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The day was far too nice to remain shut up inside, as Molly Weasley had declared, so the Burrow was left, for the first time in her memory, entirely empty. Its seemed that even with her children grown, someone was always inside. Bill and Fleur stopped by at least twice a week, bringing their daughter along, while Charlie, still as free as ever, stopped by sporadically for long stays. George stopped by for dinner, Ron visited every Sunday with Hermione in tow, and Arthur, of course, after a long day of work, could be found lounging at the kitchen table, a cup of his favorite tea in hand. Percy came by on holidays (that was all anybody could take of him), and Ginny, bless her heart, still remained in her garden view bedroom, keeping the house occupied when the others weren't near, though she seemed to stay there less and less lately. Soon with her marriage, Molly thought, she would be gone like all the others.
Even on a nice day such as this, and with so few children around, Molly was busying herself with the chore of hanging the laundry on a line in the yard. She had asked Ginny to join her, if only to keep her sane, and the home behind them seemed eerily quiet, as if it were dead. The day was soft and warm, the sound of the tall meadow grass blowing around them seemed to whisper peace at them, yet the girls found the day to be strangely lonely. So Molly pinned the wet clothes on the line as Ginny, following closely behind, folded the dry ones and put them in the basket, and all the while, they spoke of simple things to break the silence. The sun was hot, the cloth they folded was crisp, the cheery breeze blowing the fabric like sails on a ocean on dry dirt beneath their feet. Summer was very near.
"I'm very glad for you, of course. Though, promise you won't forget your old mother back home?" She pinned a pair of trousers to the line. Her hair was tied up messily, and some pieces struggled free of her styling, so that they flowed into her face as she moved. " Its good you two thought to wait a few years before you were engaged. Honestly, dear, your father and I could have done with some time to see the world. Not that I regret it. Pass me those robes? Thank you dear."
Molly stuck the robes neatly to the line as Ginny folded beside her.
"I'm glad he finally asked me." said Ginny. The golden late-noon sun glinted off her ruby hair, and kissed her face. "It's been more than five years already."
"Well, I was wondering when he would get around to it. But after what Harry's been through, you must be patient. He seems well enough now. I think you'll bring a lovely light to his life."
"Maybe a light or two into Grimmauld place, it could surely use it. The place looks dreadful, I can barely hope to fix it up."
"I suppose Harry hasn't done much to it since I've been there?" Molly said, remembering the last time she had visited the boy. Nowadays, he insisted on visiting the Burrow, instead of the Burrow visiting him, but when his home had been open to them, it seemed that the place had fallen back into the hands of pre-phoenix care. What was worse, Harry wouldn't let them fix anything. The only rooms suitable for anyone to live were his bedroom, the kitchen, and perhaps the sitting room, if only for him to use the Floo. Though they could not blame the boy for the home's disrepair, as he had many things to do and fixing a house was at the bottom of his list. Five years later, though, Molly thought surely he would have done something about his home. Her suspicions were correct.
"Its better than you've seem, Mum. Most of the rooms are livable. But still, you remember how dark it was there. How grim it was. I doubt putting a unicorn in the dinning room would do much to cheer it up."
She yanked her dress from the line, folded it neatly, and continued down the line.
"You'll manage there, dear. Don't you worry." Ginny nodded in a disinterested way. Molly took notice. "... Have you two talked of starting a family?"
The thought made Ginny smile. "Imagine lots of little Harries and Ginnies running around, keeping Mummy on her toes." She worked her way further down the line. Around the Burrow, tall grass swayed in the warm breeze. She laughed. "We're not even married yet. I'd like to see how that works, before we start choosing baby names."
"Oh, but its always fun to daydream, too. You know, When I was younger, I wanted to have triplet girls. The first would be named Suzie, and she would love to knit. The second would be Clara, and she would sing every day. The third and youngest would be named-"
"Ginny." The young redhead recited, as if she had heard it one hundred times before. "And she would be good at everything else. And I grew up to be just like her."
"Well you did, dear. I'm sorry to say, your knitting is not very neat. Though your singing voice isn't bad." Molly laughed, "To think I ended up with six boys. I thought three girls would be plenty. But, its never bad to think, dear."
"I know. I used to think I wouldn't have kids at all. But that was when even Charlie was home during the year, so children didn't seem very fun."
"I think you would make a lovely mother. You've plenty of practice with Teddy Lupin."
"Teddy's Harry's kid, not mine. I get to do the fun stuff. Harry does the dad things, really. And Andromeda is his Mum." She folded another shirt neatly, and placed it in their laundry basket. She smiled at a thought. "Harry will be a great dad."
"He already is, isn't he? I would hate to see what Teddy would be like without him."
"I sometimes think the opposite." Said Ginny, trying not to sound too alarming. Even so, Molly turned.
"You don't think Harry is good with him?"
"I think Harry is great with him. I just hate to see where Harry would be without Teddy."
"Ah, well, its very sweet, how he seems comforted by the boy. And now with a soon to be wife, he should be much better, don't you think?"
"I hope so."
Molly nodded cheerfully, pinning yet another set of robes to the line. Her rosy cheeks bulged with prospective joy. "You make a lovely couple. And you'll make a lovely family. Make sure to bring the children by to visit."
Ginny laughed at her mother's persistence.
"Mum, I told you, I won't forget you here. And Harry practically lives here if he's not at Andromeda's, or with George at the shop. He's practically your son."
"I like to think it, but will he still visit when you're no longer here?" She chided, though honestly, her real fear had finally been voiced, and Ginny knew it.
Ginny turned.
"Mum." She said seriously. Her mother faced her. "I promise. I could never forget about my own mother. Especially one as wonderful as you."
Molly smiled, but didn't seem to believe her. "thank you dear."
"I promise. And Harry will promise too. You can ask him. He would agree."
"No, no. I wouldn't bother him with it. He's got so much to worry about as it is." Molly peered over the clothes line, " Is that him?"
A tuft of black hair had appeared in the blowing grass surrounding the home. It floated slowly towards them, bouncing up and down with every one of the owner's steps. Ginny squinted through the sunlight.
"He must have just apparated. Oh, I just made cookies I'll fetch him some, shall I? We can all sit and chat." Molly hustled back towards the house, then shouted back, affectionately, "Go greet your fiancée!"
The form of Harry Potter materialized through the grass, dressed in a grey muggle suit, the jacket draped over his right arm. He looked as he always did; his lips drawn into a neutral frown, and his eyes shifting around to scope the area. His hair was as messy as ever, and his glasses flashed in the sunlight. Ginny ran forward.
"Hey Gin." He said, with his usual shy disposition. Ginny kissed him on the cheek. "What've you been doing?"
"Laundry." Ginny rolled her eyes at the chore. "Mum thought we should spend some time outside before the sun sets."
Harry nodded, stepping through the yard and eying everything around. He caught sight of Molly working in the kitchen and he waved at her through the window. She smiled broadly in return.
"Where did you go after lunch?" Ginny asked sweetly. She lead his by the hand towards the table in the yard. "George told me you took off today when I came by to visit. He thought you'd be with me."
"I'm sorry." He seated himself at the table to face her. "I was working on something for the wedding."
"Really?" Ginny raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Harry had avoided as the wedding planning on his part as much as possible, as he felt rather useless with the frills and intricacies. He had gotten them the location, but it was Professor McGonagall's idea and request to have the ceremony on the grounds of Hogwarts, and Harry had merely relayed the message to Ginny when he received it. The only thing he had really done, quite to Ginny's content, was hand deliver several of the more important invitations, which seemed to make the recipients very happy. He had probably done the same thing this afternoon. "Who did you see?"
"One of the groomsmen." He spied Molly, walking near with a tray of snacks, and he stiffened. "I don't know if I should tell you now-"
"Tell us what, dear?" Molly asked, sitting herself down opposite the two of them. The two women seemed to leer at him for information.
"-I-I... um-" Harry stammered, and in his defense reached for a gingersnap cookie off the tray, and shoved it into his mouth. The crumbs spilled out onto his trousers.
"Harry's picked one of his groomsmen." Ginny reiterated, saving Harry from his anguish. "He hasn't told me yet who he has chosen."
"I didn't know if he would accept." Harry admitted quietly, making the girls look at him in surprise. He had received piles of mail requesting the honor of groomsman when the announcement of their wedding was finally made, and though most were simply fans craving to be a part of his life, Harry would be hard pressed to find someone who did not want to be part of the wedding party.
"Who, Harry? Surely somebody I know?" Ginny inched closer. He chocolate brown eyes grew wide.
"Yes dear, who is it?"
Harry stammered once more. "I-I, um, asked...George! This morning, of course. He said he would love to. No surprise there,"
"Oh, how lovely!" Molly clapped her hands. Harry continued.
"And Ron's my Best Man, of course. No surprise there, either. um-"
"But who did you see today? Neville?"
"Oh how lovely. Neville would be a wonderful groomsman."
Harry shook his head. Ginny furrowed her brow in confusion. "Not Neville? Then who is it?"
"You don't really know him."
"Who is it?"
Harry ducked his head like a dog ready to be whacked with a newspaper. "I don't know if both of you will approve..."
"We can't approve unless you tell us, dear." Molly was hanging on the edge of her seat. Ginny nodded in agreement.
"... Dudley. My cousin, Dudley. These cookies are great Mrs. Weasley! Do you have more inside? I think I'll go get them-"
"Harry!" He cringed and sat back down in defeat. He knew he shouldn't have said it. "Dudley?"
"The boy you grew up with?" Molly asked, struggling to find a polite word. "The one Arthur told me-"
"Yes." Harry said solemnly. "That one."
"Harry! He's horrid! Isn't he? Why would you ask him? You could have asked Neville! Neville would be a perfect groomsman! You picked your cousin over Neville?"
Harry rubbed his hand through his hair, messing it further.
Ginny continued. "Why would you do that?"
Harry shrugged. He starred down at the grain of the wooden table, as if he was simply taking the blows Ginny threw at him. Neither woman noticed his defeat.
"He's not the one who ate the toffees?" Molly asked "You know I don't speak badly of people, Harry, but he sounds-"
"Awful! Exactly!" said Ginny. "I'm sorry Harry, he just doesn't sound pleasant at all. I don't want him in our wedding party. I won't have him ruining the day."
"He won't" Harry said in defense, but he wasn't sure either woman had heard his plea.
"You've never really spoken well of your relatives. I don't see why you would invite them."
Harry nodded, then shifted his weight off of his seat.
"Perhaps you could send him a letter, telling him it was a mistake. You can't really invite him, to be a groomsman. It would be disrespectful to you."
Harry swung his leg quickly around, and was on his feet. His glare was cool, and silenced the two women in an instant.
"No, why would I invite any of my own family to our wedding?" He asked sarcastically. He straightened his collar and retreated. He plastered on a terrible false smile as he went. "I'll see you later, Gin, Mrs. Weasley. I'm going to go check up on Teddy. Thank you for the cookies."
"Harry-" Ginny rose, but Harry was already outside the apparation boundaries, and with a pop, he was gone. She looked desperately at her mother, who shook her head.
"Let him go, dear. He'll be back."
She threw herself back down into her seat. "I don't understand why he would do that. Dudley was awful to him."
"You don't know, dear. Perhaps Dudley is different than Harry has said. Or perhaps Harry can see past the bad things." Molly straightened the platter , wiped the table, and rose. "They're his relatives. Only he can fully understand them."
Ginny nodded, then turned to look back at the spot where Harry had dissaperated. As if trying to will him back, she starred at the spot, until her eyes watered in the brightness of the dying day. She rose, went back to the task at which she had previously worked at, and when the sun began to set, she gathered the laundry basket, gave a last glance to the spot, and hoped to Merlin that he would be back before the end of the night. It didn't take long for the Burrow to fill again for dinner, George back from the shop, Arthur from the Ministry, but no black hair bobbed through the grass again that night, nor did it return the next morning. Ginny knew Harry was fine. He was always fine, and usually on his own. But she wanted desperately for his to come back through the grass, smiling, calling her name, and saying he forgave her. He wouldn't come back. He was with Teddy now. He was always with Teddy. And if no good came from the day, at least Ginny was glad a little boy with teal hair had such a dedicated godfather.
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