The Dance

It was beautiful, absolutely and utterly beautiful. Harry's eyes wandered around the room, taking in the beauty of the venue, the lights glittering around the room as the sun had set hours ago. Next to him Ginny was sipping on a glass of wine, their friends and family were scattered around the room. His eyes landed on Arthur dancing with his oldest grand-child at the back of the room. Close to them Charlie was entertaining young Teddy Lupin, probably with some slightly exaggerated dragon stories that Harry would hear for the next weeks. Harry smiled, and his gaze drifted to the couples on the dance floor. They had opened the dance floor earlier and he had danced with Ginny a few more times, but it was no secret that his dance skills had not improved much from the days of the Yule Ball. He watched Bill and Fleur, who were easily the most graceful couple on the dancefloor. Nearby Ron and Hermione were dancing in close embrace.

"They've danced like that all night," Ginny commented clearly having followed his musings, "you'd think their honey moon phase would have ended by now."

"If you want to dance?", he offered immediately but she shook her head.

She was right though, his best friends were as much in love as they had been during their wedding day six months ago. Ron and Hermione, who had had the wedding that they were also meant to have had. A big summer wedding in the grounds of the Burrow, that had been the wish and insistent suggestion of his mother-on-law. Today however, Harry knew it had been right to stand firm in their denial of that wish. He and Ginny had wanted a wedding that was special to them, not one that would remind them of that terrible night so many years ago. And so, after a lot of discussions, some heated words, and a lot of second-hand negotiating between him and Arthur, they had planned a winter wedding that was, as far as he was concerned, nothing but perfect. They had had the ceremony at the small church in Godrick's Hollow so close to his parent's grave that his heart had ached when he entered the church. Yet, he had also felt them close, silent witnesses from his side of the family. After the ceremony, they had portkeyed the guests to a remote cottage in the Scottish Highlands. They had picked Scotland for their shared love for its raw nature, their Hogwarts memories, and of course that holidays they had taken two years ago where Harry had proposed to her. That there would be fresh snow they had hoped, that the cottage with its low-hanging beams but large modern windows exposing the snow-capped mountains and frozen lake from nearly every angle would be their wedding venue was beyond their imagination. It looked even more stunning today after Hermione, Fleur and Luna had joined forces and decorated it with fairy lights, pine and Christmas roses.

"May I steal the bride?"

Harry's musings were abruptly interrupted, and he looked in front of him to see Neville standing at their table with a smile and a hand extended to Ginny.

"I'd be honoured to have a dance with my first ever dancing partner," Ginny replied and grasped his hand getting to her feet.

"Have fun," Harry nodded, "I'd say don't step on her feet but I'm sure she's in safer hands there with you rather than me."

He watched as they walked on the dancefloor and started waltzing with the start of the next tune. Ginny had chosen to wear her red hair partially braided, but most of it flowed freely as she twirled around the dance floor. Molly had tried to convince her to wear one of these complicated updoes, potentially with a traditional veil or a tiara. Harry could imagine neither if he was honest, but he had wisely stayed out of that particular discussion. He was pleased with the open hair though, he liked it like this, free and wild. It reminded him of chases around the quidditch pitch, of nights spent together with everything but sleeping.

He studied her as the dancing slowed down with the music. Her dress hugged her figure, but the skirt flowed nicely with every step. The dress had been another compromise, one that Ginny had made willingly. She knew how much her mother had longed for a daughter, for someone to pass the female heritage on to, and so it was no surprise that Molly had offered her own wedding dress to Ginny. It was also little wonder that the professional Quidditch player and only girl among six brothers had little interest in wearing a frilly dress that was decades old. Instead she was wearing a a simple, long skirt that had been died in a greyish pale blue and a high-necked white top that left her freckled arms exposed through the fine lace that had been taken from Molly's dress and carefully applied over Ginny's dress. It was a perfect blend of tradition and modernity, and she looked absolutely stunning in it. His eyes still on her dancing figure, Harry noticed someone taking the seat next to him.

"Congratulations, son." Arthur said clasping Harry's shoulder. "I just wanted you to know that we have all really enjoyed today."

"Thank you. I think Ginny would agree with me saying that it's been everything we had hoped for."

And it truly had been, the wedding day that was perfect for them.

Thank you for reading. This is just a little fluff I wrote over the holidays. If you want chapter 2, just check back in a week or so. I know I have been rather quiet but I am working on longer new stories and so they take longer to complete. As always reviews and comments are very much appreciated.