Chapter 35
Molly's Wedding Planner
Molly and Arthur Weasley could be found in the sitting room of the Burrow, Molly at her new computer, Arthur trying to look over her shoulder, at whatever it was she was reading on the screen in front of her. It seemed Molly had discovered something called Wedding Planning for Dummies, Arthurchuckled, she was not a Dummy when it came to wedding planning, hadn't she pulled off Bill and Fleur's wedding in the middle of a war? He patted her shoulder, and smiled down, before speaking, "Do you really see anything there that will help you?"
Molly turning in her chair, to face the man asking such a question, smiled, "Arthur, I am trying to plan 10 unique, but joint weddings, each couple needs something specific to themselves, a piece of the wedding they will remember as just for them. You try and figure it out."
Arthur snorted, what did the woman have in mind?, "Well Mollywobbles if anyone can pull it off, you can!", as he added "I need to run an errand, anything you need from Diagon Alley that I can get for you?"
Molly shook her head no, not really paying a lot of mind to the fact he was going to London.
Arthur stepped to the fireplace, grabbed a pinch of sparkling Floo powder, and said The Leaky Cauldron. Molly looked up, and waved as Arthur disappeared into the Floo Network.
Stepping from the fireplace at the pub, Arthur, quickly exited the establishment, this after all had been to throw Molly off the trail of where he was really headed, Grimmauld Place, to speak to Harry Potter. Walking to the apparition area, the turned, spun....
The doorstep of Grimmauld Place was under his feet. He raised a hand to knock, brushing ash from his robes as he did. The door swung open, Kreacher, the old House Elf, stood before him, looking past, as if he expected to see someone else. The bullfrog voice sounded almost too quiet, "Mr. Weasley,Sir, come in, are you alone?"
Arthur stepped inside the entrance, looking into the sitting room, seeing the nine couples in the room, he raised a hand and waved, answering the elf, at the same time, "Yes Kreacher, I am alone, why?"
Kreacher slunk back, head down, "Master Harry will tell you", scurrying off to the kitchen, not waiting for another question to be raised.
Harry stood, meeting Arthur as he came into the room. Arthur scratched his head, saying as he inspected the occupants of the room, "Kreacher, seems a bit off today, is he OK?", taking a seat in an empty chair, by the window.
The room erupted in a chorus of voices, all making strange laughing, snorting, chocked noises. Arthur turned his head, taking in all the noise, "What in Merlin's name is going on?", the confused man asked.
Ron, Percy, and George staring at their father, blurted, "Nothing at all Grand Dad."
Arthur Weasley dropped the tea cup, Kreacher had just brought him, Tea slopped on the rug, bits of china flew in all directions, as his hands came up grabbing the sides of his head, "Oh No! Don't tell me
you didn't wait for the weddings, YOUR MUM IS GOING TO KILL YOU!!", His head was spinning, from the comments his sons had just thrown at him.
Percy, the first to recover any composure at all, shook his head, "Not just us Dad, everyone here are expecting.", waving his arm in a broad circle including the entire room.
Arthur's face paled, "But you promised your mother, that you would wait until after the weddings." He looked at each couple, one at a time, their faces gaining a shade of pink, as he took stock of the lot.
Percy tried to speak again,not having explained anything, and Arthur was becoming more and more worried, and confused, what would they tell Molly?
"It isn't what you are thinking Dad, We didn't wait for the formal wedding, but we are all married. We stopped at the Ministry yesterday, all of us......except for Severus and Hermione, they went before the memorial Service, ….................so you see we didn't break our promises.", It was George's voice Arthur was hearing speak, but still not comprehending how all the couples had managed to conceive at the same time, asked,"BUT...How did this happen? I mean the pregnancies.......so quickly............and at the same time, …........That seems.....unlikely?"
Harry walked over and used a banishing spell to clear away the mess,from in front of the poor red headed man, who had just found out he would be becoming a Grandfather sooner than expected, saying "Mr. Weasley, that would probably be.......my fault................We came back here to have a celebration dinner, and everyone decided to spend the night...................Kreacher used a charm Dobby taught him....to bring happiness......................without realizing it was a fertility charm. Since he is my House Elf, I will take the blame."
Arthur said, "Your all married? Severus, Hermione were you married when Molly and I interrupted the other evening?" Looking a bit embarrassed asking, but sincerely wanting to know.
The Snapes, hands holding on to each other, smiled, as Severus spoke, "Yes Arthur, we had already wed, earlier that day, you...........interrupted, as you call it, our wedding night. When I told Molly nothing untoward would happen before marriage, I was being sincere, nothing had or did, plans had already been made for stops at the Ministry. The records have been sealed until after the formal weddings, but we may have to change that, under the new circumstances." I will not have any of our wives reputations besmirched when the evidence can no longer be concealed. "Whatever you wish to tell your wife, is your business, but we are still willing to go through with the formal ceremonies, these young women deserve to have a wedding to remember.
Arthur head nodding at Severus' last sentence finally remembered why he had come to visit, in the first place. "That was the original reason for my visit today. Would all of you consider allowing Molly and I to join you, renewing our wedding vows? Molly never had the wedding of her dreams, as we eloped. I want her to finally have what she has missed all these years. Why do you think she has been so determined that you have real weddings?", all said without taking a breath.
The young people seated around the room were buzzing, "YES! Let's give Molly the wedding of her dreams too . No one else deserves it as much as the woman, that has been a mother, or mother figure too all of us at one point or another in our lives." All of the voices intermingled to the point, it couldn't be certain who had said what, but it was understood, The Weasleys would also be renewing their vows
as well as all the other couples. At this point Arthur began wondering, would there be even one couple who would be having a first wedding on that day? He could hope Ginny and Draco would wait, but that seemed even more unlikely now, with the revaluations from the other couples. Arthur stood,going to each couple he hugged them in turns, congratulating them on impending parenthood, and told them if they needed anything to contact him, he would do whatever he could to help. After saying his goodbyes, he left, mind spinning, not ready to go home quite yet. He decided on a quick trip to Hogwarts.
Arthur found Ginny and Draco in The Great Hall, having tea, when he arrived. The two young people sat with their heads close together, whispering to each other.
He spoke,"Hello kids, how are you doing?", as he took a seat opposite them.
The two jumped apart at the unexpected arrival of Ginny's father. An almost guilty looked crossed the young girls face.
"Oh hi Dad, we were just talking, we're doing OK,", as a blush climbed up her cheeks. Draco nodded his head in Arthur's direction, if indicating Ginny had been correct in her appraisal of the question her father had asked.
Arthur poured himself a cup of tea, and began to speak slowly. "Well I just met with the others, it would seem, weddings have already taken place, what do you know about it?", as he sipped from the cup in front of him.
Ginny's blush grew more intense, realizing her father knew about all the other couples, and feeling even more guilty. "Uh Dad............they did it, we didn't …......yet." taking hold of Draco's hand for support.
Arthur grinned, "I know, you aren't of age yet, and that is why I came here, I've talked to the others and they agreed, but I need to know if you would mind if your mother and I joined in the formal weddings at Christmas?, she never got to have the wedding of her dreams, and has missed it, all these years. I want to surprise her with a real wedding. What do you think? Actually it will be a renewal of vows for all of us, since the other kids couldn't wait to be married. Are you two going to wait? It would mean a lot to your mother if at least one of these weddings were a first time, one, even though we are going to try and keep it a secret, but since Kreacher's little bit of elf magic, it's doubtful we will be able to."
Ginny looked at her father totally confused, "What do you mean, What magic did Kreacher use, that would make keeping the marriages a secret from Mum,any harder than it would have been? I don't understand what you are saying?"
Arthur threw his head back, hands moving to his hair, as if he were about to pull it out, "It would seem Dobby taught Kreacher a charm or spell to cause happiness, for anyone it was used on. After the marriages the lot of them went to Grimmauld Pace for a celebration dinner, and decided to spend the night, while Kreacher showed everyone to their rooms, he used the spell, it not only was for happiness, but it caused fertility. There are now nine pregnant brides. It will be hard to keep secret that fact, when the formal weddings are six months away. It is to my recollection, and since I experienced it six times, quite certain, by six months, baby bumps are evident."
Ginny gasped, Draco roared with laughter, as Arthur cringed. The tea cups were refilled and the three people sat staring at each other in amazement. Draco was the first to speak, "Actually, Sir, we had just been talking about waiting, Ginny wanted her Mum to have the honor of planning our wedding, since she is the only Weasley daughter. It is alright with me, I'll do whatever makes Ginny happy, I'd love to be her husband as quickly as possible, but we do have a lifetime ahead of us, now that there is no more Voldemort, and the war is over."
Arthur looked the young, blond haired, gray eyed wizard up and down, thinking where had this Draco come from, the one he had previously know of, was a selfish, self centered Git, he thought of only his wants and desires, first and foremost.
Draco added, while staring directly at Arthur, "You see Sir, I saw Hermione search the UK, for the man she loved, I saw others come together quickly, and others, that people thought belonged together, fall away from each other, and into relationships that no one would have thought of before Voldemort's defeat. We have all been forced to grow up, we've seen friends and adversaries die, fighting for what they believed in. Now when we have the opportunity to be happy, we are willing to wait, if it makes Mrs. Weasley happy."
Arthur stood up, as did Draco. The two men met face to face, the older putting his arms around the younger, embracing his future son-in-law, as he spoke,"Draco it will be a pleasure having you as a part of our family, Thank You for making my little girl happy."
Draco patted Arthur's shoulder as the older man released him, "Sir, I am glad I can make her happy, and I intend to spend the rest of my life doing just that. If I can give her the kind of love you are trying to show your wife, with a real wedding, It would make me very happy. Please join us in the formal ceremony."
Ginny jumped up, hugging her father,"Yes, Dad, please join us." A smile like no other Arthur had seen spread across his daughters face. She added, "Tell us what we can do to help with the preparations, so Mum doesn't find out about your wedding?"
Arthur thought a bit, before saying, "I'm sure your Mum will be asking you about invitations, and cake, and dresses, try and find out where she is getting the things and we will try a sneak attack, behind her back, and get the extras for our part."
Draco grinned at Arthur, "Sir, that is down right Slytherin of you. Have you been hanging around Severus?"
Arthur smirked at the younger man, " As a matter of fact, I have, more so lately, he is a good influence isn't he?"
The three grinned at each other, as Minerva McGonagall walked up to where they had been seated, and glancing back and forth between the Cheshire faced group, asked" What are you three up to?, With those smiles it can be no good!"
The group took their seats, and in turns each retold of the previous conversation. Minerva's eyes rolled at the explanation of the House Elf magic, and the thought that in about twelve years there were going
to be the offspring of these couples sorting into Hogwarts. she said, "Woo I think I shall be retiring before then. Filius can have the pleasure of being headmaster over that lot." The other three roared with laughter as they too thought about the children of their friends and family.
Standing once again, Arthur said his goodbyes as he kissed Ginny on the cheek, and left, telling her he would see her at home later.
Minerva head shaking from side to side looked at Ginny and Draco, as she said, "You do realize this will be impossible?"
The two young people gazed off into space, both thinking probably!