weddings are fun :) who bill and fleur when wedding reception where Great Hall, and then... elsewhere :) what much-needed alone time rating pg-13, it's suggestive kiddies status complete!
As the reception in the Great Hall continued, Fleur smoothed out a non-existent wrinkle in her pale lavender dress and smiled up at her husband. "Eet ees beautiful, non?" she asked, wrapping her arms around him lovingly. It was beautiful, in her opinion. Nothing could be more beautiful than celebrating a union of two people who loved each other dearly, in the midst of a celebration that hadn't wound down yet: a celebration of a finally peaceful world. Though the victory was recent and there was still much work yet to be done, the world they had fought so hard for was finally attainable. Fleur had no reason to wake up and fear for her son's life anymore; her Damien could grow up as a normal child in an environment free from fear or conflict.
Surrounded by all the dancing, the music, the festive decorations and the beautifully dressed guests reminded Fleur of her own wedding, and she held on to Bill just a little bit more tightly.
Bill wasn't one for weddings, really. Years spent in Egypt had turned him off of dress robes almost completely. It was too hot for so much material out by the pyramids. He wasn't a big fan of dancing, though he was fairly good at it, and he really didn't like being in the center of attention since his attack.
But there was no way he'd turn down an opportunity to celebrate the marriage of his good friends, and he'd never, ever turn down a chance to dance with his wife. Bill pulled her closer, taking a moment to breathe her in. It was so familiar, so right. When he considered how he might have never have had this again... Shaking his head, he grinned widely. "Lovely, really. Ours was better," he said with an exaggerated whisper in her ear.
Fleur grinned. "I do 'ave to agree wiz zat," she murmured, laying her head on his chest. "But zen again, I zink I will always be biased." They swayed lightly to the music playing, Fleur taking in every moment of it. It was scary, all the battles and attacks Bill had been involved in -- the first one that had caused everyone so much anguish, as well as all the battles at the school, at the Ministry -- every time he'd delved in, she'd feared that he'd never return. That was not a worry anymore.
"You know," she began, "as much as I love my Damien, eet ees nice to be able to not worry so much about 'im. Though I do 'ope 'e ees alright," Fleur added as an afterthought. "Eet ees a bit strange. Nice, but strange."
"We should've brought him," Bill protested lightly. "Mum would've baby-sat, honest. Or Teddy or Ginny or anyone, really, who wouldn't? He's impossible not to love, after all." Sighing forlornly, Bill thought about how cute their little boy would've looked in a tiny suit or itty bitty dress robes. "Not that I'm overprotective or anything!" he said quickly, blushing at the fact that he couldn't honestly say that. Because it was quite possible he might be.
"Of course you aren't," Fleur teased him, because they both knew he pretty much was overprotective. Fleur herself had had hopes of seeing her son in tiny baby formal clothing, but she also knew that with her son there, she wouldn't be able to enjoy the wedding (or maybe even be at it) like she was now. For that, she felt slightly guilty. But only slightly.
"'e weel be so big before we know eet," Fleur sighed. "I weel miss these days when 'e ees just a baby."
"We'll have more," Bill murmured in response, the thought not occuring to him for the first time. "We'll get to enjoy it all over again. And Damien will get to know how great it can be to be a big brother." Bill was rather proud of his own ability to be a big brother, and he hoped his son would be able to embrace that as well. "It'll be brilliant, honest it will." Taking a moment to pause, he grinned. "Well. If you want to, that is. Ought to clear that up with you, first, I imagine, shouldn't I?"
It took all of her might for Fleur not to retort with a comment too biting. Instead, she just smiled serenely and nodded. "But I 'ave always wanted more zan one..." she trailed off, her smile turning less innocent. She dropped her voice so that only her husband could hear. "And I do enjoy ze process, I must say."
Cheeks colouring, Bill smirked cheekily. "You randy little thing," he teased into her ear, letting his lips brush over the soft skin for a moment before pulling back. "I knew it. You only want me for my body. Forget money and family and that love thing, after all. It's all about my body."
She loved it when his lips brushed her ears, and she knew he knew it, too. "Eesn't eet always?" Fleur asked easily, tilting her neck slightly to show off the skin she knew her husband loved (and that she loved for him to love). Running her hands lightly along his face, to the scars that still resided there, she smiled. "But maybe zat ees 'ow I learned to love you."
Warmth filled him, and he pulled her a bit closer, nuzzling her neck just as she'd known he wanted to. They didn't have an awful lot of time to themselves anymore, what with taking care of the baby and fighting in so many battles. "Well, I suppose as long as it made you love me," he conceded happily, his breath warm against her skin. "Could be worse, you could just be using me."
The blonde laughed heartily as she snuggled closer to him. "I could be," she agreed, "but zen again, if I was going to use you, I would not 'ave married you." Fleur grinned up at her husband, but when she recognized the touched look on his face, her grin softened into a loving smile. "Je t'aime," she whispered softly, before she kissed him lightly.
"Love you, too," he murmured against her mouth at the kiss, still learning to embrace the French that often slipped from her lips. He'd be fluent before long, he knew, but it took time. Still, he loved the fact that he had grown to love someone so different from himself. They had fallen in love, though. Fallen in love, gotten married, and were now proud and doting parents. "Have I told you how happy you make me? Really told you, I mean?"
"A few times, maybe," Fleur answered, still leaning in closely to Bill. In all honestly, Bill was the type of husband who never failed to mention it, but it still made Fleur's heart warm every time he did. "But many more times than I should 'ave done the same," she realized, sighing slightly. There was no time like now to make up for that, though.
"Many people thought zat I would nevair find someone who would make me truly happy," Fleur said, but her hand found Bill's and her fingers laced through his, "but zat was before I found you." She smiled and squeezed his hand lightly.
Merlin they were sappy. They were sappy and cheesy and all the things Bill had used to hate in couples, and he didn't care any longer. So many people had tried to convince him she was wrong for him. And yet there they were, over a year later, still happily married. It was like a small bit of smugness, really. Or a lot, either way.
"So do I?" he questioned with a small smile. Despite the smile, Bill did look decidedly insecure. Fleur was beautiful, and he...well. He knew he'd looked better. Much better, even when she'd met him. Not that he considered himself particularly awful now, but he'd definitely lost some of those classic good looks. And it wasn't pleasant. "Do I make you truly happy? I want to, you know that, I try, but..."
Fleur sighed at Bill's dubious look and put a finger to his mouth to silence him. "Oui," she answered him. "You are adventurous. You may not look the same as you did before, but you are still very 'andsome. You 'ave risked your life multiple times for the safety of our family. But even though you are all of zat, I love you because you are you. Please do not ever doubt that."
A soft look flickered over his face and he kissed her again, just as gently but with something a bit more behind it. A longing, perhaps, or maybe just pleasure at her words. "You don't know how happy you make me, Fleur. You honestly do. You and our son...you're my whole life. Of course I'd risk my life for the two of you." He'd never have it any other way.
Even though they were still surrounded by people, right now, it was just the two of them. She smiled at him before kissing him again, gently enough to not make people stare, but passionately enough to let him know, even without words, how much she loved him. This feeling, knowing how much he adored her, was the exact reason she decided to marry him in the first place.
Bill sighed into the kiss, holding her close, forgetting for a bit that they were in front of friends and family and his more than slightly overprotective mother. He rubbed her back lightly, smiling down at her. It was the flirtatious moments like this that reminded him of how the two of them had started. There was nothing wrong with that, though. He liked feeling younger, and somehow with her he always did. "You look amazing," he told her for the third time that evening. "Tonks makes a lovely bride, but I think it's safe to say I'm here with the most beautiful woman in the room." And not simply because she was part-Veela. More that she was his. All his.
Fleur giggled, but did not object. It was times like that that reminded her, also, of their first few months, when they knew they had a mutual attraction but still a heavy language barrier; it was this flirtation, this non-verbal flirtation, that had really brought them together. "You should not let anyone else 'ear you," Fleur teased. "Eet ees not fair to ze bride."
"Well," he replied a bit huskily, "we could always step out for a bit, where I'm free to tell you over and over how beautiful you are. No one around to hear that way, hmm?"
Her eyes twinkling, Fleur squeezed her husband's hand again. "I would enjoy zat very much," she agreed, and glanced over to the doors of the Great Hall. "Lead ze way."
Oh, he felt downright scandalous, sneaking off for a bit of time alone with his wife during his friends' wedding. But Bill laced his fingers through hers and pulled her out the doors of the Great Hall and down the familiar corridors. "Here we are," he murmured, pulling her close as they reached a hall that he knew to be abandoned at least ninety percent of the time. "No one comes down here anymore. Say it's haunted." Which wasn't entirely true. He'd spread the rumour himself, and everyone listened to the Head Boy, after all. But it had stuck, and he wasn't going to argue.
"'aunted?" Fleur repeated, her eyes slightly widening. "Even though there are many ghosts 'ere at ze school?" She grinned. "There must be one very scary ghost 'ere, zen. You will protect me, of course?" As she asked this, she drew nearer to Bill.
Bill smirked, attempting to look innocent. "Oh, the worst," he chided. "Meaner even than that old git Slytherin's got. Chains, snide comments, you name it. He's just awful. You should stay pretty close, don't want anything happening to you." He urged her closer still, his arms slipping fully around her.
"Maybe you can... distract me?" Fleur suggested, her eyes alight as she glanced up at him. "So zat I do not 'ave to worry about zis menacing ghost?" Already, though, she was leaning closer to him.
A wide, slightly leering grin crossed Bill's face as he traced her curves over the fabric of her dress. "Now, Mrs. Weasley, do you honestly think I'd be less than a gentleman? I mean, you're a grown woman, and a skilled one at that, surely you can defend yourself."
Fleur smiled, taking on the seductive qualities that she was famous for. "But what if I do not wish to defend myself?" she asked, simply, raising her arms to finger the red hair that hung from the back of his neck. "What of that?"
Bill laughed, then, though the sound was low in the back of his throat. "Playing defenseless? You?" One of his hands reached up to toy with the zipper of her gown and the soft skin that rested directly above it. "Suppose I'd have to save you, then. Keep you close and all, couldn't have anything happening to you."
"Always the perfect gentleman," Fleur nodded appreciatively, her hands now splayed across his back. "I knew I could be assured you would keep me safe. I would not want to be 'ere with anyone else." She smiled cheekily.
At that, Bill had to roll his eyes. "Better not be." His hand drifted down her arm, pulling her hand around so it rested between them. "That right there?" he said, pointing to their wedding bands, "those mean you'd best not be here with anyone else. Because I'd cry and that'd be less than manly."
Fleur had to laugh at that. "Oh, I would not wish to see you be... what was zat? 'Less zan manly?'" she teased him. "In fact..." Her smile took on its mischievous quality again and she raised her hand to his face. "I would actually like to see you be ze man zat I know you are." She also made sure to let her other hand trail down the front of his chest softly, a practice she had mastered long ago. It almost always did the trick.
And that moment was no exception. Wedding? What wedding. He'd dressed nicely, he'd made his appearance, and their son was being cared for by someone who wasn't them. He glanced around, and found a door. Empty classroom? Fine, that'd work, he wasn't picky. "C'mere," he urged, grabbing one of her hands and pulling her along behind him before locking the door to the classroom and casting a couple of privacy worthy charms.
It was like they were teenagers again. Well, for Fleur, it wasn't that long ago, but she remembered sneaking around in school -- both here and in France -- with various members of the opposite sex. However, there was a certain sort of thrill involved here now that it was Bill. She didn't know if it was because he was her husband, or if it was because of the adventurous spirit they shared, but it somehow made things much more exciting. Which was exciting in itself, in a way. Fleur's thoughts made no sense, but they didn't have to, if all she could feel was his lips crashing down on hers. She'd barely felt it when her wrists linked behind his neck, almost automatically.
They stood that way, locked together, kissing almost feverishly for quite some time. And Bill had no problems with that. It felt so right, just being with her, even if it was reckless and dangerous and they could've been caught but they weren't because he was luckier than that. Oi, they wouldn't be long, surely, he just needed this. He needed her.
After a few moments, he reached into the pocket of his robes and grasped his wand, murmuring the charm to turn a few of the desks into a soft couch, with plenty of room for two. "No one needs to know," he teased with a grin. "If, you know, you're not opposed and all."
"Of course not," Fleur whispered breathlessly against his ear, as she led him to a more comfortable position. "I 'ave missed you so very much." It was a strange sentiment when taken out of context, but they both knew it meant more than what it seemed. It meant this, being close to him, being with him.
As soon as their position shift was settled, Fleur worked on removing the dress robes that separated her from her husband.
Bill breathed a small sigh at her touch, pleased that she was taking the lead. Not that he minded doing so, but it always felt different when she did. Like it was definitely something she wanted. It was always something he did, but since the baby, things had been different. Before, even, as she'd gotten bigger and she hadn't appreciated it. He'd always loved her, told her she was beautiful, but he hadn't been able to truly appreciate her. Not like this.
"I love you," he whispered, sliding the zipper down the back of the gown she wore. "So much. You're perfect, you know that? Perfect." He let his own robes slip off of his shoulders, grinning for a moment at the fact that they really had slipped off for a quickie like a couple of lovesick teenagers. It was amazing what surviving a war and being kept apart by circumstance and fighting and two am feedings could do.
Every time she felt Bill's fingertips on her back, Fleur always shivered. This was no exception. She'd felt this many times, had made love to her husband many times prior, but something about this was... not quite the same. Every sound, every sensation seemed to be amplified, sharper. It was unlike anything she'd ever experienced.
It was easy to separate herself from her clothing, and once that had been taken care of, Fleur looked up into her husband's eyes, those loving, wonderful eyes. Even though time and circumstance had changed his face, those eyes had always stayed the same. "Je t'aime," she whispered again. "You are wonderful. Amazing. You are everything to me." But there was no need for words anymore; there was no denying just how much love there really was between them.