How Could You?
Two weeks before The Wedding.
"Ginny, how could you?"
"I'm sorry, Mum, I guess we just didn't count properly."
"I'll say! Two thousand! How are we going to cater for two thousand people at your reception?"
"Well, Harry has around 40 house elves, and I'm sure Dumbledore would be willing to lend us the elves from Hogwarts, they aren't doing anything since the term hasn't started yet. We had planed for a thousand anyway, the catering service can handle that."
Molly sunk into a near by chair, fanning herself with the paper Ginny had given her, showing her and Harry's calculations of how many guests would be attending the wedding.
"I hope you stay married to this man for a long, long time, Virginia Weasley."
"I intend to, Mum. I intend to."
*~*
"How did she take it?" Harry asked his fiance later that day over dinner.
Ginny twirled spaghetti around her fork, one of the only meals Harry knew how to make. "Actually pretty well. She lectured me a bit about how could we miscount that much, blah blah. But I told her our plan about the house elves and that calmed her down a bit."
"Today was the first time I was actually glad Wood called a strategy meeting, as he calls them. As much as I love your mother, I would have much rather you dealt with her than me."
Ginny threw a piece of garlic bread at Harry and smiled. "Glad to know you would risk your life for me, dearest."
"Tis not death I fear, darling. Only your mother after we," Ginny raised an eyebrow, "er, you told her we had double the expected amount of wedding guests."
After the dishes had been cleaned up and put away (Harry had given the night off to the house elves) Harry and Ginny retired to the study. Even though it was only the end of July, and still very warm, Harry lit a fire in the fire place and lowered the room temperature. Ginny and Harry lay on the plush leather couch snuggled under a warm blanket, sipping glasses of wine.
"Where are we going to have our honeymoon?" Ginny asked, staring into the fire.
"I hadn't much thought about it. Where would you like to go?"
Ginny laid her head in Harry's lap, putting her wine glass aside. "Somewhere romantic."
"Away from England."
"Somewhere warm and tropical perhaps."
"Where we could go swimming."
"And waited on hand and foot."
"Like, a cruise, perhaps." Harry suggested.
Ginny raised her head and turned to look at him. "A what?"
"A Muggle cruise. A huge boat with rooms to sleep in, swimming pools, restaurants, arcades, bars, everything. It sails around usually for a week or so, to different ports and beaches. It's wonderfully romantic." Harry explained.
Ginny laid her head back in Harry's lap, and pulled the blanket snugly around her shoulders. "Good. Then I'll ask Hermione to make the reservations."
*~*
"You're going on a what?"
"Cruise, Ron darling. Like a vacation. Really, we should go on one."
"I would love to, dearest, but one of us works 24/7, so that would be impossible."
"Obviously, that person isn't you!"
"I do work, dearest, but I, unlike some people, know when to take a break."
"You think I don't ever relax?"
"Only when forced."
"I could take a break anytime I wanted to, all I'd have to do was ask Professor McGonagall."
"That would be the problem. You're scared of her." Ron said, crossing his arms over his chest like a five year old, both of them completely ignoring Ginny and Harry, who watched with amusement."
"I am most certainly not!"
"You've known her for ten plus odd years, and you still refer to her as 'Professor McGonagall.'"
"That's because it's respectful!" Huffed Hermione.
"You're just scared of her."
"At least I am respectful!"
"Are you implying that I'm not?"
"I didn't imply anything, Ron, dear. You did that all on your own!"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You know!"
"What if I don't?"
Harry glanced at his watch.
"Well, then, you're-"
"Ahem!" Harry interrupted loudly.
Ron and Hermione looked over at Ginny and Harry and then down at the floor, embarrassed for arguing in front of their visitors.
Ginny and Harry were quite used to it, and they didn't mind at all. It was actually entertaining to see what feeble arguments Ron came up with, and everyone knew that they didn't mean a word of it. It was obvious Ron and Hermione loved each other, even when they were arguing.
"About the Cruise," Harry started. "You're sure you don't mind making reservations for us?"
"Of course not. Just tell me what you want. Hang on a minute-let me write this down." said Hermione.
"Somewhere romantic." Ginny said smiling.
"Going somewhere tropical."
"Maybe the Carribean."
"For five to seven days."
"I want to be pampered head to foot." Ginny said. "Put a star by that."
Harry smiled as he got an idea. "Gin, what if we go to Disney World?" Seeing the blank look on her face, he explained.
"It's like a huge Muggle amusement park. With lots of rides and things. It would be so much fun. There's one in Florida, in the States. We could sail in the Carribean, then go to Florida for a few days and go to Disney World."
"Maybe the family could come. I know Dad would love seeing a Muggle amusement park."
Hermione scribbled furiously as she wrote:
Cruise: Romantic, tropical-maybe Carribean, 5-7 days long, *pampered, Disney World after, family come.
"That it?" She asked.
"Yep. Thanks, 'Mione."
"Welcome. I would love to go on a cruise."
"Perhaps if you would take some time off, dearest, we could go." Ron butted in.
"Perhaps someone has to earn a living, darling."
Ginny and Harry, sensing another Ron/Hermione argument, made a quick exit.
"Wanna go grab some lunch?" Ginny asked once they were in the safety of Ron and Hermione's front yard.
"Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep! Beeeeeep!"
Harry took the beeping object, a small golden ball, out of his pocket. The beeping stopped.
"What is that?" Ginny asked, taking it in her hands.
"Uh-it's sort of like a pager. Wood uses it to signal us to emergency practices and stuff. Guess I won't be joining you for lunch, Gin. Maybe Hermione would like to go. I'll talk to you tonight. Love you." Giving Ginny a quick peck on the cheek, Harry apparated off to the Quidditch field.
"Guess I'll have to go ask Dumbledore myself." Ginny muttered to no one.
Ginny decided she would rather not be alone and ask Dumbledore something like that, so she walked back into Ron's house, grabbed Hermione in mid-retort (they were still arguing) and together they apparated to Hogwarts.
Or, rather, they apparated to Hogsmeade.
"What do you need to ask Dumbledore, Ginny?" Hermione asked, who had not been told why she was suddenly dragged to Hogsmeade.
"Harry and I sort of, um, miscalculated on how many guests would be at the reception."
"Why is that such a big deal?"
"We were off by a thousand." Ginny said sheepishly.
"A thousand?! Who did you invite? All of Hogwarts?"
"Well, most of the teachers, all of my family, Sirius, Remus, and the gang, the girls and boys in my year Gryffindor, the boys and girls in Harry's year Gryffindor, the Gryffindor Quidditch team, all of the players who were ever on it the same time he was, the Chuddley Cannons players, coaches, trainers, owners, my boss and his wife and eight kids, most of my co-workers, Harry's lawyer and his insurance people, along with some big wigs of the Firebolt racing company-he endorses them, you know, the owners of the Chuddley Cannons stadium, and a few other people. Total people invited: two thousand and fifteen."
"I hope you stay married to Harry for a long, long time." Hermione said, smiling and shaking her head.
"That's what Mum said. And for the record, I intend to."
*~*
"Um, Hermione, how do we get in?" Ginny asked, craning her neck to look up at the huge entrance door to Hogwarts.
"There's a spell and a password for teachers. We could knock, most of the teachers live here, but it would take them ages to get down here, so I'll just get us in. Turn around, please."
Ginny turned around and put her hands over her ears, lest she hear the top secret spell and password.
Hermione grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around. Ginny uncovered her ears and together, she and Hermione entered Hogwarts.
"Hermione, I'm hoping you know the way to Dumbledore's office, because I sure don't."
"You never went to Dumbledore's office?"
"Don't tell me you have."
"Not for behavior, of course, but he called the Prefects in there several times. And the Head Boy and Girl."
A few minutes later, Hermione knocked on the door to Dumbledore's office.
"Come in, Poppy, my dear. I was wondering when you would be back. Did you get some new earmuff's?"
Ginny and Hermione stiffled their giggles and Ginny poked her head inside the door, looking sheepish.
"Hi, Professor."
Dumbledore's half moon glasses fell off in surprise. "Ms. Weasley. I wasn't expecting you here. Come in, have a seat."
Hermione followed Ginny in.
"Hello, Professor Dumbledore."
"Ms. Granger, too. How nice. Have a seat, please. You came to ask me something?"
"Well, yes, actually I did, Professor." Ginny began, looking down at her lap. "Um, are your house elves on break?"
"They cook dinner for the other Professors who are living her, but for the most part, yes, they are on break."
"Well, I was wondering, could I borrow them?"
"Borrow them?" Dumbledore asked, peering over his spectacles.
"Well, yes, sir. Harry and I invited two thousand people for our wedding." If Dumbledore was surprised at this, he didn't show it. Ginny continued, "And the catering service we hired can only cater for half that. So Harry and I thought that if you wouldn't mind, we could use some of the house elves-not all of them-to cook for our wedding. We would pay them, or you. And they would be back to prepare for the start of the term feast."
"So you and Mr. Potter miscalculated how many guests you would have, so you would like to borrow Hogwarts' house elves to cook for the excess number of people, is that correct, Ms. Weasley?"
"Yes, sir." Ginny said, feeling like she was a little kid again.
"Well, when would you like them to start cooking?"
Ginny looked up. "Oh, thank you, Professor!" Ginny hugged him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, causing his spectacles to fall of his long nose again.
*~*
"Well, that's taken care of." Hermione said to Ginny as they were walking back to Hogsmeade.
"Now all we have to get through is the wedding."
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ok, well next chapter, wedding rehearsal, i think. after that, the wedding! please review!
and i'm looking for a new pen name, suggestions welcome!