Written for The Violet Queen's Challenge of Utter and Complete Randomness! The prompt was "wedding" the quote was "[male character] is a girl" and the random thing is "Whoosh!"

Of Weddings and Sparkle

"KATIE!" I screamed, tearing through the house like a lion was nipping at my high heels. "Oh my God, WHERE IS SHE?"

"Calm down, Angie," soothed Alicia, gliding over to me and pulling a lock of hair behind my ear.

"I will NOT calm down," I growled, and gave my best friend a death glare. "Today is my wedding day and my maid of honor is MISSING! For God's sake where could she be?"

"Probably with Oliver," said Cassandra, my younger-by-four-years sister, popping into the room. "They're pretty close now, aren't they?"

I felt fire grow in my eyes. "If she is with OLIVER WOOD on my WEDDING DAY, I SWEAR that she will not LIVE TO – "

"Who's with Oliver Wood?" Katie was behind me, eyes narrowed. "Is he cheating on me?"

I collapsed. I must've been losing it.

"Angelina! Angelina!" Cassandra, Katie, and Alicia crowded around me, fanning me. "You can't faint on your wedding day! What will George say?"

Tears popped into my eyes as I pulled myself into a sitting position and hugged my knees. I was wearing my pajama bottoms, Gryffindor sweater, green socks, and high heels. One of my eyes was caked with sleep dust, the other professionally done with eyeshadow, mascaras, and eyeliner. The day had been wild and it was only 4:30. And I was getting married.

In four hours.

To the love of my life.

To the dead former love of my life's brother.

"I can't go through with this," I moaned. "He's Fred's brother. I went to my first ball with Fred. I dated Fred for three years. And now Fred is dead, and wouldn't it be disrespect to the dead if I married his brother?"

Katie pulled me to my feet, Cassandra slung an arm around my shoulder, and Alicia gently led me to the kitchen and sat me in a chair.

"Listen to us, hon," Katie began.

"'Cuz this is the last time we're ever going to tell you," agreed Cassandra.

"You love George," said Alicia after a moment. "You love him with all your heart and soul, and I know you do. We all do. When you're with him, the way your eyes go, or even if you just talk about him..they light up, Angie." She cocked her head to the right and smiled her crooked Allie smile. "You sparkle," she said softly. "You wouldn't sparkle if you didn't love him. And sure, you loved Fred. You loved him like insane. But maybe...it's horrible, and I don't mean it the way you'll think I mean it! Maybe Fred was meant to die. Maybe you're meant to marry George. Sometimes fate and destiny have a way of twirling the odds. And the sparkle we see when you're with George, makes me – makes all of us – think that they do. Fate. Destiny." She paused again, smiled, and her voice grew softer still. "You're meant to be."

I paused, smiled, felt tears slide down my nose, and pulled my sisters, my three sisters, into the biggest hugs imaginable. "Alicia, you're the biggest sop ever. You guys rehearsed that, didn't you?"

"Yes," they chorused, and I laughed.

"Stand up," ordered Cassandra. "You've got a wedding to get ready for. Honestly, sis, look at those socks.."

–

An hour later, I was crying in my loo, blubbering about oh, what if it doesn't work out, what am I going to do, of course it won't work out my life is OVER!

My friends were not as sympathetic this time.

"We comforted you once," began Katie.

"I gave you my best speech," agreed Alicia.

"But this is just insane," growled Cassandra.

"Honestly, what's the worst that could happen?" demanded Katie. The three were circling me as I stood at the sink sobbing.

"I know what the worst that could happen is," announced Cassandra solemnly. "George could be a girl."

There was a silence.

And then we erupted into laughter.

I fell to the ground, side aching, tears rolling down my face as Alicia, Katie, and Cassandra imitated me. "Oh my God," I gasped for the second time that day. "Oh – my – God. George is a girl. George is a girl. George is a girl. Thank you so much, Cassy, for those images.."

"That's the worst that could happen," said Cassandra firmly, regaining control. "And it won't."

"Oh, you girls," I giggled. "Fine. It'll all work out and we'll be merry for the rest of our jolly lives. Happy?"

"Ecstatic," chorused the three.

"Now," said Katie, grinning, "the three of us are ready, but you, my dear, have a wedding dress to get into."

–

A half hour later, I was gazing at myself in the full length mirror, tears pricking my eyes, but happy tears. At last, I felt joy and passion and a dizzy sense of giddiness – the kind you're supposed to feel on your wedding day.

It helped, of course, how gorgeous I was looking. My wedding gown – it was hundreds of Galleons – was fantaaaaaastic. It was as traditional as you make them, white and sleeveless, with a flowing skirt and a whoosh noise when I walked.

I stared at myself in the mirror. "I've played Quidditch against Slytherins," I told myself. "I can handle a little thing like a wedding."

And you know what? I could.

–

"I now pronounce you wizard and wife. You may kiss the bride."

The church exploded in applause as I kissed my husband, my husband! Finally, finally – my husband!

"You know, for a few seconds there," said George after we'd broken apart, "I thought I was making the wrong decision..I thought that it'd be disrespect to the dead..but it isn't, Angie, and it's not wrong, and I love you."

I felt tears clod my eyes. "Besides," I said, "what's the worst that could happen? Wait, don't answer that." I'm sure he didn't for a very different reason I asked him to.

And after that, every time I looked at George, I saw Fred in him, but every time I did, he was happy for us, and I knew that what I had done was right.

And we lived happily ever after.

The End