Disclaimer – Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, the woman who gave me my childhood.
Silver Haired Veela
The Burrow did not look the same.
Ginny Weasley, for the first time in her life, was appalled at the sight of her home. The Burrow looked different from it what it usually was. The Burrow was clean. The usually left cauldrons, wellington boots were absent. Instead, two new Flutterby Bushes were placed, standing proudly in polished pots. The chickens, who were Ginny's favourites, had been shut away. The yard had been swept and the garden was neatly pruned.
Honestly, if these people put more emphasis on the war outside the numerous shields that had been placed upon Ginny's birthplace... it was just a bloody wedding! Get it over with! Ginny wanted to scream these thoughts out loud, but screaming was her mother's certified right. Ginny didn't want to make Mum's mood worse...
Ginny glanced at her mother, who was ferreting about, blabbering nonsense to no one in particular. Her eyes travelled to Bill and Fleur, both of whom looking besotted with each other, although Fleur was glancing for any signs of Ginny's father, who was to bring the Delacours. Next to Bill and Fleur, stood Hermione, Ron and Harry, each looking quite resentful as Ginny felt.
Ginny could feel herself blush when she saw Harry. He had tried to flatten his hair, but no luck. He looked so handsome without even trying so – oh, how Ginny missed those unforgettable moments that she shared with him! She remembered how he listened to her mimicking Romilda Vane. She remembered those long hours walking and talking non-stop. Those memories came afresh in her mind as they always did whenever she saw Harry.
Presently, Harry's green eyes looked at her and Ginny turned away, her hair hitting her face. She couldn't bear to fight the desire to hug him right in front of everyone – especially Mum and Ron. Nor did she have the strength to hear the echo of those words that Harry used when he broke up with her.
Suddenly, an unusually high-pitched laugh made Ginny wrench away from her trail of thoughts. She blinked and rotated her neck to see her father coming at the front gate with three people. Dad came inside, carrying an unusually large amount of baggage along with him. He was leading a beautiful woman – even more attractive than Fleur – who was wearing stunning leaf-green robes.
"Maman!" Fleur exclaimed, rushing forward to embrace Madame Delacour. Behind the tall, attractive Madame Delacour was her husband – who looked anything but attractive. He was a head shorter and had a black beard. He too, came forward, kissing Mum on each cheek.
"You 'ave been to much trouble." Monsieur Delacour said deeply. "Fleur tells us you 'ave been working very 'ard."
Then came the usual amount of pleasantries exchanged between the host and the guest. Ginny didn't pay much attention to it and looked at the sky, imagining how the numerous shields would be like. Would they be like an invisible blanket? These musings too had a stop when Monsieur Delacour said, "And of course, you 'ave met my leetle daughter, Gabrielle!"
Ginny's eyes widened. Fleur's sister, Gabrielle wasn't someone who Ginny thought to be an innocent eleven-year-old. She hated to admit it, but she was jealous of Gabrielle. Gabrielle was a mini version of Fleur and she had been saved by Harry along with Ron back in the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament.
Gabrielle now looked...breathtakingly striking. She had the same silvery blonde hair that her elder sister had. She had the same Fleur-like features and seemed to be glowing. She smiled dazzlingly at Mum and hugged her. Then, she gave Harry a glowing look, batting her stupid Veela eyelashes as she did so.
Involuntarily, Ginny cleared her throat. Gabrielle instantly stopped giving Harry her come-hither look and Mum said happily, "Well, come in, do!"
She ushered the Delacours to the Burrow, followed by Bill, Ron, Hermione and Harry. Ginny glanced at Gabrielle's slender figure and guessed that it was high time to give Harry the best present he would receive in his life. She'd better start her planning now.
31st July 1997
Ginny stood in her room, breathing nervously as she implemented her plan.
Harry was in the same room and for the first time in many days, the two of them were alone together. Ginny took a deep breath, looking at Harry's face, she said, "Happy Seventeenth,"
"Yeah... thanks,"
She started looking at him steadily. Harry didn't look at her, instead his eyes wavered to the window. Finally, he said in a feeble tone, "Nice view,"
Ginny ignored this and said, "I couldn't think of what to get you."
"You didn't have to give me anything," Harry said shortly.
"I didn't know what could be useful. Nothing too big, because you wouldn't be able to take it with you," Ginny said, stepping closer to him. Everything was going as she had planned.
"So then I thought, I'd like you to have something to remember me by, you know, if you meet some Veela when you're off doing whatever you're doing."
"I think dating oppurtunities are going to be pretty thin on the ground, to be honest." Harry said. Ginny smiled as relief spread inside her. There wouldn't be much use to give the gift, however, she had to give him something, didn't she? Something so that he could still remember her...
"That's the silver lining I've been looking for," Ginny whispered. And then she –
Well, you do know the end, don't you?
Another story finished! Reviews are much appreciated!
