The Great Hall really looked amazing. Even in Harry's eyes. Of course, nothing was more wonderful than Ginny. Even though she was currently giving him a mild silent treatment.
The Hall was decorated in all the house colors: Gold and crimson for Gryffindor, blue and yellow for Hufflepuff, white and blue for Ravenclaw, and silver and green for Slytherin.
Ghost-like creatures in the shapes of lions, badgers, ravens, and snakes could be seen floating around the room. They look like patronuses Harry mused. The ghosts were there too. The Bloody Baron was currently having a conversation with Professor Delacour.
Fleur had come back to Hogwarts in Harry's 6th year to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. She had turned out to be an excellent teacher – even in Hermione's eyes – and had broken the curse on the teaching position.
Unfortunately – for the other students – she had already told McGonagall in advance that she was not to come back next year. Bill Weasley had asked for her hand in marriage that last summer and they were to get married in August. Fleur had decided that family was her number one priority and she and Bill wanted to settle down and finally start one.
Like out on the grounds, balloons were everywhere. Round tables with simple white cloths surrounded the walls and formed a ring around what was the dance floor. Two long tables full of food were at one end of the rooms and the stage was at the other.
Harry recalled that at his graduation they'd had a band. They must not have been able to book on under certain…circumstances. No one would want to play, or probably have the nerve to play, at the location where Voldemort was defeated. So, instead of a band, there was a DJ. Who Harry recognized right away as Lee Jordan, Fred and George's partner in crime, and Weasley's Wizard Wheezes – the twins joke shop.
Lee was currently having what seemed to be an argument with his 'friend', Katie Bell. The two had become inseparable and stuck with the 'we're just friends, nothing more' story all along, but everyone knew they were perfect together. Lee's hands were in motion trying to explain something while Katie looked ready to strangle him.
"Hey, Potter!" he heard Draco call. When he turned to look at him he said, "You okay, mate?"
"What's it to you, Malfoy?" Harry faked a snarled. Draco grinned, so did Harry.
"Nice acting skills," the blonde commented.
"It's one of my hidden talents." They both sighed. Hermione, who was standing next to the blonde haired man looked between the two and smiled. She has a right to. Draco and I – enemies from the start – are as close as Ron and I.
"Harry, what'd you say to piss my sister off so bad? You bloody wanker," Ron said from behind him. Harry smirked. Well, almost as close.
"I hardly said a thing! And even then, I was just joking! Where is she?"
"Over there, talking to that Corner bloke," Ron replied as he pointed, with his thumb, over his shoulder. He gave Harry a knowing look when he gave a quiet growl.
"I'll be back," said the raven-haired man.
"Harry! They are just friends!" Hermione responded.
"Yeah, and so are you and Ron," he shot back.
"Yes – wait! What's that supposed to mean?" she said. But Harry was already taking steps towards Ginny. "Harry! You know she's gonna be even more steamed at you if you go over there and start acting like a prat." He didn't hear her. They were all silent until he was half way to his girlfriend when he heard Hermione say again, "What was that supposed to mean?" Harry rolled his eyes.
He was less than 10 feet away when Michael gave Ginny a friendly hug and walked away. Knowing that Hermione was right about her getting mad at him, Harry sighed with relief. Ginny looked up at him and she tilted her head in question.
Harry stopped in front of her for a few moments in complete silence. Then she made a little squeaking noise and wrapped her arms around his neck. He slid his hands down to the top of her hips.
"I'm sorry. I should've been more," he paused. The truth was that he didn't know what she wanted. So, he guessed, "sensitive?" She laughed. Shit! That obviously wasn't it!
"Harry James, I wasn't really mad at you. It's just fun to watch you squirm and try to figure out what's wrong. You know, for an Auror in his almost second year of training, you sure aren't good at questioning people's honesty. I think we need to work on that," she scolded. Harry pinched her where his hands were sitting, but smiled nonetheless.
"Okay, okay. I told you, the first year of training is physical, second is mental, and third is a little of both plus some boring late night and early morning shifts." She nodded.
"Right, I forgot." At that point Lee was starting the music. A song by The All-American Rejects was just ending and another one was starting. Graduations at Hogwarts were always informal, most people dressed in Muggle clothing and the music was usually Muggle as well.
"May I have this dance?" Harry asked as he held out his hand.
"Yes, you may." He led her to the dance floor where many people had already been.
They read you Cinderella
You hoped it would come true
That one day your prince charming would come rescue you
You like romantic movies
And you never will forget
The way it felt when Romeo kissed Juliet
And all this time that you've been waiting
You don't have to wait no more
I can love you like that
I would make you my world
Move heaven and earth if you were my girl
I would give you my heart
Be all that you need
Show you you're everything that's precious to me
If you give me a chance, I can love you like that
Harry wrapped his around her waist and she brought hers around his neck once more. She started to play with a few strands of black hair as she set her head between his chest and shoulder. He kissed the top of her head.
I never make a promise
I don't intend to keep
So when I say forever
Forever's what I mean
I'm no Casanova
But I swear this much is true,
I'll be holding nothing back
When it comes to you
You dream of love that's everlasting
Well baby open up your eyes...
"You look beautiful today, especially when you were up on the stage." She blushed at his words. No matter how many times he told her how gorgeous she was, she still wasn't used to it.
"Thank you." They danced slowly, barely moving to the music.
I can love you like that
I would make you my world
Move heaven and earth if you were my girl
I would give you my heart
Be all that you need
Show you you're everything that's precious to me
If you give me a chance, I can love you like that
If you want tenderness
I've got tenderness
And I see through to the heart of you
If you want a man
Who will understand
You don't have to look very far
"Why were you late?" she asked him.
"I already told you, we couldn't get out of the office. Our asshole of a trainer wouldn't let us out, and then when I told him we needed to leave he said to 'stop questioning his authority' and 'just because you're Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley does not mean you can push me around' then told us we had to stay and do 15 extra laps!" Harry mimicked. "Sorry about that."
"It's okay. I hope I never have to meet that git. He sounds like a right bastard."
"You sound like Ron."
"What are you going to do? Start acting like Hermione? 'Ron, don't swear,'" she said in a good impression of their friend. They laughed.
"They're hopeless, those two," said Harry. As one they turned to look at Ron and Hermione who were a few couples away from them, looking quite comfortable in almost the same position as Harry and Ginny. They, however, weren't talking at all. Ron's cheek was rested on top of her head and every once and awhile his hand would come up to play with her hair, which was now beautifully wavy and brown with natural blonde highlights.
I can love you,
girl I can (I can love you love you)
Oh baby oh...
I can love you like that
I would make you my world
Move heaven and earth if you were my girl
I would give you my heart
Be all that you need
Show you you're everything that's precious to me
I can love you like that
I can make you my world
Move heaven and earth if you were my girl
I would give you my heart
My heart my heart my world
Show you you're everything (you're everything to me)
Love you like that
I can make you my world
Move heaven and earth if you were my girl
I would give you my heart
My heart my heart my world
Show you you're everything
As though sensing their stares Ron looked up and his mouth curved into a small smile. He whispered something to Hermione, who in turn, moved her head so the other side was pressed against his chest and she was looking at them. Then she looked up at the man she was dancing with and smirked.
"What are they up to now?" Ginny moaned softly. Harry, however, was still eyeing is best friends, who were now smiling and giggling and closer than he thought was possible. "Harry?" He shook his head to clear it.
"Huh?"
"I asked you what you thought they were doing now."
"Oh, I don't know." They're making it look like they're together! Great revenge…
"Don't give me that bull," she said stubbornly. He sighed.
"They're trying to get back at me for a comment I made earlier about them. It's disgusting! We're not even that close together! How did they get that close?"
"I don't know Harry. But you know better! No one's supposed to make a comment about them! We all know they're in love; they just don't know it yet, okay? Don't start pushing it. You know how Hermione gets, she'll hate you for interfering."
"Fine, fine," Harry dismissed with a small wave of the hand, "How does he get Hermione to act like that?" By this time, the slow song was over and a song by Simple Plan was starting call 'Grow Up.'
This is who I am and this is what I like
GC, Sum and Blink and MxPx rocking my room
If you're looking for me I'll be at the show
I can never find a better place to go
Until the day I die, I promise I won't change
So you better give up
Harry looked at best friends.
"Okay, I gotta stop that," he muttered. Hermione and Ron were now, although still entirely too close, were dancing like they were in a club full of people their age and not one's a year younger (not like they hadn't danced like that, they were only one year younger), and not to mention the parents and professors. Ginny turned too.
"That seems so un-Hermione-ish," she stated.
I don't wanna be told to grow up
And I don't wanna change
I just wanna have fun
I don't wanna be told to grow up
And I don't wanna changeSo you better give up
Cause I'm not gonna change
I don't wanna grow up
"Right, that's utterly disturbing, that is," Harry said. Ron and Hermione were laughing about something. Then they looked up as one, looked back at each other, nodded in understanding, and started moving towards the other couple, careful to make it look like it was just coincidence that Harry and Ginny were there.
"Care to switch partners?" asked Ron with a cheeky grin once he and Hermione were next to them. Ginny have a snort of disgust.
"If you think I'm going to dance like that," she pointed to her brother and best friend, "with you, you are a bloody wanker. On the other hand, you're a bloody wanker no matter what." Ginny shrugged as if saying 'Well, what can I do about it?'
"Ha ha. Very funny baby sister," said Ron, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Hermione was smiling in an unnatural way. Then something seemed to explode inside of her and she was laughing uncontrollably.
I like to stay up late, spend hours on the phone
Hanging out with all my friends and never being at home
I'm impolite and I make fun of everyone
I'm immature but I will stay this way forever
'Til the day I die, I promise I won't change
So you better give up
"Hermy, what the hell is so funny?" asked a confused Harry. By now, Ron was chuckling too.
"Are you two taking the mickey?" suggested Ginny.
"Your…faces!" Hermione gasped, holding her side from laughing so hard, "oh my…that was the…funniest thing I've ever…seen!" Harry and Ginny stared at the other two as if they'd grown another head. Suddenly, Ron seemed to sober up.
I don't wanna be told to grow up
And I don't wanna change
I just wanna have fun
I don't wanna be told to grow up
And I don't wanna change
So you better give up
No I don't wanna change
so you better give up
Cause I'm not gonna change
I don't wanna grow up
"Do you really think I'd dance like that in front of my entire family and old professors for no reason? What about Mione here, she would never do anything like that!"
"What's the reason, then?" Harry said expectantly and put his hands on his hips in a girly fashion. Hermione shrugged.
"To get you back for all the comments you make about Ron and I, I suppose. It worked though. Remember what you just saw over there," she jabbed her thumb to the place they'd been dancing, "whenever you say something about us again. Because that's what you'll see all the time if we ever got together." Harry shuddered.
"Gross," he stated. Ron nodded his head as if saying the image Harry had was indeed probably disturbing, just as Ginny hit him upside the head.
"What have you been saying to them?" she asked, not really looking for an answer.
"Let's get some punch, yeah?" Hermione suggested in a cheerful tone. They all nodded and walked over to the two long tables. They passed Fred and Angelina Johnson who waved between their deadly dance moves, which hadn't changed much since Harry's 4th year. He also noticed Bill and Fleur were now dancing, and even though the song was fast and upbeat, they were dancing slowly to the slow music in their heads.
Bill was probably the only bloke he had ever seen that hadn't looked at Fleur like she was some sort of goddess. Well, I suppose he does, but in a different kind of way. Harry had actually heard that when they first met at Gringotts that Bill hadn't even noticed her! He didn't stare at her and drool – he wasn't under her vela power. Bill Weasley looked at Fleur Delacour they way Harry looked at Ginny – with love in his eye; pure, unconditional love.
Harry also noticed Luna Lovegood and Colin Creevey having what seemed like another heated discussion. They're just like Ron and Hermione from what I hear from Gin. Harry mused. They were standing in the middle of the dance floor and it seemed as if they had, at one point, actually been dancing. Luna's face was stony and expressionless while Colin looked an amount of different things; perplexed and angry included.
"Harry James Potter! Ronald Scott Weasley!" said a bossy, but motherly voice once they had all reached the food table and grabbed a cup of punch. Harry smiled and rolled his eyes. Molly Weasley was standing in front of him with hands on her hips like Harry had just done few moments ago with Ron and Hermione.
"Yes, Mum?" he asked innocently. Harry had always felt like a part of the family, but now including what they had gone through in the war, and the fact that he was dating Ginny, it had become a habit to call Molly, Mum. She, of course, had no objections to this.
"Where in Merlin's name were you?" she asked with concern. Harry sighed.
"We couldn't get out of the office, Mum. No big deal. It's not like we missed Ginny's name or anything," Ron pointed out as he took a long gulp of his drink.
"You could have at least tried to not interrupt though, Ron! That was embarrassing and you know it!"
"Actually," Ron said thoughtfully, putting a finger to his chin, "I didn't. No one in the crowd seemed to mind – except maybe McGonagall."
"And that's because Mr. Potter decided to use a name in which he has no authority to call me," said a stern voice. Harry turned around. Where the bloody hell are these people coming from? He smiled sheepishly at McGonagall, but her expression was not that of sternness, but of amusement.
"Sorry about that, Professor. I wasn't thinking." She waved the excuse off with a wave of her hand.
"Don't worry, Harry. You are, after all, graduated, and have the right to call me by my first name." Harry shrugged. Someone's in a good mood –
"Anyways," continued the Professor, "I just wanted to say congratulations to Ginny once more and tell Molly that if Arthur would floo me when he gets home tonight, I'd really appreciate it."
"Of course. He was so upset when he found out he couldn't be here. You would think that the stand-in Minister of Magic would be able to get someone to do his task so he could come to his only daughters' graduation!" Mrs. Weasley said. The other two older women moved away from the teens.
"Must be glad she got through this year," Ginny stated, as if reading his mind.
"Oi! Potter, Granger, and Weasley squared!" said a voice that was u mistakably George Weasley. The two had begun to finally develop differences: George's voice was a tad higher, and his hair was darker and longer than Fred's.
"Weasley squared?" inquired Hermione. The man shrugged.
"Muggle education, math, I think it was. Anyways," he said airily, "have you seen Alicia anywhere?"
"No, but we'll let you know if we see her," Ron said.
"Who are you looking for?" Draco asked, walking up to the small crowd with Remus Lupin who smiled and waved in hello as Ginny engulfed him in a big hug.
The two had formed a very tight friendship when they had all stayed at Grimmauld Place the summer after Harry's seventh year. It was Remus that inspired Ginny to be a healer. She wanted to help him, and even managed to make is wolfsbane potion once.
When she was done almost strangling Remus, she hugged Draco and her brother.
"Alicia," George told the blonde haired by as he untangled himself from Ginny's arms. Although most everyone had befriended Draco, even Ron, the twins still only kept a mutual politeness. Which, Draco had told them, was more than he had hoped for.
"Oh, I saw her outside at the quidditch pitch. She looked like she was reminiscing," said Draco.
"Okay, thanks," George said, then turned and started walking towards the exit before he turned around again and said, "You wanna play a game? C'mon!" Before anyone could even move Fred and Angelina were at his side. They all laughed at their eagerness and quickly followed them out onto the grounds, with the exception of Lupin, that is.
A/N: I hope you guys liked this chapter…I was going to cut it into 2 parts, but I couldn't decide where, so you got the whole post in one.
Chapter 4 should be posted next weekend, but if not, blame it on my teachers. We just got done with this stupid culture fair thing at school, so we shouldn't be doing anything remotely hard. So, I should have more time to write, but I also need to continue with my other fic, My One and Only. This one is a lot easier to write though…
Chapter 5 is in Ron's perspective, just in case you were wondering. There should be a few more updates before they actually get to Seattle, I'm trying to write as much as I can so I can get to that part, and then the fun starts!
I haven't gotten many reviews ¤cries¤ so I hope you review this chapter! I'd like to get to at least 25 reviews before the 5th chapter!
Thanks to the people who reviewed Chapter 2- Catching Up With Old Friends:
Rose-petal-forever
Dementorchic
Natbag
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