With the nauseating feeling of being sucked through a tube, Harry was finally able to recognize his surroundings. They had arrived back in the church attic, the room that he had fled only twenty minutes ago. Straightening his tie, he looked at Hermione.
"I figured it'd look less suspicious if we just apparated straight in here" she explained swiftly as she regained her footing. Finally catching her balance, she added,"Come on, let's go downstairs and hope that no one was observant enough to notice your absence." With that, she marched through the doorway and down the stairs, leaving Harry confused and dazed. Looking at his watch, he hurried down the stairs after her, only to be met by the biggest mob of people he had ever seen. A sea of people were in the hallway, just waiting for the doors to the ceremony to be opened. Children dressed in formal suits ran around the adults, while they chatted calmly about the wedding. From this angle on the stairs, Harry could see the massive outline of Hagrid talking to his date, Madame Maxime while Xenophilius Lovegood stood next to them, doing some tribal dance in the corner. It was complete chaos.
Although he and Ginny had opted for a more private wedding; just friends and family, their guest list had included over a hundred wizards. With the expanding Weasley clan, and their Hogwarts acquaintances, the church was jam-packed. Slowly descending the last step, he noticed a red mop of hair bobbing towards him.
"Sorry mate, uh... it'll be starting soon ma'am... excuse me... out of the way please... best man coming through." Ron yelled as he bumped his way toward Harry, Hermione attached to his left arm. The usually calm man looked flustered and weary, and Harry accredited this to his hatred of formal occasions.
"Bloody hell, Harry! Where've you been? I've been looking for you for the past ten minutes!" Ron said loudly, raising his voice over the buzz in the room. "The wedding party's set - we're almost ready to enter."
"Sorry mate, I was just getting some air, that's all." he answered simply, "Shall we open the doors or what?"
"Yeah, it should be about time now." Ron called over the crowd before turning to Hermione, "Can you go gather the rest of us? Tell them to go to the main entrance, it won't be long now". With that, he planted a kiss on her forehead and Harry could have sworn he could hear Hermione giggle as she shrugged out of Ron's embrace and out into the crowd.
"Ready?" he nodded at Ron as the two of them flicked their wands at the large door. It sprang open, revealing a room resembling an ice castle inside. Shaking hands as they went, he watched as the guests started to flood into the ceremony room, but he did not fully enter the room. Instead, he followed Ron to the wedding party, needing to talk with them before Ginny's arrival. Before he could open his mouth, he was ambushed by a familiar two-year-old.
"Har, Har!" Teddy yelled as he ran into Harry's arms in a blur of blue. "I have wing, wanna see?" Up in Harry's arms, he held out a box in his chubby hand that contained Harry's and Ginny's rings.
"That's right, Ted. You've got to hold on to them carefully, because they're very special to me and Aunt Ginny, okay?" He and Ginny had decided on Teddy being the ringbearer as soon as the idea had popped into their minds. Unlike complicated decisions with bouquets and meal options, Teddy was the obvious choice and neither Harry nor Ginny could imagine celebrating their special day without their favourite little boy. Unfortunately, the rings the boy had to carry had not been an easy pick. Months ago, Harry had promised that he would pick out Ginny's ring for her, while Ginny would select a wedding band for him. The idea had sounded romantic and sweet in their planning, but as soon as Harry entered a jewelry shop, he lost all his reasoning. There were so many rings to choose from; big rings, small rings, rings with one diamond, rings with two diamonds, rings with rubies, rings with emeralds... the list went on and on. However, after several hours pondering in the shop, he had finally decided on a simple ruby and diamond duo. He knew that Ginny preferred simpler things, and he felt that the ruby represented the fire in their relationship while the white symbolized purity and faithfulness. It seemed perfect for the free-spirited girl that he was crazy for.
"Prwomise. I don't wanna make Aunt Guinny sad. She gives me chocolate fwogs." the little boy answered shyly, tightening the box in his hands. Harry turned to the group facing him, all of which who were looking at him expectantly. The wedding party was actually rather small, and most of them were friends that both Harry and Ginny had known for years. He had picked three groomsmen; Bill, George, and Neville, as well as Ron for his best man. The decision had been simple for him, both Bill and George were his future brother-in-laws and had been Harry's acquaintances for years. Neville was also an easy pick as he had lived with him, and been friends with him for most of his Hogwarts days. Ginny had picked three bridesmaids as well; Luna, Fleur, Angelina, as well as Hermione for her maid of honour. Victoire, only a few months old, was to be the flower-girl, although this was mostly because both of her parents were in the wedding party and it was simply more convenient.
"You'd better get on with it, mate, we don't have all week!" commented Ron, half-chuckling as he said so. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry could have sworn he saw Hermione aim a kick at Ron in response, and the laughter suspiciously stopped.
"Err- well," Harry started, beginning to feel awkward with the numerous faces staring at him. "I just wanted to say... thanks everyone, for everything. I know, Ron and Hermione, I've mentioned this a few times, and you're probably sick of me saying this, but thanks to all of you for making this day happen."
"It's almost like you're a part of the family already, Harry." Bill said calmly, clapping Harry on the back. Like the rest of the groomsmen, Bill was dressed in a black suit, complete with a red tie. Although Mrs Weasley had fussed over Bill's hairstyle, Harry had no qualms with it, and so the tall man wore it as usual in a long ponytail. His famous earring, however, was left out, and Harry guessed that it had come out reluctantly after Mrs Weasley's nagging. "Now, let's not keep Ginny waiting any longer, I'm sure you know how girls feel about these shenanigans." Dropping his voice, he added, "Personally, I'll be happy to get out of this suit."
Harry let out a surprisingly loud laugh before setting Teddy back on the floor next to Bill. He suddenly felt like a shadow of his former self, with a sudden urge to run and yell... anything really, just to tell everyone how happy he was, but settled with giving George a mad grin and Victoire a pat on her head.
"Well, I'm going to go out there. Hermione, I reckon you should fetch Ginny." Harry instructed, a Cheshire grin still planted on his face. "I'll see you all in a few minutes."
With that, he ventured toward the large doors, a newly found spring in his step. The buzz of conversation was now inaudible to him, a meaningless murmur that couldn't stop his happiness. However, one voice seemed to slip past his internal screen.
"Good luck, Harry!" a dreamy voice that Harry could easily recognize as Luna's, called. He didn't bother answering her verbally, instead he momentarily turned around to give her a smile, knowing that she'd appreciate it all the same.
Harry entered the room, still unsure of what to expect. The ceremony hall had been decorated by both Mrs Weasley and Fleur, and they had made sure that neither Harry nor Ginny would see it before the big day. Knowing how extravangant Fleur could be with occasions, this made Harry slightly uneasy. The little church room had been magically expanded to fit their cluster of guests, who were all sitting happily on the church benches. As he slowly walked down the aisle, they stopped to gawk at him, making him feel even more queasy. Unlike before, it was a different kind of queasy - not an uncomfortable, your-life-is-over kind of queasy, but instead an anxious and excited feeling. Flashing a smile at some of the guests, he made his way to the top of the aisle and was finally able to survey the room comfortably.
The room was truly a winter wonderland. The floor was bewitched to look like newly fallen snow, and the walls looked like the inside of an icy cave. The ice benches were adorned with ribbons of red and gold much like the altar that he and Ginny would be married, and the aisle that Harry had just walked over was a deep crimson red. To top it all off, a magnificent ice chandeliere was assembled on the ceiling, and it glittered in the light. It was simply breathtaking, and Harry couldn't wait for Ginny to see it.
The church was really starting to fill up now, and the room was host to such an excited buzz that Harry was positive that the wedding party would come marching up the aisle any minute. As they waited, other wizards pointed and gawked at him in various indiscrete ways, all which made him feel slightly stupid. Just a few steps away in the front row, Mrs Weasley was seated next to Charlie, and Harry could see she was a sobbing mess. Now, he could really appreciate Fred's words at Bill's wedding - a body-bind curse would be perfect right about now. However, the thought of Fred brought a chill to his spine and reminded him of what life was really like. In the church, life felt so surreal, so happy as to make him feel invincible. The sight of Fred's last laugh zoomed through his mind and he willed himself to forget it, just for now. He didn't want to think about it, the only thing that he wanted to think about was his fiancé, undoubtedly ready to proceed down the aisle. Clearing his head, he looked away, only to be met by an unmistakable bulky figure.
"All righ', Harry?" Hagrid boomed, enveloping Harry in a bone-crushing hug. Harry was surprised that he had not seen the half-giant approach; after all, he wasn't exactly hard to miss. Even after five years, Hagrid's formal attire had not evolved. Like the night he had dressed up for Madam Maxime to show Harry the dragons, his attempt to spruce himself up had obviously failed. His hair looked like it had been combed down with motor oil in an attempt to tame it, and his moleskin overcoat was sporting a dying pine-needle. "I lef' Maxime in the back for a minute, had to come talk ter ya before yer a married man. Seems like only yesterday I brought yer to the Dursleys' - horrible lot, o' course. Back then I could fit yer in the back o' me hand."
This memory was apparently emotional to Hagrid, and he blew his nose on his sleeve, resulting in a trumpet-like sound. Harry, however, was at a loss for words. Unlike Hagrid, he couldn't remember the event and felt utterly useless when others mentioned it to him. Unsure of what to say, he nodded slowly and patted Hagrid's elbow lightly.
"If I remember correctly, my first memory of you was when you busted down the Dursleys' door and told me I was a wizard. Grand entrance, as usual." Harry joked, watching the half-giant's reaction as he wiped his eyes and smiled at him.
"Can't ferget the fat ole lump, Dudley. I gave him a run for his money, a tail to match the body." Hagrid pointed out, causing Harry to roar with laughter. "Forgot to ask ye, did ye invite him here?"
"Yeah, I did" Harry said in a low-voice, nodding toward a chunky, awkward-looking man with an equally awkward woman in the second last row whom Harry knew as Dudley's recent girlfriend. Surprisingly, Harry had taken the initiative to invite his only family to his wedding, but only Dudley had showed up. As soon as Petunia and Vernon had seen the address on the muggle letter, they had stamped a 'Return to Sender' sticker on it and plopped it back in the mailbox. Unfortunately, this did not surprise Harry, he had received much worse reactions from the Dursleys before and it was probably in his best interest that his aunt and uncle had stayed away.
"No Petunia or Dursley though, eh?" Hagrid asked with a grunt.
"Not that much of a loss if you ask me." Harry answered haphazardly, his mind miles away from Hagrid. The short tufty-haired priest was hurrying the aisle, a book in his hand and a smile on his face. As he reached Harry, he nodded and organ music seemed to seep magically from the church walls.
"Hagrid!" Harry hissed with an air of alarm, "They're coming soon; I'll talk to you later, OK?" Hagrid only answered with a look of surprise and a pat on the back, quickly hurrying back to his seat. On his way, several chairs rattled, and the wizards occupying them looked at him angrily. If he wasn't so nervous and excited right now, the scene probably would've made him laugh. Ron made his way down the altar in a slight run and took his place next to Harry, gesturing at the door as he did so. By now, the room was silent, the guests waiting anxiously for the rest of the wedding party.
"Only another hour and all this fuss will be over with." Ron whispered in his ear, a teasing tone to his voice. "Ah, here they come."
Almost like they were taking a cue, the first couple, Bill and Fleur wandered down the aisle, Fleur's arm linked securely in Bill's. Slowly, they separated and Bill joined Ron to Harry's side while Fleur sauntered over to Ginny's side of the altar. Harry noticed that Fleur looked slightly uneasy, but guessed that it was due to not able to bring Victoire with her.
Next followed George and Angelina. George looked happier than he had looked in months, and Angelina looked beautiful, her olive skin contrasting her red dress. Harry was happy that George had been able to open up the Angelina, despite the fact that she had dated Fred. Since they had started dating, he had noticed that George had brightened up a bit and had started drinking less. Like Bill and Fleur, they separated and took their places.
The last couple, however, was not so fast to show up. Unlike the first two, Neville and Luna did not come on cue, and Harry was beginning to wonder if they had fled the church. To his relief, the duo clumsily made their way down the aisle a few minutes later, Neville's face a deep scarlet. Harry smiled at him as he made his way to the line of groomsmen.
In the rear was the two children, the ring bearer and his flower girl. Teddy looked absolutely adorable, a tremendous grin on his face as he wobbled down the aisle toward Harry. Watching him closely was Hermione, who had taken the initiative to carry baby Victoire down the aisle as a favour for Fleur. The baby cooed softly as she balanced her on her hip, and the silence was broken only by Teddy's exclamation of "Har! Har!" which sent the audience into polite laughter. Thankfully, Hermione had taken his hand before he had the time to run into Harry's arms, and the three took their positions in the front.
This was it. The bridesmaid, the groomsmen, the flower girl and the ring bearer had all made it down the aisle, but the reality was still sinking in. He felt numb, as if the whole situation was surreal, an event that was just occurring in his dreams. Unlike earlier, this wasn't an unpleasant feeling, but rather an anticipating one. He stared down the aisle with all his might, not wanting to miss a glimpse of his bride. The time seemed to hang in the air, all movements in slow motion. Waiting, it seemed, was all he would ever do.
In one long drawn-out moment, the girl he had been waiting for had finally appeared, and Ginny looked nothing but amazing. So much so, in fact, that he realized he had been holding his breath as she confidently entered the room. Harry was aware of a slight rustling noise as the guests stood up, but he was unable to take his eyes off Ginny. Supported by a balding Arthur, she seemed to glow in the church. Harry wasn't used to seeing Ginny this way - although she had always been beautiful, he was used to seeing her in her old t-shirts and jeans while they played Quidditch together, or in her pyjamas and bird's nest hairdo in the mornings. Her dress was relatively simple with some sparkling beading throughout that hung from her minimal frame in a graceful manner. Her hair, normally in a ponytail, was now in a wavy half-up do that framed her face. Her presence seemed to give light to the winter-like room, like the first day of sun after a hard winter. As she cascaded down the aisle, she blushed at Harry as he nervously fidgeted with his hands. After what seemed like a century, she finally reached her destination and leaned to kiss Arthur on the cheek before standing next to Harry.
Resisting the urge to kiss her, he covered her hands in his and waited for the priest to begin. Unlike his hands, which were clammy and cold, hers were warm and soft.
"Witches and wizards, ladies and gentlemen, giants and elves, we come together to bless the union of this couple..." the priest started, using a voice that seemed too loud for his miniscule height. Despite the fact that he was standing right next to him, he could not concentrate on anything but Ginny's almond eyes, who were gazing intently at his own. He wondered what she was thinking, how she was feeling, and wanted only to talk to her outside of the silent church. Was she happy? Was she upset? Was she feeling uneasy about the whole thing? They were all questions that had been buzzing around in his head, but was unable to communicate to her. He was finally jolted out of his thoughts when he noticed the growing silence in the room, and Ginny's questioning look which cued him to say his vows. Shaking slightly, he started:
"Er... I don't know how I can possibly put how I feel about you in words, but I guess I'll have to try. Ginny, I've known you since you were ten, and I've seen your best and of course, your worst. I can remember the time you were possessed by that diary and I remember the determined look on your face the first time I saw you play Quidditch. And the truth is, I love all of you - the good and the bad. I love the way you look at me when it's just you and me, the way your hair flies out in the winds, and even the annoyed look you give me in the mornings. You're the most determined, passionate, free-spirited girl I've ever met, and I love that about you. You've been with me during thick and thin, even when a lot of people haven't. Despite any girls I've went out with before, you've always been my first, and only love. I care about you more than you can ever imagine, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I know you hate it when I say your whole name, but I love you, Ginevra Molly Weasley."
He took a shaky breath that reverberated in the silent room, and looked into Ginny's eyes. How was she feeling? What was she thinking? They were questions that simply could not be answered. A shy smile had enveloped her face, and a tear slid down her left cheek as she glanced up at Harry. Unconsciously, he wiped the tear off her cheek with his hand, her skin soft and baby-like against his palm. It was very rare for Ginny to cry. In fact, the only time he had been witness to her crying was alone with her shortly after Fred's death, where she had admitted to feeling empty and cried on his shoulder. It had been an uncomfortable experience for Harry, but one he knew was necessary to grow in their relationship. Ginny was a strong girl, and she barely ever showed her grief.
"Harry James Potter" she started, clearing her throat before continuing. "You can be a right fool sometimes, and you always get into the most complicated situations. And for some reason, I'm forever wiping blood off of you. But, I can't deny that I love it. I love you. I love knowing that I can count on you, I love knowing that you'll always be there. When I was younger, I had the stupidest idolizing crush on you; I was amazed that you were the chosen one. As I got older, however, I saw you for who you really are. You're not the chosen one, or the boy-who-lived. You're Harry Potter, the wizard who always doubts his abilities, who has an overwhelming urge to help every living thing in need. You're crazily modest and you're the best seeker I've ever met. In short, from that night in the chamber, you've been my hero, the one who's saved me from whatever situation I get myself in. And that's why I love you."
Ginny looked up at him innocently, and he smiled at her, unable to control his feelings. He knew that he loved her, and that she loved him, but it had never been verbalized into words, just expressed by their time together. He wanted only to take her hand, to kiss her and lead her away, but restrained himself.
"Harry James Potter, do you take Ginevra Molly Weasley to be your lawfully wedded wife?" the tufty-haired wizard asked, turning to him.
This time, he didn't even have to hesitate. The answer rolled off his lips automatically.
"I do".
"Ginevra Molly Weasley, do you take Harry James Potter as your lawfully wedded husband?"
The gap of silence pierced Harry's chest, and for a moment he thought the worst. To his delight, his fears were irrational.
"I do."
"And with that, you may kiss the bride." the priest finished, his voice booming in the room. Without any hesitation, he pressed his lips to hers, his hand in her hair as they shared their first kiss as a married couple. Not unlike their first kiss after that fateful Quidditch game, sparks seemed to fly through him, like he had been shocked by an electric surge. Her lips, warm on his, were the only thing he could think about. Despite his doubt less than an hour before, he couldn't imagine not marrying the girl he loved. Just as Hermione had said, age wasn't a factor anymore, their love overshadowed their young age. It didn't matter if they were 20 or 95, he would still love her. Too young... the words no longer had a negative connotation. They just meant that he'd be able to share more of his life with the one he loved.
I won't give up on us,
Even if the skies get rough,
I'm giving you all my love.
God knows we're worth it.
Oh, I won't give up.
Authors Note: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. To make up for it, this chapter is the longest yet. I really hope that you're enjoying the storyline, and that you'll review! Although this is technically the last chapter, there will be an epilogue to follow, which will hopefully be posted soon. All characters in this story are owned by JK Rowling, and the lyrics at the end of the chapter are from Jason Mraz's song, "I Won't Give Up" which I thought would be appropriate. Thank you!