Today is September the 1st 2011. It has been twenty years since Harry James Potter, Hermione Jean Granger and Ronald Billius Weasley would have boarded the Hogwarts express for the first time. It is also the day that, according the time-span of the books, Victoire Weasley would have boarded the train for her first year at Hogwarts.
Anyway, I'm sorry if you think the story is dragging on, I'm going to wrap it up and move onto a different one. Chapter thirty will be the last chapter. Thanks for Reviewing :-)
This is from Harry's P.O.V...
X
The air was crisp and clear on my face, the sky a beautiful pale blue. I was stood in the garden of the two houses watching several witches and wizards dressed in robes of midnight blue decorate the interior of the white, heated Marquee. The garden was bursting with flowers of every colour, shape and size despite the cold frost that covered the ground. Luckily, it hadn't snowed yet. It was half past eight and Ron was in the shower at my Parents' house, possibly trying to drown his nerves...or himself.
I walked into the kitchen of the Burrow and grabbed a cold croissant from the tray on the side. Hermione's father was sat on the sofa, peering out into the yard where blue flowers were growing around the entrance to the tent.
"Snowdrops." He said, rubbing his arms despite the warmth of the kitchen.
"Hmmm?"
"The blue flowers around the tent. You're Harry aren't you?"
I grinned "Yes I am."
"I've heard a lot about you. She thinks very highly of you, does our Hermione."
I almost choked on my croissant. "Really?"
"Oh yes. She was always saying when she came back from school how there's so much more to you than just a good looking Quidditch player."
I laughed "She thinks I'm good looking?"
He smiled "It's odd, all of this. I'm a dentist...you know?"
I nodded "Yeah, I can understand. I suppose it's like being thrown into another world?"
"We have been thrown into another world. These guests that are coming...what are they like?"
I pondered for a moment on how best to explain the Lovegoods "Eccentric. Lovely though, they've only invited nice people."
"You know what the weirdest bit is, Harry?"
"What?"
"Not these guys dressed in odd clothes, or the strange things you call gnomes walking around, not the fact that that woman over in the corner just conjured a water feature from a stick in her hand or even that you all consider this perfectly normal. The weirdest bit of today will be giving my daughter to somebody else to look after."
I smiled "I understand. Ron's brilliant though; he loves her so much."
Mr Granger smiled at me, gratefully "Thank you."
"No problem."
At that moment the door opened and Ginny ran in, dressed in the fluffy red dressing gown I'd given her years ago. Her hair was straight, with little plaits coming from both sides and tying together behind her head. She didn't have her dress on yet, but she looked gorgeous.
"Harry, we have a problem. Christina, from her work, can't get here. Will you give her a lift?"
"Who the hell is Christina and why can't she apparate here?"
"She can't apparate and the tail end of her broomstick is broken. It sends her in the complete opposite direction and she's not the best of fliers anyway. Christina - You know, the one with the rather large forehead and bushy eyebrows, she smells like...I don't know, kind of cheesy – oh Hello Mr Granger."
Hermione's Dad smiled "Hello, Ginny dear. I thought you lot used each other's fireplaces to get around?"
"She lives in a muggle – non-magical – flat in London. It isn't connected to the system and there's no time."
"Oh."
"Ginny!" I sighed "Can't she just get a lift with somebody else. I don't want to drive into London!"
"Use side-along apparition."
"She smells funny – you said it yourself."
Ginny jumped up and down on the balls of her feet "Please Harry! I have an hour to get Hermione ready and get my dress on and then make sure Vic's ready and clean. All you have to do is go an dget her, then make sure Ron is ready in an hour."
I sighed, "Fine. The wedding isn't 'till ten though, you have an hour and a half."
"Ron needs to be there at quarter to, make sure he is. Oh, and when you get back Teddy should be at your Mum's with Lupin and Tonks, just make sure he looks presentable."
I nodded "Right, whatever. Bye, Mr Granger."
"Goodbye Harry."
The traffic was horrific – it was Saturday morning at nine o'clock and hundreds of muggles had evidently decided to not bother lying in – instead, they'd got into their car and proceeded to drive around the streets of London, causing combustion that I really didn't need on the morning of my best friend's wedding.
After fifteen minutes of being stuck on the same road, I pulled into a lay-by, grabbed my broomstick from the boot of the car and, after casting a disillusionment charm over myself and the broom, flew up into the cool sky.
White clouds were gathering a few miles away, looking like they were filled with snow. I prayed that it wouldn't come down until after the service, which was to take place in the garden, by the pond.
I landed in the garden of the address that Ginny had given me and banged on the door. It was opened by a frumpy witch of about thirty five, who had a really huge forehead and incredibly bushy eyebrows. I got wind of a huge whiff of cheese as she pulled the door shut.
"Why are you in my garden?" She said curtly. "And where is your car?"
"Traffics bad and there's a lot to do in the next fifteen minutes. Get on my broom and stop moaning."
"I can't go on that!" Said Christina, pointing to her green tweed skirt and jacket "Look what I'm wearing!"
"Don't come then. It doesn't bother me but you need to make a decision."
After a lot of huffing a puffing, she finally climbed onto the back of the broomstick, allowing me to soar up into the sky and land in the garden. Guests were being welcomed in by Fred and George, sitting themselves on spindly iron chairs of the palest blue that looked incredibly cold.
"They're heated, Harry, don't worry." shouted George, seeing my nervous expression.
"Who's that you've got there, then? New girlfriend?" Fred asked, grinning.
"She works with Hermione." I said, pushing Christina forward and sticking up my middle finger towards the twins, bother of whom were roaring with laughter.
I glanced at my watch, which read 9:50, and sprinted across the grass and into my house. Tonks and Lupin were walking out, smiling.
"Teddy's in there. Got the rings?"
"Yep, is his hair blue?"
"As turquoise as ever."
"Great. Great, see you later."
I ran into the kitchen to find Teddy sat on the table, a broad smile on his face. He was wearing a very small, black tuxedo with an extremely pale blue shirt, a blue rose in his pocket and a turquoise tie to match his messy hair.
"Having fun, Ted?" I asked, glancing over him and then turning him to my Mum "Is he presentable?"
She grinned "I'd say so."
"My Dad laughed, messing his hair up "He's fine, I'll nip him over now...you need to get Ron."
"Ok...Ron, Ron we need to go."
I ran through to the hall and saw Ron looking into the mirror on the wall. He was wearing a black suit-jacket, trousers and shoes with a white shirt, pale blue waist coat and turquoise tie. His ginger hair was messed up slightly and he had a panic stricken expression on his face.
"I can't do it."
I sighed, kind of expecting this "Of course you can."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"I'm not good enough for her! She deserved someone clever who can talk to her about all the things she talks about and understands what she's going on about. I can't do that!"
"But you can make her laugh, Ron. She loves you for who you are not who you aren't so stop being a dick and get yourself outside or Ginny'll kill me."
Ron smiled and followed me out into the garden. We took our positions at the front and waited. Many people I knew were on the guest list, such as an awful lot of our old teachers (Dumbledore included), the Creevey brothers, Luna Lovegood and her father who were sat with Neville, David Yates and his famous, Quidditch playing, Uncle, Victor Krum (who was being eyed up by a lot of females), Fleur, Bill and Dominique, Charlie and Leo, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell and a few of Hermione's muggle cousins, who were looking around in awe. I noticed Fred sit himself next to one and wink.
Music started playing from a giant harp, and everybody in the room turned to face the walkway between the steel chairs. Almost everybody in the room 'awed' as Teddy and Victoire came into view, holding hands. Victoire was wearing a pale blue dress that tied with a bow at the back and she had a moving turquoise butterfly clip in her hair. Somewhere behind me, I heard Molly burst into tears.
The next person to walk down the aisle was Ginny. Her hair was falling down her back and she had the same grip as Victoire in her hair, tying back the two plaits. Her dress was the same pale blue as Vic's as well, but it was strapless and tight at the top before spreading out when it reached her waist. It had an extremely low back, drawing attention to her behind. Every single male in the room, apart from Arthur and her brothers, were temporarily unable to look away.
The music changed and, with so many other people, I pulled my eyes away from Ginny and found Hermione. She was wearing an ivory dress with lace details in the same Style as Ginny's, but with a higher back and puffier skirt. It had thin sleeves made out of patterned lace and she carried a blue bouquet.
I turned to see Ron's face, and his expression was priceless. All the worry had disappeared and he looked more relaxed than I'd seen him in months. For him, at that moment, everything was perfect.
X
Three hours later, after we were all fed and watered, I stood up and tapped my glass. The room fell silent as everybody turned to face me.
"Okay, first of all, welcome to everybody. I hope you're all having a great time and you all look brilliant. I'm not going to keep you forever, I'm sure you all you guys want to ask all these beautiful women for a dance. About that, keep your hands of the maid of honour – as the best man, she's my business."
Everybody laughed and Ginny, beside me, rolled her eyes but smiled all the same.
"Ron asked me to say a few words and so I agreed, and now you'll have to listen. I've known Ron all my life. Ever since I was a newborn baby actually. He's a few months older than me but we've been best friends through the twenty two years that I've been born. He's always been funny, witty and at times quite irritating and I always thought that he needed to marry someone who would shut him up and control him. When we went to Hogwarts, we found a compartment and settled in, to be rudely interrupted by a small, bushy haired girl. On September the first of that year, Ron and Hermione here had their first argument...and it was over a toad. There were plenty more where they came from, and Ron concluded that his future wife was an insufferable know-it-all. Ron wasn't the best at school. In fact, he was so bad that Minerva over there assigned him a tutor. His tutor happened to be the girl he despised most – Hermione Granger. So I suppose, in many ways, we're all sat here this afternoon because of that wonderful witch in the corner." McGonagall waved and smiled as I carried on. "Eventually, Hermione became our best friend. She'd come over for summer and always got insanely irritated whenever Ron showed any interest in any sort of Female. It was a stormy night in Gryffindor tower, half way through my fourth year, when I realised they were going to get married. Ron had come in, ranting about how he'd seen Hermione speaking – I know, ladies and gentlemen, actually speaking – to a seventh year. He claimed that she was being used and that lead to a heated argument between them. Sometime before my seventh year, Albus Dumbledore made them head boy and girl, a decision I still don't understand, seeing as Ron is still abysmal at anything that requires brain power. Anyway, they got together and Ron finally seemed to be whole. He had found his other half and I can honestly say that you won't find anybody better matched – apart from Ted and Vic, of course. You can see it in the way he looks at her, and the way she looks at him. I wish you, my two best friends, all the happiness in the world. I love you both. To Ron and Hermione, everybody!"
Glasses were raised and Hermione wrapped her arms around me, squeezing me to death. "That was lovely, Harry!"
"It's fine, I mean every word of it...you really do look beautiful."
She wiped her eyes and flapped her hands a bit, before sitting down and downing her glass of champagne.
I heard Ginny laugh at something Victor Krum was saying and this irritated me greatly. I drank my own glass of champagne quickly and followed the crowd over to the flagged square where Ron and Hermione were doing their first dance to 'Can you feel the love tonight?' from The Lion King – Hermione's favourite film.
The music changed to a country song and I felt someone grab my hand.
"Come on." Ginny grinned, pulling me onto the dance floor.
"Oh you want to dance? I'm flattered Weasley."
She laughed "We have to, as best man and maid of honour."
"You sound so thrilled about that."
"Well, you're not the best of dancers."
Our eyes met and I knew she was thinking the same as me. I was teleported back five and a half years ago, to the spot a few metres behind us, where we had danced at that family barbeque.
"Memories." She said, smiling "I miss them."
"I miss them too." I whispered, not completely sure if I actually meant 'I miss you.'
She wrapped her hands around my neck "So I'm not allowed to dance with anybody else?"
"Nope. Tonight you're all mine, Weasley."
"I don't know whether to laugh or cry at that, Potter."
"Neither, you should be cheering." I said, tightening my grip on her lower back. "I like this song, who sings it?"
"Taylor Swift – she's a muggle."
"Oh, what's it called?"
Her eyes met mine and for a moment nobody else was in the room "Love story."
And then, don't know if it was the champagne, or the music, or just the look of sheer comfort she had in her eyes – whatever it was, I couldn't help it, I kissed her.
X
