Go n-éirí an bóthar leat! Who: Emmeline Vance and Sirius Black What: A rehearsal dinner, of sorts. When: 4 December 1980 Where:Doolin, Ireland Rating: Low Status: Complete
There was something FREEING about not having work at the moment. One - it had given Emmeline time to heal. Two - it had given her time to do some research on some ideas she had for the next attack. And three - she had had some things to do. Namely - dress shopping. The absolute thrill of this plan was multi-layered. At the top of those layers was not having to explain to her mother why she didn’t want to wear her wedding dress. When it was time for the whole reception and party of the millennia - THEN she would take people with her. But this was for her and Sirius. This was the two of them having a moment FOR them.
And she wanted the perfect dress. One that was JUST them. No one else’s opinions over what was ‘appropriate’ or her ‘perfect statement’. Her statement was that she was marrying Sirius Fucking Black. And she was going to get to keep him forever. And she wanted the right dress to go with the leather jacket he had given her as a birthday present. Which was going to be a surprise for him.
It was packed in her bag - carefully charmed and protected. And she had been cleared by the Healers to ride Stella with Sirius. So here she was in her jeans, one of his flannels over her concert t-shirt and boots from the ride here. Her hair was absolutely windblown. She was letting him check in to the amazing inn she had found for them and leaning against Stella. This was the perfect weather for a wedding - tomorrow too if the Muggle Weather people were to be trusted.
“Sirius... do you have the room key yet handsome?”
The answer was a sharp whistle, a “Heads up!” and a single brass key attached to an embroidered number keychain chucked in Vance’s direction.
Sirius currently stood at the inn’s doorway, saddlebags slopped over his shoulder and helmet dangling from a fingertip while he spoke to the innkeeper. She was a kindly-looking elderly Irishwoman, soft spoken as she finished explaining to Sirius about the included breakfast and what might they prefer for their tea this evening. Bed and Breakfasts were truly superior to any fancy hotel in Sirius’ mind. More intimate, unique; full of stories and life and laughter. Love made a home, not the walls and the roof mere bones of infrastructure so easily broken. No, it was people that mattered. And this weekend, well, it was all about the people.
Person.
It was about Emmeline.
Given the task of planning, Sirius would have waited a few more weeks, dragged James, Remus, Peter, Lily, and Marlene by the earlobes to the nearest approximation of Vegas to be had in Jolly Old, and married Emmline in a trashy muggle ceremony. Bonus points if someone dressed in a Santa Claus outfit officiated. Luckily for their future memories, Emmeline had planned their elopement. Their future children would be able to look at photos of their parents' wedding without flinching, solly thanks to her.
“Alright then, Aoife. We’ll see you in an hour for tea. Thank you very much.”
Bidding the kindly innkeeper adieu for the meantime, Sirius returned to his bride-to-be and held out his hand, offering to take her bag.
“Ours is straight up the stairs, second door to the left. Aoife says dinner’s in an hour, and there’s a surprise waiting for us in our room. Sure you want to do this? Last chance, Vance. I wouldn’t want to break that old lady’s heart if she serves us dinner and then you decide to flee.”
Finishing the finger combing of her hair, Emmeline pinned Sirius with a look and then pulled him into a firm kiss, “Let me be very clear Sirius Black. You are well and truly stuck with me, I am doing this with my eyes open and in full knowledge of what I am getting myself into.”
Pulling back from him she handed over her bag and then waved at the friendly innkeeper, “So, my feet are nice and toasty warm - any cold feet are going to have to be on your side of the bed.” Giving him a wink, She headed inside and inhaled. There was something about a bed and breakfast. The way they smelled like a home and not some sterile hotel. The worn wood of a banister that you knew had seen so much. Making her way up to the second floor she hummed to herself and spun their key on her finger.
Opening the door, Emmeline was welcomed by a fire in their little hearth and the sight of the Irish coastline in the distance from the window. Wild, raw and untamed - while still allowing people in - it was Sirius in a coastline. The warmth of the inn was their relationship. The two coexisting were just THEM. And she knew people would lose it when they found out about them. Part of her had considered having the group here to surprise him.
But this moment - this INSANE and wonderful moment - she wanted Sirius to be the one to see her in this dress. She wanted him to be himself and not worry about being ‘Sirius Black’. She wanted to be wild and free and marry this crazy man that wanted her just as much. And once they had - once they had had their moment. Just for them. Then they could share it with the world.
But at this moment - this little moment in time - she wanted to be crazily selfish.
Turning to look at him, a dark brow rose, “How warm are those toes there Black?”
~*~
“No! NO! Absolutely not, woman!”
Sirius practically screamed at Aoife across the dinner table. His fork, he shook at her like a sacred scepter, topped with golden roasted potato gem. Aoife blushed, tucking her napkin neatly back onto her lap.
“I shit you not,” she rebutted, eyes twinkling. Though the years near the harsh sea breeze had not been kind, there was a youthful spirit beyond those wrinkles and half-mooned spectacles. An agelessness to Aiofe’s whiffs of thinning, white hair. And who could possibly miss the fire in her smile, signs of a well-lived life etched into every blemish?
“I was barely seventeen, and he thirty-three. It was quite scandalous, you know. What, this would have been the summer of...” Her eyes rolled up, mental calculations ticking as Sirius popped the potato whole into his mouth and speared a second. His hand found Emmeline’s under the table.
“Oh yes, I remember. The summer of ‘14. I was madly in love, you know. What did I care? So we eloped. It was the best two months of my life,” she sigh dreamily, then turned her eyes to Emmeline, winking. “He had a very nice set of downstairs equipment, you see.”
Emmeline grinned into her wine, “Well, the Aoife, on that we have even more in common. Eloping with someone that we are madly in love with who are well equipped to make us very happy wives.” She saluted the older lady with a grin on her lips and then eyed Sirius, “If you gesture anymore with that fork you are going to fling the potato at our hostess and then she may not let us come back.”
Reaching over she took the fork, then the potato from him. Giving him back the utensil as she chewed, after swallowing she looked at their innkeeper and raised a brow, “So, my dress is in a secured bag and the wrinkles are being removed from it but I want Sirius here to be surprised when I appear - will you be able to assist me into my dress tomorrow?”
She looked at Sirius, “And I love you - but I am kicking you out of the room after breakfast - a lady needs time to look her best on her wedding day.”
“Doesn’t it mean more if you look your worst and I still say yes?” Sirius snickered, brows wiggling as he popped another potato into his mouth. Fuckin’ troll bollocks, Aoife could cook.
For all the perfectly roasted potatoes in the world, though, it didn’t matter what Emmeline wore on their wedding day. Sirius was going to love her no matter what. She could be equally captivating trussed up in skin-tight, revealing leather as she could in a pair of baggy lounge pants and one of his oversized band shirts. She stunned him naked in bed, and dribbling bogies when ill; one look from her always stole his breath. For years, he’d just been too childish and stubborn to admit to himself he’d found his match so early in life.
But there was a war on, just as there’d been a war on in Aoife’s day. And there was no telling if they’d survive the week; Harry had already changed too much of the future to know for certain.
“Don’t listen to him,” Aiofe told Emmeline, blocking Sirius out of the conversation. “Men never get it. They think it’s all for them. Idiots... Yes. I would be absolutely honored to help you. Tell me, do you have your something old, new, borrowed and blue?”
Smirking at her fiancé, Emmeline leaned against him comfortably and rested her chin on her hand as she conversed with the older woman, “I have something new - the dress, something borrowed and old - I don’t. But I do have something blue.” She reached around and covered Sirius’ ears with her hands and mouthed, “My Garter.” Then took her hands back and kissed his scruffy cheek.
“I was going to poke around at the antiques shops for maybe a hair pin before our ceremony tomorrow. I am thinking of wearing my hair down with the big curls - so a hair pin sounds reasonable. And someone likes my hair down.”
“But I won’t argue with you about men being idiots - and thank you for helping me. I really do appreciate it.” Her eyes softened a bit as she looked at Sirius and leaned back into him again - letting his warmth sink into her a bit, “But I suppose they make up for it.”
“I’m highly intelligent, don’t you know? Very smart-” Sirius tapped his temple, shooting both women a cocky look. “S. M. R. T.”
Aiofe chuckled.
“You’ll have your hands full with that one. But I’ve no doubt you’ll do wonderfully. You know, Emmeline- I think I have just the trinket for your something old and borrowed.”