-Chapter Four-

Wedding Plans and Missing Vials

Harry walked down the Weasleys' pathway, past the fat brown chickens clucking and pecking at the soil, until he reached the row of boots stood against the wall next to the door. Lupin knocked on the door. Harry heard a commotion as Mrs Weasley hurried to the door.

"Who is there? Declare yourself," Mrs Weasley's weary voice appeared from the other side of the door.

"It's me Molly, Remus," Lupin replied, "I've got Harry, Ron and Hermione here."

Mrs Weasley opened the door.

"Come in. Come in," she said hurriedly.

Harry, Ron and Hermione walked in. To find their cases placed by the Weasleys' kitchen table. "Moody, must have sent them," Lupin added walking over to the kitchen table sitting down.

"Tea, Remus," Mrs Weasley asked.

"No, thank you Molly," Lupin replied, "this is just a pit stop. I'll need to contact the Order."

"I heard about Dedalus Diggle," Harry said glumly.

"I know, he's the fifth one this month," Lupin replied dismally, "things have been getting harder since Dumbledore died. Voldemort's been targeting most of the Order Members and is issuing much more Muggle killings than he did at full power. He probably feels now that Dumbledore is dead no one can stop him."

A feeling of guilt filled Harry for some reason, Harry knew the real reason for all these killings. Voldemort was trying to draw Harry out. Harry had to bide his time. He couldn't go after Voldemort. But, that still didn't remove the blood from his hands.

"Well, Molly. I best be off. The Aurors will probably be at Privet Drive by now," Lupin said standing up.

"Goodbye, Remus."

Lupin walked out of the Burrow closing the door and disappearing. "Right," said Mrs Weasley, "Ron and Harry you'll be staying in Fred and George's room. Fleur's parents are staying in Ron's room. Hermione you are staying with Ginny and Gabrielle. You can put your cases upstairs and then you can go out into the garden and help with the decoration for the wedding."

Harry nodded turning and flicking his wand at his trunk thinking, Locomotus Trunk. Harry's trunk floated about a few inches of the ground. Ron and Hermione did the same. Harry walked towards the stairs with Ron and Hermione, Ron leading the way. They walked up the stairs their trunks following behind dancing up each step and swooping down to the landing.

Harry and Ron reached the second floor where Fred and George's room is and placed their trunks down, Hermione continued towards the zigzagged staircase to the third floor, where Ginny's room is.

"Ginny! 'Ave you got ze banners, yet?" shouted someone from downstairs.

"Yes! I'm coming!" Barked Ginny from upstairs. Hurried footsteps accompanying her voice. Harry turned to see Ron's little sister, Ginny bombing down the stairs hunched over irritated and sullen. Her expression changed as she saw Harry standing there.

Harry looked at her nervously and awkward, "hi," he said giving a weak smile.

"Hi," Ginny nodded.

There was a moment of silence until Hermione broke it.

"Err... Ron could you help me with my trunk," Hermione said motioning up the stairs.

"Why don't you just... oh, yeah, alright then," Ron said after seeing Hermione indicating Harry and Ginny. He walked over to Hermione helping her with the trunk.

"So, how have you... been?" Harry asked awkwardly.

"Fine," Ginny replied, trying to sound cheery, "err... I've been helping with the wedding."

"Yeah, how is it going?" Harry asked.

"Good, Fleur wants everything her way. Her mother and mum are both at loggerheads about the plans." She chuckled.

Harry chuckled.

"Well, I best... be…" Harry said pointing to Fred and George's room.

"Oh, right," Ginny said nodding, "I'll see you down in the garden in a bit then?"

"Yeah, I'll just put my case away," replied Harry turning to Fred and George's door walking in as Ginny walked down the stairs.

Harry walked into Fred and George's temporary warehouse smelling of gunpowder. The sun shone through the window hitting the vase sat on the desk in front it. A blue light emitted from the vase hitting the many boxes taking up most of the floor space. Harry placed his trunk next to the bed in the corner.

Harry had expected to run into Ginny while staying here. But, he wasn't prepared for the hurt he felt. It was his own fault he'd chosen to let her go and he couldn't just change his mind. He was doing this to protect her. It was for her own good.

Then, why does it hurt so much, Harry thought dismally, just seeing her hurts.

Ron walked in and threw his trunk onto his bed. "You okay?" Ron asked, seeing Harry sat on the bed.

"Yeah."

Ron nodded, "err... Mum wants us downstairs to help with the wedding plans."

Harry nodded.

Harry and Ron walked out into the garden about five minutes later. The garden looked different from what it did at Christmas, once overgrown with grass and weeds was now cut and clean with a small archway sat at the end of the garden next to the gnarled trees and the pond full of frogs. Fleur Delacour, Bill's bride to be stood with her mother, who Harry could tell Fleur had inherited the Veela traits from, they were both pointing their wands at the banners which slithered as it wrapped around the trees and drainpipes. Harry could see a little House-Elf wearing a dirty old pillowcase placing chairs in front of the Archway. Harry looked around to see Ginny and Bill fixing up the archway. Bill's face scarred after the attack from Greyback.

"Zippy, put zos chairs over zere," Mrs Delacour barked at the House-Elf known as Zippy.

"Yes, Madam Delacour," He replied, bowing his moustached potato head.

"No," came Mrs Weasley's voice from behind Harry making him jump out of his skin, "don't put them there have them facing diagonally across to the archway."

"No," replied Mrs Delacour, "zat von't do, zey should be vacing straight zown za middle, vith a pathway."

"They'll look better going diagonally," Mrs Weasley replied marching over to Mrs Delacour. Harry could tell that this was a battle of wills. It was only until Bill stepped in that Harry let out a sigh of relief.

"Hold on, me and Fleur have decided to have the chairs facing diagonally," he said stepping in front of the two.

Mrs Delacour huffed walking towards Zippy with the chairs Mrs Weasley watched her with a look of triumph.

"That's 2-1 to mum," chuckled someone behind Harry and Ron. They both turned around to see Ron's older brother Charlie stood there smiling. "Alright, Ron, Harry."

"Hi, Charlie," Ron said, "Gerroff!" Ron barked as Charlie gave him a small hug.

The next few hours were quite eventful Mrs Weasley and Mrs Delacour continued to bicker about the Wedding pans. Bill and Fleur were having to mediate. Harry kept glancing over at Ginny. She kept glancing over to him a funny flipping motion could be felt in his stomach. He looked away not wanting to give her the wrong impression.

Everyone sat around the dinner table after a hard day's work. Mr Weasley had enlarged it after coming home from the Ministry and was discussing the function of the computer with a rather perplexed Mr Delacour, whom Harry suspected didn't speak all that much English by the way he just nodded blankly. Hermione sat next to Harry and Ron exclaiming about Mrs Delacour's mistreatment of Zippy who had to carry the food to the table. Harry also felt a twinge of pity for Zippy, Hermione's SPEW organisation rubbing off on him. Ron and Charlie sat talking about Quidditch while; Fleur fed Bill food affectionately.

"'Arry Potter," said Mr Delacour, when Mr Weasley introduced Harry to him, "Et zis an Honour to meet you."

"Hello," Harry said.

"I vas just... err... discussing our... err... Ministry vith Arthur," Mr Delacour said trying to find the right words.

"Right," Harry replied, who for the next half hour spent most of the time waiting for Mr Delacour to find the right words he wanted to say in his discussion on the comparison of the British and French Ministry.

"Oh, Harry," Mr Weasley called taking a sip of his tea, "just remembered. You'll be coming to the Ministry with me on Monday for yours and Ron's apparation test."

Harry nodded. Harry had almost forgotten with all the excitement of the day that wizards who were Seventeen were allowed to take their apparation test. Ron and Hermione had already taken theirs last year. Hermione had passed first time, but Ron had only just failed with half an eyebrow being left behind.

Harry walked up the stairs to go to the toilet after being excused, in truth he just wanted to have one more excursion into the memories Dumbledore gave him to find out any new clues on the Horcurxes. Harry walked into the smell of gunpowder coughing a little as he was caught of guard by it. He bent down opening his trunk taking out the tiny pensive and enlarging it. Harry poured through his trunk and picked out the vials with the memories slithering inside. One, two, three, four, five, six...

Harry looked through his trunk trying to find the vial throwing all his stuff out frantically.

No, Harry thought, where is it? Where is it?

"Harry, mum wants to know if... what the hell is going on here?" Ron said looking around the clutter in the room.

Harry turned to Ron. Ron could tell by the look on Harry's face that something was wrong. "What is it?" he asked wearily.

"One of the vials is missing," Harry said, breathing heavily.