The lovely J. K. Rowling owns all of HPverse. The Banquet Part 2. Thanks for reading!
After reviewing his speech two more times and sipping the drink Draco had brought him, Harry had worked his way to Draco, Luna, and Blaise, all huddled together talking. Blaise and Draco were in variations of the same black dress robes with the tuxedo front as Harry was wearing, and Luna wore a floor length, filmy white dress that looked like the tunics he'd seen of the Greek Gods in muggle school when he was young. Gold clasps fastened the dress at her shoulders, letting it drape down.
"It's called a peplos," Luna said when Draco was asking Blaise about wizarding stocks, her great round eyes staring at him. "The tunic you're thinking of."
"How'd you know I was thinking…."Harry asked, amazed.
"Oh, sometimes your thoughts are louder than normal, Harry Potter," she said, as if that was the most sensical answer in the world.
Harry gaped at the blonde witch. Was Luna serious?
"Don't worry," she whispered to him, playing with a lock of her hair. "I won't tell Draco what you were thinking about him earlier."
Harry blanched, but Luna seemed oblivious to his discomfort and changed subjects by showing Harry the spherical golden earrings Blaise had bought her. They looked oddly familiar, almost like snitches but not with the extra point.
"He made them to look like my dirigible plum earrings," she declared loud enough for the other two to hear before beaming up at her husband with her wide eyes, and, after another inspection, Harry saw that they did indeed look like golden radishes hanging off her ears.
"They look, er, nice on you," he told her, still eyeing her hesitantly, and Luna glowed at the compliment.
"Thank you, Harry," she answered. "And you and Draco look handsome, as well."
Harry blushed again at the mention of Draco, and glanced at the blonde man and woman nervously; however, Draco seemed unaware of Luna's statement just before.
"And what about me, love?" Blaise chuckled, grinning at his wife, as he slid an arm around her waist.
"You know you always look handsome," she said plainly, as if commenting on the color of the sky.
At this Draco snorted into his tumbler dramatically, and Blaise gave him a warning glance.
They're conversations were interrupted as the announcement of new arrivals to the banquet were called out.
"May I present with great honor," announced a wizard attendee with a strong, clear voice amplified. "Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister for Magic, Order of Merlin, First Class."
The whole banquet hall bowed as the impressive figure of Minister Shacklebolt came down the stairs wearing white wizarding robes with a black tie and cummerbund.
Kingsley stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked around. Then in his deep voice he called:
"What is all this bowing nonsense," he laughed. "I serve the people, not the other way around. Straighten up, all of you."
Reluctantly, everyone stood erect.
"It is I who bow to you," Kingsley said, all mirth from his tone. And he took a deep bow to the hall, which erupted into applause as he straightened himself again. Harry clapped hard with them. He'd had an embarrassing entrance like that as well, and he understood the Minister's sentiments exactly.
Many rushed over to shake his hand, which Kingsley tolerated until he saw Harry not too far away.
"Ah, Harry!" Kingsley boomed, walking toward him, and the two met with an enthusiastic shaking of hands and a short embrace.
"It's great to see you, Kingsley!" Harry greeted.
"As it is you, my boy!" the Minister replied soberly. "And of course I would be here for such a noble cause."
"Thank you, Kingsley," Harry said, and then looked behind him at his friends, all of which were respectively silent.
"May I introduce my friends to you, sir?" he asked.
"Certainly," Kingsley said in his slow bass. "A friend of yours is a friend to me."
Harry gestured to the Zabinis.
"This is Blaise and Luna Zabini. You, of course, know Blaise, as he works for International Magical Cooperation."
"Mr. Zabini," Kingsley said, taking Blaise's hand and giving it a strong shake. "Fine work you're doing. Looked at the negotiations report just two days ago from your time in Berlin."
"Thank you, sir," Zabini said, all serious toned and nodding his head. "And this is my wife Luna."
"Hello, Minister," she said, quirking her usual Luna smile. "May I ask if you ever rid the ministry of its infestation of Wrackspurts? They decrease productivity ever so much in employees?"
Harry recognized the name and bit his lip to keep from smiling.
"Beg pardon?" Kingsley asked, confusion evident on his face, his hand stilling as it took hers for greeting.
Luna opened her mouth, ready to recite a word for word Quibbler report on them, but Harry intervened by moving onto the next introduction.
"And this, sir," Harry said. "Is my, er, boyfriend. Draco Malfoy."
Kingsley turned to Draco, and Blaise mouthed a quick "thank you" to Harry.
Draco pushed his shoulders back and looked every inch the pureblood he was at that moment.
"An honor, Minister," Draco said as they shook hands.
Kingsley's eyes widened as he no doubt recognized Lucius in the man's face, but controlled his features quickly.
"And it is an honor to meet someone who has captured Harry's attention so," Kingsley said seriously. "You are a lucky wizard, Mr. Malfoy."
Draco's gaze darted to Harry before returning back to the Minister.
"Indeed I am, sir," the blonde stated, at which Kingsley smiled.
After that the Minister's secretary arrived and whisked him off to meet the Head Director of St. Mungo's.
It wasn't too long after that the four turned to see more friends had arrived.
"May I present," the announcer called. "Mr. Ronald Weasley, escorting his wife, Mrs. Hermione Weasley."
Harry turned and grinned as his two best friends walked down the staircase, Ron looking a bit stiff in his crisp dress robes and Hermione pink cheeked on his arm, her new perfect curls half pulled back and dressed in a black satin, cap sleeved gown with an empire waist.
The trio greeted each other warmly at the bottom of the staircase while Blaise shook Ron's hand and Hermione and Luna complimented each other's dresses.
"You look stunning, Mrs. Weasley," Draco told Hermione after appraising her.
Hermione blushed pink and thanked him, and then Harry's mouth opened in surprise as Ron stepped up to the blonde to shake his hand.
"You're a prat, but you're damn good at hair," Ron told him, grinning like he had the first time he'd won the Quidditch match for Gryffindor.
Draco took the half insult/ half compliment more graciously than Hermione or Harry could expect, and soon they were all making the usual small talk. However, the polite conversation was soon interrupted as another couple arrived: George Weasley and his date, Alicia Spinnet.
"Alicia!" Harry boomed after Hermione had pulled her into an embrace. "I thought you were in Greece doing business for Gringotts."
The dark haired woman smiled broadly at him.
"I just transferred to London few days ago. Missed home," she explained.
"Missed me," George countered.
She playfully shoved him.
"In your dreams," she teased.
"Yes, please," George whispered loudly, giving her a loving peck on the cheek.
Friendly hugs and plans for future get-togethers were being exchanged when Alicia's eyes landed on Draco.
The smile slid off her face.
Harry noticed and winced at the memory of Draco calling Hermione a mudblood during his third year. Clearly, George had not updated her from the way her eyes were narrowing.
Hermione was mouthing quickly to Ron, "George hasn't told her!" Harry quickly initiated damage control.
"Uh, Alicia, have you been properly introduced to Draco, mm—my, boyfriend," Harry emphasized the last word.
Alicia's eyes snapped to Harry's face, big question marks in them.
Draco, having clearly remembered their last encounter as well and used to suspicion, eased into the situation. He bowed to Alicia.
"Ms. Spinnet, I'm happy to meet you. I am glad we can be introduced on much better terms than the last."
Alicia crooked her eyebrow, but with a slight nod from Harry, she bowed her head and returned the greeting. The group grew more at ease after that, though Draco and Alicia did not speak to each other again.
Fifteen minutes had passed before George looked around the room and asked, "Oi, where's Ginny?"
"She said she'd be here," Hermione stated, a frown knitting her eyebrows together as she looked out over the heads of guests.
"Ah, you know Gin," Ron shrugged. "She's probably still putting on makeup. She's always late."
Just then, another hush fell over the room as the announcer cleared his amplified throat to signal the arrival of more guests.
"May I present," he said soberly. "Mr. Neville Longbottom, escorting Ms. Ginerva Weasley."
"Neville!" the group at the stairs echoed and Harry heard Draco cough into his drink. And down the stairs came a very mesmerized looking Neville with—
"Merlin!" Ron exclaimed. "Is that Ginny?"
Harry and George's mouths opened and closed like fish; Blaise whistled, and the women all gasped. Harry heard Luna whisper "Wow" to herself.
Ginny looked completely different.
Her dress was cut low in a drastic sweetheart design, the black silk skirt with a short hemline in the front just brushing her knees but trailing in the back to her black stiletto ankle boots. But it was her hair that was so shocking. Gone was the violent shade of red that was the signature of all the Weasleys. It has been toned down to a light auburn with thick streaks of black running through it. Her hair hung loose and voluminous around her face, and her make-up was dramatic and all shadows.
The whole banquet hall watched as the two slowly made their entrance, trying to comprehend the force that was now Ginny Weasley.
Neville saw the group when they were almost to the end and proudly held Ginny on his arm, making their way over. Everyone stared at them silently in awe as the two stopped in front, Neville practically glowing with infatuation.
Ginny just put a saucy hand on her hip and smirked.
"What are you all staring at?" she puffed, a wicked smile spreading across her face.