"Hello, Dudley." Harry's couldn't hide the amusement in his voice. Dudley Dursley turned around, coming face to face with his small, dark cousin.
"Erm, Hullo Harry." He answered awkwardly. "And you must be Ginny?" he extended a beefy hand to Harry's bride. Ginny nodded and shook his hand, but was unsure what to say. Harry had seemed so sure that none of his family members would make an appearance.
"Well," said Harry, smiling. "I honestly didn't think you'd come, Dud."
"Right, yeah," laughed Dudley nervously. "Sorry I was late, I had a bit of trouble finding the place… Er, Mum and Dad, erm, couldn't make it."
"Right." answered Harry. It wasn't hard to imagine his aunt and uncle's reaction when they received the invitation by owl post. Uncle Vernon particularly hated owls. "Well, it's good to see you, anyhow! How are things?"
"Oh, good, yeah, still wrestling. I've actually just got a contract with a semi-professional league, so…"
"That's brilliant!" interjected Ginny, finally deciding to enter the conversation.
"Thanks. I'm pleased, but Dad wanted me to join his drilling firm, you know, Grunnings? Well, he was pretty upset when I told him, but you know how he is, Harry…"
"Yeah." said Harry darkly. "I can remember." An image of Uncle Vernon's bright red face swam through Harry's mind. "Well, good for you Dudley! Glad to hear you're making your own way, now."
"Yeah, thanks." Dudley answered. There was an awkward pause in the conversation, and Dudley seemed to be staring mesmerized at something over Ginny's shoulder.
"Alright, Dudley?" asked Ginny.
"Oh, yeah! Sorry, it's just… well this is totally mad! All of this, for me, I mean… floating serving trays and all! And nobody even bats an eye. It's like it's totally normal!" Dudley was clearly having a hard time processing his first foray into the wizarding world.
"It is normal, for us." Harry said a little waspishly. He was hoping that Dudley hadn't come here just to criticize magic.
"Right, of course. Sorry! I just didn't really know what to expect. I almost didn't believe all that stuff about wizards. I mean, growing up all Mum and Dad would say is that it was rubbish. I didn't know what to think…" explained Dudley.
"Funny, I didn't get the impression you did much thinking at all, really." Harry couldn't resist taking a jibe at the man who had tormented him for so many years.
"Harry…" Ginny said quietly. Surprisingly, instead of taking offense Dudley stopped her from scolding her new husband.
"It's okay, Ginny. Harry's right really. I didn't do much thinking for myself anyway. I always went along with my gang of school friends, Piers Polkis and his lot. I shouldn't have bullied you like that Harry. I'm sorry. That's why I came really, I wanted to apologize. If you want me to leave now, I'll understand."
"Of course we don't want you to leave, Dudley!" said Ginny, glaring at Harry.
"Thanks Dudley. Really. I honestly never expected an apology. I'm glad you came." Harry couldn't quite believe the words his cousin had uttered. Dudley just nodded.
"Well this is just lovely!" Ginny beamed. Dudley smiled back at her. Harry had to admit that Dudley had certainly grown into his looks. He was almost handsome in a burly sort of way, a far cry from the boy who Harry had once described as a pig standing on its hind legs.
"If I might be so bold, Harry," Dudley said, "could I ask your lovely bride for a dance?"
"Sure," said Harry, surprised yet again by Dudley's improved behavior. "Just don't get too attached!" he added half-joking. Dudley had always taken any toy or treat Harry had managed to scrounge as a child.
"Don't worry, Harry. I promise I'll be a good brother-in-law… Besides, I've got a girlfriend now."
"Oh, right." Harry couldn't think of what else to say in response to this revelation. "That's, er, great!" Ginny kissed Harry on the cheek and then led Dudley out onto the dance floor. Harry lent back onto the bar and watched as his new wife and his formerly hated cousin spun around in a crowd full of witches and wizards. This was definitely one of the more surreal moments in Harry's life.
"Oy!" Ron shouted, as he shoved people aside to create a path through the throng for a waddling Hermione. She whacked him on the arm saying,
"Don't shove them, Ron! I'm perfectly capable of walking on my own, and it's rude!" Ron ignored her. They made their way over to a bemused Harry.
"Hey, who's that big bloke dancing with Ginny?" Ron asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That," Harry said "is Dudley." He still couldn't hide his amazement at his cousin's presence.
"Wait, you mean your cousin, Dudley?" asked Ron, bewildered.
"Of course his cousin Dudley!" Hermione snapped. "Do you we know any other Dudleys? Besides, you were there when Harry sent the invitation." She rolled her eyes, but smiled affectionately at Ron.
"Well, I dunno, do I?" Ron feebly tried to defend himself. "It could have been some other Dudley." He turned to Harry. "Just to be clear, this is the Dudley who tormented you, beat you up, and basically made your entire life miserable for the first seventeen years?"
"Yep! That's the one." said Harry with humor in his voice.
"Err, right," said Ron, "so that sort of makes me wonder why he's dancing with your wife!" he looked at Harry incredulously.
"Well," said Harry shrugging "He seems to be reformed, I guess. I'm just as surprised as you are." Harry said in response to the shock on Ron and Hermione's faces. "He got the invitation, and decided to come on his own to apologize for all the horrible stuff he did to me as a kid. I can't believe it really…" Harry trailed off.
"Wow…" said Ron inarticulately.
"But that's wonderful, Harry!" Hermione clasped her hands together in happiness. "Now you two can finally be friends! You'll be real, proper family." Hermione seemed to be overcome by this thought, as tears began to roll down her shining face.
"Hey," said Ron gently. "What're you crying about? It's his family…"
"Well, yes, I know that, but we're all practically family now. Harry and Ginny getting married makes you two essentially brothers, so Harry's family is our family really… well, your family at least." Hermione frowned a little, but shook her head as if to dismiss an unwelcome thought. "Anyway, can't I be happy for Harry even if we're not related?"
"Of course you can." answered Ron. "I just meant…"
"Never mind." Hermione cut him off. "Oh look, here they come!" she said motioning to Ginny and Dudley who were returning from the dance floor.
"Hey, you two!" said Ginny to Ron and Hermione. "I haven't seen you all evening! Harry, I've been hearing the most entertaining stories about you when you were little!" Ginny said teasingly. Harry groaned. "Something to do with being chased up a tree?" she prompted.
"Oh, great. Thanks a lot, Dud." Harry said sarcastically to his cousin. "Or should I call you Big D?" he teased in revenge. Dudley turned pink, but laughed good-naturedly.
Suddenly, a red-faced Gwenog Jones barreled into the little group. "Who's this then?" she asked loudly, indicating Dudley. "Coo! Ginny, why'd you always get the good looking ones?"
"Gwenog, this is my cousin Dudley." Harry said, before Ginny could respond. Dudley extended his hand, which Gwenog shook heartily. It was becoming apparent that she had been drinking quite a bit of firewhiskey.
"Gwenog Jones, that is." she told Dudley, obviously waiting for him to be impressed. "But I'm sure you already knew that." She tittered in false modesty.
"Pleased to meet you." Dudley said politely, neither confirming nor denying recognition.
"Well, Darby was it? You are quite the hunk of man!" Gwenog flirted shamelessly. "Play any quidditch, Darby?" she asked. "You look to have a beater's build, I'd say."
"Er, play any what?" Dudley asked in confusion. Gwenog laughed uproariously, assuming he was joking.
"Ah, right, you wouldn't know." interjected Harry. "It's a wizard sport, played up in the air on brooms." He tried to explain. Gwenog's face quickly turned to a mask of shock.
"He's a muggle?" she practically shouted.
"Yes he is!" Hermione said defiantly, as if daring anyone to criticize this fact. Unfortunately, being less than sober, Gwenog did not take the hint.
"I say!" she exclaimed dramatically in a stage whisper. "I never knew the famous Harry Potter had muggle relations! You've kept that quiet, haven't you Potter?"
"Not really." said Harry coldly. Gwenog ignored him, too caught up in her own delight at the revelation.
"He's your cousin did you say? Well then, which one of Potter's parents was the mudblood?" Gwenog let out a shriek of mirthful laughter at her own cleverness. There was a collective intake of breath all around her. Harry was fighting the urge to hit Gwenog square in the face, but held back for Ginny's sake. Ron and Hermione were both too stunned to react. Ginny, however, had had enough.
"That's it, Gwenog!" Ginny shouted at the top of her lungs. "You've been nothing but an absolute and utter bitch ever since you got here, and I won't stand for it anymore! I invited you into my home, and all you've done is criticize my friends and family. You've always had a cruel side, but now I've seen how you really are. Get out of here this instant before I hex your ungrateful arse!"
There was a moment of complete and utter silence, as the crowd took in the scene. Then somebody began clapping. In no time the whole crowd was applauding Ginny's words.
"Fine!" screamed Gwenog, as the noise subsided. "I guess no one here can take a joke! You know this means you're off the team, Ginny." she spat, nastily. "I hope you enjoy unemployment, though it looks like you're used to being poor!" Gwenog turned around to make her dramatic exit, but at that moment a shot of purple light hit her from somewhere in the crowd. Slimy tentacles began to sprout all over her body, and Gwenog screamed in horror. She ran from the tent crying in disgust and embarrassment as George sauntered over to Ginny.
"That'll teach her." He said smiling.
"Nice one!" said Ron, and there was a buzz of laughter from the onlookers. Slowly people began to return to their conversations and dancing.
"I never liked her, anyway." pronounced Hermione. "Remember, I said so back at Hogwarts!" she looked at Harry and Ron expectantly. "She came to one of Slughorn's parties, and I said she seemed full of herself at the time." she insisted, although neither Ron nor Harry showed any sign of remembering. "Ginny?" Hermione turned to her friend in concern. "Are you all right?" Ginny hadn't moved or said a word since she finished her tirade at Gwenog. She nodded slowly. "I'm sorry you lost your job, but you did the right thing." Hermione reassured her. "You couldn't have let her get away with saying those horrible things about Harry's parents."
"Of course you're right, Hermione." Ginny finally said in a quiet voice. "It's just that I really loved being part of the Harpies. Everyone else on the team was really great, and money was tight already…"
"Don't worry about the money, Gin." said Harry. "We'll sort something out. Don't let it ruin the day."
"Right! You're right." Ginny brightened. "We can manage anything, as long as we're together." She smiled softly at Harry. "And I did quite enjoy telling her off in front of everybody like that." Ginny admitted grinning.