Harry sat brooding over the sour turn that the evening had taken. Dean had walked up to Harry and extended his arm for a handshake. Of course Harry had been too busy resisting the urge to deck the pompous git to notice that. Instead of decking him, which he sorely regretted not doing as he watched him dancing with Ginny; he had stalked off the dance floor ignoring Fred’s invitation to join him and Fleur’s cousins in some sort of drinking game. He had taken the shady table in back, furthest away from the dance floor, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t see Ginny in Dean’s arms. It was like watching an accident; he wanted to look away but couldn’t seem to turn his head.
He preferred sulking alone but that was made impossible when Ron joined him. Luckily, Ron too was in a terrible mood his eyes pinned on Hermione and one of Fleur’s particularly handsome cousin.
“Can men be veela’s?” Ron queried.
“No.”
“What’s with you?”
“Nothing,” Harry lied.
“Oh, right! The stupid gits here,” Ron ignored Harry’s response, “I saw him earlier.”
Ron took a few seconds to throw Harry a sympathetic look before returning his vigilant eyes to Hermione.
Harry considered talking it over with Ron but thought the better of it and returned to his sullen disposition.
Unfortunately, their position put them closest to the entryway thereby forcing them to mingle with the incoming guests. Harry and Ron’s attention was momentarily diverted when a tall eagle hat signaled the arrival of the Longbottom’s. True to his word Neville was wearing none other than Susan Bone’s on his arm for that night’s festivity. He quickly spotted them and made the short trek to their table keeping his date by his side. They exchanged quick greetings around the table as the couple joined the gloomy pair.
“You both look very…erm,” Susan stopped her compliment in midstream as they had both shot her a menacing look.
“Is something wrong?” Neville wondered shooting them a worried look.
Annoyed by the interruption Harry realized that if he didn’t shift his focus to the couple they would easily ascertain the object of his perusal.
“So did the two of you enjoy the wedding?”
“It was lovely!” Susan gushed wearing a relieved look on her face, “The bride looked beautiful as she walked down the aisle.”
Neville nodded his agreement, “It was very nice.”
They lapsed into another awkward silence as Harry shot around in his mind for possible topics to talk about.
“Looks like Dumbledore’s managed to get us another defense against the dark arts teacher this year,” Susan shared.
“I don’t know how he does it,” Neville shock his head in wonder.
“You mean Tonks?” Harry commented, “She’s somewhere around here.”
“It’s a woman?” Susan asked.
“I hope she’s not like the last one,” Neville said a bit of fear creeping into his voice.
“How do you know her?” Susan continued.
“Family friend,” Ron answered, it looked as though he was going to join in the conversation now that the song had ended and Hermione was going to the ladies room with Ginny.
“What’s she like?”
“She’s standing next to Lupin,” Harry pointed Tonks out.
“Wow!” Susan exclaimed, “She looks so cool!”
“She looks young,” Neville noted.
“She is,” Ron said over his yawn, “Went to school with Bill and Charlie.”
“Is she qualified to teach?” Susan wondered.
“She’s an auror,” Harry told her, as though that settled the question.
“I have some rather exciting new,” Susan whispered to them.
“Hmpf!” Ron rolled his eyes in doubt.
“They could always read about it in tomorrows Daily Prophet,” Neville said in response to Ron’s rudeness.
“What is it?” Harry asked his curiosity piqued.
Susan took a good long moment allowing the suspense to build before she her news came flowing out, “My aunt’s been made Minister of Magic!”
“WHAT!”
Both Harry and Ron had been startled by the unexpected news.
“Shhhh!” Neville whispered looking around them to ensure that no one had heard their outburst, “It’s not official until tomorrow.”
Harry and Ron exchanged a look of disbelief.
“What happened to Fudge?” Ron asked.
“Grams says that ever since news that you-know-who is back got out, the ministry’s been in deep water,” Neville explained, “Fudge finally gave in to the pressure and resigned.”
“Of course they asked Dumbledore first,” Susan added, “But he said he would rather be at Hogwarts…and my aunt was the next in line!”
“She’ll be sworn into office next week,” Neville told them.
“It’s too bad we’ll be at Hogwarts,” Susan sighed wistfully, “Don’t get me wrong, I’m really excited about learning to apparate, but that means I’m going to miss seeing my aunt officially take office.”
Before they could say another word a screeching Susan jumped up on her chair pointing to a large spindly legged tarantula hastening towards them. Ron did her one better by jumping onto the table itself and bellowing at Lee Jordon to put his pet away. Gabrielle helped Lee put the tarantula away cooing at it as though it was a harmless kitten. Once Ron had gotten down from the table he excused himself posthaste and went to join Hermione who had just exited the ladies room presumably to tell her about Susan’s news. Susan was lead further into the reception hall by Neville after they had exchanged a quick goodbye and they disappeared into the crowd.
As Harry scanned the room his eyes fell on the live swans floating in the running waters that encircled the reception hall and thought that perhaps Fleur had overdone it a bit. After giving in on the faeries lighting the extravagant floral arrangements Bill should really have put his foot down. In any case, Harry was certain he would make a fool out of himself later in the evening when they sat down to dinner and he was right. He had two fork too many and four spoons to contend with. Not to mention the rather unappealing French food that was provided.
Once he had realized that the delicacy being served was none other than slugs he had refused to eat another bite. He turned his attention to locating Ginny who he had lost much earlier in the evening. He couldn’t help but to take a few moments to watch a drunken Fred as he spoke in slurred speech to his drinking buddy about what she could possibly see in Lee Jordon. It took a moment to figure out that the ‘she’ Fred was referring to was not Angelina, but rather Gabrielle.
It certainly looked as though Gabrielle had transferred her affection to Lee who seemed to enjoy having someone hanging onto his every word. He showed her magic trick after magic trick and in response she would clap enthusiastically and tell him how wonderful and talented he was. It definitely looked as though Fred had some tough competition. Dudley was being coaxed by a mean-spirited Mafalda into trying out Fred and George’s latest line of sweets. He grew the trunk of an elephant when he ate a bon bon and turned bright purple when he ate a gumball.
As amusing as the antics around him were, he had yet to spot Ginny and Dean. What he did spot was Pépère and Fleur’s regal grandmother acting as un-regal as it was possible to be. The suspicion formed in his mind and was confirmed when George who caught him checking the pair out gave him a wink and a thumbs up. Somehow, this was Fred and George’s payback for Pépère’s torment of Percy. How they had managed to get Fleur’s grandmother enamored with Pépère was anyone’s guess. Harry suspected some sort of love potion may have been utilized in this instance.
Before he could find Ginny and Dean, Ron found him. Perhaps he noticed him scanning the room because he pointed Ginny, who was eating with Hermione, out.
“I think they keep forgetting who their dates for the wedding are,” Ron told him in exasperation as Dean and Fleur’s cousin that had been dancing with Hermione earlier took the seats beside them.
Harry and Ron resumed their seats at their ‘brooding table’ and watched every movement that their respective dates were making. A cough from behind them brought them out of their stupor.
“Might want to put your eyes back in their sockets, boys!” Charlie teased as he took a seat at their table, “Why the long faces?”
“Our dates seem to have forgotten that they’re our dates,” Ron explained stressing the second ‘our’.
“Or,” Charlie interjected, “Perhaps you lot have forgotten that they’re your dates!”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ron bite back irritated.
“I haven’t seen you two around them all night,” Charlie pointed out, “Did you expect them to sit in the corner all night…like you?”
Charlie made a valid point, Harry was willing to concede. That was, in regards to Ron. However he, Harry, had been replaced. Ginny had not even noticed that he was gone. Not that she’d had an opportunity to do so with Dean constantly in her face. He clenched and unclenched his fists; the urge to deck him was still there.
Charlie quieted down for a bit but when he spoke again he seemed much more introspective and thoughtful, “Take it from someone who knows,” he advised them, “the longer you spend on the side-lines watching them, the more likely someone else will swoop in and take them right out from under you.”
Charlie seemed to have joined their brooding mood. Harry followed Charlie’s line of vision and his eyes fell upon Tonks dancing with Lupin. They were to the right of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley who were slow dancing cheek to cheek. Conversely, Tonks was swinging her hair and laughing. Lupin and Tonks looked happy, genuinely happy. Harry thought that Lupin looked younger and freer. How could he have missed that? He looked back at Charlie and caught the sadness in his eyes. Nevertheless, Harry was adamant that Lupin deserved Tonks. Charlie had known her for years, if he truly wanted her than they would have been together by now.
He realized his hypocrisy all at once. He too had years to declare his feelings for Ginny. Now that she was with someone else he sat here consumed by jealousy. It was not as though she had not shown her feelings towards him. He had let her feelings be the object of ridicule and now wanted her to validate his feelings.
Percy walked by as Ron asked, “How do you show a girl that you care?”
“Marry her,” Percy had answered nonchalantly as he hustled to Penelope carrying her fruit salad.
“Marry her,” Charlie repeated in a considerate voice, “That does seem to be the only way to make sure she’ll always be there, I guess Bill had the right of it.”
“I guess so,” Harry responded still in knots over his hypocrisy.
“Can you ever win them back?” Ron asked to no one in general.
“Only if they want you to,” Charlie responded.
Before they had a chance to contemplate any further the sound of explosions ushered in Fred and George’s fireworks show. The first round of fireworks turned into believable looking dragons, two of which chased Dudley around the hall and hung him up on the chandelier. The second round produced a spectacular lights display, the likes of which Harry had never seen in his life. The third and final round was by far the most enjoyable. Everyone was given a parting gift of chocolates. They followed the display with a launch of a small rocket that burst in the air and spelled out ‘Congratulations Bill and Fleur’ in golden stars.
Once everyone thought that the display was over they gathered their possessions and gifts to leave but another, smaller rocket was launched. It exploded over Percy and Penelope and wrote in the air ‘Congratulations on the Baby’. Well, Harry thought, that explained why Percy did everything Penelope ordered him to do. He wouldn’t want to have a pregnant lady be angry at him either. Harry looked over at Mrs. Weasley who looked like she was about to faint. Harry doubted Mrs. Weasley could take anymore of Percy’s surprises. Harry found it odd that Fred and George were congratulating Percy, but than he realized that they were actually outing his secret to the world.
How did they find out that Penelope was pregnant? And what else did Percy have in store for them? Everyone gathered outside so that Fleur could throw her bouquet. The girls lined up behind her all hoping for the opportunity to catch it. Ginny had out jumped them all and ended up with the bouquet. She really would make a spectacular chaser, Harry thought to himself. As she had jumped she caught his eye. Once she had landed she waved the bouquet at him. He felt the strong need to go to her, but Dean beat him there. As she hugged Dean he turned around and walked away.
Would Ginny ever want him to win her back? He pushed Fred away from his house plant at Grimmauld Place where it looked as though he were about to take a tinkle. Somehow he doubted it.