Chapter One: Wedding Invites
It was a bright Saturday afternoon, perfect for just kicking back and lazing the entire day away. Harry was sprawled over his living room sofa, with his legs dangling off the arm rest, with the Daily Prophet in his hands. Grimmauld Place was looking mighty homely these days, courtesy of Mrs. Weasley and Ginny. The pair of them had gotten the place cleaned till it was shining.
As a house warming gift, Hermione finally figured out a way to pry Mrs. Black of the wall. But, the portrait was hell bent on remaining in the house and the very next morning, Harry found the portrait back in the house. He wasn't complaining though, it was out of sight.
There was a faint pop sound, causing Harry to lower the paper and glance at his fireplace. Ginny Weasley materialized. She was wearing a light pink summer dress, and her hair was tied into a ponytail. She had a bright smile plastered on her face. She approached Harry in two strides and planted a kiss on his forehead.
"Hello!" She said cheerfully, pushing his legs off the arm rest. "Harry, please tell me you haven't just woken up?"
"What? Me? Hah!" He said rather unconvincingly, flattening his hair.
Ginny eyed him reproachfully.
"Fine, about ten minutes back."
"Slob!" She said smacking his arm playfully. "So listen, Hermione has planned this dinner thing tonight."
"Aha, I know about that one, Ron told me at work yesterday." Harry said, straightening up. "So are we supposed to get something?"
"Apparently not, but I was thinking of taking some pumpkin pie over." Ginny said, getting up and stretching. She saw the perplexed look on Harry's face. "I'm not making it, don't worry."
Harry smiled, somewhat reassured by her declaration.
"I'm thinking of using that book Hermione got me for our engagement gift, Thousand Spells to Charm the palette"
There was an insistent tapping on the window. Ginny edged towards the source of the noise. It was a beautiful white owl, tapping its beak against the glass.
"Hey Harry, you've got mail," She said, carefully opening the window, a habit she had developed with Pig. Unlike Pig, this owl swooped elegantly into the house and landed on the sofa arm with its leg stuck out. Ginny went out to untie the envelope attached to its leg. She delicately undid the string. As soon as the envelope was removed, the owl flew out of the window.
"Who's it from?" Harry asked emerging from the kitchen with a cup of piping hot tea and trying his level best not to spill the contents on himself.
"I don't know," Ginny said, still in the process of slitting open the envelope. "Merlin's left sock!" She gasped.
Harry set his cup down quickly and tried to grab the letter but managed to grab hold of only the envelope. He was unable to recognize the handwriting.
"It's a wedding invite," Ginny said slowly, passing the letter to Harry. "From Blaise Zambini!"
"Zambini!" Harry exclaimed, snatching the letter from his fiancée's hand. He read the invite carefully scrutinizing each and every detail. "Zambini's getting married, who would have thought." He scoffed.
"When is it?" Ginny asked.
"What does it matter?" Harry asked, his eyebrows arched in question.
"We obviously have to go! It won't look nice if we didn't!"
"This is bloody ridiculous!" He said, knocking over his cup. He leapt into the air before the hot liquid landed on him, but that didn't stop him from waving the invite maniacally over his head. "If Cho sent us an invite to her wedding would we go?"
"No!" Ginny said raising her voice. "But how does that make any sense seeing as I never dated Blaise!"
"Don't act all innocent on me!"He snickered.
Ginny had an irritated expression on her face. She muttered a spell to clean up the spilt tea.
"I'm not acting. I just don't see why you're so threatened by Blaise bloody Zambini."
"Seriously?" Harry asked, disbelievingly.
"Yes, seriously!"
"So you're telling me you had no idea whatsoever that Zambini had fancied you all through Hogwarts?"
"No I didn't!" Ginny said, starting to turn red. "He really did?"
"Yes he did." Harry said.
"He's not all that bad! Good on you Ginny!" She said in a rather giggly way.
Harry frowned in distaste. Had he not opened his mouth, she wouldn't have known. Now he had competition in the form of the very handsome ex-Slytherin.
"So it's settled then, we aren't going?"
"We have to Harry!" Ginny pleaded. "What difference does it make now? We're practically married anyways. It'll be like a reunion."
Harry grunted in response.
"We'll get to see what those low-life Slytherin losers are doing in life!"
This thought seemed to cheer him up. He got up and conjured another cup of tea. He sipped it slowly, contemplating on whether or not to attend Blaise's wedding.
"We'll go if Ron and Hermione are going." He said finally. He was banking on the fact that both Hermione and Ron hated the Slytherin.
"You're just being childish. Fine we'll ask them tonight." She said and without another word she flooed back to the Burrow.
Harry stared after her before finally sinking back into his original position on the sofa. He slowly drifted into sleep filled with the most bizarre dream. He dreamt he was in a reception of some sort. He was standing in line to wish the newly wedded couple, as he inched closer to them he recognized the faces of the couple to be that of Blaise Zabini and Ginny. Zabini spotted him and sneered at him, pausing to whisper something into Ginny's ears. Ginny turned in his direction and gave him a pitiful look, completed with a shake of her head, he could feel his head reeling and all of a sudden he fell.
Harry woke up startled and on the living room floor. A quick glance at his wrist watch told him it was time to get ready for his dinner party. He hurried and showered quickly in hopes of ridding himself of the peculiar dream. He apparated directly to Ron and Hermione's place without stopping at the Burrow.
"Harry!" Hermione greeted her friend. "I don't see Ginny," she said looking around for the red-head.
"Yeah, I came ahead I guess."
This earned him a puzzled look from Hermione. But, before she could get around to actually asking him anything Ron popped out of the kitchen with a muffin stuffed in his mouth.
"Ronald Weasley!" Hermione screamed, forgetting Ginny's absence. "If you eat up everything what do we serve the guests!"
Ron gulped the muffin down in fright and shrugged his shoulders.
"Sometimes, I swear she's so much like mum!" Ron whispered once Hermione had scuttled off to see how much damage had been inflicted.
Harry laughed. Ron clapped him on the back and the two of them started a friendly banter. A few minutes later, Ginny appeared with a small pie dish. She cold shouldered Harry for the better part of the evening. Hermione sensing this brought it up at dinner.
"What's wrong with the both of you?" She asked helping herself to some food.
Ron, who was piling his plate at top speed suddenly stopped. He had the stupidest expression on his face.
"What's happened?" He asked worriedly.
Ginny burst out laughing at her elder brother.
"Nothing's the matter Ron," Harry reassured him.
"Then what is Mione talking 'bout?" He said resuming his plate loading.
"Blaise Zabini." Harry grumbled.
"Blaise?" Hermione asked, not able to place the name. Then the realization hit her. "Oh, that really handsome Slytherin bloke?"
Harry and Ron stopped and stared at her. Ron had his mouth open, with partially chewed food for the whole world to see.
"Ron! Stop being so disgusting and close your mouth!" Hermione reprimanded, smacking Ron on his arm.
"We got an invite to his wedding," Harry continued.
Ron nodded his head in Harry's direction, sympathetically.
"So what?" Hermione asked. "Even we got one. We're going."
Harry groaned loudly and Ginny yelped in joy. Hermione and Ron looked at them as if the two of them had lost it completely. The remainder of the dinner was very silent except for the conversation between Hermione and Ginny. Hermione was busy describing Zambini to Ginny while Ron stuffed his ears with some carrots and Harry helped.
"We're going! We're going!" Ginny chanted all the way till they reached the Burrow.
Harry sighed loudly. He muttered a quick goodnight and kissed Ginny quickly, but she stopped him.
"Harry, this doesn't mean I fancy him or anything. It's just good ol' curiousity!" Ginny said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Harry smiled a little at this and disapparated to Grimmauld Place. Blaise Zambini had no idea what was in store for him.
