"This is exactly why I eloped," Fred said grumbling a little while Mira tied his tie for him.
"And why I had to get married as soon as possible." Ginny said holding Xenus on her hip.
"And that's exactly where Fleur and I are having a big wedding." Bill said. "So Mum doesn't kill the both of you for depriving her of planning a wedding."
"You're the oldest, Bill," Ron said. "You don't have a choice. The rest of us… however…"
"Are going to do exactly what your bride wants you to do." Mira said finishing up Fred's tie and helping George with his.
"So long as I just get told what to wear, where to stand, and what to say," Ron stated, "I don't care."
"Hurry up you lot," Hermione said. "The band and waiters have already arrived. The guests will be arriving soon."
"You're not even dressed." Ron said indignantly.
"I'm not the one greeting guests, Ronald Weasley," she said. "You are. And for your information, I'm all ready except putting on my dress. Be glad I'm wearing a robe—"
"He's not," Fred and George said at the same time.
Hermione continued ignoring them, "I think Erin's running around in a slip."
"Excuse me," George said. "I think I hear Mum calling."
Mira pulled him back by the tie. "I'm not finished with you yet."
When it came time to go down the boys all went, more or less willingly. Arthur handed them seating charts so they knew where everyone was to sit. Charlie and Donovan met them down there and all too soon an endless parade of women wearing god awful bird hats ascended on them.
Upstairs the girls were with Fleur, her mother, and sister, getting her ready for the wedding. Mira, Ginny, and Gabrielle were all bridesmaids. Erin and Hermione would go down with Mrs. Delacour to their seats just before everyone was ready. Erin was helping Fleur put her hair up on her head and put Auntie Muriel's tiara there so it was just so. "Thank you so much," Fleur told her. "I am all nerves today."
"It's your wedding," Erin said laughing. "You have a right to be nervous, walking down that aisle with your father, your stomach all in butterflies, seeing that wonderful face at the end of the aisle waiting just for you. You are truly a lucky girl to land Bill Weasley."
"I know!" She said beaming. "Everyone says he is lucky to marry me, but truly it is I that am lucky to have found him."
"He will be the best husband you could ever think to ask for." Erin assured her putting a charm on her hair to stay in place. When Fleur was ready they all assured her it would be fine and Erin and Hermione hurried down to take their seats with Mrs. Delacour. Charlie and Donovan deposited the girls in their seats before taking their places up near the front with Bill.
A few late comers were still taking their seats. Fred paused with Viktor Krum beside him, someone had taken his seat. Fred simply looked at the chart again. "Oh, there we are," he said leading Viktor over to sit with Erin and Sirius.
Erin smiled, "Viktor, lovely to see you again."
"And you," He smiled genuinely. He didn't often. Most of his smiles were for fans or pictures. Erin, though, was a good friend and wanted nothing from him like all the others.
"Have you met my father?"
"No, it is a pleasure, sir." He said shaking his hand.
"And you also. I've heard nothing but good things about you." Sirius told him.
"I am sure not all are true." He said blushing a little.
"He's too modest, but at least being famous hasn't gone to his head."
The music began to play. Ginny, Mira, and Gabrielle came down the aisle followed by Fleur and her father.
The party was in full swing afterward. Erin and Sirius were dancing with Luna and her father having a grand old time. It helped when both men were more than a little mad. Erin finally came to sit down at a table seeing Krum looking upset. "Are you all right?" She asked.
"That man you vere dancing vith, who is he?"
"That's Xenophilius Lovegood, he's Luna's father, the girl Dad's dancing with." She told him.
"You know this man Lovegood vell?"
"Not really, I've met him a few times, but that's it."
"If he was not a guest of Fleur's, I would duel him here and now, for vearing that filthy sign upon his chest."
"Sign? Do you mean the medallion around his neck?"
"Yes, Grindelvald. That is Grindelvald's sign."
"Grindelwald . . . the Dark wizard Dumbledore defeated?"
"Exactly."
Krum's jaw muscles worked as if he were chewing, then he says, "Grindelvald killed many people my grandfather, for instance. Of course, he vos never poverful in this country, they said he feared Dumbledore—and rightly, seeing how he vos finished. But this"—he pointed a finger a Xenophilius—"this is his symbol, recognized it at vunce: Grindelvald carved it into a vall at Durmstrang ver he vos a pupil there. Some idiots copied it into their books and clothes, thinking to shock, make themselves impressive—until those of us who had lost family members to Grindelvald taught them better." Krum cracked his knuckles menacingly and glowered at Xenophilius.
"Oh, no!" Erin said. "Grindelwald may have used the sign, but it wasn't his." She told Viktor.
"Vot do you mean? I am not mistaken," said Krum told her. "I valked past that sign for several years, I know it vell."
"He may have used it, but it's actually a symbol for the Deathly Hallows."
"Explain," Viktor said.
"The Deathly Hallows…" she said trying to explain it. "It's a story about three brothers who cheated Death and Death gave them three gifts. The Elder Wand, which is said to be the most powerful wand in the world, the Resurrection Stone, which may bring the dead back to life, and the Cloak of Invisibility, which shrouds the wearer even from Death. The symbol is formed by all three," she said drawing it on the table cloth with her finger showing him the different symbols for the three. "All together they make one Master of Death, if someone had all three, they would become the Master of Death, many, many wizards have tried to track down all three over the years. I am sure Xenophilius is not wearing it because it was Grindelwald's, but because it's the symbol of the Deathly Hallows."
Viktor did seem a bit more calm now. "I still vant to hit him for vearing it."
"Oh, I'm sure you're not the only one," she patted his arm.
"Are they together now?" He asked about Hermione and Ron who were dancing on the floor.
"I don't think so, but I know they have feelings for each other…Ron just always messes it up."
He nodded. "This girl is very nice-looking," Krum said, nodding to Ginny.
"Yes, that's Ron's sister. She's married."
"Married? How old is she?"
"16." She admitted. "She's married to my cousin Donovan. They have a seventh month old son together."
"Vot," he said, draining his goblet, "is the point of being an international Quidditch player if all the good-looking girls are taken?"
Erin looked around. "I'm fairly certain I can get you a good looking girl. Give me five minutes." She told him patting his shoulder.
Erin had just gotten up when a something large and silver flew into the tent. Everyone was still and stared at it. Kingsley's voice came out of it as images played out in the air. "The Ministry has fallen. The Minister of Magic is dead. They are coming. They are coming."
Then it was chaos, screaming, disapparating, Death Eaters Apparating into the tent. Erin heard her name being screamed and she turned to see a Death Eater shooting a spell at her. In a split second Erin put up the shield and turned the spell right back at him without ever producing a wand or speaking a word. She turned again looking desperately for Harry. He was on the other side of the tent. "GO! GO!" Remus yelled at him sending him to Hermione and Ron. They were all looking for her and then Erin was grabbed from behind. Her attention turned towards the Death Eater and then Viktor who had blasted him off. By the time Erin looked back the three were gone.
"Erin!" Sirius was at her side and saw Viktor. "We have to get her out of here."
Viktor nodded taking her arm, Sirius had another. Five Death Eaters were in front of them and then a moment later they were standing in a tiny apartment covered in dust. "Ver? Ver are ve?"
"We're in Haverstown…" Sirius said. "A Wizarding town destroyed in the last war. This was the apartment Erin's Mum and I lived in after we married and until I was sent to Azkaban."