AN: Well, it's up. It really is. This part is just a few years after the last chapter, and it is not the epilogue. I just figured this part was kind of necessary to round everything off nicely. The epilogue is the next part, and it is the last. This part is supremely sappy (I was listening to Billy Gilman's Oklahoma). I just went through my last chapter, and I was shocked by how many awful spelling and grammatical mistakes there were. I apologize, and hopefully there will be few, if not none in this chapter. I'd like to thank, this time, Anita Skeeter, because her reviews are always an ego booster. =) I hope you enjoy this chapter, and it makes you sigh at least once . . .
I do adore reviews.
Disclaimer : Characters and setting belong to JK Rowling.
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A few years later.
"It's disgusting outside!" Ron yelled as he stepped into the Burrow II. Hermione came in with him, a small diamond ring on her finger. They had just gotten engaged.
Everyone thought it was about time.
Mrs. Weasley bustled to his side, taking their coats and hanging them up. She turned to close the wide open door, briefly looking out with an unconsciously expectant, wistful look on a face that had grown suddenly old over the past few years. As long as she lived, Molly Weasley would never look out on an open door again without a half-hope in her heart, a longing for a glimpse of figures she would never see again.
She closed the door.
"How wonderful of you to come so early!" she said with a beam. She hugged Hermione. "Ginny is upstairs with Connie and Fran. They've been giggling like schoolgirls for the last few hours. I suppose they think they're still schoolgirls-" Mrs. Weasley drifted away, leaving a grinning Charlie with a mouthful of pie to explain,
"Mum's been absolutely crackers over the wedding."
Hermione nodded understandingly, and floated upstairs. Ron pointed to the pie and asked, "Where can I get one of those?"
Charlie led the way into the kitchen, where Percy, who was characteristically staring at a sheet of parchment, sat, oblivious to the steaming pie in front of him. He'd become the youngest Minister of Magic ever the year before - and as much as Ron hated to admit it, he was doing wonders in the magical community. The fussiness that had characterised and alienated Percy Weasley in youth had stood him in good stead in adulthood.
"Owl just came for you." Percy said, not looking up. He tossed a white owl at Ron. It fluttered excitedly, reminding Percy of Pig, who was already pecking his way craftily towards the pie. Ron swatted at Pig and sat down. "Who's it from?" Ron asked, already recognising the messy black scratches.
"Harry." Percy replied. "And don't get any pie on my documents."
Ron smiled brightly and vaguely at him, opening the parchment. He scanned it and grinned, whistling lightly. "He'll be Apparating here tomorrow." He said in response to Charlie's questioning look. He took a huge bite of pie. "Goo' ol' 'arry. Shoulda known he wouldna missed 'inny's we'ing."
"Where's he been for the last few months?" Charlie asked, cutting himself a piece of chocolate cake. Percy absentmindedly held out a plate and Charlie, grinning, poured some juice onto it. Percy mumbled a 'thanks' and speared a fork into the juice, lifting the fork to his lips and chewing, not realising there was no cake. Charlie rolled his eyes.
"Oh, all around the place." Ron replied, ignoring Charlie's antics. "Oh- England asked him to play Quidditch for them again."
"Turned them down, did he?"
"Of course. Something about England only wanting him for publicity."
"Wouldn't blame them. That kind of person brings in a lot of money. Harry's been even more famous than usual lately - especially after catching all those Dementors - "
"Yeah - he's planning to settle down soon, though -"
"As what?"
"Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts, no less. I hear Dumbledore's already accepted his application. Speaking of the old coot - did Ginny really invite him to the wedding?"
"Yea - him and the rest of the Hogwarts crew. She mumbled something about proper gratitude - something tiresomely sentimental. You know Ginny. Draco kicked up a bit of a fuss, but he let her have her way-"
" - as usual." Ron and Percy finished.
"He's showing all the signs of becoming a henpecked husband." Percy mumbled, then went back to this work.
"I don't blame the guy for not wanting the teachers." Ron said. "He wasn't very popular with them - except for Snape -" Ron grimaced at the very thought. "Is he coming?"
Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Our little sister? Not inviting her dear fiance's favourite teacher? What do you take her for?"
"I didn't ask if she was inviting him. Is he coming?"
"I don't correspond with Snape, Ron." Charlie paused and sneaked some more cake onto his plate. "But yes, he is coming."
Ron groaned.
Hermione paused uncertainly outside Ginny's room. She could hear giggled that sounded young and knowing at once. The kind of giggles she had never participated in except for the odd bonding sessions she'd had with the girls in her dorm when dances came around. Much of her teenaged years had been spent with Harry and Ron as companions, which wasn't very conducive to the kind of giggles she was hearing. Well, unless you wanted to be called a girl and all the feminine stereotypes that came with that. Hermione didn't realize what being friends with Ron and Harry had given her. It had given her a loophole from the cattiness of females, a straightforwardness that only males had -
And her fiance.
She'd never been great friends with Ginny, and it seemed a bit presumptuous to try to chum it up now. It would look like she was simply trying to pal it up with her future sister-in-law.
Hermione knocked on the door.
She heard scuffles, more giggles, and someone getting up. The door opened and Connie grinned at her. "Hermione! Hi! Ginny's inside."
Hermione smiled weakly and falsely. "Great."
She came in and smiled at Ginny, who was lying on her stomach. Ginny looked up and smiled at her. "Hi, Hermione! Is Ron here?"
"Yes, he's downstairs." Hermione stood awkwardly. "Mind if I join you?"
"Oh no! Of course not! Sit down!" Ginny grinned chummily at her. "We're just looking at some magazines. You know."
Hermione wasn't sure what she was supposed to know, but she nodded sagely. "How's your job going?" Fran asked. She was as beautiful as ever, Hermione saw, and just as insolent as she had been in her youth. The long black hair, falling silkily over her shoulders, the knowing hooded eyes, the even more knowing red mouth, the husky voice, that had made boys and now men, think things that Hermione definitely didn't want to think about. Fran smiled, a genuine smile. "Ginny told us you were writing textbooks for the Ministry of Magical Education."
Hermione nodded again. "Going quite well." She replied politely. "And you? What do you do?"
Fran laughed. "What do I do, Ginny?" Hermione didn't miss the affectionate, unguarded look she threw at Ginny. So Fickle Fran really did love, after all. Hermione felt, suddenly, that perhaps, these three girls, whose close and unwavering friendship she'd always admired - had in their own way remained untouched by time -
"Slut around?" Ginny asked dryly.
"Hit on rich men?" Connie suggested.
Hermione was shocked and expected Fran to explode, but Fran just laughed and silently acknowledged their words.
"I can't believe I'm getting married tomorrow." Ginny softy said, a faraway look in her eyes.
"Will you believe that she won't even tell us how Draco proposed?" Connie complained to Hermione. "I mean - that's exactly the kind of thing you're supposed to tell your best friends!"
"Some things are too - dear - to tell - " Ginny murmured, half-quoting, the dream still in her eyes. She met Hermione's eyes and they bonded in that instant. Hermione, too, had not told anyone of Ron's proposal. It was too sweet to be passed around like comon gossip.
"Besides," Ginny said, "Do you think we're still at Hogwarts? Remember how you used to rate guys and how you tried to get me to tell you how Draco rated?"
"You never did tell us." Fran grumbled.
Ginny laughed. "Am I to tell you all the details of my wedding night, then?"
Connie smiled wickedly, a vintage Coy Connie smile, like a rare wine, intoxicating and something to be savoured. "You know what they say - sharing is caring."
Ginny threw a pillow at her. And health is wealth. I'm not telling you anything."
"Grumpy Ginny." Fran drawled.
Hermione giggled.
She really did.
A schoolgirl giggle.
There was still hope.
"We're getting married tomorrow." Ginny told Draco, as if he didn't know. They were sitting on the porch together, listening to the crickets yodel and looking at their intertwined hands. "Getting cold feet yet?"
"No. You?"
Ginny kissed him. "Hot as ever."
Draco's white teeth flashed. "Good. Besides, if I got cold feet now, my mother would kill me. She loves weddings, and my wedding is no exception."
"All my relatives are Apparating over tomorrow." Ginny thought out loud. "A Weasley conference."
"And enough red hair to blind a Hippogriff."
Ginny looked at him reproachfully. "All our children will have red hair. It's a genetic thing."
"The first child of any Malfoy marriage has fair hair. It's a tradition thing." He added arrogantly, "It's a Malfoy thing."
Ginny just laughed as his hand wandered fondly over her hair, giving lie to his words. "I don't really care." She said. She grinned. "As long as there are a lot of them."
"You can be sure there will be." Draco murmured hotly, leaning down and kissing her long and hard. When they broke apart he asked quietly, "Are you sure you don't mind that Pansy is coming to the wedding?"
Ginny stiffened slightly, then she smiled weakly. "If Crabbe and Goyle can come, then Pansy can come." She sighed and looked at Draco, slight insecurity in her eyes.
Draco's arm tightened around her. "I never loved her. I only invited her because - it was the proper thing to do."
"And all the Malfoys are proper." Ginny said whimsically. She smiled again. "I think I'm all right with it." She looked at him seriously. "I love you, you know."
"You know I love you." Draco said fervently. He grimaced. "I suppose if you can put up with Pansy, I can put up with Potter."
"Now, that's completely different." Ginny said, looking at him levelly. "Harry's a friend of the whole family and you know that I don't love him."
Draco laughed, a fleeting undertone of bitterness which Ginny forgot in the hug he gave her. "And you know that I don't love Pansy." He kissed her. "You should have gotten over that -"
Ginny turned into his arms and looked at him searchingly. She knew suddenly, as she stared into those unguarded, tender eyes looking down at her, that they belonged to each other. Pansy and Harry were - were nothing. Suddenly her face lit up. "I have." She said, almost wonderingly. Then she laughed and pressed his hand.
When Ginny had gone in, Draco stood by himself for a moment, and the Malfoy straightness of spine left him for a second.
"No, you don't love Potter." He said, as if talking to Ginny. "But you did once, and if he had ever spoken up - maybe you still would."
But his words fell on damp grass, and on the hard earth that didn't give a damn.
Ron stood impatiently in the yard. Every now and then, he'd glance at his watch, or look up and wave at Hermione, who was waiting at the window.
"You're late." He grumbled to himself.
Harry Apparated in front of him.
"Harry!" Ron crowed, and slapped him on the back. "You're late! What would your students think?"
Harry grinned widely. "They'd pretend I was early. You look as constipated as ever, Ron. Where's your fiancee?"
"His fiancee likes to be called Hermione." She interjected, giving him a quick hug. "And what's that supposed to mean? Ron does not look constipated."
"Tell your fiancee I'm just joking, Ron." Harry teased. "Where's your mum, Ron?"
Hermione glared at him. Harry smiled back. "Touchy little thing, your fiancee, Ron." He remarked.
"Yeah. Getting harder to keep her in line . . ." Ron said wistfully.
They laughed, laughter so obnoxious that only males could laugh like that. Hermione sniffed and marched inside, nose in the air.
"Mum's inside." Ron told him. "But I wouldn't go near her now, she's absolutely mad over the wedding. Dad can't get her to sit still."
"Where's Charlie and Percy?"
'Percy's up in his room, sending out Owls - apparently the Ministry's a mad place with him taking a holiday, and Charlie is out back training Pig to go up and charm the Ministry Owls." Ron added unnecessarily, "I think he's trying to rile Percy up."
They heard an enraged "CHARLIE!" erupt out of an upper bedroom window.
"What about the bride? Where's she?"
"Oh, Ginny's in the kitchen. I think she's eating breakfast." Ron added thoughtfully, "If you want to talk to her, now's probably the best time. Her two cronies are still sleeping."
"Thanks." Harry started to walk to the kitchen, Ron at his side. "What about the groom?"
Ron shrugged. "Well, you know that old Muggle tradition that the bride not see the groom before the actual ceremony?"
Harry nodded.
"Yeah. Malfoy's at home, cooling his heels. He'll Apparate over later."
"Are you going to call him Malfoy forever?" Harry asked mildly.
Ron stared at him as if he was cracked. "Why shouldn't I? You don't suppose I'm going to start calling him -" he nearly spat, "- Draco, do you?"
"Well, Ginny is going to become a Malfoy." Harry pointed out, smiling faintly.
Outwardly, anyway.
"Don't remind me." Ron grumbled. He held up a hand briefly. "No, I don't still hate Malfoy. I do still wish that Ginny had chosen someone normal, though. Just imagine all the albino kids they'll have -"
They reached the kitchen and Ron went in first. Harry took a breath and let it out normally. His heart started racing painfully in his chest, making him close his eyes briefly. He hadn't seen her for over a year -
It was just easier that way -
He went in.
He saw her.
She looked as every bride should look. Not radiantly happy - happier than that, a quiet happiness that filled her like a hot drink fills you on a cold night, a happiness that was in her bloodstream, a happiness that suffused out of every pore.
He could never have made her that happy.
But he was happy for her, he really was. He loved her so deeply that he wanted her to be happy -
It was just too damn bad she couldn't be happy with him.
Harry had a sudden, savage image of her and Malfoy at the proverbial altar -
Smiling at each other -
Holding each other's hand -
Forever.
Ginny saw him and her face broke into a smile, her own happy Ginny-smile, a smile that would never, it seemed, stop making his heart squeeze painfully.
"Harry!" Ginny laughed, holding out her hands and clasping his affectionately. "I'm so glad you could come! You look hungry -"
He was hungry.
For something he would never have.
Ginny pushed a pumpkin pie in front of him. "Eat as much as you like, Mum made plenty." She started cutting a piece for him.
"Thanks, thanks." Harry grinned.
He wouldn't break.
He dug in. "you look great." He told Ginny. "Very much the radiant bride. Why aren't you all dolled up?"
Ginny poured him a glass of juice. "I don't want my dress to get dirty." She replied. She looked over at Ron. "Ron - does he know yet?"
Ron shook his head instantly. "No. I didn't tell him -"
"Tell me what?"
"I'll get them." Ginny disappeared.
Harry looked at Ron, who looked smugly back at him. Hermione came into the kitchen. She seemed to have gotten over her crossness. She sat down and watched Harry eat, and poured him another glass of juice. Witches always seemed to want to feed him, Harry thought wryly.
Ginny reappeared, with her two men, one lean and sardonic-looking, the other dryly ironic and pleasant.
Harry stood, grinning hugely. "Sirius! Professor Lupin!" He shook hands vigorously with both of them, and was pulled into a hug by Sirius, who looked at him proudly, and a sort of semi-hug with Lupin, who smiled kindly at him. They all sat down. "What are you doing here - how long?"
Lupin raised one eyebrow. "Ginny kindly invited us to her wedding."
"Wasn't my idea." Ginny chirped cheerfully. She blushed. "No offense meant, of course. I mean - I'm so glad you could come - but it was really Ron and Hermione's idea -"
Sirius leveled a glance at her, that made her flush brighter and mutter something unintelligible before sinking into a seat and looking helplessly at Hermione, who said tactfully, "They arrived this morning, Harry."
"Along with the thousands of relatives, friends, teachers and various associates Ginny had to have." Ron said under his breath.
"Half of them are from Draco's side!" Ginny protested.
"A woman's entitled to have everyone she wants at her wedding." Sirius said unexpectedly. Harry saw him dart a strange, unreadable look at Ginny. He was startled - something about that look was vaguely familiar.
"Yes." Hermione said even more unexpectedly. "I want just as many at my wedding, so keep that in mind, Ron."
Ron groaned and everyone laughed. "How's your game going, Ron?" Harry asked. He grinned proudly. "Gotten to the top of the ranks yet?"
"Nearing it." Ron replied. He grinned back. "I've just got to beat Tcezhkovlasky in the GCWC's coming up -"
"GCWC's?" Lupin asked.
"Grand Chess World Championships." Hermione supplied. She glowered at Ron. "And he insists on practicing every night with this chess prodigy -"
"Now, Hermione - it's just till the GCWC's are over -"
"It'd better be -"
The ceremony was about to start. Harry, who was sitting in the front row with the immediate Weasley's, watched Draco with a swift, fleeting bitterness. He wondered, as he had so many times, what he had that Ginny loved him so -
But it was no use.
He stood at the altar, ignoring the priest, by his side, Crabbe and Goyle. You couldn't separate them. Harry recalled hearing that they were one of the few wizard bankers at Gringotts.
The music started.
Connie and Fran came walking down, Connie first, looking superficially angelic, making half of the wizards look at her reverently. Then Fran, on her face a smile that made the other half shift uncomfortably in their seats.
Then Ginny.
Harry didn't catch his breath, like he'd read about so many times in books. Ginny didn't look unspeakably beautiful, or even especially so. She was pretty, she always was, and on her face, under the veil, he could see a smile that made his heart tighten.
But he didn't catch his breath.
He'd spent too long hiding his feelings to reveal them now.
The ceremony went on.
It was short.
When Draco lifted Ginny's veil, with a gentle hand, Molly Weasley sighed, and ceased to worry about her daughter.
When he looked down at her, with such trembling longing, a wish to live up to her, Ron ceased to wish Ginny had found someone better.
When he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers gently, so tenderly, nobody noticed the woman in the back row, her lips set and her eyes dark, start to silently weep as she ceased to hope.
When Draco looked into Ginny's eyes, the small, hard bitterness and uncertainty that lingered over Potter ceased to exist.
But Potter, sitting in the front row and watching everything with quiet, guarded eyes, never ceased -