Chapter Twenty- Family Relations
A/N: Hi all! I hope that you are liking this so far! The story is finally starting to get there; I will try to work on it as much as possible. I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has been reading this! I have had over 3000 hits! That makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside . Well please R&R and let me know how much you like the story! Now own to the very long chapter that I have prepared for you!!!
Several weeks went by, and soon the pain of a lost baby faded. Hermione knew that she would never forget the pain that she felt, but she knew that she had to move on.
Hermione was busier than ever, helping Mia with last minute wedding plans. Finally it was the day before the wedding and they had yet to start setting up the backyard. Hermione was watching as the twins put up the large white wedding arch. Mia stood next to her with her arms crossed in amusement, waiting to see if they would mess up.
Molly wandered out several moments later. "How's it going dears?" She was wiping her hands on a towel and surveyed the scene. She grinned and looked at them. "Hermione, you are an expert at charms, I'm sure you could have put that up in three seconds."
Hermione shrugged with an innocent look on her face. "Yeah, but it's more amusing this way. Beside, have to make them feel like they are doing something or else they are just going to get in the way, pull pranks, and probably get tanked." Molly rolled her eyes, all while knowing that it was the complete truth.
"I suppose you are right. Well I better be back into the kitchen to check on the cake. If you need me dears, just call out." Hermione and Mia gave a loud round of applause when the men were done with the arch.
Fred glared at them. "That was harder than it looked."
Mia looked and gave Hermione a wink. "It's crooked."
Fred spun back to the arch and low and behold, it was crooked. He groaned and George smacked him on the back of the head.
"Dammit Fred, that took forever, we can't spend more time on it, we still have to set up everything else." The twins were still arguing when Hermione whipped out her wand and with a flick of her wrist, she not only straightened the arch, but also conjured up vines of vanilla trumpet flowers to cover and grow on the arch. Mia's eyes widened when the light fragrant scent hit them.
"Oh Hermione, they're beautiful! They are even the perfect shade of lavender!" George gave her a mock dirty look.
"Showoff." Hermione pointed at herself.
"Moi? You should know that I am an expert at charms, if you guys were having trouble, you only needed to ask."
Mia clapped her hands together, "All right everyone, we might as well start setting everything else up." Fred and George groaned.
"Oh come on love, if Hermione is such an expert, why not just have her set everything up?" Mia put her hands on her hips and gave him a cool look.
"Because Fred Weasley, this is our wedding, not Hermione's. You should want to do something to help out your future wife, and if that includes helping her set up for one of the most important days of her life, you should do it and like it!" Fred held his hands up meekly and made his way over to the stack of tables that needed to be set up. Hermione looked at Mia and they broke out laughing.
Hermione surveyed the backyard the next day. All their hard work had really paid off. The arch sat at the end of a lavender aisle. On both sides of the aisle were white chairs with lavender pillows. Because the wedding was to be held at dusk, Hermione had charmed the arch to glisten with fairy-like lights. The part of the backyard that had been made into the reception part was breathtaking. A smaller sized white tent was in the middle of the yard, short white columns sat along the path. The columns had the same lavender flower vines growing around them, and on top were glowing globes of light. Though the tent didn't look impressive, what was inside was.
The inside was a lot larger (thanks to enchantments) than what the outside made it out to be. Hanging from the middle of the tent was a large chandelier made out of clear and lavender crystals. Round tables with elaborate settings were set around a dance floor. In the back of the tent, facing out over the dance floor and the tables was a long table for the Bride and the Groom and the rest of the wedding party. Shades of purple were everywhere. The ceiling twinkled with imitation stars. Hermione looked down at her tasteful dark purple dress robes.
The bouquet made of lavender lilies and white roses set them off perfectly. She looked around the room once more and realized that they had forgotten to set out the china and the place cards. Hermione pulled her wand out from the folds of her dress robes and gave her wand a brisk wave. Sparkling white china and crystal glasses quickly appeared on the table. She gave the wand another wave and tiny vases containing dark purple lilies appeared. Floating above the lily was the guest name in a glittery lettering.
"Aunt Hermione?" Hermione jumped and turned around. Jacqueline Weasley stood looking up at her. "Aunt Mia and Mère want you." Hermione smiled at the little girl standing before her. She was a perfect mixture of her parents. Her long strawberry blonde hair and blue-green eyes set off her little button-nosed face. She was dressed in a smaller version of the bridesmaid's robes and had a small wreath of white roses gracing her hair.
Hermione offered the girl a free hand. "C'mon Jackie, before they get antsy. We don't like it when the bride gets antsy." The little girl grasped her hand and skipped along side her towards the Burrow.
Hermione walked into the kitchen to find absolute chaos. The groomsmen were all surrounding Fred who sat in the middle of the kitchen grinning ear to ear. Hermione rolled her eyes at all of the redheads and walked upstairs. She walked into Ginny's old room.
In the midst of purple dress robes stood Mia in all white. She turned towards Hermione. "There you are Hermione, we were looking for you." She accepted the large bouquet of white calla lilies, purple orchids, and dark purple roses from her mother.
"Sorry Mia, I was putting the china on the tables in the reception tent."
Jackie went over to her mother who was putting the rest of the rose petals into the flower girl's basket, she handed the basket to Jackie, whose eyes grew wide with delight.
"'Ello "Ermione, 'ow are you doing?" Hermione almost sighed out loud. Molly had put the entire family on watch. She was afraid that all of the children and most especially, babies, were going to cause her to go absolutely nutters. She forced a smile.
"Just fine Fleur. I see that you and Bill are expecting again. Congratulations. When are you due?" Fleur glanced down at her swollen belly.
"Thank you. I'm due in two months." Hermione sat down in an armchair, and Jackie immediately ran over and climbed into her lap.
"Oomph, you are getting big Jackie! What you do you want, a little brother or sister?"
"A little sister, that way I can play dolls with her. But a little brother would be okay too. But a little sister would be best. There just aren't enough Weasley girls. When you and Uncle George get married and have babies, you should make sure that they are girls." All the other adult women seemed to suck in their breaths at that moment.
Hermione had an amused grin on her face, she then quickly looked serious, "I will try my hardest Jackie." Jackie seemed happy at that thought and hopped off her lap.
"Did you hear that Mère? Uncle George likes her for real. You told Daddy that after her accident Uncle George was going to leave her and not like her anymore."
Fleur turned absolutely white when her daughter announced that. Molly gasped in horror and quickly pulled Jackie out of the room. Fleur took a tentative step towards Hermione. Hermione help up her hand.
"Don't even come near me Fleur. If this didn't happen to be Mia's day, and if you were not carrying Bill's child, I kick your arse. But luckily for you, you are knocked up, and this is Mia's day. And you really shouldn't gossip about things that you have no idea about." She started to walk out of the room and paused. She turned towards Fleur one more time. "I've always heard that French women were gossipy little bitches, but you really take the cake on this one." She shook her head sadly. "About your own family, that's pretty low, even for being French and Veela."
She had taken two steps out of the door when Mia came after her.
"Hermione! Wait!"
"I'm so sorry Mia, I should have not said anything. I've ruined your day."
Mia quickly enveloped her into a giant hug. "No silly, you've made this the best possible day ever. I hate Fleur, she thinks she is so much better than me because I'm American and she's French." They broke apart grinning at each other.
"Well Mia, let's get this over with and make you a Weasley. Are you sure you really want to do this?"
Mia's melodious laugh filled the hallway. "One hundred and ten percent sure."
"You are one brave woman."
Mia put her arm around Hermione. "Not as brave as you my dear friend. You not only stand up to stuck up Veelas but you love one half of the most mischievous pair of wizards ever to roam this earth."
It was Hermione's turn to laugh. "That I do."