Amid the racing children and know-it-all Weasley siblings, Melody and Hermione managed to prepare the garden for a wedding over the course of a day.
Just as night was falling, Ginny joined them in admiring their work.
“It looks great, girls. Why don’t we go out and celebrate?”
Melody was immediately on board.
“It’ll be your last chance, Mione,” she encouraged.
The apprehension on Hermione’s face answered for her, but Ginny looped with one arm, cueing Melody to grab the other.
“You won’t regret it,” they said together.
After another short session of prodding, Hermione gave in. She and Ginny disappeared into the house to grab purses while Melody perfected the runner she customized for Ron and Hermione.
She was stepping back to admire her work when a familiar chill consumed her spine. There was no need to turn around when she was well aware that Harry was behind her. She took a deep breath and tried to pretend she was unaware.
“Melody,” she heard his voice pull out, “We both know that’s not working. Ignorance only goes so far.”
Melody offered no response. She simply brushed past him and closed the kitchen door behind her. Falling against the oak, she tried to calm the pounding in her chest. The world was suddenly suffocating as she covered her eyes with her tingling hands.
To her horror, when she removed them, the entire Weasley clan was staring at her including Hermione who was right in front of her.
“I see you noticed that Harry’s arrived.”
In the hustle of a popular pub in London, Hermione, Ginny and Melody sat surrounded by various bottles. Hermione in the center had long lost count of her intake. She was telling just about everyone how much she loved them when Melody caught sight of a face she really hadn’t wanted to see that night.
Olton was casually weaving though the crowd with one of his grotesque buddies. Melody thought she was fortunate enough that he hadn’t seen her, but she thought too soon.
“Mel!” he called over the crowd.
Not prepared for an explanation, Melody abandoned Hermione and Ginny to intercept the inevitable self-introduction Olton was probably planning.
“I’m surprised you saw me among all these people,” Melody laughed, secretly wishing he hadn’t.
“I have a knack for finding the most gorgeous girl in the room,” he smiled, leaning down for a kiss.
Melody stopped him with her hand to his lips.
“No, my friends are watching.”
Looking over her shoulder, Olton recognized Hermione and Ginny from the various pictures in Melody’s suite.
“Just Hemione. She must already know about me,” he said as he closed in once again.
“Not exactly,” Melody replied blocking another kiss.
“What? You talk about her all the time and for the last year, I never came up?”
“It never seemed necessary. I thought we agreed this wasn’t going to get serious,” Melody said, staring deeply into his eyes.
“I suppose you’re right,” he replied swiftly, “But its time I at least introduced myself, seeing as I’ll be at her wedding.”
He ignored Melody’s final objections and slipped past her toward the table of spectators.
“Hello, I’m Olton Chevelle, Melody’s boyfriend,” he beamed to the girls.
Their response was less than warm as Ginny’s face went completely rigid and Hermione’s jaw dumbly dropped. As Melody approached the table, she tried to remedy the situation.
“Olton teaches at the school “ potions.”
Ginny, being far more competent that Hermione, carried out the rest of the necessary motions before Olton was lost to the crowd.
Hermione allowed only a second to pass before exploding.
“Boyfriend, Mel?! How did that slip your mind ALL day?”
“Its nothing serious,” Melody said over her emptied glass.
“He’s the guest you are bringing tomorrow?”
Melody nodded. While silent, the other girls managed to make their concerns known by the expressions on their faces. What Melody expected to be anger from not being informed of him actually turned out to be worry. Ginny and Hermione looked at one another quickly before each finishing off their full drinks.
“Ginny,” Hermione began, completely inebriated, “you’re brother is the best friend I’ve ever had. No matter how many times I yelled at him, he never gave up on me. That’s why I love him. That’s why I’m marrying him.”
“We know,” Ginny responded to the speech for the third time.
Melody couldn’t help but laugh when Hermione started the same speech again only to be cut off by Ginny yelling for three waters.
After the waiter had left, Melody and Ginny were surprised how Hermione started her next Ron speech.
“We won’t always be so in love,” she slurred, “I mean, as much as we love each other now, the fire will go out. Ron isn’t the romantic type, so there can’t be too much to look forward to.”
“What are you talking about?” Melody comforted, “You and Ron are perfect for each other. You are best friends. What are you comparing that to?”
“You and Harry,” she replied simply.
The words were like fog around them. Completely gone, Hermione couldn’t recognize their severity.
“Ron and I will never be as passionate about each other as you and Harry are.”
Melody considered refuting the drunken bride, but instead rose from her seat and placed two Galleons on the table.
“Good night girls,” she snapped.
She didn’t go straight to the Burrow for a couple reasons. One being that she refused to see Harry after that comment and two being that she needed come time alone to clear her mind. This need brought her to a small cliff only a short walk from the Burrow.
The summer after graduation, Melody had almost lived here with Hermione talking about life and the coming years. It was the only place where she felt completely detached from the world closing in around her.
As much as she hated what Hermione said, what she hated more was how right she was. Part of the reason Melody had been running from relationships since Harry was the fact that she was certain she would never find anything close to it. She had always been scared, overwhelmed. Harry had brought something so full and passionate to her table that she didn’t even understand how to deal with it.
Harry was her weakness, but no matter how right they were for one another, Melody wasn’t going to let herself get hurt. Harry would always love Harry more than anything else, and Melody knew she couldn’t live as second best.
A light wind dancing on her arms reassured her that she just had to make it to the following night when she would return to Hogwarts. She only had to survive twenty four hours with Harry without giving into her temptation and she could be free of him again.
She was about to Disapparate straight to her bed at the Burrow when that old chill struck her again.
“How did you find me?” she asked sharply over her shoulder.
“Ginny,” Harry replied taking a step forward.
Melody turned to stop his advancement, but was, for a moment, distracted by Harry’s attractive features. Auror training had been good for him. The roundness in his arms begged Melody to jump into them and even in the darkness, his green eyes drilled into Melody’s heart. His black mop was still a mess, but it was a comfortable mess that Melody suddenly missed a great deal.
As much as she wanted to give up right there, Melody forced herself to turn and leave.