Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter… *sigh*


Chapter one: The Weasleys Arrival


Harry paced in his room at number four, Privet Drive one hot and humid night at the beginning of August. His trunk that contained all of his belongings sat by the door, his blanket lay in a heap on the floor -where he had thrown it down angrily earlier when he couldn’t get to sleep- and Hedwig’s cage sat empty by the window while Hedwig was out hunting. Harry, who was far too anxious to sleep, paced around the room. For about the fifteenth time that day, he read over Ron’s letter that had arrived earlier that afternoon.

Harry-
Fred, George, and I will be coming on August 2nd at three o’clock by Floo to pick you up for Bill’s wedding. And guess what? Bill wants you to be one of his groomsmen! See you tomorrow.
Ron

It was now exactly twelve o’ three a.m. on August the second and Harry couldn’t sleep from anxiety. As he paced around the room, he thought back to when he had told Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia about the Weasleys arrival.


“Er… Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, can I talk to you for a minute?� Harry had asked tentatively earlier that afternoon. He still hadn’t told the Durselys about his plan to go after Voldemort, or about Bill’s wedding. Actually, he hadn’t planned to tell them about either. He figured he would simply leave one night and never come back. But, since Ron and the twins would be coming by Floo the next day, he thought he had better warm them.

Uncle Vernon grunted, “What?� he snapped.

“Er… Do you remember the Weasleys? My friends from school? Well, Ron and his twin brothers will be coming by Floo, I mean, like they did three summers ago, tomorrow at three to take me to their house for their older brother’s wedding,� Harry said in a rush.

The color drained from Uncle Vernon’s face, Aunt Petunia let out a muffled cry and dropped her teacup while Dudley put both hands over his mouth and widened his eyes until they were the same size as large walnuts. Apparently they were all remembering the last time the Weasleys had come over and Fred and George had enlarged Dudley’s tongue about fifty times its original size. Harry could tell from the frightened and somewhat annoyed look on Uncle Vernon’s face that he did not want the Weasleys coming over, but was afraid of what would happen if he said no. Because although Harry hadn’t mentioned Bill’s wedding or his plan to go after Voldemort, he had told the Durselys that he could do magic outside of school as of his seventeenth birthday, and Harry had turned seventeen yesterday.

“Er… o-okay,� Uncle Vernon had mumbled reluctantly.

Harry smiled a little bit now as he thought back to Uncle Vernon’s reaction, but this did little to ease the knot that was growing in his stomach. First of all, he was worried because he knew that as soon as the wedding was over Ron, Hermione, and he would be going off the find Voldemort’s Horcruxes, and eventually Voldemort himself. Also, Harry was extremely nervous about seeing his ex-girlfriend, Ginny Weasley, Ron’s younger sister. And no matter how much Harry wanted to get back together with her, he knew that he couldn’t, it was just too dangerous.

Finally, Harry’s legs grew tired from pacing. He flopped down onto his bed and fell into a restless sleep.




It was exactly two fifty-eight p.m. on August the second at number four Privet Drive. Harry and the Dursleys all waited anxiously in the living room. Harry was not sure why the Dursleys had decided to stay at the house that afternoon. He had been hoping that they would leave. He knew what kind of tricks Fred and George were capable of, and he had a feeling that the only reason they were coming instead of Mr.Weasley was so that they could wreak havoc upon the Dursleys.

Harry glanced at the clock. Two fifty-nine. Three o’ clock. Just then, a loud crash was heard in the fireplace. Out stepped Fred, covered in dust.

“Hey, Harry,� he said as he brushed himself off, grinning in a way that clearly said “Get ready for a show!�

George appeared in the fireplace next, followed almost immediately by Ron.

“Hey, Harry, ready to go?� Ron said.

“Yeah,� Harry replied, standing up to get his trunk and Hedwig, which were waiting by his chair.

“Where do you think you’re going, Harry?� Fred asked, putting out a hand to stop him. “I think I’d liked to visit with your aunt and uncle for a bit. Wouldn’t you George?�

“Definitely.� George said, with the same evil grin that Fred had had earlier. With a flick of his wand, he made three chairs appear out of thin air. “Have a seat, Ron,� he said.

Fred, George and Ron all sat on the chairs that Fred had provided. Meanwhile, Harry sat down in the big easy chair he had been sitting in before.

“Merlin! George, look at this!� Fred exclaimed suddenly, jumping up from his chair. He ran over to a lamp in the corner and pointed excitedly at the plugs in the wall. “Dad would love this! He collects plugs, you know,� he added to the Dursleys upon seeing their confused, and somewhat frightened, looks.

“Oh yes,� George went on. “He loves plugs. He’s got about fifty so far, but none quite like this.� And with that, he grabbed a pair of scissors off the coffee table, unplugged the lamp, cut the plug off, and tucked it in his robes pocket. Uncle Vernon gasped and jumped up.

“Now look here… Er….� He was clearly trying to remember George’s name.

“Fred?� George offered with mock-helpfulness

“But I thought he was….� Uncle Vernon stammered, pointing helplessly at Fred.

“No, no, you’ve got it all wrong. I’m George and he’s Fred,� Fred said.

Harry at this point was trying very hard not to laugh. He wondered just how many times the twins would switch names on Uncle Vernon before they left.

“Alright, Fred, I-“ Uncle Vernon began.

“Are you deaf?!� George yelled. “I’m George and he’s Fred!� He cried, pointing at Fred.

“But he just said-“ Uncle Vernon began, clearly confused and annoyed.

“I don’t know what your talking about,� Fred said, feigning innocence.


“I DON’T CARE WHAT YOUR NAME IS, JUST DON’T TOUCH ANYMORE PLUGS!� Vernon bellowed.

Fred pretended to look mortally offended. “Well, if you’re going to be so touchy about it.� He walked sadly over to his seat and sat down.

George started humming as he took out his wand. He nonchalantly pointed it at one of Aunt Petunias collectable porcelain plates that hung over the fireplace. Without uttering a word, he levitated it up and let it crash to the floor, smashing it into a million little pieces. Aunt Petunia screamed and Uncle Vernon’s face turned a violent shade of purple.

“Oops, sorry,� George said, not sounding sorry at all. “I can fix that.� And with another flick of his wand he had repaired it and hung it neatly back above the fireplace. “There, good as new.�

Aunt Petunia did not seem to think it was “good as new� for she continued to sulk on the couch.

George and Fred then proceeded to break and fix again every item in the living room, much to the Dursleys’ horror, while talking as if nothing was out of the ordinary. But the Dursleys made no move to complain about the fact that all of their possessions were being broken and fixed again by a couple of teenage boys. They seemed to be too terrified by Fred’s and George’s wands to utter a word.

“So, nice weather we’ve been having, don’t you think?� George said casually as he broke and fixed one of Aunt Petunia’s china teacups that had been sitting on a bookshelf. Uncle Vernon merely grunted as Petunia let out an indignant “Humph�

Harry and Ron were now laughing so hard that they were sure that their ribs would break.

“I think the weather has been lovely,� Fred said easily as he broke and fixed one of Dudley’s video games over and over again, much to Dudley’s horror.

“Well, I guess we should be going,� Fred said, just as he fixed the broken TV for the second time. He mumbled something that sounded distinctly like “Stupid Muggles, not very social, are they?� He then flicked his wand and cleared away the chairs... and the couch the Dursley’s had been sitting on. Dudley, Petunia and Vernon all landed on the floor in a heap, each one of them letting out a cry of pain

“Oops, sorry ‘bout that,� Fred said. He then proceeded to levitate them while George made their couch reappear. Then Fred set them down none too gently back on the couch.

Uncle Vernon’s face was now such a violent shade of purple that Harry was sure that he had stopped breathing.

“Well, bye!� Harry said happily as he dragged his things into the fireplace and grabbed a handful of Floo powder. He threw the Floo powder and yelled “The Burrow!� as clearly as he could. The last thing he saw were the Dursleys’ astonished faces as Fred turned their coffee table into a giant pig.

A/N: Thanks for reading and please review! Constructive criticism, favorite quotes, etc. is always welcome. Also, thanks to Vickie (a.k.a jynx67) for being my beta reader!

Disclaimer: I own nothing that you recognize


Chapter 3: Arrival at the Burrow


Harry stumbled out of the Weasley’s fireplace. He coughed from the dust and dirt as he brushed himself off. Before he could even catch his breath, Mrs.Weasley had smothered him in a huge hug.


“Harry! I’m so glad you’re alright! I thought something might be wrong. I was afraid your aunt and uncle weren’t letting you leave. I was just about to come over when you arrived. I’m so relieved you’re alright. It’s so nice to see you.�


Harry chuckled to himself at the thought of Mrs.Weasley at Privet Drive as she let him go.


Fred, George, and Ron all popped out of the fireplace one right after another.


“What took you so long?� Mrs.Weasley asked a little harshly as they stood before her in the room.


“We were just visiting,� Fred said casually.


“Yeah, Mum, we thought it’d be the polite thing to do,“ George added. “By the way, Fred brought something back for Dad.� As George said this, Fred produced the plug he had cut off of the Durselys’ lamp from his robe pocket.


“Fred, I highly doubt the Durselys’ gave you that plug. How did you get it?� Mrs.Weasley asked warily.


“Oh, it wasn’t hard to get at all. I just chopped it off with a pair of scissors,� Fred said merrily as if he regularly chopped plugs off of Muggle lamps.


“Fred! I can’t believe you! You can’t just do that! Honestly, I don’t know why I sent you two over there in the first place! I should have gone myself.� Mrs.Weasley continued to rant as Ron motioned for Harry to follow him upstairs.

As they walked up the stairs, Harry asked, “So, what did Fred and George do to the coffee table after they turned it into a pig?�


“Oh, they set it up so that it will turn back into a coffee table in exactly three hours, which Fred and George cheerfully informed your horrified aunt and uncle as they were stepping into the fireplace to leave.� Ron and Harry laughed, and by the time they reached Ron’s room, they were practically in a fit of hysterics


As soon as Harry entered Ron’s room, he was embraced in his second rib-cracking hug of the day by Hermione.


“Harry! I’m so glad you’re alright! I was starting to get worried. How are you?� Hermione asked as she let him go.


Harry looked at her. He saw all of the feelings that he had been suppressing displayed clearly on her face; sadness, anger, confusion. But instead of telling her any of this, he simply said, “Fine, I guess.� He sat down on Ron’s bed and looked around the room. It looked the same as it always had, messy with tons of moving posters of Qudditich players adorning the walls.


“So, Harry…Er… how has your summer been so far?� Ron asked tentatively.


Hermione shot him a look that clearly said, “How can you be so thick. Of course his summer has been terrible. He has to go after a maniac killer at the end of summer!� “Fine,� Harry said. Then, without thinking, he asked abruptly, “How’s Ginny been?�


Ron frowned slightly. Harry remembered Ron’s reaction when Harry had told him that he and Ginny were no longer going out. “I can’t believe you!� Ron had yelled “She’s got a terrible temper, you know! I wouldn’t be worried about You-Know-Who killing you since I’m sure Ginny will get the job done first!�


Harry immediately wished he hadn’t asked the question.


“She’s been… ok,� Hermione answered for Ron.

Harry quickly changed the subject. “How have you two been this summer?�


“Fine,� Hermione and Ron said simultaneously, but Harry noticed that Ron had a happy grin on his face. He had been in a much better mood since he and Hermione had become a couple at the end of last year.


Harry nodded and an awkward silence fell. “What are the plans for Bill and Fleur’s wedding?� he finally asked. Ron sighed, apparently glad to have something to talk about. “It’s on the fifteenth of this month. Bill wants you, Fred, George, Percy, Charlie and me to be groomsmen. Apparently Fleur wanted a big wedding.� Ron shrugged. “Also, Hermione and Ginny are going to be bridesmaids along with Gabrielle, you know, Fleur’s sister, and three of Fleur’s friends, Pricilla, Elizabeth, and Elizabeth’s twin sister, Lauren.�


Hermione was now wearing the most peculiar expression on her face. It was a cross between anger and the look someone gets when they have a very bad taste in their mouth.


“Hermione, what’s wrong?� Harry asked, concerned.


“It’s her,� Hermione scowled.


Ron, seeing that Harry was still confused, said helpfully, “Hermione doesn’t like Pricilla.�


“It’s more then just dislike!� Hermione cried. “I loathe the very ground she walks on! Do you know what she said the moment she got here? She took one look at me and said to Fleur ‘Is that one of the other bridesmaids? How could you choose her? She looks like a beaver!’ I can’t stand her! She’s so prissy, always looking at herself in the mirror. She’s so vain!�


Hermione sat, fuming in the corner, while Ron said, “Ginny and Hermione have been calling her ‘Miss Priss.’ I have to agree with them, Harry. That girl is a monster. Always going on about how things are so much better in France, ordering us- Hermione, Ginny and me- around like we’re her slaves. It’s terrible, really.�


Harry did not want to meet Pricilla. “What about Elizabeth and Lauren? What are they like?� he asked, wanting to get Hermione off the subject of Pricilla.


“They’re the complete opposite of Miss Priss. They’re always sticking up for us and helping us do things. But they strike me as though they have a rebellious streak,� Hermione stated, forgetting all about Pricilla.


“Oh, Harry, one more thing,� Ron added, seeming a bit uncomfortable.


“What?� Harry asked.


“Well... you know how in a wedding the bridesmaids and groomsmen walk down the aisle in pairs?�


“Yes…� Harry said slowly. He did not like where this was going.


“Well…� Ron cleared his throat. “I’m paired with Gabrielle. She’s so young, you know, and it would look strange if one of my brothers was paired with her. Percy is paired with Hermione.� (Ron frowned as he said this, obviously annoyed) “Charlie is paired with Pricilla, much to his displeasure, George is paired with Elizabeth, and Fred is paired with Lauren.� Ron stopped, waiting for the obvious to sink in with Harry


“So that leaves me with…� Harry’s voice trailed off. He didn’t want to say it out loud.


“Yeah,� said Ron. “Ginny.�


***************


A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Also, a big thanks to Vickie (a.ka. jynx67) for being my beta reader for this chapter. Please read and review!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that you recognize.

Chapter 3: Dinner at the Weasley’s

Harry let out a small groan of dread. He asked himself why, why did he have to be paired with Ginny? Why? Wasn’t it bad enough that they had broken up? He had tried to forget that it was his fault that they were no longer together. Now they had to be thrown together like this?

“Why,� Harry asked out loud, “didn’t you tell Fleur that Ginny and I just broke up?�

“I did!� Ron exclaimed. “But when I told her, all she said was ‘I have been told to pair these two up and that is what I am going to do!’� Ron shrugged.

“Who would tell her that?� Harry asked, becoming angry.

“Well…� Ron began, looking a little uncomfortable.

“No, not you,� Harry cried.

“No! You know I wouldn’t do that!� Ron exclaimed. Then he said, more calmly, “I think it was my mum.�

Harry’s mouth dropped open in astonishment. “Why?�

“Oh, don’t you see?� Hermione said in her boys-are-so-thick-sometimes voice. “She wants you two back together, Harry! She knows Ginny still likes you and that you still like Ginny and she doesn’t want you to break up! She probably thinks that by doing this, you two will get back together!�

“Oh,� Harry said dumbly.

Before anyone could say anything else, however, there was a knock on the door and Fred walked in. “Mum wanted me to tell you that dinner is ready.�

Hermione, Ron, and Fred walked from the room and down the stairs as Harry lagged behind. He had a look on his face like that of a man going to his execution instead of dinner with his ex-girlfriend’s family.

******

As soon as Harry reached the dinner table, he knew who Pricilla was. She was sitting near the head of the table with a pinched expression on her face as if she smelled something bad. She was wearing a flowing baby-blue skirt, a white blouse, and small white heels. Everything about her was immaculately clean, right down to her perfectly manicured finger and toe nails.

Across the table were two people who were clearly the twins, Elizabeth and Lauren. They were, as Ron had said, the exact opposite of Pricilla. They were wearing ripped jeans, slightly rumpled t-shirts, and plain white sneakers. Their short hair had a “bed-head� look, but was not dirty. Also, their expressions clearly showed that they were happy-go-lucky, as opposed to Pricilla’s “I’m so much better then you� look.

Harry awkwardly introduced himself to Pricilla. “Hi… Er… I’m Harry Potter.�

“Finally!� Pricilla exclaimed. “I’ve been trying to get one of these people to get me a drink for ages. I’m dreadfully tired. Would you get me drink?� It was not a request, it was an order.

“Er… the kitchen is through there, I’m sure there is something in there for you to drink,� Harry said, trying to hide his irritation at Pricilla’s bossy manner.

“Are you being impertinent with me?� Pricilla barked.

“Oh, calm down, Pricilla. Give the guy a break,� one of the twins said from behind Harry. She turned to him. “Hi, Harry. I’m Elizabeth, this is Lauren.� She pointed to her sister.

“Hello,� Lauren said cheerfully, grinning at Harry.

“Hi,� Harry replied.

Before anything else could be said, however, Mrs.Weasley came out of the kitchen, carrying a huge platter with a roasted chicken sitting on top of it. Behind her came Fleur, carrying a bowl of mashed potatoes. Following her was Ginny. Harry’s heart gave a flip as he saw first her red hair emerge from the kitchen door, then her face, which had an expression of nervousness on it. In her hands, she was gripping a bowl of green beans.

Shortly afterwards, the rest of the Weasley clan came downstairs, minus Percy, Harry noticed. He realized that he had never wondered why Percy was going to be in the wedding when Percy’s last meeting with the Weasleys had ended badly. He thought to remind himself to ask Ron later. Soon everyone was gathered around the table. He also saw Fleur’s sister, Gabrielle, and gave her small wave. She waved back sheepishly and smiled, before taking a seat next to Fleur.

Everybody dug into the tasty meal, and soon everyone was talking and laughing. But even with so many happy people around him, Harry couldn’t help but feel anxious. Ginny was sitting right across from him and it was hard to not to look her in the eye.

Harry decided to concentrate on the people around him. He observed Elizabeth, Lauren, Fred, and George sitting at one corner of the table, a little separated from everyone else. Harry soon realized that they were all looking at something in Fred’s lap and were sniggering quietly. Harry craned his neck to get a better look at what it was and caught a glimpse of what looked like one of Fred and George’s Pygmy Puffs that they sold at their joke shop, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. The Pygmy Puff looked very angry and ugly, not at all like the cute and innocent looking Pygmy Puffs in Fred and George’s shop. Before Harry knew what was happening, Fred had levitated the Pygmy Puff, making sure it was staying low, and sailed it right into Pricilla’s lap.

The next second, an ear-splitting scream pierced the room as Pricilla jumped up from her seat. Harry stifled a laugh as he saw that the Pygmy Puff had latched itself on to Pricilla’s skirt with very sharp little teeth.

“Get it off! Get it off! Get the little monster off!� Pricilla shrieked, jumping up and down and pulling at the Pygmy Puff.

Mrs.Weasley, apparently recognizing the Pygmy Puff, yelled. “Fred! George! Get that off Pricilla now!� But she didn’t look very mad. In fact, she looked as if she was trying to stifle a laugh, too.

With a flick of his wand, Fred had detached the Pygmy Puff from Pricilla’s skirt and put it in a small cardboard box. Then he said in a voice that you might use to talk to a baby as he stroked the tiny creature, “There, there, it’s ok. Did that lady scare you?�

Pricilla opened and closed her mouth dumbly, apparently speechless. Then she let out a cry of frustration and stomped out of the room.

Fred held up the Pygmy Puff triumphantly to the laughing room and said casually, “Just trying out the new merchandise. We’ve been thinking of expanding the Pygmy Puff line by including bad ones, too.�

“Well,� Mrs.Weasley said briskly, trying to regain order, “I guess dinner is done.�

Harry, relieved, got up from the table and headed for the stairs with Hermione and Ron following behind.

****

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I am currently suffering from writers block, so it may be a while before the next chapter is up. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, I do read and try to respond to all reviews, so please leave a review if you have the time! Also, a big thanks you to my beta reader, Vickie (a.ka. jynx67)!

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize, I do not own…

Harry awoke early the next morning, and for a moment he didn’t remember where he was. He soon recalled when he heard a loud snore from beside him and looked to see Ron’s fiery red hair sticking out from a mountain of bed sheets.

Harry crawled out of bed and tiptoed to the bathroom. Once he was cleaned and dressed he went downstairs where he could smell bacon frying in the kitchen. He saw that the dining room was empty, so he peered into the kitchen and saw Mrs.Weasley bustling about.

“Oh, good morning, dear. Did you sleep well?� Mrs.Weasley greeted Harry cheerfully when she saw him peeking through the doorway.

“I slept alright,� Harry replied, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. “Er... do you need any help, Mrs.Weasley?� he asked. Harry was afraid that if he let the silence continue for too long, Mrs.Weasley would start asking him about Ginny.

“That’s nice of you to offer, but I think I’ve got everything taken care of.� She smiled. “You might want to wake Ron up, though. If he doesn’t get up soon, you’ll be late!�

Harry, confused, said, “Late for what, Mrs.Weasley?�

“Didn’t I tell you? I guess not. With all the commotion last night, I forgot. You, Ron, and all the other groomsmen need to be fitted for dress robes today with Bill.�

“Oh, alright…� Harry replied, turning to go up the stairs. Harry had never been fond of clothes shopping, and spending hours trying to get fitted for dress robes was not something that he was really looking forward to.

When Harry reached Ron’s room, he opened the door and walked over to Ron’s bed.

“Ron, get up,� Harry said, shaking Ron by the shoulder.

“Spiders…get off… spiders…� Ron groaned, half asleep. Harry stifled a laugh, thinking about Ron’s fear of spiders. He shook Ron again.

“Ron, it’s Harry. Wake up.�

“Hairy spiders?!� Ron yelled, sitting up abruptly in his bed and looking around wildly.

Harry collapsed on the bed in a fit of laughter as Ron slowly began to fully wake up.

“What’s so funny?� Ron asked Harry, looking confused.

“Nothing, Ron, nothing at all,� Harry replied, trying to control his laughter. “Your mum is making breakfast, and she says that you need to get up or we will be late for the dress robe fitting.“

“Oh, okay,� Ron said groggily before stumbling out of bed.

Harry went back downstairs and saw that Bill and Charlie were already up.

“Hello, Harry,� Bill said, grinning.

“Hey,� Harry said.

“Harry, we’ll be Apparating to Diagon Alley to get the robes fitted. Since you and Ron don’t have your Apparition licenses yet, you will be Apparating with me, and Ron will be Apparating with Charlie.�

Harry stomach gave an uncomfortable lurch. He had been a Side-Along-Apparition before, and it wasn’t the most enjoyable experience. “Okay,� he said, sliding into a seat at the table.

Bill and Charlie turned back to each other, and began discussing some plans for the wedding.

“We just can’t fit that many people here,� Charlie said.

“I know, but Fluer has a large family.�

“Maybe we could use an enlargement charm on the house.�

“Mum would never allow it. You know how she always says, ‘One more charm on this place and it will fall right over!’�

“She’s just exaggerating…�

They went on talking for a few minutes, until one by one, the rest of the people in the household came downstairs. First was Pricilla, who complained loudly about how awful a night’s sleep she got, and how uncomfortable the bed was, and how “things of such low quality would never be allowed in France.�

Next were Lauren and Elizabeth, whose hair was messier than before. Elizabeth promptly told Pricilla, “If you think the bed is so bad, you can sleep outside tonight with the garden gnomes.� Pricilla shut her mouth very quickly and gave a “humph� of indignation.

After them came Fluer and Gabrielle. Then Hermione and Ginny –who was looking pointedly away from Harry- and lastly, Ron, who was still yawning widely.

Once everyone was sitting down at the table, Mrs.Weasley levitated plates full of food and pitchers full of pumpkin juice out to the table.

Breakfast passed without event; Fred and George did not try any tricks on Pricilla, but Harry suspected that the Pygmy Puff was not the only trick up their sleeves.

Once everyone was finished and all the breakfast things were picked up, Harry, Fred, George, Charlie, Ron and Bill walked out into the front yard. They were closely followed by Fluer, Gabrielle, Hermione, Ginny, Lauren, Pricilla, and Elizabeth.

“Are they coming, too?� Harry asked, glancing at Ginny.

“Yeah, they’re getting bridesmaid dresses, and Fleur is getting her wedding gown,� Ron replied.

Harry grabbed on to Bill’s arm, as Ron took hold of Charlie. Ginny and Hermione were Apparating together, as were Gabrielle and Fluer.

“Everybody ready?� Bill called. “Okay, on three. One… two… three….�

Suddenly, Harry had the familiar lurching feeling in his stomach that he'd had when he Apparated with Dumbledore.

Before he knew it, they were in Diagon Alley, in front of Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions.

They all went in, crowding the small shop. Madam Malkin came out from the back and Fleur stepped forward to talk to her.

“Ah, you must be Fleur Delacour. Let's see…� Madam Malkin looked down at a roll of parchment in her hand. “Ah, yes. You ordered six dress robes for groomsmen, one dress robe for the groom, six bridesmaid dresses, and one bridal gown.� She looked quickly around at the group. “But where is the sixth groomsmen?�

Harry realized that Percy would need dress robes for the wedding, too. But, Percy was not staying at the Weasley house, nor was he with them in the robe shop.

“He will be coming later,� Fleur replied.

“Alright,� Madam Malkin replied. “Now, why don’t we have the men go over here.� She pointed to one corner of fitting rooms. “And have the women go over here.� She pointed to another corner of fitting rooms.

They all divided up and went into their separate corners. Madam Malkin disappeared into a back room and reappeared a moment later with several large boxes floating behind her. She dropped a few into the men’s side of the shop, and the rest into the women’s side of the shop.

“Now, we’ll get the girls fitted first. Let’s see, seven bridesmaid dresses, that’s quite a lot…�

Harry did not hear anything else that she said, however, because she disappeared around the corner and into the other dressing room section.

“Ron?� Harry asked, pulling Ron into a corner with him. “Where is Percy? Why is he even in the wedding? I thought his last meeting with your mum and dad didn’t end too well.�

“Oh, well, he showed up here, just after I came back from Hogwarts. He was completely distraught after Dumbledore’s death. He said he’d made a terrible mistake, not believing you when you first said that You-Know-Who was back. He begged Mum and Dad to forgive him. Bill was there, too. He asked him right away to be in the wedding. It was a little strange; Percy has never been one to beg for forgiveness.�

Harry was a little speechless for a minute. Then he said, “Okay… and he’s coming here later?�

Ron nodded. “He had some work to finish up.� He gave a short laugh. “Some things never change.�

Harry had to grin at that. Percy had always been addicted to his work.

*~*~*~*

About thirty minutes later, a small tinkling bell signaled that the door was being opened. Harry looked over to see who it was. It was Percy.

Charlie had noticed him, too, and stood up to guide him over to where they were sitting.

“Er… hello there, Harry,� Percy muttered nervously. Harry couldn’t blame him for the way he was acting. After all, Percy had firmly believed that Harry was insane when he first claimed that Voldemort was back, and had even written a letter to Ron suggesting Ron “sever ties� with Harry.

“Hello, Percy,� Harry replied cordially. Even if Percy had apologized, Harry was not quite over that fact that Percy had thought of him as insane.

“Erm… could I talk to you for a moment? Over here, maybe?� Percy gestured to a somewhat secluded corner over by the door.

“I guess.� Harry shrugged and followed Percy into the corner.

“Well…I just wanted to say…� Percy stammered, apparently unsure of how to continue. “I’m… well… I’m sorry.� He finished quickly.

“For?� Harry prompted. He did not know why, but he wanted Percy to admit out loud to his face that he had thought him insane.

“Well… you know… that letter I sent to Ron back during your fifth year. I mentioned some things… I know I didn’t believe you. And I admit, I thought you might have been a bit insane. But I see now that you… weren’t…and… I’m sorry,� he finished, looking a bit red in the face.

“It’s not your fault. Everyone else in the wizarding world thought I’d lost it, too,� Harry said sarcastically.

“Yes, well…� Percy trailed off.

Harry did not get a chance to reply, however, because at that moment, Fleur came out of the dressing rooms, pulling a reluctant Ginny and Hermione behind her. When Harry saw what they were wearing, it was all he could do to hold back a laugh.

Hermione and Ginny were dressed in the most obnoxious pink, puffy dresses that Harry had ever seen. The sleeves were made of pink tulle, puffed out at lest four inches from the girl’s arms, and had huge bows attached to them. The skirt of the dress puffed out so far and was so bushy that you would have thought Hermione and Ginny were wearing giant hoops beneath their dresses. To top it all off, both Hermione and Ginny were wearing large, floppy hats that were attached to their heads with a purple ribbon that tied under their chin.

“Aren’t they just adorable, Bill?� Fleur gushed. “These dresses are just like the ones I wore once in a wedding when I was a child. I always thought they were lovely, and I am so glad that I was able to find someone who would make these dresses!�

Judging by the look on Bill’s face, he did not think they looked “adorable�, and he was having a very hard time keeping a straight face. “Fleur, whatever makes you happy,� was all he could manage to say without laughing.

Fleur beamed, and ushered Hermione and Ginny back into the fitting rooms, but not before Hermione could shoot Harry a look that clearly said, “Say anything about this, and I’ll use a very unpleasant jinx on you.�

Harry went back to where he had been sitting before, next to Ron, who was laughing so hard that tears were rolling down his face.

*~*~*~*

Twenty minutes later, Madam Malkin came over to where the men were sitting.

“Now, I have gotten them all fitted. It’s your turn,� she said, giving them a small smile.

Harry wandered just what kind of ridiculous outfit Fleur had picked out for him and the rest of the groomsmen as Madam Malkin began to unpack their dress robes. Surprisingly, she did not reveal anything puffy, lacy, or pink, but instead several very elegant-looking, but plain, black dress robes.

One by one, they tried them on while Madam Malkin took notes on where to take in, take out, or otherwise adjust each set of dress robes.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, everyone was finished. They were told that they would have to come in next week for another fitting. Harry hoped it would be the last one.

They all gathered outside Madam Malkin's shop. Harry once again grabbed a hold of Bill’s arm as Gabrielle held on to Fleur, Ron onto Charlie, and Ginny onto Hermione. Then, with a lurching in his stomach, they Apparated back to the Burrow.

Author’s Note: Words can not express how sorry I am that it took me so long to finish this chapter. I am really, REALLY sorry. But, this chapter is extra long, so it makes up for it, right? Hopefully it will not take me this long again. But, seeing as I am a procrastinator, it very well might. LOL. Anyways, I have a couple of announcements to make. Firstly, go to my authors page to check out my lovely new banner for this story. Also, I have created a little website about my fan fiction, and there is a link to another fan fic that I am Co-writing with a friend, plus a summary of a fan fic I might write in the future. Be sure to check it out! The link is on my author’s page. Also, don’t forget to leave a review if you have time! So far I have responded to every single one, and I will try to keep doing so in the future. Even if I don’t respond, I still read and appreciate every review. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! (OK, enough of this overly-long authors note. It is officially over. :) )

Author’s Note: I’m SO sorry that it took me so long to update. But, I made this chapter fairly long, so it makes up for it, right? ;) Anyways, the next chapter is the one everyone has been waiting for: The Wedding! I will try to not make the wait in between chapters as long as it was this time, but school has me really busy and the fact that I am a natural procrastinator makes it hard for me to tell you exactly when the next chapter will be out. I hope you enjoy this chapter. There isn’t much humor in it, but there is a bit of a surprise at the end. (In my opinion, although some of you may have seen it coming) Also, please leave a review if you have the time, I read all of them and respond to almost every one. Okay, enough of this overly-long author’s note. Enjoy the chapter!

*~*~*~*

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize, I do not own. (*Sigh*)

Chapter 5: The Wedding Rehearsal

The next couple of weeks after the dress robe fitting passed in a blur for Harry. He, Ron, and Hermione had to help everyone get ready for the wedding. They helped Mrs. Weasley with the cooking and cleaning. They made several trips to Diagon Alley with Fleur to purchase things needed for the wedding. They also had to get every one of Fleur’s fifty family members that were coming for the wedding settled in. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had added countless rooms by magic, so that the house looked even more like it was about to burst at the seams.

Fleur’s family was an interesting bunch, to say the least. There was Fleur’s Mother, Rose, who talked in such a heavy French accent that no one knew what she was saying half the time. Then there was Fleur’s cousin, Edward, who was awful at magic, and could not perform a spell without something going horribly wrong. (They found this out the hard way when he tried to levitate his luggage, but instead caused it to sprout legs and run away. “Happens every time,� Edward had said with a mournful sigh.) There was also an assortment of aunts, uncles, and other cousins that had the same line of thinking as Pricilla, that France was better, and that they were better than everyone else. Although, they were not as vocal about there opinions as Pricilla, for which Harry glad.

Whenever the three of them did have a few moments of peace, Ron and Harry usually spent it flying around on their brooms in the backyard, while Hermione read down on the grass below. Harry knew, of course, that he should be spending his free time planning what he was going to do after the wedding. But he could not bring himself to think about it right now, and did whatever he could to keep his mind off of it.

Almost two weeks passed, and soon there was only one day left until the wedding. The day before the wedding, Fleur made and announcement at breakfast, which they had taken to eating outside, as the number of people staying in the house increased.

“Tonight,� she said “We will ‘ave ze wedding rehearsal. Anyone who is in ze wedding should come down to ze dining room at four o’ clock today.

After Fleur’s announcement, everyone began talking again; everyone except for Harry, who had become suddenly nervous. He had successfully managed to avoid Ginny up until that point, even though she had tried to talk to him several times. Tonight, however, it would be impossible to ignore her. They would have to walk down the aisle together during the rehearsal. Chances were Ginny would try to talk to him again. But this time, he wouldn’t be able to ignore her.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


At four o’ clock that day, Harry made his way downstairs. He dragged his feet as much as he could, pretending to be engrossed in the various moving pictures on the wall in the hallway leading down the stairs.

“You’re going to have to talk to her eventually,� Ron said as he turned around on the stairs to face Harry.

“I know you’re right. But what am I going to say?� Harry sighed as he continued to make his way down the stairs.

Ron didn’t seem to have an answer to that, and continued down in front of Harry.

All of the groomsmen and bridesmaids, including Ginny, were already in the dining room when Harry and Ron finally entered.

“Ah, there they are,� Bill said as he noticed them enter the room. “Nice of you to join us,� he teased as he gave Ron a playful clap on the back.

Ron mumbled something that Harry couldn’t hear as Fleur cleared her throat for attention.

“Now zat we are all ‘ere, lets go out into ze backyard to start ze rehearsal,� Fleur instructed.

The group made their way through the kitchen and into the Weasley’s backyard. Harry stayed toward the back, avoiding Ginny, who was talking animatedly to Gabrielle and Hermione.

He felt like a coward. He knew he shouldn’t be avoiding Ginny. They had been friends before they ever started going out. Why should things be awkward between them now?

Because you’re making them awkward, a little voice inside his head told him. She wants to talk to you, but do you listen? No. You make up excuses and run away from her.

Harry told the voice inside his head to go away.

They were in the backyard now. Harry looked around and noticed how differently things were set up than they were this morning.

There were two groups of chairs. Each group had eight rows of chairs with four chairs in each row. In between the two groups of chairs, there was a five foot space that was the aisle down which Fleur and all the groomsmen and bridesmaids would be walking. In the front of all the chairs, there was an archway, which Fleur and Bill would be standing under during the ceremony. Right now, it was plain and white, but Harry had overheard Fleur discussing plans to decorate it before the wedding tomorrow. Further away from the chairs, there were about ten large round tables set up in a corner of the yard where the reception would be taking place.

Bill cleared his throat to get the attention of the group. “Okay, would everyone please find their respective wedding partners?�

Harry’s stomach gave a lurch. This was it. He couldn’t avoid Ginny any longer. He realized that his hands were beginning to sweat, and he wiped them off on his robes. He looked around, hoping to stall for time. He suddenly decided to become very interested in tying the laces of his trainers.

As he untied and retied the knot for the third time, he became aware of somebody standing next to him. He didn’t need to look up to know who it was.

“Harry,� Ginny said gently as he stood up, avoiding eye contact.

“Harry,� she said again, moving so that their eyes met. “I…� She began.

“We should be joining the others,� Harry said shortly.

She smiled wearily. “Of course.� She sighed and turned to walk towards the rest of the group.

Harry knew what she wanted. He knew she wanted to talk to him. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t deal with trying to explain again why they couldn’t be together, because even as he recited the reasons over and over again to himself, they seemed to have lost all meaning. Every time he said to himself that she could get hurt, he remembered what she had said to him down by the lake on the day of Dumbledore’s funeral. “What if I don’t care?�

She doesn’t care…Harry thought to himself.
But I do…
Maybe she’s over me…
She never gave up on me before…
I’ll be putting her in danger…
She’s already in danger…

These thoughts and others had been going through Harry’s head since he had broken up with her that day at Hogwarts.

He was pulled away from his thoughts very suddenly when he almost ran into Ginny, who had stopped abruptly,

“Sorry,� Harry mumbled, averting his gaze. Ginny smiled, but remained silent.

Just then, Fleur started giving directions. “All ze bridesmaids line up on ze left, and all ze groomsmen line up on ze right.� Harry got in a single file line behind Ron and the other groomsmen near the right section of chairs. Fleur began repositioning them until Charlie was first, then Ron, then Percy, then Fred, George, and finally, Harry.

Near the left section of chairs, Fleur arranged the girls so Pricilla was first, then Gabrielle, then Hermione, Lauren, then Elizabeth, with Ginny standing in the back.

Fleur began instructing them on how they were to walk down the aisle. From what Harry understood -it was hard to understand anything with Fred and George making faces and doing imitations in an attempt to get Lauren and Elizabeth to laugh- Fleur wanted each groomsmen and bridesmaid to walk from each side, meet in the middle, link arms, and walk down the aisle. Once they got to the end of the aisle, they would separate again, and the bridesmaids would stand on the left side with the groomsmen standing to the right.

“Now, when you ‘ear ze music start, Charlie and Pricilla should come and walk down ze aisle like I said. Then, Gabrielle and Ron should start down ze aisle when Pricilla and Charlie are ‘alf way down ze aisle. Then, ze rest of you should follow.� She stopped and pulled out her wand. She pointed it at a small wireless that Harry had just realized was sitting on one of the chairs. “Remember, begin when you ‘ear ze music.� She flicked her wand and the sound of the wedding march began.

Pricilla and Charlie walked from their lines, met in the middle, linked arms, and slowly made their way down the aisle. Pricilla had a look on her face like she smelled something foul -as was her custom- and Charlie looked extremely uncomfortable.

When they made it about half way down the aisle, Gabrielle and Ron left their places in the line and walked down the aisle. This continued as Percy and Hermione, Fred and Lauren, and George and Elizabeth walked down the aisle. (Although Fred and George went down the aisle at more of a skip then a walk, which elicited a cold glare from Fleur.) Finally, Harry and Ginny were the only ones left to go.

Harry’s hands began to sweat as he walked toward the middle to link arms with Ginny. He tried to ignore the tingling sensation that went up his arm as she touched him, and the smell of her hair that reminded him of the love potion he had made last year.

The walk down the aisle was one of the longest walks of Harry’s life. At last, they came to the end of the aisle and separated, and Harry breathed a sigh of relief. When he took his place in line, he looked back at Ginny and realized that her face was flushed, as he became aware of the warmth in his own cheeks.

Fleur made them go through the routine several times, with each time being more and more uncomfortable for Harry. The more he was around her, the more he wanted to talk to her, but if he talked to her, he wasn’t sure he would be able to resist getting back together with her.

Finally, they were allowed to go in the house. Harry tried to leave quickly, but a hand grabbing his arm stopped him. He turned around to see who the hand belonged to, and found himself looking right into Ginny’s face.

“Harry, we need to talk.� She said it gently, but there was a firmness in her voice that showed Harry he could not avoid her any longer.

“Okay.� Harry said, his muscles tensing up as Ginny released his arm. They began to walk around the chairs in the yard, while everybody else went inside the house.

They left the main area of the yard, and went up a small hill behind the Weasley’s house, walking in silence.

“You’ve been avoiding me,� Ginny said, breaking the silence. It was not a question, but a statement of fact.

“I’m sorry,� Harry apologized. There was no use in denying it. She already knew. He didn’t know what else to say, so he stayed quiet.

“Me too,� was Ginny’s reply. “I’ve wanted to talk to you, Harry, about what you said on the day of Dumbledore’s funeral. I was hoping maybe I could change your mind. But I’m guessing your mind is made up.� She smiled slightly, but it was a humorless smile.

Harry was afraid to reply. His mind was screaming, Say something, you idiot! Tell her you’re sorry; tell her you want to get back together! You know you want to! Instead, he averted his gaze and looked out at the setting sun.

Ginny did not seemed surprised or upset by Harry’s silence, but continued on. “I’m guessing Ron told you that Fleur was told to pair us together for the wedding?�

Harry turned away from looking at the sunset and stared at Ginny, surprised. He nodded at her, wondering what she would say next.

“I’m also guessing that Ron told you my mum was the one who asked Fleur to put us together, at least, that is what he told me he thought when he came to ‘break to news’ to me last month.� Harry nodded again. “Well, it wasn’t she who told Fleur to put us together, Harry. It was me.�

By this point, Harry’s mouth was hanging open in surprise, and he was too stunned to say anything except, “Why?�

Ginny gave a small laugh. “I guess I thought it would give us an excuse to be together. I guess I thought that if you spent time with me, then you would change your mind and want to get back together. I guess I was wrong.�

Harry wanted to say something, but he couldn’t think of anything. I’m sorry he wanted to say. I wish things were different. I never wanted to hurt you.

“Ginny, I…� He began.

“Harry! Ginny! Come inside, it’s time for dinner!� Mrs.Weasley’s voice rang out across the yard.

“We better go inside,� Ginny said, before Harry could continue.

She turned and made her way down the hill, through the backyard, and into the house, leaving Harry alone, wondering how he was ever going to defeat Voldemort when he could barely even talk to his ex-girlfriend.

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize I do not own.


Chapter 6: Wedding Day


Harry awoke the day of the wedding feeling utterly exhausted. He had been tossing and turning half the night, going over his conversation with Ginny and her revelation that she had been the one to request they were paired up for the wedding. He went over and over in his mind what she has said, and ran through all his options of what he could do about it. One minute he would be dead set on getting back together with her, the next he would be more certain then ever it was too dangerous. Finally, just before dawn, he had come to a decision before falling into a restless sleep.

He only hoped it was the right one.

After Harry had gotten dressed, he stumbled down the stairs in a sleepy haze. How he was going to get through the day with less then four hours of sleep he did not know.

When he reached the dinning room, he found the entire house in a flurry of activity. People ran from room to room, putting last minute touches on decorations and food for the wedding. He could barely get into the kitchen and grab a piece of toast before he was pushed out again by Mrs.Weasley, who was bustling about.

“Oh, Harry, dear, there you are,� Mrs.Weasley said in a rush. “If you didn’t already know, the wedding begins a three o’ clock, but you should be down here at least a half hour earlier. When you’re ready to put your dress robes on, you can find them up in Fred and George’s old room. Would you please wake up Ron and tell him?� Mrs.Weasley finished and Harry nodded, still nibbling on his toast. Mrs.Weasley gave him a grateful smile, and Harry turned and went back upstairs.

It took Harry some time to wake Ron, but after he did and had relayed Mrs. Weasley’s message, he sat down on the bed across from Ron and studied him for a long moment. Finally he said, “Ron, I had an interesting conversation with Ginny last night. She said some things…� Harry quickly went over with Ron what Ginny had said, and Ron looked surprised when Harry got to the part about Ginny arranging to be paired with Harry for the wedding. After Harry finished, he continued with, “I’ve been thinking about it all night, and I think I’ve finally come to a decision.� Harry told Ron of his plan.

Ron looked pensive for a moment and furrowed his brow, as if he were hesitant to agree to what Harry had said. After a minute had passed, he asked quietly, “What do you think Dumbledore would say?�

Harry cringed inwardly at the mention of their dead headmaster. Harry had tried to put thoughts of Dumbledore out of his mind because it caused him pain to think of how he had been killed. However, he could not deny that the same thought had occurred to him last night. Harry spoke slowly. “I think he would approve. Ginny is almost as close to me as you and Hermione.�

“Then I can’t think of any other reason to disagree. I hope you know what your getting into, Harry. I assume you’ve already thought about how she will react?� Ron questioned.

“Yes,� Harry replied.

“I hope you know what you’re doing.�

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

At two-thirty, Harry and Ron changed into their dress robes, and headed downstairs into the backyard. Harry noticed that almost all the other bridesmaids and groomsmen were assembled, as was Bill. The only people missing were Fleur, her maid of honor, Pricilla, and Percy.

As Harry neared Bill, he over heard him say, “I swear, if Percy doesn’t get his arse over here soon, I’ll hex him so bad he’ll be in St. Mungo’s until Christmas.�

Ron laughed. “I should have expected Percy would be late, of all people.�

Harry looked around as the guests took their seats. He realized that most of the guests appeared to be relatives of Fleur who had been staying with them the past couple of weeks, only a few bore the same fiery red hair that marked them as a Weasley, and there were a few that Harry did not recognize at all. When he mentioned this to Ron, he replied, “Mum’s brothers, who were killed in the first war, didn’t have any children, and the only other living relatives she has is her mother, Great Aunt Muriel -who lent Fleur that tiara- and her cousin. Dad has his parents and a couple brothers, but other than that, there are just a few family, friends and some distant relatives by marriage.�

Harry nodded and continued to look around the yard. He noticed that the archway under which Bill and Fleur were to stand during the ceremony had been decorated with roses in various shades of pink that were weaved around it on what appeared to be some sort of vine. In the aisle between the two chairs down which Fleur would walk was a long rug that Harry realized must have been enchanted, for it looked like a rippling white pool of water when it was stepped on, but it did not move or wrinkle and it was dry to the touch.
In a far corner of the yard, the tables were still stacked, and Harry saw no sign of the food that he had seen being prepared that morning.

Just then, he realized that people had stopped filing in. Bill motioned for them to line up, and he looked on the verge of going into a rage when he realized Percy was not there. As Harry took his place in line, however, Percy came running up, hair messy and glasses askew, but there none the less. When Bill approached him, with a face as red as his hair, Percy muttered, “So sorry, a lot of work to do, you know.� Harry stifled a laugh. Some things would never change.

“If there weren’t over seventy witnesses right now, you’d be dead in a second,� Bill hissed in Percy’s ear. He then walked away and took his place at the end of the aisle as a very flustered Percy took his own place in line.

Harry looked across to the line of bridesmaids and saw Ginny. He quickly looked away as to not be caught staring, and he saw that Pricilla had just taken her place in the line.

It suddenly occurred to Harry that no one appeared to be present to marry Bill and Fleur.
When Harry asked Ron who would be marrying them, Ron pointed a small man standing at the head of the aisle next to Bill that Harry had not noticed before. The man looked to be in his mid-fifties with a full head of white hair and wrinkles around his eyes. He had a kindly expression that reminded Harry distinctly of Dumbledore. The man wore a white robe that resembled a graduation robe and held a small book. “Since wizards don’t go to- what’s it called?- oh, yeah, church, we have other people who work for the Ministry and are hired to marry people at Wizarding weddings. Kind of like your prests.�

“I think you mean ‘Priests.’� Harry corrected with a grin.

Just then, the wedding march began playing from a source that Harry could not identify. The wedding had begun.

First, Charlie and Pricilla made their way down the aisle, Pricilla’s horrendously pink dress shaking with each step. When they made it half way down, Gabrielle and Ron began their walk. It continued just as rehearsal had -although Fred and George managed to refrain from skipping- until it was Harry and Ginny’s turn to go down the aisle.

Harry linked arms with her and they began down the aisle. Every step seemed to take them an eternity, and yet Harry did not feel that he wanted it to end as he had yesterday.
When they parted at the end, Harry caught her eye for one brief moment, but he could not read her expression. Her face appeared blank.

The wedding guests then stood up as Fleur made her entrance. She walked down the aisle with an elderly man whom Harry assumed must have been her father. She wore a dress that was almost blindingly white. It had off-the-shoulder sleeves and a scoop neck. The hem of the dress came down past her feet and turned into a long train that extended out behind her. Her hair was piled into and elegant bun, and on her head sat a silver tiara that caught the light and sparkled in the sun. In her hands, she carried a small bouquet of white short-stemmed roses. She looked beautiful, and Harry saw out of the corner of his eye that Ron’s mouth was hanging open slightly, while Hermione shot him irritated looks.

Bill was positively beaming by the time Fleur got to the end of the aisle, kissed her father on the cheek, and took her place across from him. A hush fell over the entire crowd as the Ministry official opened his book to begin the ceremony.

“Dearly beloved,� he began. “We are gathered here today in the face of this company, to join together Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour in matrimony; which is an honourable and solemn estate and, therefore, is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently and soberly. Into this estate, these two persons present come now to be joined. If any one can show just cause why they may not be lawfully joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.� Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw a few members of Fleur’s family shift uncomfortably. It occurred to him that Fleur’s family may have not been happy with her choice of a husband, just as Mrs.Weasley had originally been unhappy about Bill and Fleur getting married. However, nobody said anything, and the Ministry official carried on.

“Who gives this woman to be married to this man?

“We do.� The man who had walked down the aisle with Fleur and Fleur’s mother stood up slightly and smiled.

“May we have the rings, please?� The Ministry wizard asked.

Charlie reached into his pocket and took out a small black velvet box. He opened the box, removed two rings, then placed the box back in his pocket. He handed the rings to the Ministry wizard, who then gave one ring to Bill and one to Fleur. The ring that Bill would be placing on Fleur was a silver band with a small, circular diamond. The ring the Fleur would be placing on Bill was a plain silver band.

“Bill Weasley, do you take Fleur Delacour for your lawful wedded wife, to live in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love, honour, comfort, and cherish her from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto her for as long as you both shall live?��

“I do,� Bill said, smiling.

“Fleur Delacour, do you take Bill Weasley for your lawful wedded husband, to live in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love, honour, comfort, and cherish him from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto him for as long as you both shall live?�

“I do,� Fleur replied, smiling back at Bill.

“We will now exchange the rings. Bill, place the ring on Fleur’s right hand, and repeat after me.� The Ministry official continued on solemnly. “With this ring, I thee wed, and with it, I bestow upon thee all the treasures of my mind, heart, and hands.�

“With this ring, I thee wed, and with it, I bestow upon thee all the treasures of my mind, heart, and hands,� Bill said, and slipped the ring on Fleur’s finger.

“Fleur, repeat after me as you place the ring on Bill’s right hand. ‘With this ring, I thee wed, and with it, I bestow upon thee all the treasures of my mind, heart, and hands.’�

“With zis’ ring, I ze’ wed, and with it, I bestow upon ze’ all ze’ treasures of my mind, heart, and hands,� Fleur repeated, and slipped the silver band on Bill’s finger.

“Then, by the power vested in me by the Ministry of Magic, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride!�

Bill took Fleur in his arms and dipped her back into a long and passionate kiss. When they broke apart, Fleur appeared flushed, and Harry saw that she was crying, as were many of the wedding guests.

The next several minutes were a blur as people came up to hug Bill and Fleur and give their congratulations. Eventually, Bill, Fleur, their respective parents and the bridesmaids and groomsmen gathered around for pictures. When the pictures were taken, Bill, Fleur, and a few others pulled out their wands, gave them a couple flicks, and soon the chairs were cleared away, only to be replaced by the wedding tables that had been stacked on one side of the lawn. Additionally, the chairs rearranged themselves around the tables. The tablecloths, utensils, and centerpieces, made up of some sort of light blue flower, were also magically set on the tables. Over where the tables had been stacked, lanterns sprang up, seemingly out of nowhere, in a circle with space left in the middle. Judging by the record player that had set itself up over there, Harry assumed that place would be used for dancing.

Before they began to eat, Fleur threw her bouquet, and Bill threw Fleur’s garter. A very red and embarrassed Ron caught the garter, while a blushing Hermione caught the bouquet. Hastily pushing the bouquet and garter aside, Harry did not miss the look Hermione and Ron sent each other, thinking the other one wasn’t looking, before quickly looking away and blushing.

Another flick from Fleur’s wand, and plates piled high with food floated out of the house and set themselves on the tables. The last thing that came out to the yard was a huge white tiered cake, complete with Bill and Fleur models at the top that, upon closer inspection, Harry realized actually moved. The figures were dancing and kissing and were dressed just a Fleur and Bill were, right down to the rings on their fingers.

People began taking their seats. Harry took a seat next to Hermione and Ron, who were looking pointedly away from each other. Harry, having not eaten anything since his one piece of toast at breakfast, was starving and began stacking whatever was in reach on his plate.

After everyone was mostly done with their food, Charlie stood up, pointed his wand at his throat, and began talking in a magically enhanced voice. “Now, I think it is time that the bride and groom have the first dance of the evening.� He grinned at Bill, who was waving his hand as if to say that, no, he did not think it was time for dancing. “Come on now, Bill, we can’t keep everyone waiting.� With much encouraging, Bill and Fleur finally shuffled up out of their seats and over to the dancing area. Charlie pointed his wand at the record player and a slow waltz began. As Bill and Fleur started dancing, something became very clear to Harry; Bill could not dance. At least not well enough to lead, for it was quite obvious that Fleur was leading, and Bill looked slightly embarrassed. Charlie looked around awkwardly, Harry doubted that he knew Bill could not dance, or that that was the reason he had been reluctant to. Slowly, however, people began making their way onto the dance floor, and Bill and Fleur sat back down.

Once the waltz was over, a series of more lively songs began playing, with a few slower ones thrown in here and there. Most people were dancing. In fact, the only people who weren’t dancing were Hermione, Ginny, Gabrielle, Ron, Pricilla -who was sitting in a corner alone looking very haughty- and Harry. Even Fred and George were dancing with Lauren and Elizabeth, and Charlie and Percy were dancing with other relatives of Fleur’s.

“Ron, don’t you think that dancing looks like fun?� Hermione said, facing Ron and apparently forgetting her earlier embarrassment.

“Oh, I don’t know. I’m not much of a dancer.� Ron shrugged.

Hermione scowled at him, got up, and went to sit with Gabrielle and Ginny.

Ron looked baffled. “What did I do?� he asked, turning to Harry.

Harry suppressed a laugh. Even he could see that Hermione had wanted Ron to dance with her. “I think she wanted you to dance with her, mate.�

“But…she…I….� Ron stuttered.

“I think you should go ask her to dance,� Harry advised.

Ron nodded dumbly and slowly got to his feet. Face red, he made his way over to Hermione and mumbled something that Harry could not hear. It must have pleased Hermione, however, because she smiled at him, grabbed his hand, and they walked together to the dance floor where a waltz was just starting up again.

Ginny and Gabrielle were sitting alone now, talking amiably. Harry studied Ginny for a moment. Then he stood up, took a deep breath to quell his nerves, and walked shakily over to Ginny.

“Er…Ginny, could I talk to you for a minute? Alone?� Harry stammered once he reached her.

Ginny looked surprised, then nodded and followed him. They walked for a few minutes in silence, past the dancing guests and all the tables, and up to the hill where they'd had their conversation the previous evening.

“Ginny,� Harry began, “I was thinking about what you said last night. There are things…things that I need to tell you. I really wish we could get back together, I really do…it’s just that…� Harry took a deep breath. He had to tell her. It was now or never.

“Ginny, I think it’s time I told you everything.�

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Author’s Note: First of all, I’m so sorry it took so long for me to update. (I know I am always saying this, but I really am sorry!) I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know that my version of the wedding is completely different from the book, but this is how I had it planned ever since I started, and I didn’t want to change it. Hopefully you liked it anyways! Also, The next chapter is going to be the last. Thank you to everyone who has been reading and reviewing, and a big thank you to my beta reader, Vickie. I will try to post the next chapter before the end of the month, but obviously I am a procrastinator, so I can’t promise anything. Lastly, please leave a review if you have the time! I enjoy reading them and respond to every one.

Chapter 7: Departure

“I’m coming with you.�

The look in Ginny’s eyes was firm and resilient. Harry had known she would react this way, but it didn’t make it any easier.

“Ginny, you can’t…� Harry began, fruitlessly.

“Yes, I can. And I will. Hermione and Ron are, so why can’t I?� Ginny’s jaw was set in a firm line, clearly showing it was useless to argue.

Harry let out a heavy sigh. He had known what he was getting himself into when he told Ginny about the Horcruxes. Or so he thought. As soon as he had finished his tale- beginning with the private lessons with Dumbledore and ending with the mystery of R.A.B. Plus Harry’s quest to find and destroy all the Horcruxes, and eventually Voldemort- Ginny had made it clear that she, too, would be coming on his journey with Ron and Hermione. This he had expected-and dreaded. But he had hoped he would be able to dissuade her from her desire to come.

Now, as he and Ginny sat on the hill with the last rays of sun drifting below the horizon, Harry was worried about what he would do if he was unable to convince her that coming would be too dangerous.

“Ginny, I can’t risk you getting hurt, or worse. You need to stay here, stay safe. Go back to Hogwarts. Please,� Harry turned and looked her in the eye. “For me.�

Ginny’s look was unrelenting. “You say you can’t risk losing me, but what about Ron and Hermione? You’re going to put them in danger?�

Harry cringed inwardly. “It’s not like that. They’ve decided to put themselves in danger, I don’t want them to, but they are. Besides, they’re older than you, more experienced. It’s not as dangerous for them.�

“Not as dangerous for them?! Are you mad? You know as well as I do that I’m better at most magic than Ron! And don’t forget, I was at the Ministry, too, and I fought last year at Hogwarts! I’ll be just as prepared as Ron or Hermione to face what’s out there! Do you really think I’m safer here? This is a war, Harry! We’re not safe anywhere! With Dumbledore gone, Hogwarts is more vulnerable then ever. No place is safe form You-Know-Who, Harry.�

He was speechless for a moment. Everything Ginny said was true, but it did not change the fact he didn’t want her to come. Harry was beginning to regret his decision of telling her everything.

It’s too late now, a familiar voice in his head said bitterly.

“Ginny, please.� Harry begged. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.�

The look in his eyes must have shown his desperation, for Ginny unclenched her jaw and dropped her shoulders ever so slightly, as if in defeat.

They sat there in silence for many moments, before Ginny said abruptly, “I don’t want to sit here anymore. Do you want to dance?�

Harry was taken aback by this abrupt and unexpected change of subject. He stared at her, silent for a moment, before stuttering, “Er...okay.�

They stood up and Ginny grabbed his hand, leading him down the hill and back into the Weasley’s backyard, where a slow song was playing and couples were swinging dreamily on the dance floor in each others arms.

Harry held Ginny gently by the waist as they danced to the music, not really saying anything, just looking at each other.

As the song progressed Harry leaned down and whispered in Ginny’s ear. “Ginny, the thing is, I just want to know, when this-this war, this quest of mine is over, if I come back…�

“When,� Ginny interjected firmly, pulling back and looking him in the eye.

“If. Ginny, you know as well as I do, anyone can die. Dumbledore’s death proved that,� Harry said. She stared at him for another long moment, before apparently accepting the truth, or at least deciding not to argue it, and her gaze softened and she allowed herself to be swept away by the music once more.

Harry continued, more nervous than before. “I just want to know you’ll still be here…�

Ginny looked at him as an amused smile crossed her face. “What, do you think I’m going to go back to snogging Michael Corner while you're away? What kind of girl do you take me for?� Ginny said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

Harry could feel his face turning red. “I didn’t mean like that. Well, maybe a little. I just meant…Er…you know… be careful.� Harry finished, flustered and embarrassed.

Ginny laughed. “Be careful? You're telling me to be careful? I’m not the one going out and trying to destroy pieces of You-Know-Who’s soul!�

“Shh! Not so loud. No need to alert the entire wedding party of my plans,� Harry exclaimed.

Ginny rolled her eyes, but said nothing.

They danced in silence for several minutes before either of them said anything. Then Ginny stood on tip-toe and put her lips to his ear. She whispered, so quietly that Harry thought for a moment he had imagined it,

“I’ll be here, Harry.�

*~*~*~*~*~*


Two weeks had passed since the wedding, and Harry knew it was time for him to leave. They were packed, and Ron and Hermione had made all the arrangements that they needed. Harry and Ron had even gone in and gotten their Apparation license, at the insistence of Mrs. Weasley, who still refused to believe that the three of them were going anywhere.

In fact, after the wedding had ended and Bill and Fleur had left for their honeymoon, there really hadn’t been any reason for Harry, Ron, and Hermione to stay, save for the fact that they wanted to allay Mrs.Weasley’s suspicions about what they were really up to.

At least, that is what Harry kept telling himself. And it did not have anything to do with a certain redheaded girl. Definitely not.

And it certainly had nothing to do with the fact that Harry hadn’t had a quite moment alone with Ginny since their dance at the wedding because something always seemed to be getting in the way.

And of course it had nothing to do with the fact that Harry didn’t want to say goodbye to Ginny and be in fear every single day that he would never see her again.

It definitely had nothing to do with that at all.

But Harry knew-as did Ron and Hermione-that with the fist day of a new year at Hogwarts fast approaching, they were going to have to leave soon. They already had it planned out; they would depart in the night after everyone else had gone to bed, leaving nothing but a brief note behind saying that they had something they needed to do, a task entrusted to them by Dumbledore that nobody else could know about. That they shouldn’t come after them- they wouldn’t be able to find them, anyway.

Harry realized that this seemed like a cold and ungrateful way to say farewell to his surrogate family. He really did hope they didn’t think he was ungracious in any way for what they had done for him over the years. But at the same time, he knew that the less the Weasleys knew about where they were, the safer they would be. He also knew that the sooner they left, the better it would be for everyone, but he still could not bring himself to say goodbye, possibly for the last time, to the place that had been his home more than Privet Drive had ever been.

It was with these thoughts swirling around his head as he lay in bed one night about a fortnight after Bill and Fleur’s wedding listening to Ron’s quite snoring that Harry realized there could be no more waiting. Tomorrow night they would leave, or else he would never be able to bring himself to do it.

When he awoke the next morning he was surprised to find that Ron was not in his bed. Harry glanced at his watch and received a shock when he saw that it was eleven-thirty in the morning. Although he wasn’t surprised that he had been tired enough to sleep that long, he was surprised that Mrs.Weasley had let him sleep that long.

Harry quickly hopped out of bed and got dressed. He hurried downstairs to find the dining room empty. He entered the kitchen and was surprised when he found no one in there either. Beginning to worry, he hurried out to the back yard, only to have his worries immediately relieved when he found Mrs. Weasley magically hanging clothes to dry, while Ron and Ginny raced around on their brooms overhead and Hermione sat under a tree, face in a book.

Catching sight of Harry from above, Ron flew down and landed in front of him with a heavy thud as he slid off his broom.

“Finally, Harry!� Ron exclaimed. “I thought you were never going to wake up!�

“Well, it’s not as though you tried to keep me from sleeping in so late,� Harry grumbled.

Ron shrugged unremorsefully. “Mum told me to let you sleep. She said you’d seemed unusually tired lately.� He grinned.

Harry nodded absentmindedly. “Ron, I need to talk to you… and Hermione. Alone.� He shot a furtive glance at Mrs.Weasley, hoping that she wouldn’t overhear.

Ron’s face suddenly turned grave. “It’s time, isn’t it?� He said softly. “Time to leave?�

Harry nodded. Ron turned around to look at Hermione, who was chatting amiably with Ginny under the large tree where she had been reading her book. “Oi! Hermione! Could you come here a minute?�

Harry cringed. “Could you be any less subtle?�

“Sorry,� Ron muttered, looking a bit sheepish.

As Hermione made her way over to them, Harry watched as Ginny mounted her broom and rose back into the air, apparently either uninterested in what Ron wanted, or sensing somehow that it wasn’t something she was suppose to know about.

Hermione approached them then, took one look at their grave faces and exclaimed, “Well, it’s about time we left!�

Harry was very taken aback; this was not at all the reaction he’d been expecting. Meanwhile, Ron looked highly amused and was trying to stifle a laugh. “How did you…?� Harry began.

“I just assumed we’d be leaving any day now. We should have left sooner, really.� Hermione shook her head. “And the look on your face, so serious. I just figured that that was what you wanted to tell me.�

Harry was still stunned. Hermione would never cease to surprise him.

Hermione became more serious now. “Alright, we’re going to have to set a time. And I think I have everything packed, but I’ll double check, just to be positive.�

Harry nodded. “We’ll leave at one o’ clock tonight. That will give everyone else time to go to sleep before we leave.�

Hermione and Ron agreed, and they spent the next several minutes tying up loose ends and making a mental checklist of things to do. All the while, however, Harry was constantly looking up in the sky at Ginny, who was now practicing her Seeker skills by chasing around a Golden Snitch. He hadn’t had much time to be alone with her since the wedding, and now he was feeling a stab of remorse when he thought about how he would be leaving her tonight and he didn’t know when he would see her again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Oi! That’s my foot you're stepping on!� Ron exclaimed in a loud whisper on their way down the stairs. Everyone else in the house was asleep, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione were tiptoeing down the stairs, wands held aloft and giving of a faint beam of light, towards the front door so they could make their escape.

“Sorry,� Harry murmured, shifting slightly to avoid trampling Ron’s feet again.

“Shh!� Hermione hissed suddenly. “I think I hear something.�

Harry strained his ears to see if he could hear anything, but the house was silent.

“Probably just the ghoul in the attic,� Ron whispered nervously.

“Maybe…� Hermione replied, but she still sounded unsure.

“Let’s just go,� Harry said, edging forward ahead of the other two and down the last few steps. Ron and Hermione followed behind, and soon they were through the front door.

They were about to run towards the gate -the Weasleys had put numerous protective spells on the house to keep anyone from Apparating in, which also meant that nobody could Apparate out- when Harry heard a quite voice behind him call his name.

He spun around, and to say he was surprised to see Ginny there in the doorway wearing a nightgown and looking very anxious would have been an understatement.

Before he could say anything however, Ron butted in. “Ginny, go back in the house. We have to leave,� he said sternly, trying to put as much authority in his voice as he could, and failing terribly.

Ginny glared at him, and Hermione pulled him aside saying, “Come on, Ron, let's just give them a moment…� She shot a worried look at Harry, but didn’t say anything.

Ron went grudgingly with Hermione, and once they were out of ear shot, Ginny stepped forward until there was only a foot between Harry and her. She looked up at him a little sheepishly. “I just wanted to get a chance to say goodbye…� She trailed off.

“How did you know we were leaving?� Harry asked.

Ginny rolled her eyes as if he were insulting her intelligence by asking. “I saw you talking to Ron and Hermione today, looking all secretive. And you’ve been more jumpy then you have the whole time you’ve been here. It didn’t take a lot to figure it out.�

Harry nodded slowing. He should have known his thinly veiled attempts at secrecy would not have fooled Ginny. She knew him too well.

They stood there for an awkward moment in silence, everything he wanted to say but couldn’t, everything he should have said but didn’t swirling through Harry’s head.

Finally, after a moment that seemed to last an eternity, Ginny inhaled loudly. “I guess you better go,� she said, a certain defiant sadness in her eyes.

“I guess you’re right,� Harry replied, unable to turn away.

Then, before he knew what was happening, Ginny had thrown her arms around his neck and was kissing him in a way that they hadn’t kissed since before Dumbledore’s funeral. Harry stiffened in surprise before relaxing and trying to forget everything. Voldemort, the Horcruxes, Ron making angry gasping noises somewhere nearby; it all didn’t matter right now.

But all too quickly, it was over. Ginny pulled away, looking flushed but not embarrassed, and Ron came stomping loudly up to them, despite Hermione’s loud protests.

“Well, I know you two have some very important snogging to do, but in case you haven’t noticed, there is a war going on here and we really need to get going!� Ron fumed.

Ginny laughed unabashedly. “Right, Ron. Go now and save the world.� She hugged him swiftly and then turned to hug Hermione. Hermione sniffed loudly as she let Ginny go and dabbed at her eyes with her sleeve.

“Goodbye,� Hermione said.

Ginny smiled slightly. “Don’t say goodbye, it sounds so final.�

Nobody spoke for a moment, thinking about just how final this goodbye might be.

Ron cleared his throat. “Er… take care of yourself, alright? And make sure Mum doesn’t do something crazy when she finds out we’re gone. The last thing we need is her chasing us down and dragging us back home.� He embraced his sister one more time before turning away quickly, and Harry was sure he saw a tear in Ron’s eye.

“I guess this is goodbye,� Harry said to Ginny. He wrapped his arms around her one more time and held her tight.

“Be safe, Harry,� she whispered in his ear.

He released her and then turned swiftly away, walking out through the gate towards where the protective border ended. They crossed the ward and prepared to Apparate away to the meeting place they had all agreed upon. As Harry pictured it in his head and began to turn, he looked back to the house, to Ginny, saving the image in his mind.

The last thing he saw before Apparating away was Ginny, standing alone out in the yard, looking somehow scared and brave, hopeful and stoic at the same time.

He only hoped he’d be able to save her -save them all- and come back to see her again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~