Hannah was glad she had decided on the dress she was wearing with a wrap that could easily be discarded. It was easier to set out the food. Kristen and Amy had come with her to help, and Amy would stay with to make sure things stayed served while Hannah and Kristen enjoyed the wedding as guests.

Hannah just hoped Tonks like her cake. It was green and topsy turvy. Hannah was quite proud. It had taken her quite a bit of time, but she had finally gotten it right. The groom's cake was the required tree. She situated the cakes on the table and studied them.

Amy and Kristen were bringing out the food. Mostly finger foods. Hannah had decided things that could be carried off and eaten without utensils would be best. Some things required toothpicks, but Hannah was certain that would be fine. She hoped Tonks had thought to put a protective charm on her dress. Perhaps she should pop in and ask.

Hannah was doing a mental checklist of all the food. She didn't think they had forgotten anything. Hot finger sandwiches - mostly grilled veggies or various meats with melted cheese on toasted bread, fresh fruit, lots of fresh bread, raw veggies, hot cheeses - with plenty of things to dip in them, and of course warm cider instead of punch. She'd tried to keep most of the foods of a warm variety since it was chilly out. Hannah just hoped Tonks approved.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Alastor Moody used the translocation device in his truck to get to the outskirts of the nearby town and drove the rest of the way out to the wedding in the normal fashion.

As he approached the turnoff, he downshifted into second and the old six screamed until it slowed down. Moody hurriedly turned the wheel and was rewarded by springs creaking and his head nearly hitting the headliner as he drove over the pothole-riddled end of what remained of the road to the lighthouse.

Moody puttered up the hill in second, taking the extra time to examine the property's wards. Even though they'd been mostly deactivated, he could see that there was something nasty still active, and he hoped that it wasn't aimed at him.

When he reached the ward line, he let up off of the throttle and eased through the enchantments without any reaction. Moody pulled up near the lighthouse and killed the engine. He set the emergency brake and opened the door.

Bishop had just finished donning his cufflinks when he heard an odd, high-pitched whine from outside. He stepped out the rarely-used front door and chuckled as he saw the old codger climbing from his vehicle. "Moody. Glad you could make it!"

He partially closed the door, hanging onto the top bit where the window was, and peered over the cowl of the cab. "Rascaile! Hang on a mo."

He opened the door again and hissed at something inside, "Come along then, stick!"

The walking stick bounced upon its end along the floor of the cab and jumped into Moody's waiting hand.

He closed the door with a loud thumpy click and strolled around the front end. "Nervous?" He looked at Bishop with both eyes.

"Not a bit," Bishop answered honestly. He'd been anticipating this day for some time. Now that it was finally here, he was just excited to start his life with Dora. "I'm just hoping Dora doesn't come to her senses in the next hour or so."

Moody just chuckled. "Nymphadora reminds me of my Aideen. I somehow doubt that you're going to be left at the altar."

He swiveled his eye over to the barn.

"Or the manger, as it appears the case is today."

"We'd considered saving the manger for the baby's birth, but I hear that's been done before." Clapping a hand on the older wizard's shoulder, they started for the house together. "We decided this would have to do."

"Probably for the best. Speaking of... did Nymphadora ever tell you that I was there not too long after that happened?"

Bishop threw his head back and laughed. "Not too long after the birth of Jesus Christ? You are mighty spry for a man of over two thousand years."

"You have no idea," he replied, smirking. "I was the one with the Myrrh." They walked a few steps in silence, and Moody added, "Though, in all seriousness, some mornings it feels like I'm two thousand years old."

"Still the most dangerous member of the MLE, though. Except possibly for that Quirke girl. That one's got a nervous wand hand." With a sidelong glance at Moody, Bishop asked, "So? No threats today? You'd get to be first."

"Do I need to threaten you?" Moody raised an eyebrow. "Knowing what I do, I don't think it's necessary, but but if it makes you feel better...

He used his cane to conjure a garden spade, which hovered in the air in front of the two men.

"If you hurt her, I will beat you to death with this shovel."

With another wave of his walking stick, it disappeared.

"Now I can get married. I wouldn't have felt right about it without at least one threat on my life. Dora deserves a husband who's been properly warned to keep her from harm." Holding the door for the senior Auror, Bishop gestured to the inside of his house. "Welcome to our home, Moody."

"Thank you," he replied with a grin. He stepped inside and looked around.

"Very nice," Moody said.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Moody had gone on to mingle before the ceremony, and Bishop was left to mill about in the kitchen until things were ready to start. He wasn't allowed upstairs; Dora had told him in no uncertain terms that he would not see her before she walked down the aisle. With a sigh, he pulled out a glass and poured himself a glass of water. Firewhisky would've been preferable, but his bride-to-be wasn't likely to be pleased if he tasted of alcohol when they shared their first kiss as man and wife.

"Been waiting your whole life for her," Joscelin said as he came up next to Bishop. It'd only taken a simple, timed repulsion spell to clear out the kitchen area to leave him and his brother a few minutes peace. As Bishop leaned over the counter with his glass of water before him, Joscelin leaned back with his arms crossed across his chest, gaze out the window towards the people milling just outside the large entryway to the barn.

The corners of Bishop's mouth turned upward into a private smile. He was grateful to have Joscelin back in his life on a regular basis again. While he knew it had been important for his brother to go out and make his own way in the world, there was no one he'd rather have by his side as he took this next step. "I have," he agreed. Looking over at Joscelin, his expression turned nostalgic. "Theresa would've liked her, don't you think?"

"If she could have picked anyone for you, Dora would have been her choice," Joscelin affirmed, turning so that he, too, faced the cabinets and wrapped an arm around Bishop's shoulders. When Bishop's first love had died, his brother had been devastated, but what he'd seen of his friend these past months convinced him that even Theresa would not have been the match for Bishop that Dora was. "She'd be glad you're happy again, brother."

Nodding, he clapped Joscelin on the back. His late-fiancée would always be in his heart, but Theresa had died long ago and the love he'd felt for her was a bittersweet memory now. He was ready and excited to settle down with Dora, a woman he loved more than anything in the world.

Lips taking on a wry twist, Bishop chuckled. "You realize now that Gwenny and I have our little families, all eyes will be on you, waiting for you to follow suit, don't you? You're not getting any younger, brother," he joked.

Leaning back against the counter again, Joscelin put his hands behind his head and grinned at Bishop. "All eyes on me? I think I can handle that."

Bishop laughed. "Prat. You always were an attention slut."

"Among other things," Joscelin grinned before pushing off the counter and playfully wrapping an arm around Bishop's neck and pulling him towards the door that led outside. "Come on, Peaches. Time to get hitched."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

With a package tucked against her side, Marjorie climbed the stairs to the second level of the lighthouse, where her son had told her the master bedroom - and her future daughter-in-law - could be found. Coming to a closed door and hearing rustling and occasional murmurs, she knocked lightly. "Dora?"

She felt badly that she'd not been able to meet Bishop's fiancée before now, but things had come together rather quickly and other engagements had made it difficult to get away from Brussels. She was more than ready to meet the woman who'd captured her son's heart, though. It had taken a long time for Bishop to get over losing his first love, and he'd never as much as hinted at a serious relationship in the years since. Not until he arrived on her doorstep, asking for his grandmother's ring. His happiness was immediately apparent, and Marjorie had felt a large weight lifted in that moment. She hadn't been sure he would ever find someone to love, but here he was getting married with a child on the way.

Tonks peeked her head around the door.

"Yes?" she was a little confused, but then recognized the woman knocking on the door from a picture Bishop had.

"I'm sorry, you must be Mrs. Rascaile. Do come in, if you don't mind the bits strewn around the room," Tonks said, smiling nervously.

"Not at all, darling girl, and call me Marjorie." Stepping inside the bedroom, she looked over the woman Bishop was about to marry. Dora was pretty, but not in a delicate way. It was clear she was a strong woman, despite the anxiousness in her smile. She'd suit Marjorie's son very well.

Moving to sit at the edge of the large bed, Marjorie smiled and patted the space beside her. "I know it's nearly time to start, but come sit with me for a moment."

Tonks sat next to the taller woman, noting where Bishop got his hair from. He took after her quite a bit.

"I'm not really sure what to say, except that we really should have met before today."

"We should have, and I'm sorry about that. No matter now, though. You can be sure I'll be around plenty when my grandchild is born." She handed the package she brought to Dora. "I just wanted to have a moment before the wedding to tell you how glad I am that Bishop's found you and welcome you to the family. There's a present for the two of you downstairs, but this is just for you."

Tonks blinked, then tore into the brightly wrapped paper. The blanket fell into her lap, and Tonks ran her fingers lightly over the colors.

"Oh, Marjorie, it's lovely. Thank you. Did you make it?"

"You're welcome. I did make it. It's not much, but I wanted to do a little something special for my new daughter." She smiled, leaning forward and kissing Tonks' cheek affectionately. "I'm looking forward to getting to know you. It takes a special woman to put up with my son."

Tonks coloured, then threw her arms around her soon to be mother-in-law, squeezing tightly.

"You are absolutely right, especially when Joscelin comes as a package deal. I'm sure we can make a stop in Brussels on our way home from Morocco. Jude can go visit his mum more than once in a year."

Laughing brightly at the mention of her second 'son', Marjorie hugged her back, more certain than ever that this woman was the right match for Bishop. "I'll look forward to it. Now, I'll let you finish getting ready. Unless you need help with anything?"

"I think I can wrangle myself into everything, when Gin comes back from snogging my cousin," Tonks said, standing.

"I look forward to getting to know the woman who raised Bishop. You mean a great deal to him, and I hope to share that feeling."

Nodding, Marjorie sniffed lightly and gave Tonks a last hug before heading towards the door. "See you in a bit, then, Dora. I'm glad to have finally met you."

Tonks chuckled. "Me, too."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Arthur braced himself on the dashboard as Molly hit the brake to avoid a squirrel in the road... which promptly stalled out the engine.

"Why did you insist we had to drive here? We could have Apparated and it would have been fine!" Molly fiddled with the shifter, unsure what to do to make it work. "And why you demanded that I drive...."

"Because you need the practice, Love," Arthur said. "Push the clutch in and depress the starter button." He indicated the one he meant.

Molly did as she was instructed, pressing in the clutch and depressing the starter. "Practice for what, dear? I'm fairly sure I am not going to let you talk me into doing this again."

Arthur just smirked. "Is that why you always have a mad grin on your face when everything going smoothly then?"

"I'm not sure if the payoff is worth this," Molly answered, taking a sharp left to turn onto the pot-holed surface road to the lighthouse.

Arthur knew better. He also knew when to keep his mouth shut.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Luna smiled as she led Harry into Tonks' barn. It looked lovely with the decorations, not much like a barn at all. Very nice indeed.

"I'm glad you managed to get the night off," she told him. "It would be awful if you had to miss a friend's wedding."

"It was hard, because most of the MLE department is here, but I managed it." Harry didn't mention that he had had to agree to go to three different charity balls next year to get the weekend off. It was worth it, however, because Luna looked gorgeous, and because this was Tonks' wedding. She was like family.

"You look..." Harry trailed off, turning to look at her.

"Do you like it?" she asked, lowering her shawl and twirling to show off her dress. "I assumed you did by the way that you went nonverbal earlier, but a girl likes the words every once in awhile."

"The words and me don't get along often," Harry said, grinning. His eyes darted around the barn, cataloging each of the exits for future use. The last wedding he'd gone to hadn't gone that well, and he wanted to make sure that if anything happened, he knew how to get Luna out safely.

He recognized quite a few people from the office, as well as various and sundry family members. "I think Sirius is going to be here. That might be a shock to some. I don't think he's told many people he's... you know.. not dead."

"From what I know of him, it sounds like something he would do." She had never actually met the man - passing each other in the midst of battle did not count - and was looking forward to the occasion. Harry spoke of him as if his godfather had hung the moon.

"How many people do you think will hex him on sight?"

"In this crowd?" Harry considered the question. "Seven if all the Weasleys are here. Eight, counting Remus, but I think he might have some control since this is Tonks' wedding." He tightened his grip on Luna's arm and began to make his way towards the front of the chairs. "But if you wanted to ask me who will hex him the hardest? Molly. No question."

"You're right about Mrs. Weasley," she agreed. "Though Ginny might give her mum a run for her money. I can't imagine Professor Lupin hexing him. I'm sure he'll want to, but he always seems to calm. That's probably a good thing considering his condition."

Harry shrugged. "Either way, Tonks won't need to have hired any fireworks or the like." Helping Luna into a seat before he sat himself, he leaned back in the chair, draping his arm over the back of Luna's. He was a little tense, but considering what had happened at Bill and Fleur's wedding, he didn't think it odd. His wand was within easy reach, just in case, but he was going to do everything he could to actually enjoy the wedding.

He looked over at Luna with a slight frown on his face. "We're going to dance, aren't we?"

"You sound like you're dreading it. Dancing's not that hard, you know. It's just two bodies moving together. Kind of like sex." She blushed as she realized what she had said. They hadn't gotten to that stage. Yet. "With more clothes, of course... You just need to relax and not worry about stepping on my toes. I can cast a cushioning charm on them later, if that would make you more comfortable."

Yes. Now that she's equated dancing to sex, you just need to relax, Potter.

"I'm just not that good at it." He tried not to remember the last time they'd danced, which had been at the Ministry Ball the night Scrimgeour had been killed. That night, however, had been fueled by jealousy and anger for someone else touching her. "Just don't laugh at me, yeah?"

"I would never," she assured him with a kiss on the cheek.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Bill was rather surprised at how quick he and his wife could get out the door without Fabian and all of his ephemera in tow. Of course, that didn't stop Fleur from using the Floo to check on the welfare of their son. Honestly, his assistant had more than enough experience after having several nieces and nephews to look after. Scanning through the crowds, he began to look for people he knew that were not associated with the MLE. Spotting Remus and a blonde that could only be the werewolf's girlfriend, he made a beeline for the pair.

"'Lo, Remus." He greeted.

"Bill," Remus smiled, glad to see some familiar faces. There were a few about, but being a wedding, things were busy. "Not on your own are you, is Fleur about? This is Aubrey, Aubrey this is Bill. One of the Weasley clan." Introductions done, interrogation to begin, he thought with a smile.

Bill grinned. "She's off using the Floo, checking up on the babysitter." He turned towards Aubrey. "We left our almost five month old alone with someone whose not a family member for the first time and she's rather panicky."

Aubrey rose an eyebrow. "As she should be." She could understand the other woman's concern. Dominic was with Cho for the night, and she though of her housemate as a sister, but that didn't stop her from worrying. She smiled to take the sting out of her words. "My son is twelve weeks and I still worry, even if he's with his godmother."

Remus nodded. "Thank goodness for friends, though. It's nice to have some time to yourself." At Aubrey's look, he backpedaled. "Not that I don't love spending time with Dominic." Turning back to Bill, Remus asked, "So how is Fabian?"

"Just got over an ear infection." Bill frowned. "Nasty buggers those are. Besides that, doing well. He's laughing more at my jokes. Though Fleur insists he's laughing at my face."

"It iz important that you think zat, Bill." Fleur came up from behind her husband, wrapping an arm around his. She smiled at the other couple. "'Ello, Remus. It 'as been too long." She cocked her head towards Aubrey. "And you are?"

"Aubrey van Andel." Aubrey held out her hand for the other woman to shake. "I'm Remus' date."

Fleur smiled. "Fleur Delacour-Weasley. Bill iz, what do you call it, my oaf of a 'usband."

"Hey now," Bill cut in. "There's no need to be mean."

"He does have a point there, Fleur," Remus chimed in. "You have a child by this man, and you do generally have good taste. Unless of course," he added with a wink to Bill. "There was a lapse in your judgment?"

"I do not remember you being so flippant at our wedding." Fleur shot back, smiling slightly. She turned towards Aubrey. "Iz he usually this bad?"

"Sometimes worse," the other woman confided. "He gave me less than a week to get ready for the wedding." Unconsciously, she smoothed a hand over her dress. Remus was lucky the garment was willing to accept a coloring charm or else she would have been stuck wearing white to a wedding in which she was not the bride. A big no-no period, even more so when you on the arm of the bride's ex.

Both woman sent the werewolf a withering glare.

Bill chuckled. "Remus, I think it's best that we get out of here and let the new mothers talk amongst themselves."

Giving Bill a look that obviously said 'are you out of your mind', Remus followed his lead away from the women. "Is it safe to leave them alone together?" he asked when they were out of earshot.

"Probably not," Bill confessed. "But then later I can plead no contest. So did you really give her less than a week to prepare for this?" He shook his head. "You must have a death wish or something."

"Almost. We had a bit of an argument, and I was a right stubborn idiot about it." Remus confided. "Aubrey wants to go back to work and I told her I didn't like the idea. That went down like a lead balloon."

Bill winced. "Yeah. We're waiting on Gabrielle to come back from school before we start a trial run of the two of us working. Neither of us are happy with the situation, but as I pointed out to my sister, the couch is rather uncomfortable."

"I'll bet. I was hoping not to end up there myself, but given that Aubrey is living with her best friend and I'm still living with my Mum, I think that I'm safe. For now."

Remus had thought of moving out, finding a place of his own. But his mother liked him around, and what was he supposed to do about Aubrey? She had just gotten a place of her own, he had no right to take that away from her.

Bill grinned. "Well you just think that. You never know when the womenfolk are going to sneak up on you."

"Iz zat so?" Fleur stood there, her arms crossed over her chest and a small frown on her face.

Aubrey hid a small smile. She liked the caustic Frenchwoman and made a note to invite her to tea sometime. She and Cho would probably get along fabulously. She leaned over towards Remus. "Perhaps we should get out of the line of fire," she whispered. "You can introduce me around."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Molly had watched the pre-wedding jitters in the barn with a smile on her face. She loved weddings, everything about them. She loved weddings that included someone she considered a daughter even more. Tonks was getting married today. Little Nymphadora Tonks was getting married. The same shock that had hit Molly the day she'd found one washed over her, an excited smile bursting onto her face once again.

The smile widened slightly when she noticed the groom-to-be surveying the barn from a spot in the doorway. She nodded to her husband as she made her way over to the man, Arthur giving his wife a knowing grin before he headed off to talk to someone he knew from work.

"Hello," Molly said softly as she stood in front of Bishop. "How are you feeling today?"

Smiling down at Dora's mother-figure, Bishop shrugged. "I can't recall a better day, actually, and I'm looking forward to seeing if Dora and I can top it. How are you?"

"Ecstatic with a touch of glee, I believe," she answered. She cast a look around the barn. "It looks wonderful, Bishop, really."

"Thank you. Dora gets the credit for most of it. I just help with the heavy lifting, and cooking, though we've had a caterer handle food for the occasion." He chuckled. "Just as well. I keep us from starving, but Miss Abbott's dishes far surpass anything I could come up with."

Molly nodded, looking up at Bishop with serious eyes. "Tonks lost her mother and her father in a horrible way. I watched her grieve their deaths, and I watched her grow up to be a wonderfully funny and beautiful woman. She is as good as a daughter to me. I see a light in her eyes when she talks about you that I've never seen in them before."

She took a step closer to him, wrapping a hand around his wrist. "She loves you, and it's obvious that you love her, but sometimes love isn't enough. I need to know that you will take care of her. I need to know that you will not turn away from her when things get hard or seem impossible. I need to know that you love her as much as I do."

Laying his hand softly over Molly's, Bishop smiled indulgently and wondered how many people would be having a conversation of this nature with him today. "Molly, what I love best about Dora is her spirit. I love that she tells me when I'm being an arse. The hard parts will be when her spirit shines. I wouldn't miss out on that for the world."

Molly nodded again. "Tell me you will never hurt her in a way that will be irreparable."

"I never would. Nor would I allow anyone else to hurt her if it is in my power to stop it."

"That is good, Bishop. That is very good." Molly rose onto her tip-toes and kissed the tall man on the cheek. "You're going to take care of her, and I know that. And now you know that if you don't, her entire family will hunt you down and make it so you wished you were dead."

She patted his cheek lightly, a large smile on her face, before making her way back towards her husband.

He watched her go, still grinning. It was quite a family he was marrying into.


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Molly needed to talk to Tonks before she made her way down the aisle. It was a necessary thing. She still needed to give the bride her shawl, something borrowed. If it was the only thing she could do for Tonks today, Molly was going to be sure that is was done.

She made her way towards the lighthouse, admiring the landscape as she walked. The house was in the perfect spot to look at the ocean. The waves were coming in fiercely, hitting the sand at regular intervals. It would be wonderful background music for the ceremony, a little bit of nature thrown into something that, to her eyes, seemed organic.

"Tonks," Molly called once she pushed open the door. "Are you in here, Love?"

"I'm upstairs, Molly, top floor," Tonks called down, playing with the tie on her robe. She wasn't surprised that Molly was seeking her out before the ceremony. She had a thought that Molly had already had a talk with Bishop.

She turned when Molly appeared at the door, a little red in the face.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you come all the way up here, but the views are worth it."

"No, no," Molly said, out of breath. She had years of practice running up and down the stairs at the Burrow, but lately it felt like very little took a lot out of her. "It's fine. I just wanted to make sure that you got this before... before."

Molly took a deep breath, her eyes taking in the beautiful woman before her. "You were never short, but you used to be so little. Little Tonks. I remember changing your nappies, and now here you are, getting married in a blink."

Blinking rapidly to keep the tears from her eyes, Tonks pulled Molly into a hug. "I miss my mum. I'm so glad you're here. I can be little again, but I'd look a little odd in my knickers."

"I wouldn't say anything," Molly sniffled, taking in a deep breath to keep the sob from coming. Was she going to be this blubbery at Ron's wedding? Or was it just a matter of her daughters getting married, and the next one she'd become a basket case at would be Ginny's? "You're going to make such a good wife, Tonks. Don't let him change you. You're perfect as you are."

"Thank you, Molly," Tonks replied, pulling back and sniffing a bit. That's when she noticed the bit of white lace that Molly was holding.

"You said you wanted to bring me something?"

"You needed something borrowed, right?" Molly held up the shawl that her great-grandmother had knitted. "It's actually three times borrowed. It was my great-grandmothers, and she let my grandmother borrow it. My grandmother let my Mum borrow it, and my Mum lent it to me. There is a strict rule that you must keep it in the family, so I trust you'll give it to Gin when her time comes."

I will not cry, I will not cry.

"Oh, Molly. I had completely forgotten. Are you sure? What if I get something on it? What if I tear it? I'd feel absolutely rotten." Her fingers played lightly on the wave patterns.

"You'll be fine, dear. And if you do happen to set it on fire, we'll put it out, and it will simply add character to the thing." Molly grinned at Tonks, reaching out to press her palm against Tonks' cheek, her eyes welling with tears. "You're a wonderful woman, Nymphadora Tonks. Bishop Rascaille is lucky to have you."

"Yes, yes, he is. And I him. I'm sure Arthur is wondering where you are. I need to finish getting ready." Tonks pressed a kiss to Molly's cheek. "Shoo."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"It's not that bad," Charlie teased Daphne. His girlfriend had been bitching all day about having to go to two weddings in the same amount of months. "At least it's not overly fancy. Not like Jos' party was. No one will mind if you take off your shoes here."

He was standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist as they stood in a corner and watched people arrive. His lips kept finding her shoulder.

Daphne sighed. Loudly. She'd rather be at home. In her knickers. She'd had to be more social in the last two months than she had been in the last two years.

"We should round up everyone else you know and marry them in one ceremony, so we don't have to keep doing this. Who's getting married next month? Jos? Another one of your brothers? Your sister? And if it's to Malfoy, I might have to boycott."

She tugged at her dress to make sure nothing was hanging out.

"Quit futzing, you look gorgeous. And I have no objection to you skipping Gin and Draco's possible wedding. I probably would, but I'd never hear the end of it from Mum." He kissed her shoulder again. She really did look delectable in that dress.

"We could sneak out the second the ceremony's over, you know. Go back to the flat and find some way of entertaining ourselves."

"I like that plan." She looked at him. "You aren't going to make me eat first? I'm shocked. If you aren't putting things in one hole, you're putting them in another."

Charlie shook his head to clear it of the mental picture of him shoving food in inappropriate places. She had such a nasty mouth at times.

"We can grab some take away Chinese if you're worried about it," he assured her.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

This thing was going to be going down fairly soon here.

"You're not wearing white," Draco remarked like an idiot. "Not that you couldn't."

He was shifting around nervously and smoothing his coat down. He'd gone with all black with a white shirt and a long coat. It seemed safest.

"You look lovely though." He fidgeted some more. "I hope there are sticking charms on that. I'd hate to walk you out of your dress. I don't think that's the message you want to send. Should we practice?"

Tonks laughed, shaking her head. "I have enough up there to keep everything in place, and a sticking charm, and a fire and food repelling charm. Everything should be all right. What are you practicing? Getting me out of my dress? I assure you Bishop has no problems in that area."

"Oh my gods no," Draco shouted. "Stop that! There will be no getting you out of your dress for my part. At least not on purpose. We're going to practice the walking. Unless you'd rather not go through with this. I could stall them while you run off."

She patted his hand. "I think you're more nervous than I am, cousin. I don't want to run off; no cold feet here." Tonks slipped her feet into the heels she'd finally mastered walking in, and stood.

"All right, we're supposed to go down to the barn, wait outside the doors. When the music starts, the doors will open, and we'll walk at a medium pace up to Bishop." Her stomach did an excited flip flop. "You'll give him my right hand, then you can sit down. There should be a seat in the first row saved for you."

"You're wearing heels? Is that a good plan?"

At her look he stopped.

"It's just important. I've never been to the wedding of someone I genuinely cared for."

Tonks smiled warmly, and threw her arms around Draco, hugging him tightly and dropping a kiss on his cheek before pulling back.

"I can almost run in them, thanks to Blaise. I love you, too. Will the corridor suit for practice?"

"It should," Draco said, tucking her arm into his. "When you fight with him, you can come stay with Gin and I."

He was trying for medium pace, but his medium was for his long legs. The both of them got to laughing, and Draco smiled. It was very nice to see someone he cared about happy. People he liked should always be happy.

Tonks snorted as she took Draco's arm. "I'll keep that in mind." She tripped on the hem of her dress, and bounced off of the wall. "I'm not that much shorter than you, even when I'm not in heels. Walk a little slower, please?"


Draco slowed down. "We're going to fall, and somehow, even though there is an enormous amount of fabric making up that skirt, you will flash your knickers."

"That's why I'm wearing pretty ones," she replied cheerfully. "And then the giants I hired to tend to the flocks of hippogryffs will attack, and we'll all die. Sounds like a normal family event."

Draco bristled. He still could not stand hippogryffs. "I do hope you are joking about the hippogryffs, otherwise you'll be finding someone else to walk you down the aisle."

"Yes, about the giants and the hippogryffs both. Smile, won't you? Today is a happy day." They finally made it to where their strides matched, and they weren't going to rush down the 'aisle' or take forever.

"See? Not that bad."

"I just don't want anything to go wrong, is all, and smiling is not my natural state."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


Susan stepped into the barn, which was seasonally festive in an understated sort of way with the pine swag and jaunty bows. The floating candles reminded Susan of Hogwarts and she smiled, remembering. She didn't really know the couple getting married, but Ron's family was apparently quite close to Tonks. In any case, she liked weddings, and spending time with Ron was always welcome.

"Fred lives just down the beach, doesn't he?" she asked her escort. "The weddings just seem to be spreading up the coast."

"Yeah, he does," Ron answered, thinking he should probably visit at some point. He hadn't been by Fred and Katie's place yet. He looked around the barn, noting the people that had already arrived. Several of his family members, Harry and Luna, other people he recognized and others he didn't.

"So, should we get seats or do you want to mingle?"

"It's getting close to time, we should probably just sit." She flashed him a grin. "You can show me off afterward."

"Alright, as long as I get to." He grinned, taking her hand and squeezing it.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Moody reached the door to the room where Tonks was getting ready. "Nymphadora?"

He knocked.

Tonks blew out a nervous breath. She was just waiting for it to be time to go downstairs and outside.

"Yes? Come in, please. Unless it's Bishop. Then you can march yourself right back downstairs."

Moody entered. "I think it's safe to say that Bishop is otherwise occupied at this point."

She stood, eyebrow raised. "Shouldn't you be downstairs with all the others, Alastor? Or are you offering that auto of yours in case I've changed my mind?"

Moody grinned and raised his eyebrow. "I hadn't thought to offer it," he said. "I was going to walk you down the stairs. It's almost time."

"I'd like that. Draco is outside, pacing, I think, and making sure that Bishop isn't going to run off." Tonks threw Molly's shawl over her shoulders and grabbed her flowers before taking Moody's proffered arm. "Thank you."

He smiled. "You're welcome." He led her down the stairs. "I don't think that he's going to run off. He's brushed off at least one death threat this morning, and he's still down there."

After a beat of silence, he asked, "Nervous?"

"A little. Mostly anxious. I keep waiting for something to happen. I'm ready to get married," Tonks replied as they made their way through the first floor. "Are you getting any twitchy feelings?"

"About what?"

"Anything? I guess I'm just looking for trouble at this point," Tonks replied. "I'm sure it's nothing. Wedding jitters. Were you nervous before you and Aideen were married?"

"Yes, but mainly because I thought she'd come to her senses... But she was a bit like you and knew exactly what she wanted."

Tonks smiled. "You should go ahead, get seated before they close the doors." She squeezed his arm.

He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "Give 'em hell."

{SUMMARY: Everyone arrives and gets ready for Tonks' and Bishop's wedding}