The church on the Isle of Fare Dhu stood alone in a wide span of grasses, which shook in the sea air as it whipped across the island. The stones weathered and old, the sunlight pouring through the colorful stained glass window in the spire, and the smell of brine filled the air, mingling with the faintest bit of incense , burning from the corner, where candles burned quietly. The Minister of the church stood, lighting one of the candles with a long match stick, and when the wick caught he blew out the stick - then disappeared it with a pinch of his fingers.

Malcom McGonagall adjusted his minister's collar and walked quietly through the church, looking at the colorful pools of light on the floor, passing by flowers - purple thistles and sprigs of heather, fastened to the ends of the pews, and woven together around an arch prepared at the front of the sanctuary, beautiful purple and the softest off-white. The Minister paused and sat in the front pew, staring up at the largest stained glass window of all - a circular window, high above the pulpit, the symbol of a heart in the center of a white rose, wrapped in a crown of thorns shining bright with the morning sunrising behind it. The church had been carefully built so that when the people faced the window, they looked toward the holy land.

The Minister began to pray, closing his eyes and letting his lips move over words he spoke in silence. 

He'd been praying some time when the creak of the church door opening caught his attention and he turned 'round to find his sister, Minerva McGonagall, walking toward him, dressed in a white slip and a tartan robe pulled tight' round her, barefoot, her hair half-up, tendrils hanging to frame her face, an aging auburn, once vibrant red but now steaked with grey. She walked quickly down the aisle and slipped into the pew beside her brother, staring up at the window high above, too.

This church as as familiar to her as the house she grew up in, as the barn, still overrun with cats, and the creek in the woods at the far edge of the McGonagall property. She'd gone and sat on the rock beside the creek for hours the day before, watching the water rush by, and thought about cats and frogs and clubhouses and days of carefree laughter. She'd walked across the field and thought about days of sunsets and the warm smell of thistles in summer sunlight, heartbreaking choices and loss. These were all things that made Minerva who she was, all things that shaped her, formed her, the way the colorful panes of the stained glass windows made up abstract pictures portraying stories of complex unending love.

She waited in perfect silence until she heard Malcom whisper, "Amen." 

"If it isn't the bride herself," Malcom said quietly, smiling at his sister. "I was only just prayin' for your marriage this very moment," he explained, and I look up and there yeh be." He paused. "Yeh been up as long as the sun, haven't yeh?" he asked.

"I'm so nervous, Malcom," she whispered. "Been up since long before the sun."

"What have ye to be nervous for, Min?" he asked. "Yeh got yerself a good'un when you picked Elphinstone. 

"Aye, I know," she said, her accent rolling thick with the familiarity of being home, "That's exactly what I'm nervous for, that perhaps he'll realize what a big mistake he's making in choosing me back."

Malcom stared at her for several long moments, smirking and shook his head, "Yeh've been confident all yer life - don't be choosing now to become self-conscious, Minnie," Malcom chuckled. "Yeh needn't bother at this point with that sort of thing. Yeh got yerself a good man and yeh needn't be worried about anythin'."

Minerva flushed and tugged her tartan closer 'round her, biting her lips and continuing to stare up at the stained glass high above.

"He's as good as married to yeh already, Minnie love," Malcom said, smiling, "I've seen him, the way he looks at yeh. He hasn't eyes for anyone else."

Minerva looked at Malcom with wide, damp eyes. "I wish Da were alive to be here today."

"He's here in yer heart, ye ken it as well as I," Malcom answered.

"Ye ken what I mean though," Minnie replied back, "I wish that he were here in the flesh as well as the spirit."

Malcom hesitated, then he stood up and stepped 'round Minerva to the front of the sanctuary, ducking below the arch of thistle and heather at the front, and bent over a small plinth there, opening a drawer. He took out something and carried it over to the row where Minerva sat. "Here ye be," he said, "I was going to surprise yeh with it during the ceremony, but I reckon you'll be distracted then, so perhaps it's best I show yeh now..." He held out a small silver dish, engraved with the Scottish thistle. "It's mum and dad's quiach cup, from their wedding. I found it only just this morning."

Minerva took the bowl into her hands, cupping her fingers 'round it. 

Malcom said, "It may not be flesh, Minerva, but it's a bit of 'em both."

Because the McGonagall-Urquart wedding would be a mixture of wizard and muggle attendees, there was a special disapparation point for those coming by magical means - the barn at the manse. James, Lily, Sirius, Remus, and Peter disapparated to Fare Dhu together, appearing mere seconds apart in the dusty old barn, which smelled of warm hay and brine from the nearby sea.

"There's about fifty bleedin' cats in here," Sirius said, looking around.

"Of course there are cats," Remus said, "It's a barn. There are always cats in barns."

"And it's Minnie's house," James reminded Sirius.

They stepped out into the yard, everyone looking around with interest at the place where Minerva McGonagall had grown up. Sirius had been there once, long ago when he'd driven Minnie by motorbike through the night to be at the bedside of Dougal McGregor, her childhood best friend and long-time sweetheart of long ago. It had been night when he'd been at the manse, however, and it certainly afforded a bit better of a view in the daylight. The little house seemed alive, a character in its own right, having lived through generations and generations of families - not just the McGonagalls.

They were running shuttles - a sort of hayride from the McGonagall's property out to the old churchyard. The road was bumpy but the scenery beautiful, rough and rugged terrain, sweeping landscapes and, once they were 'round the bend and past the strip of woods that lined the manse, there was a sloping moor, cliffsides overlooking the sea, and dark craggy rocks that jettied out into the dark grey waters. 

Remus was reminded of the thoughts he'd had in Costa Rica, sitting beside a very different looking ocean with Sirius.

"It's so beautiful," Lily whispered. "Isn't it so beautiful?" she looked 'round at the four Marauders.

"It looks like Minnie," James said, smiling.

"It really does," Remus agreed.

"You can almost hear her accent looking at it," Peter agreed, nodding.

James cupped his hand 'round his ear, "What's that professor?" he asked, a pause, then, "Yes, that bush over there definitely just told me to have a biscuit."

All five of them laughed.

The church itself was grey stone darkened by the weathering of years and years of sea winds and the shuttle deposited them in the dirt lane that led up to the churchyard. A low stone wall surrounded the church and even from a distance they could see archways woven with thistle and heather and hear the sound of music floating on the air toward them. 

The churchyard was filled with beautifully curated flowers and bushes, purple and blue and white, a beautifully maintained garden. There was white bunting put up on the stone stair that led up into the church itself. People milled all about, mixing together and from things James overheard as they walked they were all talking about how they knew Minerva and Elphinstone, and he saw several familiar faces, and realized they were not the only students that had been invited, but were perhaps among many she'd been close to over the years of teaching. 

As they crossed the yard and entered the sanctuary, James spotted Bilius Weasley laughing with some blokes James recognized from the Ministry, and Frank and Alice Longbottom talking with a muggle couple. There were Florean Fortescue, Alastor Moody, and Finneus Flitwick gathered about one another, a few feet away was Harry Underhill, standing and talking with Jasper Odair and Meg Johnson, beside them was Marjorie Grant and the Odairs' boys, Eli clutching onto Yertle the Turtle. Even Argus Filch was in attendance, wearing a horrid old suit and holding Mrs. Norris in one arm, sitting in the very back pew of the church. They saw the teachers and staff from Hogwarts, too, including Albus Dumbledore, Hagrid, Professor Sprout, and Madam Pomfrey. Professor Kettleburn was there, too, though he was in a wheel chair with his leg in a full cast, several bowtruckles sat on the plaster that covered his knee. Other faces they recognized included Gideon and Fabian, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and of course Dora Potter.

"Hey mum," James said, catching his mother's attention as she went rushing past.

Dora paused and turned 'round, smiling at them. She'd left before they had, acting as Minnie's maid of honor. She paused, coming closer to neaten a few errant hairs on James's head. "You've made it," she said.

"Wouldn't miss this for the world," Sirius announced.

"Oh look how tan you boys are," she said, having not seen Sirius and Remus since they'd returned from their trip. "You all look so handsome! You clean up so well, boys." She looked at Lily, "Amazing how good they can look when they put an effort in, isn't it?"

"Indeed. You look lovely, Mum," she added.

Dora flushed. She was wearing a green tartan dress, her hair up in braids that circled her head, braided through with heather. "Thank you," she said, "So do you, Lily." She bent and kissed James's head, then Sirius's, and said, "I'll see you later, I have to get back to Minerva, I've only just slipped away for a moment, she'll be wondering where I am."

"Can you believe Minnie's getting hitched?" Sirius asked after Dora had left. He leaned back in the pew, crossing his legs at the ankle and staring up at the exposed beams, high up in the ceiling of the church.

"I'm so happy for her," Lily said, squealing.

"Urquart's a great bloke, they'll certainly be happy," Remus commented.

"He'll take good care of Minnie, that's for sure," James smiled, and he slid an arm around Lily's shoulders.

The church was filling up, the pews packed up and people were standing along the sides of the sanctuary, lining up along the walls on either side and the back and palpable excitement filled the room until, at long last, the Minister Malcom McGonagall took to the pulpit and motioned for everyone to settle down and a hush fell over the room.

The music was a little band featuring a flute, an acoustic guitar, and a bagpipe, playing quietly and everyone turned to look with excitement as Elphinstone Urquart made his way to the front of the room. He wore a kilt and his hair was combed tame, far neater than any of the Marauders had ever seen it in their time of knowing him, but his grin as wide as ever, his eyes shining on the verge of happy tears as she stood at the front of the room, Alastor Moody clumping up beside him, his wooden leg thunk-thunking to the front of the room, flanked by another man that had to be Robert McGonagall, the youngest of the siblings. He looked the spitting image of Minerva, apart from having fire-red hair like a Weasley.

The nervous excitement was clear on Elphinstone Urquart's face. James felt his stomach twist with the memory of what it was like to be the one up there, in front of everyone, getting ready to be married to the love of his life... He reached for Lily's hand on the pew beside him and squeezed her fingers gently. The whole room seemed to glimmer with the energy coming from Urquart's excitement and James wondered if the Potter wedding had felt the same way because of the way he'd felt waiting for Lily?

It occurred to James suddenly that this day - this here and now moment - was the culmination of years of a love story that had taken place between Elphinstone and Minnie, just as his and Lily's had done between them. Once upon a time, Elphinstone Urquart had looked into the eyes of Minerva McGonagall and known that she was the one that he would love with all of his being for the rest of time. James didn't know if it had been instant, as his love for Lily had seemed, or maybe a little bit at a time - one smile, one touch, one breath at a time over year and years, as Lily's love for him had come - but at some point it had happened... and led to this.

The doors of the sanctuary opened and Marjorie Grant-Underhill stepped through the door and she was carrying a little basket of heather, the heads of the flowers trickling through her fingers to be scattered upon the floor as she walked up the aisle tossing them about, smiling nervously at everyone who was looking at her and cooing about how adorable she was. Harry Underhill sat in the front row on the groom's side, and he smiled, snapping a photograph of her, his eyes gleaming with pride as he watched the little girl make her way to the front, curtsy, and hurry up to Urquart, holding up a sprig of heather. Urquart chuckled and slipped the sprig into the label of his suit jacket. Then Marjorie turned and instead of taking up the proper position she was supposed to on the bride's side of the pulpit, she rushed up to Underhill and slammed into him, crawling onto the pew beside him as everyone chuckled. 

Next through the door was Dora Potter, wearing her green tartan dress, but now her hair was done up and curled so pretty, clipped into a loose bun with some short white feathers and a silver thistle-shaped barrette. James grinned as he watched her walk toward the front of the church, her lips dark with lipstick and her eyes shiny with a pretty glittery white eyeshadow. She wore silver cuffs about her wrists and carried a bouquet of the white heather with long tendrils of marsh grass that hung over her hands.

James flushed with pride as she walked to the front of the room. For a moment, he could see her the way Charlus must've seen her everyday, and he thought of his own parents' having had a love story, too, and James felt his heart tighten in his chest. 

Sirius punched James's arm behind Lily's back and James looked over at him. "Look at her!" Sirius breathed quietly, awestruck, "Mum is so beautiful! Isn't she beautiful?!"

James nodded, smiling at how taken Sirius was as he turned about, eyes wide and grinning. 

But then the most glorious moment of all - everyone turned to see as Minerva McGonagall stepped into the room. 

Sirius gasped and turned full about, knees on the pew, and took a polaroid, his eyes wide with joy. "Holy shit," he whispered, "Minnie."

Minerva McGonagall wore a white dress with a fitted bodice, lace and sparkling white beads were sewn all over the bodice in tiny Celtic patterns, sheer sleeves with long strings of beads hung from her shoulders, a beaded necklace about her throat, resting on her collarbone. The skirt hung out ballet style, three quarter length, and covered with lace and beads so that when she walked the whole dress seemed to sparkle and shake like a bell, her feet in lavender high heels that matched the thistles in the bouquet she was holding. Her auburn hair had been volumized and tufted up into a lovely bouffant, pinned into place with a shining silver barrette and longer white feathers that stuck up on her head like a crown. Large silver thistle-shaped earrings hung from her ears and she had cuffed and beaded bracelets about her wrists.

Minerva walked slowly up the aisle, eyes locked on Elphinstone Urquart, her face full of awe and joy as she stepped along toward the pulpit.

"Go get him Minnie," Sirius whispered as she passed and she glanced at Sirius, her face flushing, a sparkling smile upon her face and her eyes pooled, threatening tears of joy. Sirius gave her a thumbs up.

When she'd reached the front of the church, the room went silent and everyone sat down, Sirius sliding onto his bum on the pew and grabbing onto Remus's arm, squirming with excitement as he watched Minerva McGonagall hand off her thistle-and-heather bouquet to Dora Potter before turning to face Elphinstone Urquart. 

"Hullo," Elphinstone whispered.

"Hullo," Minnie whispered back, and her face flushed all the more.

The ceremony began then, and what a lovely ceremony it was - beautifully traditional. Malcom McGonagall officiated, directing the crowd of onlookers to sit and take peace as the proceedings carried forth. He read a passage from the Bible about love, how it is patient and kind and longsuffering. They tied a physical knot with a strip of tartan about one each of their wrists as they spoke their vows, staring into one another's eyes. 

"Do ye Elphinstone take this lass to be wedded to you for all of the days ye'll live, to have 'n hold, honor, cherish, and take care of 'til the day when death do ye part?"

"I do," Elphinstone nodded eagerly.

Malcome turned to his sister, his eyes tearing up and the words crackling about the edges. "And ye Minerva do ye take Elphinstone as ye husband for all the days ye'll live, to love, have, 'n hold, honor, cherish, and take care of until the day when death do ye part?"

"I do," Minnie replied.

The vows said, Malcom directed for Robert McGonagall to present the quaich cup 'round and Robert stepped forward, placing the cup on a small table before Malcom. He kissed Minnie on the cheek, then paused and reached to the sporran on his hip and withdrew a bottle of whiskey, which he poured out into the cup. The whiskey was strong and Scottish and the warm smell carried so that Remus's nose tingled from the depth of it even several rows back.

"Minerva and Elphinstone, ye shall now take time to toast unto ye new life together... a life of love and partnership... together, ye shall be stronger to face the challenges and triumphs that life brings unto you." Malcom paused, then lifted the cup from its base. Both Minnie and Elphinstone took a handle with their free hands, and Malcom directed, "Minerva, as ye drink, know that ye have united in spirit an' soul. May ye be blessed all the days ahead... take ye drink of the quaich."

Minerva and Elphinstone lifted the cup to Minnie's lips and she took a long drink of the whiskey.

"Bloody hell," Sirius whispered, "Min knows her way about a bottle."

Remus elbowed Sirius, but James chuckled and Peter whispered, "Better than I do."

"That isn't hard, Wormtail," James said.

Peter laughed quietly.

When Minnie lowered the cup, she stared into Elphinstone's eyes, her cheeks flushed from the whiskey, and he grinned at her.

"And ye, Elphinstone, are called to finish the cup, knowin' that ye have united in spirit an' soul with Minerva... May the sweetness that life brings be all the sweeter because you've drunk from this quaich together." 

Elphinstone smiled, took a deep breath, and bent forward so Minnie could reach to help at pouring the rest of the cup into his mouth. She'd drunk quite a bit of what had been poured for them so that he only had about a quarter of the cup to complete and he drank it down quickly, lowering it from his mouth and leaning in to kiss Minnie passionately, lifting their knotted wrists up to touch her face and he dipped her back slightly, a gasp escaping her as she went, the feathers quivering and the beads clicking as she went.

When he righted her, he reached into his own sporran - the moment when they would exchange rings had come, and he withdrew a small velvet pouch. He reached into the pouch and withdrew from it their rings, giving his to her and holding onto hers in his own hand, but then he paused, and said, "In addition to a ring, my darling, I wish to give you this luckenbooth brooch... though not a traditional design, I chose this one for it reminded me of you more than any traditional ones I could find, dear Minnie... and whenever have you been one for tradition, my love?" he reached forward and clipped to her chest a small silver brooch, heart shaped with an M upon it, wreathed with a crown. He bent forward and kissed her, "I love you for your uniqueness, my darling Minerva, and you shall always be the queen of the heart that beats in my chest. It belongs to you, for the eternity which this ring symbolizes." And he slipped her ring upon her finger,  kissing her knuckle.

Minnie touched the brooch and welled up in tears, then looked up at Elphinstone. "Elphie, I love ye - I love ye like I've loved nary another in m'life entire, and I'll continue on doing so for so long as the eternity this ring symbolizes." And she slipped his ring onto his finger and kissed his knuckle back.

Malcom McGonagall's face was red with joy. "Aye, well then, Minerva and Elphinstone, it is I who has the great pleasure in pronouncin' ye - by the power vested me by the great country and by God in Heaven - husband an' wife. Ye may kiss yer bride, Elphinstone."

Elphinstone Urquart smiled, "Don't mind if I do," he said quietly, and he leaned forward, their lips connecting as all the onlookers in the church applauded heartily.