"I am definitely not a dress girl," Hope complained as Halley zipped up her friend's dress for her.

"I don't know Hopey, you look pretty good," Halley grinned.

"Shut up Longbottom," Hope stood heavily on one of Halley's feet.

Halley let out a cry and began to hop on one foot, "really Hope, I compliment you and then you cause me so much pain."

"What on earth is going on in here?" A flustered looking Molly Weasley walked into to hear Halley swearing loudly, and Hope laughing, "watch your tongue Halley Alice Longbottom or I'll stick it to the roof of your mouth."

"Sorry Grandma," Halley grinned, still rubbing her foot.

"Well, you two girls are ready, you can help me search for Venus," Molly said.

"Look for who now?" Hope asked.

"For Venus dear, she seems to be hiding," Molly said.

"She's not run off has she?" Hope whispered to Halley as they began to search the house.

"I don't think so," Halley peered into a room.

"What are you looking for?" James walked past them, pulling at the collar of his dress robes.

"Mum," said Halley.

"I saw her go into a cupboard downstairs if that's helpful," James gestured down the stairs.

"Thanks, Jamsie," Halley ruffled his hair. She hurried off down the stairs.

"You know, it's strange to see you in a dress Hope," said James.

"Shove off James."

Downstairs Halley had just bumped into Venus and Harry walking out of the pantry.

"Mum, why are you in the pantry with Uncle Harry?" Halley frowned.

"Well, on a wedding day, the bride sometimes just has to hide from her mother," laughed Venus.

"Well, you've just made Grandma Molly worse," said Halley, "just be glad that no one told Granny Augusta that you went missing, she would have thought you ran off and told Dad that you were, and I quote, 'a good for nothing troublemaker.'"

"Halley, that's how Augusta describes you, not me," Venus patted her daughter's back, "anyway, let's go get ready."

********

The guests were seated, and eventually, they were ready for their service to start. Halley made her way down the aisle, grinning at her father before she sat down with the other bridesmaids.

The music crescendoed and all heads turned to the back of the tent, where Venus had emerged, accompanied by Arthur and Sirius. All three were grinning widely, and Halley saw the look of pure love in her mother's face as she looked up the aisle at Neville.

Halley glanced back at her father and saw him looking at Venus with almost the exact same look that she was giving him. Her parents were an enigma that Halley was yet to solve.

After twenty-four years together, they still looked at each other as if they were teenagers in school.

The exact details of their parent's roles in the Second Wizarding War had been kept from the Longbottom children. But Halley had pieced together what she could from history books. As far as she could see, it was a wonder that both her parents were still sane, let alone anything else.

Halley was jolted from her thoughts, as the old wizard said his final piece and Neville pulled Venus in for a kiss. The whole tent broke into applause, which Halley quickly joined in. A massive smile on her face.