For the Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee on the Ministry of Magic Discord.
"Seaweed wants to marry me," Penny says suddenly, interrupting Tracy mid-sentence. She looks across at her friend, glassy-eyed and ringing her hands in her lap. "I found the ring. Tracy, it's the most beautiful ring I've ever seen."
Tracy squeals, leaping off the bed and jumping up and down. Already, images of her best friend in alabaster white flash through her mind. And the reception! Tracy can only imagine what fun it will be. It's only when Penny doesn't spring up to join in that Tracy stops cheering.
"You don't seem excited." Tracy plops herself back down on the bed. Then, eyes widening in realisation, she says, "Because you aren't excited. My god, Penny. Why aren't you excited?"
"I've never pictured marrying Seaweed."
Tracy reels backwards. "Have you pictured marrying anyone else?"
"No! No. Of course not. I love my Seaweed. I just…" Penny trails off. "I thought things would get easier for us. But they haven't. The things people say, Tracy…"
"You don't need to worry about that," Tracy says, waving her hand dismissively. "People say the things all the time about me and Link. We don't let it get to us."
"You're my best friend. You think I don't hear the things they say about you? You and Link? Of course I do." Penny's voice began to crack, and she let her head drop into her hands. "But it's not the same, Tracy. The things they say about me and Seaweed...you know it's not the same."
Tracy fell silent, unable to come up with a single reply that might have made her friend feel better. Instead, she reached out, clasping one of Penny's hands in her own and intertwining their fingers. After a moment, she gave it a comforting squeeze.
"Would you really reject him?" Tracy asked quietly. "If you asked to marry you?"
"I don't think I could," Penny responded, tears beginning to slip down her cheeks. "I really do love him."
"You still don't sound excited."
At that, Penny gave a weak laugh. "We're happy together. I think we could be happy together forever. But it'll be hard. I don't know if I'm strong enough for that."
"I don't know if you're strong enough for that either," Tracy admitted. "But you and Seaweed? Together? There's no doubt."
Finally, the deep frown on Penny's face began to give way to a small smile.
"Yeah. Me and Seaweed. Together. We can do it."
"No doubt."
Penny nodded. "No doubt at all."