Chapter Three “ The Wedding
An hour later, the yard was filled with chairs to seat all of the slowly arriving guests. Charlie and Mr. Weasley had set up a wooden alter with a winding flowery archway. The aisle was made of pink rose petals, and Fleur was in Ginny’s room getting ready. Her maid of honor, her sister Gabrielle, had smiled sheepishly upon being greeted by Harry. Three years ago, he had saved her from the bottom of the icy lake during the Triwizard tournament, when Fleur hadn’t been able to pass the grindylows.
Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks had stepped out of the fireplace just as Mrs. Weasley was lecturing the twins for setting the cake on fire. Everyone made a big fuss over the diamond engagement ring on Tonks’ finger. When Hermione had tearfully asked when the wedding was, Tonks asked her to be the junior bridesmaid. Hermione burst into happy sobs. It took four cups of tea to calm her down.
Harry was surprised to see a few of the Hogwarts teachers who had taught Bill, including Professor McGonagall, but was thrilled to see Hagrid, especially since he had decided to leave Grawp behind.
Minutes before the start of the wedding, Percy walked in with Penelope Clearwater on his arm. Mrs. Weasley dropped the rings and Hermione had to pry them away from Crookshanks. Without saying a word, Percy embraced his mother and went to congratulate Bill. It was enough for Mrs. Weasley, who couldn’t stop smiling.
At six o’clock sharp, the charmed musician-free instruments began to play a cheerful wedding march. Bill couldn’t have been more proud, and Charlie, his best man, had a permanent grin stuck on his face.
As the groom’s men, Fred and George, and the bridesmaids (Ginny among them) walked down the flowery aisle, Harry looked around the crowd. Remus had his arm around Tonks, and Ron and Hermione were very close…
Fleur appeared looking stunning, and everyone stood up facing her. She was beaming on the arm of her father, a tall handsome man with the same white-gold hair as his two daughters. When they arrived at the alter, Fleur gave her teary father a small kiss on the cheek as he handed her over to Bill. She smiled at him, tearing up was she caressed his wounds lovingly. The priest commenced the ceremony.
Professor McGonagall was blowing her nose loudly as Hagrid sniffled beside her. Mrs. Weasley was crying happily into Mr. Weasley’s shoulder. Hermione was beaming, absentmindedly intertwining Ron’s fingers in her own.
“Do you, Fleur Delacour, take this man, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, ‘til death do you part?” The wheezing little priest asked her with a friendly smile.
“But of course, I do!” said Fleur, positively giddy with delight. Bill squeezed her hand.
Harry glanced at Ginny, who looked beautiful in a pale pink ankle length dress, her hair tied back in a loose bun, and she was smiling looking at her brother and Fleur. She looked around at him, and he could feel himself blush as he quickly turned his gaze back to the couple.
“I do,” Bill was saying.
“Then with the power invested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife,” he beamed at them, “you may now kiss the bride.”
Bill leaned in and kissed his wife softly on the lips. As he pulled away grinning and staring lovingly into her eyes, Fleur let out a small delighted laugh.
All of Bill and Fleur’s family and friends burst into enthusiastic applause as the newlyweds walked back down the aisle smiling at each other.
Harry, Ron and Hermione got up to help Mr. and Mrs. Weasley quickly prepare for the reception and the rest of the guests went to congratulate Bill and Fleur Weasley. Mrs. Weasley blew her nose every few minutes as she worked in silence. Mr. Weasley was chatting animatedly to Charlie as they transfigured the hedges into tables, while the trio placed the chairs around them. The twins were levitating dark red candles to hover over each table as the sky slowly turned purple. Mrs. Weasley had turned the alter into a wooden dance floor lined with long-stemmed red roses. Live fairies were fluttering above holding miniature lanterns.
Fred and George were gapping at Fleur’s female relatives. Harry knew that her grandmother had been a veela, and most of her cousins seemed to have inherited the same genes.
“George!” Mrs. Weasley screeched as he tripped over his own feet head first into one of the tables, sending cutlery flying everywhere.
“Stop staring, it’s impolite!”
George grinned as Fleur’s cousin giggled. As he strutted over to talk to her, Harry was poked in the small of the back.
“Harry Potter, sir!” Harry was shocked to see Dobby wearing a rather ugly sweater that he must have knit himself. It was dark green, and very lumpy over what appeared to be a muggle girl’s blue skirt. Around his neck was a bowtie the size of a large bat.
“Dobby! What are you doing here?”
“The word around the Hogwarts kitchens is that you’re a close friend of all the Weasleys! When I heard about Bill’s wedding, I thought, Harry must be going!” Dobby squeaked excitedly, his giant ears flapping in the wind. “I is wanting to know, Harry Potter, sir, if you is needing Dobby for anymore favors like last year, Harry Potter, sir.”
Dobby looked so eager that Harry quickly racked his brain for even the smallest chore for him. A light bulb seemed to have clicked on in his head as he thought about Hogwarts. It would defiantly help him!
“Dobby!” He said excitedly, “Could you find out if the portrait of Dumbledore in his office would be able to communicate with me, even if I’m not actually in the office?”
Dobby worked at Hogwarts, and Harry knew he must have access to the Headmaster’s office so he could clean. Dobby looked slightly confused,, but he said that he would give it his best effort to find out. Harry was anxious to discover the answer. If he could talk to Dumbledore, his mentor, he might have a better chance finding the horcruxes.
“Harry?” It was Hermione. She was wearing a dark blue dress, and she had tried unsuccessfully to tame her hair. She was nervously wringing her hands.
“Harry, I spoke with Ginny, would you like to talk?”
Harry had to admit, Hermione had good timing. He breathed a sigh of relief. He wanted to get his feelings for Ginny off his chest.
After nearly a quarter of an hour, Harry had finished expressing his thoughts about his best friend’s sister.
“Well,” Hermione said tentatively, “She will be at Hogwarts, and Voldemort did take her in our second year when you were just friends. I guess everyone’s in danger now. I suppose with the proper protection, she could be safer than all of us. You could teach her spells like you did in the DA…” Hermione bit her lip thinking.
“She could also be very useful. The more people we have working with us, the better chance we have of winning the war.”
Harry could have kissed her. She had given him hope. He knew he would never be able to date anyone but Ginny; she meant so much to him.
“Ginny’s been talking about you a lot lately, Harry,” she said kindly, “I think she’d appreciate if you just talked to her.”
Harry looked at her. She was so clever, and yet so misunderstood. Ron had a poor way of showing ha he liked her. He had never treated her like a girl, but Harry knew that he was just confused. Ron would be great to her if his feelings were out in the open.
“Hermione, I think you should talk to Ron about you two. I think he’d like that.”
Hermione flushed but looked pleased. She seemed to understand Harry perfectly.
“Do what you think is right with Ginny,” she said, “I think either way is right, and,” she seemed embarrassed, “I was talking to Lupin.”
Harry gave her a sharp look of surprise, but she ploughed on.
“He says that if you do get back together, you should keep it quiet, and start working on occlemency again.”
Harry considered this. While it reminded him of Snape so much that he clenched his fists in rage, it made sense. Didn’t his parents go in to hiding together?
“By not letting him in on your relationship, Voldemort wouldn’t be able to tell the difference when you two are dating or not. It might even give you some sort of advantage,” Hermione said carefully.
“Good luck, Harry,” she said, “You two really belong together.”