Author's notes:

Standard disclaimer, I own nothing. It all belongs to JKR.

This is just a little something that bit me after reading a number of similar stories and I thought I'd give it a try. You can assume the story is canon compliant up to the just about the end of Harry's rescue of Ginny in Chamber of Secrets. It goes AU when he falls unconscious before Fawkes arrives to drip tears in the wound on his arm.

This is a stand alone story not related in any way to any of my other works

I'm going to be posting very short chapters. Don't worry though, the story is complete and I'll post a chapter a day.

Enjoy,

Sorcerer's Muse

Finally, Peace.

Chapter XXIX

A Secret Weapon

"You're certain," Colette Delacour said. "I will take you away right this very second."

Lis smiled through her tears while shaking her head. "Never, Mum. Never, ever in a million years."

Colette took Lis' face in her hands and bent her head down to press a soft kiss to her brow. "You have been a joy and a dream and I am so very proud to call you my daughter."

"I love you, Mum," Lis sniffled.

"And I love you, Daughter." She kissed her brow again before turning to Harry. She stepped to him and drew him into an embrace that brought his ear down by her mouth. "I tell you what I told my daughter," she spoke for him alone. "The best advice I can give you is this. When you are angry and frustrated and she is driving you to the brink of regret, and I promise you, she will. Stop, and remember everything she does for you… and forget everything you do for her."

"I will," Harry answered softly.

"Then to you, I entrust her." She released him, pressing a kiss to each of his cheeks.

"Thank you, Madam Delacour."

"Collette, Harry, or Mum if you so desire."

"Thank you, Collette," Harry said.

Collette smiled before turning to face the assembled crowd. "It was thirteen years ago the gods entrusted me with the must unexpected gift of Amaryllis Paige Delacour. Today that gift asks I set her free to fly upon the wings her father and I labored to nurture. It is with great joy in my heart I entrust her to Harry James Potter to be his wife. Go, my daughter, fly, soar where even the angels fear to tread." She turned her head to Lis, giving her one last smile before moving to her seat.

Lis' father stepped forward. "Well, he began, it looks as if I will have to work on what to say when Fleur and Gabrielle take their turns at this." The crowd chuckled softly. "Lis, Harry, if you would please join hands." The two did as asked and Joseph began. "One of the tasks involved with joining a couple in marriage is to get to know them a bit. It's a task made a bit easier when one of the intended is your daughter. Of course that also makes things far more difficult. A father has rather different ideas as to just what makes a man good enough for his daughter than a mere officiate. But I have a secret weapon I like to deploy when one of my daughters brings a boy home. And that weapon is her two, highly protective, equally attractive sisters."

"Father/Daddy!" Fleur and Gabrielle gasped together.

"And this… weapon," he went on, completely ignoring them, "goes into attack mode on my behalf all on its own. It zeros in on the boy in question and does it's absolute best to turn that boy's head." Fleur and Gabrielle huffed and crossed their arms over their chests. Harry, having caught up with where this was going was doing his best not to laugh and had dropped one of Lis' hands to cover the smile on his face.

Lis wasn't even bothering. "I do love you, Daddy," she taunted her sisters.

"Yes," Joseph went on, "my daughters, try to steel their sister's boyfriend."

"We do not try to steel them!" Gabrielle protested.

"Cleavage hanging out, Sis," Lis taunted.

"Now while that might sound rather, unsisterly," Joseph continued. "The actual intent is nothing more nefarious than to flush a cad as soon as possible. To be honest, I think none of my girls wishes her sisters to marry, as that would mean they would have to share and even Lis here has a difficult time of that now and again."

"Hey!" Lis protested.

"To make a rather long story short, Harry and Lis concocted a plan to turn the tables on her sisters. Harry here spent the evening fawning, falling, tripping, dropping cutlery, spilling his wine, drooling over Fleur and Gabrielle, all while seeming to have forgotten about Lis entirely. He was, I shall admit, a good actor and had done a very good job of convincing us all we'd sooner tie a rock around his neck and drop him in the ocean Lis so loves than let him anywhere near her. Right up to the moment he and Lis revealed the whole night had been an act. And it was at that moment I knew Harry was perfect for Lis. Because, as devious as Fleur and Gabrielle can be, Lis is something else unto herself and that Harry would not only play Lis' game, but win it, proved he was the match she needed."

Hermione, from her spot as Harry's best woman, leaned around him. "You fell for that?" she asked, focused on Fleur." Harry snorted.

Fleur glowered at her. "I suspected."

"Sure you did," Lis taunted.

"Sad," Hermione said, resuming her position. "Nice job," she hissed at Harry. He made a fist behind his back and she knocked hers against it.

"Oh just get on with it already, Father," Fleur complained.

"Yes, yes," he chuckled. "Now that we all know Lis' whole family fully supports this union."

"Don't be so sure of that," Gabrielle muttered.

"I grow less and less fond of him by the moment," Fleur said.

"Children, hush," Collette said.

"Yes, Mother," Fleur and Gabrielle answered.

"Harry, Lis," Joseph said.

"You are not going to dance with him?" Colette asked.

Hermione glanced at Harry's new mother-in-law. "I thought it might be pushing the bounds of propriety."

"You are his sister," she said, earing a sharp look from Hermione. "Yes, considering your past, I am aware of why that might be uncomfortable. But if not that, then what for you?"

"Friends maybe?" Hermione offered.

Colette shook her head. "You forget how Lis came to be my daughter; how she came to be Gabrielle and Fleur's sister. Do not demean the bond you have with Harry with something so weak as the name friend."

"Friends," Hermione said, "saw each other thorough the war where the failed bonds of family gave you a third daughter. There is nothing weak or lacking in the word friend."

Colette considered a moment before responding. "No, perhaps there is not. But it remains that he has no mother. By your words, he has no sister. He only has you… and your place is to dance with him." She walked off without another word, leaving Hermione alone with her thoughts and lost in them enough she was startled by Lis grabbing her hand and shoving her towards Harry.

"I have to go to the loo. Don't let anyone cut in on you before I get back." Lis was gone before Hermione realized she was in Harry's arms.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi."

"Thanks for saving me."

Hermione huffed. "If I've learnt one thing tonight it is that unless you wish to have your wedding crashed by half the population of Portugal it is unwise to hold it on a public beach.

Harry chuckled. Somewhere between the ceremony, meal and party he and Lis had accumulated well more than a few hundred guests beyond those they'd invited. It was now just one massive beach party and there was a run on the bride and groom by dozens of well-wishers vying for the honor of have crashed a wedding and stolen a dance with one of the happy couple. "Well I'm glad you stopped avoiding me."

"I was not avoiding you."

"You were avoiding me."

"I've was trying to be respectful of your new wife, our past, and giving any credence to the wrong impression."

Harry nodded. "I appreciate that. But I'm a little worried about us."

"There is no us anymore, Harry."

"Whether I never see you again or not, there will always be an us, Hermione."

"Yes, of course there will," she sighed. "I'm just being a little stupid."

"Well stop and just dance with me." He pulled her and she allowed him to bring her against his chest. They swayed in time for a few minutes before he spoke. "I've missed you, you know. I haven't said in my letters, but I have."

"I know. I've missed you as well."

"Lis thought we should come visit." She pushed back to look up at him. If that would be okay with you?"

"I'd like that, Harry." She moved into him again, resting her head on his chest.

Two songs later Joe tapped on Harry's shoulder. "Wanna trade, Bro?"

Harry chuckled and passed Hermione to him while he took Lis from his friend. "Hey there," she said. "Miss me?"

"From the moment you left."

"Did you ask her about visiting?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"She thought it would be nice."

"We'll talk to her before she leaves then."

Harry kissed her crown. "Thank you."

"I have a past too, Harry."

"Your past isn't… well I don't know exactly what Luna isn't but she's not Hermione."

"She's important to you, Harry. And even if I didn't trust her, I trust you. So we will figure a way forward for all three of us, yes?" Harry didn't really know what to say so he just kissed her.

Author's notes:

So I didn't write the actual exchange of vows because I couldn't come up with something that had magic involved, but could be done in front of us Muggles. Besides, there must be about a million stories out there where Harry and Ginny/Lis exchange vows. I've done close to a dozen myself and it gets incredibly difficult coming up with something new all the time.

Also, there is something going on with the site where it is not allowing me to respond to reviews. So if you haven't heard from me, that's why. I've sent them an e-mail, but they've yet to respond or fix things.