The Weasleys, just a few hours after we left them

Ginny lay on the couch, crying every tear she had. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were in the other room, talking. Well, yelling, which just made Ginny cry more. She was tired of it. They were fighting because she was getting married. Mostly, she couldn't believe that her father doubted she loved Harry.

Mrs. Weasley came into the room and sat on the arm of the couch. "Ginny, are you okay?"

"I'm sorry I made you fight with Dad."

"Don't worry about it, Ginny. I just want to ask you a few things." She said. "You love Harry, right?"

"Very much."

"And you're positive you want to marry him?"

"I've never been more positive."

"Will you at least wait until you're out of school?"

"I'm not going back to school."

"What?"

"I'm not going back to Hogwarts." She repeated, sitting up. "Fred died there. I'm not going back to the place where Fred died, Mummy. Never."

Mrs. Weasley nodded. "Okay. I understand." She sat next to Ginny, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Ginny, I know you've heard this a lot, but your father and I married each other on an impulse because the war was going on. We didn't finish school. We didn't have many options for jobs. It was just an idea we had one day, so we ran off and got married. Your father doesn't want you doing the same thing we did."

"But you two have been married for ages. You love each other. You're getting by. Mummy, you had seven children together. You made the right decision, even if it was quick and spontaneous." Ginny shook her head. "I love Harry, and as far as I can see into the future, I'm not making a mistake marrying him."

"I know, dear." She said. "I felt the same way. That's why you've come in luck that your father and I ran off and got married like we did. I know how you're feeling. And I know there's nothing I can do to convince you to not get married. But your father feels differently. He's thinking a little more practically than of love. When we were married, we ended up not being the richest of people. And he's worried that it might happen to you and Harry, and he doesn't want it to happen."

Ginny nodded. "But I love Harry. Money won't stop me from marrying him. Also, it's different. Harry wants to go into the Ministry. Even without N.E.W.T.S., he's the Boy Who fucking Lived."

"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley said in response to her language.

"Any place would hire Harry Potter."


Ron and Hermione…do I really have to tell you?

"This is a truly special thing." Hermione said. "Not only did I lose my virginity, but I bet not another day will come that I have sex six times and-"

"So much more." Ron finished, a breathy tone to his voice. "How about we order room service for the next hundred years and never leave this room?"

"I think that might raise some problems." Hermione laughed. "How about we order room service for tonight and stay in this room one more night?"

Ron sighed. "I suppose I'll settle for that." He kissed her.

"What do you think Harry and Ginny are doing right now?"

"Hopefully? Not this."


Hermione and Ginny, eighteen hours after Ginny showed up with a diamond on her finger

"Ginny, what's up? Why'd you call me here?"

"I have much, much to tell you."

"H-have you been crying?"

"Don't worry, most of it was of joy."

"Can't tell if that's sarcastic or not, which means…" She sighed, walking over and hugging Ginny. "What happened?"

"Harry and I had sex."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Fabulous."

"And then we got engaged."

Hermione jumped away so quickly she tripped over…well, nothing…and had to look at the ring from the floor. "You WHAT?"

"Got engaged! We're to be married!"

Standing, Hermione exhaled. "Now, Ginny, you know I love you very much, right?"

"Right."

"So you know that when I do what I'm about to do, I do it with total love, right?"

"Right?"

Hermione slapped Ginny.


Ron and Harry, same day, same time, same news. Guess who pulled the short straw.

"WHAT?!" Ron yelled, standing up and knocking over several things.

"Ginny and I are getting married."

"NO! YOU ARE NOT GETTING MARRIED TO MY SISTER, I ABSOLUTELY FORBID IT!"

"Ron, calm down."

"I WON'T CALM DOWN, YOU'RE MARRYING MY SISTER! HAVING SEX WITH HER WASN'T ENOUGH, WAS IT? YOU HAVE TO HAVE SEX WITH HER FOR YEARS TO COME, DON'T YOU?!"

"CALM DOWN!" Harry yelled.

Ron sat down, burying his face in his hands. "You can't be marrying Ginny."

"I am."

"No. I won't let you."

"Why not?"

"Because she's my sister, I thought I made that clear." Ron said. "I know you're a good guy, and I trust you, but Ginny's just a kid."

"Don't you dare say that around her. She gets upset when someone calls her young or implies it, even."

"She's just turned seventeen. Why are you two getting married now?"

"B'cause I love her." Harry said. "And because she loves me."


Sunday Brunch at the Burrow, a day after Ron and Hermione were told

"You won't slap me again, will you?" Ginny asked Hermione bitterly.

"I'm sorry, but I thought it would put some sense in you. Obviously not, because you still have the ring on your finger."

"I love Harry. More than I've ever loved anyone. I'm going to marry him, and there's no stopping me."

Hermione sighed. "I know. I'm sorry I slapped you. You obviously love him. So marry him."

"You'll be maid of honor?"

"I better be."

"Hey, Ginny, how's the most wonderful person in the world?" Harry asked, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.

"I dunno, how are you?" Ginny asked, turning around and wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Cute." He said, kissing her like it was the only thing to keep him alive.

Hermione began to feel uncomfortable and walked away.

"I think we're alone now."

"There's eight people here, we won't be alone for more than six seconds."

Sure enough, Fleur came walking by, giggling. She looked over them, her eyes stopping on Ginny's hand.

"Is zat a ring?"

Ginny nodded.

"You are getting married? But to who?"

"Harry, of course!" Ginny beamed. Fleur's eyes widened.

"What a present for a seventeenth birthday. I never would 'ave imagined such a zing." She gasped, eyeing the ring hungrily.

"Fleur, you have to keep it secret, we were only going to tell everyone today." Harry said. "The only people who know are Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ron, and Hermione."

That brunch was interesting to say the least. Mrs. Weasley focused most her attention on trying to get George, whose face was gaunt and who was looking thinner than any of them, to eat. Mr. Weasley focused on Harry and Ginny, making sure they didn't get too close. Ron focused on Hermione, and in turn, Hermione focused on Ron. Fleur focused on keeping her mouth shut. Ginny focused on keeping her left hand hidden. Harry helped by holding her hand in his.

Eventually, Ginny stood up. "Harry and I are getting married."

Charlie choked on his food; Bill went pale. George let out a hollow chuckle.

"Bet you're pretty excited." He said. His voice was deep and scratchy, sounding like it hadn't been used in too long. "Bet you've been thinking all about it. You're going to be together forever, huh?" He chuckled again. "Never going to be apart. It won't last."

Ginny stared at him. "George, don't say that to me. You know that's not true."

"You know that it is." He said. "What, you think you'll be married forever? Say you are. Both of you are gonna die at the same time? Never. One of you will die first. One of you is going to die first. And the other one will be alive, chained to the thought of loyalty to the other. What to do, you'll think. What to do when my spouse is dead? What if I fall in love with another? What would they say if I wed again? You'll spend the rest of your lives in a dark, decaying battle for survival."

Ginny screamed. Most people covered their ears, squinting at the power in it. She kicked over her chair, shouting, "I HATE THIS GODDAMN FAMILY! I HOPE YOU ALL ROT IN HELL!" And then ran in the house. Harry ran after her, calling her name.

"We should do this again sometime." Bill said, clearing his throat.


Harry and Ginny, in her room, not even two minutes later

"Ginny, let's talk about this." Harry said, sitting on the bed next to her and stroking her hair. She had her face in the pillow, her arms underneath, pressing it closer to her.

"No." She said, lifting her head. "I don't want to talk about it. My whole family thinks I'm making a huge bloody mistake when all I want to do is marry the man I love!"

"Come on, Ginny—"

"Just go away, Harry, I don't want to talk about it. Fleur acted like I was a baby, Hermione slapped me, for godsakes, Dad threw the biggest fit in the world, Mum preferred I got an ant farm, and George thinks we won't last!"

"An ant farm?"

"I told her that sleeping with you made me feel like I was in control of something for once and she asked me if I couldn't have just gotten an ant farm instead." Ginny mumbled. Harry laughed.

"She's just—"

"Didn't I tell you I don't want to talk about this?"

"You're right. Okay." Harry said. "But I just want to tell you that Ron accepted it. His only problem was that I was a bit older than you." He ran his finger up her spine, giving her chills. "I love you, Ginny."

"I love you too, Harry. I love you more than I love anyone else on this whole planet, and I never want you to forget that." She sobbed. Harry nodded.

"I promise." He kissed the back of her head. "I'll leave you alone."

"No!" She said suddenly, reaching out a hand and grasping his wrist. "Don't leave me. Please, don't leave me."

He kneeled next to her stroking her hair. "I'll never leave you, Ginny."


Mr. Weasley, George, Bill, Charlie, and Percy…soon enough to the announcement that they were all still pale

Bill paced the floor and Charlie had his head buried in his hands. Percy was staring out the window and George was staring at nothing. Mr. Weasley was sitting in his chair, legs stretched out onto the coffee table, looking all too calm.

"How can she do this?" Percy said. "Just so suddenly?"

"They were dating in her fifth year, his sixth. You were too much of a prat to keep contact, so naturally you wouldn't know a damn thing, now would you?" George said. Charlie looked up from his hands.

"George, don't mention that, okay?"

George went back to staring at nothing. Bill paced more, sighing. "What's going on in their minds? She's just turned seventeen. How long have they been waiting for this?"

"Who knows?" Mr. Weasley said as Fleur entered the room. Bill turned to her.

"Well?"

"I went up there to check on 'er, and she ees crying right now. 'Arry ees wiz 'er. 'E ees comforting 'er. Perhaps eet would be best eef you all talked to 'er. She seems razer hurt." She said. Charlie ran his hands over his hair.

"How hurt?"

"Charlie, she ees crying into 'er fiancé's shoulder right now! 'Ow bad do you zink eet ees?" She asked, raising her voice and glaring at him.

"Bad?"

"Worse zan bad! Eet ees 'orrible! She ees 'urt and eet ees your fault! Not only zat, but she ees your sister! She deserves better from you zan what she ees getting! Do you not agree?" She yelled, turning to her husband. "Bill, when we were to be wed, and your family seemed razer annoyed, you were hurt. Do you realize zat zis ees ze same thing? Bill zey are in love. Nozing can stop love. You know zat. What zey are doing ees no different from what we were doing, or from what your parents did. 'Ow can you be so hypocritical to stand 'ere and complain?"

"She's my sister, Fleur. It's different. She's my baby sister, and he's…"

"A great friend."


Hermione and Mrs. Weasley, after hearing what Fleur said to the men

"When'd she rehearse that?" Hermione mumbled. Mrs. Weasley laughed.

"She's right, you know." She said. "There's little difference in what she and Bill did. I tried to tell Arthur that he was being so insincere to tell off Ginny for wanting to marry Harry."

"I'm glad Ron understood. I don't have any magical stories like that to convince him."

Mrs. Weasley laughed. "If I hear right, it sounds like you needed more convincing than he did."

Hermione shrugged. "My two best friends were getting married. My two best friends slept together. Ginny tells me both these things after I am called there for a reason she wouldn't tell me. I thought it was a big joke, you know? It seems like one of those things Ginny would do. Play everyone to believe she and Harry are getting married…but then I saw Harry… I couldn't really believe it. I thought she was raving mad, marrying Harry. She's just so young."

"I know." Mrs. Weasley sighed. She repositioned herself in her chair and stared at Hermione. "I've been meaning to ask you something."

"What?"

"You took my daughter out drinking?"

Hermione stopped, looking up at her and laughing brokenly and uncomfortably. "She told you that, did she?"

Mrs. Weasley nodded. "You took her out to clubs and bars and bought her alcohol?"

"I…um…If I hadn't…Harry and Ginny…wouldn't be…together!" Hermione said, snapping her fingers at the discovery. "If I had not taken her to the Leaky Cauldron that night, she and Harry never would have met up, they never would have slept together, and she would not have that ring on her finger."

Mrs. Weasley nodded. "Good point." She smiled deviously. Hermione's stomach felt like it was falling off a cliff. "Now…what about you and Ron? How did that go? I know he took care of you, like Harry took care of Ginny, but did he take care of you just like Harry took care of Ginny?"

Hermione stared at her for a while. "I think I hear someone calling my name. Coming!" She yelled, dashing out of the room.