Disclaimer: I own the Harry Potter books and a Viktor Krum Valentine's Day card. That's about it.


Chapter 1: Wedding of the Century

"BREAKFAST! Everyone get down here. IT'S A BIG DAY AND WE CAN'T BE LATE!" The voice of Molly Weasley rang throughout the Burrow as she continued to busy herself around the kitchen. Plates of piping hot bacon and sausages were stacked high, along with a mountain of pancakes and toast. Enough food to fit a small army, Molly mused to herself as she set out jugs of orange juice and milk. Though, she supposed the Weasley clan rather resembled a small army, they at least had the numbers, if nothing else.

And right on cue, her own rag tag army groggily stumbled into the kitchen. Mumbling good mornings and stifling yawns, everyone assembled and plopped down to consume in the vast amount of food in front of them.

Though she was no stranger to large crowds, even Molly was surprised at how…immense her family has grown. She surveyed her brood, doing a mental headcount: Fred was there with his wife Angelina. George and his girlfriend, Selene, had flew in from France the night before. Bill and Fleur brought over their twin girls, who were both happily throwing bits of bacon around the room – to Fleur's great chagrin. Even Charlie has flown back from Romania with Julia to attend his baby sister's wedding. Percy and Penny were to join them later that morning, opting to have breakfast in their own apartment to avoid the chaos and rowdiness that was sure to happen whenever the Weasley clan congregated. Off in the corner were Ron, Hermione, and Harry, chatting quietly. Ron, who had one arm casually thrown over Hermione, was maintaining a conversation while stuffing his face with food. Hermione, on the other hand, ate her eggs primly as she listened to the conversation about the new store at Hogsmeade. Molly couldn't help but smile proudly at her large family as they went about their breakfasts. Now that her baby girl is set to marry Harry, all of her children have settled down, some even starting families of their own. She couldn't believe how quickly time has flown, nor could she believe how kind the fates have been to them. She only hoped that this peaceful life would continue on for the rest of their days.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, Molly made a plate to bring up to Ginny, and tried to salvage some food for Arthur, who had left early that morning to run some last minute errands for the wedding.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Upstairs on the third floor, Ginny hummed softly to herself as she dashed around the room to get ready for her big day. She just changed out of her pajamas when she heard a knock on her door. "Come in." She said, and turned to see Mrs Weasley walk in with her breakfast. "Morning mum, you really didn't have to bring up my food, you know. It's not as if you don't have enough to do as it is." Ginny smiled kindly at her mom, even as she grabbed a slice of toast from the tray and plopped back down on the bed.

"I know darling, but we can't have you running into Harry today now. It's unlucky for the bride to see the groom on the day of the wedding!" Mrs Weasley chided softly. Her eyes softened and grew damp as she looked down on her youngest child. "My baby girl is all grown up. Getting married and moving out!" She whispered softly. Ginny stood up and hugged her mom, "Oh mum, Harry and I will only be a couple of minutes away, and you know we'll be back to visit often. Neither of us can cook even if our lives depended on it!" Ginny reassured her as she gave her mom a hug. "Oh, you always know what to say to make me feel better, don't you?" Mrs Weasley retorted, as she dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. "Well, I'll let you eat your breakfast and get ready, got lots to do today." Ginny flashed a brilliant smile as she watched her mom hurry out the door.

The smile faded from her face as soon as the door was closed. Ginny threw the half-eaten toast back on the plate, losing her appetite now that the reality of her wedding hit her full force.

Married, I'm getting married today.

When Ginny was younger, she used to daydream about her wedding day – where it would be, what it would look like, how radiant she would look in her dress. After being introduced to Harry Potter, the once faceless groom had shaped and morphed into the visage of The-Boy-Who-Lived. As she grew older, the daydreams grew more intricate and complex, the dresses and foods and locations changing occasionally to suit Ginny's ever changing interests. But the identity of her handsome groom never changed, his emerald eyes and tentative smile was burned into the back of her mind. Not until her first year at Hogwarts did the face in her daydreams shift to that of another.

At Hogwarts, the face that haunts her sleep also had dark hair and piercing green eyes, but it was now the face of Tom Riddle. Her dashing, engimatic Tom never left her thoughts during that tumultous first year, and even after his evil plan was unveiled, his dark and handsome face never truly left her mind.

After Ginny was rescued from the Basilik, Ginny hardened her heart against her childhood whims. No longer in love with Harry (how could she, when he was the one to take Tom away from her?) but too angry at Tom for his bitter betrayal ( No, he said he would never hurt me, a voice inside her head protested,) Ginny no longer fantasized about her wedding day. First year proved to be a brutal awakening for her, and suddenly she felt too old – too worldly - to waste time on fairytale endings and other such insubstantial things.

Nonetheless, here she was, fresh out of Hogwarts and about to marry Harry. She supposed she was happy, having gone through a myriad of emotions for him since the Chamber of Secrets – puppy love, hate, anger, gratitude and companionship all blended together and gradually turned to love.

Trying to quench a growing sense of uneasiness, she told herself that she was being silly. I love Harry, and marrying him would make me happy, she repeated over and over to herself. You love him, but you love Tom more, another part of her hissed dangerously. Deep within her heart of hearts, she knew that was true. While her love for Harry was comfortable and safe, like the warm afterglow of a dying fire, her love for Tom was dangerous and unpredictable, more akin to an uncontrolled flame that threatened to consume her heart, body, and soul.

Snorting to herself, she remembered an old saying that her mom used to say: love can either warm your heart or burn your house down.

Ginny walked to her closet and took out her wedding gown. She stared at her dress and thought of all that it implies – and she was suddenly bombarded by visions. She braced herself against images of Harry's smile, of her beaming parents, of her and Harry's new flat, and of a new life utterly and totally devoid of Tom.

She closed her eyes and tried to stop the sharp pain in her heart at the last thought. She smiled ruefully as she stepped into the strapless white gown, zipping it up the slowly. If love is supposed to passionate and all consuming, that I wish to burn, she decided.

And burn, she did.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The sun shone down on heavily on the wedding guests in the gardens, and the stifling July heat was somewhat soothed by the occasional summer breeze. The garden behind the burrow was transformed wonderfully for the summer wedding, a trail of rose petals separated by several rows of unadorned white chairs led up to a small gazebo, which was especially flown in for the ceremony. Both Harry and Ginny had wanted a small and private ceremony among their closest friends and family. As a result, only the Weasley clan and some Gryiffindors were present, along with Professor MacGonagall and a select Ravenclaws with whom the couple is close to.

The conversations and laughter gradually died down as the minister stood up and took his place at the gazebo. All the guests returned to their seats, and all eyes turned to the gazebo as Harry calmly strode to his place in the front. When the string quartet began playing Pachebel's Canon, Harry turned to his left and shared a smile with Ron, his best man and soon to be brother-in-law. His attention turned to the back of the garden when the guests looked to the back of the garden, indicating the arrival of the matron of honor and the bride. His emerald eyes shone with anticipation as he tried to caught a glimpse of Ginny, and he was only vaguely aware when the canon faded into the wedding march. This is it, Harry, he thought to himself, the beginning of happily ever after.

Upon hearing the music change, which was their cue to start the procession, Ginny watched as Hermione, her Matron of Honor walk down the aisle, her graceful and sure steps perfectly in time with the music. Ginny was trying to take in all the details of the wedding and almost missed her own cue. Thankfully, Arthur Weasely was paying attention, and squeezed his daughter's hand to get her attention. Beaming down proudly upon his only daughter, the pair began the procession down the aisle to a mesmerized Harry.

Upon the arrival of the bride, the guests stood up to show their respect for the bride's procession. Ginny took this time to look at all the faces of the guests, nodding and smiling occasionally to greet a friend or a brother. Almost upon the gazebo, Ginny turned her eyes to her soon-to-be-husband, her face softening when she saw the love and adoration that was displayed in his emerald eyes. She unconsciously thought of another pair of mesmerizing green eyes, before she sharply hushed the traitorous thought. Arthur and Ginny stood in front of Harry, and Arthur kissed Ginny's cheek before handing her arm to his almost son-in-law and taking a seat next to Molly.

The music has stopped, and the minister has started talking, welcoming everyone to this momentous occasion and proclaiming the virtues of young love and… Ginny tried her hardest to pay attention to his speech, but she was distracted when she saw moving shadows out of the corners of her eyes. She thought it was her imagination at first, but then she realized that Harry also seemed distracted, as he kept looking to the side as well. Feeling a bit nervous now, Ginny tried not to panic as the shadows became to move quicker. She also heard muffled whisperings, bits and pieces of words and phrases that somehow made their way to her ears. She shook her head and once again tried to pay attention to the minister, who seemed oblivious to the disturbance.

The minister's discourse was interrupted by a loud BOOM, which was followed by a cloud of billowing black smoke. Before anyone could react, a cry of "Incarcerous!" resonated throughout the garden. Ginny couldn't help but shudder at the sheer impact, as she had felt the words rather than actually hearing them. When the smoke cleared, Ginny watched in horror as the spell bound everyone's arms and legs with magical rope. All of the guests were tied to their chairs, and she watched dumbly as the magical ropes wove its way around Harry and the minister, forcing them to fall to the ground.

Trying to slow down her hammering heart, Ginny barely had time to wonder why she was the only one not affected by the spell when she heard the distinct "pop" of someone apparating. The "pop"s continued, and Ginny's eyes widened as she watched Death Eaters appear in the garden one by one. There were at least 20 of them, and Ginny knew that she could only take about 5 or 6 of them without her wand. Her senses went on overdrive as she tried to take in what was happening. Noticing that someone was trying to sneak up behind her, she spun around to confront the culprit. She was greeted by the face that has haunted her thoughts for the past 7 years, and she felt herself go numb from shock. She vaguely remember dropping her bouquet, as the devil with the face of an angel purred his greeting.

"Long time no see, Ginevra."

…TBC…..


A/N: Review is love! Please let me know what you think and what direction you want this fic to go. Next chapter will be Tom's POV about crashing the wedding...

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