Lupin's True Love Returns

June 29, 1996

Veronica placed the bowl of spaghetti noodles onto the dining room table. Harry placed the large bowl of sauce beside it as Remus placed a bowl of meatballs and a platter of thick toasted garlic bread on either side of the bowls. Harry followed Veronica back to the kitchen.

"Supper looks great, Aunt Vee." Harry picked up the pitcher of milk as Veronica picked up the French silk pie.

"Thank you, Harry." Veronica followed Harry back into the dining room. "I think we should go ahead and eat before Moody gets here." Veronica turned to Remus.

"Why's Professor Moody coming over?" Harry started to fill his plate with noodles and sauce.

"We're starting to plan our wedding." Remus passed Veronica the platter of garlic bread.

"Oh." Harry placed several large meatballs onto his plate.

"I do have a question to ask you, Harry." Veronica handed Harry the platter.

"Shoot." Harry took several pieces of bread.

"I'm not sure how to go about this so I'll just ask." Veronica heaved a deep sigh. "Will you give me away at the wedding?"

Harry swallowed the mouthful of food and stared at Veronica. He turned to Remus who nodded quietly. "Is there anyone else you want to do it?"

"No. You're the closest thing to family that I have around here. I really want you to do it." Veronica took a sip of her milk. "What do you say?"

"I'd be honored to give you away." Harry climbed to his feet and walked over to Veronica. He wrapped his arms around her.

Remus turned to face the two of them. "I'm glad you asked Harry. I was going to ask Arthur to give you away."

"Why ask someone who is not even family to give me away?" Veronica turned back to her plate as Harry slowly moved away from the battle zone.

"I just thought you hadn't had any time to think about it." Remus wiped the spaghetti sauce from his lips. "Besides I wasn't sure if you were going to ask Harry to do it."

"Men." Veronica threw her hands into the air and glared at her plate. "I guess we should hurry if we want to be able to discuss wedding plans with Alastor."

"Sure thing." Remus and Harry turned to their plates as finished eating as Veronica moved into the kitchen. "Honey, what are you doing?"

"I'm making some tea for the four of us." Veronica's voice floated through the doorway as Remus picked up a knife and pulled the French silk pie toward him. "Put that knife down, Remus. I would like for Alastor to have some as well." Veronica stepped into the dining room with a teapot, cups and saucer, and the sugar and creamer. "I know you love chocolate but you need to have a little control, dear."

Remus looked longingly at the chocolaty concoction as a knock sounded at the front door. "I'll get it since I'm not allowed to have any pie." He walked to the front door as Veronica moved to the table.

Veronica placed the tea tray on the table as Alastor and Remus wandered into the dining room. "Good evening, Alastor." Veronica hugged Alastor and motioned Remus into his seat. "I hope you like French silk pie."

"It looks delicious, my dear." Alastor sank into the seat next to Harry. "Good to see you, boy."

Harry nodded as he climbed to his feet and began to clear away the dirty dishes. "It's good to see you too, Professor Moody."

"Don't know about you calling me 'Professor'." Alastor allowed his cloak to drape over the back of the chair.

"Leave those dishes, Harry dear. You're needed here to discuss the wedding plans." Veronica took the dishes from Harry and carried them into the kitchen.

"She's still as bossy as ever." Remus leaned closer to Harry and Alastor. "Remember the time we all went to see Star Wars: A New Hope?"

"You went to see that movie?" Harry stared as Remus and Alastor both nodded. "Was it any good? I heard that it was interesting."

"Did I hear someone asking if Star Wars was any good?" Veronica stood in the doorway to the kitchen.

Harry looked down at the table. "The Dursleys never let me see it."

"Well that's going to be remedied." Veronica walked to her seat and sat down. "Tomorrow afternoon, after we get your new dress robes, we'll come home and you will get to see the whole trilogy. If you like it, then you'll be exactly like your mother and father."

"They saw it too?" Harry stared at Veronica as she climbed to her feet and moved to a cabinet.

"They sure did. In fact your father insisted on calling each of us one of the characters from the movie for a while. He always called your mother his Princess Leia." Veronica rummaged through a drawer and pulled out a book. "Here. I want you to look at this when you get home." She handed the book to Harry.

"I'm not here to discuss the past. I'm here to make wedding plans." Alastor threw a scroll of parchment onto the table.

"And I'm here to eat that pie." Remus started to pull the pie toward him.

Veronica slapped Remus hand and moved the pie toward Alastor. "Would you please cut the pie, Alastor?"

"Of course, dear." Alastor lifted the knife and cut the pie into several pieces. He handed each plate to the others.

Harry took his plate and started to eat the pie. "So, do you have a dress picked out, Aunt Vee?"

"I have an idea, Harry, but I'm not going to tell you in front of the groom." Veronica smiled softly at Remus.

"We should write down who you want in the wedding party." Remus picked up a quill and dipped it in the ink.

"That's easy. All the Weasley boys and their girlfriends." Veronica turned to Harry as he began coughing. "What is it, Harry?"

"Ron doesn't have a girlfriend." Harry wiped the chocolate from his lips.

"Sure he does. What about Miss Granger?" Veronica watched as Harry tried to keep from choking on his tea.

"They're not dating." Harry wiped the drops of tea from his chin. "Sure they fight often but they're not dating." Harry tilted his head to the side. "Are they?"

Veronica laughed lightly. "Harry, don't you know that the first sign that someone likes you is that they pick fights with you constantly. Remus and I fought through the first three months that we knew each other. Lily and James were always fighting and they loved each other dearly."

"Oh." Harry pushed his plate away from him. "Who else is in the wedding party?"

"I've asked Tonks to be my Maid of Honor." Veronica leaned back in her chair and turned to face Remus. "Who have you asked, darling?"

"I was talking to Alastor about that at the station this afternoon." Remus rubbed the back of his neck.

"I told him that I would be his Best Man." Alastor placed his fork on his plate.

"Well that takes care of most of it. Let's see." Veronica pulled the parchment toward her. "Bill is with Fleur. Ron is with Hermione. Fred is with Angelina Johnson. George is with Alicia Spinnet. Charlie is with ..."

"Charlie isn't gating anyone right now." Remus placed a second piece of pie on his plate.

"Well, we'll just have to fix that." Veronica turned to Harry. "Can you think of anyone that would suit him, Harry?"

"Maybe Katie Bell. She's interested in dragons and she likes Quidditch." Harry watched as Veronica wrote down Katie's name.

"Now I need someone for Ginny." Veronica turned to Remus. "Who is the Order would be willing to escort her down the aisle?"

"Maybe Shacklebolt." Remus licked his fork clean as Veronica moved the pie from him.

"That's enough chocolate for one night." Veronica wrote down the names even faster. Now for your dress robes."

"I'm assuming that every one will be in black dress robes." Remus leaned back in his chair.

"That's a good idea." Alastor leaned back in his chair as well.

"Now let's talk about your ties. I think that Harry, Ron, Fred and George should wear their Gryffindor ties as should Remus." Veronica quickly wrote it down. "All the other men should wear a dark blue with gold stripes."

"Sounds good." Alastor thumped the table. "What about the bridesmaids?"

"Well. I think a lovely medieval gown should help the figures." Veronica quickly wrote it down. "I think that Hermione, Ginny, and Katie should wear the Gryffindor colors while Angelina, Alicia, Fleur, and Tonks all wear the dark blue with gold trim."

"Sounds beautiful." Remus gazed longingly at the rest of the pie. "What about the flowers?"

"I'm in charge of that." The feet of Alastor's chair thumped the floor. "Since Veroncia isn't very fond of roses, I thought that the flowers should be carnations in red, white, and a paler version of the blue."

"Sounds wonderful. Maybe the dark blue should be a lighter blue." Veronica quickly began to write again. "I'll get in touch with the ladies and take them shopping for their dresses when I go shopping for my dress tomorrow."

"That sounds great." Harry watched as Veronica gazed at the parchment. "What else?"

"Who do we get to take the pictures?" Veronica looked up from the parchment.

"Well, I do know someone that can take really good pictures." Harry ran his hand through his messy black hair.

"Who?" Veronica turned to Harry.

"Colin Creevey." Harry looked down at the table. "He's in the same year as Ginny but if you want to get a professional then I'll understand."

"He sounds perfect." Veronica scribbled Colin's name onto the parchment. "Could you get in touch with him for me, Harry?"

"Sure." Harry smiled broadly as Veronica laid down the quill. "Is that it?"

"That's all we need to do tonight." Veronica stretched and climbed to her feet. "You need to get back to the Dursleys."

"Do I have to?" Harry gazed pleadingly at Veronica.

"I may have given in to Sirius' puppy dog eyes but I won't give in to yours." Veronica watched as Harry and Alastor climbed to their feet.

"I'll make sure he gets home safely." Alastor turned to Remus. "I'll see you in a couple days and we'll go and get our dress robes."

"Sounds like fun." Remus climbed to his feet and walked with them to the front door.

"Bye, Remus, Aunt Vee." Harry hugged Veronica and stepped out the front door.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning, Harry." Veronica waved slightly as Alastor and Harry moved out of sight. She turned to Remus. "Another week or so and we'll be married."

"I can't wait." Remus pulled Veronica into his arms and kissed her lips gently. "Are you sure about going shopping with Harry and the girls tomorrow?"

"Of course I'm sure. I need Harry's opinion about my wedding dress since you can't see it." Veronica stood on her toes and kissed Remus' nose. "Why don't you go to bed while I clean up the kitchen?"

"Why don't you let the kitchen wait and join me in bed?" Remus pulled Veronica flush with his body.

"How about you wash the hardened food off the plates tomorrow in your weakened condition?" Veronica smiled as Remus released her. "Off to bed with you." Veronica chased him to the stairs and watched as Remus disappeared up the stairs.

She walked into the kitchen and quickly washed the dishes. She wiped the counters as the dishes flew into their cabinets. Veronica wiped her hands on the dishtowel and placed it on the kitchen table. She swept toward the door and turned off the lights as she walked out the door.