Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to except for copies of the books and movies and merchandise and, well just not the actual writing or the characters.
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Closer and Closer
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"All right everyone! Settle down! She's about to step out!" Mrs. Weasley ran around frantically, trying to get everyone ready for the big moment. Today was a big day for the Weasley family. After all, the only daughter in generations was about to get married. "No no no, Aunt Muriel, you're supposed to be sitting one row back!"
"What do you mean? I'm family, aren't I? Alright, alright, I'll get up." Grumbling Aunt Muriel stood up and moved to her correct spot.
"And has anyone seen Harry? The wedding's about to start, and he's nowhere to be seen! I could have sworn that he was out here just a minute ago"
"Here Mrs. Weasley, sorry I just popped into the loo for a second there," Harry appeared by the altar, as handsome as ever, in a crisp new set of smart dress robes.
"How many times have I told you to call me Mum Harry? You're already practically family anyways," Mrs. Weasley smiled, and watched as Harry walked up to her.
"Sorry, Mum," The smallest of smiles found its way onto his face, and he stooped down to give Mrs. Weasley a hug.
"Hey Hermione," he whispered, going over to her and giving her a squeeze.
"You'll be alright Harry, it'll be over in just a few hours." Hermione whispered back, "Remember, if you love her-"
"I know, I know, but... I have to go to my spot, you'll be alright here?" Harry glanced back at the altar, and Hermione patted his back knowingly.
"We'll be fine, you go on Harry."
As Harry walked up to his spot, the sweet music of the bridal march started to fill the Burrow's backyard, and most everyone settled down in their own seats as the big moment arrived. Everyone but Harry. He closed his eyes, going through all his memories with her one last time.
One of his first memories of her. After a summer of being barred in his own room, Harry had been so relieved when Ron had come with the twins to rescue him. While eating breakfast, Harry had glanced up and seen her. Of course at that age there had been nothing too special, but nevertheless the red headed girl had intrigued him.
At the end of that year when Harry had seen her crumpled on the floor of the chamber, he had immediately wanted to run over and make sure she was all right. Who in the world could have even thought of hurting her, a sweet little girl? Though Tom Riddle had proved to be quite a challenge, Harry had managed to defeat him. Even as he himself lay dying on the floor, he prayed that help would come quickly enough to at least save her. Fawkes had healed Harry not too long after that, and he had run over to her body, color already slowly returning, and hugged her tight whispering over and over, "It will be alright, it will be alright..."
One of the next significant memories of her was right before the first task of the Triwizard Tournament, just a minute or two before in fact. Hermione had already left a few minutes before, promising to look for Ron, and to cheer for Harry. As he stared at the floor, stomach churning, he heard a small nervous cough behind him.
"Harry?" The voice was timid, and belonged to none other than,
"Ginny? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in the stands?"
"I uh, just wanted to wish you luck," she whispered, and before Harry had had time to react, she had run out of the tent and toward the Quidditch field teeming with people.
"That was strange..." Harry murmured, but just a second later, Krum and Decor came over with Ludo Bagman, and he pushed the encounter out of his mind, concentrating on the task before him.
Just one year later, Umbridge had come in and forbidden Harry from playing Quidditch for the foreseeable future, but Ginny had pulled through for him, and for everyone winning the Quidditch Cup for Gryffindor. The party was already in full swing, a mere half-hour after the end of the match. It seemed that Fred and George had already snuck down into the kitchens to get some food, and mixed in a bit of their own products in with the regular candy, as seen by the people randomly growing feathers, or bursting into harmless flames. Walking toward the middle of the common room, toward Ginny, Harry could feel his heart hammering in his chest, though he didn't know why.
"Ahem. Ginny?"
She broke away from her conversation with another fourth year girl and gave him a cheeky smile.
"Harry! What did you think of my playing?"
"It was brilliant Ginny, it really was." And she had been amazing, she really had. Again she gave him that smile, the smile that seemed to warm his entire body, even on the coldest of days, in the coldest of places. He didn't know what made him do it but before he knew it he was kissing her, and it was so much better then he could have ever imagined. In the background Harry could hear the faint wolf whistles, claps, and a squeaking noise, presumably from Ron, but he didn't care. He was finally kissing her. At first a bit cautious, Ginny had stepped a bit closer to him, and he had moved one hand to grab her hair, the other at her waist. Coming up for air, the two shared a shy smile, and Harry put his arms around her, wrapping her in a hug, breathing in the scent of her.
Only the year after that, the world had turned upside down. The day of Dumbledore's funeral, a day Harry had been dreading for weeks. In a few weeks time he would be traveling all over the country probably, tracking down the remaining horcruxes, whatever they were. He didn't know how he was going to tell Ron and Hermione what he had to do, but he would have to tell them today. But he couldn't tell her. He really couldn't. That would just put her in even more danger then she already was. And there she was right now, walking toward him. Her eyes were a bit red around the edges, meaning she had probably shed a few tears already, but at the moment they weren't too laden with sadness.
"Harry... How are you feeling?" So sincere, and so naive. She had no idea what would be happening in just a few weeks.
"Fine," he replied, there was no use in worrying her here and now.
"No you're not," She said immediately. Chuckling softly she stepped closer toward Harry, locking eyes with him. "I can see it you know. On your face, when you think no one is watching. The way you look around at everyone in the room as if they've already died, and you're the reason for their death. But it's not; you know that, I know you do. I've said this before Harry, and I know you've refused countless times before, but are you sure you don't want to talk about any-"
She stopped talking, startled, as Harry leaned forward and pressed a light kiss on her lips, just enough to stop her from talking. He knew she meant well, but he wasn't ready to stat talking, and Harry knew for a fact that the things he had experienced this past year was only the beginning of the hardships he would have to face before defeating Voldemort. Now though, he just wanted to enjoy one moment with her, just one moment.
The three of them had decided just a few days before. They would be leaving for the hunt the day after Bill and Fleur's wedding. Though Harry had initially wanted to leave earlier then that, Ron and Hermione had talked him into waiting, and convinced him that Mrs. Weasley and Fleur's wrath was not something he wanted to be facing on top of the whole Voldemort situation. Today was not the day of the wedding however, today was the morning of Harry's seventeenth birthday. The morning had gone relatively well, and Molly and Arthur had even given him a watch, an old wizarding tradition. He and Ron had just started heading upstairs, when they were interrupted by Ginny.
"Harry, will you come in here a minute?"
Feeling nervous, Harry followed Ginny into her room. He'd never been in there before. It was small, but bright.
"Nice view," he said feebly, pointing toward the window.
She ignored this. He could not blame her.
"I couldn't think what to get you," she started.
"You didn't have to get me anything."
She disregarded this too.
"I didn't know what would be useful. Nothing too big, because you wouldn't be able to take it with you."
He chanced a glance at her. She was not tearful; that was one of the many wonderful things about Ginny, she was rarely weepy.
"So then I thought, I'd like you to have something to remember me by, you know, if you meet some vela when you're off doing whatever you're doing."
"I think dating opportunities are going to be pretty thin on the ground to be honest."
"That's the silver lining I've been looking for," she whispered, and then she was kissing him like she had never kissed him before, and Harry was kissing her back, and it was a blissful oblivion, better then firewhiskey; she was the only real thing in the world, Ginny, the feel of her, one hand at her back and one in her long, sweet smelling hair-
The door banged open behind them and they jumped apart, the moment ending.
A few minutes later found Harry outside on the freshly mown lawn with Ron.
"You go snogging her now and she's just going to get her hoped up again-"
"She's not an idiot, she knows it can't happen, she's not expecting us to – to end up married, or –"
As he said it, a vivid picture formed in Harry's mind of Ginny in a white dress, marrying a tall, faceless, and unpleasant stranger.
With a snap Harry opened his eyes, staring at the back door of the Burrow, where Ginny had just emerged. She was a vision. Her strapless white wedding gown hugged her slim body, and her hair had been done up in an elegant updo, something Harry couldn't quite name. She took one timid step forward, taking in everyone around her, and as she looked towards the altar, she seemed to find some new confidence, as she took several more steps toward her goal, closer and closer to Harry.
She was only a few feet away from him now, and he could see every freckle spattered across her cheeks, her dimples as she smiled, and the crinkle in the corner of her eyes that told him just how happy she really was.
Closer and closer still she came, until she was led then a foot away. She paused for a split second, for such an insignificant amount of time that even Harry wondered whether she had paused at all, and offered Harry a secret little smile, one that Harry had to return, no matter how he felt at that moment.
Then, as she came into arms reach, she walked past Harry, on toward the man waiting at the altar, and out of Harry reach forever.
A/N: First off I'd like to say I got part of the last memory from The Deathly Hallows pgs. 115-117, although I tweaked it a bit. I wanted to make it sound like a happy ending was going to happen, but of course it didn't. How did I do? Anyway, Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates that, and Happy Holidays if you don't. I hope you enjoyed, though judging from my sugar induced brain, things may sound a bit wonky. Thank you for reading, and leave a review?
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