Disclaimer: As many stars as I have wished upon, I do not own Harry Potter
Disclaimer: As many stars as I have wished upon, I do not own Harry Potter. Not even that dreamy Draco Malfoy, or Robert Pattison. This story is just something to fill in the bored spots of my life.
A/N: This is the first fanfiction I have written in a long time. I even hated the other one I wrote so much that I deleted it from this site. I've grown up and matured considerably since that epic failure of a story, so I hope that my writing is actually something worth reading now.
Many thanks go to my amazing betas! Teepumpkinqueen for lots of help in grammar, Bee who helped come up with ideas, and MissyQuill who helped with grammar and made the story flow better. Without them, this story wouldn't be what it is now.
Chapter One: On This Reunion Night
Laughter filled the Great Hall of Hogwarts that night, escaping the lips of their creators and bouncing off the stone walls in joyful bounds to run freely and infectiously in the Grounds. It had been ten years since this group of witches and wizards graced the halls of the school they had thought they would never leave. Those seven years at Hogwarts had been unique compared to the other classes of students who roamed the school at one time or another. From the beginning it was different, for when they crossed the lake they brought with them the Boy-Who-Lived. From there, He-Must-Not-Be-Named tried to steal a stone, the chamber of secrets was opened, and a mad killer (wrongly accused, not that they knew it at the time) escaped Azkaban. Then the Triwizard Tournament brought with it the death of a fellow student, Umbridge became a tyrant to the school, the attack that killed their headmaster, and, of course, the Final Battle. Now if anyone else says they've experienced a more eventful seven years, then be my guest to try and top that.
Everyone was there tonight and glad to be in each other's company once again. Harry Potter returned to the group at table seven with a glass of wine for him and his stunning, red-headed wife.
The table roared with laughter at a joke Ron Weasley told, but Harry missed out on what it was. Although, judging by Hermione Weasley's rolling eyes and slight smile, it was one Ron told often enough for Harry to repeat in his sleep.
Ginny let out an annoyed breath that certainly didn't go unnoticed by Seamus, "Oh come on Ginny, you're acting like good ol' Harry here didn't just make you scream his name over and over again right before you both got here."
The red head shot him a glare worthy of an angry panther as the table doubled up with laughter once again, "Sorry, you're sadly mistaken." It's been three years, Ginny's bitter thoughts surfacing.
Harry looked at his empty glass, which was now refilling itself, while the rest of the table looked at each other with nervous laughter. Hermione gave the two a knowing look.
"Oh come off it," said an already drunk Ron, "you two are madly in love with each other and couldn't wait to kick me out of your flat the other night. But now, if you don't mind, I'd rather not hear the sexual explorations of my best mate and little sister."
Ginny would have certainly retorted had she, at that very moment, not been dragged off to the boy's empty loo by Harry. As they walked off, Dean was heard saying rather loudly, "Guess Harry is going to go shut her up now!" Laughter followed.
"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" Harry hissed as soon as they were behind the closed door.
Ginny rolled her eyes and yanked her arm from the git in front of her, "Harry, they're all going to find out sooner or later."
"Well I'd rather it be later, and not tonight of all nights," he said his voice raising an octave.
"I'm sick of this act that we have been putting up with for the past three years!"
"Can't you just put up with it for one more night?" Harry said pleadingly.
"What difference does it make if they find out now?"
"Because right now I'd like to have a good time, something that has been rather difficult to do with you around all the time."
"Why don't I go on home then and you stay here and have fun? I know I will be as soon as I get away from you."
"I rather thought for once you might be a tad bit civil, but no, you're about to cause a scene out there worthy of Grawp."
"Oh, we can't possibly have that for the all too great Harry Fucking Potter," Ginny spat.
Harry had a whole stream of nasty things to say in response to her cutting words, but the hurt behind Ginny's brown eyes made him soften. "You know it's not like that."
Ginny sighed, "I know. But, even if my brother is too dense to figure it out, I think Hermione started to piece it together when she pointed out the guest bedroom looked slept in."
Harry stared at her for a few brief moments as awkward silence filled the space around them. All the marriage counseling the two of them sat through had been a waste of time. After a year of fighting the loss of interest in each other, they gave up and started on what was probably the longest pretense they had ever kept up in their lives.
"I can't deal with this. I just need some peace," and Harry walked out.
Dawned in a ravishing white dress that had taken months to prepare, Ginny Weasley was about to give up the name she had been born with eighteen years ago. Her maid of honor was pacing about, overanalyzing everything to perfection, with nerves of what was about to transpire. Ginny just stared at her image in the mirror, to afraid to open her mouth. Surely the butterflies, or canaries judging by the intensity in her stomach, would fly from her painted red lips when parted. Everything was going so fast, and seemed to be going her way a little too much.
Right after Harry romantically proposed to her, the red-head was soon signing a contract to play with the Holyhead Harpies. The team captain had been observing her skills quietly in the audience since she started to play for Gryffindor. When was she going to wake up? Surely this couldn't be true. This is what she dreamed about since she was ten years old.
The knocking that interrupted her thoughts made her jump and gasp slightly. At least nothing, but a noise of surprise, came out of her mouth. Hermione sprinted lightening fast to open the door.
"It's time, pumpkin." There her father stood, with her mother bustling past him to give her a final look over. The tears of joy that sprang to her mother's eyes were unforgettable. Not only was her darling, only daughter getting happily married, she was making her vows of love to Harry Potter. This would make the man she considered to be her son already, an official part of the family.
Her mother lurched forward, giving Ginny a backbreaking hug. Ginny was only too reluctant to let go when her father pulled them apart to link his arm through hers. Hermione gathered the train of her dress to get her out the door then rushed forward to the path to march ahead of the bride.
When the traditional wedding march started, Ginny forgot how walking worked. She was horrified at her unmoving legs, but her father pulled them forward. Ginny willed one foot in front of the other, and when they reached the bend a whole flood of people stood watching her.
It seemed the whole wizarding world was happy about their love, even Harry die-hard love fans that used to send her threatening Howlers in her seventh year of Hogwarts. There were also a few muggles in attendance including, the most shocking of all, Harry's Cousin Dudley. When he sent in his acceptance to the wedding invitation, the two shocked lovers thought he still wouldn't attend.
With as many people packed into the Weasley's yard, it was very hard to distinguish who was who. Her wandering eyes couldn't help but notice the sleek blonde hair of Malfoy and his girlfriend. Then she spotted her old Professor Flitwick standing on his seat. There was Dennis Creevy, taking pictures in honor of his brother. Professor McGonagall beamed. Hannah Abbott clung to Neville's arm, surely dreaming of the day she was sure to walk the aisle for him. Luna stood with her boyfriend Rolf, and looked to be examining Ginny to make sure no foolish creature would make her trip. The whispers of "so beautiful" became overwhelming and she could feel her cheeks boil.
Then nothing else mattered. She spotted him. The love of her life.
Ginny's step was a little more confident as bright brown connected with emerald green. She thought herself capable of melting if she wasn't so determined to marry the man that awaited her at the altar.
She knew then that they would be together forever. They would be on top of the world in each other's arms 'til death do they part. Nothing could break this unbelievable love inside her. Not even a pack of angry centaurs.
What happened to that time? Those promises they made to each other? There wasn't even one centaur in sight since she left Hogwarts. She willed herself to feel some kind of spark, a tiny speck of one, to the man she was married too.
Nothing. Emptiness. Alone.
Ginny walked over to the mirror and watched the tears that she had been holding back for far too long spill over.
It was at this time that a certain Draco Malfoy saw fit to step out from behind the stall from which he had been listening.
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