Open Lost Hearts Find A Home

[Kyle Alcott-Ward]

Ten years ago, Kyle would have never expected this day to come. He had thought that the romantic part of his life was behind him, focused on nothing but fatherhood to try not to feel alone. Standing at the altar in a beautiful castle, the man he loved in front of him, it was hard not to be moved to tears. Every hardship in Kyle’s life, every difficulty and setback, everything had somehow led him to this moment. Seeing every ounce of the love he felt reflected in Matt’s eyes, their hands joined as the officiant spoke, all of the most important people in Kyle’s life surrounding them. It felt indescribable, and all Kyle could do was hold on to Matt’s hands for dear life, unable to tear his eyes from the only man he could imagine spending the rest of his life with.


When the officiant called on him for vows Kyle almost forgot how to speak, choked up in a way he had only felt once in his life before, when October was born. He released one of Matt’s hands to wipe his eyes, taking a shaky breath before beginning his vows. “Matt, you are… my best friend, and the love of my life. Since the moment you entered my life, you’ve changed it for the better. You’ve made me happier, a better father, and a better person. You’ve seen every… painful and ugly part of me, and loved me anyway. With my whole heart, I promise to be with you always, through triumphs and hardships. I promise to listen to you and stand with you, to share with you and grow with you. I promise to support you always, in whatever goals you pursue. I promise to give everything I have to our family, to support and listen to our children always. Most of all, I promise to love you, every day, with every part of me, for the rest of our lives together.” Kyle could heard the choking in his voice as his vows came to an end and squeezed Matt’s hand for strength, wiping his eyes again. It felt like his heart was going to burst with joy, as he looked into the eyes of the man he loved.

((Will be open to guests after a couple more replies!))

 

[Professor Matt Alcott-Ward]

Matt’s heart was fluttering in his chest, both from nerves and excitement. He found it hard to believe he was getting married today, even stopping to pinch himself a few times. This wasn’t Matt’s first marriage, but this felt a lot more real than his wedding to Adelia had felt. That had been small, almost hasty. April had made it seem like a necessity, the good and proper thing to do. It wasn’t really strange the marriage had fallen apart before long. But now that he was here with Kyle, he knew that the feelings he had for the other man didn’t compare to anything else in his life. He gave Kyle a nervous smile as they stood at the altar, looking at their joined hands before meeting his gaze again. In his free hand, he held notes he would need for his vows. No one but him knew he was still holding three different versions of said vows, as he had been unable to decide between them. Kyle, of course, seemed completely prepared. He was so much better at this than Matt was.

As happy as Matt was in this moment, he couldn’t completely ignore the eyes of the guests on him. He knew that was the point of a wedding, and he knew that everyone here was happy for him and Kyle. But Matt had never been very good at being the center of attention. It had been the biggest struggle for him in becoming a teacher, getting used to being looked at by a group of people for a lecture period. He was used to that now, but that was entirely different to this experience. But as soon as he saw Kyle wipe a tear from his eye, he forgot these worries for a moment. He looked at the man in front of him, the man he loved. Nothing but Kyle mattered right now, and as he started to speak, it was hard for Matt to keep his eyes dry too. Kyle’s vows were heartfelt and true, and somehow he had managed to tell them without needing to write anything down. That only made him love the man more. His confidence and poise were something he admired greatly, and he wished he could tell him so right now. He squeezed Kyle’s hand back as his vows came to an end. He wanted to reassure Kyle, but couldn’t find his voice. That was a problem, because now it was his turn to say his vows. He fumbled with his notes, nearly dropping them. At once, he was aware again of all the people watching. But he had to get through this, and he wanted to say the vows to Kyle. He had worked on them for a long time, and the feelings he described hadn’t been easy for him to put into words. “Kyle,” he started, glancing from the paper at his face and back. ”Even after all these years, I sometimes wonder how someone like you can love someone like me. In so many ways, we are completely different. But in the end, I think that is what makes us stronger. I have learned many things from being with you, and I honestly think you have made me a better person simply by being by my side. I promise to protect you when you need it, and love you every day. I promise that I will put our family above everything else, and know I can trust on you to do the same. And I promise that I will love and cherish you every day, and that I will support you in any way I can." He stopped speaking, looking Kyle in the eyes. Now that he had said the words, this felt all the more real. He couldn’t stop a grin spreading over his face as he realized once again he was about to marry this man.

 

[Kyle Alcott-Ward]

Kyle had always liked to think he had good control of his emotions, but as he listened to Matt’s vows it was almost impossible not to be overwhelmed. He gripped Matt’s hand tightly, wiping his eyes intermittently as he listened. He felt connected to Matt every day, but to speak it out loud, to hear it put into words was moving, and Kyle wanted nothing more than to kiss Matt, ceremony be damned. He held himself in check though, beaming through happy tears as Matt finished. As much as Kyle had wanted to savour every moment of the ceremony, it felt as though time was rushing past as the officiant spoke again, and then it was time for the rings. He picked up Matt’s ring and took his left hand, grinning breathlessly as he slid it onto his finger, meeting Matt’s eyes with his own teary gaze. “With this ring, I give you my heart.” He said softly, and then it was Matt’s turn, and Kyle’s breath hitched as he watched the ring slide onto his finger, fitting like it had always been a part of him.


Kyle had barely heard the officiant pronounce them married before he leaned over to finally, finally kiss Matt tenderly. To kiss his husband. Every step of Kyle’s life had led him to this perfect moment, and it was difficult to tear himself away. He did eventually though, following the officiant with Matt to sign the license. And that was it. Staring at his own name on the page for a long moment, Kyle just took in the fact that he was now married. He had been so wrapped up in his own world with Matt that when he turned back to the guests it almost took him by surprise for a moment, seeing how many people were there, but Kyle smiled brightly, giving a quick, cheerful wave. “Um, we just want to say… thank you so much, everyone for coming. The reception is in the ballroom, there’s a buffet and music so everybody have fun!” He said brightly, not wanting to leave their guests sitting around any longer. Now it was time to celebrate, and he was so overjoyed to be doing so with so many of the people who meant the most to them.

 

[Professor Matt Alcott-Ward]

Matt felt like he had to hold onto Kyle for support. This moment was huge, and he was happy to be in this moment with the love of his life. He glanced at the guests, seeking out April for a moment. She looked beautiful, standing next to October. The four of them would be a family now, though they had already been a family for a few years now. Time seemed to go both slow and fast, and before he knew it Kyle was sliding a ring onto his finger. Matt fumbled for a moment with his own ring, but managed to get it onto Kyle’s hand without dropping it. He gave the other man a slight smile as he looked into his eyes. “With this ring, I give you my heart.” He repeated, his hand lingering on Kyle’s for a moment. Then it was official, they were married. Kyle leaned in to kiss him, and Matt met him halfway. Everything was a bit of a blur, but Matt happily went along with it all. He signed his name and looked over at Kyle’s name on the other side, smiling to himself. He was grateful to Kyle for addressing the guests, though he stood by his side and put one arm around his waist as he spoke. He gave April and October a smile and a nod, happy their daughters were here to celebrate with them. Then he looked over at the rest of the guests with the same smile on his face. He was honored so many of his colleagues had come to support him on this day.

Out of Character:

Any Hogwarts Professors or Hogwarts Staff can attend the wedding, as well as anyone Kyle works with or who knows him from his school time. If you think your character should be attending because they know Matt or Kyle send us a message to let us know!

 

[April Ward]

April felt like she had been waiting for this day for years, and now it was finally here! All day, she had been bouncing off the walls from excitement, getting things ready with Kyle. The two of them had been in charge of decorating, and April was very proud of the result. During the ceremony she stood at her dad’s side, wearing a blue dress. October stood on the other side and was wearing a dress of a similar color. April gave her sister a big smile, happy that their families were joining together. The ceremony was very sweet, though April did think it took a little long. Why were weddings so full of stuff you had to do? She watched her dad and Kyle tell each other vows, put on rings, kiss each other, sign a thing. So many steps for such a simple promise, really. She searched her mother’s face in the crowd of guests, giving her a smile when she noticed her. April couldn’t help but wonder how this wedding compared to her parent’s old one, though she had enough sense not to go asking about that today.

Once the ceremony was over, April gave both her dad and Kyle a big hug. But she knew many other people would want to congratulate them, and she had something else to do too. She made her way to the ballroom where the reception was and looked around for Norton and Kauri. Her dad had told her she could bring a guest, and she had asked him if she could please bring two. Norton and Kauri were both really close friends of hers, and she wanted both of them to be there at the wedding. She pulled a face as she passed October’s guest, her stupid boyfriend Tristan. She hoped Kauri wouldn’t get too sad seeing him, and she vowed to distract him as much as she could. “Kauri! Norton! Where are you guys?” She called as she looked around, tired of wandering around alone.

 

[October Alcott]

Although they had been preparing for today as a family for months, October had never really felt like it was going to come. Working on repairing her relationship with her father had been a slow process, and October knew they had a ways to go before she would really feel like she could trust him, but the process had really shown October how love had made her father a better person. Matt's support and patience was eye opening to October, and she saw her dad beginning to learn those qualities as he was learning how to be a better parent. At one point she hadn't seen how someone like Matt could love someone like her dad, but with some distance from the worst times, October saw how they complemented each other, their strengths and weaknesses supporting each other, and she couldn't help hoping at her own wedding she would feel as connected as her father clearly did to Matt.

Standing by her father's side in her blue dress to match April, October quietly wiped her eyes as she listened to the vows. She had scarcely ever heard so much emotion in her dad's voice, and it really spoke to how strongly he felt about this. And October felt strongly, too. Though there was no blood between them, Matt was feeling more and more like a father to her, and April nothing but a sister. It was a relief to make that official, to really and truly join into one family like this. And with the signing of the license, it was official. October quickly hurried over to her dad and hugged him tightly, quickly giving Matt a hug as well. There was a lot going on though, so October wiped her eyes again and slipped away, to give them space to talk to other people. She wanted to find her date, quickly tracking Tristan down in the crowd. It was a little strange to see him when she was so emotionally compromised. October felt strongly about Tristan, she was sure she did, but their relationship had been born from competition, and it felt... wrong to be so open around him. Trying not to think about what that meant, October pulled herself together as she approached Tristan, smiling and linking her arm with his. "Hi."

 

[Amy Ward]

This wasn’t the first wedding of her brother Amy had attended, but her memory of the previous one was hazy as she had only been seven years old at the time. She did know it had been less extravagant than this one, which wasn’t a surprise. This beautifully decorated and large wedding didn’t really seem like her brother’s kind of thing, but she could tell he was enjoying himself which was the most important part. Amy was enjoying herself too, though she also felt nervous because of her date. She still didn’t know what had come over her the moment she asked Tobiah to be her date for her brother’s wedding, especially since neither of them had ever said anything about being serious. In fact, they had both agreed not to be serious when they started this, but that was a long time ago now. Amy’s feelings had changed over time, but she had never known how to bring it up. Apparently some part of her brain thought inviting him as a date to a wedding was a good idea to broach the subject, and Amy was very angry with that part of her brain right now. Tobiah had accepted, which made her happy, but there seemed to be an awkwardly charged energy around them both today. Something in the air that neither of them wanted to point out or bring up. Amy knew it was only a matter of time before one of them did, and it would probably be her. Amy was usually never hesitant to be bold and outspoken, but this situation felt a little fragile, and Amy didn’t want to break it by accident.

The ceremony was lovely and Amy had to blink away a few tears. It was nice to see her brother so happy, and nice to see April so delighted too. Amy didn’t really know Kyle’s daughter very well, but she had gathered over the last few months that the two girls were as close as sisters, which they officially were now. Amy congratulated her brother with a hug and a kiss before making her way back to Tobiah, giving him a smile. “Let’s go find that buffet.” She told him. Maybe once they got to eat and relax for a bit, the tension between them would ease away a little. She paused for a moment before adding a more sincere statement. “Thanks for coming to this thing with me.”

 

[Tobiah Djordjevic]

Tobiah was itching for a cigarette even though he'd given them up a few months ago. For her. She didn't know he had done it for her, and he didn't realize he had either, but she had been the catalyst. There were a lot of things he was doing lately which were influenced by Amy, whether he realized it or not was a different story. In spite of the casual nature of their relationship, she'd begun to invade his every thought, his every moment apart from her. But a wedding seemed like a bit much. As her brother stood up front professing his love to his partner, Tobiah's fingers twitched towards his pocket where there was no box to comfort him. He recognized the man this time. His attempt to spot him when he had gone to Sianna's graduation unsuccessful. Not that he'd mentioned looking for him at all to Amy.

Hanging back, Tobiah was grateful for the break from Amy's presence even as he watched her and hoped she would return soon. When he had seen her this morning, it had taken a lot of effort to not somehow convince her to stay inside with him all day. Tobiah glanced around the crowd looking for a fellow smoker. He still considered himself a member of that club even if it had been months. As she approached, Tobiah gave Amy a smile. "Yes, food" he nodded. He took a few steps, pausing as she spoke again. "Of course. It's just a wedding. No big deal, right?" he asked, a small laugh at the end, an admission that this was, in fact, a very big deal.

 

[Tristan Collins]

Everything about the wedding was a little awkward to Tristan. Not only was he at the wedding of his girlfriend’s dad who was also his coworker, but the man was also marrying someone who was his professor. Tristan really didn’t feel like he belonged here on this day, but there was no way he would have declined the invitation from October. He had enjoyed dating her a lot, and hoped to make it last longer. She was a fellow prefect, top of the class and a Quidditch player. On top of that, she was gorgeous too. When they spent time together, things seemed perfect. So he hoped this wedding would improve when she could return to his side.

Even Tristan had to admit the ceremony was kind of nice, though it was a little on the long and sappy side. He had to push away thoughts of Vivian once or twice, which really wasn’t logical on the wedding of October’s dad. But whenever he thought of his own future, the boy popped into his head persistently. It was a relief when the ceremony was over and October made her way over to him. Tristan was glad she was here, and easily linked arms with her while giving her a charming smile. “Hi, you looked gorgeous up there.” He pretended not to see the dirty look October’s sister shot him from across the room, and also tried his best not to focus on Kauri who she had of course invited, vaguely noticing the boy looked nice dressed up. What was with his mind today? He had to focus on October right now, his actual girlfriend. His smile turned into a slight smirk as he looked at her again. “Were those tears I saw?”

 

[Amy Ward]

As Amy joined Tobiah again, she felt herself relax in his presence. The last few months with him had been amazing, and she felt like they had gotten to know each other to the point where they were comfortable around one another. But there was still the underlying tension because of the setting they were in, which Tobiah brought up in a joking way. For a moment, Amy was inclined to go along with that. To make a joke and then move on to the food and try to have a good evening without addressing the elephant in the room. But as she looked at him, she knew she couldn’t do that. This may not be the best time for this conversation, but Amy felt like she couldn’t keep ignoring this any longer. Gently, she took Tobiah’s hand to guide him away from the nearest people, then held onto it as she looked up at him. “Okay, real talk for a second. I know it is a big deal. And I’m sorry for asking you.” She said, then immediately realized that wasn’t what she wanted to convey. “Okay, no. I’m not sorry I asked you. I’m glad I asked you, and I’m glad you’re here.” She squeezed his hand before letting it go. In case he didn’t like what she was about to say, she didn’t want him to feel trapped. Hesitant, Amy looked around as if the perfect words to say were going to appear somewhere around her. But no, she knew what she needed to say. She just had to be brave. Amy looked at him, meeting his gaze. “Asking someone to be a date at a wedding isn’t something you do when you’re not serious with someone. But I did ask you. And I think I did that because… I feel like I don’t want to be as casual anymore. I’ve been having feelings for you that are more than that, but I haven’t known how to say it. I didn’t want to ruin what we had.” She paused, then smiled self-consciously. “And I guess apparently my first attempt at saying it was by asking you to my brother’s wedding, which is really not very clear, or very practical. So here I am, being clear.” As she finished speaking, it was clear Amy was nervous. Tobiah had been clear at the start about wanting things to be casual, and back then she had been happy to agree. But over the past few weeks it had become increasingly clear that things couldn’t stay that way, at least not on Amy’s end. “For the record, I am aware this isn’t the best time and place to say this.” She added, trying to keep her voice light and casual and joking, despite the nerves raging inside her. She was pretty sure Tobiah saw right through her, which didn’t help with the nerves.

 

[Norton Gillespie]

Norton had been very happy to be invited to his history professor’s wedding, well, he knew April and it was likely that connection which had given him the invite. However Norton was not going to complain, he had never been to a magical wedding and he was definitely going to enjoy it. The boy had put on his best suit, the one he’d worn at the yuleball, a fancy but colourful suit with birds on it. Norton had taken his seat and tried to catch April’s eye during the ceremony but it hadn’t been possible. Instead he had just enjoyed the ceremony himself. He felt very proud of his history professor he hadn’t had yet and felt like this was such a lovely thing to be invited to. Norton was so happy! It was such a beautiful wedding and declaration of love. Norton hadn’t even crushed on anyone much less love anyone, well aside from his family but he knew that was different. He couldn’t see his dad remarrying at all. Norton had little tears in his eyes by the end of the ceremony, he wanted to rush over and congratulate the professor but in the mesh of people he was sure that the professor wouldn’t have time for Norton.​

​

Norton was wandering around the rest of the guests when he heard someone say his name, he glanced around and spotted April in amongst the rest of them. Norton grinned happily ”April!” the boy waved happily at her, bouncing himself over to where she was standing, ”April!” he wrapped his arms around ehr in a hug when he got close enough, ”That was beautiful! I’ve never been to a wedding before but that was amazing, it was perfect, your dad looked beautiful, your sister looked beautiful, her dad looked beautiful, you look beautiful, ah I love weddings,” Norton could help the spilling of words out of him as he pulled out of the hug. He believed all of what he had said, it had been beautiful in his mind and though this was his first wedding, he’d happily make the declaration that he loved them.​

 

[Lillian Sword]

Lillian was honoured to be invited, but she couldn't help feeling she didn't belong here. She'd grown friendly with Matt over the course of the semester she'd been working at Hogwarts, but only as a coworker. She hardly knew anyone here; her fellow professors, of course, and some of the students, but no-one she had a true connection to. The ceremony was beautiful, and she was happy for Matt; he and his now-husband clearly loved each other very much, and the sincerity and open emotion in their voices was touching. Lillian couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy, as much as she tried to suppress it. It was difficult, at times like this, not to reflect on one's own love life, and hers . . . well, it had been years now, and half the world away, but still she doubted whether she could ever truly trust someone again.

After the ceremony ended, Lillian wandered aimlessly, unwilling to congratulate the happy couple when they were so swamped with other well-wishers. Besides, she was curious about their environment. This so-called castle was an architectural curiosity; not a true castle like Hogwarts, but some Victorian nobleman's fancy: a mere manor house by British standards, but elegant, and an excellent choice of marriage venue. She wished she'd brought her camera. That at least would give her something to do, other than sidestep having to talk to people.

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

Cyndi had found herself with tears in her eyes as the ceremony had progressed. The two men looked so in love and the scenery was idyllic that it was hard to not be caught up in the romance of the moment. The woman wasn't especially close to Matthew, though they had shared a few moments in the past related to their children and quidditch. So she had been pleasantly surprised at the invite. As the ceremony shifted from wedding to celebration, Cyndi had been happy for the opportunity to stretch her legs and clear her mind. Though beautiful, the wedding had brought to surface some of the difficulties in her own marriage. She felt Cameron's absence but she knew she had to at least remain for a short while for appearance's sake. Exchanging a smile with another guest, the woman waited patiently to congratulate the newlyweds, doing her best to stay away from the students. Surely, they didn't want to be forced to acknowledge a professor during their break.

 

[Professor Landon Carter]

It was a very happy day for one of Landon's colleagues. The older years' History of Magic professor was getting married and Landon couldn't be more thankful to have been invited to his wedding. Landon was not usually invited to weddings and the only real wedding that he had been to was his own, which didn't really end well. Landon was excited to be attending Matt's wedding and had bought a whole new tuxedo for the occasion. After all, he needed a new one and couldn't think of a better excuse to be able to buy it. The man sat in amongst his other work colleagues as the ceremony begun. A couple of familiar students were also in the crowd and Landon smiled at them when he saw them, happy to be able to share such a wonderful memory. His heart softened as he heard the vows from both of the men and quickly wiped away a tear that had fallen. It was so special to be able to witness two people in love getting married.

As the ceremony had concluded, Landon happily made his way into the ballroom with the other guests. Lots of people were heading towards the newlyweds to give them their congratulations and Landon was definitely one of them. He approached them with a present tucked under his arm. He wanted to give it to them himself. "Hey, congratulations!" he exclaimed, putting out his hand for both of them to shake. "I hope you like this." Landon held out the present to them, a big smile on his face. It was wrapped in silver wrapping paper and the word "Congratulations" was written all over it in gold writing. Inside was a box that contained a muggle blender and Landon was very excited for them to open it.

 

[Adelia Kolter]

Although she had never expected to find herself here, Adelia couldn't help but be glad that she had. Her relationship with Matt had never been meant to last, a disaster from the start, but the best thing in Adelia's life had come from it, and she and Matt made much better friends and co-parents than they ever had a couple. With their romantic life long in the past, Adelia was overwhelmingly happy to see Matt happy, and the few times she had met Kyle it had been clear that he and Matt were a perfect match. This day, so unlike her and Matt's wedding, was exactly the kind of happiness Matt deserved, and Adelia was glad to see him find it.

She was glad to see her daughter, too. Adelia found it difficult to take time away from work, and with April at school most of the time now, she only ever saw her briefly in holidays. She couldn't believe how grown up April looked in her bridesmaid's dress, and how tall she had gotten. Adelia wiped a couple of tears, a little overwhelmed to see her baby looking so much like a woman. Where had the little whirlwind crawling around Adelia and Matt's old flat gone? After the ceremony Adelia wanted to see April, but she was clearly busy with her friends, and Matt and Kyle were swarmed by well-wishers so she hung back for the moment, hoping to get a second with her family later. She gave Amy a small wave as she headed to the table to get a glass of wine, realising abruptly that while she was excellent at mingling in her own world, everyone here was magical, and she had no idea how to make small talk with any of them.

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

Kauri had been sad about having to spend a whole holiday away from his school friends, so when April had invited her to her dad's wedding, he had jumped at the chance. It was a bit weird to watch a teacher get married, but Kauri loved weddings, and he was excited to see April again. Watching the ceremony, Kauri couldn't help the tears in his eyes, listening to people talk about how much they loved each other. Weddings were so beautiful, and Kauri hoped one day when he had his own, that he would feel the same way Professor Ward obviously felt about October's dad.

Once the ceremony was over Kauri hovered for a while, not wanting to interrupt April with her family. He quickly heard her calling for him and Norton though and made his way over, beaming brightly at her. "April!" He said happily, giving her a tight hug after Norton was finished. "That was so lovely, your dad looked so happy!"

 

[April Ward]

As April looked around for her friends, she noticed her aunt Amy talking to her date. It looked pretty serious, but April was tempted to head over anyway so she could learn what was going on. But before she could decide to do that, she heard Norton’s voice. April turned to look at her friend and beamed. He looked great, and she recognized the suit from one of the dances at Hogwarts. “Norton!” She said, giving him a big hug. The words spilling from her friend made her giggle, and she shook her head slightly. “I never knew you were such a romantic.” She teased him, poking him in his side. “I’ll tell my family members you thought they looked beautiful, okay?” She wondered briefly if Norton thought October was pretty. She was pretty, but had April looked plain next to her? Oh, who cared! Her dress did a twirly thing when she spun around and October’s didn’t. That’s really what mattered. She stayed close to Norton as she searched the crowd for Kauri too. It was weird to see some of their professor’s around, and April decided to stay out of their way. Kauri approached quickly and April grinned at him, giving him a big hug too. “I think he is happy! I’m happy too.” She let go of Kauri, looking between the two boys. They really were her best friends, and she now realized they were pretty similar too. Both of them were very nice, polite, sweet, and also both muggleborn. They should be best friends too! April slung her arms around their shoulders, pulling them closer to her on both sides. “I’m so glad you guys are here.” She told them, giddy with excitement. “October only has stinky Tristan, and I have two of the best boys in the entire world!” She grinned. “Hey, wanna meet my mum?” She asked as she spotted her in the crowd. She let go of both Kauri and Norton to wave at her. “Mum!” She said, heading in her direction. She looked back at her guests, gesturing for them to join. “Come on! She’s a muggle, and I’ve told her a lot about you two in my letters.” It was true that she had mentioned her friends in the letters she had written, but April wasn’t very good at keeping up with her mail. Hopefully her mother wouldn’t be mad about that.

 

[Jon Phillips]

Jon had attended weddings in the past, and wasn't unfamiliar with what he should expect or how he was expected to act as a guest, but that didn't make dressing up and socializing any less daunting. Granted, it was a small relief that he knew a few of the guests as they would be fellow professors, though the issue was less in talking with the adults, and more in socializing with either of Kyle or Matt's daughters who were students, as well as any other students that might have been invited. Running into students outside of school was an awkward feat Jon had avoided thus far and he was thankful for it, but in attending this wedding he couldn't avoid it if he tried, and felt overly aware of his actions during the ceremony and especially as everyone moved into the ballroom and the reception began. Samuel's presence was reassuring at least, and Jon had never been more pleased for the small world that allowed for them to know Matt and Kyle in different respects. After grabbing a drink that Jon intended to be his only drink that day, not wanting to have more than one knowing students were nearby, he decided to leave Samuel for a moment and headed over to where Matt and Kyle were. "Congratulations, you guys seem so happy and I'm happy for you." Jon said, looking between the two of them and genuinely meaning each word. He wasn't the first, and probably not the last person either to wish Matt and Kyle well that day, but he wanted to wish them well anyway since it was important, and an extra congratulations could never be a bad thing.​

 

[Ignacio Morales]

Ignacio had initially been nervous when he invited Ruby as his plus one to his co worker's wedding, worrying that their relationship was far too new and attending a wedding would send a strong message and drive her away. Though after they arrived and the ceremony began he realised these nerves were all in his head. By the time they walked into the ballroom for the reception he felt confident rather than nervous, and smiled widely at Ruby as they walked around. Not knowing anyone at the wedding outside of polite greetings, and wanting someone to chat to lest standing alone for the day was one of the main reasons Ignacio invited her, in addition to wanting to spend more time with her of course. But the longer he spent at this wedding, the atmosphere of the wedding itself and feeling happy for the two men getting married was bringing a feeling in his chest that told him his decision to invite Ruby was completely right. As they paused near the buffet, Ignacio asked "Should we dance, do you want to choose something to eat? I'm not sure how weddings are supposed to go." It was true, he wasn't born when his parents got married, and he had not kept in touch with the people he knew from school at all to attend any of their weddings, so he was slightly out of his element. Nevertheless he was happy to leave the decision up to Ruby, and was enjoying himself and still felt this was right, despite the situation being a bit unfamiliar.​

 

[Tobiah Djordjevic]

Tobiah had known that Amy would pick up on the laugh and what it meant. Part of him had wanted her to, so he wasn't surprised when she pulled him aside. Tobiah looked down on her, a little hurt when she said she was sorry for inviting him. He shifted, a haughty expression crossing his face. Arrogance had always been his defense against hurt, embarrassment, and the like. The look softened slightly as she clarified, squeezing his hand for emphasis. But then she let it go, which confused the hell out of him. Amy was like that, keeping him on his toes in the best way possible. But he wasn't exactly sure where this conversation was heading, and whether this would fall in that category. Tobiah crossed her arms against his chest, his guard rising. Not that he'd ever let her know that if this was about to head south. He'd be sure to remind her that he had always wanted to keep things casual, that he had told her before they'd even started any of this. The idea of lying to Amy like that disgusted him, even more so when he listened to what she had to say. Tobiah could feel a small flutter in his stomach at her words, the feeling had been there for months now. As she finished, Tobiah couldn't help but chuckle. It really was terrible timing. "Are you asking me to go steady, Amy?" he grinned, only half joking as he spoke. "Because if you are..." he trailed off, his hand moving slightly and then falling again. No, if she had been brave enough to bring up something like this at a wedding, he should be brave enough to be serious about this too. Tobiah licked his lips. "I'd say yes if you are" he admitted. A casual relationship with Amy had become difficult months ago.

 

[Amy Ward]

Amy was mentally kicking herself, hard. What had she been thinking? Inviting Tobiah to the wedding had been bad enough, but couldn’t she just have made it through this day without opening her mouth and saying things she shouldn’t yet? Sure, the things she had said had needed to be said at some point, but Amy was really, really bad at timing. But that was how she was, she was someone who preferred to face things head-on, and these feelings had gone unspoken long enough. Once she had realized she needed to say the words, nothing could have stopped them from coming. As she stumbled her way through her words, she noticed Tobiah’s expression change. He seemed wary, and she could almost see his walls literally go up. But he laughed at her comment about her timing, and she relaxed a little. He wouldn’t laugh if he was going to break her heart, surely. And she realized in this moment that that would happen if he dismissed her. Her heart, seemingly aware of the danger of breaking, was pounding in her chest wildly as she waited for an answer. His question would have made her laugh any other day. Who said ‘go steady’ anymore? But his next words caught her attention before she could get distracted by any sort of reaction to his word choice. He trailed off, leaving her in suspense for a few more moments while her heart seemed to make valiant attempts to break out of her rib cage. When he finally said he would say yes, Amy exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding. “Holy crap, just say yes next time.” She said, clearly relieved. “You kept me in suspense on purpose, didn’t you?” She added, though an unstoppable grin was forming on her face. A laugh escaped her, and then she leaned up to kiss him with one hand moving up to cup his cheek. Amy felt herself lean against Tobiah a little, relieved but also scared of what would come next. She was pretty sure this thing between them was new for them both, and that meant they would have to figure out how to go from here together. “Just to be clear, I am asking you to go steady.” She said, trying (and failing) to keep a serious face as she repeated the phrase he had used.

 

[Kyle Alcott-Ward]

Kyle didn't think any moment of his life had ever felt so overwhelmingly filled with love. He hugged both of their daughters tightly before watching them go off to find their friends, wiping a tear as he thought of how fast they had grown. He stayed close to Matt, unable to help fidgeting slightly with his left hand, just enjoying the feel of the ring sitting there. He smiled as some of Matt's colleagues approached them, a little surprised to see the first man had brought a gift. "Oh, thank you so much!" He said happily, leaving it for Matt to accept the gift, since it was coming from someone he knew. "Thank you!" He repeated brightly to the second man, touched that so many people had come to see their wedding and wish them well.

 

[Professor Kahurangi Josephs]

Kahurangi almost couldn't believe that she was here. Although they had fallen out of touch for years after Hogwarts, she had still known Matt for most of her life, and seeing the boy she had made stupid jokes with as a first year as a man now, standing at his wedding got her a little weepy. Kahurangi often felt like life had just rushed ahead when she wasn't paying attention, and it hit her how old she had gotten, how much life had passed her by without doing so many of the things she hoped to do. Marriage, children, none of that even felt like it was on the radar yet, and that absence felt more notable than it had in a long time, watching Matt get married surrounded by family. Her own woes aside though, Kahurangi couldn't help but shed a couple of tears at the happiness on Matt's face, so happy to see him finding the family and happiness he deserved. Once the ceremony was over Kahurangi got up, hanging back a little as a few people moved to congratulate the couple. She would try and catch them later, hanging back around a few of her colleagues for the moment.

 

[Ruby Morales]

Ruby hadn't known what to expect when Ignacio had invited her to his co-worker's wedding. Of course, she hadn't known what he was asking at all at first, but once she figured it out, she had been both excited and nervous. Although their relationship was new it had been progressing fast, there was something official about going to a wedding together. Both in being Ignacio's official date to an event, and in going somewhere so romantic. The ceremony was beautiful, and Ruby found herself wiping tears a few times. She found herself taking Ignacio's hand partway through, holding on to him tightly. The bond between them was still unspoken, but Ruby felt the connection very strongly, and she felt particularly close to Ignacio in this moment. Once the ceremony was over she went through to the ballroom with him, looking around the beautiful building. "Maybe a glass of wine first?" She asked in response to Ignacio's question, walking over to the table with wine and glasses on it. "You look very handsome in a suit, by the way." She added in an undertone, smiling slightly.

 

[Ignacio Morales]

Ignacio nodded to Ruby's suggestion to get glasses of wine, thinking it was a perfect idea and fitting for the atmosphere. Not only that, it would also allow him to feel less out of place in such an unfamiliar setting. He happily followed Ruby to the table with wine and glasses, wasting no time picking up a glass for Ruby and handing it to her, before picking up a glass himself and sipping from the contents. In this process he reluctantly let go of her hand and missed the closeness, though not too long afterwards he moved his free hand to intertwine his finger's with Ruby's again, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it softly, using the affection as a wordless thank you to her compliment. "Who knew I could clean up well." He then joked as he returned their hands to their sides, smiling back at Ruby. In turn with never attending a wedding before, wearing suits and dressing up for occasions was not a regular occurrence for Ignacio, so Ruby's words were appreciated. It was reassuring to know he had dressed appropriately enough to blend in. "Have you attended a wedding before? I'm not sure if you mentioned it earlier." Ignacio asked, curious to know if Ruby was as clueless about weddings as he had been. Judging by her confidence thus far into the event he had assumed this was not the first wedding she had been to.​