The Wrong Choice
She sat in our living room, waiting and watching for her brothers to arrive and hear some big news of hers that she'd been hiding.
"Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, Mum, and Dad…I've gathered you all to tell you the most important news of my life. I'm a…I'm engaged."
I was shocked to hear this news, my Ginny? The little girl that I'd held in my arms when she was three hours old? The little girl who tripped and fell in our backyard, only to split her head open for me to heal it?
"Well, who's your fiancé?" asked Molly, in tears by now.
"His name's Eric Mackenzie. I met him at work, and I knew in an instant that he was the one for me."
"That's wonderful, dear!" said Molly, sitting next to her only daughter. "So, when's the wedding?"
"Well, we've sort of decided that we wanted it to be in June."
"Great, I'm off from work the whole month!" said Bill happily, taking a swig of his butterbeer.
"Wow, five months! We don't have much time!" said Charlie, toasting his glass with Bill.
"Well, you know…we kind of wanted to hurry it up. He's…I mean…we'll be moving to Italy in July."
"What?" I asked her. "What are you talking about? You're moving to Italy?"
"Well, yeah, dad. It's great! We've got this cute little house that we're going to…"
"You already have a house?" I asked her.
"Yes…it's in Sicily, with a cute little mini-vineyard in the backyard and…"
"Vineyard? Ginny, nobody has a vineyard in their first home!" I exclaimed, wondering out loud. "Just how rich is this boy?"
"He's not a boy, daddy. He's a man. He's my man. And just because he inherited a fortune from his great uncle's death doesn't mean that he's…"
"Just how big is this fortune?"
"Dad!"
"Who cares? As long as Ginny's taken care of, you should care less!" said Fred.
"After all, she'll know what it feels to be rich!" chuckled George.
"Now, boys…you're father's done the best he could with the money he had…"
"Look, I don't think they're trying to offend you, dad," said Percy quietly.
"Well, I'm tired. I'm off to bed," I said, getting up from my recliner to head upstairs for some peace and quiet.
"Arthur, get back down these stairs! We've got a wedding to plan!"
"Yes, you and the rest of the world but me. I don't do anything but pay for all the damage you all put in, and then I send my girl off to the man she loves. Goodnight all!"
"But dad…"
There was no use stopping me. As an older man of 62, I was sick and tired of stress. Besides, I was retired and I didn't exactly have the money to pay for a wedding. Wasn't it bad enough we had to raise seven children, with seven hungry mouths? I knew that all of them hadn't been living at home lately, but I liked peace and quiet, and I wanted to keep it that way.
But then it hit me.
I was the father of the only girl that was ever a true Weasley. The other women had married themselves in. Ginny, on the other hand, had Weasley blood running through her veins.
And she wasn't going to be a Weasley anymore.
She was to be a Mackenzie.
I didn't want her to be a Mackenzie, but I had no say about it. If I did, I would've made her break up with this Eric and make her marry Harry. Harry, who was on his own, and had been without a girlfriend for three years…something just didn't seem quite right between them. They'd never dated, or hugged, or even kissed. Not since after seventh year; and quite frankly, they hadn't seen each other since then. And now, Ginny was going to move to Italy, far away from me and far away from Harry.
She was making a terrible decision, and I couldn't stop her.
Over the next three months, things changed. All of my daughters-in-law were all of a flutter, running around my house like they owned it. And to think they used to hate my sons.
To make matters worse, my dear Ginny had invited Eric over for all the festivities. The worst of all was the wedding planner. Katie Nelson, the wackiest wedding planner in all of Great Britain had been the only one open. Great, just great.
"So, where is the wedding going to be held?" she asked Ginny, Eric, Molly and I as we sat drinking tea in our living room.
"Well, actually…I had to talk to you about that, dad."
This couldn't be getting any better any time soon.
"Anywhere you want is fine, dear," I said, knowing I would regret this later…dreading that she would say the words…
"I thought it would be great if we could hold the wedding and the reception here, dad."
Oh, God.
"That's fine, sweetheart."
Ms. Nelson's quill scribbled something down on the parchment she had set up. "So, can I see the backyard?"
"Of course!" said Molly, quickly laying her tea down on the coffee table and getting up to show Katie the backyard.
"It's absolutely charming I'm sure. I mean, this house is just so…quaint, I'm sure the yard will be even better!"
And then we went out the back door.
She examined everything, from every blade of glass to the last twig in the brooms. Thankfully, she hadn't noticed my shed, because I wasn't about to let her in…
Okay, never mind.
"And what is this?" she asked with disdain, pointing to my tool shed as if it was to explode with toxic fumes in a few moments.
"Oh, that's my husband's tool shed," said Molly shamefully. "I don't suggest you go in there."
"But you see, I must. It looks like there could be just enough room for the extra supplies incase of an emergency."
"Now, see here, Ms. Nelson…" I started, following her into my precious shed. "My shed is strictly…"
"Ugly and full of dust. Oh, no…this won't due at all!" she exclaimed with hatred. "Do you mind if we tear it down?"
"TEAR IT DOWN! ARE YOU CRAZY?"
"Look, Ms. Nelson, I know it sounds odd, but this shed is very, very special to my dad and…"
"GINNY, IT'S A LITTLE MORE THAN SPECIAL!"
"Now, Arthur, be reasonable, won't you?"
"BE REASONABLE? BE REASONABLE? YOU ARE BOTH OUT OF YOUR MINDS!" I bellowed, hearing my voice echo across the yard, watching the birds fly out of nearby trees. Eric showed shock at this.
"Well, I'm glad you're being so calm about this affair, Mr. Weasley. I suggest that you stay out of this from now on, let the women and Eric handle the plans, okay? Okay. Now, you go up to bed and take a nap…" said Katie, pushing me out of my own shed, through the backdoor of my house and halfway up the stairs, leaving me standing there in awe.
This was not going to be easy.
"So, dad…they wouldn't let you help?" asked Ron as all of my boys and Eric sat listening to the Evening News on the WWN. The women had all left for a bridal party they were hosting for Ginny, and we had nothing else to do.
"No, they wouldn't…" I answered with disgust. I didn't think Ron was this stupid.
"They wouldn't let me help either," said Percy.
"They didn't let any of us help for that matter!" said Bill.
"Not even me, and it's my wedding," replied Eric.
"Eric, you need to learn that women like doing things themselves almost all the time. When we say, 'It can't be done!', they say, 'I'll make sure it gets done.'"
"Really?"
"Yes!" answered Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Percy, and Ron.
"And most of the time, you think you're only there for one purpose and one purpose only."
"And that is?"
"To produce an heir!" they all said together, each taking swigs from their butterbeer bottles.
"Face it, Eric, the only reason women keep us around is because we can be their shoulder to cry on, and to produce heirs of course," I said bluntly, wondering when he would get it.
"Ah, remember when we all used to tease Ginny for looking different?" said Fred.
"I didn't tease her for that. I teased her for not keeping up with all of her studies," said Percy.
"I think Charlie and I really weren't around to tease her…" said Bill, "she was always there for us, but we were never there for her."
"There wasn't much to be there for," said George bluntly.
"Yeah, it's not like she did anything special," said Fred.
"She was no different than the rest of us."
"And then she hit puberty…" said Fred grimly.
"We didn't even recognize her!" said Charlie indignantly.
"She was the feistiest, and the moodiest teenager ever to roam this house," I said, looking at the shock that filled Eric's eyes. Surprisingly, they softened.
"Yeah…I can see that," he said, laughing at the image of my Ginny as a teenager. "When I met her, she refused to talk to me, and then we were set by the boss to work on a project together, that project was interesting…"
"When you say feisty…how do you know this?" I asked with caution.
"Well, I could just tell from her personality that…"
"Her personality, eh? Nothing…you know…physical?"
"Actually, she told me about two months in that she wanted to stay pure until her wedding night. Until then, all bets were off."
I gave a sigh of relief at this. So, I guess my Ginny was actually grown up.
Everything seemed to be going along perfectly. Even with a wacky wedding planner, crazy women running around day and night, and all of my boys taking pills and drinking butterbeer to keep from going mad, I sensed something was wrong.
It was Harry. He wasn't ever around anymore. Not after he found out about the wedding plans. And Ginny didn't even talk to him anymore. But, after two months, Ginny came storming into our kitchen, tears flowing out in streams. She ran up the stairs and into her bedroom, where we heard her cries until two in the morning.
"Arthur, you'd better go talk to her," said Molly, taking her eyes off the book she was reading, 'How to Cope When You're Daughter Gets Married'.
I yawned. "Molly, she's probably cried herself to sleep by now. I don't think there'd be any use trying to console her now…"
"Arthur, you are going to get up and go into her room until she tells you the whole story of what happened tonight, understand me?" she said sternly.
"Fine, dear. But if she's asleep, I'm not waking her."
"Deal."
I walked into her bedroom. She sat on her bed with the lights turned out, staring at the moon through her diagonally tilted window.
"Ginny?" I asked her, knocking on the half open door.
"Dad?" she whispered, not moving a muscle.
"What's the matter, sweetheart?"
"Nothing dad…it's nothing…" she murmured, sniffling thoroughly afterwards.
"No, really, I need to know, because if I don't, then you're mother won't let me go to sleep!"
She forced half of a tired laugh out. She murmured something under her breath.
"What was that, Ginny?" I asked her, coming closer to her.
"Wedding…off…"
"What? What do you mean, the wedding's off?"
"Eric broke up with me."
"That son of a bludger. Why?"
"He said he had another girlfriend who he loved more."
"How long had he had this girlfriend?"
"He said three years."
"Three years?"
"Yes, dad."
"That's crazy! You sure he wasn't drunk or doing drugs or anything?" I asked, sitting on her bed next to her.
"Dad, he cheated on me. I shouldn't have been stupid enough to go along with it. There's obviously somebody else out there for me; he was the wrong choice."
And this got me to thinking…
"Mr. Weasley, what do you want me over here for?" whispered Harry in the dead of night as he apparated into the living room.
"Did you hear about Ginny?"
At this, he sniffed and looked away from me.
"Well, did you?"
"I haven't heard from Ginny or heard anything about her since my last year at Hogwarts."
"What?" I asked him furiously. Had Ron not kept him updated? "So, why haven't you heard from her?"
"It's a long story, I couldn't…"
"We've got time."
"Er…ok. In my seventh year, her sixth, something odd occurred. On Christmas Eve, Ron and Hermione had set magical mistletoe above our heads, drawing our lips together."
Uh-oh. This was going to be a torn love affair.
"We sat there, kissing each other for a while…enthralled and er…"
"Out with it."
"Curious. We'd never kissed each other, so we were curious. But at the stroke of midnight…she remembered she had a boyfriend."
"Dean," I said grimly.
"Yes. She and I swore to each other that nobody could ever know about the kiss. We blamed each other for our foolishness. Nothing was ever the same between us. After the summer holidays, I never saw her until I came back over here for Christmas. I gave her a present, but as Ron told me, she threw it in the lake and never looked back."
"Now, don't you want to know why I called you here?"
"Yeah! Like hell I do!"
"She just broke up with her fiancé of three months."
"Bloody hell…why?"
"Because he was already dating somebody while he was dating her."
"Ah, that's a good reason. But you still haven't told me why I…"
"I want you to date her."
"What?" he said blankly.
"You heard. I think you're the right man for her to marry. When she came home in tears that night, she said she picked the wrong man. Well, I think she's right, and you are the right man for her."
"You think she's going to fall for me after all these years?" he asked bluntly.
"Oh, yes," I smiled sinisterly, "Oh, yes she will…and she's going to like it."
I love being the man of the house.
I awoke the next morning, reading the paper and eating Molly's hot cakes, when I saw Ginny wander down the stairs in her plaid pajama pants and black 'Weird Sisters' t-shirt.
She yawned. "Morning dad."
"Good morning, Ginny. Sleep well?"
"Actually, I kept having bad dreams about almost everything I could think of," she said groggily as Molly handed her a plate of hot cakes. "Thanks mum."
"Dreams about what?" I asked her, wondering if they were about Harry.
"They're my dreams, and they're private. I don't wish to tell you."
I smiled at this as I saw Harry groggily walk down the stairs. Molly noticed him and smiled, as if she knew what had gone on last night.
"Morning Harry," I said briskly.
"Morning Mr. Weasley," he replied, grabbing an apple off the table as Molly gave him a plate of hot cakes.
"Morning Harry," said Ginny, swallowing a morsel of food.
And then she realized…
"Harry?" she said, her eyes focusing and widening on the tall man with untidy jet black hair that had taken the seat next to her.
"Ginny?" he said surprisingly.
"Mum, dad, what's going on here?" she asked, an accusatory look on her face.
"Harry showed up last night, he said he heard the news about your break-up and wanted to show his sympathy," said Molly. Wow, she worked well under pressure!
"Exactly. We couldn't just leave him outside in the rain, now could we?"
She got up as he did and they hugged each other.
"Ginny…"
"Harry…I've missed you! I'm so sorry I didn't respond to your owls…I was just mad…that whole thing in my sixth year really embarrassed me…"
"It's fine. I'm just glad we're friends again," said Harry with a sigh of relief.
"Me, too," she said, keeping his embrace.
"You know what I'd like to do?" he asked her through the hug.
"What?"
"Something I haven't done in a long time. I challenge you to a Quidditch match. Eight on eight. I brought my broomstick, and I know that everybody else has theirs."
"Excellent," she said, accepting the challenge. "I'll meet you with my team in front of the shed at twelve, deal?"
"Deal."
Ah, this was going to be the start of a beautiful relationship between them. And all I have to do is sit and watch.
"Arthur, you're a genius!" cried Molly, almost picking me up with her strong hug.
"I know, dear. It's just that nobody cares to notice anymore."
"I think we should watch this, this; 'Girls versus Boys Quidditch Match'. It'll be fun. And besides, when Harry and Ginny see everybody else in love, it'll be great."
Twelve noon came, as Ginny, her team, Harry, and the boys zoomed down the stairs to start the match being held on the four acres of land Molly and I owned. It was funny watching them, especially the girls. To some of them (Like Fleur and Hermione) this game was going to be tough, since they'd never picked up a broomstick before.
It was funny watching the two teams line up against each other. I was asked to be the referee; so I watched them playfully glare at each other before I threw up the quaffle, released the bludgers, and delicately took out the tiny mechanical tennis ball we used as the snitch.
"In this match, you are all inter-related, so therefore, no tackling, using charms, or offending allowed except by the beaters. The quaffle is red like always, the bludgers are softer but still mad and blue, and the snitch is lime green. Ready?"
They all shook their heads yes.
"Play ball!"
It was a long, grueling game of Quidditch. Harry was out of practice, and so was Ginny…and they didn't have the heart to knock each other out, though both were trying to.
The same went for several others of the couples. Fred and George were having trouble trying to hit Alicia and Angelina, making the bludgers soar off towards Fleur, who would scream and duck just in time; only to head towards Tonks, the girl's keeper.
All in all, the game went on until dusk, when the bugs came out, and Ginny kicked it into gear, catching the snitch two seconds before Harry would've.
But the arguing didn't arrive until dinner.
"You are the limit Ron! I told you! I didn't want to steal the quaffle from you, and it probably wasn't the best way to steal it either, but somebody had to do it, and Angelina and Alicia had gotten knocked off their brooms thanks to your brothers!" said Hermione angrily, grabbing a roll and passing the breadbasket around the table.
"Well, if Angelina and Alicia weren't so bloody stupid, then I would've…" started Ron.
"Hold up a minute! It was Fred who knocked me off my broomstick! Besides, Ron, if you got killed by a bludger and got knocked off your broom than you'd…" started Angelina.
"I still think it was unlawful of Hermione to take away the quaffle from Ron," said Percy quietly, passing the mashed potatoes.
"Oh, stay out of it, Percy, you weren't even apart of this, so you ought to keep your mouth shut!" exclaimed Penny, pointing her finger at him.
"What is this, a female run society?" asked Charlie curiously.
"Yes, and you'd better get used to it!" said Tonks indignantly, swallowing some food.
They all broke out into arguments. Molly and I watched, as if it was a muggle television reality show, waiting for the tears to come.
Not that I watched reality T.V. or anything…
"Arthur, do you think we ought to do something?" Molly asked me in the midst of all the fighting.
"No…couple fights are normal, remember, love?"
Molly glared at me. "Do you want them to tear up their relationships and have the rest of the break be full of door slamming and yelling?" she demanded.
"No, dear."
"Than I suggest you do something."
"Why me? They're your sons!"
"Sure, now they're mine. Like I didn't go through at least five hundred hours of labor all together for them? No, sweetie, this time you get to deal with them."
I groaned and looked around at them. The women arguing points, the men pointing forks at them every once in a while, sometimes getting food on themselves and the women. I wondered how in the world I was to achieve this.
"SHUT THE BLOODY HELL UP!" I roared, making all of them stop mid-sentence to look at me. "THIS IS INSANE! YOU ARE ARGUING OVER NOTHING! YOU ALL LOVE EACH OTHER!"
"But dad…Harry and I don't…" started Ginny.
"I REALLY DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT! YOU LOVE HARRY AND HARRY LOVES YOU AND YOU BOTH ARE JUST TOO SHY TO ADMIT IT!" I bellowed, and I heard a cat squeal in the back round.
"Look, Mr. Weasley…I…" started Harry.
"Now, I want all of you to think logically…" I said, my steam gone. I got up from my chair and slowly started to circle the table, my hands behind my back. This explanation was going to be long. "Tonks…Charlie…Charlie…Charlie…women's rights are not to be offended or argued unless you have a valid point. Tonks…you shouldn't make a tiny comment out of nothing. Kiss, make-up, finish your dinner and go to your room," I said. They stared at each other for a minute, finished their food, put their dishes in the sink, and slowly trudged upstairs. "As for you, Fred, George, Alicia, and Angelina, your story is a sad one. I watched you four the most intently. Angelina says one comment about Fred knocking her off her broomstick, and in the space of three minutes, its boys versus girls again. Angelina, Alicia, stop being so tough on the boys; Fred, George, stop being such idiots. Kiss, make-up, finish your dinner and go to your rooms."
"But dad, I didn't do anything…"
"You do not want to contradict me George!" I said hotly. The four of them had different reactions, cleaning up their dishes and quietly going upstairs, the girls looking at each other and giggling.
"As for you Percy, Penelope…you don't reprimand each other. You're both really shy and conservative, and I'm proud and all, but please don't have conservative fights in this house. It's too; well, scary…same goes for you as the others."
They quickly responded, cleaning up their dishes, kissing each other, and heading upstairs.
"Bill, Fleur, you didn't do anything…but I want to talk to these four alone. So, same drill as the others."
They grimaced at me, but headed upstairs, hand in hand.
I sighed and sat down and my end of the table. I knew I'd have to face poor, pale faced Hermione, who probably had never been formally talked to before in trouble, a red Ron, and two confused people who were just discovering that they were meant for each other.
"Look, you four…" I started, when Molly intervened.
"Ron, Hermione, from observing you at the Qudditch match, Mr. Weasley and I inferred that you are deeply in love with each other, however…"
"We deeply regret to tell you that arguing is not the key to everything. Bickering has been your entire love life, I know, but it really needs to stop."
"Yes, and we're having trouble keeping up with you."
"Well, mum…dad…we don't mean to fight it just…"
"Happens," said Molly and I in unison, making all of us laugh.
"Yes, we've experienced that, too," I said. I wish I didn't have to reveal my plan to Harry and Ginny just yet. "You both are excused."
They cleaned up their dishes and walked upstairs like the others.
"Look…Mr. and Mrs. Weasley…I…" started Harry.
"Don't say a word, Harry. Molly and I have both been too forward about this. We shouldn't force you two to get married and live happily ever after if you don't want to-" I started.
"But, Dad…we've already…"
"I know, you already decided that you never want to see each other again…"
"That's not it at all we just want to-" tried Harry.
"Alright, I get it. My matchmaking skills aren't that great, you know, and…"
"Arthur, just let them talk!" said Molly, interrupting my rampage in a quiet thought.
"We want to date each other," said Harry and Ginny together.
"Wow, that was quick. When did you decide all this?"
"This afternoon," said Ginny, squeezing Harry's hand.
Ha, I was so good, it wasn't even funny anymore.
"Are you guys sure?" asked Molly skeptically.
"Yes," said Harry awkwardly.
"We're positive."
Phase One complete.
It was a cold, brisk morning, and all of us were expected to be up by eight.
Except that nobody in the Weasley house was ever awake by eight except me. So, I quickly woke up Molly and she took out the old broomstick.
"Do you really think that's needed? I mean…we stopped doing that once Fred and George moved out…"
"There are exactly fourteen of them and I really don't want to wake them up individually. The broomstick door tapping has always worked fine."
"Alright…I'll do it…you'd better make the breakfast."
"You sure?"
"Yes, Molly dearest," I said sweetly, though secretly dreading the fact that I'd have to wake fourteen people up with a broomstick.
Eight Months Later
Harry and Ginny's Wedding Day
She sat in the Bride's room, idly twirling her two tendrils on either side of her head; and this was when I first had a good look at the young woman she had become.
Ginny Weasley truly was beautiful; in such a way that she reminded me of my mother. Built like her, she was tall, slender, and still curvy. Her deep auburn hair lightly dusted her lower back when it was down; beautiful and curly…yet not curly enough to be frizzy. Her big, beautiful brown eyes enhanced her face, with her medium size nose and perfectly shaped mouth.
Her dress set her off perfectly. Though she had no cleavage, her spaghetti strap dress showed off her delicate collarbones perfectly. Her bodice fit her perfectly, and her gown fanned out at the hips like a Cinderella dress. The gown showed off not just her body, but her fiery personality, and her hidden shy side.
Though the door was half-open, I knocked anyway, which spooked her.
"Dad," she said in a hoarse whisper.
"Gin. You look absolutely stunning. I mean…not that you don't always look stunning, but…"
"I get the point dad," she murmured in my ear. She stood up and turned to face me.
"Damn, since when did you get so bloody tall?" I asked her. She grinned.
"Well, I am from your side! And look at how tall you are, Mr. Six-foot-five! Even mum has to stand on tippy-toe to kiss your cheek!"
"You have changed," I said quietly.
"Dad," she said, giggling a bit, "I'm not the eleven-year-old girl that Harry saved from the Chamber…"
"Shh…don't talk about that on your wedding day…" I said, gently hugging her; I felt her cry into my chest like she was a little girl again. "You're going to ruin your make-up and my expensively-rented-black dress robes if you keep doing that!" I said, lifting up her chin; a grin spreading across my face.
"Daddy!" she giggled.
"Yes my sweet?"
"I love you…I love you so so so so much."
"I love you to Pluto and back," I said playfully, tickling her stomach.
She laughed, and we looked into each other's eyes.
"I'm really going to miss having you around the house."
"Well, dad…I don't want to live at home anymore, Harry and I have a house already picked up a bit south of Bristol."
"Good. Good. Sweetheart, we should probably…"
"You're keeping everybody waiting!" said Molly, leaning up against the doorway. "Come on! Madam Bones has a tight schedule and can't wait a minute longer!"
"Alright, we'll be there in a few minutes…" I said.
"I've give you a minute more of 'bonding time'," said Molly playfully, leaving the doorway with a smile on her face.
"Hey, you. Do you remember the muggle song I would sing to you when you were little…and I'd take all those out-of-country trips?"
"I'm Already There?"
"Yeah…It went like this…" I said softly, and began singing the song, "He called her on the road, from a lonely cold hotel room, just to hear her say 'I love you' one more time. But when he heard the sound, of the kids laughing in the back round, he had to wipe away a tear from his eye. A little voice came on the phone…"
"Daddy, when you comin' home?" Ginny interjected.
"He said the first thing that came to his mind…I'm already there…"
"Take a look around," she sang.
"I'm the sunshine in your hair, I'm the shadow on the ground, I'm the whisper in the wind, I'm your imaginary friend. And I know that I'm in your prayers, oh I'm already there…"
"We've got to go, Daddy…" said Ginny, her eyes filling up with tears.
"Look, you know you can just floo…you don't even have to…I mean you could even floo at the office…"
"I know, dad."
I touched her cheek. "Ok. Yeah. Well, you know…we'd better do this…"
"Yeah…let's go…"
I held her hand until we had to walk down the isle, where I myself cried, which I didn't think was possible…anyways…we then linked arms, and she stared at Harry; and their eyes met in love.
I lifted up her veil and kissed both her cheeks, staining her blush with my tear.
It was then that I knew she was gone.
It was then that I knew she'd made the right choice in Harry.