Rating:
G
House:
Astronomy Tower
Ships:
Gilderoy Lockhart/Molly Weasley
Characters:
Gilderoy Lockhart Molly Weasley
Genres:
Fanfiction Challenge Romance
Era:
In the nineteen years between the last chapter of
Stats:
Published: 10/26/2007
Updated: 10/26/2007
Words: 1,002
Chapters: 1
Hits: 409

Natty Nuptials

Zarathustra

Story Summary:
Molly Weasley gets married again after losing Arthur during the last days of the war. My response to the June 2007 FA Bridal challenge.

Chapter 01

Posted:
10/26/2007
Hits:
409


Natty Nuptials

Prompt: Gilderoy Lockhart married Molly Weasley on the beach.

Rating: G

Molly stood in front of the full-length mirror, amazed - at her age - to see herself dressed again in wedding robes. She lifted a hand to tuck a greying wisp of auburn hair behind her ear and patted the veil in place.

"Very nice, dearie! You'll stun them all!" said the mirror. Molly agreed with a bemused smile. Ginny, Fleur and Hermione had fussed over her all morning, making sure that she looked absolutely perfect. Fleur had commissioned the robes from a French designer with whom she was acquainted. Hermione had organised the entire day from start to finish with her usual perfectionism and attention to the smallest details, determined that her mother-in-law was not going to raise a finger to do anything that day, other than marry and dance. Ginny had taken over the make-up and hair detail, ensuring her mother looked her best for this most important of days. Molly had protested the girls' major participation as the two youngest were both far along in their first pregnancies, but they had ignored her completely.

She could hear the music floating through the open window from the tent situated nearby on the beach, Celestina Warbeck entertaining prior to the ceremony. She could see the guests taking their seats; not many, mostly friends and family. Soon Bill and Remus would be knocking at her door to escort her to her fiancé.

Her fiancé...

Who would have thought she would be saying those words again? It certainly had been the furthest thing from her mind when she had landed in the Spell Damage Ward at St Mungo's near the end of that terrible year when Harry had finally defeated Voldemort.

She had lost Arthur on an Order mission earlier in the year to a stray killing curse that had ricocheted during a Death Eater ambush. She had been left watching over a pregnant Fleur, Ginny in a funk over Harry leaving her behind, and worrying to death over the trio, as they had slipped out of the Burrow and no one knew where they had gone or what they were doing.

She still harboured some residual anger over that little manoeuvre of theirs; just leaving one night after Bill and Fleur's wedding when everyone else was asleep. No notes, no owls, no contact whatsoever. She had eventually forgiven them when they had shown back up before the final showdown between Harry and Voldemort, wearied but triumphant as they had completed their mission.

Then the Burrow had been attacked, and she had placed herself in front of Fleur and absorbed a multiple series of Cruciatus curses aimed at the girl who was carrying her first grandchild. The Aurors and Order members had arrived soon afterwards, but the damage had been done. She hadn't lost her mind like the Longbottoms, but it had been close. Her recovery had taken months of therapy and potions.

Molly lingered on those thoughts. Her therapy sessions with her fellow ward residents had been very helpful, and there had been one wizard who had caught her eye immediately: Gilderoy Lockhart.

She had shied away from him at first, not knowing what he remembered, if anything, about how he had lost his memory. It was soon obvious that he remembered nothing from his previous life, although he had retained his suave nature, and his outgoing personality. No memories from before landing in the hospital, and even his former flamboyant taste in clothes had been greatly subdued.

It had been explained to him what he had done in his former life, but it really held no interest for him anymore. He was a changed wizard, and he credited Molly and her no-nonsense manner for initiating that change. Or, at least, that is what he told her and anyone who commented on the improvement. Due to her influence, he was planning on revising his publications to reflect the actual wizards and witches responsible for the feats he had originally claimed as his own - if he could ever find his original notes.

As he was nearing release, he had roaming privileges in hospital, and so, after Molly's third group session, he had invited her to join him on the fifth-floor for tea. A long talk ensued, and they discovered many things in common. It soon became habit for Gilderoy to take her to tea after their sessions, or come to her room and take her for walks along the corridors, taking her arm in his and letting her lean on him for support. After he had been released, he had made it a point to visit with her several times a week to take her to tea. After she had been discharged, he changed those visits to calling on her at the Burrow, to the great amusement of her family. A year later he had proposed under the apple tree in the backyard, presenting her with a beautiful diamond encrusted ring, and she had said yes.

A knock at the door let her know Bill and Remus were ready for her. She picked up her bouquet and joined them, letting them lead her down the carpet behind her daughters- escorted by their husbands - and her little granddaughter who was scattering flower petals for her grandmother to walk on.

She saw Gilderoy standing under the canopy, dressed in formal grey robes, the setting sun perfectly framed behind him. His face lit up as he saw her walking towards him, and she let his smile float her down the rest of the way to his side.

She remembered Ron once saying, many years ago, that she fancied Gilderoy. She really hadn't then; he had just been a famous author who was very handsome. She did now, though; and as Bill placed her hand in Gilderoy's, she smiled up at him with love in her eyes and saw the same love shining in his as he bent down to kiss her.