[Special] The Wedding - Part 2
The applause took quite a while to fade away.
Even after Luciel finally pulled his lips away from Katerina's, many of the guests remained standing, smiling, congratulating them from their seats, or simply watching the newlyweds with warmth.
Katerina lowered her gaze slightly for a moment.
Not because she was embarrassed.
Or perhaps she was.
Just a little.
But Luciel did not seem willing to let go of her hand for even a single second.
As though simply doing so might wake him from a dream that was far too perfect.
"From now on, you're my wife," Luciel said quietly, wearing a smile so radiant it even looked a little silly.
Katerina looked back at him with that same gentle smile.
"I know."
"I just wanted to say it," Luciel added again.
"I noticed," she replied without losing her smile.
The elderly man who had officiated the ceremony looked at the two of them with an amused expression before slowly putting away his wand.
"...I hope your happiness lasts forever," the man said.
The ceremony was now over.
The only thing left was to celebrate.
Little by little, the musicians changed their melody.
The solemn music that had accompanied the wedding slowly faded into something much lighter and more cheerful.
The chairs began moving to the sides on their own.
Some of the guests stepped aside naturally, clearly accustomed to that kind of magic at celebrations held by old magical families.
Others, however, watched with obvious curiosity.
Like Susan and Wendell, who, despite having been part of the magical world for quite some time now, still found themselves marveling like children every time they witnessed things like this.
Harry watched Luciel and Katerina for a few seconds.
Luciel was receiving congratulations from several guests while still holding Katerina's hand.
"My cousin has been waiting for this day for many years," Fleur said beside him, unable to help feeling just as happy for them as she watched the two of them.
Harry turned toward her.
Normally, he would have replied with some sarcastic remark or playful tease just to annoy her.
But this time...
It did not feel like the right moment.
"It looks like the happiness they've been waiting for has finally reached them. I wish them the best," Harry answered calmly.
Fleur glanced sideways at him.
Perhaps she had been expecting him to say something else just to tease her.
"Was that... a kind comment, Mr. Villain?" she asked with a faint amused smile.
"Maybe."
"How strange," she said, a trace of suspicion in her eyes.
"I can still take it back."
Harry looked directly at Fleur with a smile that became just a little darker.
"No. I'll keep it as evidence," she immediately replied.
Harry shook his head, though his smile never disappeared.
Then he felt someone watching him from the other side of the garden.
Turning his head slightly, he saw Sirius standing beside Edward, Selene, Susan, Wendell, Remus, Nymphadora, Narcissa, and his mother, Wanda.
The moment their eyes met, Sirius gave him such an exaggerated wink that Harry immediately felt the urge to pretend he did not know him, quickly looking away.
But he could not help remembering the conversation they had had a few days ago.
He could easily tell that all the adults in his family seemed to be plotting something.
He was not stupid.
Even his mother.
But for now, he decided to let them.
Maybe...
It was not so bad.
Harry let out a sigh and turned toward Fleur, about to ask her something.
But before he could open his mouth, Fleur spoke first.
"Harry. Would you like to dance?" she asked, turning toward him with a sweet, gentle smile filled with anticipation.
For a moment, Harry did not answer, simply looking into her eyes.
While Fleur maintained that calm smile.
Which felt rather suspicious.
Harry instinctively narrowed his eyes at her.
"...Sure?" he finally answered, still unable to shake the suspicion from his mind.
His uncertainty was obvious.
Fleur blinked slightly.
Perhaps she had not expected him to accept so quickly.
But her smile immediately widened.
"Perfect."
But Fleur did not raise her hand to take Harry's and lead him onto the dance floor.
Instead, she turned around and took the arm of an elderly lady who had been chatting with guests just behind them.
Then she presented her to Harry.
"This is my grandmother, the matriarch of the Delacour family," Fleur introduced, causing Harry's face to instantly fill with confusion.
The elderly woman, with silver hair and very pale blue eyes, turned toward them with a kind expression.
And although her advanced age was obvious, one could still tell that even now she possessed an almost ethereal beauty.
In her prime, she probably looked like a woman in the prime of adulthood.
After all, she was a pure-blood Veela.
"Harry agreed to dance with you, Grandma," Fleur said with a smile to her beloved grandmother.
"Oh? Is that so?" Madame Delacour asked with an amused smile, first looking at her beloved granddaughter and then at Harry.
Who slowly turned his head toward Fleur with his mouth slightly open.
"..."
Fleur looked back at him with absolutely fake innocence.
"What?"
"It would be both a pleasure and an honor to dance with you, Madame," Harry quickly said, recovering himself without forgetting his noble etiquette as he gave her a slight bow in greeting.
"What a splendid young man," Madame Delacour said, appearing quite interested in the young man before her as she took his hand to invite him onto the dance floor along with everyone else.
Harry turned and looked at Fleur for a moment.
His gaze seemed to say quite a few things.
Especially when accompanied by that strained smile.
Seeing him, Fleur was covering her mouth to hide her laughter, as though she herself had not expected this to work, while she watched Harry and her grandmother make their way to the dance floor.
But Fleur's smile, as she watched Harry end up trapped dancing with the elderly lady, could not help growing sweeter the longer she looked at him.
Meanwhile, every now and then Harry threw her a glance that made it perfectly clear...
This was not over.
Fleur simply smiled, as though that thought made her even happier.
The musicians began playing a soft melody as Luciel and Katerina prepared for their first dance.
For a brief moment, every conversation faded away.
Luciel extended his hand toward his wife.
Katerina took it without the slightest hesitation.
And Katerina's dress moved so gracefully that it almost seemed to float.
Luciel never took his eyes off her.
Not even once.
It was as though they were the only two people in the world who existed for each other.
"You're quite special, aren't you, young man?" the elderly lady said as she looked at him closely.
"Am I?" Harry asked, somewhat surprised.
"Not to boast, but many men would have fallen at my feet and even begged to become my slaves just from touching my hands. And yet you still can't stop looking at her," she said with an amused smile, pointing for a moment toward her granddaughter, who had not stopped watching them dance while smiling at the scene.
"Well, maybe that's because I've already fallen under the charms of a veela," Harry replied calmly, not feeling particularly pressured by the older veela.
Those words seemed to amuse Madame Delacour.
"You're more honest than you look."
"Thank you... I think," Harry answered calmly.
But she was not finished.
"And yet the two of you still pretend otherwise," she added bluntly. "I suppose that's how young people have fun these days."
Harry remained silent for a few seconds, pretending not to understand what she meant.
Somehow...
He felt like grandmothers were far more dangerous than they actually looked.
Or perhaps it was because she was a veela.
The elderly woman let out a quiet laugh when she saw his expression while effortlessly leading him through the dance.
It wasn't that Harry was bad at dancing.
After all, during his childhood Selene had taught him a great deal about noble etiquette.
It was simply that the woman was far too good at leading, perhaps because she had spent her entire life being the one in control.
"My granddaughter is a good girl," she said suddenly.
Harry did not answer immediately, instead looking directly into the elderly woman's eyes.
"I know," he replied.
"Her childhood wasn't easy. The pain of being born a veela... even if she doesn't show it, there was a time when she truly hated the blood we share. Fortunately, that pain gradually faded, and she no longer rejects what she is. Even so, as her grandmother, I will always worry about her. I never want to see her cry again the way she did in the past, shutting herself away from the world. I want her to be happy. Because everyone in this world deserves that," she said.
Harry looked back at Fleur.
And smiled.
"Believe me. I know that very well."
Harry repeated it without losing that smile.
A smile that held no mockery.
No sarcasm.
Nothing at all.
Just a smile that was completely honest.
Completely true to how he felt.
The elderly woman watched him for a few seconds.
Then she smiled.
"Good."
Harry did not know how to respond to that.
But for some reason...
He felt as though he had just passed some kind of test.
Madame Delacour finished the dance and, without the slightest hesitation, turned around, grabbed Fleur by the arm, and dragged her onto the dance floor before giving her a gentle push straight toward Harry, making her bump into him.
Meanwhile, Harry instinctively caught her by the shoulders.
"Good. Even if I look young, I'm already getting old. I don't have time to take part in your little lovers' games. You'd better dance already and not waste tonight with your nonsense," she scolded them.
Although both of them looked ready to deny something, Madame Delacour did not seem interested in listening.
She simply waved them off and walked away before returning to the guests she had abandoned just to join Fleur's little game of teasing Harry.
"U-um... well..."
Fleur took a small step back from Harry, slightly embarrassed by her grandmother's words.
But Harry interrupted her.
"So... may I finally have the pleasure of dancing with you now, Miss Delacour?" Harry asked immediately, wearing an amused smile as he extended one hand toward her.
Fleur looked as though she was about to refuse.
But Harry's gaze seemed so...
Honest.
Unlike those times when he was plotting something just for fun or to cause trouble.
Like the time he had asked her on a date using the excuse that she owed him one.
Fleur looked down at Harry's hand.
Then into his green eyes.
They truly did not seem to be plotting anything.
He even appeared to be waiting patiently.
"You're not going to get revenge for what happened a moment ago?" she asked suspiciously.
"Oh, I absolutely will. I'm certain of it," Harry answered with complete honesty while his smile never faltered, somehow making him even more terrifying. "But not right now. Right now, I just want to dance with you," Harry said, lightly moving his outstretched hand as he waited for Fleur to take it.
Fleur narrowed her eyes at Harry's words.
But she could not help letting out a small smile.
"I suppose I wouldn't mind being your dance partner," she said.
And at last, she placed her hand in his.
The two of them joined in a slow dance as the gentle music began to play and more people stepped onto the dance floor alongside them.