Note: In this particular fanfiction, the members of the Golden Trio are 17 going into their 7th year. Partially canon, but there are some changes; this includes the fact that the war is over. Fred hasn't died, as you will soon find out. Side pairings include Harry/Luna, Draco/Ginny, and Hermione/Fred, as well as some canon pairings. This is going to be either two or three chapters. The end is written, but if the fabulous writer who was willing to beta this thinks that I need to add another chapter in between the two chapters, I'll have to write it and get it beta'd.
Disclaimer: I solemnly swear that I don't own any of the canon characters!(And that I just totally misquoted the Marauders.) I did come up with the idea of Audrey's job on my own, though. (I think... JKR didn't give her a job, did she?) I also am not the first one to have a Gabrielle/Ron main pairing but the fifth. I feel clever, nonetheless. I don't even own Emma... she owns herself, being a living, breathing induvidual, and all... If there's anything I missed, please tell me, and I'll add it to the disclaimer.
Enjoy, and don't forget to review!
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It was only days until my sister Fleur was to be married, and the tenants of the house called The Burrow all seemed to be running around except me. Molly Weasley, Fleur, and my mother had teamed up to scream at various people to do things. This, of course, meant that Arthur Weasley, Bill Weasley, and my father were having a run for their money trying to keep peace and placate their significant others.
Their only daughter, Ginny, was nice enough to me, but she seemed very preoccupied since we snuck a look at the guest list and discovered that the Malfoys were coming- they are cousins of ours, after all, and things have grown more lax since the war ended. And even though no one else had noticed, the twin called Fred had taken to sneaking off with Hermione Granger when they thought they wouldn't be missed.
Harry Potter, the man who defeated the Dark Lord, was currently hiding out across town with his girlfriend, Luna Lovegood, but had, to Molly's delight and Hermione's chagrin, sent a House Elf named Kreacher to the Burrow to look after cleaning and whatever else Molly Weasley wanted him to do. He was also very polite, but he wasn't able to talk with me much, since Molly had him working himself to the bone; she never stopped thanking him.
Two of the other brothers- George and Charles- were still working so that they could take time off for the wedding. Percy Weasley, recently reconciled with his parents, had been put in charge of the plant and flower arrangements- something that the wedding planner, Audrey, insisted he had an eye for. I would have to agree with her, looking back.
Their youngest son, Ronald, was on outside cleaning duty. I liked to sit in the yard as he worked on carrying everything into the garage and entertaining me. Even though we were both perfectly aware that he was of age and that he could've just flicked his wand and he would've been finished with the whole affair, I think that he liked having my attention and the excuse to shed his shirt. Ronald Weasley, to put it frankly, was a show-off, and I enjoyed every second of it.
I don't remember exactly when I realized that I truly fancied him, that it wasn't just that I was impressed with him because he was seventeen and I was just fourteen. I think it might have been the day that I laughed at him because he was a fan of the Chudley Cannons. Or perhaps it had been the day that I started bringing him cool drinks when I came out to watch him. It could, I suppose, have even been the day I wore my blue sundress and let my hair out of its usual tight plait; once Ronald had stopped staring, he had laughed and told me that I was definitely related to my sister.
At the age of fourteen, I had already had much older and more sophisticated admirers than Ronald Weasley. I was one-fourth veela, and it wasn't as if the women of my father's family weren't attractive. However, I had less of the veela looks than Fleur did, my face had a decidedly Delacour-like air to it, I wasn't as talented at charming men as Fleur ever was, and I was only fourteen years old. So Ronald Weasley still saw me as the little kid that he had helped rescue back when I was just eleven, and I was too meek to make him see otherwise.
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The next time I was able to have a real conversation with Ginny was on the day of the wedding.
"Elle? Could you zip me up?" she asked, holding up the front of her bridesmaid's dress. It accentuated her curves perfectly- which she had been developing for at least two years longer than I had- as well as perfectly matching the golden undertones in her skin, eyes, and hair.
"You look so much better than I will," I whined. I took great pride in speaking English sans accent, a feat that Fleur couldn't seem to accomplish no matter how hard she tried.
"Of course not." Ginny rolled her eyes and took a charmed makeup bag, a pair of golden Grecian sandals, and a small sewing kit out of her worn duffel bag. My eyes widened.
"Oh, Ginny," I squealed, "You are the best!" She smirked at me as she helped me into my dress. The smirk was vaguely familiar, and it took me a moment to place where I'd seen it before.
"Draco," I said, and she froze, scissors poised.
"What about… Dr- Malfoy, Elle?" she asked hesitantly.
"Your smirk is just like his." She looked at me, evidently horrified. "Ginny, love, does this mean that you've been spending some private bonding time, so to speak, with my cousin?" She gulped, then nodded, not bothering to lie; she already knew she couldn't fool me. My face nearly broke in half I was grinning so hard.
"Ooh, Ginny, that's great! You two are absolutement parfait! And he's a very good kisser."
She stared at me, wide eyed, and I laughed.
"What? We're only cousins, Ginny. And part veela, you know." She glared at me, and I hurried to continue, frightened of the possible repercussions that would occur if I didn't reassure her. "It was ages ago, Ginny, his fifteenth birthday. We just snogged a bit; he didn't even feel me up. I'd just turned thirteen; there wasn't even anything to feel back then."
"And this is opposed to the very little that there is now?" She grinned mischievously, and I knew that I was forgiven.
"Exactly. Now, do magic with that needle and thread and make it seem like something is there."
"You promise not to try and snog Draco ever again?" she joked, continuing with her work.
"As good a kisser as he is, Gin, it's not worth invoking the wrath of Ginevra Molly Weasley. Anyway, I have someone else in mind…"
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The wedding was a success. There wasn't a dry eye in the room, and we all looked great. During the reception, I had walked past a loud and approving Blaise Zabini; he's known to be choosy with his girls.
"Dragon, who's the little golden one, is she a cousin of yours? Perhaps you could introduce us?"
I gave my cousin a quick look that said, 'Not now, I'm busy,' and brushed past the group of Slytherins as Draco slipped an arm around Ginny's slim waist, looking happier than I'd ever seen him before.
I continued through the crowd, looking to find Ronald so that we could both avoid having to dance. Due to the conversation we'd had some days earlier, I knew that he would be hiding in his room. He hated dancing as much as I did.
As I walked, I brushed past Fleur, and I quickly admired her stark white dress. Surprisingly, gold was a color that suited me better than it did her. She was all silver, which I had always thought looked tacky with gold. It looked fine as long as she didn't wear it, but the second you put it on her, it clashed with the silver in her hair and in her eyes. I, however, had golden-blonde hair and blue eyes, a combination that agreed very well with the color. Fleur, knowing this, had opted for the bride and groom's dress and robes to be the more traditional black and white.
Lost in my idle thoughts, I ran straight into Theodore Nott. He stepped quickly to the left, holding out his right arm to steady me as the drink in his left hand spilled a little on the floor.
"Watch out, Gabrielle," he said, offering me the same shy smile that he had given me at his Christmas party the previous year, his dark brown eyes warm as they appraised me. He then introduced the girl that showed up and clung possessively to his arm as his girlfriend Emma.
I was quick to smile at her, knowing that hesitation was quick to be taken as jealousy in Slytherin society. Once she had satisfied herself that I wasn't after Theodore, Emma, who was clearly at least eighteen, shook my hand and smiled politely.
I moved on, unsurprised to see Fred and Hermione dancing alongside Percy and Audrey, despite the fact that Molly seemed both shocked and absolutely ecstatic at the formation of both couples.
I knew that Ron was in his room; however, I wasn't ready for the sight that met my eyes when I peeked in. On the bed with him in a tight, low-cut dress, was a woman. And they were snogging. I felt as if a lead ball had been dropped on me. I quickly stepped back into the hall, running silently down the stairs and into the bathroom. I locked the door, sat on the closed toilet, and cried.
First, I cried because he was taken. Then, I cried because I had been so stupid as to believe there was hope. Finally, I cried because I'd had to watch a loud brunette with oversized breasts snog the man I was hopelessly infatuated with.
After I'd had my cry, I fixed my makeup, blew my nose, and then set off to find Blaise Zabini.
There was some snogging to be done.
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Well… here it is. The first chapter of my first two shot. It might become a three shot, depending on whether Aerileigh, who generously offered to betaread my story on very short notice late at night, thinks that there needs to be more.
What did you think? REVIEW!!! (It doesn't take that long, and it makes my freaking week... c'mon, you can even tell me you hated it. I really want to hear your opinion!!!)