--The Bachelor's Curse--

Author's Note: The date on Chapter V should have read July 30th.
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Chapter VI

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July 31th: TheBurrow

"Ginny," Molly yelled from the bottom of the stairs, "Hurry up! We're late."

Huffing, and trying to buckle the latch on her sandal while hopping down the twisting stairs of the burrow, she replied, "I don't know why I have to get all dress up for Percy's wedding. We didn't even go to the others."

"This is different; this is what he wanted and you know how Percy is!" Molly grabbed her fancy summer hat with a large pink flower from the hat stand. "Oh Ginny! You look lovely!"

Ginny smiled, knowing her yellow sundress made her skin and hair glow golden.

"Now then, let's apparate!"

In the blink of an eye, they were in front of the small chapel just down the road from the Burrow. Outside, Arthur Weasley stood, anxiously awaiting their presence.

"Ahh, girls! You're finally here." He gave his wife a swift kiss and a wink. "Come on, we're nearly late!"

Then opening the chapel door, he shoved Ginny inside.

She began to hurry up the isle and then she realized that the chapel was completely empty except for a very well dressed, Harry Potter. Stopping instantly, she turned back around, but her parents had not followed her in; she was alone. Then, turning back to Harry, who was standing only thirty feet away at the altar of the small church, in a well-cut navy suit, she realized this wasn't Percy's wedding; this was intended to be her own and her parents were in on it!

"Hi Ginny," Harry greeted her nervously.

"Ummm...Hi Harry." She answered, still a bit confused.

"Ginny, there's something I need to tell you," Harry stated, fumbling with a crumpled sheet of paper.

"Okay." She knew she should object and try to leave, but then again, this was Harry. Her Harry and no matter how blazing mad she was at him, well, it was hard to stay mad at someone you love.

"I want to tell you..." He read from the paper and the suddenly stopped, crammed the paper back into his pocket, his shoulders sagged. "I thought I wanted to tell you what was on that paper, but now that you're actually here, I think it would be better if I told you what was in my heart."

Ginny froze with disbelief. Was this actually happening or was this a dream?

"The summer after my fifth year, well, you were really patient with me after Sirius died and it meant a lot to me." His green eyes bore his sincerity. "You were the only one who didn't pretend like it was okay; who didn't ask about that night and that was nice. I could talk to you and you'd just listen."

With unconscious reaction he rubbed his scar, "I started thinking that I wished I'd had a real sister like you; we were good mates there for a bit and then the war came and my life went to hell again." He paused, to reflect, "And somewhere in the middle of it all, I started thinking of you very differently; I didn't think of you as a sister anymore."

His cheeks reddened, "Somewhere in there, you grew up and I guess I grew up, too and suddenly, you were this beautiful, intelligent, well- spoken, powerful witch. And although I was great with you as my sister, I suddenly became horrible with you as a girl; because the truth of the matter is I'm horrible with girls."

Ginny smiled, and took a few steps down the isle, coming closer to the Boy- that- Lived; disbelief melding to belief.

"But you were always nice to me and when we wrote letters, it was great, probably because I didn't actually have to talk, because when I do that, talk to girls, I usually end up being a complete prat and ramble on and on about foolish things."

Ginny was only five feet away from him and altar, "Harry, you're rambling now."

"Right," Harry replied quickly, running a hand through his untidy black hair.

"Is this what you wanted to tell? That your shit with girls? Because I already know that," she said calmly.

"I know you do," he smiled for the first time. "Actually, I wanted to tell you that I like you. I like you a lot."

Ginny returned his smile, "I like you a lot, too, Harry."

"I know you said no to me yesterday."

Ginny was feeling rather bad about that now, because she could see could sense Harry's frustration with this awkward situation.

"And even though this whole marriage thing is rubbish, because it can all be annulled tomorrow; well, the bottom line is, I want to marry you."

Her eyes widened, was she really hearing this from his mouth??

"Ever since my fifth year, when we started becoming mates and all, I just assumed we'd end up together. As far as I was concerned, it became an inevitable possibility that someday, we'd marry."

"Harry, I don't know what to say." She was dumbstruck. She liked Harry, but she'd never seriously thought about marriage.

His green eyes pierced her soul, "Ginny, you're the woman I want to marry. Even if you annul it tomorrow, I want your name next to mine on the certificate, no one else's; because in my mind, there has only ever been you."

Then taking a gold band out of his pocket, his voice breathy, "So how 'bout it, Gin? Will you marry me?"

She ignored the band, and instead, placed her hand in his trembling one, "How could I say no to inevitability?" Smiling with a warm heart, she answered, "Yes Harry, I'll marry you."

They smiled at one another only a split second before the chapel doors burst open and all the Weasley's, including their new wives came running in yelling, "She said yes!"

"Way to go Harry!"

"Welcome to the family!"

"Put me down for an S, Fred!"

Finally, after everyone had substantial time to congratulate the two, the parish priest officiated a quickie, "I do" ceremony that ended in a sweet pop of a kiss. The kiss was made even sweeter because Harry knew that whatever tomorrow held, whether it be war or death or silly curses, it would be okay, because today he had his love; his Ginny.

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A very short chapter to wrap up the H/G storyline. One more chapter coming, a prologue to love's labors and then I'm leaving for a holiday. Thanks for your reviews! Lyra