Disclaimer: I own the character Christine Smith and the plot, as it pertains to this fanfiction.
Chapter 36 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` November 1, 1998 Percy & Penelope's Wedding
Hermione grinned at the flurry of movement in the kitchen. Arthur and Molly were trying to get their cloaks on and leave for the Ministry to make it on time for Percy's wedding. However, their progress was impeded by George and Ron trying to wheedle the whereabouts of the biscuits from their mother. Molly's voice carried into the living room, where the rest of the family could hear her judgement.
"You are not getting the biscuits, they're for the dinner tonight at the restaurant. I told Penny that I would bring them and she told her family. If I didn't bring them it would be bad manners. Now scat!" A snapping sound that could only have been a towel could be heard and both boys hurried into the living room with wild grins on their faces. Arthur stuck his head into the living room.
"We're leaving now, you all be good and stay out of trouble. I fully expect to come home to a house that's still standing. Bill, you're in charge." Ginny scoffed and shot her father a look of disdain.
"Dad, you act like we're all still ten. We're adults. We don't need someone to be in charge." Bill stifled a laugh as their father raised his eyebrows and shook his head before leaving the room. The group continued watching the telly until they heard the floo activate and shut off, indicating that their parents were gone.
After a half hour of near silence, (Hermione didn't mind, she was enjoying a book by the fire) George stood up and surveyed the people in the room.
"This is bloody boring. I'm not sitting here for Merlin knows how long and waiting on them. Who's up for a game of quidditch?" The silence that had been looming before was shattered by excited talk. Hermione noticed that an argument had broken out between Bill and Fleur over her being able to play or not. It started out in whispers but became quite heated. Eventually they were yelling and the family was taking sides.
"Fleur, you're not playing! What if you fall? You could hurt yourself or the baby!" Ginny was quick to take Fleur's side.
"Bill, women play quidditch pregnant all the time. I'm sure that Hermione would have no problems watching from the ground to cast a cushioning charm if she falls. Let her play, quit being so controlling!" Bill turned on Ginny at these harsh words.
"Until you're pregnant yourself and have to worry about something other than your own selfish existence, don't even begin to tell me that I'm being controlling! Stay out of this, this is between Fleur and I!" This outburst caused Harry and Fleur both to start in on Bill, Harry louder than Fleur.
"Don't you dare yell at her, Bill! She's taking up for your wife, for Melin's sake. You aren't even letting Fleur have a say, just telling her how it's going to be. That's kind of controlling if you ask me!" Anger had caused red to flush Harry's cheeks and he had stepped up next to Ginny, grabbing her by the hand. At this point, Fleur had started to cry. Hermione rushed to her side, putting an arm around her, comforting her. The sound of her quiet tears seemed to have an effect on the Weasley family and they calmed, but Bill and Ginny were still shooting daggers at each other with their eyes.
Hermione brushed Fleur's silver hair from her cheeks and smiled reassuringly at her. Angelina rose and came to Fleur's other side and gave her a hug. The room was silent for a few minutes while everyone got a hold of their tempers. Finally Fred spoke up to break the tension.
"Only in the Weasley family, can we all want to kill each other over quidditch." The room burst out in quiet laughter, even Fleur. Finally Bill looked at Fleur.
"I'm sorry, love, Ginny's right. I didn't talk to you, I just told you what you were doing. I just really don't want you to play. Not that I don't have complete confidence in Hermione's cushioning charms, but more that I'm worried about you getting hurt by a bludger. There's enough of us to actually have beaters. If we ever play and we don't have bludgers, you can play if Hermione agrees to cast a charm if you fall. Will you agree to that?" Fleur nodded.
"I agree. I didn't realize we were playing with bludgers. Of course I don't want to play with those. I'll play next time." She gave the group of Weasleys a weak smile. Bill turned to Ginny with a look of determination.
"Never thought I'd see the day I had to say my baby sister was right, but it's here. I'm sorry, Gin, you're right. I should have asked her, not told her. You are always welcome to yell at me as long as it's in defense of my wife." He gave her a grin at the end. Ginny gave him a smug smile.
"It's just all happening for me lately. My oldest brother admits I'm right, another brother asks my advice when he says he never would in his life...glad to know that I've become so essential in all of your lives." Charlie pointed at her and raised his eyebrows.
"You are not to let this go to your head, little sister. One day, you might need us and we're going to rub it in your face." She laughed merrily in the wake of his comment. George interrupted their banter.
"Can we play some bloody quidditch now!?" Everyone laughed at his impatience and went off in search of their jumpers and cloaks. Fleur decided to stay in the house where it was warm so that left Hermione to referee the game by herself. A job she wasn't too keen on, but took on to keep the boys happy. The group of ten trudged out to the orchard where the makeshift quidditch pitch was located, already arguing over who was going to be on what teams. Hermione couldn't help but laugh at their bickering as they raced to the broom shed to retrieve their brooms.
In the end, they couldn't agree on teams so they nominated Hermione to split them up, knowing that she was always fair. Since there were nine players, she sent Ron to play permanent keeper, not on a team. He would be included in both teams. Fred, Charlie, Angelina, and Bill made up the first team, heading to one end of the pitch to discuss their strategy. George, Harry, Ginny, and Christine were on the opposing team. Hermione had to admit, it would be a good game. She really did wish that Fleur could play, she was quite good at playing chaser. Hermione settled herself on the ground and cast warming spells around herself, waiting on the players to ready themselves for the match.
After a fair amount of time for strategy discussion, she called the game to start. She released the balls and the Weasley's went after them in a rush. Charlie and Harry were playing against each other in the post of seeker, Fred and George against each other as beaters, and Bill, Angelina, Ginny, and Christine as chasers. The game was quite brutal. Cutthroat even,one would say. Hermione smiled to herself as she tried to pay close attention to who had the ball and who was scoring as she kept score in the air with smoke from her wand. While she wasn't paying attention, a bludger careened past her head, hit by George, and smacked the ground. It bounced, leaving an impression in the hard dirt, and hit her in the shoulder, the same shoulder that always hurt. She felt a crack as her bone broke. The bludger continued on it's course towards the goal, where it hit Ron's broom, unseating him, sending him to the ground. Despite the seering pain in her wand arm, Hermione raised her hand and cast a quick cushioning charm before Ron could hit the ground at full speed. She suspected that he was still injured, but she doubted that they were serious. Hermione could hear feet hitting the ground a fair distance away, checking on Ron she was sure. Raising her eyes, she saw that he was awake and talking but his arm was at an odd angle. They were walking him towards her, most likely for her to heal him since she was the best with charms. She sat up, blocking out the pain from her arm. Her mind ran through who was best with charms after herself. Bill probably. Or George. Fred was good at potions, Charlie at transfiguration, Ginny at herbology and defence. She really wasn't sure about Christine and Angelina.
Ron was smiling as they walked him to her spot on the ground. She didn't see how since he was holding his arm to his chest.
"Did you see that, 'Mione? George said he hit that bludger last...good thing you're quick on your feet or I'd be a lot worse for the wear! Can you heal me, please?" She gave a forced smile and nodded.
"It's no problem, that's why I'm here." She muttered an incantation and waved her wand over his arm and the bone mended in front of their eyes. He ran his hand over his arm where the break had been.
"God, I love magic." The group laughed and they started to walk off towards the pitch again, but Hermione called out to Bill.
"Bill, can you hold on a moment?" He turned around, as did Fred. Bill looked confused but nodded. The pair of them started back towards her spot on the ground.
"Can you heal me? I think you're the best with charms and it's my messed up shoulder so I really don't want just anyone to -" Both men dropped to the ground and Fred cut her off.
"What the bloody hell happened, Mia? Why didn't you tell us you were hurt? One of us could have healed Ron. Were you hurt when you cast that cushioning charm? Were you -" Bill cut him off.
"Fred, just stop. You have to let her talk. But first let me look at her shoulder. Hermione, I hate to tell you this, but you're going to have to let me see your shoulder so you're going to have to take your shirt off. Leave your bra on. Unless you want me to have Angelina or Christine look at it." Hermione bit her lip and looked at Fred. He shrugged at her.
"No, I want you to heal it, I know you're good at charms. But can you have Christine, Angie, and Ginny come stand in front of me so the other boys can't see me?" Bill nodded and yelled for the girls. Waiting on them meander their way back over, she explained what happened.
"Before that bludger hit Ron, it hit the ground right there," she indicated with her head to the indention in the ground, "and then it bounced off the ground and hit me in the shoulder. I had just enough time to cast the cushioning charm for Ron after I caught my breath. Next time, I'll pay more attention." Bill gave her a funny look.
"What did you mean 'messed up shoulder'?" Hermione gave a deep sigh.
"Fred will you just tell him? This hurts immensely, unless he wants to wait for an explanation. But I think he might want one before he heals me." Fred reached down and gripped her hand while Bill waited patiently for Fred to explain.
"When she saved me at Hogwarts, a chunk of that wall hit her in the spine and broke it between her shoulders. Madam Pomfrey healed it but it wasn't right. She fixed it, well kind of, but it still causes her shoulder pain since it lays on a nerve or something. Madam Pomfrey said she could fix it but it would mean having to rebreak her spine again, so Mia told her no because she didn't want that pain again. Now she just lives with the shoulder pain that she gets here and there, all because she chose to save my life." Bill turned to explain to the three girls that had just arrived. Hermione looked up at Fred.
"That was the best choice I ever made." He smiled at her and pressed a kiss on top of her head. His hands began to work the opposite side of her injury's shirt off her frame. She felt a blush rise to her cheeks. The November wind cut into her bare skin as Bill helped peel her shirt off her injured arm. Ginny conjured a cloak and wrapped it around the rest of her, leaving her injury free. Bill ran a diagnostic spell, indeed finding a broken bone. As he healed it, she felt the familiar flow of magic as the bone melded itself back together. Once the pain was gone, Bill ran another diagnostic spell.
"Well, 'Mione, I didn't do anything for what was already wrong with it, but I fixed the broken bone perfectly. Sorry I couldn't help with your other problem." He handed her her shirt back and she smiled at him.
"It's alright, Bill, I've come to live with it. Thank you for healing me. I appreciate it more than you know." Once her shirt was back on, he ruffled her hair.
"'Mione, you don't have to thank me. You're my sister now, like it or not. Now put your cloak back on, quit chattering your teeth, and make sure you tell everyone that Charlie catches the snitch!" She gave a small giggle and he headed off with the girls towards the pitch. Fred looked at her sternly.
"I'll kick Georgie's arse for hurting you, but next time, bloody say something! When are you going to learn?" She gave him a kiss before admonishing him.
"Don't you dare do anything to him. He didn't know it was going to hit me. It's my fault for not saying anything. And probably never." He rolled his eyes and sauntered off. The game continued in typical Weasley fashion. It finally ended forty-five minutes later, Bill's team indeed winning when Charlie caught the snitch, first time ever against Harry. The ribbing that took place lasted all the way up to the house, where Fleur's swan patronus met them a few steps from the door.
*Your parents are home, almost time to leave.*
The family filed in the house, rowdy and loud from the quidditch game, giving Fleur, Molly and Arthur details from the match. Ron was regaling his injuries and was telling of Hermione's quick movements to save him from a headlong crash. Hermione soon became embarrassed and snuck away upstairs to change into more appropriate wear for the reception at the muggle restaurant. She wore her hair down and straight, simple. She applied light makeup and perfume which complimented her outfit nicely. The flattering long black slacks hugged her hips and almost reached the floor, they would have if she hadn't been wearing a pair of red heels. They matched the long-sleeved crimson top, which brought out the last of the shiny auburn highlights left in her hair from the summer sunlight. She fastened her locket from her birthday around her neck, wearing it on the outside of her shirt, and a simple pair of silver earrings.
Hermione had to admit that Fred looked amazing. He wore a charcoal grey suit, since robes would be out of the question. Muggle London wasn't ready for wizarding robes. After tying his tie for him and brushing hair off his forehead, they grasped hands and headed down the stairs to wait for the rest of the family. Harry and Ginny looked fabulous, Ginny in a long emerald green dress and Harry in a black suit with an emerald green tie. Everyone filed down the stairs and went to Harry and Hermione for inspection. Hermione had to tie Charlie and Bill's ties and Harry sent Arthur to change out of mucking boots to dress shoes, but other than that everyone passed inspection.
They decided to dissaparate in two groups to bring less attention to themselves. Hermione took herself, Fred, George, Angelina, Charlie, Christine and Ron while Harry took himself, Ginny, Bill, Fleur, Molly, and Arthur. They arrived in a deserted alleyway outside the restaurant, leaving them all breathless. The restaurant was large and expensive looking, waiters could be seen rushing all through the building through the windows.
As they entered the warm building, the smell of italian food assaulted them, making Hermione's stomach growl for the first time in weeks. The hostess led them back to the table set aside for Percy and Penelope's party. They all took their seats, hanging their jackets behind them. Percy and Penelope, along with her family joined them shortly after. The conversation was a little stunted at first, as the Weasleys weren't used to muggles, but Arthur was thrilled to carry on the conversation for the whole family. By the end of the first course, the table was enveloped in laughter.
After their meals were eaten, Percy stood up to make a speech. Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione thought she saw Fred with his wand but when she turned her head completely his attention was fully on his brother. She reached over and grabbed his hand, pulling it into her lap after lacing their fingers together.
"I want to make a toast, not only to the family we have gathered her tonight to help us celebrate this day, but to my lovely wife. I've loved her for quite awhile but never had the nerve to tell her. I wish that you all could have been there, but we just wanted a quiet ceremony, just us. We are, however, happy that you could all be here tonight." Percy's face started to pinch together with a look of confusion. "We want you all to know that we love you very much." He looked down and a look of anger swept over his face. "Thank you all." He sat down for a few moments and then stood up quickly, excusing himself. He walked gingerly towards the loo, Fred and George bursting out in laughter. The rest of the table gave them confused looks. George recovered first.
"We were just discussing ideas for the shop. We came up with a great idea." Everyone seemed to buy their excuse but Hermione was not fooled. She turned to the twins and hissed in their direction.
"I know you just pranked him, what did you do?" This brought on a new fit of laughter. Fred finally got control of himself and told her between fits of laughter.
"I cast a spell on his shoes. We just made it up yesterday. They're going to continue to shrink. Finite incantatem won't work to stop them either. He won't have any shoes by the time he comes out of the loo." Hermione couldn't hold back the giggle that was fighting to escape her lips. Ginny and Harry heard her and gave her a look, knowing something was going on. She leaned over and told them. They had the same reaction. After just a few minutes, all the Weasleys except Molly and Arthur knew what Fred and George had done to Percy and they were in stitches over it. Penelope's family were looking down the table at them like they were crazy. Eventually, Percy emerged from the loo wearing a completely different pair of shoes, apparently a pair that he had conjured from who knows where. As he was taking his seat, he shot a dirty look at the twins and pointed a finger at them. Hermione had a thought and leaned over to the twins.
"If you two prank my wedding, I swear to the gods, they won't find your bodies." This statement sobered them up for the remainder of the evening.
After the party had ended, the family left together, Percy berating the twins for their "prank". Molly was confused and demanded to know what had happened. Once Percy had explained and everyone was caught up in laughter again, Molly was yelling at the twins for the millionth time for ruining family events. Still laughing, George cut her.
"Mum, if we didn't prank Percy, he would have no idea that we really loved him. It's just how we express ourselves to him." Fred nodded.
"Yeah, Mum, it's how we show he's family."
For some reason, both Percy and Molly grew quiet and their eyes became wet. Percy walked up to both the twins and threw his arms around their shoulders.
"I love you guys too." He let go, grabbed Penny's hand and walked off into the night. Hermione couldn't help but smile.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Not really a good ending, but it works. The reception wasn't that big of a scene because I don't consider Percy and Penelope that big of characters but...ya know, I had to put em in here! Anyways, hope you enjoyed! You guys know what to do, let me know what you think! Til next time...