HP Ficlet: Punchup at a Wedding (Bill/Fleur, Remus/Tonks)
Title:A Punchup at a Wedding
Author: mrstater
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters & Pairings: Fleur Delacour, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Bill/Fleur, Remus/Tonks
Rating & Warnings: rated PG for mentions of violence
Format & Word Count: ficlet, 603 words
Summary: It's Fleur's wedding day, and the surprises just keep on coming...
Author's Note: Written for cae_prince for International Women's Day 2011.
The Death Eaters are called away by their master as suddenly as they arrived, and the Order of the Phoenix, though weary from the hours of intense interrogation, frequently at the receiving end of a wand, snaps into action.
"I must go and find Harry before they do," says Remus, but a gasp from Tonks as she tries unsuccessfully to stand stops him from Disapparating at once. "Dora, are you all right?"
"I'm fine," she says, though Fleur notes that the Auror--who, thank Merlin, wore her hair a respectable colour today--is as pale as she was last year when she was pining away for Remus. "A little queasy, but that's to be expected." She gives a self-conscious smile and glances around at the group, her dark-rimmed eyes settling on Fleur. "I didn't want to take the attention off you on your wedding day, but as the Death Eaters have already seen to that, I might as well share the good news. Remus and I are having a baby!"
The Order are as stunned by this announcement as by anything that has happened today, and Fleur quickly does the math in her head to determine whether a pregnancy would have occurred before or after Remus' and Tonks' hasty marriage. After Remus' behaviour all last year, his sudden about-face would make sense if he felt obligated to Tonks because of a child…and would certainly explain why he has not seemed to dwell in a haze of newlywed bliss. It's close, but by Fleur's calculations they have been married a little over a month now, just long enough that Tonks could have detected a pregnancy. Very recently.
"I'm sorry," Tonks' voice breaks into Fleur's musings, and Fleur realises that the others have all recovered from the shock of the news and have been offering the couple their congratulations for the blessed event. "I shouldn't have taken the shine off you."
"Don't be rideeculous," says Fleur, hugging Tonks. "Bill and I are very 'appy for you."
Even if Remus isn't, she adds in her head, noting how strained his smile is. But she is perhaps being unjust. Remus is under a great deal of strain, with much to occupy him on top of a new wife and baby.
"Go find 'Arry," she tells him. "We will look after Tonks, and see zat she eez 'ome safely."
"Thank you," Remus says, relief easing away a few of the lines on his face. And, to Fleur's surprise, he takes her hands and kisses her lightly on the cheek. "Congratulations on your marriage. I am only sorry that we were unable to make it the perfect day you wished it to be."
Fleur looks around at the destruction in the Weasleys' garden, notes with sadness the broken glass and china, the rent marquee on which they no doubt spent more than they could really afford to provide. She gives her hair a toss.
"Eet was a perfect day because I married Bill. Ze important thing eez zat we will always be together, no matter what 'appens, no matter eef eet eaz very 'ard or very bad. We 'ave each other."
"I'll drink to that," says Tonks, looking earnestly at Remus. "Or I would, if I wasn't pregnant."
Remus says nothing, and as he takes his leave of them, Fleur can only hope he will carry her words with him, and not leave Tonks alone to cope with all she now must.
For no torture the Dark Lord and his minions can devise, she thinks as she leans back in her new husband's embrace, could be worse than that.
Author: mrstater
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters & Pairings: Fleur Delacour, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Bill/Fleur, Remus/Tonks
Rating & Warnings: rated PG for mentions of violence
Format & Word Count: ficlet, 603 words
Summary: It's Fleur's wedding day, and the surprises just keep on coming...
Author's Note: Written for cae_prince for International Women's Day 2011.
The Death Eaters are called away by their master as suddenly as they arrived, and the Order of the Phoenix, though weary from the hours of intense interrogation, frequently at the receiving end of a wand, snaps into action.
"I must go and find Harry before they do," says Remus, but a gasp from Tonks as she tries unsuccessfully to stand stops him from Disapparating at once. "Dora, are you all right?"
"I'm fine," she says, though Fleur notes that the Auror--who, thank Merlin, wore her hair a respectable colour today--is as pale as she was last year when she was pining away for Remus. "A little queasy, but that's to be expected." She gives a self-conscious smile and glances around at the group, her dark-rimmed eyes settling on Fleur. "I didn't want to take the attention off you on your wedding day, but as the Death Eaters have already seen to that, I might as well share the good news. Remus and I are having a baby!"
The Order are as stunned by this announcement as by anything that has happened today, and Fleur quickly does the math in her head to determine whether a pregnancy would have occurred before or after Remus' and Tonks' hasty marriage. After Remus' behaviour all last year, his sudden about-face would make sense if he felt obligated to Tonks because of a child…and would certainly explain why he has not seemed to dwell in a haze of newlywed bliss. It's close, but by Fleur's calculations they have been married a little over a month now, just long enough that Tonks could have detected a pregnancy. Very recently.
"I'm sorry," Tonks' voice breaks into Fleur's musings, and Fleur realises that the others have all recovered from the shock of the news and have been offering the couple their congratulations for the blessed event. "I shouldn't have taken the shine off you."
"Don't be rideeculous," says Fleur, hugging Tonks. "Bill and I are very 'appy for you."
Even if Remus isn't, she adds in her head, noting how strained his smile is. But she is perhaps being unjust. Remus is under a great deal of strain, with much to occupy him on top of a new wife and baby.
"Go find 'Arry," she tells him. "We will look after Tonks, and see zat she eez 'ome safely."
"Thank you," Remus says, relief easing away a few of the lines on his face. And, to Fleur's surprise, he takes her hands and kisses her lightly on the cheek. "Congratulations on your marriage. I am only sorry that we were unable to make it the perfect day you wished it to be."
Fleur looks around at the destruction in the Weasleys' garden, notes with sadness the broken glass and china, the rent marquee on which they no doubt spent more than they could really afford to provide. She gives her hair a toss.
"Eet was a perfect day because I married Bill. Ze important thing eez zat we will always be together, no matter what 'appens, no matter eef eet eaz very 'ard or very bad. We 'ave each other."
"I'll drink to that," says Tonks, looking earnestly at Remus. "Or I would, if I wasn't pregnant."
Remus says nothing, and as he takes his leave of them, Fleur can only hope he will carry her words with him, and not leave Tonks alone to cope with all she now must.
For no torture the Dark Lord and his minions can devise, she thinks as she leans back in her new husband's embrace, could be worse than that.