“Wake up, boys!” Hermione’s voice shrilled, unwelcomed by Harry’s sleepy head.
“Go away, Hermione,” grumbled Ron from the bed next to Harry’s.
“You’ve got to get up! There’s shopping to do!”
Harry rubbed his eyes, found his glasses and blinked at the bright sunlight as Hermione wrenched back the curtains.
“Come on, Ron,” she said, shaking him vigorously.
“Why are you so awake?” croaked Ron.
“Who knows,” said a tossled-haired Ginny, appearing in the doorway. “I hardly slept a wink last night.”
She caught Harry’s eye, held it for a moment, then shuffled out of the room.
“See you downstairs!” said Hermione brightly, following Ginny out.
Ron sat up and stretched widely. “One day,” he said, “I will wait till she’s fast asleep, then I’ll jump on her… several times…”
At breakfast, they found out that today they would all be measured for new dress robes. Ron protested horribly, but Harry knew that “ when it came down to it “ Ron would much rather endure a morning being fitted for new ones than have to wear the frayed, lace-affair that he did for the Yule Ball.
They wandered down the hill to the town with Mrs Weasley, Giselle and Gabrielle leading the way; Giselle seemed to be having a one-sided conversation in French with Mrs Weasley, who was studiously ignoring her.
The town at the bottom of the hill was riddled with narrow, cobbled streets, with a bustling market stretching right through the centre. Stalls were piled high with aubergines, red peppers, garlic and onions and some of the biggest nectarines Harry had ever seen. Coming out on the other side of the market, they turned right into a shady alleyway and found themselves outside an expensive dress shop.
“Oh, Ron!” said Ginny, pointing at a manikin in the window which wore a frilly, yellow gown. “That’s almost as good as your last set!”
Harry smirked and followed her inside.
“Ah! Madame Delacour!” exclaimed the woman behind the counter when they entered.
Mrs Weasley turned over a price tag and gulped.
“You will find only ze finest silks in my shop, Madame,” the woman told her. “Madame Delacour wants nussing but ze very best for ‘er daughter.”
“Well if she’s paying, I don’t mind,” muttered Mrs Weasley.
They were all measured down to the last millimetre, then the woman disappeared into a backroom and appeared a moment later laden with five sets of dress robes. Giselle settled the bill and they left the shop, making their way back to the house as they munched on succulent nectarines from the market.
Dinner times were a confused affair at Lou Bosco; while the Weasleys went for large portions, comfort food and “ since they had arrived that afternoon “ undoubtedly some of Fred and George’s practical jokes, the Delacours preferred acquired tastes, delicacies and making sure the dessert cutlery was the correct way round. This therefore resulted in a table half-laden with big dishes of Mrs Weasley’s fantastic meals and half with ‘petites tartes flambées’ or ‘foie-gras’. Either way, however, the food was spectacular and by the end of this particular evening they were all comfortably full.
“It’s the perfect night for stargazing,” said Hermione, as they sat on the terrace at the back of the house.
“Come on, then,” said Ginny, jumping up.
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny excused themselves from the table and wandered down the garden to the grass beyond the olive grove. Harry lay down on his back and tried not to react when Ginny lay next to him.
“Now, you see those three, bright stairs there?” said Hermione, from Harry’s other side. “That’s the Summer Triangle.”
“Thrilling,” mumbled Ron.
“it is if you can appreciate it, Ron,” said Hermione. “Can you make out the Swan? Just there…” She traced the constellation with her finger.
“Hey, Harry,” whispered Ginny. “You see those three stars there? That’s Smallus Triangulus.”
Harry snorted and Ginny giggled.
“What are you two finding so funny?” asked Ron.
“Oh, you couldn’t possibly appreciate it, Ronald,” said Ginny, leaning up on her elbow to look at her brother; Harry noticed her flowery scent waft over him and tried not to find it quite as relaxing as his body was telling him it was.
“Shooting star!” gasped Hermione, pointing up at the sky above her.
“I missed it!” moaned Ron.
“Oh, so you do want to see them, then?” asked Hermione.
Harry grinned; this was more like what he had imagined.
It was late when they finally got up to go to bed and Harry didn’t want the evening to end. He had spent most of it making up new constellations with Ginny and had laughed so much that it had been just like when they were together. Harry shook his head and reminded himself that it was for her own safety that they had broken up. You’re doing the right thing, he told himself.
He and Ron said ‘goodnight’ to the girls and climbed into their pyjamas.
“Harry?” muttered Ron, once they were in bed.
“Yeah?”
“You keep sighing,” said Ron.
“Oh,” said Harry, “sorry.”
More relatives from both families arrived during the next few days and, very soon, the day of the wedding was finally there. Harry and Ron “ along with Fred, George, Charlie and Mr Weasley “ were ushered off to the hotel where Bill was staying to get ready; apparently Giselle had taken the groom not seeing the bride on the morning of the wedding a bit far and hadn’t let Bill see Fleur for a whole week.
There were a few hours of waiting around once they were dressed, then:
“It’s here!” called Bill.
“What’s here?” asked Fred.
“The limo!” replied Bill, his scarred face smiling widely.
The Delacours had gone all out for this wedding “ Harry had expected that they would be travelling in one of the normal wizarding ways, but the limo was almost exactly like a Muggle one, apart from the levitating champagne bottle that filled their glasses up without them even lifting a finger. The church that it took them to was a highly decorated wonder to Harry’s eyes, which immediately compared the high ceiling inside to Hogwarts’ Great Hall.
It filled with guests “ including some members of the Order and other friends of Bill’s who Harry didn’t know “ over the next half an hour. Bill looked as handsome as his mangled face allowed, although Harry noticed that he had left in his fang earring and that his hair was catching up with the length of Ginny’s.
Finally, when everyone had been seated for at least ten minutes, a string quartet at the back of the church began to play. The doors opened and sunlight streamed in, making silhouettes of the four people who entered. As the bridal procession walked slowly up the aisle and closer to Harry, he saw Fleur, looking angelic in a pure white dress, a semi-see-through veil over her silvery hair and beautiful face. But when her and her father passed Harry, his attention turned completely to the girl behind her.
Ginny “ her long, red hair softly curled and half of it drawn back with a flower “ wore silk of shimmering gold and walked hand-in-hand with Gabrielle, who was dressed similarly. She caught Harry’s eye as she passed him and smiled “ Harry did his best to smile back, but was afraid that all he did was continue to gape.
The service washed over Harry in a kind of daze “ it being in French and all, but also because he had other things now constantly on his mind. He was still deep in thought as he swallowed the last mouthful of his dinner back at Lou Bosco. He dreamily took a sugared almond from the bowl in the middle of the table and crunched on it “ he didn’t really like them all that much, but he also didn’t want to free his mouth to talk to anyone right now.
He glanced up at the long table, at the centre of which sat Bill and Fleur and at the end of which sat Ginny, her face lit up with laughter. Harry got up and wandered out of the marquee where the tables had been set up in the garden. He walked away from the light of the garden candles and sat down at the foot of a tree, sighing deeply.
“Harry?” A shadow emerged in the dusky light. “Is that you?”
Hermione’s form came into better view as she moved closer. She looked rather pretty “ her hair was down but unusually straight and tame, leading Harry to suspect that copious amounts of that hair potion had been used again.
“Yeah, it’s me,” replied Harry.
Hermione sat down beside him and put a hand on his knee. They sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to the gentle jazz music playing inside the marquee.
“Harry, are you… are you sure you’ve made the right decision?” asked Hermione quietly.
“If you mean about me leaving Hogwarts, then “ “
“No, not that,” said Hermione quickly. “I mean… about Ginny…” Harry inhaled deeply. “It’s just… you were so much happier before you split up. Why let what you had go to waste?”
“It’s for the best,” said Harry, speaking aloud what he had been telling himself for weeks.
“Not necessarily,” whispered Hermione. “I can tell you still think about her.”
“No, I “ “ Harry was about to deny her claim, but stopped himself; it wasn’t going to make him feel better when he knew that it would be a lie and so would she.
“Come on, Harry,” said Hermione gently. “You’ve got enough to be worrying about without torturing yourself over this, as well.”
“Hermione, you’re the closest thing I have to a sister,” said Harry, “and I appreciate you trying to make this right, I really do, but… we’ll be better off if Ginny and I just stay friends, okay?”
Hermione looked at him closely for a moment, then nodded.
“Okay,” she said, “but, just so you know, I think you’re making a big mistake.”
Harry’s mind was telling him to be bitter about this “ to yell at Hermione that he knew what he was doing and that she should leave him alone “ but what he had said about appreciating her help was true and, not so deep down, he, too, felt that he was making a big mistake.
Hermione stood up. “Are you coming back to the party with me?” she said, offering him her hand.
Harry took it. “Thanks, Hermione.”
Coming up: Harry and Ginny were now the only people still sitting and “ though it pained him deeply “ Harry knew what he was obliged to do ...
A/N: This one is dedicated to Livs (There you are Peter), my greatest friend, with whom I have spent many a French holiday and who was with me at Lou Bosco when Smallus Triangulus was first invented. LOTS of fluffiness etc. coming up in Chapter 3. Please review with any comments! xxx