And Thank You, dearest Ma_Raie, for your magic touch and your support in this chapter. This 'two-thumbs-up' is for you! :) :)
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The Hogwarts’ gardens were buzzing with laughs and conversations as the wedding reception kept going on.
True to their reputation, the house-elves had worked relentlessly during the last few days, and the banquet they had served was a delight to all the guests. Thus, compliments were raining on Dobby, the only elf appointed by the others to attend the reception. Although Hermione had insisted on having him at their table, Dobby had preferred circling the place at his leisure, wearing his neatest pillowcase and a pair of brand new red socks.
As most of the guests were once Hogwarts students, they all took the opportunity to catch up with old friends, chattering endlessly, reliving their memories. Soon, the former Quidditch payers, including the groom himself, started shifting in their seats. They began eying Oliver Wood and the Quidditch pitch, fancying a game as soon as they could take off without offending the older teachers and members of the Ministry attending the feast.
Curiously, Quidditch was the last of Fred and George Weasley’s concerns at this moment. Their minds were focused on the heated discussion with their young sister in the deserted Great Hall of Hogwarts.
“My decision is final,” Ginny declared, her amber eyes were glowing with determination, “and I told you, it has nothing to do with the job itself.”
The twins frowned, folding their arms over their chests. Once more, they were bombing Ginny with questions, challenging her resignation from her job as the Weasleys Wizards Wheezes’ manager.
“First, you can’t quit now!” George started. “Second, if this was a joke…”
“It is absolutely NOT funny,” continued Fred, “because we can’t run the place without your help.”
“But we can give you a pay rise.”
“If it could make you change your mind.”
Ginny could not answer any of those questions, for Professor Flitwick just came down the stairs. All three Weasleys nodded at him, and the old Charm teacher threw his tiny arms around Fred and George’s necks. Oh, not again, Ginny knew by heart what would come next; he will start the same song about …
“… I still keep a tiny patch of your swamps in my classroom,” said Flitwich squeakily, “it was a really good bit of magic!”
Fred and George were clearly flattered by the compliment. Yet their smiles immediately vanished as soon as Professor Flitwick turned on his heel to go back to the feast. They stared at their young sister, clearly expecting a satisfactory explanation.
“I told you I have other plans,” Ginny said. “My resignation seems sudden to you, and for that I am truly sorry! But, believe me, it is the best thing for the shop. Besides, I have found you a new manager!” she added triumphantly. “Lee Jordan, your old friend, will gladly take on the job as soon as we ask him too.”
“Lee was back from his trot around the globe only yesterday,” said Fred, “when exactly did you talk to him about all this?”
Ginny had heard from her brothers that Lee was done with traveling the world, but had so far no good reason to remain in England. Her proposal was the best solution he could hope for to lay his backpack down for awhile, and he had eagerly agreed to her offer.
“I ran into him yesterday night, near the boys’ dormitories,” she answered.
“Ginny, what were you doing near the boy’s dormitories yesterday night?” asked George, who looked resolute to make things difficult for his sister.
“I went look… Hey, that’s none of your business, George!” Ginny pointed her Maid of Honor bouquet toward the twins’ faces. “Anyway, Lee and I have agreed on a salary of fifteen thousands Galleons a year, plus 10 percent of the annual benefits. He also volunteered to stay in the room above the shop to keep a close eye on things. And the best part is: he insisted on participating in the creation process, and helping you expand the line of products!”
Fred and George looked at each other, momentarily distracted by the thrill they felt about working again with their old partner-in-crime. But Ginny’s so-called “other plans” still puzzled them.
“What are you up to, Ginny?” asked Fred, “not planning to join ‘Lots-4-Laughs’, are you?”
“Actually, it is ‘Laughs-4-Lots’,” Ginny corrected, looking offended. “How dare you even think that I, your sister and a Weasley, would join your competitor?”
“I know, you want to settle down…”
“To start the next generation of Potters…”
“And ‘scourgify’ their diapers for the next twelve years.” George was clearly fishing for clues.
Ginny still shook her head, smiling now at the twins’ disgusted faces. I wouldn’t trade my brothers for anything in the whole world, she thought fondly. She had loved working with them. But now she had to follow her heart, no matter how she would miss the shop and the laughs.
“Look, I had enjoyed every minute working with you two.” Ginny said, giving them both a peck on the cheek. “But I need to move on. And, for the first time in my life, I want to fly on my own. You can understand that, don’t you?”
“We do,” Fred nodded thoughtfully, “but to fly where, exactly?”
Ginny hesitated briefly. Then all of a sudden, her eyes sharpened while looking over George’s shoulder. She pouted her lips, and pointed a finger towards a precise spot above the large door. A shriek of pain echoed in the hall, as Peeves was thrown forcefully from his favorite hiding place, where he had been eavesdropping on them. The poltergeist fled hurriedly, wailing the ugliest curses he could mutter under the circumstances.
“Hey, that was … cool!” George whistled with admiration.
“Thank you! And now, if you excuse me, I still have my Maid of Honor’s duties to attend to!”
Ginny smoothed her blue dress, and hugged the twins once more before heading back to the reception. She still felt her brothers’ gaze on her back, and bits of their conversation just widened her smile.
“Did you see what she did, Fred?”
“I have, George. And I wonder what other tricks Harry has taught our baby sister.”
“Without her, it won’t be easy at the shop! She always had that magic touch with kids.”
“Anyway, Mum will hex us if she thought we sacked Ginny to hire Lee.”
“I bet Ronniekins has offered her a job at the Ministry.”
“You might be right, George. But I heard something about the Chaser position with Pudlemere!”
The twins kept speculating, as they went back to the reception…
Ginny met Harry halfway to the gardens. He responded to her smile, as she greeted him with open arms.
“Hello, handsome,” she whispered, realizing they had barely talked to each other for the last three days.
“Hi, pumpkin,” Harry gave her a friendly hug, although his bright green eyes meant so much more. “Be careful, Rita Skeeter is here!”
So, with his arm around her shoulder in a brotherly manner, Ginny walked back to their table. Indeed, Rita Skeeter had somehow wormed her way into the wedding reception, watching Harry’s every move through her thick spectacles. Right next to her was sitting a chubby, bald man, who immediately lifted his camera and snapped a few pictures as they passed. Glancing at Harry, Ginny could see him frown, and his grip grew tighter on her shoulder.
“Just ignore them,” Ginny said as they reached the top table. “It’s time for you to toast the bride and groom.”
“Yeah, the toast!” Harry rubbed his forehead, “I can’t think about anything original to say. Every one here has already known Ron and Hermione’s story…”
“You know, it is always fun to hear a good story again, mostly when it’s told from a different angle. Go on, Potter, I know you can do it!”
Right, easy for her to say, Harry mumbled, she had been one of the most popular Prefects and Head Girls Hogwarts had known for years. And I just hate making a show of myself! But let’s go on with it!
“Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please?”
The tumultuous sound of conversation rapidly faded, and all the guests turned their eyes toward the top table. Harry was now standing next to the newly wed couple, holding a flute of champagne in his hand for the Best Man’s toast.
“I have been asked, by many of you, to reveal a few secrets about Ron and Hermione’s love story.” Harry started, smiling at his friends. “When I think about their relationship, three words come to my mind: Friendship, Sparks and Animals.”
“Manners, Harry!” Fred shouted from the Weasleys’ table.
“Don’t be too graphic, Potter!” Lee Jordan added loudly, provoking whoops and giggles around him.
“I will explain, don’t worry!” Harry continued. “You must wonder why I mentioned the animals. Well, at our first year, Hermione first ran into Ron aboard the Hogwarts Express, looking for a toad. Although Ron failed to turn his rat yellow to impress her, they became friends by knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll. And together, they had later handled, in turn, a baby dragon and a three-head dog. At our second year, Ron had ended up spitting slugs after trying to defend Hermione’s honor. Not bad, isn’t it, for someone who had declared: ‘Whatever house I’m in, I hope she’s not in it’?”
Ron’s ears went red at the souvenir. He simply shrugged as Hermione lovingly glared at him. There was laughter in the audience, and Rubeus Hagrid, the gamekeeper and teacher at Hogwarts, was of course the loudest.
“To help Hermione recover from her bad encounter with a monstrous snake,” Harry carried on, “Ron had ventured into a giant spider’s nest. And in spite of their constant bickering about her cat and his rat, Hermione had never hesitated to run after Ron when he was dragged away by a black dog.”
Harry’s voice quavered slightly and he covered it by clearing his throat. “He was getting quite good at this exercise”, Ginny observed silently from the other side of the table. He glanced at her briefly before regaining his composure to continue his toast.
“After all these adventures, Ron and Hermione have been drawn so close to each other that even a beetle could not come between them. They became an unbeatable team, whether they were petting Blast-Ended Skrewts or riding a thestral.
“Ladies and gentlemen, what you have witnessed today was not only a happy ending, but a new beginning of their story. And I can tell that the best is yet to come for the two persons I am privileged to call my best friends. So, please join me and let’s raise our glasses to their happiness!”
Harry’s eyes sparkled, just like the champagne he raised toward his friends.
“Here’s to the prettiest, here’s to the wittiest! Here’s to the neatest one, here’s to the righteous one! Here’s to them in one. Hermione, Ron, here’s to YOU, lovebirds!”
“To Hermione and Ron!” The other guests followed Harry’s example and emptied their glasses.
The music started again, and Ron took Hermione’s hand to open the dance. Ginny immediately joined the other guests to cheer on them. With tears in her eyes, she remembered what Ron had once said to her: “I dance with my heart, not with my body.” The Weasley children had teased Ron senseless about this “excuse for being a lousy dancer”. But now, watching Ron swaying with ease beside his bride, there was no doubt he had found the one love that could make his heart dance.
“Excuse me, Miss, I fancy a dance with the gorgeous Maid of Honor.” Harry’s soft voice instantly made her knees go weak.
Ginny took his outstretched hand and Harry put his arm round her waist. Soon, she found herself dancing on magic legs, as if she was hit by the “Potter Charm”. What would he think about my new career? She asked herself for the hundredth time. The one reason why she had kept her future plan secret was indeed the fear it would drift them apart. But she had to take a chance; she had to tell Harry as soon as possible before he heard it from someone else. Merlin, it is difficult! She thought, knowing, deep in her soul, that whatever happened, her heart could never dance with any other partner than him.
“Harry, I have something to tell you…” Ginny whispered, locking her gaze to his bright green eyes.
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A/N: Thanks so much for Reading! Now, please, take two minutes to review, OK? :) :)