Alright, sorry for the delay in an update. I shall try my best to update tomorrow when I return from work. Thank you Andy (hope your finger gets better!) and Emeloo2 (well, you'll see how that is going to play out. I don't want to reveal the details. Hehe) for your reviews!
Chapter 52 - Torn
"Harry, are you alright?" Hermione had asked him as he came into Ginny's room to speak to them early August 1st.
"I-I'm not sure," he told them, "Can I talk to you two?"
"Yeah, you can," Ginny told him. Bill and Fleur's wedding was that day so Hermione was in a dress as was Ginny, much to her displeasure. Harry, who was in a fancy pair of dress robes, sat down, "we're leaving soon and I just wanted to ask you what you thought about my decision to ask Luna how she feels about me."
"You need to do it," Ginny told him, "She's going to be there with her father you know."
"Get them apart, you know," Hermione gave him advice, "ask her to dance and tell her."
"Thank you Hermione," Harry nodded his head, "Ginny. You girls are my life savers."
The girls smiled as Ginny took his left hand and Hermione took his right. "Let's get out of here before we're late and they never invite us anywhere ever again," Ginny said with a laugh.
--
The wedding was full of music, laughter and plenty of food which Ron was indulging in. Hermione was surprised to see Ariana wasn't disgusted by his eating habits. "Ginny, you've gotten bigger dear," Aunt Muriel stated when she saw the girl, "and finally in a dress. That mother of yours always lets you wear the boy's old clothes. Always a mistake I said!"
"Yes Auntie," Ginny nodded her head not really taking in her words. She took Hermione's arm and led her away from her aunt who was scolding Ron for his eating habits. Bill, who still bore the scars of Greyback's attacks, still looked handsome nonetheless in his dress robes, however, Molly was giving her son a hard time about not cutting his hair for his own wedding.
Hermione felt very odd being one of the only brunette's at the largely redhead wedding. "Is everyone in the Weasley family a redhead?" Hermione asked Ginny. The young girl nodded her head. "All of us are, I feel bad for Harry who has to disguise himself as my second cousin."
Harry was being approached by relatives he never had even seen before. He tried to get away to speak to Luna when he was backed up into a corner by Aunt Muriel. Hermione was near the punch table when Krum walked up to her. He was a guest on the bride's side since he became friends with Fleur following the triwizard tournament.
"Hermione?" he tapped the brunette on her shoulder.
"Hello Krum," Hermione greeted him with a smile. Ginny looked on with a jealous gleam in her brown eyes. "How are you doing?" he asked politely.
"I'm fine," she smiled, "have you been well?"
"Yes, very, it's nice to see you here," he bowed and took her hand and kissed it. Ginny nearly exploded with jealously and Hermione could feel it. Oh Ginny, Hermione thought, do you have to be such a jealous mess?
"Excuse me," Ginny said grabbing Hermione by her left hand. "Would you like to dance with me?" Hermione had a blush over her cheeks at Ginny's boyish attitude. She turned to Krum, "I'll talk to you later. We need to catch up." With that, she was whisked away by Ginny onto the dance floor.
"What is his problem?!" Ginny asked the minute they were somewhat alone. "He's being polite Ginny," Hermione told her. She's so cute when she's jealous, Hermione thought with a grin.
"No, polite would be shaking your hand, not kissing it," Ginny glared at him while he was talking to Harry. Ginny danced with Hermione pulling her close enough to Krum and Harry to hear what they were talking about.
"Harry?" Krum whispered, "That's you?"
"Yes," he said with a frown. "I'm in disguise for certain reasons. You know, well, how are you?"
"I'm fine," Krum answered. His head turned to see Ginny holding Hermione close to her as she stared at him with green envy. "Are they still together?" Krum asked.
"Yes," Harry answered, "Rather happy together too."
"Is Hermione a…" Krum couldn't finish it. Harry shook his head, "not completely really. She still fancies blokes."
"Oh," Krum said. His eyes were now looking at Luna's father. "What is that?" he asked as he rushed away from Harry to confront Xenophilus Lovegood.
"What is he doing?" Ginny asked. Hermione turned her head to see Krum pointing at a very confused Xenophilus. The two girls stopped dancing to join Harry and Ron who were watching what was going on.
"Why are you wearing that disgusting sign?" Krum pointed at his chest. Aunt Muriel stated that Xenophilus looked like an omelet as she passed by the feud. He didn't seem to bother with that remark as he looked down at the gold chain around his neck.
"It's the sign of the Deathly Hallows," he answered. Krum was outraged. "That iz not that sign of whatever it iz you think! That iz the sign of Grindelwald! How dare you wear such a dark thing?!"
"Excuse me, but I can assure you it is not his sign. He had taken the sign to make it his own, but really it does not belong to him. This sign is as old as Death my boy," Xenophilus explained politely.
Krum didn't say another word; he stormed off away from eccentric wizard. Luna, who was wearing a yellow dress with a sunflower tucked behind her ear, was too busy looking off into the clouds to involve herself in the conversation. Harry walked up to her, "hello Luna."
"Hello Harry," she said without looking at him. He cocked an eyebrow at her, "how did you know it was me?"
"Your voice," she answered, "I recognized it."
Harry blushed at her words and sucked in his breath. "Well, now that that's out of the way, I suppose I could ask you to dance?" He smiled at her but she was still interested in the clouds overhead.
"Of course Harry," she said finally looking into his eyes. "I'd love to."
Ginny grabbed Hermione so they could dance near Luna and Harry. "What?" Hermione asked as she was pulled on the dance floor. "I want to hear him confess his love for her," she whispered into her ear.
"Oh," Hermione laughed, "you are so nosey."
Ron grabbed Ariana and took her onto the dance floor and Ginny could hear the older girl say, "Slow down there Mr. Weasley!"
Ron and Ariana, one redhead, one brunette, Hermione thought with a giggle, me and Ginny, one redhead, one brunette! Ok, stop thinking about that!
"Are you enjoying yourself Luna?" Harry asked. Luna nodded her blonde head with a dazed smile. "Are you?" she asked him.
"I am," Harry told her. He gulped as he looked to his left to see Ginny and Hermione looking at him. He then turned to his right to see Ron and Ariana looking at him. All four of them were urging him to go on.
"You look really lovely," he told her. Luna smiled at him with her same dazed complexion, "I would say the same for you Harry but I really am not used to seeing you a blue eyed Weasley."
That was blunt, Ginny thought with a laugh. Harry nodded his head, "Sorry about this. I have to, you know."
"I understand," she said, "I just wish I was looking into your eyes."
Oh, Hermione thought with interest, how romantic Miss. Lovegood.
Harry didn't know what to say. He tried to look for words to say but Luna didn't say anything. She leaned in and gave him a small kiss when her father wasn't looking. "I think that answers your question Mr. Potter," she told him with a sly wink.
Harry was taken a back. "I-I," he stammered, "Yes, I suppose it does!" He was smiling from ear to ear as he danced with her.
--
The wedding went on with no problems until the sky became pitch black after Bill and Fleur's wedding vows. Hermione jumped and held onto Ginny's arm as a bright light filled the sky.
Kingsley lynx came down in front of Bill and Fleur and issued a warning. "The ministry has been compromised!" The lynx vanished and everyone knew exactly what the warning meant. Hermione clung to Ginny as they ran towards Ron and Harry who were torn away from Ariana and Luna.
Death eaters started to storm the wedding at that moment and Ariana took out her wand as Ron ran back to her. "Ariana!" he called to her.
"Ron! You idiot," she scolded him, "Get out of here! I can handle myself!"
"But…" he tried to talk to her but she ran away from him screaming back, "Go now! Protect them!" Ron could see Ariana join Luna and the two of them fight off death eaters. He had to choice when Hermione was pulling on him. "Let's go Ronald!" Hermione pleaded.
Harry held onto Ron as they apparated away with a loud crack. Ginny held onto Hermione as she apparated away with a loud crack. All four of them landed somewhere else that didn't really look familiar to either Weasley.
"Where are we?" Ron asked.
"Welcome to my side of the tracks," Hermione sighed. "Before the wedding, I packed everything we would need into this bag." She held up a bag that looked like a purse. "It's enchanted to hold almost anything."
"Wow, how did you know?" Harry asked her.
"I just did," Hermione told him. "Harry, you're changing back into yourself!"
Harry looked down at his hands and noticed that his pale freckled Weasley hands were turning back into his own. "Oh great," he muttered. Ginny pointed to a pub.
"We should change," she said. The four of them walked into the pub where there were drunken muggles wall to wall. They pushed their way through with Hermione in the lead to the restrooms. Once there Hermione handed clothes to Ron and Harry. They then split off. Hermione and Ginny walked into the women's room while Ron and Harry walked into the men's room.
"These bathrooms are disgusting," Ginny stated as she walked into a stall. "Well just get dressed," Hermione told her as she handed her the bag under the stall.
"Thanks," she said. Ginny took off her dress gingerly and searched the bag for her jeans. She grabbed a pair and pulled them on along with a shirt she found. A few minutes later, the four of them took a seat at a table. Ron was shifting in his seat.
"Hermione these pants are tight, where am I going to put my wand?" he asked.
"I'll tell you where you can stick it," she muttered. I pack his things and he still acts like a child about it, she thought bitterly.
"Come to think of it," Ginny shifted in her seat, "these pants are big on me."
"Oh great, Ginny those are my jeans!" Ron muttered.
"I guess that's why my wand fits so nicely!" she exclaimed.
"Can we please not mention wands or magic," Hermione whispered, "we are in a muggle place remember?"
"Right," Harry uttered. "Please keep it low key."
Both redheads' cheeks turned a shade redder than their hair. "Sorry," they said in unison.
The waitress came up to them, "can I get you anything?"
"Um, just some water please," Hermione answered.
"Same for me please," Ginny told the woman. Harry asked for some tea while Ron ordered a meal.
"How can you be hungry and how are you going to pay for it?" Hermione asked him. He blushed, "they don't take our money to they?"
"No Ronald," Hermione rolled her eyes, "they don't."
"Great," Harry grumbled, "I'll pay for it then." Shaking his head, he hid behind his menu when his green eyes looked up to see blond hair. "Isn't that a death eater?" he asked in a whisper.
"Bloody hell," Ron uttered as he hid behind his menu. "Are you sure?" he asked Harry.
Hermione hid behind her chair with Ginny. "It is," she whispered, "he was there the night of Dumbledore's death."
The blond Death Eater turned his head and peered into Harry's green eyes. Hermione saw Harry go pale with fear and noticed Ginny pulling out her wand. She knew they were in for a fight.
Dun! Dun! Dun! Ok sorry for the cliffhanger and sorry for Krum's lack of a good accent. I actually suck at accents, if you haven't noticed. lol, anyway, like I said at the beginning, I'll try to update tomorrow! Thanks for reading!
