Hey, Remus!

Maria woke up to the sound of hushed voices and the faint clatter of dishes. Sunlight streamed through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the small bedroom she had been given at the Burrow. For a moment, she just lay there, staring at the ceiling, her heart pounding. This was it. Her wedding day.
Before she could fully gather her thoughts, the door creaked open, and her mother peeked in.
"Oh, good, you're awake!" she said, already bustling in with a determined expression. "We've got so much to do, filha!"
Maria barely had time to sit up before her mother was fluffing pillows, straightening the blanket, and fussing with Maria's hair like she was five years old again.
"Mãe," Maria groaned, batting her hands away with a laugh. "You're more nervous than I am!"
"Of course I am!" her mother huffed, dramatically clutching her heart. "My only daughter is getting married in another world, with wizards, and I can't even call the rest of our family to help me stress about it!"
Maria smiled, feeling a pang in her chest. She knew her mother was trying to keep the mood light, but there was no denying how much they both wished the rest of their family and friends could be there. Before she could say anything, a loud crash echoed from outside.
"What now?" Maria muttered, throwing on a robe and rushing to the window.
Below, the Burrow's garden was a flurry of activity. The Weasleys, along with Harry, Hermione, and Tonks, were in full preparation mode. Arthur was charming floating lanterns into place, while Molly barked orders about table arrangements. Fred and George were — unsurprisingly — causing mild chaos, levitating a stack of chairs too high, while Ginny ran after them, brandishing a bouquet like a weapon.
And then there was Remus. He stood off to the side, speaking quietly with Bill and Charlie, looking handsome and composed as ever. Even from this distance, Maria could tell that despite his usual calm, there was something different about him today. A kind of quiet happiness she had never seen before. Her heart squeezed. This is real.
Before she could get too lost in her thoughts, Tonks suddenly appeared in the doorway, looking far too amused.
"Morning, bride-to-be!" she chirped, flopping onto the bed dramatically. "Are you ready for the most stressful yet romantic day of your life?"
Maria groaned.
"Please tell me nothing has gone wrong yet."
Tonks hesitated.
Maria narrowed her eyes.
"What happened?"
Tonks winced.
"Well... depends on what you consider wrong."
Just then, Ginny ran past the doorway, yelling,
"WHO LOST THE BLOODY SHOES?!"
Maria dropped her face into her hands.
Tonks grinned.
"It's fine. Everything's fine."
Maria took a deep breath.
"Okay. What do you mean, 'Who lost the bloody shoes'?"
Tonks scratched the back of her head.
"Well... funny story actually. Your wedding shoes were here last night. But now... they're not."
Maria stared at her.
"How?"
Ginny stormed back into the room, hands on her hips.
"Fred and George were 'helping' with the wedding prep," she said, voice dripping with accusation. "They were in charge of putting your shoes with the rest of your outfit."
Maria groaned.
"Why would anyone put the twins in charge of something important?"
"To be fair, they seemed very confident," Tonks said with a shrug.
Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, confident and completely untrustworthy."
Before Maria could respond, the telltale pop of Apparition sounded outside the room. Then, Fred's voice rang out through the Burrow:
"Good news! We found the shoes!"
Maria sighed in relief.
"Finally."
There was a pause. Then George sighed:
"Bad news! They may or may not have been temporarily cursed."
A beat of silence. Maria pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I hate them."
Tonks snorted.
"No, you don't."
Ginny was already storming out of the room.
"FRED! GEORGE! YOU BETTER FIX THIS RIGHT NOW OR SO HELP ME..."
Maria followed, half-dreading, half-resigned to whatever disaster awaited her. When she reached the living room, Fred and George were standing there, looking sheepish. In George's hands were Maria's beautiful ivory wedding shoes: floating several inches above his palms, vibrating slightly. Maria folded her arms.
"Explain."
Fred grinned.
"Well, you see, my dear Mary, we thought it would be a brilliant idea to add a bit of magic to your special day..."
"...so we may have charmed them to dance on their own when the music starts," George finished.
Maria blinked.
"You did what?"
Fred looked rather pleased.
"Just imagine it! The moment your first dance starts, your shoes take over and..."
"No," Maria said firmly. "Undo it. Now."
George sighed.
"Fine, fine, but it was going to be spectacular."
A few counter-curses and a dramatic poof of sparkles later, the shoes were back to normal. Maria snatched them up with a glare.
"If anything else goes wrong today, I swear..."
Fred held up his hands. "No more pranks. Scout's honor!"
George smirked.
"But if something does go wrong, it wasn't us."
Ginny threw a pillow at them.
Maria turned on her heel.
"I need to get dressed before I lose my mind."
As she stomped back upstairs, Tonks leaned over to the twins and whispered,
"Okay, but do you still have that spell? Because I do want to see that dance."
Maria's voice came from the staircase:
"I HEARD THAT, TONKS!"
Tonks cackled. As Maria's best friend in the Wizarding World, she was eager going to be the best naid of honour ever. So, she had talked to her mum, and she had found it. Tucked away in the English countryside, hidden behind layers of overgrown ivy and protective enchantments, the chapel had been untouched for decades. The stained-glass windows were covered in dust, their colors muted, but when Andromeda Tonks had ran her fingers along the intricate patterns, she had felt the hum of old magic, soft and warm, waiting to be awakened.
"This is it," she had whispered.
The others had arrived soon after: Maria, Remus, Tonks, Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys, all gaping at the forgotten place that had been about to become something magical again.
"It's a bit... rustic," Fred had observed.
"Yeah, rustic is a nice way of saying haunted," George had added.
"It's not haunted," Andromeda had said with a composed smirk. "Probably."
Maria had been speechless. It wasn't grand, not in the way she'd imagined a chapel might be, but it was perfect. A place with history, magic, and the potential to be something beautiful again. Remus had touched her hand gently.
"Do you like it?"
Maria had turned to him, eyes shining.
"I love it."
Tonks had clapped her hands together.
"Alright, then! Let's fix this place up!"
And so, they did. Hermione had charmed the ivy to weave itself into elegant, arching patterns along the walls. Molly and Arthur had worked on restoring the old wooden pews, making them sturdy and polished once more. Neville arrived had with enchanted flowers, delicate blossoms that glowed softly in the candlelight and only bloomed for true love.
"Found them in the Hogwarts greenhouses," Neville had explained, rubbing the back of his neck shyly. "Thought they'd be fitting."
Maria had hugged him.
"Neville, you're amazing."
Ginny and Tonks had floated dozens of golden candles in the air, their light shimmering against the stained glass. Bill and Fleur had set protective enchantments around the chapel to keep it safe from curious Muggles. By the time they were done, the chapel wasn't just restored, it was breathtaking.
Remus had stood in the doorway, taking it all in. His throat felt tight.
"You all did this for us?" he had asked softly.
Harry had clapped a hand on his shoulder.
"Of course we did."
Fred had grinned.
"Yeah, mate, it's about time something nice happened to you."
Maria had slipped her fingers through Remus's.
"See?" she murmured. "You're loved by everyone."
Remus had swallowed hard.
"I know."
And for the first time in his life, he had truly believed it.
Now, Arthur Weasley stood in the middle of the chapel, holding a string of delicate, twinkling fairy lights with an expression of pure wonder.
"Incredible," he murmured, watching as the tiny glowing orbs flitted and danced along the wire, as if they were alive.
"Dad, they're just fairy lights," Ginny said, rolling her eyes fondly.
"Yes, but how do they work?" Arthur asked, turning to Maria. "Muggle fairy lights need... what's it called? Electricity! But these... these have personalities!"
As if to prove his point, the tiny orbs of light wiggled and hovered in the air, twinkling mischievously. Maria stifled a laugh.
"I think these ones just respond to magic. They don't actually need a power source."
Arthur sighed happily.
"Utterly brilliant. I'll have to tell Perkins about this."
With a flick of his wand, he sent the fairy lights soaring up into the rafters of the chapel, where they wove themselves into the ivy and draped elegantly from the ceiling, casting everything in a soft, golden glow.
"Perfect," Molly said approvingly.
"Not bad, Dad," Fred called from the back of the chapel, where he and George were very busy with the decorations.
Maria narrowed her eyes. "You two aren't hexing anything, are you?"
"Us?" George clutched his chest, looking scandalized. "Would we do such a thing on your wedding day?"
Maria crossed her arms.
"Yes. Absolutely, you would."
Fred grinned.
"Relax, we're only slightly modifying the decorations."
True to their word, the floral arrangements and draped fabrics subtly shifted colors every few minutes: from soft pastels to warm golds to deep, romantic reds. It was just enough to be enchanting without being chaotic.
"See?" George said. "Completely tasteful."
Maria eyed them suspiciously.
"If my wedding suddenly turns neon pink in the middle of my vows, I will hex you both."
"No neon," Fred promised solemnly.
"I guess." George added.
Meanwhile, Charlie arrived, carrying something wrapped in a light, shimmering cloth.
"Alright," he said, grinning as he approached Maria and Remus. "I brought you a wedding gift."
Maria raised an eyebrow.
"Is it a dragon?"
Charlie laughed.
"Not quite. But close."
He pulled back the cloth, revealing a tiny phoenix with feathers the color of sunrise. The little creature let out a soft, melodic trill, filling the chapel with a warm, comforting hum.
Maria gasped.
"Charlie, it's beautiful!"
"She's just a hatchling," Charlie said. "Still too young to burst into flames. But she'll sing during the ceremony if she likes you."
The baby phoenix gave an approving chirp.
"That's a good sign," Remus murmured, watching the bird with fascination. "I suppose if she bursts into flames mid-vows, we'll know I made a mistake."
Maria smirked.
"Too late to back out now, Lupin."
As the phoenix nestled onto a wooden perch near the altar, Hermione and Ginny were busy working on Maria's bouquet.
"What about moon lilies?" Hermione suggested. "They symbolize protection and devotion."
"And star blossoms," Ginny added. "For wishes that come true."
Maria smiled as she watched them carefully arrange the flowers: delicate white lilies, soft blue forget-me-nots (for remembrance), and tiny golden flowers that sparkled like stars.
"Thank you," she said softly. "It's perfect."
Hermione grinned.
"Of course it is."
"Remus is going to cry when he sees you," Ginny teased.
Maria flushed.
"Shut up."
Ginny smirked.
"No, really. You owe me if he doesn't cry at least a little."
Maria rolled her eyes, but her heart was full. Everything was coming together. Less than two hours later, she stood in front of the full-length mirror, staring at her reflection.
The room around her buzzed with quiet excitement: Ginny and Tonks adjusting the veil, Hermione smoothing out invisible wrinkles in the dress, her mother fussing over every tiny detail. But Maria barely heard them. Because for the first time, she truly felt like a bride.
The dress was everything she had hoped for: fitted and elegant, the fabric flowing like water around her, soft lace sleeves hugging her arms. The sweetheart neckline framed her collarbones with just the right amount of grace, and the ivory silk shimmered faintly in the candlelight. It wasn't extravagant. It wasn't covered in jewels or layers of tulle. But it was her.
"Maria," her mum whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "You look..." She cut herself off, pressing a hand to her mouth. Her eyes were already glistening.
"Oh, no," Maria said quickly, turning to her. "Don't you start crying, or I'll start crying, and I am not ruining my makeup before the ceremony!"
Her mum let out a teary laugh and pulled her into a tight hug anyway.
"You look beautiful, sweetheart."
Maria smiled against her shoulder.
"Thank you, Mum."
"Alright, alright," Tonks piped up from her perch on the windowsill. "You do look stunning, but let's not forget the real question: can you actually move in it?"
Maria snorted and took a few steps, the fabric gliding smoothly with her.
"No enchanted dress this time?" Tonks teased.
"Nope," Maria said. "No cursed zippers, no disappearing skirts, no dresses trying to kill me... just a perfectly normal, non-possessed wedding gown."
"A shame," Ginny sighed dramatically. "It would've been fun to see Remus battle with a piece of rogue clothing."
"That man has been through enough," Maria said, laughing and shaking her head.
Hermione handed her the bouquet with a knowing smile.
"And now he gets to see you walk toward him in this."
Maria swallowed hard, fingers tightening around the stems. Right. This wasn't just about the dress. This was about him. About the moment she'd step through those chapel doors and see him waiting for her at the altar. About the promises they were about to make. The life they were about to start together.
"Alright," she said, exhaling deeply. "Let's do this."
Tonks grinned.
"Hell yes."