Chapter 5: The Wedding
The rest of the school year went by in a blur. When Ginny got back home, Harry and her barely had any time alone. They had sparse moments alone out in the yard, sitting alongside each other under the tree that they spent most of the summer underneath.
“Are you ok Harry? You seem worried,” Ginny said as she lifted her head from his shoulder.
“It’s nothing. I’m just thinking ahead to the wedding.”
“Making weddings plans without me?” asked Ginny with a sly smile.
“Not exactly. I’m more worried about what is going to happen later that night.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll take care of everything,” Ginny said with a mischievous smile. Harry laughed and Ginny put her head back down on his shoulder.
Harry’s birthday came and went. There was a large party at the Burrow for Harry. However, the hot topic at the party was the wedding and not Harry’s birthday itself. The coming week or two went by as quick as the others. Harry and Ginny spent most of their time picking out dress robes, flowers and all the other things needed for a proper wedding. Before he knew it, it was the night before the wedding.
“Harry dear, which design do you want on the napkins for the reception?” asked Mrs. Weasley. She was frantic to get everything straight. She was speeding around the kitchen trying to get all the last minute arrangements finished.
“I don’t care. You pick,” said Harry. He was starting to get annoyed at her. “I just want to get this over with, so things will calm down,” he thought to himself. Mr. Weasley, reading the Daily Prophet in a corner, shot him a look of ‘I told you’ and went back to his paper.
“I like this one,” said Ginny while she bounded up to her mother. “Don’t pay attention to Harry. He is just a little bit crabby tonight.”
“I don’t blame him. Just ask your father how bad I was the night before we got married.”
"Crabby isn’t the word for it, Dear,” said Mr. Weasley from behind his paper.
Harry stood up and went to where Ginny was standing with her mother. “Yeah, that one is nice,” Harry said, trying to stifle a yawn. “I’m going to bed. See you both in the morning,” he said as he turned away from them and started towards the kitchen door.
“You can’t go to sleep now. There are things that need to be done,” scolded Mrs. Weasley.
“I trust Ginny to make all the right decisions,” he replied. He walked back over to Ginny, gave her a kiss on the forehead, and whispered “Goodnight.”
Harry climbed the stairs and ran into Ron standing outside Harry’s bedroom. “Hey, watch where you are going,” said Ron
“Sorry,” he replied. When he saw the nervous look on Ron’s face he said, “Ron are you ok?”
“It’s Hermione. With all the wedding planning, she is hinting that she wants to get married.”
“You better come with me.” Harry led Ron to his room and when he sat down he asked, “Are you ready to ask her?”
“I don’t know. How did you know that you loved Ginny enough to want to spend the rest of your life with her?”
“When she saved me during the final battle.”
“What Are you going mental? Ginny wasn’t there.”
“The thought of her saved me. It’s a long story. I’ll tell you someday but right now I need to get some sleep.”
“I don’t think so mate. What were you talking about?”
"Fine, I’ll tell you. During the final battle Voldemort hit me with the cruciatus curse and I thought everything was over. I thought that I was going to die. My memories began to flash before me eyes. I saw things from my sorting to Sirius falling through the Veil. Finally, I saw Ginny jumping into my arms after you won the cup in our sixth year. When I saw the moment that we first kissed, a power surged through me. It took me a little while to figure it out but what did Dumbledore always say that I had that Voldemort didn’t?”
“The ability to love.”
“Exactly. It saved me in the Ministry when Voldemort possessed me and it saved me then too. It was when I finally realized that my love for Ginny saved me that I realized that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. Does any of this make sense?”
“A little. So what you are saying is that all I have to do is get into some life threatening situation and wait and see if my love for Hermione will help me live.”
“As always you are way off.”
“I know. I was just having a little bit of fun with you. You’ve given me a lot to think about. Well anyways, goodnight and good luck.”
“Goodnight, Ron.”
Harry woke up the next morning to a house in a rush. Mrs. Weasley was running around making all the final preparations for the day’s ceremonies. Harry got up, got dressed and went outside to talk with Ron and Bill.
“I don’t know how you did it Bill. How could you put up with your mother during the preparations for your wedding?”
“Oh don’t worry about it. She means well.”
The guests soon started to arrive. The scents on this beautiful August day were of delicate flowers and freshly cut grass. Everyone looked happy and excited. When they were all seated, Harry took his place. Ron was standing next to him because he was his best-man. Harry soon saw Hagrid seated on the right on a big log and smiled as the half-giant gave him a thumbs-up. Soon the music started to play and Ginny walked down the aisle with her father.
The wedding went off without a hitch until the ring bearer dropped the rings. No one had a younger son, so they were forced to ask the Patil twin’s younger cousin that Harry had met that day at King’s Cross Station.”
The rest of the ceremony went by smoothly. Then, it was time for Harry and Ginny’s vows. They had decided to write their own.
“For as long as I can remember, I had a mission. A mission to fight evil and prevent wizards and muggle’s from an awful fate. I didn’t choose, it was my destiny. Almost a year ago now, this task was fulfilled and I could, for the first time of my life, choose what I wanted to do with my life. I decided to embark on a new mission and this mission is you, Ginny. I want to make you happy. I want to make you smile everyday, raise a family with you, grow old beside you and hold your hand ‘till your last breath. But more than that, I want, and I will, love you forever. Come what may, you can count on me. I love you, Ginny.”
“Harry, I first saw you at platform 9 ¾ and I loved you. You protected me, saved me, kissed me and I loved you more. We’ve been together, we’ve been apart but I couldn’t help falling for you again and again. It was you from the first day and it will be you ‘till the last. I love you more with every passing moment and I can’t wait to start our life as husband and wife. No matter what, you can be sure that you will always be my one, my only, my Harry.”
When the minister said “You can kiss the bride,” everybody got up to their feet and clapped vigorously. Charlie even whistled a little. Mrs. Weasley was crying and sobbing but looked happier than ever nonetheless. The reception lasted most of the afternoon. Harry spent most of the time on the dance floor with Ginny. She looked beautiful in her white wedding dress.
“Ginny, I have never loved you more than right now.”
“I know,” she said while giving him one of her trademark smiles.
“Do you mind if I cut in?” asked Hermione as she walked up to Harry.
“Not at all,” replied Harry. Ginny nodded in agreement and Hermione and Harry danced for a little while.
“I’m so happy for you, Harry.”
“I’m happy too. Could you do me a big favor?”
“Yeah. What is it?”
“Would you please stop hinting or pushing or whatever you are doing with Ron? I literally ran into him on my way up to me room last night. He was worried because he said you were hinting that you wanted to get married. If that is true that is great but wait until Ron is ready.”
Hermione started to laugh. “Fred and George practically begged me to play that joke on Ron. I love Ron but I’m not ready to marry him yet.”
Harry laughed in return and shook his head. “You might want to let Ron know that.”
“I think that would be best.”
Harry went back to dancing with Ginny. He told her everything that Ron and Hermione had told him and she also laughed. “It sounds exactly like something they would do.”
Finally Harry and Ginny sat down at the table to have a bite to eat. “What in the hell is that?” asked Harry holding up the napkin.
“It looks like a napkin to me,” replied Ginny.
“I know it’s a napkin. I meant, what the hell is this?” he said as he pointed to the pattern on his napkin.
“They’re called ‘flowers’, love. Remember last night? You said you trusted me judgment, so the only one you can blame is yourself.”
Before he could reply, there was a large explosion followed by the sound of laughter. “What the hell is going on here,” said Harry as he walked towards the disturbance, closely followed by Ginny. When Harry came closer, he couldn’t help but laugh. Fred and George were on the ground groaning. They were covered in black soot from head to toe. “What happened?”
Hermione who was trying to help them up said, “They were trying to set off some celebratory fireworks but they misfired.” Everybody laughed again, even Mr. and Mrs. Weasley who had finally made their way over.
Harry suddenly remembered what Hermione had told him. He put his hand on Ron’s shoulder and whispered, “Follow me.”
“What is it Harry?” asked Ron once they were a few feet away from everyone gathered around the twins.
“I talked to Hermione when I danced with her. She said that her hinting that her hinting about marriage was just a joke that Fred and George came up with.”
“I know. She told me a few minutes ago. I’m not going to lie, I was very relieved.”
“What are you two doing?” asked Ginny as she walked towards Harry.
They both muttered “Nothing.”
“Well anyway, it is time to open presents.” Ginny grabbed Harry’s hand and led him towards the table with all the gifts on it.
Lupin and Tonks got them their own wizard Wireless. Fred and George bought them matching dragon hide jackets. When Harry looked closer at the jacket he realized something. “Fred, George, is this from a Horntail?”
“Sure as hell is,” replied the twins simultaneously.
Harry and Ginny slowly made their way through the rest of the gifts. The newlyweds opened the one from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley last. It was a large tapestry. “I thought that you two could use a family tree. Just look at the top there,” said Mrs. Weasley. When Harry looked at the top he saw that it had two names connected by two gold lines. The names were Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley. Above that it said “The most honorable and beloved Potter family.”
This time it was Harry’s turn to give Mrs. Weasley a bone crushing hug. This particular gift was the icing on the cake. Maybe he had no real family before, but this was the proof that from now on, he would have one. After, he shook Mr. Weasley’s hand vigorously and he saw in his father in law’s eyes that he understood how much this present meant to him.
When all the guests left, Harry and Ginny went up to their room and changed. They were packing for their honeymoon when Hermione entered the room.
“I know I’ve probably said it a million times already, but I’m so happy for you two.”
“We know Hermione,” said Ginny while running over to Hermione to give her a hug.
“So, when are you two leaving for your honeymoon?” she asked when Ginny finished hugging her.
“Soon. We’re just going to Godric’s Hollow, so it won’t take long to get there. We’ll be back before you know it. I told Ginny I would take her to see my parents’ grave,” replied Harry
Ginny and Harry were soon gone. They apperated to Godric’s Hollow and dropped their things off at a local Hotel. Harry led Ginny down the now familiar path to the graveyard. He held her hand the whole way there. When they reached his parent’s plot he said, “Here it is.”
Ginny smiled and put her head Harry’s shoulder. They stood there in mutual silence for a few minutes before Harry said something. “Mom, Dad, this is the woman I told you about. This is my wife.”
A/N. I'm sorry to say that this is the last chapter. I'm in the planning stages of another story but haven't decided if I'm going to go forward with that. Please tell me if you want a sequel, because I'm considering that too.