(A/N): Thanks Rilian for the Beta!

Written for Monthly drabble with prompt: discreet, honor, trust, luxury, scarlet

Story: The Wedding of Parvati Patil

15 of June, 2007.

It was a beautiful day for an outdoors wedding. You needed beautiful days when it came to weddings like these. The guests from the bride's side were seated on chairs covered with saffron coloured fabrics as they stared over the mandap, the wedding ceremonial ground, excited for the festivities to start. Four pillars guarded the holy ground and a priest sat on the floor chanting and occasionally tossing holy water into the fire that was floating on a pedestal in the middle of the field.

"Wow, the Patils didn't spare any luxury," Ginny whispered to Hermione, who was sitting on her right, and Ron, who was on Hermione's right. Harry also heard what Ginny had said, but didn't react. She wasn't speaking to him. Rightly so, as he'd just broken up with her moments before arriving to the wedding.

Harry's watch beeped and he glanced at it before speaking. "Well, I'm off, see you lot in a bit." He stood up from his seat, and he and Ron dashed away from the seating area, Disapparating to the location they were scheduled to meet the groom's party.

Neville Longbottom was sitting on a white horse, whose saddle was decorated in gold and scarlet. If he wasn't crash coursed in Indian wedding customs, Harry would have thought that the saddle displayed Gryffindor colours. Neville, of course, was afraid of riding on a horse to the wedding procession simply because he was convinced that something would go wrong. He much rather would have arrived discreetly. However, Parvati, the bride, claimed that it was quite the dishonour and disrespectful of her parents' wishes if he didn't follow the traditional practices of the British-Indian wizarding community.

When Padma married Anthony Otterburn, he had refused to come in riding on a horse. The entire family talked about it throughout the reception. Nobody seemed to talk about how beautiful the bride looked or how wonderful the ceremony was; they were all concentrated on the traditions that weren't followed. Parvati did not wish to repeat that mistake. She hoped she could trust Neville to be the Gryffindor that he was and respect her, and her parents', wishes.

It was fifteen minutes to show time. The dhol player began beating the drum with two bamboo sticks and all the male cousins of the Patil twins that accompanied Neville began to dance to the beat. A few short moments later, Dean and Seamus began to imitate the dancers and eventually Harry and Ron joined in. The Gryffindor boys had no clue what they were doing, but it seemed that no one actually cared what you were doing, so long as you were marching with the group and dancing semi-simultaneously. Ultimately, the inhibitions were forgotten and everyone seemed to enjoy the music and the free styling. Neville laughed at his friends and their fantastic attempt to immerse in the culture and was finally glad that all he had to do was sit on the horse, walking at a very slow speed.

When the group of dancing groomsmen arrived at the ceremonial grounds, Neville hopped off the horse with a surprising amount of grace. He stood at the gates of the holy mandap, and watched the bride gracefully walk towards him accompanied by her twin sister and mother. Parvati's wedding garb was more scarlet and golden than the saddle of the horse Neville had rode on. When the bride approached the groom, they exchanged garlands, marking their first step towards the ritual. They were eventually seated at the decorated chairs by the holy fire and the priest began to chant loudly.

From the corner of his eye, Harry spotted Draco sitting on the other side of the mandap with Pansy. She and Parvati had become friends during Healer training, and Draco had come as her plus one. Draco nodded at Harry with recognition once he'd met Harry's gaze and returned his attention to the wedding ritual.

At the reception following the two hour ceremony the bride and the groom became quite tipsy. Harry danced with some of Parvati's cousins before Draco caught his eye again. He felt it was now safe to approach him and start a conversation.

"So, how was it?" Draco asked.

Harry smirked before he spoke. "Which part? The bachelor party, the dancing, the horse, the ceremony –"

"The breakup," Draco replied.

"She's not talking to me, so I don't think she took it very well," Harry answered.

"Does that bother you?" Draco asked, glancing over towards Ginny, who was sitting next to Hermione and Luna and glaring at him.

"She knows we have been over for a while, and she just needs to get used to it being official. Frankly though, I don't care. Now I can finally do this." Harry wrapped his arms around Draco's neck and pulled him into a kiss. Draco instantaneously grabbed Harry's waist and pulled him in as well. Harry wasn't sure but he thought he heard a few guests gasp as he continued the fervent kiss with his new boyfriend.

Padma slowly walked up to the two men snogging in a corner and whispered, "Boys, it's my sister's wedding. Try not to make this about yourselves. Honestly."

The moment I heard my first love story I began seeking you,
not realizing the search was useless.
Lovers don't meet somewhere along the way.
They're in one another's souls from the beginning.
~ Rumi

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