"The Reunion" by Quidditch, Anyone?
The Wedding
2 months later...
Should have put on a warmer jacket; I'm freezing. Should have remembered my lipstick because I think it needs a little touching up. Shouldn't even be here at all. Should be at home, in my broomstick jammies, clicking through muggle cable and bingeing on low-fat ice cream. Instead, I'm at Ron's wedding.
It's really cold out and the wind is wrestling with leaves while I'm wrestling to keep my skirt from flying up with them. I really hate this. I want to leave. Now.
Finally, the gigantic doors open and I'm allowed to go into the warm church. I warm my hands and take an middle seat in the very back.
"This seat taken?" I hear Ginny whisper in my ear. I jump and place a hand on my racing chest.
"Good Lord, Ginny, don't do that!"
She smiles broader than she was before. "Can't believe this, can you?" The seat creaks as she puts her full weight onto it. I shake my head.
"The first one to do it, you know?" She says dreamily while gazing at the alter. "And I thought Ron would be the last of us to get married!"
I laugh weakly and shift my weight, hoping my uncomfortableness is purely physical.
"Just can't believe it," she whispers again. I watch Harry up there brushing something off his crisp best man's robes, then realize Ginny's watching him, too. They exchange smiles of pure ecstasy. I know they'll be the next to be up there together, all pretty and smiles and happy. I seriously consider excusing myself in case I start to cry.
"Well, I can," George bellows as he plops himself down on my other side. "If not, then I'm telling ye, I won't be happy if this thing's canceled and we all came here for nothing."
Alicia takes a seat next to him only after playfully punching him in the arm "Oh, stop it!"
Fred doesn't join in the jokes, but gives George a very unFred-like look. Almost like he's being serious, or something weird like that. His twin notices this, blushes instantly, and clears his throat. "Yes, well, er..."
"How's work, Ginny?" Angelina says quickly, changing the subject.
"Oh, fantastic, thank you! Never thought I'd actually write a column in the Daily Prophet. Always like a dream of mine."
"Well, we're all so happy for you," Alicia grins.
Ginny's a writer? For the Daily Prophet? Geez, have I been trapped under a rock or something all this time? What's next, Harry's a pop star, recording hit records and touring Europe?
Actually, he's a quidditch star, I soon find out. Oy, this is what it must be like to have amnesia.
All gets quiet while the band starts a lovely wedding piece. All eyes turn to greet Twiggy, but mine are glues to the front. Ron's fists keep clenching and unclenching. Harry whispers something and I can tell it's dead serious. Ron closes his eyes and swallows for a minute, but I notice he doesn't nod or shake his head in response. Harry looks like he's going to have a Chudley Cannons style heart attack.
Gulp.
Twiggy- er, April, as it said on the curly blue wedding card (which was quite untasteful, to be perfectly honest), steps up onto the platform where she's going to get marries in just a few minutes.
"We are gathered here today," the white-haired priest starts. The music has stopped but still seems to echo. The previous pleasantly warm air now seems sweltering hot. It's happening, it's really happening.
"To join these two lovers..."
It's incredibly hot now. I feel sick. To my left and right clusters of Weasleys sit politely and smile. I have to find out how to do that, pretend to enjoy myself so well.
"In holy matrimony."
White lights. Blinding lights. It's so bright in here!!! And the music's still playing in my head, as are pictures I keep remembering...
I can't even really hear what the priest is saying. Scenes of the three of us together, then just Ron and I, then just Ron... they're all on fast-forward in my headworld. The sound is faint, but I can hear eerie wedding tunes and a speeding noise. It's not real, not yet, not now...
"... repeat after me... I, Ronald, take thee, April..." The priest is screaming and all other noise halts.
A second passes. And a few more. After a rather pregnant moment of silence, Ron cracks his voice and forms words:
"I, Ronald, take thee, Hermione..."
Unbelievable. April's face went from heavenly to murderous. Every single quest takes a sudden gasp and starts muttering frantically: "What did he say? Who's Hermione?". Ron chokes on air, the priest clears his throat, and I've been petrified.
"Er, R-Ronald, would you perhaps like to try that again?" the priest urges feverishly.
"Ah, yes, yes f-f-father. Please," he stutters. April is stabbing him with her gaze, while he turns the color of rotten plums and starts to sweat heavily.
"I, Ronald," he repeats slowly and clearly. "take thee, April..."
"I-I-I, R-Ron-Ronald," Ron stammers. He very nervously smiles because he can't get the rest out.
"How about one more try, Ron?" Father is obviously getting extremely irritated.
"I-I-ye, Ron-n-n-nald, t-t-take-"
"How about just a yes, then?"
"Yes!"
"Good." The priest looks venomous, but it's nothing compared to the girl who's standing in front of Ron. "And April-"
Twiggy shoots him an evil eye.
"I, April, take thee, Ronald," he continues lazily.
"PARDON ME!"
A hundred guests sit starch straight at her yell.
Twiggy throws her bouquet onto the red velvet floor. "If you think I'm going to let you get away with that, Ron," she pokes him very harshly. I'm reminded very much of a Howler as her voice echoes off the intricate ceiling. "Then I refused to let myself marry the likes of you!"
Twiggy slowly turns to face me. Her retinas burn holes in mine.
In one movement she's hopped off the platform, storming over to me, and screaming very unchurch-and-ladylike words laces with spit in my face. By the time she's bawling her way out the doors, I feel similar to a melted pool of cherry Jell-O.
Only I could find myself ruining a wedding by just sitting in my chair, not saying a word.
The silence is unbearable. It would be so much better if they were all screaming at me, but no, they're gawking at me like I'm some sort of mythical creature they all just noticed was there. I don't know what to do. I blush and sink in my seat- nope, still sitting here. I didn't try hard enough to make myself invisible.
"Well, I guess that settles that," the priest breaks in with a sharp snap of the bible. "Best be off, then." He walks out into the sunlight so casually as if this sort of thing happens every day. One by one the rest of the spectators follow him, some muttering under their breath, others still trying to get a good look at me.
The Weasleys and Harry are the last to move. They all smile skeptically and look torn about whether or not to leave, until Harry clears his throat pointedly and suggests that they all go find some way to dispose of the cake. (in other words, leave the two alone, you idiots!) I can't help but notice Fred wink in my direction before disappearing, however.
"Er, so..." Ron begins awkwardly. His face isn't as red now, but he's still perspiring from nervousness. I can't feel my fingers which are clutching my purse.
Just tell him, get it over with.
"You know, I should have listened to you, called it off. This was a total disaster," he tries.
Should I tell him I feel sorry for him? Tell him it's all right, it was for the best?
Ron's looking at me but my eyes are on my shoes. "Is everything okay with you?"
Of course everything's not okay, you prat! Do you have any idea what you just did? You've- you've...!
"Made me happier than I've ever been in my life!" I find myself exploding for the first time ever.
"Ex-excuse me?" Ron's asks meekly.
I groan and drop my purse to the ground. (just in case I feel the need to wring his neck, you know?) "Ron, you know what you put me through when I found out you were getting married?"
He looks terrified, but shakes his head.
"You know how long I've just wanted to tell you all this soppy rubbish, and how much I hate myself for not ever being able to do it?"
He stands still.
"You-you know what was going through my head when you said that just now? Well I'll tell you!"
I grab his neck and pull him forward into a kiss that no Twiggy would ever be able to give him in her bony-legged life. "I love you, you stubborn git!"
Ronny, my Ronny, smiles at me and kisses me back. Oh, joy, it's just what I've always wanted- a happy, happy ending to some really sucky story.
FIN
I made this chapter extra-long and "extra-super special" (real quote-I swear by Godiva chocolate) because I haven't done the fanfic thing for a long time, so I guess I was due for something good. Hope y'all like it, and if you don't, blame television, because that's where the idea came from. (I won't say which show because I don't want people to think I, you know, 'watch it' or something.) On a more satisfying note, I'm officially taking a day off from school tomorrow to exclusively write more chapters to the rest of my stories. In fact, I might as well just drop out and become an official internet bum.
Oh, one more thing- I saw the second movie and I'm going to see it again Thursday and JOY!!! it was good! Hermione and Ron SOOO liked each other, it was awsome! My only complaint was that I was at the very end of the first row, next to some snot-nosed kid, so I didn't get to experience my highest LHPE (Level of Harry Potter Enjoyment). But then again, that's why people like me see the film 80 or so times...
All happy now because of movie/no school,
The Loving QA