Forever and ever, I do (Phoenix/Kine Wedding)

[Gabriel Kine]

Gabriel stood nervously under the beautiful white archway that had been constructed in the middle of the gardens. The rows of chairs in front of him looked like an ocean to Gabe. The mostly faceless people occupying them did little to quell that nervousness. Gabe had never really been a popular person while at Hogwarts and his family was firmly against his union with Sky Phoenix. Thoughts of his lovely bride to be eased his mind and allowed a quirky smile to appear on his lips. He wondered if she was just as nervous as he was. She always seemed so calm and collected. It was something that Gabe envied. There always seemed to be something to worry about and he could not keep himself from worrying about it.

A beautiful red carpet parted the sea of white and Gabriel longed to see Sky making her way down it. He knew that it would happen before long but the minutes seemed like hours as he stood in front people assembled for the ceremony. Quietly, he clinched jaw and stood as straight as he possibly could. Gabriel felt incredibly uncomfortable in the tuxedo he was wearing. Dressing up had never been one of his favorite things but he always tried to look his best for Sky. He always believed that she deserved to the very best from him.

Soon the Headmaster would join him and begin the ceremony. It couldn't too soon as far as Gabe was concerned. He had been waiting for this day since their last night at Hogwarts. He had been so scared that he would lose Sky after graduation and was certain if it had happened, he would have surely died. The had finally come and seemed as if time had slowed down just to spite him. Silently, Gabriel cursed time, itself, for running so slow on such an important day.

Gabriel took a deep breath and allowed himself to relaxed. He looked down at the ground, trying to keep his mind off of the ceremony. It seemed to him that the more he focused on it, the slower time passed. the nervous feeling clawed at the walls of his stomach once more but Gabriel quickly silenced it. There was nothing to be worried about. He would say yes and so would she. The smile on Gabriel's face widened at that thought. They would both finally be free of their oppressive families and able to live their lives together in peace. It was that dream kept Gabriel sane through his last couple of years at Hogwarts.

Eyes closed, Gabriel stood at the altar, waiting. His deep breaths weren't audible over dull roar of conversation that the guests were having with one another. Gabe was thankful that the guest were indulging in conversation and not just sitting there and staring at him. He was certain would not have been able to stand there under that much scrutiny. The image of his sister passed in front of his eyes and Gabe's expression darkened. He was heartbroken that she stalwartly refused to attend his wedding. She had always done her best to protect him as Gabe had done for her.

With one last sigh, Gabriel the thoughts of his sister from his mind and focused on the here and now. Today was his wedding day and it would not do to allow anything to soil it. No. today would go of without a hitch. It would be a day that they both remembered for the rest of their lives.

[Liberty Phoenix]

Liberty's heart raced as she made her way towards the many rows of seats in front of a beautiful arch in the Hogwarts gardens, her fingers tightly interlocked with Boyd's. She knew that in moments time, she would watch her younger sister marry the love of her life, and it was bittersweet. She was happy for her sister. She knew better than anyone that love was difficult to find and even harder to hold on to. But on the other hand, she knew the moment the ceremony was over, Sky would never speak to her parents again. Liberty knew it was no less than they deserved, but it saddened her to see her family finally crumble after years and years of trembling on the edge of destruction. She knew she hadn't always been the best sister. She had been quiet and subservient when Sky had needed her to stand up for her. She'd let her father abuse her sister. She'd sat back with her mother and turned a bind eye to everything that had happened. For good reason, their parents and their brother Ronan were not invited.

Liberty looked nervous as she scanned the area. Gabe and Sky had picked a beautiful spot for the wedding. She couldn't help but daydream of a time in the future when it would be her standing at the alter. She hoped Boyd would be beside her when that day did come. Their relationship had been turbulent at best, but she loved him. There was no denying that. Somewhere along the line, he'd found a way into her heart. Liberty was not the most passionate person. She had led a life of carefully hidden emotions until Boyd had broken down the walls she'd built around her heart. They'd fell in love, had a child together, and watched their relationship crumble in order to learn and grow up. But that growth came at a cost. Ari was no longer Liberty and Boyd's child. He belonged to someone else now, and there was nothing they could do.

She wondered how their lives would be different if Ari was still theirs. She imagined walking towards the wedding, Ari standing between them, holding one of each of their hands. Every few feet they would swing him back and forth, letting him defy gravity for a moment. She could still hear his tiny laugh echoing in her ears. She would have given anything to see him again, if only for a moment. He was her son, and she would never stop loving him, regardless of how far apart they were. Distance meant nothing. She had given him up out of love, and that love would never die.

She squeezed Boyd's hand harder as the thoughts of Ari passed through her mind. She turned her head, giving him a smile, though her eyes were sad and her features tense. Her bright blue dress fluttered in the breeze as she took a seat near the front. She smiled at the man who would soon be her brother-in-law. He looked nervous, and that made her smile. At least she wasn't the only one, even though it was for different reasons.

Gabe was a good guy. He was everything Sky deserved and more. He would never hurt her. Liberty would never let that happen again, and with Gabe, she knew Sky would be safe. They loved each other truly, and it made Liberty feel good to know her sister had turned out fine despite everything the family had put her through. She was happy. It had taken long enough, but it had finally happened for her. She hoped one day that she would finally be able to let go of her past and be as happy with her life as she knew Sky now was.

[Boyd Greyson]

Boyd could not truthfully say that he was a frequent attendee of weddings. The last wedding he had had the pleasure (or displeasure) of viewing was his cousin's. At the time, he was twelve, and it was the most hideously boring spectacle that he had seen all year. He had stood ramrod still, though, for the entirety of the ceremony, sweating beneath his tailored dress robes, stiff with a starching charm.

Now here he was, several decades later, in nicer robes that were no less uncomfortable, feeling distinctly out of place among the smiling family members and floral decorations. They were all so... so deliriously happy. So... fluttery. He didn't allow his malaise to show in his face, however, maintaining his usual hawkish expression. He was used to controlling his emotions, necessary for his job so that he could slip into any situation. Still, that didn't mean he had to like it.

He felt a renewed pressure on his hand and glanced down to where his fingers were laced with Liberty's. Only then did he allow the ghost of a smile to touch his lips. At least he wasn't here alone. She had dragged him here unwillingly, certainly, but lately he was willing to do almost anything for her, simply because she was his again. The last five years almost seemed like a particularly painful nightmare drifting through his mind. He wasn't going to lose her again.

"Come on, let's get seats. It's probably going to start soon." He tilted his head towards the rows of chairs set up, then headed over, Liberty in tow. It didn't take a genius to notice the groom's clear nervousness, but he looked happy even through his terror. Boyd couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like if he had married Liberty. If he did marry Liberty. Would things be different? He knew Liberty looked amazing in white.

[Freeman Mistry]

The day promised to be a good one. Freeman could feel it in the air as he made his way up the road from Hogsmeade Village with Ari riding on his shoulders. Every now and then he would and spin place. Listening to the sounds of elation from Ari was like a drug for Freeman. His life and improve ten fold since he agreed to adopt the boy. He felt like he was being given a second chance to be a father and for that, he was infinitely thankful. Freeman's thoughts drifted to Ari's Aunt. The boy had no idea he was of any relation to the girl who was getting married at Hogwarts today. Sky Phoenix. She was another bright spot in Freeman's relatively dark life. She was marrying Gabriel Kine and Freeman could not think of two people who cared more for each other than them.

"Allright, now Ari, you're going behave yourself when we get there," he told the boy in a stern voice. "Today is a very important day. Sky is getting married and things must be perfect." Freeman gave the boy one last spin as the approached the front gates of the school. He was recognized as a former Auror and when he presented his invitation, Freeman and Ari were allowed access to the school grounds.

Freeman was taken aback at the beauty of the gardens. It almost seemed like a royal wedding was about to take place. A smile formed on his lips. It's no less than she deserves, he thought as he made his way down the aisle towards the front row. Freeman pulled Ari off of his shoulder and carried the boy in his arms the rest of the way to the front. the former Auror gave the groom a smile and a nod before placing Ari in his seat and sitting down next to the boy.

Certain that there would be no one here that he knew, Freeman didn't bother looking around too much. He sat quietly in his seat waiting for the appropriate time to make his way back to where Sky was getting ready. He had been honored when she asked him to walk her down the aisle and give her away. Of course, he had said yes. The girl had become like family to him and he wanted nothing but happiness for Sky.

With a smile, Freeman reached down and tussled Ari's hair. He had long since given up on trying to keep the boy's hair in some semblance of order. In fact, he felt that the boy's hair looked better when it was slightly messy. Wrapping his arm around Ari, Freeman slouched down in the chair and took in the scene around him. It was truly beautiful.

[Ari James Mistry]

Ari felt the rhythm of Freeman's steps as he rode atop his shoulders towards Hogwarts. He was excited to see the inside of the place his father always talked about. He said it was a school that Ari would get to go to someday, and that it was the most wonderful place in the world. Ari thought his house was pretty wonderful, so he couldn't even imagine what Hogwarts would be like. He wondered whether there was treasure buried in there somewhere. If there was, he would find it. He could be like the explorers in his picture books, discovering new places and digging up the X's that marked the spots. Suddenly he felt an urge to wriggle off of Freeman's shoulders and run wild through the bushes, but before he could even try, Freeman spun around, causing Ari to erupt in a fit of giggles. He squealed and held on tighter to the man he knew as his father.

"Allright, now Ari, you're going behave yourself when we get there," he told the boy in a stern voice. "Today is a very important day. Sky is getting married and things must be perfect."

Ari nodded enthusiastically. That was not the first time he'd been reminded to behave. Sky was very nice. She was a girl who came to visit them a lot. Ari didn't know why. He just knew she was pretty and always played whatever game he wanted. She was getting married which meant she was going to stand up in front of a lot of people and talk for a while. Ari wasn't really excited for that. And then she was going to kiss a boy. He wasn't excited for that either. But Freeman had told him there would be cake, so he would sit very quiet and very still until all the talking and kissing was over. He didn't want to miss out on cake.

When they reached the gates, Freeman took Ari off his shoulders and carried him. With his head resting on his father's shoulder, he watched as the slowly closing gates disappeared behind them. He suddenly felt very tired and closed his eyes. His rest didn't last long though, because before he knew it, he was being put down. His tired eyes adjusted to the light as he rubbed them with his little fists. He saw a boy in a suit standing under an arch that seemed to stretch up into the sky forever. He thought that maybe that boy was who Sky was going to marry. He seemed like he wasn't excited either, because his face was very tense. Ari thought that perhaps the boy wasn't looking forward to having to a kiss a girl. Ari could understand that. It probably wasn't fun to risk getting cooties by kissing a girl.

Ari sat quietly in his seat, kicking his legs that coudn't reach the floor. He looked around at all the people and thought about who they were. He didn't know anyone, but that never stopped Ari from being friendly. He looked at the lady across the aisle from him. She was staring at him, so he smiled. He waved at her and giggled. Then he turned his head and stared forward at all the pretty flowers. He knew his father was going to leave in a minute to go help Sky walk to the front, so he decided that when Freeman left him by himself he would go pick some flowers for Sky, and maybe a few for the lady. The urge to go get the flowers made him visibly antsy on the edge of his seat.

[Boyd Greyson]

As they settled into their seats, Boyd took the opportunity to scan the setup once more. He couldn't be sure whether his instinctual distrust of the entire situation was due to his discomfort with the forced formality about the wedding of two complete strangers, or whether he was simply stiff with paranoia. This would be exactly the sort of vulnerable situation in which one could slip in unnoticed as a guest, or even hide amongst the overflowing fountains of flowers, and quietly cut a few members out of the bridal party. The deaths wouldn't even be noticed until the reception, of that Boyd was sure, after the dancing and cake and general revelry had subsided. Yes, this was a tactical nightmare.

He didn't let go of Liberty's hand. It was likely that he was right - it was only his paranoia acting up - but even if his nerves were somehow on the mark and something did happen, he would protect her. Liberty was a strong woman, Boyd knew well, but he sincerely doubted whether she had it in her to kill a complete stranger. That was fine. He had no such compunctions. He would make sure they got out safe.

Judging by the pleasant, dull expressions on some of the other guests who lounged, bored, in their chairs, he was the only one who was even considering such things. The woman sitting in front of him with the obnoxiously tall hat decorated liberally in white tulle was taking a picture of the groom as he stood anxiously. Boyd suspected the darkest thing she'd considered in the last week was whether or not to return the mistaken change for her coffee.

He sighed out. How much longer did they have to be here? Wasn't it just about time for the bride to come out? He hadn't voiced any of his complaints about today's events to Liberty - it was her sister, after all - but the sooner this ceremony could be done, the better.

He cast a glance out towards the aisles behind them to see if there was any sign of the bride. Just as his eyes were skidding across the aisles, he stopped short as his heart thudded to a stop within his chest.

Oh, God. That couldn't be - ... He blinked twice, roughly, to clear his eyes of any overly sentimental ghosts of his past. But the laughing child near the back of the crowd, watching the others with bright eyes and swinging his feet, so short that they didn't touch the ground... he was the spitting image of the little boy in the photo that Liberty had shown him. The photo that, unbeknownst to her, resided in his wallet to this very day. He could almost feel it burning a hole in his pocket as he gazed on mutely at the boy just out of his reach.

His son. Ari.

He felt the blood draining from his face at the same time he let Liberty's hand fall from his grasp. They had decided before that it was best to leave him in the care of his new family, but now, now that he was sitting there in plain sight - it would be so easy to just get up, take him in hand, and apparate home. He found his muscles bunching as he began to rise to his feet without even intending to, unable to tear his eyes away from Ari.

It was only the bright, brassy tones of the processional music that tore him out of his reverie as they split through the crisp air. He swallowed hard, only barely managing to force himself back into his seat.