I Loved Her First “Ladies and gentlemen,” Harry Potter said into the microphone, his hair unusually tidy for him (it looked as if only three mice had been dancing in it, as opposed to the usual dozen). “I give you the bride and groom, and their first dance.” The wedding guests applauded as the newlyweds took the floor. At one of the floor-side tables, Remus Lupin watched the groom take the bride into his arms. The first few notes of the song began—an instrumental version, he noticed, probably a compromise between the two. He wouldn’t have wanted those words over their first dance, and I can’t blame him. But she wanted to have the song, and I can’t blame her. It’s what was playing when he proposed, and it’s beautiful, not to mention a good tempo for slow dancing. In the silence of his mind, he began to sing the missing words. Look at the two of you dancing that way Lost in the moment and each other’s face So much in love you’re alone in this place Like there's nobody else in the world Shrieks and giggles filled his inner ears as memories flooded back. I was enough for her not long ago Marveling at the perfection and the trust of the tiny creature in his arms. I was her number one She told me so A solemn voice, and a still-small hand passing him an envelope. And she still means the world to me Just so you know Stroking a calico cat curled in his lap, feeling his bones vibrate with the room-filling purr. So be careful when you hold my girl On the dance floor, a hand reached out and stroked a brown curl away from a vibrant face, then tugged gently on it. Time changes everything Life must go on Remus recalled the first, stammering explanations of what had happened between the two of them. And I'm not gonna stand in your way He threw himself into the chorus, half-hearing another mental voice harmonize with his. But I loved her first and I held her first And a place in my heart will always be hers Breathing again in a small green backyard as a tremulous but unhurt voice called his name. From the first breath she breathed When she first smiled at me I knew the love of a father runs deep A glowing carving on a golden chain, the chill that warned of death, and the knowledge that this loss, more than any other but one, would destroy him. And I prayed that she'd find you someday The first meeting between the now-newlyweds in the snowy orchard, not witnessed but described in glowing, excited detail. But it’s still hard to give her away The halting question posed by that same pair nearly ten years later, and his own half-hearted wish to say no and keep what was his. I loved her first Remus took the moment between the verses to scan the audience, picking out the familiar faces and acknowledging the ones who couldn’t be there. Know that you’re missed, and we love you still. He began to sing silently again, looking in wonder at the pair on the dance floor. How could that beautiful woman with you Be the same freckle faced kid that I knew Of course, in this case, the freckles had been, and still were, on the other face, but it was the thought that counted. The one that I read all those fairy tales to And tucked into bed all those nights Following the words on the page with his finger, while little eyes traced his every move. And I knew the first time I saw you with her It was only a matter of time It hadn’t been quite that easy, but no matter. The chorus came around again. But I loved her first and I held her first And a place in my heart will always be hers His heart held a lot of places, Remus thought, but none dearer than this one. From the first breath she breathed When she first smiled at me I knew the love of a father runs deep The rushing, laughing, crying embrace in the courtroom, as what had been reality for twelve years became fact in law. And I prayed that she'd find you someday But it’s still hard to give her away And it had been, but he’d still done it. I loved her first Another instrumental break, fervent and excited-sounding. The newlyweds held each other closer, and their steps slowed. From the first breath she breathed When she first smiled at me Opening his eyes to a new day, and that one beloved face beaming down at him. I knew the love of a father runs deep The tall man on the floor bent his head to kiss his smaller bride. Remus smiled to himself. Someday you might know what I'm going through When a miracle smiles up at you The kiss ended. I loved her first Ron and Hermione Weasley gazed into each other’s eyes, not moving at all, for the last few moments of their song, as the wedding guests applauded and cheered.