Some of you have made an excellent point. It is highly disputed who is in fact older Bill or Charlie. We know that Charlie was in school from 1978-1985 making him around thirty-one or so in the year of this wedding (1997 New Years Eve.)

Fleur is only about 21 or so, so I think if Bill is older than Charlie, than he is too old for Fleur. It is thought he started school in 1980 or 1981.…cause Ginny remembers him being at Hogwarts….making him 28 or 19 in this story….That is a little better. Who knows if I'm right or not, it's just my logic.

The reason they are at the Burrows and not the Order is simple. They all know how to Apprate now, so if danger did pose a threat, they can escape quickly. The Order is so busy right now, it more of a convince factor than anything else. The next chapter will be the reception, and something exciting is going to happened…can give it away just yet…
I know this chapter is boring, but I had to write it….everything is going to start coming together, and all I can say is get ready for the ride.

****

A Wedding




"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON!" Harry shrilled as he paced the floors of the House of Black.

"How in the world should I know," Ron spat throwing a crumpled piece of paper into the fireplace.

Nearly two hours had passed since Moody had shown up at the little French Bar in Paris where they were celebrating Bill last night of freedom, since that time he had seen several Order members. When he had tried to pry information out of them, they had been told him they didn't have time to explain, but he must stay patient.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON!" Harry yelled again spinning in a annoyed circle.

"Well, something big has happened," Ron concluded shaking his head.

Harry looked at him annoyingly, "Just now deduce that did you?"

"Oh shut-up Harry," Ron hissed, his own frustration coming out.

December O'Riley suddenly appeared with a loud pop at the doorway leading to the basement kitchen with several Aurors by her side.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Harry demanded.

December put up her hand to start her excuse, but Harry cut her off.

"NO! I've been here for nearly two hours either tell me what's going on or I'll go find out
myself," Harry demanded.

December sighed, "They've killed the French Secretary of Magic. He's the equivalent of the British Minister of Magic."

"What? Why?" Harry asked dumbfounded, "The French have pulled out support, they aren't even opposing Voldemort ."

"They are now, details are sketchy, but Minister Fudge is in an uproar. We think it may have something to do with tomorrows plans," December spat quickly, "Listen Harry, you and Ron need to stay here until we determine that whether or not the Bill and Fleur's marriage and this incident are connected or not."

"Can we at least go back to the Burrows?" Ron asked.

"No, it isn't safe to travel right now, they could be tracing you," December warned Harry as she turned away and disappeared with the other Aurors.

Harry narrowed his eyes and smashed a vase against the wall, "This is ridiculous!"

Ron sighed, "Reparo. Keep your head Harry, I'm sure….Bloody hell, this is ridiculous."

"I say forget what they're telling us, if they were tracing us then they'd already know where to find us," Harry said confidently, "Therefore we should be just as safe at the Burrows and maybe somebody can tell us something."


"I don't know Harry, this place has so many curse on it, isn't it possible that even if they were tracing us they might not be able to find this place," Ron said skeptically.

Harry snorted, "Your starting to sound like Hermione."

"Well, I don't want to lead danger back to everyone at the Burrows," Ron explained.

Harry growled, "I'm not going to take this prisoner insanity. I'm tired to being treated like an ignorant child."

"Fine, let's go to the Burrows," Ron conceded looking annoyed.

"Lets go back to Paris," Harry said suddenly, realizing Ron was probably right about putting everyone at the Burrows in danger.

Ron looked puzzled, "Why France, wouldn't we learn more…"

"No, if the French whatever was killed, I want to know what's going. If we're going to learn anything it's going to be in France," Harry said heavily, "just go back to the bar."

"Harry," Ron said earnestly.

Harry eyes grew wide, "Fine, stay here if you want."

With that Harry closed his eyes and felt the wind of apparation blowing fiercely in his face. The small bar sat empty as Harry sprang to the window to catch a glimpse of the street outside. Like the bar, it was deserted. A loud crack behind him caused him to spin around to see his best friend.

"Ron, something doesn't feel right," Harry said in a low whisper.

"Harry, it's nearly one in the morning, of course nobody is going to be out and about on the streets," Ron said flatly.

"It's the weekend Ron, and this is Paris. Surely somebody, even if it's only muggles, would be out," Harry countered.

"Well, we aren't going to find anything out in this place, lets go back to the Order," Ron suggested, but Harry wasn't listening.

Harry wrapped his fingers around his wand in his robe pocket as he pushed through the door leading out to the street.

"HARRY, YOU CAN'T GO OUT THERE!" Ron bellowed before following.

Harry followed the noise towards the end of the alley way onto a street littered with cafes the silhouette of the Eiffel Tower in the back drop.

"Muggles," Ron nudged towards a group of people walking towards them.

"Yes Ron, muggles, keep your cool," Harry instructed.

The French group paid little attention to Harry and Ron's strange attire as they walked passed.

"Do you realize we could get thrown into to Azkaban for violation of the secrecy stature of wizardry," Ron said quickly, shaking his head.

Ron's warning did little to detour Harry as he walked up the well lit street and into one of the cafes.

"Harry, where in the world are you doing?" Ron asked.

"Do you know any French?" Harry asked suddenly.

"NO," Ron said instantly.

Harry approached one of the café workers slowly feeling slightly nervous, "Hello? Do you speak English?"

"Oui," said the young girl with as she smiled fiercely, as she moved her hand back and forth indicating she spoke a little.

Harry sighed, "Have you heard of anything happening tonight?"

The girl crinkled her nose, and shrugged her shoulders, "Monsieur?"

"She doesn't understand," Ron said impatiently.

"News?" Harry said slowly.

The girl shrugged again with a apologizing expression on her face.

"This is hopeless, we could tell her we were wizards and she wouldn't know what the bloody hell we were talking about," Ron continued.

"Actually I would," said the girl in an unmistakable British accent.

Ron's face when white.

"He was kidding about the wizard thing," Harry said instantly, "Why didn't you just speak to us then, since you're apparently English?"

"You're lucky you found a squib, had I been a muggle both of you would be in serious trouble," she said in a low whisper, signaling they follow her into a empty part of the café.

"A squib?" Ron asked puzzled, of all the people they could have chosen to talk to in Paris, they had chosen an English squib.

"Now, explain to me what two English Wizards are doing wandering the streets of Paris asking people if anything had happened?" she demanded.

"We just heard that the Secretary of Magic was murdered tonight, and we wanted to confirm the rumor," Harry said frankly.

She shook her head, "Are you two insane, the French magical government has issued mandate for all magical citizen to return to their homes and stay there until further notice. If I were you two, I'd get back to my hotel or wherever it is you go immediately."

Ron nudged Harry and it was obvious that he thought they should head back to the Order.

"How do you know all this?" Harry demanded.

She looked flustered, "I'm a squib I told you."

"But you're in a muggle café, how do you know what the hell is going on?" Harry continued.

"Harry, go back to the Order," she instructed.

Harry's eyes widened, "I never told you my name."

"I'm tailing you okay," suddenly the sweet little French girl morphed revealing a well known face.

"Tonks!" Ron exclaimed.

"I thought Moody told you two stay a the order, what in the world were you two thinking? Don't you realize if I could tail you, so could anyone else," Tonks said fiercely.

"What the bloody hell is going on!?" Harry demanded, feeling even more frustrated.

"I'm guessing somebody at the Order told you that the French Secretary of Magic was murdered tonight, but I bet you didn't find out how he was murdered….. Vampires," Tonks revealed. "Apparently you know who has persuaded at least two of the clans to join his quest. Vampires leave quite a mess during a murderous attack, so you can imagine the panic that surrounded the News."

"So it doesn't have anything to do with Bill's wedding then?" Ron asked.

Tonks smiled, "No, we don't think it has anything to do with Bill or Fleur."

"Cho," Harry said suddenly, "does it have anything to do with Cho and the Vampire priest that tired to convert her?"

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you say that, since it is classified information, but no," Tonks revealed, she turned to check the door and tripped over the chair landing on her back side.

Harry and Ron rushed to help her up.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked.

Tonks straighten out her muggle cloths, "Yes, I'm fine."

****




It was nearly eight in the morning before Harry and Ron made it back to the Burrows, little more information and been divulged to them during their return to the Order that evening, but Harry had a gut feeling Moody's nervousness was a direct correlation with Dumbledore's disappearance.

The big day had arrived, and in less than six hours the first Weasley child would marry. Nothing seemed more surreal at the moment. Ron and Harry weren't the only attendants of the wedding that had a sleepless night sleep. When Ron and Harry had arrived back at the Burrows they found Cho, Hermione, Krum, Dudley and Ginny all piled in the living room in front of the fire. The rest of the Weasley clan had been busy with Order business the entire evening.

Nobody really embraced the celebration of the evening as they all remained grim the entire day. When the time came for everyone to get prepared for the wedding everyone did so with a heavy heart. The heaviness in the air could have been cut with a knife, and at the mention of a Vampire attack, nobody looked more terrified than Cho.


"Are you okay?" Harry asked as she joined him in the living area, as they prepared to apparate to the wedding.

She sighed, "I'm fine, I just have a lot on my mind right now."

Harry should have pushed for more information, but didn't have the heart to. She seemed so frail and childlike in the wake of the attack. Most everyone in the Burrows had left, since the wedding party had to arrive early for pictures. Only Hermione and Krum were left with them.

It was a magnificent sight, Fleur's love for ice sculptures was obvious as the tallest one in the ceremonial hall rose nearly 30 feet off the ground. The guest list was quite extravagant as well, with nearly two hundred invitations delivered. Aurors and French Stiffle Guards surrounded the premised, a reminded of the dangers lurking outside.

"It's beautiful," Hermione whispered.

The group started to proceed forward with a group of young French girls approach Krum, asking for his autograph.

"Honestly," Hermione whispered as the three waited for him to finish attending to his fans.

The ceremonial hall held rows of hovering pews littered with delicate pearl shaped flowers tied into bows. The wedding party had already assembled at the front of near the alter, and the Weasley dates were arranged on the front pew.

The grooms men were acting as attendants as well, showing all the arriving guest to their seats. Ron looked over at Harry and Hermione with a deep yawn, turning his head quickly as he notice Viktor leaning over to whisper something into Hermione's ear.

"Ron looks thrilled, doesn't he?" Cho giggled, noticing Ron's odd behavior.

It seemed like only moments passed before the lights in he hall dimmed and a soft billowy music filled the halls. The wedding party dispersed to their designated places. As the first song ended and second began, each paired member of the wedding party floated down from the ceiling on a fluffy white cloud. Harry chuckled noticing the self conscience looked on Ginny Weasley's face as the pinkish white robe classed terribly with her fiery hair.

"Here they come," Cho nudged as the music changed again and the bride appeared on a illuminated cloud with her father beside her. The entire hall let out whimpers of excitement and mummers of how beautiful the bride was.

Fleur was beautiful, her white flowing hair was tucked elegantly up on her head as her feathery veil hide her piercing eyes. As Harry glanced at Bill, the groom seemed to be holding his breath as his young bride approached.

To Harry's surprise the ceremony was done in a duel tongue first spoken in French then in English. It was nice, but it would take twice as long to perform. Cho hugged on to Harry arm with a dreamy look etched on her face. Her look made Harry's heart sink, since it was quite obvious she was picturing the two of them in Bill and Fleurs face.

It all passed by in a blur as the marrying two exchanged their rings and their vows. Promising to honor and love one another. It was the part that Bill promise to defend Fleur's life with own, that cause Harry to shutter. He wondered if his father had promised his mother the same vow. As the minister pronounced Bill and Fleur man and wife, the crowd rose in applause. Mrs. Wealsey's eyes were streaming with tears as Harry saw her out of the corner of his eyes, she only had five more wedding to make it through, if all of her children did in fact get married.