"It's freezing outside! I'm not going anywhere."

Dudley frowned down at Piers as if he couldn't believe he was looking at his best friend. He blinked several times before lifting his gaze to the others around the table. Though his face was blank, Hermione got the distinct impression he was challenging them to laugh at him for the public rejection. None of them did. If the others felt anything like Hermione did, they were too stunned that Dudley and Piers had come to Harry and Ginny's wedding to consider laughing at them.

When it became apparent that Piers was serious about staying behind, Dudley shrugged and slunk off to smoke by himself outside. He didn't bother to put on a jacket despite Piers' very good point about the chill.

As soon as Dudley was gone, Piers blinked at them as if he'd just become aware of the fact he was sitting at a table occupied by six witches and wizards, the existence of whom he'd only learned of several weeks earlier when Dudley had explained why Piers' niece could do otherwise unexplainable feats.

Harry had cautioned his friends about both Dudley and Piers before the wedding, prompting questions about why he had invited Dudley and allowed him a plus one in the first place. His aunt and uncle weren't there, and though Hermione was less vocal about her disapproval than Ron was, she couldn't understand why anyone would want their bully of a cousin at their wedding.

In the fifteen minutes they'd been sat at the table, Hermione had learned that Piers and Dudley were every bit as incendiary as she had been led to believe. Dudley may have given up some of his previous prejudices if he'd come to his cousin's wedding, but she'd watched him sit at attention throughout the ceremony, ready to flee at the slightest hint of trouble. Him going out for a smoke was a relief, but she wasn't sure what to make of Piers, who kept watching the people around him as if waiting for them to sprout tentacles.

He had just learned that his niece was a witch, though, and Hermione could remember how she had felt when she learned of magic's existence for the first time. It had been confusing, and that had been in spite of the countless unexplained phenomena that had helped it make sense. Piers didn't have that; not in the way she had.

"It must be confusing," she said slowly, "suddenly learning about all of this."

She motioned in the air as if they could see the magic. Piers followed her hand as if he were watching her do a magic trick, and she lowered it quickly, hiding it beneath the table.

Piers swallowed before answering.

"Mostly, it just makes me feel better. I'd prefer this over Colleen carrying around some secret she can't explain for her entire life. Dudley acts like he's scared of her though. Ever since he saw her blow up that pot of stew, he can hardly be in the same room as her. It's like he thinks she'll accidentally kill him. That's not a thing with accidental magic, is it?"

Dean let out a laugh, leaning over Dudley's empty seat to better look at Piers.

"Not that I've heard of," he said, speaking to Piers as if they were old friends. "I guess it could happen, but a Muggle kid would probably be just as likely to kill someone in a freak accident. You should be okay."

"Uh, thanks," Piers said.

He stared at Dean as if he'd noticed him for the first time, his lips parted slightly. Dean beamed back at him, his gaze intense as he continued.

"I was raised a Muggle. I never knew my dad, so my mum and I don't know if I'm a Muggleborn of a half-blood, but I might as well be a Muggleborn since I was raised as a Muggle until I got my letter. If you need anything, you can talk to me. I've even got a Muggle phone—my mum prefers it—so you wouldn't need to deal with any owls."

"Thanks," Piers repeated, his voice raspy. He cleared his throat. "But you don't need to do that. I'm sure we can figure it out."

"Nonsense," Dean said with a wave of his hand. He pulled a napkin towards him and began scrawling his number on it with a Muggle pen he produced from his pocket. "It's easier when you can talk to someone, and something tells me your friend won't be much help in that department."

Piers didn't argue with that as he took the napkin, staring at the messy numbers across it.

"It's just—" Piers glanced at Dean. "You don't even know me. Why bother?"

Dean shrugged.

"Most of my friends are witches or wizards. I wouldn't mind having a Muggle friend again. None of this lot," he motioned around the table, earning snorts from Seamus and Ron, "will talk to me about football. You don't happen to be a fan, do you?"

"Of course," Piers said with a smile. "I've supported West Ham since before I could walk."

Dean cheered, clapping an amused Seamus on the shoulder.

"We'll get along great," he said, nudging a stunned Piers in the arm.

"He plastered our dormitory with those weird football posters that don't move," Ron said with a frown, oblivious to how his words confounded Piers.

"Say," Dean said, ignoring Ron, "you wouldn't want to dance, would you? We could talk some more about football away from all the judgment."

He motioned over his shoulder with his thumb, prompting Piers to look past him. Hermione bit at her lip, expecting Piers to sneer at the offer, but instead, the still somewhat stunned man nodded slowly. The rest of the table watched them head for the dance floor, Piers' hand in Dean's. It only took a minute before Piers relaxed and began laughing with Dean as they twirled around together between the other couples.

Hermione found herself smiling at the sight. She leaned into Ron's side, placing her hand on his knee. Tilting her head up, she took a moment to appreciate him. The gas lamp in the center of their table made shadows dance across his face. He wasn't looking at her as he stared at Dean and Piers with a frown creasing his forehead.

"That one's a surprise," he said to the table as a whole. "And to think I was surprised when you told me you'd asked Hannah out, Neville."

Neville gave a slight laugh, though Hannah rolled her eyes. Hermione patted Ron's knee.

"Sometimes people just click," she said with a shrug. "I guess it's one of the few things in life that can't always be explained."

"I think it can," said Luna. "They both like football an awful lot. That's as good a reason as any to talk some more, isn't it? I hope they work out. They're rather cute together."

Seamus and Ron shared a laugh as Hermione looked down at the table and noticed Ron had finished off not one but two slices of cake while she'd been busy watching their Muggle guests.

"What happened to your New Year's resolution to eat fewer sweets?" she asked.

Ron shrugged sheepishly.

"It's a special occasion," he said. "Besides, I'm not sure that it matters much in the long run if I eat some cake."

Hermione laughed, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Her two best friends had finally married, and another friend had found a new potential love. She felt light as she sat there looking up at Ron in the lamplight.

"Come on," she said, standing and holding out a hand to Ron. "Let's dance."

His eyes flickered around the room with uncertainty before he gathered his resolve and took her hand, letting her lead him to the dance floor without any complaint.

Prompts:

Hogwarts Challenges and Assignments

Seasonal - Winter Prompts: (dialogue) "It's freezing outside! I'm not going anywhere."

Seasonal - Flowers: arrowwood - (word) incendiary

Seasonal - Water Element: Pisces - (pairing) Dean/Piers

Seasonal - Winter in Japan: Marriage - Write about a couple that surprises others.

Seasonal - Days of the Year: Ditch New Years Resolutions Day - Write about someone failing a resolution.

HPFC

OTP Boot Camp: Ron/Hermione - lamp

Word count: 1,314