Chapter Nineteen
Ron sat there in shock, Lavender looking expectantly at him. If he had been expecting her to say anything, it certainly wasn't that.
He gulped. "Yes."
Lavender's face lit up. "You're sure?" she asked, clearly not sure whether Ron was telling the truth.
"Of course I'm sure!" Ron assured her, now grinning like a maniac.
Across the table from him, Lavender let out a sigh of relief. "I was sure you were going to say 'no'." Ron was a bit bemused about this, and it showed on his freckled face.
"Why? Of course I would!"
"Well," Lavender said, "I didn't think you wanted to get married, I mean, you've had loads of opportunities to ask me; Christmas, Valentines day..."
"But I didn't think you wanted to get married!" Ron said, laughing nervously. "I was an idiot, wasn't I?" he asked frowning.
"Yes, but that's why I love you," Lavender told him, placing a hand over Ron's larger hand. The soon-to-be Mrs Lavender Weasley grinned broadly at him at him.
Feeling slightly dazed, but extremely happy, Ron smiled back. He wasn't going to forget this day any time soon.
Harry was finishing making a piece of toast, when Draco Malfoy's blonde head appeared in the fireplace. Harry almost dropped his toast (butter side down, of course) when he realised that Malfoy was there.
"Uh, hullo, Harry," said Draco nervously.
"Hi, Draco. Hermione's at work."
"Oh, right. Well, actually it was you I wanted to talk to."
Harry raised an eyebrow at this. Draco wanted to talk to him. That was different. While the two of them were certainly friends now, any time that Malfoy's head appeared in the fireplace, he usually wanted to talk to Hermione. "What about?"
"Can I come round to yours?" Malfoy asked. Harry nodded his agreement, and a couple of seconds later, Draco Malfoy stepped out of the fireplace, dusting off his robes.
As Harry munched on his toast, Draco recalled the events that led up to Padma walking out on him and the wedding. "She was always claiming that I wasn't paying attention to her, and now I get the feeling she was right," Draco concluded. "What am I going to do? The wedding was supposed to be in three weeks!"
"This is exactly why me and Hermione eloped," Harry said, placing his plate in the kitchen sink, Leaning against the worktop, he said, "I think Padma's just a little worked up about everything. Hermione was getting stressed when we were planning the wedding too."
"I feel so guilty," admitted Draco sullenly. He frowned. "I wish there was something I could have done."
"You do realise she hasn't cancelled the wedding, don't you?" asked Harry.
"What?" Draco looked up, surprise written across his pale face.
Harry nodded. "According to Hermione, she hasn't even postponed it. It's still set for the sixth of May."
"So I still have a chance?"
"Yeah. It certainly looks like it."
"Great!" Malfoy looked happier about this, though the nervousness soon returned. "Harry, the main reason I think she walked out is that I still haven't found a Best Man." He was now looking at the floor, avoiding Harry's gaze entirely.
"Oh?"
"That's why I came to you." He hesitated, still staring intently at the floor, as though it held the answer to the meaning of life. "Now, I know we're not the best of friends and we hated each other when we first met, but things have changed and I can't think of anyone more capable to be my Best Man."
Harry was amazed by this, and it clearly showed on his face. "What do you think?" Draco asked, the merest hint of hope in his voice.
Still shocked by Malfoy's request, Harry spoke slowly. "I think you should go and tell Padma you've got yourself a Best Man."
Malfoy grinned at this, rising from his seat at the table. For a second it appeared that he was going to hug Harry, but then decided against it. Regaining his composure, he said, "Thank you, you have no idea what this means."
"No problem," Harry assured him, not quite sure what else to say.
After a hurried goodbye, Malfoy Disapparated, leaving Harry alone in the kitchen.
Harry let out a loud sigh. This was certainly something he had to tell Hermione.
Since she had walked out on Draco, Padma had been staying with Parvati and Dean. At first they had welcomed her, but now Padma had a feeling that she was outstaying her welcome. Something had to be done about the situation.
After thinking for a very long time, Padma decided she'd try and contact Draco - it couldn't hurt to talk to him.
However, it appeared that he wasn't home. She was just settling herself onto the plush blue couch when the doorbell rang.
This in itself was highly unusual, as most visitors simply Apparated into the house. Padma frowned and went to open the door. It was probably someone trying to sell something or convert her.
When she opened the door to reveal her fiancée (or ex-fiancée, or whatever Draco was to her as she hadn't yet decided), she blanched. "Draco! Uh, what are you doing here?"
"I wanted to talk to you." He frowned. "You know, if you're busy, I can come back some other time or..."
"No!" she said quickly. "I'm not." She blushed slightly, feeling a lot like when the had started going out. "Do you want to come in?" He nodded, and she led him into Parvati and Dean's living room. The floor was littered with various bridal magazines and scraps of material from the bridesmaids dress. She blushed even more when Draco saw this.
"Sit, down," she said, gesturing towards a chair.
"Thanks," Draco said, sitting in an armchair, trying not to sit on any pieces of parchment etc. "I wanted to apologise," he started.
Padma raised an eyebrow at this. "You do, do you?"
"Yes," Draco told her, feeling a twinge of hurt at this reception. "I was a prat. A complete and utter prat. I should have listened to you and found a Best Man when you told me too."
Draco, as much as I still love you, the wedding is supposed to be in three weeks! I'm on the verge of cancelling it - we'll never have time to organise everything that still needs to be organised."
Moving from his seat to sit next to Padma, Draco took her hand in his. He removed her reading glasses and placed them on the coffee table. She flushed slightly at this gesture of affection. Draco always removed her glasses before he wanted to kiss her and while Padma knew this, Draco never realised that he did it; when she had asked him once, he had said it was simply a reflex.
"Yes, we will. See now that I've got a Best Man, I can help you with everything. I'm not going to let you do this on your own."
"You've got a Best Man?" Padma narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Who?"
"Harry."
Her eyes widened. "You asked Harry Potter to be your Best Man? When?"
Checking the clock on the wall, Draco replied, "About ten minutes ago."
"Really?" Padma wasn't sure if she should believe him or not, but Draco nodded.
"Yes." He frowned. "Can I kiss you now?" he asked earnestly, leaning in towards her.
"Be my guest," she murmured, as his lips finally pressed against hers.
When Molly Weasley decided to throw a party, she really threw a party.
The Burrow was swarming with people, many of whom had red hair. Ron assured Harry that they were his cousins and aunts and uncles. Surprisingly Ron seemed to remember all their names.
At the news of her youngest son's engagement, Mrs Weasley had organised a huge party to celebrate it. She was in an amazingly happy mood and was hugging everyone in sight. Except Fred. She didn't seem to have forgiven him for eloping. As it was, Molly was delighted with her new daughter-in-law.
Abigail was a petite blonde woman, who came from a family which was probably larger than the Weasley family. She seemed to be able to match Fred in her wicked sense of humour and even turned her new husband's hair purple at one point during the party.
Hermione was attempting to enjoy the party, but after only a couple of hours she decided that it was a bit too much for her. She tried to persuade Harry to stay at the party, but after a few minutes she gave in and allowed him to accompany her home.
"Are you all right, Parvati?" Dean asked, slipping an arm around his girlfriend.
Parvati sighed, pushing a dark piece of hair away from her eyes. There was a jangling sound as her many brightly-coloured bangles clashed together. "I suppose."
"What's wrong?" Dean demanded. Parvati wasn't telling him everything, that much was clear.
Frowning, Parvati waved an arm towards all the other people at the party. "This. Everything." She screwed up her nose. "Harry and Hermione are very happily married, my twin sister is getting married next month, and my best friend just got engaged."
"Ah." Dean didn't really know what he should say to that. Was Parvati depressed because of all the weddings, or because she wasn't getting married?
There was only one solution to this that Dean could think of.
Holding her hand, he said, "Marry me."
Parvati rolled her eyes. "Dean stop being a prat!"
"But I mean it!" he protested.
"No you don't."
She didn't look impressed with his spur of the minute proposal. He had thought it was a very romantic gesture. Clearly he was wrong.
"Why don't I mean it?" asked Dean, eager to find out why Parvati said he didn't mean it.
"Because you're only proposing to cheer me up." She smiled. "As much as I know you love me, I know you don't want to marry me at this precise moment."
"I think you could be right," said Dean slowly. "I don't think I'm mature enough to get married," he said with a grin.
"Me neither," agreed Parvati.
"Hey!" protested Dean. "You weren't supposed to agree with me!"
"I meant I'm not mature enough to get married," Parvati explained. Grinning she kissed him. "What would you have done if I'd said yes?"
Dean bit his lip. He hadn't really thought that far ahead. "Erm... you'd probably have seen a Dean-shaped hole in that wall," he said, nodding the direction of the aforementioned wall.
Parvati giggled. "Either that or you'd have fainted." Dean nodded in agreement.
As one of Parvati's favourite songs was played, he stood up. He held out his hand to her. "Would madam care to dance?"
Taking his hand with a smile, Parvati stood. "Thank you, kind sir. I would be honoured."
Laughing, they joined the rest of the guests who were dancing.
A/N: This story is finally nearing its completion. There are only a couple more chapters left (and I mean that literally - two chapters left to go!). Before anyone starts asking, there will not be a sequel to this fic any time in the near future. Once I've finished this fic and 'Chocolate and Pumpkin Ice Cream', I have a couple of other fics that I would like to write, as well as 'The Spaces Between Shadows & Night' a collaboration I am doing with another writer. Please review, I enjoy your feedback. Chapter Twenty (!) should be out in a week or so if you're lucky.
Review, Flame, Whatever.
Here's a thanks section for Chapter Eighteen:
PotterRose - Thanx. I try and keep my fic as original as I can. The first fic in this series was terribly cliched, but thankfully I've grown out of that!
The Charmed One - Thanx - I have a lot of fun writing this.
SilverTears13 - Thanx! Yup, George is still single, though.
Mushroom - I've had the whole Lavender-proposing scene worked out in my head for a while. Unfortunately I've had to wait until it got to February 29th to write it.
mystical - Thanx!
lust4luv - Don't worry, Lavender and Ron will not break up.
Belle - That's a nice name. I've already picked a name though... everyone'll have to keep waiting.
Hermione2003Potter - lol. It was a bit short, wasn't it? Never mind...
Lady Greene - Thanx!
Sonata - The baby will come eventually, I promise. Remember - only two chapters to go in this fic.
Okie Da 12 - Thanx!
Oliverwoodschic - Thanx!
Gem Stone - I lke to write things that people never expect will happen. It makes things a whole lot more interesting, don't you think?
star429 - Thanx!
The All Red Chameleon - I'm so sorry for doing three cliffies in a row. It wasn't intentional, I promise. I just write and they appear out of nowhere!
Usotsuki - It is usually the man who proposes, but there's a tradtion that on February 29th women propose. Seeing as this is in the year 2000, I couldn't help it.
Chavi - My sentiments exactly! :D
Hannah Abby - I like to make my fics as interesting as possible. Glad you liked the ending of the chapter.
Blunder - Thanx!
Alexandra6082005 - I'll try and keep up the good work.