When Ginny wanted something, she was not afraid of working for it. And after the shock she'd had with Harry wanting to 'reassess' their wedding, she was not going to let any moss grow on her. All the big plans went out the window. What she had cried most about when she thought she had lost her dream, was her family and friends not sharing her special day.
Not the flowers or the dress or the music or the decorations or any of the rest of the tat. Friends and family. So that's what they'd have, the witch vowed. Ginny press-ganged her family into helping her clean up Grimmauld Place, particularly the ballroom and the big room known as the 'chair room' because of all the hoarded dusty seating heaped in it.
George made tiny fireworks that filled the dingy rooms with light. Percy sent out the invitations. A copy of the list had fortunately survived the post-Hermione purge. Molly made cake. Arthur bought a dragon's weight in ice cream. Bill called in some favours and got a few musician friends to play at short notice. Charlie rushed his Uruguayan trip and brought his little sister a gorgeous sapphire blue llama wool robe. Ron ran errands and tried to look cheerful.
Harry James Potter and Ginevra Molly Weasley were married on the 5th of February standing in the snow in the garden of their soon-to-be marital home. The house thronged with people, toasting with French champagne from Fleur's family and eating lavish ice cream sundaes as the married couple's nod to Muggle culture.
All the Weasley boys danced with their sister then took turns lighting more fireworks, making increasingly daring frozen cocktails or just mingling. Ron found himself dancing with Hannah, who looked like a snow fairy in her bridesmaid's dress of soft blue and silver.
"You look lovely." Ron smiled, trying not to keep glancing at the ballroom door. Neville and Hermione had flown in the day before, just in time for Neville to be best man. But Hermione wasn't there. She wasn't coming. Her note had said as much, as she wanted the big day to go smoothly. Her wish that he would enjoy himself was proving difficult to fulfil.
"You look very handsome yourself." Hannah twirled, having given up on trying to waltz to whatever the musicians were playing. It didn't matter as everyone was having fun. Seamus was juggling bananas while Oliver and Alicia tried to tango but were laughing too hard to remember the steps.
"Harry still had the deposit for the suits." He was not sure about the top hats and tails but back in the day Ginny'd had her heart set on them. Now most of the hats floated around the room filled with ice for the champagne. "I wanted to thank you for helping get Harry and Ginny back together. You and Neville have been great."
"About Neville and I." She ventured and then sagged in relief when Ron simply nodded.
"I don't know what I'm doing right now." He stopped dancing so he could hug her in what he hoped would seem a jolly way. "But if I had a clue, I'd hope it'd lead to you. Neville's a lucky man. I envy him."
"Really?" Hannah arched an eyebrow. She'd plucked the damned things into delicate curves, she might as well use them. "You're not drinking, you're trying to be happy and it isn't really working. I don't think you're pining for me."
Ron frowned. He didn't want to talk about it. But that was the problem, wasn't it? He didn't really talk. Not serious, brass tacks talk. About what he wanted and what he hoped. What he was prepared to forgive and what he was not.
"She should be here." Ron kept his voice low. Ginny had inherited Molly's keen hearing. Years of raising sons had honed her maternal sonar. Or was it radar? Hermione had tried to explain the difference once when the three of them had been chatting idly about how high broomsticks could fly.
"She wants to make up for what happened between you." Hannah had not asked for specifics from anyone. It was not her business to critique other people's dirty laundry. "I think you want to forgive her."
"Yeah." He sighed, walking them over to a quiet corner so they could talk and he could try to blue coloured ice cream. It was very blue indeed. "I want it to never have happened. But that won't fix the problem, will it? Hermione and I need to talk and I don't know what to say. I get so angry when I think about Flint and then we start arguing and it goes down hill."
"Maybe you could write down what you are thinking? Write a letter to yourself. My mum used to do that when she was bothered about something. It helped get her thoughts in order, she said." Hannah tried the blue ice cream too and blinked at the sweetness. "What's it supposed to be?"
"Bubblegum, I reckon." Ron ate another spoonful. He could write a letter. Hannah's idea seemed like a good one. No one needed to see what he'd written, so if it came out soppy or mean, no one would get hurt. "Sometimes I hate her. Then sometimes like today when there's an empty space where she should be, I miss her."
"Sounds about right to me. Maybe talk to Dean. He'd understand." She gave up on the dessert and waved to the trainee Auror, who was trying to untangle himself from Luna's hat. "Nothing has to happen instantly, you know."
"Flint could instantly turn into a toad. I'd be quite happy about that." Ron chuckled, and gave Hannah a blue kiss on the cheek before heading over to help Dean.
The two trainees ended up taking a bottle of bubbly out onto the front step to talk and watch the snow flakes drift in lazy eddies. They were still out there when the older guests started to head home. Molly dragged them both inside to farewell the bride and groom. Kingsley's wedding gift had been a portkey and a weekend in a spa resort in Iceland, guaranteed to be out of sight of the paparazzi.
Arthur was comforting an emotional Molly when he spotted his youngest son. He patted his wife on the back, gave her a banana split with tiny marshmallows and reassured her she wasn't losing a daughter. On that theme, he took Ron aside.
"Well, that's done." The Weasley patriarch began then stopped awkwardly. He pursed his lips in thought, knowing what he wanted to say but feeling conflicted about it. "We'd have her back. In a little while. If you wanted her back."
"Mum said she wouldn't have her in the house." Ron winced. Ginny and Molly had said a lot of things about Hermione. That was one of the reasons he was hesitating. There was a lot that needed to be forgotten on both sides before he could have the big happy family he wanted.
"Your mum loves you. She hates seeing you hurt." Arthur turned to include his wife in the conversation only to find her dancing with Charlie, with a match-making expression on her face. "It won't be easy, and it definitely won't be quiet but what I'm saying is we'll make the effort if that's what you want."
"Thanks, dad." Hugging his father, Ron had to blink a couple of times. Because it was dusty. Old houses always were, no matter how many times you cast Scourgify.
"Anything for you, Ron. You know that. Your mum and I are so proud of you." And so thankful you came home. Arthur had to blink a little himself. "We'll muddle through, right?"
"Right." The trainee Auror grinned. "Let's get the last of that cake before someone Apparates away with it."