and I are just friends. We had fun snogging that first time, but when we tried it again, it was really . . . I don't know, weird. We have such a good time together, we've continued going out as friends. Today we're going to be each other's 'wing-person' since weddings can be a good place to meet people."
Molly laughed. "Good luck with that.
Lucy laughed, too. "I'll need it, especially in this dress."
~*~
"What is with the weird colors of bridesmaid dresses?" Lucy whispered to Molly.
"OK, Roxie had weird colors. Yellow is not a weird color. It just doesn't look good on us."
"True, but neither Brian nor I managed to meet someone at Roxie's wedding, even though we had a great time, and yet another dress I don't look good in isn't going to help today."
"Where's . . ."
"I couldn't bring him! It's a Wizarding wedding, and James and his groomsmen all have on dress robes. It'd be a little hard to explain."
"True. I'm sorry. I keep forgetting Brian's a Muggle. I forgot to tell you. I've been talking to Grandma, and we might be able to dye the dresses a different color after the wedding."
"That's a good idea! Then I could wear it to Brian's cousin's wedding next weekend. I do like the style."
"I promise I'll let you pick out my bridesmaids' dresses."
"Good. Why don't you just use mine? You helped me pick them, and I could wear the one that would have been yours. We're close enough to the same size."
"Don't you want to save them to use for your own wedding someday?"
"Not really? And besides, if I let you use my bridesmaids dresses, maybe it will work like some sort of magical talisman and I'll have a reason to need bridesmaids dresses." Lucy winked.
"OK. It's a deal."
~*~
Once again, Percy, Audrey, Molly, Mason, and Lucy stepped out of the International Portkey Office in Athens, but this time only Agata, Theo, and Darrius were there to meet them and they all greeted each other like old friends. Molly had decided that since she didn't mind where her wedding took place, and that the church Mason had attended while growing up was important to him and his family, they would get married in Greece. Lucy and her family had arrived rather early for her family to spend some more time with Mason's family.
After hugs and greetings were exchanged all around, Agata announced, "We will all eat lunch. Theo and I have found a lovely café in Athens, and then we have plans for everyone."
Lucy thought Agata might have been looking at her, but she knew she was probably imagining things. Agata was just extremely friendly.
They had a wonderful lunch and heard about Agata's plans. She and Theo were taking Lucy and Molly's parents to a museum, which all of them would enjoy. Molly and Mason would have time alone to explore the city, and Darrius had been brought along to entertain Lucy so she wouldn't be dragged with her parents or sister.
Lucy was not thrilled with having specific plans made to prevent her being a third, or fifth, wheel. She could easily have stayed in England, gone to work for a couple more days, and come to Greece with the rest of the Weasleys. Lucy was already aware that she was the only one of her cousins who would not have a date for the wedding. She couldn't bring Brian by portkey, but even if she could, he had met someone at his cousin's wedding, so there went the idea of Brian being her wing-person. Lucy liked Darrius when they met the previous year, and they had become instant friends, even exchanging a few owls. Of course, a year ago, she had been engaged, and more-than-friendship was not an option. Now, however, she was definitely not engaged.
After their other family members had left them alone, Darrius said, "Lucy, I do not want you to get the wrong impression about why I am here."
"It's OK that you came to keep me out of the way of Molly and Mason and my parents," Lucy forced a laugh. "I appreciate that Agata didn't want me to be the leftover."
"That's exactly what I mean. You already have the wrong idea. I . . ." Darrius actually blushed. Lucy thought it made him even more attractive if that were possible. "I badgered Mason until he promised to arrange things so I could be here with you. I liked you immediately, but you were engaged, so I knew there was no possibility of anything other than friendship, but now . . ." Darrius rubbed a hand through his hair. "I do not want to be presumptuous . . . You may still be grieving the loss of your engagement . . . but I wonder if there's a possibility . . ." Darrius waved a hand between them. ". . . for us."
"I'd say there's a definite possibility for us." Lucy stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.
Author: mollywheezy
Prompt:
Pairing: Roxanne or Lucy-- any non-incestuous pairing (canon or OC)
Maximum Rating: any
Prompt: Always a bridesmaid. She's been a bridesmaid in every one of her cousins' weddings. Will it ever be her turn?
Likes: Humor, romance, wry sense of humor, finding love in unexpected places/when you least expect it, ridiculous bridesmaids dresses, family dynamics, snark, banter, happy endings
Dislikes: incest including cousincest, Percy bashing, rape/non-con/dub-con
by katmarajade
Pairing(s): Primarily Lucy, Molly, Roxanne Gen; mentions of Lucy/OMC, Molly/OMC, Roxanne/OMC, Victoire/Teddy, Dominique/OMC, Louis/OMC, James/OFC, Rose/Scorpius, Percy/Audrey, Bill/Fleur, George/Angelina and other assorted Weasleys and Potters
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 14,000
Content/Warnings: [None (click to open)]
Summary: Lucy participates in several of her cousins' weddings, excited for her own. But when her long-time relationship falls apart, will she ever find love again?
Author's Notes: Huge thanks and many hugs to my friend and beta rumpelsnorcack for her encouragement, brainstorming prowess, and fabulous beta skills.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling and associates. No copyright infringement intended.
Part 1
~*~ Summer 2022 ~*~
"Okay. Now say, 'Thank you.'"
"Er . . . I know there's a 'kar' in it?" Molly answered uncertainly.
"Right! It's 'eff-kar-ees-TOE,'" Lucy carefully pronounced the word.
"It's effing something, that's for sure," Molly muttered.
"Molly!" Lucy chided. "You can at least remember one Greek word!"
"I'm trying! I didn't inherit Dad's gift for languages like you did."
"You're not getting sympathy from me. I'm trying to learn Welsh, and it's a lot harder than Greek."
"Isn't Welsh harder than anything? There aren't any vowels in it."
"There are vowels . . . sometimes. Maybe you should help me study Welsh to take your mind off of learning Greek."
"I think we can come up with something better than that for a break. I'm nervous about meeting Mason's family, and you know my brain doesn't work when I'm nervous."
"Why would you be nervous?"
Molly snorted. "After your fiasco meeting Gareth's family? Have you even seen them since?"
"Yes! We had dinner last month! And it went better than before, even though the restaurant was a bit fancy for me."
"How do you mean?"
"I didn't know what half the things on the menu were, and there was this waiter . . . I think his only job was to stand there and watch people eat, then to swoop in and sweep up their breadcrumbs with this little brush and tray-thing. I like my breadcrumbs where they are, thanks."
Molly laughed. "Mason's family isn't as wealthy as Gareth's and they're a large family, too. They sound a lot more like us from what he's said."
"At least you get to see Mason." Lucy sighed.
"How long has Gareth been travelling this time?"
"A month. I haven't seen him since we had dinner with his parents. Not having a job is starting to sound like a plan, so I could travel with him."
"But you love your job! And you're good at it!"
"I love Gareth, too, and I never see him! I owled my boss and asked about the possibility of working out of the office, or scheduling my meetings on one day each week to come in, so I'd be able to at least travel with Gareth some of the time once we're married. I don't want to quit my job, and I made sure I was clear on that point. I know we have six months to work something out, but I wanted to get started early. Now I'm getting nervous, too."
"Want to go flying?"
"I'll grab our brooms."
~*~
Percy, Audrey, Molly, Mason, and Lucy stepped out of the International Portkey Office in Athens. Mason frantically waved to seven people who were hurrying towards them, everyone exclaiming in Greek. Lucy caught a few words from helping Molly study, but the blank look on Molly's face made it pretty clear she hadn't.
Lucy whispered to Molly, "Say 'Ka-lee-mare-uh'" which means 'Good Morning.'"
Molly obediently said, "Kali Mera, Mr and Mrs Kokinos."
They both hugged her and exclaimed, "A beautiful angel and she speaks our language, too! We are not Mr and Mrs, but Theo and Agata."
Molly laughed, and said, "I only speak about two words of Greek, and that's with my sister whispering in my ear."
The entire Kokinos family laughed.
Mason said, "All right, formal introductions." He gestured to each person in turn as he spoke. "My parents Agata and Theodore Kokinos, my sister Aileen and her husband Tyge-Ty for short, my brother Alexander and his wife Calla, and my nephew Darrius."
Molly added, "My parents Audrey and Percy Weasley, and my sister Lucy."
Agata Kokinos said, "Good! We all know each other. No we will go eat!" She busily divided everyone into pairs to side-along Apparate them. Darrius took Lucy. She thought he looked to be about her age.
She almost stumbled when they landed, but Darrius caught her. Lucy was very aware of his firm, warm hand on her arm, and noticed his well-defined bicep. She shook herself of that thought and looked around, wondering where they were. Darrius said, "It's the Athens Open Air Market. We can pick up some food and have a picnic for lunch."
They all chattered as they wandered through the various sections of the Market. They hurried through the Fish Market which smelled dreadful, but lingered in the Bread Market, which made Lucy's stomach rumble from all of the aromas of fresh-baked breads. They all followed Agata, and just looked around as she made various selections. When she had determined that everyone was ready, she again had all of the Kokinos family Apparate the Weasleys to the Acropolis, where they enjoyed a fabulous view while they ate lunch. Lunch turned out to be a huge assortment of homemade breads and cheeses from the market, as well as wine and mineral water.
They all talked as they ate, and Lucy felt like her family and Mason's family had known each other forever. There was no awkwardness or discomfort at all. After they finished eating, they all walked around the Acropolis, and saw the Erechthion and Mars Hill, and took a rather longer walk to the Olympic Stadium, where they examined both the Muggle and Wizarding parts.
Lucy spent most of the time talking to Darrius, who she was surprised to learn was her age.
"Uncle Mason-I really only call him 'uncle' to tease him-is only six years older than me. We were raised more like siblings. My dad is eighteen years older than Mason, and my Aunt Aileen is sixteen years older. Mason was a bit of a surprise to my grandparents."
Lucy laughed. "Do you have siblings?"
"Yes, I have two younger sisters. They're still in school. The rest of us took the day off work to come meet all of you. My sisters aren’t happy that I got to come and our parents wouldn't let them out of school."
"I'm glad I took the day off from work, too. Athens is beautiful."
Darrius winked. "Wait until you see Napflio."
They again were side-along Apparated to Napflio, Mason's hometown. Lucy was stunned by the white buildings against the bright blue sky, and the bluest, clearest water she had ever seen. They went to a restaurant in the center of town owned by Mason's aunt, and met more family members, who were not off of work, and enjoyed wonderful food and fellowship.
~*~
The next day was spent at the beach, since Napflio is a port town on the Mediterranean Sea. They sat in the sun or under umbrellas, swam, enjoyed a wonderful beach barbecue provided by Theo and Agata, and watched the children playing in the water. Mason's cousins were there with their children as well as his nieces and nephews.
In the midst of the chaos, Molly and Lucy did have a chance to talk while resting under an umbrella in the shade.
"So. You're spending a lot of time with Darrius."
"Agata paired us up." Lucy shrugged. "Besides, he speaks English really well, and he'll be my sister's nephew." Lucy grinned mischievously. "I don't know what that makes him to me, but some vague sort of family."
"It's not a hardship either since he's smoking hot," Molly fanned herself and grinned.
"Molly! You're with Mason!"
"Of course I am, and I love Mason, but I'm not dead. Or blind, either. I can appreciate the perfection of Darrius' body as one would appreciate fine art." Molly winked.
Lucy rolled her eyes, and didn't answer her sister, even though she was correct about Darrius. If Lucy hadn't been engaged, she probably wouldn't even be able to talk to Darrius since she'd be so tongue tied. Molly was also right that Mason's family was as big as theirs. It was a wonderful day. Lucy didn't voice her thoughts that she had imagined meeting Gareth's family would have been like this.
~*~
The following day was Sunday, and Mason's family invited the Weasleys to join them for church. The Greek Orthodox Church in Napflio was within walking distance of the hotel where Lucy was staying with her family. Molly seemed excited about going since Mason had told her how beautiful the church was. They walked together to the service, and Lucy saw the bright white of the outside of the church outlined against the clear blue sky and agreed it was beautiful. The entire city was. Colors seemed brighter and the white buildings against the blue sky provided a backdrop for the tree-lined streets and colorful flowers in window boxes.
When Lucy walked inside the church, she gasped. It was exquisite. Everything was intricately decorated with gold scroll-work and beautiful paintings. She tried to look around carefully to absorb every detail, but there was too much to see. The plain white of the outside was deceptive, almost like opening a geode. There were no pews, just a few seats built into the walls where a handful of very elderly people were sitting. Lucy and her family joined the group of people standing in the middle of the room, and very shortly Mason found Molly and put an arm around her.
Lucy smelled the incense which was lovely, and not overpowering, and listened to the music, as the entire service was sung. She only caught a word or two, but it didn't matter. The music touched her heart without her needing to understand the words.
The service lasted for several hours, but people came and went as they wanted. Mason's family was there when Lucy and her family arrived, and they probably stayed for an hour, and then went to Agata and Theo's home for lunch. Even Lucy felt welcomed as part of the family, and Molly and Mason weren't even engaged. Yet, Lucy thought. They all had a wonderful weekend with Mason's family, and Lucy knew she was disappointed to have to portkey back to England and go to work the next day.
~*~
As Lucy drudged through Monday, she received an owl from her mum inviting her to lunch. She gladly sent back an acceptance.
After they ordered their food, Lucy's mum said, "You've seemed sad over the weekend. What's bothering you, love?"
Lucy sighed. She never could hide anything from her mum. "It's just that Mason's family was so wonderful, and Mason and Molly aren't even engaged. I sort of expected Gareth's family to treat me like Mason's family treated Molly."
Her mum nodded thoughtfully. "When your dad met my parents, things didn't go well at all. They didn't like him one bit, and like you and Gareth, we were already engaged. My parents didn't like your Grandma and Grandpa Weasley either, although the Weasleys were all wonderful to me."
"But Grandma and Grandpa Mitchell like Grandma and Grandpa Weasley and dad now, don't they?"
"They do, but it didn't happen immediately. My parents are very private people. They aren't unfriendly, but it takes them some time to open up. I think Gareth's parents seem like that. They were kind to you and looked after you when you got hurt, but they aren't one of those extremely friendly families like the Weasleys or the Kokinos. It doesn't make them bad, just different, and a bit more reserved."
Lucy nodded thoughtfully.
"It probably does not help that you and Gareth both have new jobs and he travels a lot for his. It's hard to be apart from someone you love."
"It is!" Lucy agreed. "And you're right. I think I was comparing Gareth's family to Mason's and that's not fair. Thanks, Mum."
Lucy decided she needed to make more of an effort to see Gareth more often, and greatly enjoyed her lunch with her mum.
~*~ December 2022 ~*~
Lucy finished the final fitting of her dress at the Burrow, earlier than expected and decided to surprise Gareth at his flat before they went to her parents' house for dinner. They had been seeing each other every week or two rather than every month, but if she hurried they'd have time for a lovely snog . . .
She Apparated directly into the flat and shrieked at what she saw-Gareth and two blonds . . . Lucy couldn't even think it.
"Bloody Fucking Hell!!!" she swore. She must be channeling Uncle Ron. She couldn't remember if she'd ever sworn before.
"Is she mad we started without her?" Blond Number 1 asked Gareth.
Blond Number 2 waved to Lucy and said, "Hi! I'm Bobbi! Come join us! The more the merrier!" She giggled.
"No, thank you," Lucy said to Bobbi. She was determined not to cry in front of them and Disapparated.
Lucy reappeared in her own flat, and immediately pulled open her kitchen cupboard. "Bloody Hell!" she muttered, starting to cry. She was out of Firewhisky. She glanced at the rack across the kitchen. No wine either. She Apparated again, this time arriving in her parents' kitchen.
"Lucy! You're early!" Her mum hurried to hug her and saw her face. "Sweetie, what happened?"
Lucy couldn't form words. She started sobbing hysterically into her mum's shoulder, and felt her mum's arms wrap around her. When she finally stopped for breath and looked up, her dad was standing there holding a handkerchief and a large glass of wine. She whispered, "Thanks" and took the handkerchief and blew her nose. Then took the glass of wine, and after her first sip, realized it was her favorite Merlot, and took several more large sips.
Lucy knew she needed to say something to her parents who had been so patiently and quietly comforting her. She took a deep breath and another fortifying gulp of wine. Her mum sat down and patted the chair next to her, and Lucy sat. Her dad took the chair across from her, and patted her hand. Lucy finally started, "Grandmum finished with my dress early, so I thought I'd go surprise Gareth at his flat, and . . . and . . ." Lucy felt tears welling in her eyes again. "And . . . he and two blonds were . . . they were . . . naked and well . . . they were . . ., and one of them invited me . . . to join them." Lucy burst into sobs again.
Her mum hugged her, while her dad held her hand. She had managed to quit crying again when the doorbell rang. Her dad squeezed her hand and went to answer it. Lucy heard Gareth's voice, "Er . . . Mr Weasley . . . is Lucy here?"
Her dad answered with a terse, "Yes."
Gareth responded, "May I see her?"
Her dad closed the door and returned to her and her mum. "Do you want to talk to him? I'll tell him to go away if you don't."
Lucy shrugged, "I guess I need to talk to him sometime. You can both come with me." Lucy looked at each of her parents in turn. "Please?"
The three of them walked back to the door and opened it to see Gareth still outside and shivering since he wasn't wearing a coat. Lucy didn't care one bit. Let him freeze.
"What do you want?" Lucy asked.
Gareth looked to both of Lucy's parents and whispered, "Can we talk alone?"
Lucy shook her head, no.
"Well, er . . . we're getting married in just less than a month, and you seemed upset, so . . ."
"We are NOT getting married after what I saw today! You cheated on me!"
"We aren't married yet!"
Sparks came out of Lucy's fingertips. She hadn't done accidental magic since before she started at Hogwarts, but she hadn't been this angry before either.
Her dad said, "Young man, you are in violation of Wizarding Law. Codicil #77 of the Betrothal Covenant of 1772 clearly states that the laws of marriage also apply to the premarital period of betrothal, and any wizard who violates said covenant is liable for the transgression and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Punishments include up to a 100,000 galleon fine, a month in Azkaban, and castration. Personally, I plan to push for the latter."
"What?!" Gareth squeaked.
"I'm not marrying you, and I never want to see you again."
Gareth stood there looking dumbfounded.
"You heard her. Vacate our property immediately. My barrister will contact you with the date of your appearance before the Wizengamot."
Gareth looked terrified, but he Disapparated without another word.
Lucy hugged her dad. "Are you really going to have Gareth castrated? I'm very much in favor of it."
Percy responded, "I wish I could, honey, but I made all of that up."
Lucy snorted.
"You were extremely convincing, love. I knew you were making it up, and you had me fooled."
"But what if Gareth researches it, and figures out you made it up?"
Percy shrugged. "So? I made up a law. If he believes it, he'll dread hearing from my barrister. He'll probably realize eventually that I did make it up when he doesn't hear anything, but a few days of worry will serve him right. Actually, I need to talk to George. Maybe he has a product."
They heard two pops, and Molly called, "Hello? Where is everyone?"
Lucy, Percy, and Audrey returned to the kitchen to find Mason and Molly, who was holding her bridesmaid's dress.
"Hi! We came straight from Grandmum's, so I just need to hang this up somewhere."
Lucy said, "You can throw it in the fireplace. The wedding's off."
"What?!" Molly thrust her dress at Mason and hugged Lucy tightly. "I'm so sorry! I'm sure you've already told Mum and Daddy what happened, so you can tell me later. I'll do whatever I can to help."
"Thank you," Lucy muttered into Molly's shoulder, starting to cry again at her sister's thoughtfulness. "I'm going to be a hundred-year-old virgin with thirty cats!" she wailed.
"You're only twenty. I didn't even meet your mum until I was older than you. And I thought you didn't like cats," her dad said.
"I don't like cats," Lucy sniffled.
"Then why would you have one cat, let alone thirty, if you don't like them?" Mason asked, still holding Molly's bridesmaid's dress.
Lucy chuckled wetly. "I guess you have a point."
"Why don't we all have dinner?" Audrey said. "Difficult things are always easier to face with full stomachs."
~*~
After eating her mum's delicious food and on her second large glass of wine, Lucy was starting to feel better, even if her future, so certain a few hours ago, was now completely unplanned. Well, not completely, she reminded herself. Her family loved her, and she enjoyed her job in the Ministry Arithmancy Department, and now wouldn't have to change anything about it.
Lucy's dad put the last of their plates in the sink, brought the Firewhisky bottle to the table and sat back down, pouring glasses for himself and Mason. She, Molly, and their mum were drinking wine, and the bottle was already in front of Lucy.
"Firstly, we need to tell all of the guests the wedding is off," her dad began. "I'll compose a letter, which we can duplicate, but additional owls would be helpful."
"I can go get my and Molly's owls," Mason offered.
"Thank you, Mason. Could you please get mine, too?" Lucy asked. "I can let you through the wards to my flat," Lucy tapped Mason with her wand. "My flat!" Lucy shrieked. "I didn't renew my lease, since I was going to move in with Gareth after the wedding!"
"Send your landlord a patronus. Maybe she hasn't let the flat yet."
Lucy concentrated on the message and sent off her owl patronus. She only waited a moment before a beaver returned. Lucy sighed at hearing the message and said to her family, "She's sorry, but she already let the flat."
Her dad said, "That's too bad, but you can move in here after your lease is up. Or now if you want to."
Lucy noticed a strange look pass between Molly and Mason she didn't understand.
"Well, I'll get the owls," Mason said and Disapparated.
Molly said, "Excuse me for a moment. Loo." And she left the room, too.
Lucy poured herself another glass of wine, took a gulp, and said to her parents, "I'm sorry I'm causing you so much trouble. I know you've already paid for so many things."
"Sweetie, none of this is your fault. And there's really not much that we've paid for."
"Your mum's right. You're even more frugal than me," her dad said, sounding proud. "You had Grandmum remake Victoire's bridesmaids' dresses, so there was no purchasing fabric, and Hannah is donating the reception at The Leaky Cauldron as a gift. She probably won't mind being open on New Year's Eve after all, but she hasn't spent money and certainly didn't want a deposit."
"We did put a deposit on Grandma and Grandpa's church, but it wasn't much. We'll call it a donation."
"The fabric for your wedding gown was on sale, and Grandma made it, so not much expense there. Victoire was going to make your wedding cake as her gift to you, and Molly, Dominique, and Roxie were doing the decorations, so no expense there either. And even if we had paid for everything, it's nothing for you to worry about. We can afford it."
~*~
Later that night, Molly went back to Lucy's flat with her to hear the entire story of what had happened. Lucy told Molly far more details than she had told her parents, and Molly was appropriately horrified.
Lucy slept for twelve hours straight from sheer exhaustion after Molly left. Mum had always said things would look better in the morning, but as Lucy made tea in her small kitchen she choked up with tears again. Her days in her beloved flat were numbered.
By early afternoon, flocks of owls began arriving with sympathy from all of her family. Her maternal grandparents telephoned with their condolences, and invited Lucy to come raid their wine cellar. Grandma Molly sent a box of meat pies and a box of Lucy's favorite biscuits. Hannah brought over so much food that Lucy's entire family could eat for two weeks.
That night, Roxie appeared at Lucy's door. "I'm taking you to a club to get you drunk. My treat, and I won't take no for an answer."
Lucy obediently changed into the clothes Roxie selected for her and didn't argue.
The next day, Lucy received yet another owl, this time from Louis.
Dear Lucy,
May I come through the Floo? I would like to speak with you.
Louis
Lucy couldn't remember Louis' owling her before, and he certainly had never been to her flat since he lived in France and she didn't see him as often as some of her other cousins. Her curiosity piqued, she changed her wards accordingly, spoke to Louis briefly through the Floo, and let him come over.
"Hello, Lucy," Louis greeted as he brushed ash off of his robes. "I know I am not the best correspondent of our cousins, so I will get to the point. Louie has a great-uncle, he's not really close to him or anything, but he can contact him as needed, who is part of the French Milieu, and he will take care of Gareth if you like."
Lucy gave Louis a confused look. "What is . . ."
Louis cut her off with a whisper. "Organized crime. You can see why I didn't want to include this information in an owl. "
"Yes, of course. Er . . . I appreciate the offer, but Dad said he was going to talk to Uncle George, so I think they already have something in the works."
"That's fine. I just wanted to make the offer."
"I appreciate it."
Louis hugged Lucy, and Flooed back to France.
~*~
Not knowing what else to do, Lucy packed up her flat, and with her family's help moved back in with her parents. After a week, she was about to die from sympathy overload, although her entire family was enjoying all of the wonderful food and alcohol that everyone was bringing. Weasleys had a strong tradition of dealing with tragedy by eating, after all.
Lucy missed having her own space. She loved all of her family and saw everyone frequently, but now she was never alone. She was starting to wonder if she should owl everyone, including her grandparents, all of the explicit details of why she had called off her wedding, in hopes they'd be shocked speechless, and she could have some peace and quiet.
Just over a week after she called off her wedding, Molly and Roxie knocked on her bedroom door. She invited them in and listened to what they had to tell her.
"Let me get this straight. You want one of our family members to go to a Muggle singing telegram shop-is it called a shop?"
Molly and Roxanne both shrugged.
"And have our as-yet-unnamed relative pretend to be a friend of Gareth's and order a singing telegram as a stag night prank since he apparently didn't get the message that the wedding's off, and said relative will take one of Uncle George's products, for the singing telegram bloke to give to Gareth which will do something to him you haven't told me yet."
"Excellent summary, Luce," Molly said, smiling at her sister.
"There's at least one large problem with this plan. The only one of our male cousins who is comfortable using a telephone is Hugo, and his voice hasn't changed yet. Roxie, didn't you say the bloke had to be 18?"
"That's right."
"So . . ." Lucy splayed her hands in question.
Molly started talking again. "Actually, in order to include Uncle George's product, the person who orders the singing telegram would have to actually go to the shop, and Hugo definitely doesn't look eighteen, but we do have other male relatives who would be willing to help you get back at Gareth."
"Well, of course, all of our cousins would help, and Louis even came over to my flat and offered help . . . of a similar type. But they aren't going to pass for Muggles."
"There's someone who will."
"Who?"
"Dad."
"Dad!? You think our dad is going to help pull a prank?"
"He wanted to have Gareth castrated! I'm sure he'd help with a prank!"
Lucy rolled her eyes.
Roxanne joined the conversation. "I've never pulled a prank before and I thought of this scheme. I think it's worth it to at least ask Uncle Percy."
Lucy shrugged. "Ask away."
Lucy's dad agreed to the plan immediately, and her mum offered to perform charms to help him look younger and hide his glasses.
"And Rosie has volunteered to provide the product Uncle George gave her!" Molly enthused.
"What product?" Lucy asked.
Lucy saw Molly briefly glance at their parents, but she responded, "The adult version of Lizard Licorice. It will turn one part of a man into a lizard for a very long time."
Lucy snorted, as her dad exclaimed, "Wow! He actually made it? I helped invent that!"
Lucy and Molly stared at their dad in shock.
"When The Tosser broke your heart, Molly, Your Uncle George, Uncle Bill, and Uncle Ron took me out for drinks, and we commiserated about hating to see our teenage daughters hurt and what we'd like to do to those who hurt them, and well . . ."
"Well, it looks like the Adult Lizard Licorice will be put to good use." Roxanne added.
~*~
Only the day after she agreed to Molly and Roxanne's insane prank, an owl arrived from Gareth.
Dearest Lucy,
I gave you some time to calm down and hope you have. I have not told my family you called off the wedding in hopes you would have changed your mind and contacted me by now.
I also know the law your dad mentioned does not exist-I looked it up, and your dad invented it. I won't hold it against him, though.
I know you were shocked by what you saw, and for that I apologize, but I didn't do anything wrong. Some friends bought me a "Teaching Companion" for my 17th birthday, and I have practiced occasionally since. You know the saying, "Practice makes perfect." I wanted to be well-studied for our wedding night.
You are the only woman who has or ever will have my heart.
Love,
Your husband-to-be Gareth
Lucy shrieked. She felt so furious she was beyond words. That was another problem with living with her parents-they both Apparated into her room upon hearing her shriek.
"Lucy! Are you OK?"
"What happened, Sweetie?"
Lucy thrust the letter at them. It was easier than trying to speak. She watched her dad's mouth drop open, and her mother's face heat up with anger as they read Gareth's letter. When they finished and handed it back to her, Lucy's mum asked, "How do you plan to respond?"
Lucy snarled, "I plan to tell him to sod off!"
Her dad snorted, and said, "Good."
"Would you like help?" Lucy's mum asked.
Lucy shrugged, and looked quizzically at her mum.
She took the letter and waved her wand over it producing an identical copy. She turned both letters over, waved her wand again and identical words appeared on the backs of each. Her mum gave her the letters and Lucy saw that they were in her handwriting.
Gareth,
Heart, soul, mind and body are all connected. If your body cheated, so did the rest of you. I deserve someone faithful.
SOD OFF!!!
Lucy
Lucy's dad had read over her shoulder. "One for Gareth and one for his parents?"
"That's the plan if Lucy approves."
"Brilliant," Lucy whispered. "I definitely approve."
~*~
A few days later, George, Roxanne, Ron, Harry, Ginny, Molly, and Mason came over to Percy and Audrey's for dinner and for Phase One of Operation Lizard.
"Are you sure about this, Dad?" Lucy asked for the hundredth time. "I don't want you to get in trouble with the Ministry."
Her dad nodded, but before he could speak, Uncle George exclaimed, "Of course he's sure! This plan is brilliant and my little girl thought of it!" Uncle George kissed the top of Roxanne's head. She rolled her eyes. "I couldn't be more proud! Your first prank! And come to think of it, this is your first prank, too, isn't it, Perce?"
Percy shrugged. "That depends. It's definitely the biggest."
Everyone gathered around the telephone and Percy called about the singing telegram.
"I would like to schedule a singing telegram for December 30th please. I didn't know if advanced reservations are required . . . They are to make sure the telegram is delivered at the requested time? Good, then. December 30th. It's a stag night prank and I would like to include some licorice to be eaten all at once, as well as some beer for the recipient to drink. Will that be possible? Good. I would also like to request Hector for the delivery. He performed admirably for a friend of mine, is that . . . Yes, thank you. And could I have the event filmed? Excellent . . . Yes, that will be fine. Will Monday be soon enough to stop by with the payment? You can put the reservation under the name Weatherby. All right, I will see you Monday. Thank you."
"Weatherby!" Uncle George shrieked and pulled Percy into a hug, laughing.
"I have an announcement," Molly stated. Lucy noticed she was clutching Mason's hand. "I'm moving in with Mason!"
This announcement was met with silence from the family until Roxanne said, "That's great! Lucy will be able to have your flat!"
Lucy saw the not exactly happy looks on her parents' faces and said, "Molly, you don't have to move in with Mason just to give me your flat. I'm fine staying here until I find something."
"I'm not moving in with Mason for you. I've already moved in with Mason because I want to, and my flat's empty, so you may as well go live there. I told my landlord I would let him know if you would be taking over my lease or if I'd be canceling it, so if you don't want my flat . . ."
"I'll take your flat!" Lucy said quickly.
The rest of the family was still speechless, but George burst out, "My daughter and my brother are pulling pranks together, and my niece is causing even more mischief! This is the best day of my life!" Everyone laughed.
~*~
Everything went smoothly with the transaction the following Monday. Even though the family would not be available to watch, a less busy day was decided to be the better plan.
The viewing of the prank by the entire Weasley family and their friends who were considered family required more planning than the actual prank. They had to have a location with the Muggle devices to enable the watching of the disk which Percy picked up at the specified time. The choices were either the home of Lucy and Molly's Muggle grandparents, the Mitchells, or the Grangers. While both couples were often invited to the Burrow for family gatherings, neither had ever hosted all of the Weasleys in their home, and when Lucy's wedding was cancelled, the Grangers decided to go on a New Year's holiday. They also decided when they heard about the prank to allow everyone to come to their home while they were away and watch the recording. The Mitchell's offered to buy pizza for everyone.
Lucy's wedding had turned into a New Year's Eve Party at the Granger's instead. As they began watching, they saw Hector singing a silly song, which made Gareth and his friends laugh. Then Hector made Gareth eat a double batch of the licorice and drink several beers. His friends yelled encouragement for him to eat and drink everything offered to him.
"Why'd you include the beers, Perce? That wasn't part of the original plan?"
Several cries of "Shhh!" and "Hush Uncle George!" rang out.
But the video had ended.
"We really didn't see much, did we?" Lucy asked.
"We couldn't exactly have Hector film him peeing, could we?"
"I included the beers to draw attention away from the licorice. Plus, as this is supposed to be a Stag Night prank, it made sense to include alcohol."
"And Gareth hates beer, so that's a bonus."
~*~
The video had been a bit of a let-down, but Lucy was glad to have had a reason not to think on the night which would have been her wedding. She actually had fun, and enjoyed spending time with so many people she loved. And even if she didn't get to see it, she trusted Uncle George's product had worked.
She also enjoyed sleeping in, and having peace and quiet in what was formerly her sister's flat. She didn't like it quite as well as she had her own, but as much as she loved her parents, this was preferable to living with them.
She went to the Burrow for New Year's Day brunch and to spend time relaxing with her family again. She was flying with her cousins for the Weasley Family Quidditch Tournament when she saw Gareth coming through the gate onto the property. She called a time-out and everyone landed.
"YOU!" Gareth screamed, pointing an accusatory finger at Lucy. "YOU DID THIS TO ME!!!"
Lucy had never seen Gareth like this. His face was red and his chest was heaving. He looked rather scary, but she responded calmly, "Did what to you?"
"THIS!" Gareth gestured vaguely to his body.
"What? You look perfectly fine." All of Lucy's family had moved to stand with her, but were keeping quiet.
"I know you are responsible," Gareth hissed, "or if not you, then one of your cousins or your Uncle George and his fucking shite from his store."
"Hey!" Uncle George exclaimed.
"If I find one shred of evidence to prove . . . I will have all of you arrested!"
Uncle Harry stepped forward. "As Head of the Auror Department, I would be glad to take your statement, as I am sure my fellow Aurors would be." Uncle Ron and Roxanne stepped forward behind Uncle Harry.
"All of you were probably in on it! I'll have your jobs!"
"Threatening an Auror is against the law, Mr Uchafgramen," Uncle Harry said, "but I will let that slide as you are so visibly upset. If you wish to make a report accusing me or my family members of any sort of wrongdoing, you are welcome to do so at the Ministry. There are Aurors working today, ready to take your statement. However, you will need to tell them what it is we allegedly did."
Gareth glared at Uncle Harry, and without another word, turned around, walked out of the gate and Apparated.
Once he was gone, the entire family broke into excited chattering and laughter. Lucy said, "Uncle Harry, Gareth couldn't really get you and Uncle Ron, and Roxie into trouble, could he?"
"No. First of all, he would have to show the Aurors what it is he thinks we did. And even then, nothing's truly wrong with him. There aren't any laws about turning people or parts of people into animals or your Uncle George would be called into my office all the time. Don't worry about it, Lucy."
"Besides, honey," her dad said. "Gareth was drunk at the time. If they did an investigation and asked his friends what happened, they will hear he was drinking, and could even see him drinking on the video. He's not going to do anything."
"OK. Back to Quidditch!" Lucy yelled, and all of her family cheered.
~*~
The next day, Lucy received a rather unexpected owl.
Dear Lucy,
We apologize for the lateness of this communication, but we did not know of the true situation until now. Gareth told us on the morning of your wedding day that it was off, but would not tell us why. Of course we rushed to let our friends and relatives know. As Gareth was not talking to us, we questioned our house elves. Although Gareth ordered them to keep quiet, our orders trump his. Clyde finally showed your owl to us which Gareth had made him conceal.
We know this doesn't help at this point, but we are appalled by Gareth's behavior, and do not in the least approve of his actions or his attitude. Gareth is in the wrong and treated you poorly. We apologize for the pain our son has caused you.
We suspect that you (possibly with the help of your ingenious uncle and his excellent joke products) have taken some sort of revenge on Gareth. We are quite glad of this, as he heartily deserved it. There will be no repercussions to you or your family. Gareth may have blustered about suing, but we will not allow it.
You are an exceptional young woman, Lucy, and we regret not having the joy of having you as a daughter.
Sincerely,
Megan and Rhys Uchafgramen
~*~ Summer 2023 ~*~
Lucy was rather disgruntled she did not have a partner for the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of the Defeat of Voldemort Ball. She actually had not gone out with anyone since Gareth. It had only been five months, but she was frustrated, especially since two more of her cousins would be getting married this summer and both bridesmaid dresses were horrible, and would not be helpful to her in finding a new boyfriend.
Uncle George was the Master of Ceremonies, and towards the end of the program, he announced a special surprise. Scorpius Malfoy went to the front of the room and proposed to Rose!
Even without asking, Lucy was quite sure the public proposal was to prevent Uncle Ron and Mr Malfoy from making a scene or saying they didn't want their children getting married. Rose didn't look the least bit surprised, and did not seem to be putting on her ring for the first time, either.
After congratulating Rose with a huge hug and welcoming Scorpius as a new cousin, Lucy left to find a restroom. She did need the loo, but she needed a break from the crowd, too.
When she returned to the ballroom, she saw her dad and Molly talking, with their heads close together. She stood behind one of the decorative Corinthian columns, and cast an Amplificatus charm in their direction.
She heard her dad say, ". . . Mason at least engaged yet?"
Dad didn't sound as if he were giving Molly a hard time, so that was good.
Molly looked around the room before she answered, "To tell you the truth, Dad, Mason proposed the night before Lucy called off her wedding. I just couldn't bear to announce it when Lucy was so devastated."
Lucy saw her dad hug Molly and kiss the top of her head. "You are a wonderful big sister."
Lucy cancelled the charm and left the ballroom. She needed some place quiet to think, but where could she find in the midst of all of these people? There was the loo, but she hated to take up a stall if it wasn't necessary, and if she was in there too long chances were someone would ask her if she was sick. She needed somewhere nobody would find her. She wandered around until she saw the perfect place-the cloakroom!
Lucy had seen an attendant when they came in, but he wasn't there now. She crept into the cloakroom and walked to the back. There was a small area around the corner behind a hat rack, and she sat down on the floor, the hat rack hiding her from sight, at least if anyone looked into the door.
Lucy sighed. She didn't know how to feel. She wasn't surprised Molly and Mason were engaged, and she would have been happy for them. But, she thought, would I have been happy for them on the very day I called off my wedding? Lucy couldn't answer that question. There was no doubt that Molly's moving in with Mason without the family knowing she was engaged caused a bit of a scandal. She knew both sets of grandparents had disapproved of Molly's actions. While she didn't think their parents approved exactly, they both liked Mason a lot, and kept their views to themselves. She had to agree with Dad. Molly was a wonderful big sister. And she liked Mason, too. Now that she knew, she could tell them, and they could get married soon, too. Just what she needed-a third wedding this summer for which she would not have a date. Lucy sighed again.
"Hello?"
Lucy jumped up so quickly she knocked over the hat rack, sending hats flying everywhere. "I'm so sorry!" Lucy tried to pick up the hats, but the young man who had spoken grabbed her hands and stopped her.
"It's OK. I can get them later. I'm Brian, by the way."
"Hi Brian. I'm Lucy."
Brian sat down in the corner where Lucy had been and pulled her down next to him, ignoring the scattered hats. "So Lucy, what brings you to the cloakroom?"
Lucy stared into Brian's warm brown eyes, and while leaving out the details, she told him the truth. Since the Ball was being held in a Muggle hotel, she thought Brian might be a Muggle so she needed to be careful with what she said.
"How could someone ever cheat on a fiancé as beautiful as you? Your ex must be a blind idiot."
"That's probably the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me." Lucy moved her face a bit closer to Brian's.
"You need to meet some nicer people." And Brian kissed her. Lucy kissed him back.
~*~
When Lucy was at the door of the ballroom, Molly grabbed her arm. "Where have you been?! We've been looking all over for you!"
"It's not time to leave, is it?"
"No. Mum and I were worried you might be upset about Rose's engagement."
"I'm not upset at all! I went to the loo and then decided I wanted to walk around a bit, and I . . . met the cloakroom attendant, and we started talking . . ." Lucy lowered her voice, "and we've been snogging."
"Good!" Molly hugged Lucy. "I'm glad you're finally moving on. Are you going to see him again?"
"Yes. We've exchanged numbers."
"That's great!"
Lucy had to agree. She had finally kissed someone other than Gareth, and she liked Brian.
~*~
"This has to be the worst dress ever," Lucy moaned to Molly.
"The style is pretty. At least there isn't a huge bow on the bum."
"It's orange with purple polka dots!"
"I know," Molly laughed. "Roxie just wanted to do something for Uncle George."
"She could have made it purple with orange polka dots. Then it wouldn't have clashed so badly with our hair. No hope of finding a boyfriend in this dress." Lucy rolled her eyes.
"Aren't you here with Brian?"
"Brian and I are just friends. We had fun snogging that first time, but when we tried it again, it was really . . . I don't know, weird. We have such a good time together, we've continued going out as friends. Today we're going to be each other's 'wing-person' since weddings can be a good place to meet people."
Molly laughed. "Good luck with that.
Lucy laughed, too. "I'll need it, especially in this dress."
~*~
"What is with the weird colors of bridesmaid dresses?" Lucy whispered to Molly.
"OK, Roxie had weird colors. Yellow is not a weird color. It just doesn't look good on us."
"True, but neither Brian nor I managed to meet someone at Roxie's wedding, even though we had a great time, and yet another dress I don't look good in isn't going to help today."
"Where's . . ."
"I couldn't bring him! It's a Wizarding wedding, and James and his groomsmen all have on dress robes. It'd be a little hard to explain."
"True. I'm sorry. I keep forgetting Brian's a Muggle. I forgot to tell you. I've been talking to Grandma, and we might be able to dye the dresses a different color after the wedding."
"That's a good idea! Then I could wear it to Brian's cousin's wedding next weekend. I do like the style."
"I promise I'll let you pick out my bridesmaids' dresses."
"Good. Why don't you just use mine? You helped me pick them, and I could wear the one that would have been yours. We're close enough to the same size."
"Don't you want to save them to use for your own wedding someday?"
"Not really? And besides, if I let you use my bridesmaids dresses, maybe it will work like some sort of magical talisman and I'll have a reason to need bridesmaids dresses." Lucy winked.
"OK. It's a deal."
~*~
Once again, Percy, Audrey, Molly, Mason, and Lucy stepped out of the International Portkey Office in Athens, but this time only Agata, Theo, and Darrius were there to meet them and they all greeted each other like old friends. Molly had decided that since she didn't mind where her wedding took place, and that the church Mason had attended while growing up was important to him and his family, they would get married in Greece. Lucy and her family had arrived rather early for her family to spend some more time with Mason's family.
After hugs and greetings were exchanged all around, Agata announced, "We will all eat lunch. Theo and I have found a lovely café in Athens, and then we have plans for everyone."
Lucy thought Agata might have been looking at her, but she knew she was probably imagining things. Agata was just extremely friendly.
They had a wonderful lunch and heard about Agata's plans. She and Theo were taking Lucy and Molly's parents to a museum, which all of them would enjoy. Molly and Mason would have time alone to explore the city, and Darrius had been brought along to entertain Lucy so she wouldn't be dragged with her parents or sister.
Lucy was not thrilled with having specific plans made to prevent her being a third, or fifth, wheel. She could easily have stayed in England, gone to work for a couple more days, and come to Greece with the rest of the Weasleys. Lucy was already aware that she was the only one of her cousins who would not have a date for the wedding. She couldn't bring Brian by portkey, but even if she could, he had met someone at his cousin's wedding, so there went the idea of Brian being her wing-person. Lucy liked Darrius when they met the previous year, and they had become instant friends, even exchanging a few owls. Of course, a year ago, she had been engaged, and more-than-friendship was not an option. Now, however, she was definitely not engaged.
After their other family members had left them alone, Darrius said, "Lucy, I do not want you to get the wrong impression about why I am here."
"It's OK that you came to keep me out of the way of Molly and Mason and my parents," Lucy forced a laugh. "I appreciate that Agata didn't want me to be the leftover."
"That's exactly what I mean. You already have the wrong idea. I . . ." Darrius actually blushed. Lucy thought it made him even more attractive if that were possible. "I badgered Mason until he promised to arrange things so I could be here with you. I liked you immediately, but you were engaged, so I knew there was no possibility of anything other than friendship, but now . . ." Darrius rubbed a hand through his hair. "I do not want to be presumptuous . . . You may still be grieving the loss of your engagement . . . but I wonder if there's a possibility . . ." Darrius waved a hand between them. ". . . for us."
"I'd say there's a definite possibility for us." Lucy stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.