On This Wild Night

II. Artemis

Artemis took a seat on the left side of the church, in the second pew from the front of the chapel. While Charlie greeted various distant relatives and family friends with two of his younger brothers, she took a look around the room, making note of who she did and didn't recognise.

Milling around the chapel were a few vaguely familiar faces she recognised from other events, and some old acquaintances and members of the staff from her school, several Quidditch players, and her old friend Kingsley, who waved to her from across the chapel. At the altar, the youngest Weasley brother, Ron, was engaged in a whispered conversation with his best friend Harry, who was looking incredibly nervous.

One of the most familiar faces of all approached Artemis and she stood up to greet the newcomer. He was tall and slim, with long hair the same shade of red as Charlie's pulled back into a ponytail. He had a heavily scarred face, a flower pinned to his lapel, and a baby strapped to his chest.

"Aren't you meant to be on usher duty, not dad duty?" Artemis asked Bill Weasley, who hugged her with the arm furthest away from the baby.

"Well, I did have to do two people's worth of work for the first fifteen minutes," replied Bill, with a pointed look.

"Sorry. We lost track of time."

Bill almost shuddered at Artemis' words.

"Spare me the details," he muttered. "Anyway, Fleur's gone to make sure Victoire's ready to be a flower girl, so I'm in charge of Dominique." Bill paused, both frowning and smirking simultaneously. "Although, it looks like I'm not the only one to have brought my two girls out for the day."

"What? Oh."

Artemis covered her chest with her hand and scowled at Bill. In response, he began to laugh wickedly.

"Maybe try and keep your distance from our Aunt Muriel," he sniggered.

"I always do."

"I know, but she still isn't over what you wore to my wedding. The shock of this might finally kill her."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Wow, you look good too, Bill."

"I didn't say you don't look good. You look great, it's just..." Bill determinedly looked away from her and held his hand up to the side of his face. "Holy crap, Artemis."

"I don't think you're meant to say that in a church."

"I don't think you're meant to get your tits out in one either, but here we are."

"I don't see why not. Mary Magdalene got hers out all the time," Artemis retorted.

Bill blinked at her. "She was a prostitute."

"I thought she was a virgin."

"I'm sure she was at some point, but you're thinking of the Virgin Mary."

"Are they not the same person?"

"Definitely not," Bill sniggered.

"Don't laugh at me. I'm Jewish."

"No, your family is Jewish. Your estranged family. You, however, ate a bacon sandwich at my house last weekend."

"Are you not allowed to eat bacon if you're Jewish?" Artemis frowned. Bill stared at her in disbelief.

Almost everyone was in their seats now, and the three red-headed ushers were returning to the front of the church. Bill moved out of the pew to allow Charlie to sit down between him and Artemis. Charlie was accompanied by his mother, and both of them paused to stroke the tiny fingers of the sleeping baby in Bill's arms.

"Artemis, dear. Lovely to see you." Mrs Weasley pulled herself away from her new grandchild to place her hands on Artemis' shoulders and pull her into a hug.

"You look lovely, Molly," Artemis told her as she returned the hug.

"Not as lovely as you, dear," replied Mrs Weasley. She held Artemis at arms length and looked her up and down. Like both her sons, she paused a little at the level of Artemis' chest. Quickly returning her gaze to Artemis' face, she raised her eyebrows and drew her lips into a tight smile. "Well, I'd better sit down, it's going to start any minute now."

Mrs Weasley turned away from Artemis and sat in the very front pew, in front of Bill, and Artemis sat down beside Charlie.

"Did your mum just check me out?" Artemis hissed, and Charlie shrugged by way of response.

A stunningly pretty woman with silver-blonde hair brisked down the aisle towards them, and they shuffled sideways to make room for her to sit next to Bill.

"Hello, Fleur. How's Victoire?"

"She is very excited," Fleur leaned across her husband to kiss Charlie and Artemis on the cheeks. "I just 'ope zat she doesn't get overwhelmed."

The sound of organ music filled the air, and the congregation rose to their feet. Fleur leaned across the two eldest Weasley brothers once more.

"Artemis," she whispered, reaching across to touch Artemis' wrist, "where did you get zat bra? Your breasts look fantastic."

"Yeah, everyone's a fan today," muttered Artemis, hearing Bill sigh and Charlie let out a noise halfway between a snort and a cough.

At the back of the church, the doors opened to reveal a tall, balding man with glasses, holding the arm of a beautiful young woman with a broad and slightly nervous-looking smile. She was wearing a white dress with long lace sleeves and a cascading skirt, and a crown of flowers was balanced on the top of her head, from which thick red curls cascaded down to the middle of her back.

The two of them started to walk through the middle of the chapel, and in the corner of Artemis' eye she saw Charlie's Adam's apple move up and down. She smiled sympathetically, and placed a hand on his forearm, rubbing small circles with her thumb. Today was going to be hard for both of them, what with all the memories of the people they had lost in the war five years previously. However, while Artemis had lost friends, Charlie had lost a brother as well. Fred Weasley's absence was going to be more profoundly felt than ever on the day his sister got married. Charlie might have been putting on a brave face and trying to stay strong, but Artemis knew that really, she was going to have to be the strong one today.

Ginny Weasley and her father continued to walk down the aisle, followed by two bridesmaids, one with bushy brown hair and the other with large pale blue eyes. Behind them walked a small boy with hair that changed colour from purple to blue halfway down the length of the church, and Artemis' goddaughter Victoire, scattering confetti as she toddled at his side.

At the front of the church, Fleur picked up Victoire and the two older bridesmaids joined a now tearful Mrs Weasley in the front pew. Mr Weasley shook hands with the groom, Harry, and kissed his beaming daughter on the cheek.

A Muggle in robes that made him look more like a wizard than most of the guests greeted the bride, before addressing the room.

"We are gathered here today..."