[Special] The Wedding - Part 3
Wanda watched everyone as each of them took their partner and joined the dance floor.
Especially Fleur and Harry, who smiled and talked while gently swaying to the music.
Tommy, who at some point had joined Astoria and Luna, dragging Billy along as they tried to figure out whether certain enchanted desserts were actually alive.
Draco offered Hermione a rose, and she seemed to admire it without stopping to think what that gesture could actually mean, leaving her completely frozen for a moment before taking it with an embarrassed expression.
While Draco seemed completely unaware.
Mostly because Daphne was watching them with that teasing grin of hers, bothering the two of them before finding her next victim, Viktor Krum, and shifting all her attention to go bother him instead.
Nicolas and Perenelle, now younger once again, dancing together with the affection that seemed to have never disappeared, even after living for more than seven hundred years as husband and wife.
Selene and Edward, looking into each other's eyes with love as they danced.
And Susan and Wendell, smiling every now and then as they chatted during their dance.
Even Nymphadora and Remus were dancing, although Remus looked somewhat uncomfortable with the advances of the witch, who was obviously much younger than him.
While Sirius watched them with momentary suspicion, remembering Harry's words.
Even Narcissa, who hadn't joined the dancers, now wore a gentle smile on her usually expressionless face as she lightly nodded along to the music, enjoying the cheerful atmosphere while sitting beside Wanda, who smiled as she watched everyone.
Seeing her children, her friends, and the people she had come to care about enjoying a night like this was something that always filled her heart completely.
Something she had only gained after arriving here.
When the music ended, the adults gathered around Wanda and Narcissa, both of whom turned down every invitation they received to dance.
"Then I win," Sirius declared the moment he arrived, wearing an arrogant grin.
"That doesn't count," Susan said in a somewhat annoyed tone.
"Of course it doesn't. You definitely had something to do with it. We weren't supposed to interfere," Selene replied disdainfully toward Sirius.
"What do you mean it doesn't count? I didn't force him, did I? I was simply doing my job as his godfather," Sirius argued.
"It's just dancing. I don't think it counts," Tonks added, happily joining the little argument that was starting. "Don't you think?" she asked Remus.
Who had absolutely no interest in getting involved.
But ended up being dragged into it anyway.
"Well... um... I think it counts as progress," Remus answered quietly.
"Thank you," Sirius said, as though the answer had been obvious. "What do you think?" he asked Edward.
As one of the male members of the group, naturally he had to cast his vote.
"I'd say it counts as half a point," Edward answered calmly.
Though the bias toward his wife was obvious, considering she was staring directly at him.
"They're still children," Narcissa said with a sigh as she watched them talking just like they used to back at Hogwarts, despite having all belonged to different houses.
Wanda simply shook her head, understanding that they were talking about that little bet Susan and Selene had made, which eventually everyone had joined, about how long it would take Harry to finally admit his feelings and stop flirting all the time so he could actually ask Fleur out.
Which really was childish.
And of course it would annoy Harry quite a bit if he ever found out.
Perhaps enough for him to violently get revenge on his godfather.
But those childish games among the adults were probably inevitable.
Especially with this group.
After all, parents and children really were exactly alike.
Meanwhile, completely unaware that there was currently a bet involving his love life, Harry and Fleur finished their dance.
"You're not that bad," Fleur said with an amused smile.
"Thank you for the compliment. Although it's a rather poor compliment," Harry replied.
"Well, not everyone deserves my best compliments."
Harry smiled in amusement.
"Wow. What an honor to be in the lower category."
"The middle one," Fleur corrected.
"I'm touched," Harry said dramatically, placing a hand over his chest.
...
Meanwhile, over by the tables, Hermione and Draco could clearly hear that the two of them had started again with those sarcastic comments that were full of flirting.
Daphne had already wandered off to bother Viktor, who, truthfully, didn't seem all that bothered anymore while she surrounded him.
Hermione ignored Harry and Fleur's conversation and was trying to decide whether she should try a small violet cake or a blue one that seemed to be giving off a sweet-smelling vapor.
"The blue one has lavender liqueur," Draco said beside her, accidentally brushing against her shoulder. "The violet one is just caramel," he explained calmly.
Hermione gave a slight start.
Lately, it seemed she felt something strange whenever Draco got that close.
It was as if she had become much more aware of it, while Draco simply seemed to act as he always did, completely unbothered by anything.
She tried to regain her usual composure.
Draco picked up the violet cake with a napkin and offered it to her.
"This one's safer," he said, looking her in the eyes.
Before his gaze drifted for a moment to Hermione's hair, which today had been neatly styled with small braids running toward the back, decorated with tiny flowers very similar to the ones Katerina wore.
In fact, Katerina had taken all the girls to a spa to have their hair and outfits done, so each of them seemed to have those little flowers in their hair.
Courtesy of little Terra, of course.
"Excuse me," Draco said as he gently took one of the flowers, which seemed to be slipping loose, and carefully fixed it back into Hermione's hair.
Making Hermione blush even more with embarrassment, since she hadn't managed to recover her composure in time.
And instinctively, she pushed Draco's hand away and took a step back.
"It's fine. You don't have to. I can fix it myself," she said, her face completely red as though it were burning.
"Really?" Draco asked calmly. "I don't mind."
"No. Yes. No... I'm fine," she answered at once, stumbling over her own words as she touched her hair exactly where Draco's hand had just been. "You're actually much more dangerous than Harry. At least he realizes what he's doing," she murmured to herself, still embarrassed and a little annoyed.
"What?" Draco asked, not having heard her properly.
"Nothing," Hermione replied immediately before looking at the cake. "Thank you," she added before taking a bite, leaving a little cream on her lips.
Draco looked at her, and for a moment he couldn't help letting a gentle, almost sweet smile appear as he watched her.
One he quickly brought back under control until his usual expression returned.
"Would you like to dance?"
Hermione nearly choked on the cake.
"What?"
"I asked if you'd like to dance," Draco repeated calmly.
"I... I'm not very good at dancing," Hermione stammered, feeling her face grow warm all over again while silently complaining to herself once more.
"That's a lie. We all learned from Aunt Selene," Draco replied calmly, leaving Hermione with no real way to accept or refuse his invitation.
Draco held out a hand.
"Would you?" he asked again.
Hermione opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
Then looked at Draco's hand.
And for some reason, her mind suddenly became far less useful than usual.
"...All right."
Draco took her hand naturally.
Meanwhile...
Daphne watched the scene with a small amused smile.
"Pathetic," she said, though her smile didn't really seem to believe that.
If anything, she looked rather happy.
"Who are you talking about?" Viktor Krum asked as he walked over to her.
Or rather, Daphne had suddenly appeared nearby.
Daphne turned around and looked at him.
"You," she answered calmly.
Viktor wore a confused expression at her sudden attack.
Which made Daphne unable to hold back a laugh.
Seeing Daphne smile, Viktor, who had still been wearing a confused expression, couldn't help smiling too, purely by reflex.
"My, Mr. Krum. Are you laughing at me?" Daphne asked as her gaze suddenly became rather dangerous. "If I remember correctly, I still have that famous photograph in my possession, don't I?" she added wickedly.
The moment Viktor remembered that, he couldn't help shivering.
"No," he said immediately.
"That sounded like a lie," Daphne replied with her mischievous smile.
Truthfully, that photograph had stopped mattering to Viktor a long time ago, so he wasn't really worried about it being shown to the world.
Maybe, at some point, he had simply started finding it amusing to play along with this little she-devil.
Viktor paused for a moment before answering.
Instead, he simply said,
"Well... maybe."
Quite calmly.
Daphne stared at him with an amused smile.
"Well now. My little slave learned how to answer back."
Viktor sighed for a moment, though he didn't seem annoyed at all.
Instead...
"Would you like to dance?" he suddenly asked.
Daphne froze for a moment and stared at him as though she were looking at a madman.
For some reason, Daphne's expression changed several times, and then, out of nowhere, she turned around and took off running as fast as she could.
Leaving Viktor standing there, watching her flee as though her life depended on it.
Watching her run away like a frightened little rabbit, Viktor couldn't help letting out a genuinely amused laugh.