Of The Solstice

Secret Wedding

~ this chapter contains very mature content ~

The next morning, I hurriedly dressed in a brown plaid skirt, and a cream-colored sweater. I left the common room and made my way straight to the fountain where Sirius and I had agreed to meet.

As I approached the fountain, I could see Sirius standing there, his back turned towards me. He turned around as he heard my footsteps, and a wide grin spread across his face as he looked me up and down.

"You look beautiful," he said, taking my hand. "Are you ready to apparate? I know it's not your favorite."

"I'll be fine," I said, squeezing his hand. As we apparated, I closed my eyes tightly and took a deep breath, trying to ignore the nauseous sensation that had become all too familiar to me during apparition. When I opened my eyes again, we were at the Ministry of Magic. The long black hallway was lined with fireplaces adorned with elegant golden trim, and Ministry employees bustled past us on their way to various departments. Sirius led me through the crowds and up a winding staircase until we finally reached the door to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

"Ready?" Sirius asked, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Is one ever ready?" I joked with him as we entered the department. An older woman sat at the desk in the center of the room, her eyes scanning us over the top of her spectacles. Sirius approached her confidently, and I followed closely behind him.

"Names and purpose of your visit?" she asked in a stern tone.

"Sirius Black and Calista Summers, ma'am. We are here to apply for marriage," Sirius said confidentially.

"Are you two even 18?" the woman looked Sirius and me up and down.

"Yes, ma'am," Sirius said confidently.

She scrutinized us again before nodding her head. "Very well then," she said, grabbing a quill and clipboard. "Fill this out and bring it back to me when you've finished." She waved us off dismissively after Sirius grabbed the papers.

We worked quickly, filling in the necessary information about our names, ages, and backgrounds. As we finished up, Sirius let out "I wish this could have been under different circumstances," his eyes fixed on the papers in front of him.

I stood up, agreeing with him. "Me too," I said softly.

He stood up, holding the completed paperwork in his hand. We made our way back to the desk and handed the old woman the documents. She glanced over them quickly before nodding and reaching for a stamp. "Very well," she said, pressing the stamp onto the papers. "Your application is in order. Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs.," she paused and glanced at the papers, "Black!" she finished, handing us the stamped papers.

Sirius took the papers in his hand. "Thank you!" he said, his voice full of emotion. We left the department and walked to a Floo chimney. I took the chalky powder in my hand and looked at Sirius. "Hogsmeade?" I asked before stepping into the fireplace.

He nodded. "Make sure you say it correctly. Who knows where we would end up," he joked.

We both stepped into the chimney. I shouted clearly, "Hogsmeade!" and threw the powder down onto the ground. A wave of green, heatless flames engulfed us, and we appeared in an unfamiliar chimney. We quickly looked around, but no one was home. We made our way out of the house and onto the streets of Hogsmeade.

We left the town behind and headed to our favorite spot on the shore of the lake. As we arrived, I kicked off my shoes and stood in the shallow water. Turning around, I saw Sirius smiling at me.