Nova's Universe

Chapter 5 (1995)

Charlie

"Nervous?" Bill asked, his voice laced with amusement.

I glanced at myself in the mirror, fiddling with my bow tie for the fifth time in the last thirty seconds. "Nope," I lied, my voice unconvincing.

"Really?" Bill raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk on his face. "Because the constant bow tie adjustments, the foot-rocking, and the twenty inquiries about your hair in the last hour seem to suggest otherwise. Maybe I'm just imagining things." He shrugged sarcastically.

"I swear, I wasn't supposed to be this nervous!" I exclaimed, frustrated. "I was perfectly calm yesterday and the day before. Got a great night's sleep, too. But the second I woke up this morning, I felt like Nova with a bad case of morning sickness." I took a deep breath, willing my heart to slow down.

Bill placed a calming hand on my shoulder. "It's a big day, Charlie. A little nervousness is natural."

"I know, I know," I muttered, turning back to the mirror to scrutinize my bow tie again. Was it really straight? Did it look good?

"You'll do fine, Charles," he reassured me.

I bit my lip, a surge of nervous energy manifesting in the action. "I just hope I don't forget my vows," I blurted out, my gaze darting between my reflection and Bill's concerned expression.

A playful glint entered Bill's eyes. "Stop staring at my bow tie," he teased, rolling his eyes good-naturedly. "Yours looks exactly the same."

I mumbled in agreement, my gaze darting back to the mirror. I stole a glance at Bill, noticing for the first time how similar our features were. Never before had we looked so alike. Sure, he was taller, and freckles littered my entire body unlike his, and while his hair flowed freely in a ponytail, I'd opted for a messy bun, courtesy of Penny's suggestion. But our jawlines, our eyes - there was an undeniable echo of me staring back at him.

"Hey, ever noticed how our jawlines are exactly the same?" Bill tilted his head up, highlighting his jawline, and ran his fingers along the edge.

"Funny, that's exactly what I was thinking." I chuckled, and a wave of laughter erupted from both of us.

"We'd never stood side-by-side in front of a mirror like this before, had we?"

"Looks like we just discovered we're long-lost brothers," I joked, the tension momentarily replaced by amusement. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves, and tapped my foot against the floor.

Bill's gentle voice broke the silence. "It's half past nine. Should I go check how Nova's doing?"

"Mm-hmm," I mumbled, my fingers drawn back to my bow tie like a moth to a flame. Today, they seemed to have a mind of their own.

Bill stopped me with a tight hug, patting my back twice in the way Dad always does. With a wink, he headed for the door.

Alone again, I turned to the mirror, squeezed my eyes shut, and pressed my lips together in a silent vow to stop biting them. You'll be fine, Charlie. You got this!

Nova

"Can you believe it's actually your wedding day?" Tonks squealed, bouncing on the sofa in our living room.

Charlie had insisted I use our cosy cottage to get ready. In return, Andrei generously offered his place for him and Bill to prepare.

"And we haven't even seen the dress yet!" Penny's voice echoed Tonks' excitement, making both me and Tulip giggle.

"Just calm down a bit, you three," I said with a smile. "As soon as you settle down on the sofa, I'll go put it on."

I knew they were dying to see it. With the recent attack throwing everything into question, I hadn't had the chance to go dress shopping with the girls. We even debated postponing the wedding, but in the end, decided to go through it. Instead, I treated myself to a special day with Mum in Muggle London to find the dress I'd been dreaming of.