As had been planned, Lee only needed to flick his wand, and the great hall was filled with music. All had agreed that the best approach to waiting would be to distract themselves with the wine and the dancing, and all of those present threw themselves into this endeavour with something of a vengeance. Hermione and Lauren, who had sensibly declined all alcohol until after they had spoken, looked at each other as soon as they came off the stage and then announced at the same time, "we need a drink!"

While the two responded to the words of congratulation and gratitude that they and the others were receiving, Charlie and Fred spotted an elf bearing a tray of gin and tonic and handed two glasses to each of their partners. "Luna?" Fred asked, waving an open hand in the time-honoured gesture which indicated his offer to get another one or two for the blonde witch.

"No thank you," said Luna. "I always think that gin tastes like Christmas trees."

Fred leaned towards her, laughing. "Don't tell Harry that," he advised, smirking. "He'll wonder what you two have been up to!"

Luna chuckled, exchanged a look with Hermione, gave Fred a gentle shake of her head and then wandered off to the dance floor.

"Trying to get me drunk?" Lauren said to Charlie, who had let Fred take charge of gin distribution so he could hold his partner. He took advantage of the glass in each of Lauren's hands to fill his own hands with Lauren. "And didn't you try this trick on me in Romania once?" She smiled, remembering the early days of their romance, when the pair were having what they thought was a time-limited summer fling. A wave of nostalgia passed through her as she recalled their evenings on the purple sofa and their nights in her bed.

"Absolutely," Charlie said, nuzzling her ear before whispering into it. "You were amazing then and you were amazing tonight." His eyes were dark and his fingers explored the folds of her dress. "It was so sexy to watch you up there, doing your thing…"

"Thank you." She gave him a kiss, which did nothing to reduce his lust. "It was a team effort, though. Let's just hope it worked," she said, leading him towards a table as she took a long drink from the glass in her right hand. "I need to sit for a bit."

Hermione and Ginny didn't need to sit; they both wanted to dance, and they pulled Fred and George along with them. George returned Teddy to his grandmother and Bill procured more drinks before leading Fleur across the hall to join the others. Molly and Arthur were also among those who were first onto the dance floor, but it seemed that most of those present were keen to relieve some of their tension and dance off some excess energy, and the area was soon packed.

An hour went by with no word or movement from the Wizengamot. Some of the dancers sat down for drinks, and then returned to the dance floor. Charlie and Lauren had disappeared after their first drink; Lauren carrying her second gin as they slipped away, leaving Elliot in Andromeda's care. Only later would the rest of their family realise – thanks to Bill's deductions – that Charlie had taken Lauren on a tour of the castle. Knowing that she might not get the opportunity to visit Hogwarts again, she had only needed to whisper the suggestion that he show her his favourite snogging spots and perhaps his old bed, and he had stood and taken her hand, sneaking behind the crowd so that they weren't seen leaving the hall.

Most of the others chose to stay in or near the great hall, though. Conversations broke out and groups formed, rearranged and then changed again as people took walks in the cooler evening air; close enough that they would hear when the Wizengamot rang their bell. Fred led Hermione out through the double doors and, spotting a low wall behind the greenhouses, he sat on it and pulled her, still standing, between his legs.

"There's something I want to tell you," he said. Then he tipped his head towards the great hall. "Before they return their verdict."

Hermione laughed. "You make it sound like we're on trial for something."

He smirked in reply. "It does feel a bit like that… But no; I want you to know something. Whatever the outcome; whether or not we've succeeded; even when our honeymoon period ends and we start bickering about toothpaste and what we call buns…"

"Baps," she corrected him.

"Exactly," he grinned mischievously, his eyes flickering to her breasts and back, making her blush a little. "Even when we do all that and find each other annoying, even if the marriage law passes and we're relieved that we have each other, I want you to know that I will never for one moment regret marrying you. And I'll feel exactly the same way even if we succeed and discover that we needn't have married when we did. If that makes sense?"

Hermione nodded slowly, eyes full of happy tears.

"Me too." She leaned forward and kissed him, slowly at first, and then more deeply. But not for long, for she had things to say herself. "But you know … there's still a paradox here, because if we hadn't married, the marriage law would have been passed on that Monday morning. So in a universe where George hadn't said what he did and you didn't immediately step up and tell me how you felt, well we might never have been able to be together."

"I know you're right," he said, "but I don't like to think about that."

"Well don't then," Hermione said. "I love you," she added, softly, before stepping in even closer and taking the back of his neck into her hand for a kiss.

"What now?" he asked, when they finally broke away. "Because whatever happens, it won't affect the next year or so for us; we've already agreed to start a family within a couple of years." He took Hermione's left hand in his and lifted it to his lips, kissing her wedding ring.

"Well, now I've resigned from the shop, it's only a few weeks til school starts, and I'm keen to get on with my studies. I need to work on my Felix Felicis potion; I'm going to talk to Snape's portrait again next week." Hermione's smile widened when she saw Fred's response. "But until then, I'm going to enjoy having August off to catch up with some people. Mostly I want to catch up with myself and spend time with you and George and Angie and get ready for school."

"Sounds good," he said, and then paused. He checked that no-one – most of all Molly – was in earshot before he carried on speaking. "I wonder if the baby will change George's mind about the timing of our NEWTS?"

"I knew you were wondering about that," Hermione replied, having sensed him thinking about that very question two or three times earlier in the day. But she had been too busy enjoying Fleur's pampering to chat about it then. She shrugged. "I don't think it matters whether you do them this term or later in the year. When all this is done and we've got some time when it's just the four of us," she waved her arm in the direction of the hall, "we can ask them what they're thinking. Although they may not have got that far themselves yet."

Back inside the hall, having thoroughly enjoyed a passionate fifteen minutes on Charlie's old bed before gladly allowing him to use magic to make both her and the bed look presentable again, Lauren had also been thinking about the future, and how the news of Angelina's baby might change things. When she spotted George and Angie alone, she sat down and got straight to the point.

"I just wanted to say something about the houses," she began. George and Angelina both smiled, but had no idea what she wanted to say. "Well, I know we talked about getting my cottage moved by Christmas," Lauren continued. "But your need is greater than mine, so I want you to know that I'm really fine with waiting so your house can be built first. If that's what you want?"

"That's very thoughtful," Angelina began, and then looked at George. They gazed at each other for a few moments, communicating through their bond, before George turned to Lauren.

"The truth is that it's all very new and we have no idea what we want. We're in the process of moving back in with Fred and Hermione, and that suits us for now, but Angie's still thinking about where she wants to have the baby." George looked at Angie, who nodded her agreement that he could share her feelings with Lauren. "You see, the flat over the shop is just as much home to us as a new place would be, so it wouldn't be the end of the world to have the baby there … but we're only really just starting to think about it."

Lauren's hand reached for Angelina's. "I'm not intending to put any pressure on you at all," she reassured. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm flexible, that's all."

"Thank you."

"I'm going to leave you in peace," Lauren said, sensing that the pair were still needing time together to process their news. They hadn't had much of that, and it hadn't even been forty eight hours since her child had unwittingly informed them of Angie's pregnancy. Lauren gave Angie's hand a squeeze and left the pair of them, whereupon she was almost immediately requisitioned by Filius Flitwick, who hadn't had this much fun on a dance floor since nineteen eighty four.

On their way, Lauren passed a table at which, although she couldn't have known it, all the seats were occupied by wizards who had once called Gryffindor Tower their home, and they were also discussing their plans for the next few months. Harry and Ron were excitedly sharing tales of their auror training, Seamus and Dean were reporting their business plans and Neville was finally getting to tell the others how he was going to study and begin training to be a professor. Bill and Charlie came to join them, with Percy in tow. Now fuelled by a few drinks, they were full of brotherly love and wanting to ensure that he was included, especially as Fleur and Penelope had become part of a circle of witches who were happily dancing around their handbags and ignoring their menfolk. Percy had been sent away by the Wizengamot, who wanted to deliberate in private, and he had looked to be at a bit of a loose end. Oliver wandered over, and the conversation inevitably turned to quidditch. Before much time had passed, plans were made to set up a few casual fly abouts at The Burrow while the weather was still good.

"We've got enough people for a couple of teams between us now," Charlie pointed out, remembering the game from earlier in the week and counting those present, "especially once you add in Gin and the twins."

"And if we get bored with that, we could see if the newly reformed Malfoy wants to gather a team of Slytherins!"

Several people laughed at Harry's suggestion, but he was serious, as he went on to tell them.

"We need to suck it up a bit and make an effort," I think.

"You know Mum thinks he's got the hots for Susan?" Bill asked. He had, he explained, been sat with Molly and Arthur earlier while Fleur had spent some time with her own parents, and Molly had had quite a bit to say on that subject. Bill omitted to mention that Molly was rather flustered and over-excited after the evening's events, although she had been helped quite a lot when George had gone over and slipped one of their new remedies into her hand.

"Really?" Ron's face was a picture, and his brothers and friends laughed loudly to see it.

"Malfoy with a Hufflepuff. Brilliant," Harry said, taking another sip of his beer.

"Well let's see if Susan thinks it's brilliant," Ron replied. "If she'll even have him. What's next for you then?" he asked Charlie, who raised his eyebrows.

"Setting up a new research facility at the reserve … moving the house, though I'm not sure when, given George's news … working out when and how we're going to travel back and forth."

"Getting married?" asked Bill, looking around to make sure that Lauren wasn't in earshot.

Charlie shook his head. "I don't think so," he said. "Not just yet. We'll see." He took a pull of his own drink. "Besides, I think Mum'll have enough to do, what with the wedding of the year to plan." He grinned at Harry, who laughed.

Bill's gaze was still trained on Charlie's eyes, and the younger wizard knew exactly what his brother was asking.

"I'm great with that," he said softly. "It's been fast for me too and, as happy as I am to have found her again and to find I have a son, all three of us need a bit of time for things to settle now." He looked around for Lauren and, when he saw her headed for the exact person he knew she wanted to speak to, after bowing to his old charms professor, he smiled. "Lauren has lots of questions still, and I need to be patient with that."

"Yeah." Bill smiled, thinking again how wonderful it was that Charlie had finally met a woman with whom he wanted to settle down. Whatever that meant to them. The eldest Weasley son had been delighted that afternoon when he had spent a half hour alone with Lauren, who had shared her joy at the idea of living between their cottage in England and Charlie's cabin at the dragon sanctuary. Lauren had told Bill about her love of travel, and how their unconventional lifestyle was probably just what she needed to save her from becoming bored. They would have the comfort of home, especially in the winter months, but also the adventure of regular travel and the novelty that living between two homes would bring.

The two brothers looked across the room to see Lauren, who was touching Minerva McGonagall's arm, wanting to get the professor's attention.

"Professor," Lauren said, checking that no-one else was in earshot. "I have a question, if you don't mind?"

"Of course." Minerva turned towards the younger woman and indicated that they should stand a little further from the dancers, who were currently, led by Fleur and her sister, doing the macarena. Neither of the Delacoeur witches were drinking alcohol and this fact coupled with their natural part-veela grace was giving them quite an edge on technique, which wasn't going unnoticed by the Gryffindor boys. Minerva shook her head and smiled a little before addressing Lauren again. "How can I help you?"

"I know this might be an odd question, and I don't mean any offence by asking, but is divination something that is proven … I mean, is it robust or what we would call evidence-based or…?" She searched for the right word and then faltered; knowing what she wanted to ask, but not sure how best to ask it.

Minerva raised her eyebrows and a smile tweaked at the corners of her lips. "Well," she said, tipping her head and drawing Lauren into a smile as well. "That depends very much on who you ask and how you define divination. I would never deny that there are clearly prophecies and predictions that are accurate. Harry's story is a good example of that. Whether I agree with those witches and wizards who believe that divination can be learned and used in an everyday fashion by everyone, though... Well, we have it on the curriculum, but I'm not certain that we should think of it in quite the same way in which we think of some of our more practical or academic subjects. And I would very much enjoy a conversation with you about what the notion of something being evidence-based means, in anyone's world."

Lauren nodded. She hoped that she could work out a way of spending more time with this witch, whose intellectual conversation she very much enjoyed.

Minerva's eyes locked on Lauren's and she smiled. "Why don't you cut to the chase and ask me about whatever's on your mind?"

Lauren laughed at that. "You're right. There's something that's been bothering me, and I wanted to ask you because … well, if anyone will know the answer to this, I think it's probably you."

Minerva tipped her head to one side, urging Lauren on.

"The first film I ever watched, when I was a little girl. It was about dragons. I named Elliot after the dragon in it, and that was because of Charlie's tattoos. I knew so little about Charlie, really, but I knew he loved dragons and, when I realised I was having his baby but couldn't find him, it was a way of helping our child have a connection with his father."

Minerva's eyes were full of care. "Go on," she said quietly. She was thinking about how hard it must have been for the young woman, and sent a prayer of thanks to the gods that Charlie and Lauren had found each other.

"Well, when I later found out about Inardoe, and about how the dragons had chosen me … us … to be Elliot's parents, I couldn't help but think … was the film some sort of omen? I can't get out of my head that it was the first film I ever saw at the cinema, when I was a little girl, and it's one of my fondest memories of being with my mum. We didn't take my sister," Lauren reminisced, "she was too little, and we had ice cream… It's a strong memory. If I were a witch," she smiled, enjoying using some of her new knowledge to be able to engage with her friends, "it might be the memory I chose when I tried to summon my patronus … at least it would have been until I met Charlie."

Minerva was smiling too. "And you're wondering if it was a portent of what was to come?"

"Exactly. It seems like too much of a coincidence not to bear some connection. But I don't see how that could work," Lauren replied. "And what were the odds of me picking Romania and meeting Charlie in the way that I did? And of me being on that exact sofa when he stopped by…" she broke off, not sure how to put the thoughts in her head into words. Which was an unusual state of being for Lauren Bennett.

"Coincidence is a funny thing," Minerva told her, accepting a glass from a tray offered by a house elf with a smile of thanks. "But I think it's more probable that, while the two events are connected, they're connected the other way around."

"How's that?" Lauren's brow furrowed as she tried to work it out. She took a sip from her own glass.

"An early and fond memory which depicted you feeling love for a representative of dragonkind would be easily accessible to a friendly dragon soul who was working out whether you were the right mother for their special one," Minerva said. She took a sip of her drink while she waited for Lauren to absorb that.

"Okay… Yes, that makes sense."

"We don't know how long they were planning to put their own candidate into the Voldemort equation, but I imagine they might have had Charlie picked out for a while." Minerva paused again to let that sink in before continuing. "I don't suppose you were the first woman that Charlie Weasley spent time with in Romania." Minerva raised her eyebrows and Lauren chuckled.

"No, I suppose not!" She looked away, reminiscing for a moment about a time when Charlie had been honest about his love life. There had been plenty of women, he had said, but no-one who he had really felt he could talk to; that he could connect with on more than a physical level. Until the evening on which they had met, chatted and then kissed, while watching the sun set over the mountains.

Lauren looked at the witch and smiled. One didn't need to be a mind reader to guess that Charlie Weasley and his love life was a topic on which Minerva McGonagall might have some stories to tell. She had already heard about Charlie and Bill's reputation for snogging in the corridors (and she had been treated to a tour of a few of his favourite corners just an hour before) and Lauren hoped that, one day, the Headmistress might treat her to some stories about Charlie in his youth. But, for now, she was more interested in Minerva's thoughts on their son.

"Perhaps, instead," Minerva continued, "you were the first who drew their attention. Maybe, sometime around the time that you and Charlie first met, they sensed your fond dragon memory and identified you as someone who would be a good mother for their chosen one. I don't know…"

"Oh." Lauren was silent for a few moments while she digested the thought. "So the memory made them pick me, and not the other way around?"

"More likely, I would say," said Minerva, nodding. "It's likely they also picked up the depth of your love for your family from the same memory, and that would have made you their ideal candidate."

Lauren was nodding again. "Thank you," she said. She lost herself for a moment in a memory. A memory of a sensation that she had experienced when she had touched Charlie's hand on the first evening they had met. It had felt like an electric shock going through them both, but the strange thing was that it hadn't been the first time they had touched. Could that have marked the point at which the dragon's magic had chosen them both to be Elliot's parents? Had she seen a peek of one of Charlie's tattoos at that point and been reminded of the film? Lauren thought that was possible, but she couldn't be sure. She shook her head a little, realising that she would probably never know the answer, and then caught herself, realising that Minerva was watching her carefully. "That does make more sense", Lauren told the witch. "Although," she raised her eyebrows, "it does then raise the thorny question of choice and free will…"

"Now that one," said Minerva, raising her eyebrows and wondering to herself if Lauren might enjoy a chat with one of Dumbledore's portraits over a pot of tea one day, "I find better left alone most days, if at all possible." She smiled. "There are some things that are worth leaving as mysteries, in my view; better to enjoy the wine and," she nodded to Charlie, who was approaching them, "our families."

"Would you care to dance?" he said, holding out his hand to Minerva as he leaned down to kiss Lauren. "One of the reprobates is after you, sweets," he told her with a smile, and they all turned as Fred bounded up.

"Miney's dance card is full right now," he announced, pleased with the muggle phrase that his wife had taught him. He waved his arm to show Hermione chatting to Neville as they danced together, near the edge of the dance floor. "Would you do me the honour?" He bowed to Lauren.

"I'm not really much of a dancer," she reminded him, watching Charlie lead his old professor towards the dance floor. But she followed Minerva's lead and put her glass on the tray that another elf was holding out, still wondering how the tiny creatures managed to be so good at anticipating people's needs. And, if she was honest, secretly enjoying not being the shortest person in the room for a change. With that thought, her eyes searched for her friend Filius, who was now dancing with Luna.

"That's OK," said Fred, when Lauren turned back to him. He leaned towards her ear as he took her firmly in his arms. "I LOVE to lead..."

That evening, Fred and Hermione created and cemented an approach to partying that they would enjoy for the rest of their lives. They would separate for two or three dances, enjoying time with other friends and family members and then, by mutual agreement and by using their bond connection to land themselves in the same part of the dance floor as a song was about to end, come together again. They would exchange news and titbits of gossip and generally check in with each other before parting again to dance with new partners.

"Angie's really happy," Fred reported during one of these dances. He had spun himself over to Hermione a little sooner than planned. Just a few minutes before, George had tapped Arthur's shoulder and claimed Hermione while Angie had approached Fred, who had been having a quick drink with Oliver and Neville. The four had enjoyed catching up, but then Hermione and Angie exchanged their men and the married couples drew themselves together, all understanding that the pull of the marriage bond was still strong.

"George too," Hermione sighed, as she rested her cheek on Fred's chest.

"I'm looking forward to it being the four of us for a while," he replied, and felt her nod. They danced in silence for a few moments, enjoying the music and looking at each other as if it was just them and nobody else in the room. They were completely oblivious to the fact that George and Angie had been pulled away by Charlie, Bill and Ginny, for a conversation about who was currently in the lead in their bingo game.

"George said to ask you about Lee and Verity?" she said.

"Mmmm hmmm," Fred hummed into her ear. "As long as it's alright with us, they're thinking to offer the lovebirds the key to Angie's flat, so they can have a bed to themselves for a couple of weeks. Angie's going to sort and pack her stuff during the days, but give them the evenings there. George said they realised that, actually, they'd rather move in with us properly right away rather than dance between the two … but only if you're okay with that?"

"Of course I'm okay with it!" Hermione turned to look for George, brushing his mind to get his attention via her bond with him, and gave him an eager thumbs up sign. He communicated that to Angie and they both grinned and he headed straight for the canoodling shop managers. A minute later, they were both being hugged and Angie was handing Verity her spare key and receiving an effusive thank you. Lee looked as if he would like to apparate over to Angie's flat right now, never mind hearing the results of all the work he had done in the lead-up to the evening.

"I hope it will be nice enough to sit on the roof tomorrow," Hermione said, as Fred spun her gently. "I know we'll be at your mum's for lunch, but when we get back, it would be lovely to sit out. Just the four of us, and catch up a bit. What are you most looking forward to once this is all done?"

Hermione looked up into Fred's eyes, smiling as she picked up his vision of the two of them just cuddling in the evening light; Hermione's head pillowed on his lap as she read a book and he chatted with George and Angie. But she never got to hear what he would have said. Because, just as Fred opened his mouth to reply, a bell began to ring, echoing throughout the school.

The Wizengamot were ready to deliver their decision.