Unexpected Challenges

"I was at the Department of Magical Justice and noticed Deb Halstead's wedding photo the other day. Beth and I want to get married on Valentine's day, I knew to make that happen I needed to find someone to make it happen so I asked if she used a planner and she gave me your name. Then I checked the muggle phonebook and found that your name was listed there as well, it cinched it for me and I called." Sirius said.

"Six weeks huh? You believe in a challenge I take it Mr. Black. Venues are usually booked months not weeks in advance. How many people are we talking about?"

Beth said "Probably one fifty to two hundred based on the guest list we've come up with."

"Budget?"

"Up to a million, I'd prefer for it to be a third to a half that. That said, I realize with the tight time line you are probably going to have to pay a premium to get this done. You are going to be dealing with a mixed magical and muggle wedding so plan accordingly." Sirius said.

" Okay. Theme? Colors? Formal or more casual?"

Sirius looked to Beth, "Formal, elegant, with the occasional unexpected touch of the whimsical," she said.

"Whimsical, huh?" Bonnie said. "Colors?"

"Blue. Sky blue like Beth's eyes," Sirius said.

"Brown like dark chocolate." Harry spoke up.

Bonnie looked at the adults, after looking at each other they nodded their agreement. "Unusual choice for a Valentines wedding. You said you made a guest list?"

"Mother did you bring yours and Daddy's list?"

Maryanne handed it to Beth. Beth pulled out her own for comparison. She check marked on her mother's list the names that were on her and Sirius' list. She added a couple of names from her parents list to hers, but there were fifteen names on her mother's list that she looked at and said, "No I categorically refuse to have those bigots at my wedding. I know they are part of the wizarding government but those particular people have always been snide and rude and condescending I will not pollute my wedding by having them attend."

"But those are people your father has to work with..."

"No! Sirius and I aren't asking you to pay for this, so no I don't want them at my wedding! Not to mention they couldn't blend in to save their lives, and a little over a third of my list are muggles. It's my wedding Mother not yours. If you want to socialize with them do it yourself because I won't."

"Announcements might be a potential solution," Bonnie interjected. Beth passed her the list. When she saw the names on the list she inwardly whistled, this wedding could make or break her business: a success would almost guarantee work in the area for years to come both for magicals and muggles, a failure and she might as well pack her bags and move to Antarctica. "I have a wedding I'm doing the day before but my schedule is open Valentine's day. I think I'd like the challenge but I'll warn you now this is going to mean a horrendous amount of work on all our parts. I suspect we're going to run into problems finding a venue and we have to do that before we can print invitations. I'll see what I can find out. Do you... of course you don't never mind is there a number I can reach you at?"

Sirius grinned, "I have a cell or rather my cell is supposed to get a local number tomorrow it's supposed to be (410)555-0987. As Beth works for the state department, she's not free to deal with much my schedule at the moment is much more fluid."

"A wizard with a cell phone you're just full of surprises aren't you. It's unusual for the groom to be more involved in the planning than the bride but I look forward to working with you. I think the things we need to get set first are: the venue, invitations, pre-marital counseling and dresses. Follow that by photographer, videographer, music, caterer, flowers and decoration. I have preferred vendors for most of that but the date works against us. At least Valentines day is a Sunday this year that should help. It's really helpful that you have your list of invites and their addresses already down and that you've marked them as to whether their magical or muggle."

"We plan on shopping this weekend. Sirius and Harry need winter clothes and I can start looking for a dress."

"I'll help you Beth," Harry said cheerfully. He then looked at Bonnie, " and I'll have ideas for that touch of whimsical when the time comes."

"Of course you will," she said slightly condescendingly. Bonnie pulled out copies of the questionnaire she gave all her clients and her standard contract for her services. "Have you got someone in mind for the pre-martial counseling? It's something I strongly urge because I want the couples I help to last. If not I can refer you to someone. Six weeks isn't a lot of time. Where and how did you two meet?"

Beth smiled brightly, "We met because of Harry here. I was on vacation in Palau..."

Thirty minutes later Bonnie had a few ideas and had revamped her view of the boy, she got the impression that he was uncannily intelligent for someone his age. She also had an idea for a venue that would be totally in keeping with the family to be, the only question was would it be possible.

Friday Beth found out that one under secretaries/ liaisons to the UN Ambassador was going to be sent to New York for two months in a week and was looking for someone to house and cat sit while he was gone. He lived in one of the secured communities the state department offered to it's workers that traveled.

"John, I hear you're looking for a house sitter."

"Beth..I.. Yes I am."

"I finally decided to stop letting my family run my life and got engaged. But Sirius and I need time to find the place that we want meanwhile we're looking for a temporary place. How much space do you have?"

"It's a three bedroom. I bought it when Margot and I were together. It's a bit big for a single guy but I don't plan to be single forever."

"How would you feel about one of the people staying there being a kid?"

"How old? I don't think I'd be okay with like a toddler, besides I'd want to see how Belle, RK and Grimalkin, my cats felt about it."

"Harry is a very mature and smart eight year old."

....

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