An Unexpected Invitation
When she got the wedding invitation, Lavender didn't really know how to react. Was she supposed to feel flattered that Harry and Ginny had thought about her, or should she see this as some sort of prank? Had they invited her to make fun of her? After all, if she went, she would have to see the Golden Trio, and especially Ron and Hermione, for the first time ever since the now famous Battle of Hogwarts. She was torn. But, then again, Harry didn't seem like the kind of lad to humiliate people like that. And Hermione did save her life despite their animosity. Yes, she would go. She at least had to thank her. And it was a one in a lifetime thing. She would go to the Chosen One's wedding! Thousands of people would kill to be in her place!
The Weasley family had decided to use the Fidelius Charm to prevent unwelcome admirers from coming to the wedding. Thus, Lavender had to Apparate outside the small town near the Burrow, answer George Weasley's questions to make sure that there was no Polyjuice potion involved and read the piece of parchment he gave her to get there. She had just stepped into the huge white marquee when a female body in a pink dress launched itself at her. Parvati! Lavender was so glad that Padma and she were here! Harry and Ginny must have invited all their schoolmates. After greeting some of her fellow Gryffindors, including Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan, Lavender's eyes went to the back of the room. That was when she saw them. Ron Weasley and his fiancée, Hermione Granger. As if on cue, it was right at this moment that Hermione turned her head and her eyes landed on her. Ron followed her stare and soon they were all exchanging awkward looks. Lavender didn't really know what to do. Should she go talk to them? Yes. She had to show them that they didn't affect her anymore. And she had to thank Hermione. She would walk with her head held high and smile to them. She was a Gryffindor after all! And Gryffindors were brave and proud.
As she got to them, Ron dipped his head and Hermione gave her a half-smile.
"Hi" said Lavender "how are you doing?"
"Err, fine" answered Ron "what about you?"
"I'm good too" she said, not really surprised by his lack of conversation material "I'm really happy to see you today. I mean!" she turned to Hermione who didn't look so bad in her red dress "Both of you, of course!"
"Yeah, it's good to see you too" said Hermione
"Actually, I... I wanted to thank you. For, you know, saving my life during the battle. It means so much to me and I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you, Hermione."
"You're welcome, Lavander, but it was nothing, really. You would have done the same thing for me, I'm sure."
"Yeah" said Ron,"us Gryffindors have to stick together, huh?"
At that moment, a very small man with a long mustache cleared his throat and told everyone to get to their seats as the wedding was about to start. Lavender was glad that this awkward moment was over. She went right next to Parvati and Padma, behind Angelina Johnson and George Weasley. Before sitting down, she took a look around. The garden was really beautiful. The Burrow actually seemed kind of out of place in it. It was shapeless and rustic. She had never been there before but people had told her it was an uncommon place."Uncommon indeed!" She thought with a small chuckle. She then looked at the people in the audience. She recognized a lot of faces. There were Oliver Wood, Lee Jordan, Alicia Spinett, Katie Bell, Ernie MacMillan, Anthony Goldstein, … She could also easily understand which people belonged to the Weasley family. However, right behind Harry, there was a tall blond man dressed as a muggle that she didn't know.
Contrary to what she had expected, the evening went on just fine. Harry and Ginny were beaming. The youngest Weasley, soon-to-be Potter, was wearing a gorgeous but simple white dress that only brought out her long flowing red hair. Harry's hair was as messy as usual but he looked handsome. The ceremony itself was very short but emotional, especially when Harry and Ginny exchanged their rings and a lot of people had tears in their eyes. It was regularly interrupted by Molly Weasley crying her eyes out and loudly claiming that she had loved Harry as if he were her own son ever since they had met him at King's Cross Station. The only one who could truly compete with her was Hagrid who kept stating that Harry's parents would have been so proud of him while blowing his nose in a tissue that looked more like a tent. Lavender even caught Professor McGonagall wiping a tear discretely. During the party, she had a few conversations with the guests that she knew, including a fifteen-minute-long chat about the guests' dresses with Fleur Weasley, and danced with some of her former classmates. It was as if she had gone back to Hogwarts. Actually, it was even better than back then. The trauma left by the war in people's minds seemed to have brought them all closer together and she found herself really enjoying the evening. Even Ginny managed to stay calm and polite when Cho Chang asked if she could dance with her husband and let her take him by the hand, at the condition that he made it up to her later. Lavender, however, avoided Luna Lovegood who was dressed, once again, in a yellow robe. She had always found this girl weird and slightly annoying.
After a long and frenzied waltz shared with Neville, she decided to go back to her table as her feet really hurt her. As she, once again, looked around the place, she noticed the same man from earlier. He sat alone at a table and seemed very bored so she decided to go talk to him.
"Hello" she said with her brightest smile "Do you mind if I sit with you?"
He seemed surprised by her request but pulled out the chair next to him anyway.
"No, no problem"
"Are you a friend of Ginny's? I don't think I've ever seen you before."
"No" he answered "I am Harry's cousin. I, err, am not a wizard. Err. Dudley Dursley !" he finally said, extending his hand
"Oh, I see! Nice to meet you! I'm Lavender Brown, I went to school with Harry and Ginny." replied Lavender while shaking his hand
He made a strange face when she mentioned Hogwarts but didn't say anything. He didn't fit at all the various descriptions that she had heard Harry make during their years at Hogwarts. Of course, he really was a blond man around their age who had a very small neck. And looked at anything that resembled food with an intense desire in his eyes, though resisting the temptation. But he was slim – muscular even – and he seemed pretty harmless and uneasy, sitting alone on a chair and wearing a black suit. Lavender felt a little sorry for him. She knew he was a muggle who was lost into a world that he didn't understand with people he hardly knew.
"So, Harry told me some things about you but it is really different meeting you in person."
"Um, yes" he seemed embarrassed
"Doesn't it feel too strange for you tonight?" she said, changing the subject
"Well, this house is really weird!" said Dudley
Lavender laughed loudly.
"Yeah, I can't disagree with that!"
"Yes, it feels kind of strange" he went on with a polite smile "I'm not really sure of how everything works here but, it's okay, I guess. It was really nice of Harry to invite me."
Lavender thought he looked actually really cute, not knowing what to say or do.
"Well, if it makes you feel better, I really don't know how things work in the muggle world."
"I could always explain some things to you" he offered
"Sure!" replied Lavender "I'm just going to fill up my cup again."
He started to get up to do it for her but, with a flick of her wand, it was already done. Dudley stared at the cup, seemingly caught between fear and amazement.
"Whoops! Sorry!" said Lavender "I tend to forget how weird it may look for muggles, it is so natural for me!"
Dudley appeared kind of offended by the word "muggle" but she spoke again, batting her eyelashes.
"So, how about you tell me about your life and I tell you about mine?"
Time seemed to accelerate as they talked. Lavender learnt that Dudley worked at his father's drill manufacturing company – she had no idea what it was – and that he also practiced boxing. Moreover, he told her about a device called television and tried to explain how something named internet worked. He even offered to give her his number but she didn't understand what he meant by that. His number of what? As for her, she told him that she was working in a shop – at least that he could understand – and mentioned a muggle song that she had once heard on the WWN. While they came from very different world and could hardly share their opinion on things, she enjoyed just being in his company. After their glasses had been refilled several times, he asked her if she would like to dance. She happily took his hand and, while they swayed together – after he accidentally stepped on her foot twice but immediately begged forgiveness – she thought that this wedding had gone really well, after all.