"Kalopsia"

the delusion of things being more beautiful than they are

5 June 1997

"Look alive! It's your wedding!" Atlas cheered, patting his oldest brother's back while Athena tried to fix his hair and Camille was trying to fix her son's collar without bawling her eyes out. Lucian in the back, his chest puffed out as he looked at his eldest with the proudest eyes.

He watched his firstborn son, his heir, grow into a man of ambition and now, a good soon-to-be husband.

And he cannot wait for his legacy, Damon and Atlas, to experience their greatest achievement or moments in their lives as he did with Athena.

"Father."

"Son."

Lucian laughed, bringing Corvus into a tight embrace. Camille let her husband have his moment with their son before she could have hers. The twins had tears in their eyes, and Damon was trying to ensure his little sister didn't ruin her make-up.

The second son felt like he was being left behind for most of his life but his oldest brother, was always there to encourage him at his lowest. Most would call him the spare or the left-out middle child, but his family never forgot about him.

"My brave boy," Camille breathed, her hands clasped around her son's face. The love she has for her firstborn is always different she has for the other three.

"Now now," Elizabeth said as she walked into the room. Her grandchildren cry out of excitement. Her son had the same look as her husband did when Lucian got married. Her daughter-in-law trying her best to stop herself. She could only laugh at what she witnessed. "You have a few more minutes."

Corvus was looked over to his siblings once Camille finally let her son go. The moment he opened his arms, Athena crashed into him first before Damon followed closely and Atlas jumped onto all of them.

"This is my groomsman?" Corvus chuckled, barely keeping it together. "This dress does not do you justice, little sister."

Elizabeth let out a deep sigh, patting her son's back while his wife had her arm hooked around his. Corvus's best friend, his best man, burst into the room with the Auclairs and scared Elizabeth to death. He ran to join the hug before Corvus let out a loud groan, trying to push him away. Thomas had to pull them apart or else they all would be late for the wedding.

"I can't believe you got Angel to say yes."

"Oh pissed off, you damned Hufflepuff."

— | —

Athena was barely keeping it together when Corvus read his vows. She remembered that she didn't prepare a proper vow and she hated herself for it since then. She stood right behind Thomas, her silk black dress, a contrast to the rest of the groomsman's suit. Corvus had designed their dress and suits, embroidery of a little reminder of their former houses in school and little designs of what they love to do. 

She caught her wife's eyes, also in tears to hear their vows. An 'I love you' was mouthed by Athena and Fleur did the same thing. Angel reached out to her very soon-to-be husband's face, helping out with his tears. Her hand lingered longer on his face before Corvus kissed it.

"You," His voice quivered, as he looked up from his vows. "knew the hardships of being married to me, the oldest Ashryver or what my father calls me, his Heir. Yet, you said yes even when I repeatedly warned you about the criticism and the attention that you will receive."

Thomas had tears in his eyes, rubbing his best friend's back, to let him finish his vows before he started bawling before they were announced as husband and wife. Athena was right behind him, laughing when Corvus finally finished his vows. The moment Angel started with her vows, Corvus started sobbing as he listened. His siblings couldn't hold back their tears. Athena handed her brothers some Q-tips to wipe their tears before laughing at their questions. Angel and her bridesmaids were bringing out Q-tips to wipe their tears.

"You may kiss the bride!" Camille cheered, walking away for them to have their moment. Cheers from their friends and families erupted when they kissed. Angel got a little shy when she, finally, husband pulled away and glanced over to her mother, who had tears in her eyes. They both had wished that her father could have seen her get married, it was all he could talk about when she was younger.

The universe is never really kind to good people.

Christopher had walked her down the aisle in his stead. The Auclair was honoured to do that for her. Camille with her jokes when she walked down the aisle with her son and she joked about how he could never opt out because she would never let her son do that to the beautiful and kind Angel.

With the biggest smiles ever plastered on their faces, the newlyweds walked down the aisle. Petals of all their favourite flowers were tossed onto them as well as rice.

Their wedding is beyond beautiful like Athena's and Fleur's. A mix of the traditional English and French weddings. They decided to have the wedding where Angel was born because she felt closer to her father. Corvus wanted nothing more but to please his wife, especially on their big day.

Bordeaux, France. A beautiful place, the perfect wedding where Corvus would love to have his wedding.

"My Love," Athena breathed, placing a kiss on her wife's shoulder. Fleur placed a kiss on her cheek in return.

"Ma Cherie."

The Weasley Twins ran into Athena, hugging her tightly and cheered, "Thena!"

Athena yelped in surprise despite knowing exactly what they were going to do. Fleur let out a laugh before covering her mouth to hide it. The Twins got stronger and strangely buffer.

"And wife," they said and Fleur opened her arms for them. They quickly engulfed her into a hug while Harry timidly walked towards them. A lot of reunions were happening, their parents's friends and their own. Family members from afar.

The Weasleys went to bother Athena's brothers, leaving the wives together.

The band transitions into a lively tune, the notes floating through the air like a happy breeze. The dance floor comes alive with guests, their faces lit with joy and excitement. Angel and Corvus share their first dance as husband and wife, moving gracefully across the floor as if they're the only two people in the room.

The two newlyweds led each other so easily as they had their first dance. Corvus's suit, black with dark green and blue embroidery of dragons adorned it and Angel's dress, pearly white in contrast to her husband's suit with a bit of green and blue representing both of their former houses, Ombrulune and Slytherin.

Very similar houses but very different schools but created spectacular students who will always thank them for everything to make their school memories very memorable.

"This is more perfect than ours," Athena sighed, thinking if she should have added something more to her wedding. Fleur held her wife's hand in hers and kissed her wedding ring, she could not help but think that her wife looked even more beautiful than ever and the dress did not do her body justice. 

"Ours was perfect and everything I could ask for if we exclude the vows."

"You did not have one either," Athena scoffed, drinking her fire whiskey and smiling at her oldest brother and new sister-in-law.

"When is the food coming out?" Fleur muttered, taking a couple of hors d'oeuvres and a glass of champagne for her lovely wife who was also eyeing the appetisers. She gave some to the shy Potter trying to hide himself from everyone. 

"Usually it's me asking for food."

"I barely ate the entire day," Fleur said, hiding her panic but Athena caught on to it but paid no mind before Juliette and her aunt joined their conversation. They could not keep their hands off one another.

— | —

"Sorry."

"For what?" Athena asked, already changing out to get ready for a bath. She stretched a little before heading into their bathroom. "Coming?"

Fleur let her wife take her hand, leading to the bathroom. Athena placed kisses on her shoulder as she helped Fleur out of the dress and let the water run.

"I asked to get out."

"You always do the same for me," Athena sighs, turning Fleur's head to face her. Her thumbs caressed her wife's face before she placed kisses all over her beautiful features.

"I need to tell you something."

"I know."

"What?"

"If we talking about us being pregnant, I know."

"Thena—" Fleur stuttered, trying to find ways to explain herself before her wife lashed out at her for hiding the biggest news of their entire lives. Athena placed a kiss on her shoulder, turning to the tub to make sure it was good enough for the both of them.

"It's okay, my Love. I know why you didn't tell me but did you think I wouldn't find out?"

"Your mother said that you'd be oblivious."

"My mother forgets that I like to learn. How long were you going to keep it from me?"

"Je ne sais pas [I don't know]," Fleur said, tearing up and playing with her fingers, standing outside the tub while her wife was already lazing around it in.

"Hey, hey, hey," Athena chuckled, resting her arms at the edge of the tub, one hand caressing her wife's leg to calm her down. "It is okay. You got me now."

"I do?"

"You do come here."

Water sloshing around as Fleur got in, trying to get comfortable with her wife's chest pressing against her back. Athena was placing kisses on her shoulders and neck as her hands caressed her body.

"Relax, my Love."

"I really, really wanted to tell you but your job and the shit is going on in the world, I wanted to keep you safe and not distracted."

"I know."

"You know, you know," Fleur exclaimed, trying to make sense of the situation. Her wife should not be more angry and not this calm. Athena is calm because she does not want her wife to panic or be more stressed. Sooner or later, Fleur will have to take a break from Quidditch for their baby, a decision that the Veela has not made yet by the look of things. 

"You want me to be mad?"

"No, I expected more of a reaction but why are you so understanding?"

"I understand the reasons and the guilt. I can see and feel it every day. You are stressing out and fighting internal conflicts but you can't do that. It is bad for the baby—our baby. So I needed to tell you that I know to relieve the burden on your shoulders."

"Cunt."

Athena laughed into the crook of her neck, her hands resting on her wife's belly, feeling the warmth of a new life.

"Do not become English now."

"Could be warmer."

"Of course," Athena whispered, waving her hand as the water got warmer. Fleur relaxed even further into her wife's body, still guilty but the burden gone from her shoulders. "How or when shall we tell the family?"

"Maybe when we go back or before they go on a honeymoon."

"So next week?"

Fleur hummed in response, drawing circles on Athena's knee as she played the fingers on her stomach.

"I love you so much," Fleur declared, bringing her wife's fingers to her lips and kissing her wedding ring and then her scars on her forearm. Athena, in return, placed kisses on her hair and intertwined their hands. She loves it when Fleur just draws or kisses her scarred arm, she is always reminded that Athena is always enough and will always be her problem, no matter what. 

"I love you more than anything."

"Than your cat?"

"Leave my baby out of this."

"Which is at your grandparents' place and I am carrying your baby."

"But my cute little void."

Fleur could hear the pout before she started to laugh at her wife. She turned just enough so she could kiss Athena properly. Their kiss has gotten more aggressive the last minute as the water sloshes out of the tub with Fleur's hands tangled in Athena's hair and Athena's hands on her waist, pulling her in. The Veela straddled her wife in one quick swoop before pulling away from some air.

"Pregnancy got me craving really strange things like pickles."

"You hate pickles," Athena chuckled, slightly confused, remembering every single time Fleur gave her the pickles off her cheeseburgers. Fleur nodded with a little pout which Athena kissed away. "Well, however bad you hate pickles, you can finally enjoy an actual cheeseburger."

"Hey!"

"Sorry, but I am not wrong."

Fleur huffed, placing kisses all over her wife's face and settled on a deep kiss. Athena wrapped her arms tightly around Fleur's waist as if she was going to run away from her grasp.

The Veela pulled back and whispered against her wife's lips, "I can't wait to be a mother with you, my Darling."

"Moi aussi, ma amour."

— | —