Author Notes: Hi. This story the sequel to my other story "The definitive forgiveness." In this FanFiction, there are all the Weasley, except for Fred, because it is an after war story. The pairings are the canon; Audrey/Percy, Harry/Ginny, Bill/Fleur a hint of Ron/Hermione. If anyone wants to know how I imagine Audrey, I wrote a story about how Percy meets her. PS: In this story, George and Angelina aren't still together.
Bridesmaid or Witness?
"You know, Percy," Audrey said, raising her head to look at the boy's face. The pair were lying in each other's arms at Percy's house in London.
"Know what?" he asked, lifting a strand of hair from her face.
"I was thinking, now that we're getting married we'll need a bigger house. I mean, I know this is the first house you lived in alone, and so you're fond of it etcetera. But it only has one bedroom."
"You're right; we need a bigger one."
"Well you were easily convinced," she said with a smile.
"No, it's just that I know when to admit that you're right, and in this case, you are," Percy said. Audrey rolled her eyes at that comment.
"What's that supposed to mean – in this case? I'm always right. Oh yeah, I forgot that you're a know-it-all."
"I'm not a know-it-all. I know a lot of things, but I certainly don't pretend to know everything, I also..."
"Percy?" she called, trying to silence him.
"I know how to admit when someone says something that's right, and if we want to start a family, after the wedding then we'll need..." But he was unable to finish his thought as Audrey began kissing him, which went on for quite a while, also, because in such instances, even someone like Percy made sure not to protest.
"When are you planning on telling your parents that we're getting married?" Audrey asked after pulling away from him to catch her breath.
"I was thinking at Easter when Ginny will be home from school as well," Percy said before moving towards her and starting to touch her bare skin, exploring every inch of her body.
"That sounds like an excellent idea." Percy paused and gazed at her with that look he always had when he wanted to tell her something important, and Audrey could not help but curse herself for not keeping her mouth shut.
"You know because I was thinking of asking Ginny if..."
"Yes, yes, you can tell me later Percy. This isn't the right time," she said, taking his head in her hands and starting to kiss him again, in the hope of putting an end to their little conversation once and for all. The thing seemed to work.
The Easter holidays came around quickly. That year, even Charlie had come home for the occasion. After all, that was the first Easter the Weasley family would have celebrated since Fred's death, and like Christmas, they all wanted to spend the holidays together. With Charlie's return - this was already the third time that he came back home after the war - and the fact that George still lived at the Burrow despite having returned to work, the house was once again as crowded as it had been in the past. However, that morning only Harry and Ginny were in the kitchen having breakfast. Molly was in the garden picking some vegetables from the allotment, Ron was still asleep, Hermione had just decided to go and wake him, and Mr Weasley and George had both headed off to work.
"Oh, no," Ginny said, looking at the letter in her hand. Hermes, Percy's owl, had just arrived with an envelope. The owl had pointed straight to the redhead, raising his paw.
"What?" Harry asked while he poured a bit of cereal into his cup.
"It's official," she repeated, brooding.
"What are you talking about?"
"Percy and Audrey are getting married in the summer."
"And why are you not happy? I thought you liked Audrey. You always talk about her but still haven't found her a nickname." As if the fact that she hadn't found Audrey a nickname was enough to make people realise how much she liked her, Ginny thought. Although in this instance, Harry was right. After all, she had won everyone over. The only family member that still couldn't stand her was Fleur, who was a little annoyed by the fact that unlike herself, Audrey had been immediately well-received.
"I do like her in fact. And I am happy for them."
"Then what's the problem?"
"The problem is that I hate being a bridesmaid! I hate not being able to choose my dress, and I hate all those stupid rehearsals," she exclaimed. Harry smiled at that response.
"But you have to admit that the dress Fleur chose for you wasn't so bad," he said.
"I suppose Cousin Barny did seem to appreciate it a lot. He wouldn't stop staring at me, or my neckline area." Harry blushed upon hearing that phrase. "But that doesn't change anything; I still hate being a bridesmaid."
"You don't know that you'll be asked to be one." Ginny glared at him.
"Harry, I'm the only girl in the Weasley household. Of course, I'll be asked! Everyone will ask me. Even Charlie will ask me; that is if he ever develops an interest in someone who isn't a dragon," Ginny said sarcastically. Harry froze all of a sudden.
"Oh, don't worry about me little sis; the fact I don't want to get married doesn't mean that my sex life isn't full and satisfying," a male voice said behind her. "What's that?" Charlie asked his sister, pointing to the letter in her hand.
"A letter from Percy. He proposed to Audrey, and she said yes. You know, your sex life may well be booming, but I don't think Mum cares about that. I can already imagine what she might say about the fact that Percy is getting married before you," Ginny said and with her great satisfaction, Charlie to turn pale at the prospect.
"Has Mum already seen the letter?" He asked.
"No, it's just arrived, and it's addressed to me, but he's planning to tell everyone soon. Have you already told mum about your third tattoo?" The redhead then asked, still with an amused smile on her face. After the Hungarian Horntail on his left shoulder and the golden snitch on his wrist, her brother had had a new dragon tattooed on his ankle.
"No, I haven't had a chance yet," Charlie replied, increasingly worried.
"Well, if I were you I'd wait to tell her."
"Damn Percy! This is all his fault. I'm going to see if George needs a hand in the joke shop," the lad muttered as he left.
"You were great!" Harry said still amused by the scene between the two siblings, but Ginny gave him no satisfaction.
"Thanks a lot for warning me that Charlie was there," she said, glancing at him.
"Hey, it's not my fault! There was no time to warn you. And by the way, about our conversation earlier, if you don't want to be a bridesmaid again you can always refuse." She shook her head at that statement.
"You just don't get it do you!" Ginny exclaimed, and now angry stood up and ran upstairs. How could she refuse one of her brothers such an important request? She couldn't manage with Bill, let alone with Percy! It was obvious that she couldn't refuse.
"Hey, be careful!" a male voice shouted. "What's gotten into Ginny?" Ron asked, emerging into the kitchen still in his pyjamas.
"She flew off the handle all of a sudden. It must be that time of the month." Harry said, trying to lighten the mood. In truth, he was sorry for making her angry and would go and talk to her straight after breakfast. There were only a few days before her and Hermione would return to school, and Harry had no intention of spending them arguing.
"Her too?" Ron asked, thinking back to his previous fight with Hermione. "Ah, women!"
Ginny's prediction that sooner or later her brother would ask her that fateful question came true sooner than she had imagined. It was Easter day, and the entire Weasley family had gathered for dinner.
"She moved, she moved. I felt it!" George said, his hand resting on Fleur's round stomach.
"Wonderful, now take your ruddy hands off my wife," Bill said irritated.
"Bill is very jealous!" Fleur said, rolling her eyes. Hearing that remark, he turned the same colour as his hair. Charlie and George laughed amused.
"And he's so cute when he blushes. Right Fleur?" George asked among the laughter.
"Oh oui! He is," Fleur replied, making poor Bill blush even more. This made all the others laugh too.
"Apparently jealousy is a family trait," Ginny whispered to Hermione, and both looked at Ron.
"Hey, what are you staring at?" He asked.
"Oh, nothing," Hermione said quickly, smiling at him, and taking a hand with his under the table. Ron squeezed it. Dinner lasted a long time that evening. As always, Mrs Weasley had outdone herself in the kitchen; everything was delicious and plentiful.
"To Percy and Audrey," Molly said, inviting all who were present to make a toast in the couple's honour. Fleur toasted with water. The couple seemed happy, Ginny thought.
"Thank you. It appears I'm not the gay member of the family," Percy said, glancing at Charlie.
"Hey, what are you trying to suggest?" He asked, rising from his seat, menacingly. But nobody seemed to take Charlie's threats seriously, all still laughing at Percy's joke.
"Calm down Charlie! Percy was just trying to be funny," Bill said, the only other person along with his father who Charlie really listened to.
"Yeah, and this time he seems to have succeeded. This girl must really be a good influence on you," George said smiling at Audrey, at which point even Charlie relaxed once more.
An hour later, after everyone had eaten their fill of cake and left the table, Percy asked Ginny if she wanted to go for a stroll outside.
"Ginny, listen. I wanted to ask you something," began Percy, once they were outside.
"All right Percy, I'll do it," she said, not letting him finish.
"You'll do what?" Percy asked, puzzled.
"I will be a bridesmaid at your wedding," Ginny said gloomily. "Wasn't that what you wanted to ask me?"
"Well, not exactly, I wanted to ask if you'd be my witness, but if you'd prefer to be a bridesmaid then..."
"Witness? You want me to be your witness?" She asked, somewhat surprised.
"Yes, I do." Moved, Ginny suddenly hugged her brother, squeezing him tightly.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She screamed. Her brother smiled at her reaction.
'Does this mean you'll accept?' His sister nodded pulling away.
"But why me?" she asked. "I mean I know why you didn't ask George or Charlie. I can already imagine their speeches, but why didn't you ask Bill or Ron."
"Ron?" Percy asked, trying to be sarcastic, but failing miserably. It seems the fact that he had already made one joke that day meant he had reached his limit.
"You're right, Ron has to be ruled out too," she agreed.
"Think about when he'll have to make a speech at your wedding because he will be Harry's best man."
"I don't want to think about it," Ginny said with a shudder. Harry better find himself a new best friend by then. "But why did you choose me?" she asked again, resurfacing from her thoughts.
"I thought you knew by now. You're the only person in this family who I've truly bonded with. The only one who has ever understood me and after Connor death, I couldn't have asked anyone else," Percy said with slightly sad voice. Connor was the only friend he had ever had. He was of his same year, Gryffindor. The two had moved away after school, but the news of his death a few weeks before the final battle - Connor was a Muggle-Born on the run - was one of the things that had brought Percy to reason.
"True. And it seems you're the only one who understands me. Thank you for not asking me to be a bridesmaid."
"I could never have asked you to. I know how much you hate it. I still remember when mum used to choose your dresses as a child and you never liked any of them. Also, I couldn't risk making you angry now that you've finally forgiven me for having abandoned you."
"That's water under the bridge, and in any case, you couldn't make me angry even if you wanted to," Ginny said reassuringly.
"Also, you'll surely be a bridesmaid at all future marriages. I wanted to spare you for my wedding at least."
"Thank you. You won't be offended will you if I tell you that as far as my witness is concerned, I have someone else in mind?" Ginny asked again.
"No, I won't be offended," Percy reassured her.
"Okay, okay then how about this, what if for your bachelor party I hire the Weird Sisters band? You seemed to like them at the Yule Ball. And I only have to say that it's for Harry Potter."
"Thanks, but I think..." Percy began, but his sister gave him no time to finish.
"What about the Dancing Veelas?"
"They're not much my kind of thing," he tried to express again.
"No, you're right, no Dancing Veelas or you'll have to take Harry and Ron off the guest list for the evening," The redhead carried on offering suggestions for at least a good fifteen minutes.
"Poor Percy, he seems to be struggling. Do you think we should help him?" Charlie asked his brother Bill. The pair were watching the scene from behind a large tree, not too far from the other two.
"No, and anyway, someone else has already seen to it," he answered pointing to Harry, who was heading towards Percy and Ginny. Charlie snorted. Seeing the boy so attached to his sister was something he was not yet fully accustomed to.
"Hey, what are you two still doing out here?" Harry asked, approaching them.
"Oh Harry, thank goodness you came. She hasn't stopped suggesting things since I asked her to be my witness, not to mention the fact that the only thing she has decided on so far is that at your wedding, her witness Neville will make the speech, not Ron. I do not know what else to try to shut her up. I wonder who she inherited this trait from!" Percy said exasperatedly. Somehow, Harry seemed to know the answer to that question, thinking back to the few times he had dared to ask Percy something about his job.
"Don't worry. Go, Audrey was looking for you," he said.
'OK. You know Harry, I'm happy for you and Ginny." Percy said.
"Thank you. But?"
"No buts. Plus regarding death threats, all my other brothers will already have made plenty," he replied before disappearing.
"And I was thinking..." But Ginny froze at the sight of Harry.
"Harry. When did you arrive? And what happened to Percy?" She was so lost in her thoughts she hadn't even noticed that her brother had left.
"He went inside, Audrey was looking for him," he replied, then before she even had the time to respond, Harry took her in his arms and kissed her. Luckily he had a great way to keep her quiet, and something told him that Audrey used it often too. Ginny returned the kiss with ardour, pressing her body further against Harry's, and forgetting everything else.
"Maybe now we could intervene," Charlie said, watching Harry and Ginny kiss.
"No, let's leave them alone for a few more minutes then we intervene."
"You've softened up since Fleur has gotten pregnant. You're also getting a bit of a belly," he taunted his brother.
"Face the facts, brother. We're old. They're the young ones," he said, pointing to his sister and Harry, who were returning to the house hand in hand.
"You're going to be an amazing father," Charlie said.
"Oh, trust me; if that were my daughter at this time, the boy in question would already be dead."
