Chapter 1

A single tear traced a thin line down the raven haired boy's slightly rosy cheek whilst a party raged around him. Harry Potter had allowed himself to brood, once again over his dead loved ones, his terrible grief was threatening to overwhelm his self control and send him into a depression. Looking around at all the merry faces of his friends however Harry found some new resolve and decided that he would not allow his feelings to ruin this last night of happiness that he might ever have with his friends. Silently toasting the memories of his fallen Godfather, Headmaster and parents, Harry bought a small golden goblet to his lips and gulped down the remains of his fire whisky, deciding that as much as he enjoyed just seeing other people happy, he might as well enter the fray as well. Unfortunately for Harry however, he had not quite mastered the 'art'; as Mundungus called it, of fire whisky drinking and the smoke that was billowing from his ears drew very dirty looks from Mrs Weasly near by. Harry therefore chose that moment to conveniently busy him self amongst the other guests picking out various foods that had been prepared for the wedding with the covert help of Dobby of course. Harry thought that it would be better off that Hermione didn't get wind of the house elf's help just in case. Harry also wondered where Ginny had got too but he over heard Luna talking to Neville about various different alcohol related monsters that would get Ginny and so Harry managed to get the idea of what had happened to her. Looking over his shoulder for a sign of Mrs Weasly Harry absently took a mini party sized sausage from the table and placed it in his mouth, still keeping an eye out for Mrs Weasly.

It was again however to Harry's misfortune that night, that Fred and George had decided to ignore their mothers death threats and use the Wedding guests as guinea pigs for some of their new products. As Fred and George's contribution to the Wedding made its self evident, Harry quickly put down his plate of party food that he had piled things onto, but was already sporting glowing flashing red cheeks. Harry smiled inwardly and knew that the twins would love the fact that they had managed to get their number one target to fall for one of their pranks. It was true Harry thought, he should have known better. Not wishing to give the twins the benefit of seeing how well their pranks had worked out,

Harry made to scamper off to some quiet place at the back of the magically enlarged marquee tent where the majority of the party guests were dancing and eating. Before he could hide however, a bushy haired witch; her cheeks also flashing red chose that moment to grab Harry's hand and lead him toward the dance floor telling him how silly he was for sitting alone from every one.

'Honestly Harry, you deserve to enjoy yourself as much as every one else, come on!'

Harry as he was dragged towards the dance floor suddenly stared at Hermione's face with a bemused look on his face. 'Oh you're looking at my cheeks? yes Fred and George I believe, don't worry I know how to get rid of them'.

But Harry wasn't looking at her cheeks, he was marvelling at the huge grin that Hermione seemed to have on her face. Harry then realised to his utter amazement, that Hermione Jane Granger was drunk! Her slightly unsteady nature and red flashing cheeks drew snickers from a gap in the marquee tent as they passed and Harry turned and saw both the twins' heads sticking through the gap, both with the same huge grin that Hermione had on her face. Harry grinned back at them and gave them the thumbs up in approval but then turned and saw the furious look on Hermione's face at the sight of the twins. 'They spiked the pumpkin juice of all things! It was a clever potion but still, to put it in the pumpkin juice'.

Hermione finished her rant and luckily hadn't noticed that Harry had managed to lead her away from the dance floor and into the garden in search of Ron. Harry hadn't noticed until they were in garden, but chose; for the sake of Fred and Georges health, not to tell Hermione that she now also had flashing pink writing hovering above her head that prominently displayed the words 'Sober I'm not !'

Hermione gave up her own search for the twins in the garden and instead took Harry's wrist and again asked him to dance.

' Harry this might be our last chance to have some fun for a while, at least until you've defeated Voldemort that is, so I thought since Ron is well……not very active at the moment, I thought we could at least enjoy our time together while we can.'

'I know you don't like dancing but just this once we can both look like fools together'.

Harry looked at Hermione's pleading eyes and nervous expression and smiled at her. Taking her hand he led her onto the dance floor and they as Harry called it 'danced' together around the room to the music which alternated between both fast and slow songs all night. To begin with Harry had inwardly grimaced at mention of Voldemorts name as it reminded him of his task ahead. He didn't want to think about that task for this night and he had desperately tried to keep himself from thinking about the trials that awaited him. He suddenly relaxed though and felt admiration towards Hermione, when he realised just how much confidence she had in him through her words. She unlike Ron could and would mention Voldemort's name without issue and it saddened Harry that Ron still feared to utter the Dark Lords name. Harry wondered how Ron would cope on their long journey ahead if he still feared to use even Voldemort's name.

As Harry stepped to and fro around the dance floor, he grinned every time Hermione lost her footing and stumbled and he noticed how happy she looked. Avoiding eye contact for a second Harry leant forward and used Hermione's shoulder to try and covertly wipe away his tears which had started up again for seemingly no reason. His tears however didn't go unnoticed and Hermione soon had him embraced in a warm hug away from the dance floor outside near the Weasly's old broom shed that Harry had shared words with Dumbledore in at the beginning of last year.

'Harry, why are you crying, please don't hold your feelings in anymore, it doesn't help not to share your burdens with us'. Harry looked over to a figure with red hair slumped near a butter beer crate nearby and when he realised who it was, let out a stifled laugh through his sobs.

'I just wish every day could be like this one Hermione that's all'.

'One day Harry it will, you know this, and I believe in you that you can make that happen'.

Hermione saw the tears trace more lines down his face and leaned over to gently take his glasses off. Harry didn't object to this but bowed his head in apparent shame. 'I shouldn't allow you to come with me on this journey'. 'It's always my friends that are harmed'. 'This is something I should have to deal with myself'.

Hermione said nothing for a moment and Harry was worried that she would get mad with him and launch into some lecture about him being silly and blaming himself. Instead however Hermione slowly lifted his chin up with her hand until she could see his glazed green eyes. As she wiped his tears away with a napkin, she spoke in a quiet voice. She was obviously on the edge of tears herself as she choked her words out. 'Harry, it never was your decision to make whether or not we followed you'. 'It's our happiness; mine, Ron's and every body else's that Voldemort is preventing as well'. 'When he hurts you, he hurts us as well, so we will do anything in our power to stand by your side and do what is right rather than what is easy'.

Hermione's last sentence seemed to jolt Harry from his thoughts as the words that Dumbledore had once spoken washed over him. Harry abruptly rose, startling Hermione in the process. She soon calmed down when she glimpsed the wide smile across his face.

'I understand now', was all Harry said as he looked at her. Taking Hermione's hand and carefully lifting her to her feet, Harry looked at her and then pointed a thumb over his shoulder towards the direction of the red haired boy on the floor. 'I don't know about you', he said eyeing the sign above Hermione's head, 'but I think Ron needs to be moved to somewhere more comfortable.

Grinning in the most mischievous way possible, Hermione simply flicked and swished her wand towards Ron mouthing the words 'Wingardium Leviosa'