It was only a short carriage ride down the hill from the church to the Bois de Chasse Maree. This wooded preserve had a large meadow in the middle where an enormous magical tent had been set up, and magically shielded from land or sky. It was a pretty thing, and large enough inside to hold a thousand, although the crowd numbered something over 300. Tables were round, except for the bridal party table at the head of the eating area. Buffet tables were already set up, and some appetizers were already set out for the guests, for it was approaching the noon hour. Refreshments were served from large magical samovars that rained drink upon command. Special drinks were served by some of the staff of two local restaurants, as well as some of Damian’s people from the Red Hawk. To serve such a large crowd it had been necessary to go beyond his culinary arts. House elves were most of the staff, as well as people from the town. The festive atmosphere had begun almost as soon as the first carriages arrived.

The big cake stood ready, as well as every table's decorations. A pretty centerpiece of flowers and chocolate confections wrapped in foil and tissue were on every table. Every table also had wine bottles, either from local vintners, or from the Kenrick Winery.

At the other end of the tent was a large dance floor, and two stages joined I the middle by an emcee platform. The two bands were already setting up, although Andronicus still was missing some of its members as the people came in. Great flaps in the tent were open to let air in, and the blue sky above. Though it was cool outside, the tent was a comfortable temperature (magically corrected, of course)

Some of the people walked to the tent, some rode carriages, and many of the people of the town carried a large car-sized cake on a pole frame, which was an additional gift from them to the newly wedded couple. This was taken to the food area.

More house elves greeted people, and showed them to their seats. They awaited the arrival of the wedding party carriages with wide-eyed anticipation.

Aiden and Ike had had to hurry out of the church at the end of the service. They needed to get down to the reception tent to finish setting up. They also needed a quick sound check before most of the guest began to arrive. Cal and Dakota hadn’t gone to the service and were supposed to meet the there, but when they arrive, the other two band members were nowhere to be found. So, the pair began to finish setting up the instruments. They had dropped everything off and partially unpacked that morning, before going to the church, so there wasn’t too much left to do. Ike sat and tuned his guitar while Aiden made sure Dakota’s extra drumsticks were all ready to go in case she broke one, as was often the case.

Finally, as guests began to trickle in, Cal and Dakota appeared, rushing over to the stage, apologizing for their lateness. The Empire band was also just about finished setting up and Aiden chatted softly with Su-Lin for a moment while she waited for Cal and Dakota to get ready. She gave them a half-hearted glare, but she couldn’t be angry with them, she was too happy from the service; she just didn’t have it in her.

Both bands were able to do a quick sound check as more and more people began to filter into the shade of the tent. Once they were all satisfied with the sound Andronicus went and sat down at their table. There were two seats reserved for Liam and Cay, but there were four empty seats in total. Aiden didn’t bother to go take a look at the seating chart to see who else was sitting with them; she trusted that Hugh and Auri wouldn’t place them with someone they didn’t like. The dark-haired singer took her purse behind the tent to fix her makeup. She had admittedly gotten and bit teary during the service and just needed to touchup her eyeliner. A smaller tent had been set up as a makeshift powder room and she found a mirror to use.

After her makeup was taken care of, Aiden returned to her seat, sitting down next to Ike, squeezing his hand. Her eyes watched the entrance of the tent, waiting for the appearance of Liam and Cay.

As everyone began to shuffle towards the great doors of the church to head down the hill, Liam glanced over at the beautiful woman sitting next to him. Cay was looking absolutely stunning in her yellow dress; it was a good color for her. Not to mention the fact that it had been a while since he had seen her dressed up like this. It was probably seventh year, which seemed like ages ago to the Quidditch player. In a way it was.

When they finally reached the doors and stepped back out into the sunshine, Liam looked back at Cay, raising his eyebrows.

“Shall we?” he asked, offering her his arm.

Though short, the ride from the church to their reception was much needed. The bride momentarily kicked off her shoes, spreading her toes and wiggling them as she cozied up to her sandy-haired groom. The morning of standing had left her legs a tad stiff; not to mention she hadn't really eaten anything other than a few strands of grapes and a glass of orange juice since the night before. Her dinner hadn't settled the greatest with her own baked goods, so she'd been in the bathroom a short time prior to bed. The girls had made her tea before she went back to her room, but it had gone untouched.

Aurelia curled up close to Hugh, pulling his arms around her to shield her from any wind. "You looked so dashing up there, love. It was a little bit torture though; being up there without being able to talk.. I mean, other than what we were to repeat or recite on our own."

She said these things between kisses, of course. He'd had a debt to repay; and his blushing bride was quite a stickler for debt collecting when it came to her darling husband.

There was only a short pause before the carriage would take them to the reception: The photographers got pictures of Hugh and Aurelia in the carriage, but then it was time to head for the big tent. It wasn't visible from the top of the hill, but Hugh had seen it that morning after breakfast. Speaking of breakfast, it did seem like a long, long time ago that he'd eaten, and he was sure that Aurelia was feeling the same pangs.

Comfortably ensconced in the carriage, Hugh massaged her feet after she took off her pretty shoes, and gladly let her snuggle into him for the ride down the hill. It felt very natural to be sitting there, in the carriage, with the soft, silky feel of her next to him, and the utter satisfaction that it had all gone well, and people had been so gracious. The whole thing had made him smile. He agreed that it had been difficult to stand there and wait for the big moments.

"You're right, it was a bit of torture. Having to look at you so -- so beautiful. It was a sight to see. I was impatient, as I'm sure you were, seeing you looking like this" He let out a pouf of contentment.

"It feels wonderful now though. I thought everyone did wonderfully, including us Thanks for the great letter, I'm glad that worked!"

He kissed the top of her head, and then her temple and then her lips, tasting the fullness of them, and the little electric jolts that her whole being gave him.

He looked out at the landscape, and the shadows of the first trees came into view as the carriage passed into a narrow lane. There were already people walking beside the lane and amongst the trees, young and old. Then he kissed her again, and gently took her hands.

"I'm starving, but I'm not tired. I had them make sure there's plenty of food for starters. Damian and the other restauranteurs did a fine job, you'll see. We've got a nice table with everybody, and there's all manner of goodies besides. I think the whole town was bringing extra food, so they can party on, long after we're away. But once I get something in me I'll be ready for anything."

After a ceremony that had been nerve-wrecking for Jake than it really should have been, the man arrived at the reception with a lot on his mind. First that it would not leave how amazing all of the girls had looked, especially Auri. The other was that he had to carry Maggie, since somehow she had managed to get her shoes stuck up in a tree. Slowly but surely, he was beginning to understand why Copper always looked ready to pull out her hair.

Walking in with Tamora, Jake felt a little flutter, knowing that he had a gorgeous girl as a date. Yes, they were still tense from their row, but it was nice for him to pretend that he had someone to dote over (because buying her all new clothes, including the dress for the wedding does not count, of course). He wore a small smile knowing that he had to explain the end of the night events in a very hushed tone to Chase so the new Kenrick could not hear. Then there was the fact that the blond giantess decided that the reception would be a lovely place to go after the ceremony.

Luckily, Tamora somehow managed to not see Jan thus far. All he could do was hope that the girl was not as niave as in school and knew to stay away.

The ceremony had been lovely. The girls were lovely. The guys were lovely. And Jan felt like she was still going to cry. Weddings always made her so emotional, especially watching two dear friends get married. She wished she could have shared the moment with her Phillip, but she would simply have to relay every detail to him when she got back. he would just love that.

With her modestly-sized high heels clicking away, Janessa had spotted Aiden and Ike setting up. She remember the girl from the common room and decided to great them with a warm smile and a high pitched "Hi!"

"We shall," Cay responded with a smirk.

The witch took Liam's arm with an overdramatic arm movement before tossing her head high and quirking an eyebrow at her date. He really should have seen something like that coming. It would have been too simple not to be sarcastic.

The two walked into the place with Jake and Tamora hot on their trail. The first place to go for Cay was her best friend, but it was not long before two people came bustling by like bats out of hell. Dakota and Cal had obviously been late. But what caught her attention was the blond bombshell headed in the same direction.

"Stopping another war, love, be there in a tick," Cay said hurriedly before planting a kiss on Liam's forehead to remind the man she was taller with heels on.

Then she spun around and linked arms with Tamora and smiled broadly.

"Let's go congradulate the new couple! Your calves look amazing with those heels, by the way," Cay spat out, keeping her grin.

At Jake's quirked eyebrow, a subtle head toss to the stage area explained it all and Cay more or less dragged her fellow brunette away from a possible battle zone.

After the news of being the night's announcer was a bit of a shock for Ike, but he couldn't say no. He could, but that would not have been nice. It was not in his nature to rain on people's parades... or weddings in this case. The more disturbing thing was the lack of Canadian and French work horses when he and Aiden arrived. It meant everything would have to be rather rushed. He had no idea where the two could have been. Alfred was not around to stay on them, so the fact that Dakota likes to sleep in seemed the most likely story.

Then a strange thought occured to him. For his wedding, who would they have perform? Who could perform at the wedding of two band members? It was something that did notoccur to him until he put all of the plugs into the sound board.

A voice that resembled feedback from the microphones caused the man to snap out of his run away thoughts and he looked to Aiden for help.

Once more it was a fight between two equally strong children as Copper wrestled the twins to the reception area. She had noticed a shoe in the tree but did not want to ask. It wasn't Bridgette's so she had nothing to worry about. her main priority was making sure the two behaved long enough to enjoy the meal. Of course, that would be easier said than done.

Tai owed her so bad for ditching last minute.

Having stayed behind at the church to ensure that its closing ran as smoothly as its beginning, Chase and Darren had herded all the townspeople in the right direction, explaining to any stragglers how to access the tent, and had settled the account with the church. By the time they were done, half the guests had migrated towards the field and Chase - still too overcome with adrenaline and settled into her 'focused' state - couldn't feel the hunger that gnawed at her insides until it was fifteen minutes from the start of the reception.

The rest of the wedding party had been crammed into the largest carriage available and departed soon after Hugh and Auri's, so as soon as Chase finished gathering the remainder of the bouquets from the pews she joined the father-by-proxy. She just about collapsed into his arms in a rustle of silk and dusty rose.

"Hey, job well done there," she remarked breezily, gazing up to offer him a quick kiss, before surveying the now-deserted site of the beautiful ceremony. It was still bewildering to her, how strikingly handsome he was clad sharply in black.

"Hugh showed me where to Apparate earlier today on a map; shouldn't be too far from now and it's too late to endure the carriage ride," Chase reasoned as the pair stepped outside onto the main road. Subtly, she laced her fingers through his.

After the ceremony was over, Anne stuck with her Hufflepuff friends as they found carriages to the reception area. The brunette was silent as she had been during the ceremony: She hadn't cried so much as smiled at the whole thing, and she was proud of her two friends, Hugh and Auri, for taking such a brave leap together. Even just getting married required a lot of love and organization. The two had ample help, but she could see their touches all over the ceremony -- from the letters to each other to the way everything was so dressy and pretty. She didn't get a chance to catch them as the couple left the church, but there would be time to hug them both at the reception.

It was only after they had left the church and its crowds behind that Anne began to sniffle a little. She was still smiling, replaying the whole ceremony in her mind, and looking forward to the reception. Once she caught sight of the big tent, she smiled even more broadly. It was just like the circus tents they used, only much cleaner and prettier. She'd read on the program that Ike and Aiden's band would be playing. As soon as she was at the tent, she greeted as many as she could, and got her dance card filled out. Anne had always loved dancing, and this would be a day and night full of it.

"So you like the dress?" Aurelia half jested, half inquired. She was certain he would like it; her own style had tamed itself over the years, but everyone had thought it to be spectacular. Gretta and Jennifer had been the only two who'd been able to find the time to go with her to get the dress and actually see it before the wedding itself, but all her bridesmaids had been pretty taken aback by it this morning.

The redhead let out a long sigh, relishing the footrub for as long as it lasted - which wasn't terribly long as they weren't far from the reception at all. They chatted a little about the service, but when their carriage finally came to a hault, the lingering aroma of food and Hugh's mention of it peaked her interest.

With little effort, Aurelia slipped her feet back into her shoes and she sat up straight, adjusting a few curls that had gone awry. She picked up her bouquet and tilted her head from one side to the other, eyeing up the groups of people here and there.

"I am a little famished.. I haven't really eaten a lick since dinner. It didn't settle well, and this morning I had a glass of orange juice and a handful of grapes.." As if on cue, her stomach made a small lurch and grumble. "Even if I only get more fruit until lunch, it might help.."

"Yes, it's a beautiful dress," he said, smiling. "Though need I say it? It's you that caught my breath. Today and every day, my love."

It had always been so as long as he could remember, and he cradled her head in his hands gently as he said it, in a whisper, and softly kissed her. How he felt about her about that morning and this moment were explained in the soft caress he gave her face. He grinned at her, and dared to wrinkled the pretty dress just a little as he held onto her. "No one does it quite like you, and that's why I love you so."

He gave her a final hug and kiss as the carriage finished its journey. There ere already many people there. So he helped her out of the carriage, and set her down lightly. They stood hand in hand, surveying the scene of people entering the big tent.

"Let's get you something to eat, my lovely," he said, and took her by the hand and led her into the wonder of the tent inside, pausing only to politely greet this person or that. They had also a few pauses to have an official picture taken of their arrival. The official reception line would have to wait, though. A house elf appeared at their side with a tray of refreshments. It was Boldo, one of Hugh's family house elves.

"GreatHughKenrick and MostFavoredOneofGreenEyes must be thirsty after speaking so many words today." he squeaked.

They accepted the drinks gratefully, and Hugh and Aurelia had no trouble reaching the high table so that they could set down the bouquets and accessories she had. At the high table, for the wedding party and their immediate family (including Darren); the food would come to them. It was also at a slightly raised height so they could survey everyone coming in and sitting near.

The menus were laid out with every centerpiece, and displayed a tasty assortment. The house elves for the high table were able to get food for the wedding party, as they, traditionally would be the ones with the least time (or inclination, because of nerves) to eat much. Hugh had also insisted that they wouldn't get the family photos done until they had eaten something. They ahd gotten a few at the church -- required -- but there would be many more candid and posed shots tody, and he wanted to make sure they were ready for it.

"Now we can see who's here," said Hugh. "It's nice to be married because now they can't joke about us like they did in school. Now we hold the position of power! Ha! Now we can be the ones that can say 'aren't you two married yet??? '"

His laughter came naturally. He looked at his new bride and smiled again.

"Oh, I almost forgot -- Happy Birthday," he said. "I have a card and a gift, but it will have to wait -- a little while."

Unlike Chase, who was far too focused to worry about hunger while they were herding stragglers to carriages and offering instructions for those confused, not to mention handling the account with the church in the Kenricks' stead (that would take just a little getting used to), Darren was hungry and aware of it. Not that he was complaining, obviously knowing a little something about the delicious spread that was waiting for them at the reception.

Chase had returned to the church a little sooner than he had to collect up bouquets inside while he did similar work outside, so that by the time he walked back inside, he wasn't surprised that she was running low on 'focus' and ready to go. Of course, he was surprised at the way she just collapsed in against him, and that quickly became another thing he was not complaining about. He held her in against him just as surely as she'd known he would when she did it, and this was the point that he had to just savor the moment while he could. Chase wasn't against feminine things at all, but this might be the only chance he got to see her all decked out like she was. He was definitely going to enjoy it, starting immediately with the kiss he received and the way that he took in the citrus-y tang to the otherwise flowery scent of her. It was uniquely hers, and he loved it. Honestly, it was those little things that made him question how he could have left in the first place, and why it had taken him so long to come back; why he was still planning on heading back to the States after all this. His plans were still in place, but now they were shrouded in doubt.

"You give me too much credit. All I did was escort her to Hugh, not like someone else who was up there reciting Shakespeare," he pointed out, but she was already looking out across the empty church. He didn't care to look, already knowing what he was going to see, and instead kept his eyes on her. It was a better view, anyway.

It was unfortunate when she disengaged enough to walk out of the church, but he didn't complain outwardly. They did have to move on to the reception, and they weren't going to get that done the way they'd been, which meant that apparating made a good bit of sense. The carriage ride would just make them late, whereas apparating would ensure that they beat the carriages to the party. He was definitely okay with that, and with the way she'd laced her fingers in with his, almost like it wasn't a bit deal at all (even though, to him, it was). He hadn't been kidding when he thought that riding in with the bride and maid of honor had left him alone with the two most beautiful women present, and he still believed it whole-heartedly now that he was alone with one of them. If the reception hadn't been obligatory (not to mention certain to be very enjoyable), he'd have tried to whisk her away somewhere else today. He'd have to some other time.

"We better not keep them waiting, then," he said instead of voicing any of the things he really wanted to throw out there. This wasn't the time, so maybe later. Maybe. In the meantime, they had a party to attend and keeping the bride and groom waiting wasn't on the agenda.

There was a vague bittersweetness to the way they had disengaged and begun their path down the cobbled road, but Chase had tried not to dwell on the temporary nature of their reunion. After all, it was simply the nature of an Auror's career path - well, an effective Auror's career path, anyhow - that took him here and there and everywhere. Anyhow, it wasn't a day for mourning, though as Chase gazed at her companion now, there was no mistake that she longed for him to stay, if only to savor time spent alone. No amount of longing would keep them away from the task at hand, however, so she linked her arm through his and let out a soft laugh.

"The Bard always says it best," she remarked shortly, "Now hang on just a second- the tent has been rendered hidden by Hugh's charms, but he noted the Apparition point to be about 15 meters beyond the stump of the enormous oak marking the edge of the forest."

There was a faint pop as the pair Apparated and vanished from view.

------------------------------------------------------------------

The tent was abuzz with preliminary set-up activities by the time they had arrived, and the pair wasted no time in assisting with the final touches. Chase marveled at the expansive and heavily-enchanted tent that Hugh's team had constructed; small touches like the bouquets that adorned the posts and each of the guest tables, as well as the buffet section that was charmed to deliver the guests' selections directly to their plates, completed the fairy tale. She smiled to herself - naturally, Hugh had spared no expenses, and that fact was ever so apparent in the extent of every small detail.

She had spotted and greeted a few of the guests - Liam, Jake, and Ike's band setting up - along the way, with Darren doing similar meet-and-greets on his route. For the moment, however, she caught sight of the newlyweds at the raised central table, observing that her placard had been placed near Darren's with a small thrill, and caught the pair's eyes at the same time that they spotted her.

"Oh, my darlings," she exclaimed with a happy sigh, embracing first Hugh and then her redheaded best friend, "Your happiness is contagious and beautiful. Job well done and congratulations," she squeezed Auri's hand and beamed, before she felt a familiar, light touch around her shoulders and caught a waft of intoxicating cinnamon-musk from a source close behind her.

The work was done! The happy couple were sped on their way to the reception, and Jenn helped out with directing guests until it was clear everyone was on the way. It didn't take long for her to find Preston in the crowd outside, and she presented him with her own kiss. It hadn't been very long since she'd been with him, but with all the happiness around her, she was bursting to hold him. With an almost ferocious lunge (for her), she made up for the hour of waiting.

"My jobs done, and bride is safely wed," she announced to Preston. "Of course if Auri needs anything, I'm still on duty. Shall we ride? I want to be there if anyone needs help."

The carriages were still loading, so they soon found space in one of them. Some of the couples school friends were in it, commenting about the service.For now, Jenn was content to lean on Preston's shoulder.

"Fire at will."

He was absolutely trusting her abilities and her word where the apparition point was concerned, but that wasn't nearly as difficult for him as he might have expected. He certainly came across as the kind of guy who didn't have a care, especially in the direction of paranoia, but you didn't survive in his world without a healthy dose of 'caution'. The word choice depended largely on who you asked, since Darren and Connor had always been the sort to call it 'cautious'. Thea had called it 'paranoia', though Darren couldn't honestly say that he cared all that much. His 'paranoia' (cat-like reflexes, in this case) meant that he hadn't taken that lamp to the face, so it couldn't be a bad thing.

Upon arrival at the tent, both of them jumped into the set-up activities, greeting people as they went. For Darren, this was an almost surreal experience, since he was suddenly seeing more of the people that he'd broken all contact with almost 8 years earlier. He wouldn't have been surprised if there were people here that he knew and didn't recognize, given the length of time he'd been away, but most of them seemed almost the same. It made him wonder just how different he'd seem to them all, both on first glance and after talking. He was well-put together today, properly groomed and pulling off about as snazzy as he was capable anymore in the black shirt and tux with the kiwi-green tie that Auri had been all for. He wouldn't have been surprised if Chase had been involved in that decision, though it amused him to no end that he was essentially sporting Slytherin colors after proudly wearing Gryffindor reds for so many years. Apparently, the red didn't bring out his eyes the same, or match the wedding colors. That wasn't his deal, not anymore.

Had it ever, really? He'd always been well-dressed in school, but part of that was that they were required to wear certain uniforms. Still, he could admit that he just didn't care about appearances anymore, and that the effort today was purely for the occasion. He'd be losing the jacket and rolling up his sleeves as soon as it was appropriate, for sure.

He almost felt bad for the ladies, since they couldn't do much with their own ensemble, however much he enjoyed seeing it. They were all beautiful in their various dresses, all done up in their best for the wedding, though he'd admit that there were certain ladies that he was enjoying more than others. Still, he'd have been a little irked if there had been nothing he could do with his own clothing to be more comfortable once the actual 'party' started. One of those ladies had made her way over to one of the others, making it an obvious choice for him to wander over, as well.

"What she said," he offered up with a grin, slipping his arm around Chase's shoulders just an instant before speaking, then glancing her way once she'd turned to look at him. He'd always heard that the wedding spirit was contagious and laughed at the idea, but he was wondering just a little if there wasn't some truth to it. That, or he was just paying Chase a hell of a lot of mind no matter where they were, and only thinking about it now because of the situation at hand. Both were possible. "Congratulations, really. It was a great service and it's fantastic to finally see you two married."

Honestly, it was about time. He had no doubt at all that they'd heard that about a zillion times, but it was obvious since forever that they were destined to end up at the altar. Even when they were apart and Auri was enlisting Darren's help to keep Hugh alive out in the field, he was certain that it would all work out. They just cared too much about each other. The rest of their friends would be lucky to find something even half as meaningful.

He met up with Jenn outside after the service, and rode with her to the reception, all the while thinking about what they'd just seen and heard. Could he see himself doing the same thing? He thought yes, but what was the timing for them as a couple? Would they have to go through serious challenges as Hugh and Auri had done? The vision was there, and it made him smile to think so. He'd listened to his father's speech with the same idea: What would people say about himself and Jenn if the time came?

True, it didn't have the benefit of ten years of accumulated memories and common experience, so comparing his own relationship to another was pointless. He was holding her hand in the carriage, and he had a warm feeling by doing so. But they weren't at that point yet. When would they be? Preston had no foresight.

When they arrived at the reception, he didn't want to let go of Jenn, although he knew he would have to for a little while. In the meantime, they began talking with people that they hadn't been able to at the service. It was such a joyous thing to be able to speak freely about the day.

"I feel so much like a fifth wheel in all this, Jenn," said Preston. "I mean, I did some of the logistics for this special entertainment later, but still. If you don't mind, I'll hang around with you until the lunch starts."

After milling around the church for a good twenty minutes or so, Daniel decided that it was time to head down to the reception. Talia had finally azrrived about a third of the way through the service and he had managed to fill her in on what details and events she missed prior to her arrival. The crowd had thinned out a little (very little -- with so many guests, it would probably take more than two hours for the last guest to leave), and it was high time that they get moving to the final stop of the day.

Securing a carriage was surprisingly easy, Daniel thought, and the ride down was so smooth that they might have been flying. Disembarking from the carriage, Daniel looked about at the temperature-contorlled tent, the many tables, and the pile of gifts (his own gift of a set of dining plates with all of the old gangs' faces on them buried somewhere beneath) he knew had to be somewhere about and smiled.

"Quite the hubbub, isn't it?" he whispered gently to Talia. Still grinning, he looked about for any familiar and recently arrived faces. Almost immediately, he saw Jenn Sloane-Underwood, still in her bridesmaid dress and leaning on her boyfriend as if it was the only way she could stand. He indicated the other couple and said, "Shall we say hello?"

Delighted by the promise of food, Aurelia held onto Hugh as he helped her out of the carriage and onto the slightly damp grass. She'd charmed the hem of her dress to avoid dragging or stains, so she paid no mind to it as they walked on. They waved and greeted people as they made their way to the first of several tents. With a smile and wink, Aurelia took up the drink from the house elves. How very sweet it was of them to remember her affection for a sweet lemonade.

It was curious to Aurelia, but very much in her favor that her favorite of all house elves - little Mitzy - had been able to join their festivities. She had fashioned a dress out of some old, but happy looking pink and what could only imagine to have been white at some point scrap of fabric. The house elf had even gone as far as to sew a lace trim to the arms and hem. The redhead fawned over a single bow she'd fastened to what little hair she did have on her head.

Her attention was caught by Hugh, who gave mention of making fun of everyone else for not being arried now. She laughed heartily and nod, planting a kiss to his cheek to close the gap between them. "Shall we start with Chase and Darren?"

This comment had only been mentioned because the pair in question had been spotted by the redhead. She welcomed them with open arms and exchanged hugs and french cheek kisses, motioning for them to have a drink and join them.

"It was only a matter of time before I roped him in Darren.." While it might have been thought she was winking at him, it was really for Hugh, who hadn't had the chance to reply to her notion about the pair.


-----

Gretta, Tom, and the children had decided that perhaps walking would be a better mode of transportation. Besides, Adele and Lucas were chalked full of energy once the ceremony had come to an end. They ran off ahead of the couple but not too far off to where they couldn't be seen.

The blonde and her dashing husband walked arm and arm through the field, chit chatting about the wedding, and how lovely it was that they would finally have another married couple to invite to do married couple things with. They also chatted about the excitement of their upcoming addition to the family and how it would be nice for the newlyweds to be having their own first's. Tom mentioned a few boxes in the attic that the pair could go through and perhaps even pawn off some of Lucas or Adele's older baby clothes. Gretta thought it was a delightful idea.

Soon enough they'd meandered their way to the pavillion, just shortly around the time one of the carriages were arriving. The blonde spotted Aurelia's aunt and she and her own date, Mr. Phillips joined the younger couple in the last lap to their table.

"You musn't name him Dillion.." Mildred piped up in the middle of their conversation about the wedding. "I think he'll be more of a Howard.. Plus, if he and Aurelia and Hugh's little Amelia ever wind up together, you'll have named them both after famous aviation figures. How terribly quaint and almost perfet.. Yes, you should name him Howard darling.."

They all laughed over the conversation, and quickly found their way to the bride and groom. With them were Chase and Darren, and even a lurking photographer.

"Lucas. Take Adele to get a little snack. I believe Mitzy has a few cookies with your names on it.." They looked at her curiously, as their mother never let them have sweets before lunch. "Don't get used to it," she piped up with a grin. "But if you're to stay up all day, I think the sugar will do you two a lick of good i'm sure."

Hugh smiled and nodded at Aurelia's game play at being the matchmaker. Now that she was an 'old married woman' she would consider it a profession to make sure her friends were happy, too. The figure of Chase and Darren, heading their way, were of obvious concern. As a couple, they were very different, but they had gone through phases too. This was just another phase.

"We could," said Hugh in her ear. "I'm sure a little encouragement won't hurt."

The guests were still coming in when the first of the 'emergency food' began to arrive, about the same time as Chase and Darren took their appointed seats next to the couple on Aurelia's side. After their greetings and sentiments were voiced, it made Hugh thougtful. Without Aurelia's love, none of it would ahve been possible, but just as Aurelia had thought of Chase and Darren needing a little nudge to try things on for size, Hugh knew very well that Chase had been Aurelia's guide in a lot of things. Hugh suspected that Darren had more of a hand in supporting her, even far away, than she would admit. It all added up to a happy day, for which he was truly thankful; as he was thankful for their congratulations. Hugh got up, just for a moment, to greet each personally, and give Chase a hug, and then he knelt by her chair. It allowed him a moment of semi-private moment conversation with Aurelia's dark-haired friend.

"Thanks, Chase, and ever thanks. For taking care of her. I know you had a lot to do with us making it to this point, so that's all I wanted to say." He took both her hands in his for jut a moment, to emphasize the point.

Then he turned back to Darren, who looked relieved to be sitting, although in true Auror fashion, he was surveying the room a little.

"Good to have you here, Darren" he said. "It wouldn't be complete without you, you know. What you say about Aurelia and I is very true. Things have a way of working out, if you make the choice and its important enough." It was true, but he was certain that the intent of Hugh's double entendre compliment of Darren was not lost on him, either. He slipped his arm over the pretty white shoulders of his bride, and picked up a glass. he wanted to get a toast in hand for the other two before the noise level got too high, and all subtlety would be lost. Just for a brief moment he wished that they were all around a table at the Copenhagen, as they had done often in the those fateful formative years. He was glad they'd gotten a few moments to re-connect after the stress of the last few weeks, since more people were coming to the table every moment. Now merriment was the order of the day.

"Here's to our friends," he said, smiling all the while, but with deep sentiment, nonetheless.

When the toast was done, a couple of house elves popped up at their elbows with trays of the various selections that were to be served for lunch, and Hugh reassumed his seat, with his arm draped casually over Aurelia's shoulders as he kissed her.

While they picked out what food they wanted, Hugh also got a chance to get up once more to complement Gretta and Tom on their son's participation, and give them and their children a hearty greeting. He also greeted Mildy, and gave her a firm hug as well. The mosaic of people in their lives never ceased to give Hugh pause for thought.

"I'm more happy than I can say, Mildy. Thanks."

Then they were all able to settle in and look at what the house elves had brought them, pausing only to allow the photographer to get various candid shots of Hugh lifting a lemonade glass to Aurelia's lips, and then kissing the sticky sweet stuff from them afterward.

-------------------------

"Can you believe that's our Hugh up there?" said Reverdy Kenrick, to her husband, smiling. They arrived in time only to see some of the intimate greetings the couple had with their close friends, but they chose to wait, and let the young people talk for a while. Meanwhile, they greeted other guests, including their relatives on both sides of the family. She picked up some appetizers from a tray while Garnet held onto little Olivia, who seemed wide eyed at all the sights and sounds. "How like the old High table it looks."

Garnet Kenrick was equally sensitive to the need for the younger folk to talk for a while, so he held onto their ten month old daughter and scanned the crowd. He was in a reflective mood, too, and caught his wife's dewy eyed view of their son, laughing with their other new 'daughter' by his side. It was a very appropriate picture. He was glad to see their photographer had captured it, too.

"They have good friends, my dear," he said. "People that look out for each other, as family must. Yes, it does look a little like the High table, hmm, I suppose that's natural." The elder Kenrick smiled. "Oh, Rev, look, it's Eldwyn and his family. Let's go greet them before they interrupt Hugh and Aurelia's lunch."

With that, Hugh's parents sallied forth to meet Eldwyn Kenrick, whose wife was gazing at one of the centerpieces with an appraising eye.

"Hello, Wyn, lovely to see you!" said Reverdy Kenrick, as they skilfully intercepted them. "Young Eldwyn looks a picture of health!"

"I'm not," said a boy of about 11, who was as robust as any child of that age. He wore a monocle like his father did, and didn't smile as 'weird' old Uncle Garnet and Aunt Reverdy approached. "I have a cold, and my feet hurt."

"Now, then, El," said his mother. "Say hello to your Aunt and Uncle."

The boy did so, with a click of his heels. Reverdy and Garnet did likewise. They smiled, for the cared about their distant relatives, even if they were considered the eccentric branch.

"It's a happy day. Now find some of the children, and something to eat. Just try to keep your waistcoat clean."

-------------------------

Aurelia sat at the table and enjoyed eyeing up the selections for the first course. She was torn between the chilled vichyssoise and the baked cabecou in puff pastry, so upon the advice of her stomach, she ordered both. Besides, they were smaller portions, as the main course was a bigger and she had room for it all.

There were more people coming and waves from afar from the couple. After Mildred left to take up her spot at the table, Aurelia and Hugh were left with their friends to discuss marriment and a boatload of things centered around the reception.

"I think this might be the best birthday I've ever had." Said the redhead to her husband with a smile. She had plenty of parties; but this, by far, was the best one she could recall. The menu showed so many pretty dishes, of which she was proud that her friends had put together.

Aurelia eyed the crowd with a grin, delighted at the affair that was unfolding before them. It was like a dream come true to have all her loves under one roof, without any problems or impending issues.

Talia had felt really bad about being late to the wedding, and it was probably her fault that they took twenty minutes to reach the reception, but at least the carriage ride was quick and Daniel hadn't complained. She just hoped he understood that things had come up and she'd done her best to get there, albeit a bit out of breath.

"Quite the hubbub, isn't it?" he whispered gently to Talia. He was grinning so she figured it meant he wasn't mad. He indicated Jenn and her partner across the floor and said, "Shall we say hello?"

Talia returned his smile, trying to set aside her insecurities. She was here to enjoy herself, not apologize for things beyond her control. "Lets," she replied, taking his hand.

The tent in which Jenn and Preston found themselves was enormous. Like all magical tents there must have been some enchantment to make it roomier on the inside, and she'd never been inside a place so vast that wasn't a concert hall or a museum. She had half a mind to find Anne Mowbray and tell her to bring the circus in for more entertainment, but she knew there would be plenty already. Preston seemed a bit nervous or something, so she took his arm more closely after his comment, and kissed him by one of the ice sculptures where the appretizers were laid out.

"Mind, certainly nooott. You're not a fifth wheel at all," she said, in a tone that spoke only of fun. "We're here together, and although I have to sit at the table over there, I made sure they put you close by, so I can look at you, and make sure you don't latch onto any of Hugh's pretty relatives."

She laughed her little tinkling laugh, and looked to see who'd already arrived. She could see Hugh and Aurelia were seated already, along with Chase and Darren. They looked relaxed and comfortable, she also spotted the bands setting up and recognized a couple of others, like Copper and her kids. At the moment, she didn't feel like sitting until she had to for toasts and congratulations. All there was to do was to grab some of the appetizers which smelled, and looked fabulous. It was then that she spotted Daniel Washington and Talia Lee coming towards them, so she waved.

"Do you know them? Oh, you know Talia, she works with you guys, right? Daniel was in Hufflepuff with me, so you probably don't know him so well."

Many times in his life, Preston had thanked his lucky stars that he was a wizard. Not just because of the ability to do magic, but because of the creative things you could do with it, if you put your mind to it. The sheer magnitude of what Hugh, Aurelia and a few friends had put together was astonishing, when you considered how quickly they'd done it. Of his own touches he took little credit, but he had been working here in this field in the final few days as well. One good thing had also come their way: The townspeople had lent a hand, under the able guidance of Father Villeneuve and Monsieur Jacques Pondu, the Mayor.

He knew that Jenn and the girls had also done a lot for Auri, and that accounted for the smoothness of the whole operation as well. The couple looked as if they were having the time of their lives -- which they were -- and deservedly so. He waved in their direction, but guided Jenn to a food table so they could get some champagne. They'd need it for toasts later. Then they waved at Talia and Daniel.

-------------

On the bandstand, Su-Lin Yu chatted with Aiden O'Neil while the Empire Big Band warmed up for the background music they would play. She also spent a moment with Ike Rosenburg to make sure she had the cues right when he was going to make an announcement. They expected to be playing well into the evening, so having two bands was an advantage.

Once they had gone over the playbook again, Su-Lin turned to her conductor, Jem, and had him start playing Begin the Beguine, while she went backstage to check her dress and makeup one more time.

Jake put Maggie on the ground and took off the second shoe. He figured it would have disappeared soon anyway. His eyes were jumping around to the groups of people, wondering where Cay had pulled his date. He noticed Jenn and Preston and waved to them, despite a small pain he felt. The pain was pushed aside as he reminded himself that he was over Jenn. He was positive of it. He had a date after all.

But there were more important things on his mind. The first was making sure Maggie stayed with Liam while he sat with Hugh. He knew the house elves would be taking the children and making sure they were behaving, but he felt better knowing she was with someone the little girl knew well.

Luckily for Jake, Liam had already agreed to keep an eye on her. Once Maggie grabbed onto Liam’s hand, Jake hurried off to take his spot near Hugh and Auri. He had already missed the toast, which he felt bad about, but the important thing was he was taking his place.

The first order of business was walking up behind Auri and putting his arm around her.

“Paraben(happy birthday),” he said to her before sitting next to Hugh.

He quickly muttered a soft apology to Hugh and looked around to make sure his little girl was behaving herself.

“So, how’s it feel, old man,” Jake asked with eyebrows quirked.

The food tasted great, and probably moreso because he was enjoying the whole event, so he dug in and the house elves made sure there were plates of everything for Aurelia to choose from. Hugh found out that he was ravenous after the ceremony, so for a few minutes they limited the chat to the people that they knew coming into the tent. It was easier to see them in their full finery, now that they weren’t in the church. He pointed out different people in his family that Aurelia. Some of them she hadn’t met last month when she’d been up at Three Chimneys. It felt a long time ago now.

Aurelia’s comment about it being her best birthday ever prompted him to kiss her softly, and get the opportunity to gaze into those green eyes again. It was a really nice birthday party as well, and Hugh made a mental note to toast to his lovely bride’s additional celebration – all of age 25 – when the chance came.

"Birthdays or Bust, my lovely one." Hugh looked to Chase and Darren, and looked past them to the huge and beautiful cake that was on a table of its own behind them. "We’re going to have to get another cake with candles on it for her birthday – maybe later."

"But for now, I have another small ceremony to perform," he announced, just as Jake sat down, and asked how Hugh felt. He drew a deep breath, and smiled at Jake and then back at Aurelia. He had no trouble at all finding the words. He felt very awake and alive, and he had his friends to thank for it, and the redheaded friend next to him most of all.

"It feels wonderful Jake, I am very thankful to be here," he replied. "Thanks for you help, my friend – and -- you’re just in time. It’s Aurelia’s birthday, today, too. Talk about excitement!"

Hugh brought out a small pretty cream-colored envelope and a small gilded box that was obviously jewelry sized, and handed it to Aurelia "This is for you, my love and very dearest friend, another small gift because you are the pearl of my life."

Once the ceremony was over, Quarme looked around for Cay Tango, but she seemed to have rejoined her friends, including her boyfriend Liam, so he waved farewell. He decided to walk down the hill to the Bois De Chasse Marees to get some air, and enjoy his day off a little. He had hardly come out of the first line of trees into the meadow when he saw the big tent, as big as a Quidditch Pitch, standing there. He went inside, and oriented himself. It was an impressive scene.

The music was already playing, and the party seemed to have begun already, and it was already full of people his age, and older. He wandered around for a little while, and admired the tables and the dance area, and the band that was playing. He saw many of the local French townspeople, and nodded politely to them. (He didn’t speak French). He saw Hugh and his wife sitting at their table near one end of the bit tent, looking happy and laughing at some jest or other, and it made him smile, too. He found where the food was, and took a polite amount of hors d’ouevres with him, and looked around for a table to sit at.

Aurelia was drawn between short conversations with Chase and Darren, her husband, and then Jake when he came up behind her with the hug. She looked up with a smile and thanked him with a french tongue. "Merci."

Her eyes returned to the gaze of Hugh's, and she grinned rather impishly at his mention of birthday's or bust. How long ago they'd started the ritual. This certainly outdid any sort of meet up they'd done for birthdays, that much was certain. She had always loved having an excuse to interrupt his life for celebration; even if they weren't on the best of terms, they would have the time to put those notions aside and enjoy their birthday.

Jake took up a seat with them and she let the men talk a moment until mention of her birthday came up again. She blushed a little and waved off the talk of excitement.

"I'd much rather be excited it's my wedding day over my birthday any year now.." The concept of aging had never really been important to her; the parties for such occasions were always in need, but the actual event was just another passing day. Her life had been expressed through milestones, not her actual age.

She accepted the gift from Hugh with a curious look. It hadn't even crossed her mind that he might get her a birthday present; in all honesty, the wedding had been gift enough in her book. Still, she was excited now.

Putting her fork down for a moment, the redhead set out on opening her gift; there wouldn't be much time left before they'd have to go out and mingle, and there was no way she could leave a birthday gift unopened for an entire evening. She slipped open the card and gave it a read over:

"Something else that's old, even though you're not at all. Wear them in good health, Love Hugh."

Aurelia put the card down and made quick work of unwrapping the box, slipping open the lid. Inside were the most prescious looking pearl dropped earings and a matching pearl dropped pendant.

"Oh Hugh! There's beautiful! You must help me put it on, it goes so lovely with the clips Mildred gave me. I'd swear you two were in cahouts if I didn't know any better." If there was one sort of jewelry the redhead favored, it would be pearls; they spoke with such an eligance and worldliness that she loved.

"They're simply breathtaking." She smiled and slipped her arms around his frame for a hug and kiss. "Really. Thank you."

His smile at her reaction mirrored his silent thought and admiration.

You wear them well, love

He'd long thought about the choice of the pearl set. There was a lot of history to them, and Hugh's mother had suggested that something of the family's ought to be given to her. Hugh had chosen them because they were bound to look good with her hair and skin tone, too. Better than moldering in the family vault! These were old enough in style that they were actually back in style now. Hugh had gotten them fixed up at a jewelers on Diagon Alley, with a stronger clasp, and better posts for the earrings, as well as charms of finding and returning. He let her remove the pretty earrings she had one for the wedding, and placed them safely in the box. Then he stood and gently drew on the pendant and secured it around her neck. The pendant hung at the right length for showing itself, as well as her always lovely neck line and of course, the swell of her equally lovely breasts.

"You've seen these before, in a portrait at Three Chimneys. They belonged to the French wife of Arthur Kenrick, 1623. The story is he was a sort of soldier of fortune like his piratical ancestors, and that he kidnapped her. I don't know if that's so true, though. They were married for 60-odd years and had ten children. Something must have worked. I guess we've got a start on them, and I hope they are as lucky for you as they were for her."

Hugh knew very well that she wasn't the type of girl that demanded such things: Kisses, lovemaking and kind words went a long way with his new bride; but it also gave him pleased to see her so flushed with happiness.

"It's a day for memories -- for all of us," he said, happily, and raised his glass again, taking a smiling look to each friend nearby before he toasted again to his bride.

"What greater thing is there than to be at one with each other in silent, unspeakable memories?"

He resumed his seat and house elves brought more drinks and food for them, as well as for Jake, Chase and Darren, and also Gretta and her family.

They were deep in eating and light conversation when Hugh looked up as more people flooded into the tent and began seating themselves.

"Where o where have the rest of your other wayward sisters gone?" he asked Aurelia.

As they walked over to Jenn and her date, Daniel saw Jenn finally notice them. She smiled and waved at them, and he returned the gesture. She quickly said something to the well-dressed man -- probably explaining who he and Talia were -- and finished speaking just as they arrived.

"Well, you certainly looked splendid up there," said Daniel, giving Jenn a friendly hug. "Not as good as Auri, of course, but still..." He smiled at her, thinking back over all their times at Hogwarts. He released her and turned to her apparent boyfriend, who now that Daniel was closer to him appeared to be at least a few years older than him. "Don't think we've met. Daniel Washington, call me Dan." He extended his hand and waited for the return gesture.

"Well, you certainly looked splendid up there," said Daniel, giving Jenn a friendly hug. "Not as good as Auri, of course, but still..." He smiled at her. He released her and turned to her partner. "Don't think we've met. Daniel Washington, call me Dan." He extended his hand and waited for the return gesture.

Talia smiled. She knew perfectly well who Preston was. She waved slightly. "Hey Preston. Fancy meeting you out of the office." She gave Jenn a hug. "And it feels like it's been FOREVER!" She almost squealed as she greeted her friend. "It's been so long! How are things going? Anything new?"

Her eyes were bright as she glanced around, giving Jenn a second to catch up with her rapid-fire questions while Preston and Daniel hit off.

Aurelia listened silently as Hugh explained their orgins, and she nod along when he'd mentioned the portrait at Three Chimneys. This further delayed the clasp being fastened and she laughed a little, holding as still as she could; which wasn't nearly still enough, but good for him to finish the task. She recalled said picture with the most perfect memory of them standing at it so many years ago. Their heads at a tilt looking up at the portrait and the little pieces of light from the hallway bouncing off of it in a most peculiar fashion. She rememberd the woman and her elegant dress and regal jewels. A picture of loveliness.

Her fingers traced over the necklace as she beamed in adoration of the piece. He was certainly right to think that the material had no concept to Aurelia when it came to gifts; the thought was always the thing that mattered most. Hell, she would cherish a regifted card with the original name scribbled out if someone thought to do that much.

Gretta noticed the commotion and promptly added in on how beautiful the set was. She smiled and pushed back a stray lock of Aurelia's hair to admire the earings. "How lovely Hugh. And you're right! Perhaps we can get a candle on her slice of wedding cake, to make up for it." The blonde winked and laughed as Aurelia gave her a silly look.

"I'll have none of that." Aurelia protested, "As bride, I demand mentions of my birthday go to the backburner today; I'm not trying to turn my wedding reception into my birthday bash.." She stuck her tongue out in jest at Gretta and laughed. "Besides, isn't it more important to mention st. valentine instead of my birthday anyways?"

Gretta agreed, paying one last compliment to the bride before meandering off to find her husband. She had forgotten all about the holiday and wanted to wish him a lovely one.

Which reminded the redhead...

"Happy Valentines m'love." She smiled and picked up her glass. "To memories, and celebrations of all sorts on such a day."

Hugh's mention of her other wayward sisters prompted Aurelia to look around the tent. She was missing two of her bridesmaids; because Jennifer was just over yonder with Preston, having a chat with Daniel and Talia. Sam was nowhere to be seen, and it somewhat worried the redhead, as she wasn't an exceedingly outspoken girl, so it was possible she was just lurking in the distance somewhere. Or perhaps chatting away with Trevor!? Oh that was a more delightful antidote to the question. And Abby! Oh dear! Perhaps she'd hit things off with a gentleman on her way over and they were taking the long walk instead of the carriage ride? It was curious to her though; as to where her brunettes had wandered off to.

Yes, the pearls looked very nice on her, and he admired them as she spoke of birthdays and holidays and weddings. She was a wise young lady, and Aurelia was correct again. It was St. Valentine's Day, and in France it was somewhat more popular than in the UK, since it was based on a tradition stretching back to 1400. He toasted along with her to the day and to the memories. He saw the photographer catching the moment discreetly in the background. He was suddenly moved to a propose a game.

"Wasn't there a sort of court of love established for St. Valentine's Day? I think, as newly marrieds, we qualify as judges for the court, right? People used to judge the best love poetry, and then the judges would tell the couple whose was the best or most sincere. When more people finish sitting down we could try a round. They can write a valentine for someone, and read it for us -- just for fun -- it's not a real contest."

Gretta had gone to find Tom, and Abbigale, Sam, and Jenn weren't very close by just yet. He looked around and spotted his parents nearby. He was sure they'd play. He looked over at Darren and Chase, and he knew they'd be just a tad uncomfortable with such a game, but it was worth a try. He looked to Jake as well with a smile. Jake, too wasn't necessarily eloquent, but he had a simple honesty that was always sincere.

"Aurelia and I can start it off, since we ought not to be immune."

Garnet and Reverdy Kenrick reached the table, and sat down with their drinks and the house elves filled up their plates upon request. They caught only the end of the conversation about St. Valentine's Day.

"You know, your mother and I got engaged on St. Valentines' Day," said Mr. Kenrick. "I think you two have done enough for one day, son. Love isn't a good game to play."

Hugh considered.

"You're right, you're right," he assented. "I withdraw the motion. We'll just toast to love instead."

Anne looked around for a table as close to the dance floor as possible, so that when the time came she could kick up her heels. Nolan had promised a couple of dances, which got her secretly excited for an evening of fun, but she knew she mustn't get her hopes up. He was living a different life from hers entirely. She contented herself with finding them some good seat where they could be near the bride and groom's table, and make an easy exit to the dance floor. She looked to Nolan as she put down her purse.

"Is this spot OK? she asked of him. "By the way,When do you play next?" she asked Nolan. Normally she was up on the scores and statistics of every team, but the schedules were very convoluted.

That was the best thing about weddings. You got to see people you didn’t normally see, and they always looked great – all dressed up! Talia looked really nice, and Daniel was in a brand new suit, too. She hugged both of them in turn, and grabbed up a glass of Perrier water and a champagne glass.

"Why thank you, I love these dresses. I love how it all went! Simply smashing how good they look, those two. But so do you two! It has been too long. Yes, I’ve been hanging around the Ministry a lot lately, though, since I’m on Home Office assignment. Nothing else is really new except that I suppose you didn’t know that Preston and I are officially dating. Preston, do you know Daniel? He was ahead of me in Hufflepuff, and he works for Gringotts. Talia, of course, you know."

She let the menfolk exchange greetings. Daniel could be a little blunt sometimes, but he was a good sort, always helpful.

In order to talk better, she led the little group towards some chairs near the wedding party table so she could be near if Aurelia or Chase needed anything. The band had started up, but at the moment, she was more hungry than anything else, Looking towards the table where she was going to sit with the wedding party, she saw that the couple were doing toasts, and Hugh had put some jewelry (nice looking stuff!) on Auri, too. She realized she'd completely forgotten something.

"Sorry, Talia...Daniel, I have to do something. Pres, please stay here, I have to give Hugh and Auri a present," she said, hurriedly, and ran back to the table where the gifts and boxes were. She chose a moderate sized box from the piles, and made her way to the big table where the couple and Chase and the rest of the party were.

"Hi, forgot to leave this with you. Open it before you make any more toasts," said Jenn to Hugh and Auri, in a rather excited and breathless way. She explained what was in the box.

"There's an age-old French custom involves the bride and groom together drinking a toast from the coupe de marriage – a two-handled marriage cup. I know you have toasting glasses already, but, well, I brought one today as a gift for you two. It’s symbolic of the joining of your two lives. Hope you like it."

In somewhat of a daze, Trevor sipped his ice-cold champagne thoughtfully, eyeing the splendor inside the enchanted tent around him but not registering much. He knew that in her wily ways, Auri had been plotting something since the moment he had first asked about his bridesmaid date; but even after Chase had put him in the picture at the rehearsal dinner, he still wasn't prepared to see Sam again in the church. He had stood there like a twit, stuck midway between admiring how well she looked and considering flight. Not that he would have admitted that, of course - admitted either, actually. They would have been equally compromising.

Their 'conversations' since the rehearsal dinner had been brief, if even that, ending as soon as started. In fact, the longest had been mostly comprised of a quick review of what was required of them during the ceremony from Chase. Trevor wasn't sure if their subsequent walk down the aisle had been so uneasy because they hadn't rehearsed it properly, or because he hadn't seen Sam in 5 years. Excluding that dinner, at least. Had it really been that long? He took another swig of his champagne.

The ceremony had been lovely, though, and all the speeches had thankfully maintained Trevor's attention enough such that he had only found his eyes straying from the happy couple a handful of times. Bundled into a carriage with others from the wedding party, he had been as uncomfortable and silent as was no doubt humanly possible. Escape from the stuffy box had only replaced those small confines with larger ones, however. Trevor had beelined to the alcohol - not the most mature choice - or the wisest, to be certain - but getting sloshed at weddings was perfectly acceptable, right…? Perhaps that was only the case in American cinema. He took an even larger swig, and ended up with a nose full of carbonation. Apparently trying to knock back half a glass of champagne in one go was harder than it seemed.

Wiping off his face with only minimal attempts at discretion, Trevor grabbed a fresh glass and wove his way back to the main table. He arrived just in time to catch Hugh's birthday gift to Aurelia (and lament that he himself had forgotten). The pearl jewelry was timeless and suited her well - that they were legitimate antiques and heirlooms only made them that much more attractive. Apparently he wasn't the only one who had chosen to visit 'the Kenricks' then, though. Waiting patiently, he glanced at his proper table setting and could help but stifle an oath in his head. Samantha was still seated in front of her place card - right next to his. There were some serious disadvantages to having wily friends. He took another moderate gulp. Serious disadvantages.

No sooner than they had met up with Talia and Daniel, and sat down to talk, when Jenn suddenly dashed away on some errand or other. Preston laughed, and apologized again and shook hands with Daniel, and gave Talia a hug for good measure.

"Sorry, she’s a little excited by the whole event, I’m sure she’ll be back soon. Why don’t we set our things down here and Jenn can find us in the buffet line?"

Preston watched the slim blonde girl as she returned to the high table with something in her hands. Then he remembered what she’d told him about the wedding gifts, and how one of them was useful during the wedding, not after. He’d been surprised by what the entire gift was, as it was pretty generous.

"How’s business at the bank, Daniel?" he asked, as he handed plates to them and they surveyed the buffet.

They had just toasted to St. Valentines’ Day, and clinked glasses when one of Aurelia’s missing bridesmaids – Jennifer -- turned up suddenly, eager with some kind of news. It turned out not to be news at all, but yet another gift. She spoke so rapidly he had to ask Jenn to repeat what it was she had for them, but then he was interested to learn that it was a special toasting cup or glass. In front of him were two engraved crystal champagne flutes with the date, and their names, but a wedding cup was something else entirely.

He looked at Aurelia to see if she wanted to open another gift, and he handed over what Jenn had brought them.

"Here, my love, take a look. Thanks, Jenn! I’ve heard of the custom, but I don’t know what these sort of glasses look like. We’ll have to ask Father Villeneuve what the protocol is for toasts with these."

He spied the silver-haired clergyman sitting and speaking with Hugh’s parents not far away. They’d have to show him the cup when it was unwrapped. He also noticed that more of their wedding party had arrived at the table, including Trevor.

He had sat down at his spot – very quietly – and was sipping champagne but not saying anything yet. He’d also been quiet throughout the service, and hadn't really spoken much, but that wasn’t unusual for Trevor. The man was usually a think first, speak second sort of guy, which was why Hugh had always liked him. He’d been a little stunned when they’d first asked him to be in the wedding itself, but had taken on the role with good grace and enthusiasm.

He leaned over to Aurelia as she fiddled with the unwrapping of the cup. He spoke just loud enough for Chase, Darren, Jenn, Jake, and possibly Trevor to overhear

"Mr. Jennings is thinking deep thoughts. All right there, Trevor?"

As soon as they had started talking, Jenn was running off to take care of some wedding business. She picked up a package from the gift table and ran over to present it to Hugh and Auri. Daniel and his two companions watched as she presented the happy couple with some kind of two handled cup. It seemed fairly pretty and looked as though it might have set her back a fair sum.

Preston, also watching the scene, laughed lightly. "Sorry, she’s a little excited by the whole event," he explained. "I’m sure she’ll be back soon. Why don’t we set our things down here and Jenn can find us in the buffet line?"

"Sounds like a good plan," said Daniel. They walked over to the buffet line, Talia being relatively quiet. No doubt she was taking in the whole scene, which was understandable enough. For his part, Daniel was impressed by the whole scene but would almost prefer something quieter, prehaps on a beach somewhere. As they entered the buffet line, which already stretched quite far, Preston asked, "How's business at the bank, Daniel?"

"Oh, not too bad," he replied. "Currently we're trying to get some newer dragons in from South America. Apparently they've got this one -- a Peruvian Fireball, kind of a cousin to the Chinese version, only green and blue instead of red -- that's shown some promise. With the old ones getting a little weaker, we've had to start looking for replacements." He shook his head with a grin, and said, "And how about you? I think Jenn mentioned you work with the IMMF. Any good news from there?"

Preston heaped his own plate, and another one for Jenn as he listened to Daniel relating his latest work with dragons for the bank. Jenn had mentioned that Daniel might sneak dragons into the conversation somewhere, but Preston didn't mind. He'd never been all that interested in magical creatures, except when he'd been on missions with the IMMF. He preferred working with people to animals, but dragons were unique to the magical world. They were worth understanding, at least. It was also surprising to hear Daniel talking about them because Jenn had just mentioned the Magical Treaty that she was working on for those Chinese Lung dragons.

"IMMF was tied into that whole Asimov caper," said Preston, seriously. "That's about as close to Magical Law Enforcement as I like to get. Not that I can't handle myself. I took a couple of years of Auror training, but only for electives on the spells, you see?" He sent two small wine glasses with a nice white chablis back towards their table with a flick of his wand.

"So, anyway, it's great working for the department, and I don't even see my father that much. We have a really flexible schedule, research and development allottment, etcetera. Funny you mentioned dragons, Jenn's working on a treaty for an intelligent and peaceful species of Chinese Lung that was discovered in the mountains. She'll tell you all about it when she comes back, I'm sure."

Preston waited politely as the other couple filled their own plates, and got drinks.

Cay had to admit, she was a little put out that Liam did not follow her when she took offhttp://mis-managed.net/forums/index.php?act=post&do=reply_post&f=69&t=375 with Tamora, who got distracted by some girl from her year. Instead, the man seemed content with his sister. Huffing with annoyance, she decided to look for someone else to entertain her. He noticed Ernest looking around for someone and smiled. Well he always gave her some time for chitchat. Always rely on you Gryffs for someone to hang around with.

She made her way over to the man with a small smile to hide her annoyance. When she got close, Cay gave a small wave with her fingers.

“This is quite the place, isn’t it?” She asked when she was within earshot of Ernest. “This is going to be lovely.”

French food wasn’t that bad



The culinary choices by the couple were certainly palatable enough for Quarme, who worked on his plate for a while, in between sips of champagne. He was on his second glass (the first one was refilled by a house elf that suddenly appeared next to him) when he fell to talking with some people from Hugh’s family that had traveled a long way to be here. Their Scottish accents were very pronounced, so Quarme had to listen carefully to the brogue to catch the drift of what they were saying. Apparently, they were in the whiskey business, and brewed all manner of spirits. Other than that, they seemed very sober people, and good fun. One of the girls, named Helena, was quite pretty, and Quarme couldn’t tell how old she was because she was in an amazing sea blue gown that changed patterns like waves on a seashore, and it somewhat mesmerized him. Occasionally small sea creatures would pop up on the dress, and then swim away. When he found he was staring, he tore his eyes away from the dress and back to the conversation. Her father was suggesting they get some more food, and Helena hadn’t gotten any yet, so they all got up to go. They invited Quarme to walk with them, but he still had plenty, so he decided to stay where he was.

That was the moment that he saw the yellow dress of Cay Tango again.

"Oh, hello Cay!" he said. "I was just talking with the McKnights here, Hugh’s cousins from Aberdeen, we were all saying the same thing, it’s an impressive setup."

The other guests went on their way in search of food, so he invited her to sit a moment.

"I thought you were here with friends?" he inquired. "I saw Liam and the others, didn't I?"

Aurelia was partaking in conversations and an almost toast when Jennifer reared her blonde figure into the picture with another present. The redhead couldn't help but giggle a little at her urge to hand over the gift; companied with a blush of getting to open yet another gift. She accepted it and thanked Jennifer.

She finished its unwrapping and eyed her husband curiously. "Welp," she started with a grin. "I suppose we can fill it with pumpkin juice or something of the like, as I can't really partake in the wine or spirits of the occasion." The bride folded up the paper wrapping and a house elf was quick to collect it and be gone with the box too; leaving only the drinking goblet. It was a curious piece of work.

Hugh's mention of Trevor's state of mind lessened her smile by a fraction. She was moreso hoping that him and Sam might just get over their non-talking ways and maybe have a heart to heart. Perhaps it'd been too soon though.. Oh, if only all of her friends could get their own happy ever after!

The young man with the sandy hair smiled at the idea of drinking from the cup with the fair redhead by his side, and nodded at her musing on what they should drink from the big silver cup that Jenn had given them. It was a pretty thing, for special occasions. It was inscribed with their names and the date. Evidently it was part of the Sloane-Underwood collection of fine magical serving ware.

"I think just a simple raspberry fizz would be appropriate, we always used to drink that together when we were first together."

To their surprise, the cup instantly filled with -- raspberry fizz! Magical indeed.

Hugh called to Father Villeneuve and asked his advice on the marriage cup ceremony. He seemed to be enjoying the reception, too, and had a glass of something in his hand.

"My son, the ceremony is over, so you can use it for any special toasts you like. It's a wonderful custom to use such a cup, very ancient. Perhaps the maid of honor, Mlle. Lang, and the Best Man, Monsieur Darney, would care to take their turns, and you two can each grasp a handle and drink together."

Hugh turned to Chase and Darren on Aurelia's left, and asked her if she would like to do the honor of the Maid of Honor's toast.

"Chase would you like to begin?"

Having nursed a spare goblet of champagne for the past fifteen minutes or so, Chase had just begun to feel the fuzzy glaze of warmth that the drink bestowed on all the merrymakers assembled before Hugh nodded towards her. She set down her fork, reluctant to set aside the flaky-crusted cabecou, and picked up her flute with a smile. Exchanging a smile with Jake across the table, the pair rose to their feet as the murmur across the tent silenced.

"Needless to say, I'm terribly honored to play Maid of Honor - though I have to admit, it's hard to believe that these two are the same redheaded and sandy-haired Hufflepuffs that I first met in the halls of Hogwarts castle. Poor Auri had had her hair clip stolen by a gang of Slytherin third-years and Hugh had gotten himself stuck in one of those trick staircases."

A smattering of appreciative chuckles ensued, and Chase caught Darren's eye with a playful wink.

"On both occasions I was more than happy to lend a helping hand, but in the years since those somewhat 'fateful' encounters, both Auri and Hugh have not only repaid their debt of kindness many times over but have also found each other's lifelong saviors. I'm grateful for their unconditional love and friendship and wish them a lifetime of joyous memories together. Cheers!"

There were many clinks and 'here here!'s heard amidst the applause, as the guests drank heartily to the newlyweds and Chase seated herself in the hullabaloo and handed matters over to Jake.

Originally, the Minister of Magic hadn't planned to attend the reception. There were a couple of reasons for this that had nothing to do with his respect and admiration for the young couple involved, and at first it had seemed like a good idea to skip the reception. However, after he and Elizabeth had watched the party goers departure for the Bois de Chasee Marees he pulled out his appointment book, and discovered that his aide had blocked out four hours today. He wasn't due back in London for at least 2 1/2 hours yet. The question was whether he would be a distraction at the reception. That was the last thing he wanted to do. However, as the bulk of the crowd was local French citizenry, there was less risk of that.

Other than a few questions posed to him by the local wizarding gazette, so far, there was no press coverage of the event. If he stayed around, there was a risk of Daily Prophet, WizardWeek, and The Spellcaster Post showing up. That was also to be avoided.

The other reason to stay around was to speak discreetly to Darren Liten about the current situation, but only after the Kenricks had left: Again, no business ought to be discussed on this happy day if it could be avoided. He also didn't want to interfere with Preston's enjoyment, especially as he had Jenn Sloane-Underwood nearby.

In the end, the couple decided to go, but only for a short while. They found an unassuming table close to one side of the tent, where they could slip out if necessary. He had no staff with him, so they simply sat with whoever was at the table, and they were soon engrossed in conversation with a group of former Beaux students, whom, Rostron discovered, had been on the losing side of the Trophies match eight years ago. They were excellent company, and both he and his wife enjoyed learning about their careers since school, and how it compared to Hogwarts.

Jake smiled as Chase did her speech. There was a feeling of comfort throughout the room, he believed. With both sides of the party familiar and friendly with each other, everyone could connect with each other and the speech. It made him smile. When it was his turn, the man stood up and smiled at Hugh and put his hand on his shoulder.

“Hugh and I have a long history together, same with Auri and Me. I knew them as two faces in the common room and the halls, but once they joined the quidditch team, I got closer to both. Hugh always seemed to get me, know how when I needed help, even if I was too proud to ask for it. No matter what I needed he was there for me. When I heard him and Auri finally got together, I knew personally that he had a great girl.”

Jake looked over at Auri and looked back to Hugh.

“Over the years we had our sets of adventures, both as two young and dumb boys, and more… questionable excursions. Regardless, he always had my back. She’s always had my back. When he told me he proposed I was not shocked. I was, however, to hear he wanted me standing here. But I know that Hugh, you could not have found a better woman. Auri, take care of my mate and I wish you both a long, happy and exciting life together.”

Jake patted Hugh on the back and took a seat as the crowd took their drink.

After Jenn had delivered the cup, she took her place at the bride and groom's table for a few minutes so that she could be near when the toasts began. There was a great hush when someone rang a glass and Chase rose to deliver her toast. It was about friends, and the type of bonds that friendship forges. The former Hufflepuff girl couldn't agree more with the sentiment or the value of those memories past and present. Jenn applauded and raised her glass and watched the couple drink as well.

It wasn't long before Jake got up to deliver his own little speech. She knew him as a man of few words, but he didn't seem to have any trouble speaking from the heart. It brought a smile to her lips once more as he delivered the toast, and glasses were raised again. The crowd was murmuring and nodding, and the bright smiles could be seen all across the big room. She caught sight of the little knot of Preston with Talia and Daniel all with glasses raised, and she felt the sudden impulse to stand up herself, but she decided to wait until members of the family or other members of the wedding had spoken first. However, she had a toast prepared for the occasion, and a simple story of thanks to the couple as well.

My love
Your love
Has opened up a world I’ve never known
All hope
Was found
A place I never dreamed I would go
Feels like only yesterday I had locked my heart away
Safe behind a castle of stone
Sure I’d always be alone
Only you know how
To hear me through the silence
You reach a part of me that no one else can see
Forever true there’s only me and only you
Only me and you

Using the cup was a little bit awkward, but it did provide some amusement for Hugh and Aurelia as they lifted it in response to the toasts made by Chase and Jake. They managed not to spill more than a couple of drops by taking small sips, and giggling as they did so. The redheads cheek and lips were deliciously close, so after each toast, Hugh was able to sneak a velvety (and slightly sticky) kiss. He and Aurelia held up the cup after each toast to acknowledge the kinds words, and then Hugh decided to switch to the toasting flutes instead.(non-alcoholic fizz) There seemed to be a barrage of people rising to their feet now, so he thought they'd better be prepared.

"Less chance of a spill," he said to his wife. There was no way he wanted to have her dress spoiled in any way, even though magic could easily take out a stain.

Meanwhile, the gracious words from the dark-haired girl and his tall best friend had quite silenced him, and made his heart glow. They'd known these people for a lot of years, and had gone through common experiences and dangers. it wasn't Hugh's nature to seek this kind of praise, although he appreciated it greatly. He was just happy that they were all there, and it was one grand party. But he decided to rise and thank them, and he took Aurelia hand so she could rise with him.

"Thank you, Chase and Jake. We have a rare group of friends."

They lifted their own glasses and saluted their friends on either side. Hugh looked out at the hundreds at the tables nearby. Most seemed to have food already, but he wanted to let things settle a bit.

"Please, eat and enjoy yourselves. This party's just getting started! We thank you all for coming, and we have some great entertainment in store!"

They sat again, and he kissed the bride amidst various good-natured hoots and applause.

Talia had allowed herself to get caught up in the fine splendor of everything and had lost track of Daniel after Jenn had left them. She looked around to see that he and Preston had made their way to the buffet. She quickly went to join them.

Around her, she heard murmurs, then all quieted as the bride and groom began to offer the traditional toasts. She had to smile as she listened to her friends' devotions of love to each other. It was indeed a really good day for a wedding.

He surveyed the table she had chosen with a smile; it was a respectable distance from the elevated high table reserved for the wedding party and yet close enough to the hardwood dance floor to allow them easy access. Pleased with her selection, Nolan offered his companion a grin and promptly pulled her chair out for her before taking his own place. The table setting, while lavish, was done with remarkably good taste, and he was also glad to see that they weren't far off from the edible offerings. Catching a glimpse of his dark-haired chef friend intently instructing the house-elves on plate presentation, Nolan decided that he could catch Damian later and focused instead on the pretty girl seated next to him.

Having poured himself a pint of hard cider already (he loathed wine more than anything), Nolan set about finding refreshments for Anne. As others trickled to their table, he had taken extra precautions to ensure that his legs and height weren't a nuisance for the other guests, something that he had trained himself to do over the years and was now second-nature to the athlete. At her inquiry, however, he set down his goblet.

"The season's about half-done, at this point. Next match is Tuesday, against the Wasps," he had spotted Jake, the best man and Wasps Beater, earlier during the day, when the two had greeted one another with curt nods. Liam O'Neil was bound to be wandering about, too, though Nolan didn't usually concern himself with 'broomwarmers', old classmates or not.

"Tell me about circus life. It must be awful tiring, what with the traveling," he acknowledged, but before she had a chance to reply, the toasts had begun, signaling the start of the feast, and Nolan glanced down at his plate to see his selection of figs and prosciutto appear rather suddenly.

Once they were both seated, Anne got herself some champagne to drink from one of the house elves, but didn't try it yet as she listened quietly to Nolan's description of the quidditch season and his next game. She didn't want to miss one where not one, but two of her old friends would be playing against each other. That could be very exciting. She made a note of the date and like Nolan looked around at the interior of the big tent. It was comfortably warm after the cool out-of-doors, but she saw that they had also made use of natural lighting as well as the floating lamps and candle stands.

"I'm off the circus for a month," she began, and then came several toasts by Chase, Jake, and then Hugh bade them all welcome. She silently toasted each of her old school chums' words, and then returned to the subject at hand.

"I do a lot of odd jobs, really. The animals are so well taken care of that there's very little work for a magical creatures healer -- most of the time. So I help out the handlers sometimes, and I even get to do an act or two with some of them. I worked on a couple of animal acts with the Ringmaster. I filled in when one of the pegasi riders was sick, too. I'm more comfortable behind the scenes. It's a fun life, really. I get to see different places, and meet all sorts of people. I can't complain, really."

She didn't say that it also afforded very little time for social activity, and she didn't date any of the men that worked with the circus, so the wedding had been a chance to re-connect with her old friends. So many of them were here. She had always hoped to see her two friends happy, and everyone she saw looked so prosperous and well off that it made her smile inside to think that they'd all come from the same place once. She took a very small sip from her glass of champagne.

"If -- if there's any chance I could buy some tickets for that game next Tuesday, I'd like to see you and Jake in action. Where's the game being played?"