Disclaimer: Jo is the main storyteller...maybe I'm one of her house elves.
***
In the End
Reconsideration
The next day at the Burrow, Harry woke up with a heavy weight on his heart. He felt like retching, and for a moment he thought it was inevitable. He inhaled deeply as Ron’s monstrous snores rang through the air.
Harry leaned over to the window hanging over his bed. The sky outside was dark violet, tinged lightly with dawn’s first blaze. The moon, tilted on its side, was held suspended above everything else. The soft glow emanating from it reflected how Harry felt exactly, dark and gloomy. He looked below, and nearly lost his breath just seeing it.
The whole backyard had been transformed into what Harry could only describe in one word: wonderland. It had been cut and trimmed neatly in preparation for the wedding. Not only had the long stalks of foreign grasses and plants in the Burrow’s backyard disappeared, but also every fantasy of Fleur’s had been put into full construction. A gazebo had been established in the middle of everything, elegantly decorated with lace covering and satin ribbons. Four white carpets extended in a long stream from the gazebo, running through the white benches surrounding concentrically. To the northwest of the gazebo, a great dance platform had been set up, levitating lanterns hanging overhead. And to the far right where Harry knew the gnomes once lived were long elongated tables where Harry knew the buffet would be set up. Every other open space not occupied was decorated with floating ornaments that Fleur chose herself in Paris. The grass had completely disappeared as Mr. Weasley had cast a Non-meltable Snow Charm upon his land. Everything was blanketed in a thin sheet of glimmering snow.
“Wow,” Harry uttered under his breath.
Later, once Ron woke up, the two boys headed downstairs, showered and cleaned up to get ready for the wedding. Mrs. Weasley, feeling a little too pricey, had also hired a hairdresser and makeup applier to get everyone except Fleur (she had her own handmaiden) ready for the wedding. The man named Kraill escorted Harry and Ron away to a small station he set up himself in the living room. And once they were finished, they headed back upstairs to change into their tuxedoes for the wedding would start in about an hour.
Fully changed, they went outside where they were thoroughly surprised.
The gnomes that lived in the backyard had been bewitched. All of them were dressed in small tuxedoes varying in pastel shades. Some carried towels, prepared to jump into any beverage catastrophe, while some practiced holding trays of drinks and hors d’oeuvres. The small female gnomes were dressed in wonderful ballerina dresses, dancing gracefully across the snow.
Harry couldn’t help but grin. He felt that this was going to be an interesting wedding…
***
“May I introduce to all of you, for the first time ever, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Weasley!”
Arthur Weasley’s magically loudened voice left the gazebo in which he stood and carried all across the wintry backyard. Deafening applause coming from every table and corner in the backyard greeted his announcement, and their attention was drawn to a ribbon-draped arch in the center of the dance floor. White smoke encircled the arch, and out stepped the newlyweds in party attire.
Fleur, in a white cocktail dress, stepped out dramatically with her silvery hair flowing behind her. She squealed in glee and ran surprisingly fast to all of her relatives’ tables, showing off her marvelous wedding ring. Harry couldn’t help but notice how Fleur treated herself as queen of the day. But she had every right; it was her wedding day after all.
It seemed as though Bill was thinking across the same lines. He acted as an escort to his wife, following her to every table she went to. The whole time, he grinned sheepishly, the scars from his attack at Hogwarts now just faint scratches on his handsome face.
Finally, after Fleur completed her rounds, Mr. Weasley stepped up to the gazebo once more. He raised his wand to his throat, and announced, “It is time for the newlyweds’ first dance!”
This time, it was Bill’s turn to show off. He swept his bride of her feet and delicately lifted her into the air. Catching her, he fluidly slid her into the center of the dance floor where he took ahold of her waist. Fleur was still breathlessly surprised, yet they moved together, elegantly and smoothly. Every once in a while, he would lift her into the air once again, or he would dip her slowly and pull her back into him.
After minutes of isolated dancing, Mr. Weasley took Mrs. Weasley by the hand and led her to the dance floor. Mr. and Mrs. Delacour soon followed suit, followed by other couples prepared to dance, including Ron and Hermione, who were both blushing.
Harry couldn’t help but look around for Ginny and see who she was going to dance with. He finally saw her sitting close to the gazebo. He sighed thankfully. He took a minute before he gingerly stood up and puffed his chest out. He slowly walked towards her, ideas of how to talk to her rushing through his head. Perhaps it was his heavy thinking that blinded him temporarily. But when he looked at her once more, she was accompanied by one of Fleur’s cousins. He helped her stand up and both of them headed to the dance floor.
Harry was in awe. How could she have found someone so quickly? Most importantly, how could she do this to him? It was simply unfair that she could have fun at this wedding while he couldn’t.
He scanned the empty tables, seeing if there was anybody that he could interest in a dance. His eyes landed upon Mr. and Mrs. Delacour’s table, where he found Fleur’s thirteen-year-old sister, Gabrielle, sitting alone.
Not anymore, Harry thought.
He swiftly came up to her. She looked up at him, surprised, and her eyes wide.
“’Arry? ‘Arry Potter?”
Harry feigned a grin. “Would you care to dance, Gabrielle?”
She jumped up in joy and squealed. She took his hand as she replied breathlessly, “Come on, ‘Arry! Zis is one of my favorite songs!”
The both of them made it onto the dance floor when Harry led her fiercely into the middle where he knew Ginny and her pompous dance partner were. He stationed there, and began to dance with Gabrielle, blinded by excitement to see that Harry was just using her.
Harry finally caught Ginny’s attention, but she just turned away pointedly. Ginny just stared at the both of them in disbelief. When Harry’s eyes finally met Ginny’s, he said coolly, “Fancy seeing you here, Ginny.”
Ginny’s dance partner merely looked then returned to dancing with Ginny, clumsily stepping on her feet while she would squirm with pain.
She mouthed to Harry, “What are you doing?”
Harry just shrugged and took Gabrielle deeper into the sea of dancing people. He found that dancing with her wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be. Or maybe he was just too focused to Ginny to notice.
He was still dancing when he saw Ginny’s red hair out of the corner of his eye. She was marching up to the pair, clearly angry. She was red in the face and she was glowering at Gabrielle, who did not notice her.
“May I cut in?” Ginny asked coldly.
Harry ignored her, but Gabrielle turned to face Ginny.
“Excuse moi? ‘Arry is dancing weeth me, so please step aside.” Gabrielle tossed her hair to the side, blocking Ginny from view.
“Well, I hope you don’t mind if I take him aside for a bit!” Ginny said heatedly, pulling Harry away from Gabrielle by his arm.
Gabrielle was scandalized and shrieked in anger. But Ginny had already taken Harry away before she could do anything about it.
When Ginny and Harry entered the Burrow, she pushed him into the living room and into a seat. She stood cowering above him, her hair frenzied.
“What the hell were you thinking?”
Harry stood up. “I could ask you the same question!”
Ginny stared at him fiercely. “It just so happens that Bleu asked me to dance before you-”
“Bleu? Oh that’s rich! I thought you of all people would be least attracted to French people, what with Fleur and all-”
“It just so happens,” Ginny argued, completely scarlet, “that I get to decide who I can or can’t like! Plus, Bleu is kind, sweet, gentle-”
“But he’s not me!”
Harry’s words echoed through the room and silenced Ginny. She stared intently into Harry’s emerald eyes, now filled with guilt and shame. He turned away from Ginny as his cheeks flushed.
For a moment, there was silence. But then Ginny approached Harry with caution, and gently held his arm. He still wouldn’t look at her.
“H-Harry?” she entreated. “Are you…jealous?”
He couldn’t bring himself to answer her.
“Harry,” she said with more force, “Are you?”
“What if I am?” he whispered.
Ginny wasn’t sure how to take this. Did this mean that he wanted her back, or was this just some boyish phase that would have him ignoring her again once she opened up? She wouldn’t allow her heart to be broken again. She wouldn’t lose Harry again.
He turned to face her. Ginny was surprised to see that this time, he had the blazing look on his face that she would normally have when she looked at him.
“Ginny, I don’t know what to feel,” he confessed. “All I know is that I’m scared.”
Harry sat down as Ginny looked at him.
“Oh, Harry. Of course you are! You would be stupid not to be. But it doesn’t mean that you have to stop loving me.” She inhaled deeply. “And…it doesn’t mean that I have to stop loving you.”
“But he’ll hurt you,” he argued. “If he kills you, I’ll…” He couldn’t continue.
Ginny faintly understood what Harry meant.
“He won’t hurt me, he can’t.”
“Oh yeah?” he questioned her. “How about when his diary started controlling you and nearly killed you?”
“That was different. I didn’t know. I’ve learned,” she pressed.
“That doesn’t matter…”
“Of course it does, Harry! Besides, Ron and Hermione are closer to you more than anything! How come he hasn’t hurt them? How come he hasn’t come after every single person at this wedding?”
That hadn’t occurred to Harry.
“Harry, it isn’t worth making both of us miserable if it isn’t going to help either of us. Look at the clock.”
Harry looked at the clock where all of the Weasleys’ faces were placed. All of their faces were pointed to “mortal peril.”
“What use is it trying to protect me if I’ve got as much a chance of survival as any one else does?”
Harry raised his gaze to meet Ginny’s. “You know, I think you could give Hermione a run for her money. You’re just so smart.”
Ginny giggled. “Does this mean that you’ll reconsider our relationship?”
Harry didn’t think. He just swept in and placed his lips on top of Ginny’s sweet, tender ones. He kissed her lightly yet passionately and made sure that she knew how he felt about her before, how he felt without her, and how he felt about her now.
“I’ve reconsidered,” Harry said as soon as he pulled away.
Ginny slipped her tender hands into Harry’s warm ones. He brought her down with him, and he sat down with her on his lap. And just for this moment, they forgot the wedding, let go of their fears, and did not look to the darkness ahead.
A/N: There it is. Bill and Fleur have finally gotten married, just as the way that JKR intended. But after that, I took control of the wheel and fabricated my own plotline. But of course, you really didn't expect me to just keep Harry and Ginny away for so long, did you? How can Harry fully correct his life without bringing Ginny back in?