Burned Into Glory

Clara

"A handfasting is the joining of two magical souls in the union of marriage. Do you, Klaus Reiner, agree to be joined forever in marriage to this witch?" Grindelwald stood before Klaus and Vinda, who looked magnificent in airy white tulle and charmeuse. Her hair had been pulled back in twists, with a flowing wispy veil descending to the floor. She grinned more broadly than she usually did as Klaus nodded and said warmly,

"I agree."

This is the most wondrous thing that's ever happened to me in my entire life, Klaus thought, and Queenie's eye's prickled as she perceived his German thoughts in English in her mind. She'd used the Babel Charm to be certain, for Vinda's sake, that this was the right thing, but she didn't want to invade, either. Vinda's mind was swirling with happiness as Grindelwald asked,

"Do you, Vinda Rosier, agree to be joined forever in marriage to this wizard?"

"I agree," she said instantly. Queenie glanced around the elegant parlour, black and green, in which they were conducting this private handfasting. Only Queenie and Grindelwald were witnesses to it, but that didn't make it any less significant.

"Queenie, illuminate your wand to wish good tidings upon this couple," said Grindelwald, and Queenie held her wand aloft toward Vinda and Klaus and said in a voice cracking with emotion,

"Lumos."

She stood there for a long moment, Vinda smiling gratefully at her, until Grindelwald nodded and Queenie shut out the light of her wand.

"Klaus Reiner," Grindelwald said smoothly, "Do you promise to protect this witch, to love and cherish her in every way, through good health and sickness, through poverty and good fortune, through difficulty and ease? Do you promise to adore her more each day than the last?"

"I do." Klaus nodded eagerly, staring into Vinda's eyes as he spoke the words. Grindelwald smirked a little at the vision of true love before him, and he asked rather cheekily,

"Vinda Rosier, do you promise to honor this wizard, to love and cherish him in every way, through good health and sickness, through poverty and good fortune, through difficulty and ease? Do you promise to adore him more each day than the last?"

"Of course I do." Vinda shut her eyes, looking like she was holding back tears. Grindelwald reached into the breast pocket of his tuxedo robe and pulled out a black ribbon, identical to the one Vinda herself had used to bind Grindelwald and Queenie on their wedding day in the Colosseum. How very different an experience that had been, Queenie thought - ten thousand people watching them compared with a quiet room. Grindelwald began to wrap the black ribbon round Klaus' and Vinda's clasped hands, and he said,

"Aim your wands at your joined hands. As the ribbon wraps, incant the spell Ligo Necto three times."

They did as he commanded, and once they'd finished, Grindelwald cast the same spell upon them three times over himself. Then he declared,

"What has been bound together can never be fully unraveled. Let your magic unite in love and harmony; let your marriage be one of pure joy. Under my own authority - that of Gellert Grindelwald - I bind Klaus Reiner and Vinda Rosier Reiner in marriage. Let them be bound now and forever. Ligo Necto. Ligo Necto. Ligo Necto."

He unfurled the ribbon from their hands and carefully handed it over to Klaus, who tucked it away into his own tuxedo jacket gratefully. Grindelwald smirked widely at Vinda and Klaus and ordered them,

"Now kiss, the two of you; don't make me ask twice."

Vinda laughed a little and cupped Klaus' jaws in her hands. He leaned down to press his lips firmly against hers, and Queenie gleefully clapped her hands whilst holding Vinda's bouquet of white lilies. After Vinda and Klaus had kissed, Vinda turned to Queenie, who passed over the flowers. Vinda took a step to Queenie and bent to kiss Queenie's cheek.