LIFE AND LOVE
My baby sister, Ginny Weasley was standing at the altar of a small village church in Ottery St. Catchpole, our hometown. She was standing before a priest hand-in-hand with her fiancé, soon-to-be husband, Jack Sloper, who, I might add, was a useless beater. The church was full of the 'happy' couple's relatives and friends including me. My girlfriend, Hermione Granger, was Ginny's chief bridesmaid, of course being that she was Ginny's best friend, and she wore blue robes, I think. Ginny's dress, however, was pure white and very simple. I have to admit that she looked pretty good, even if it was for the wrong man. The whole church was smiling, except Molly Weasley, my mum, who was crying. She never could control her emotions very well. I think she's cried at just about every family wedding there's been, and being Weasley's, there's been a lot of weddings. I wasn't particularly happy about the wedding, in fact, I spent the whole time glaring at Sloper. You see, my best mate, Harry Potter, was so in love with Ginny that it was breaking his heart, all because she was so damn stubborn. He loved her more than he did over a year ago when they split up…
Harry and Ginny were both training to become aurors and both of them were bloody good. It was Ginny's first year out of Hogwarts and she and Harry were very happy together. Every night, once the academy was finished, Harry and Ginny would meet in the atrium of the Ministry of Magic, then walk to the apparition point and come home to the cottage which we all shared, that is, Harry, Ginny, Hermione and me. One day, Ginny was slightly late for meeting Harry. I think it was something to do with Kingsley wanting a word with her. So, a bit later than usual, Ginny turned up to meet Harry and saw something that she must have thought she would never ever see. There stood Harry Potter with his lips pressed against another woman's, a woman who Ginny had never seen before. Ginny began to cry. Harry broke the kiss and pushed the stranger away.
"Ginny," he had said and taken a step towards her.
"Don't bother, Harry," she had yelled.
Completely irrationally, so I thought, she ran away. Normally, I would have gone ballistic, but this was different. I knew that Harry would never hurt Ginny and I always felt that she should have stuck around for an explanation. Ginny returned home in tears. Grabbed some clothes and was off like a bullet. Harry never caught Ginny. Of course, he'd sent Hedwig to Ginny about a thousand times, each with a letter explaining everything. It was a huge misunderstanding. Harry had been calmly waiting for Ginny, as he did every day when a strange woman had thrown her arms around him and kissed him. Ginny had appeared before Harry had had time to register what was going on. He always was a bit on the slow side. Harry sent Ginny letters every day for a month. She never replied. Hermione said she threw the letters unopened into the fire the moment they arrived. She wouldn't even give him a chance. Mum found out that she was staying with Sloper. I always knew that jerk had a crush on her back in school. She vehemently swore never to go back to Harry, not after he broke her heart.
Two months after the day that Ginny left, she sent me a letter, saying that she was marrying Sloper and that she was happy. I put my fist through a wall. First of all, she was meant to be with Harry, and second, two months was way too fast. I knew that Gnny was just rebounding, but there was nothing I could really do to stop it. Hermione was to be her bridesmaid, and she was no happier about the situation than I was.For a couple of weeks I toyed with myself about telling Harry or not. In the end I knew that he had too know. I told Harry about Ginny's engagement, and Harry, a young man who had never felt much love in his existence, by the only woman he ever loved. I don't think I've ever hated a member of my family more than I hated Ginny at that moment, not even Percy. I hated her as I stood in the kitchen watching my best friend cry.
Harry then became typically Harry. He moped around the house, drinking everyday. He pretty much gave up on being an auror. It was like nothing mattered to him anymore. It didn't matter if he died. Hermione was so upset, she didn't know what to do, which has to be a first. Harry was just distraught. He could never cover it up so well. Hermione told Ginny about Harry, and the cold and uncaring look in Ginny's eyes almost made me sick. I could not believe that my own sister could be so callous, especially to someone who had given up his childhood to save everyone. Hermione insisted that Ginny wasn't as happy as she said she was, that deep down she still loved Harry, but after seeing those eyes, I wasn't so sure.
And so came the day of the wedding. Hermione and I left early, leaving Harry and his firewhiskey in peace. He'd told me that he was planning to come and stop her, but I just figured he'd end up drinking himself into a coma, and Hermione and me would find him passed out on the sofa that evening. It was only later that I found out that Hermione had cleared the house of the rest of the alcohol. I was busy glaring at Sloper, during the vows, when a muggle boy, no older than fifteen, burst open the church doors and sprinted down the aisle.
"Do any of you have a phone?" he shouted.
I looked up at Hermione and saw her desperately trying to conceal a laugh. Three quarters of the congregation were pureblood wizards who had never taken a single muggle studies class, myself included, and therefore would have no idea what a phone was. I looked around at the puzzled faces.
"Why do you need a phone?" I heard Hermione ask..
"There's been an accident outside," he explained, immediately I feared the worst. "A man's been knocked down by a lorry, whilst running across the street. Just outside here."
"What did he look like?" Hermione pressed the boy.
Hermione was thinking the same thing as me. She expected that Harry would try something like this to get Ginny back, although I wasn't sure that being hit by a lorry was part of his plan.
"He's got black hair, dead messy it is, and he's wearing glasses, round'uns, oh, and he's got a funny zigzag line on his forehead," the boy told us.
I watched Ginny as the colour slowly drained from her face. The hand that had shot to her mouth when the boy entered now hung limply at her side, and she stood quite still, momentarily paralysed.
"I need to call an ambulance," said the boy.
He hurried outside again. Ginny was staring into space. She was so pale that I thought she would faint. Hermione had been right all along. Ginny still loved Harry, that much was clear. She loved Harry, she had never stopped loving Harry, no matter how much she pretended that she was over him.
"Go to him, Ginny," Hermione told her.
She looked so distant that I wasn't sure she'd heard, but as soon as Hermione had spoken, Ginny sprinted away down the aisle, pulling her veil off as she went. Hermione followed her with me close behind, and stood, watching at the church door as Ginny dashed into the road and knelt by Harry's side. Muggles were gathering around to see what had happened, and it appeared that the messenger had at last found a phone as he was busy calling for an ambulance.
"Harry," Ginny said taking his hand.
She kissed his palm, gently, then lifted his hand to her cheek.
"I love you, Harry," she whispered to him.
It was something that I will never forget. Harry lay in a crumpled heap on the floor, his right arm was bent at a funny angle and a trail of blood was leaving his body. Ginny was knelt beside him, with tears running down her pale face, as she gazed at the man she loved. She stroked the hand which she held to her cheek and told him repeatedly that she loved him. I noticed Hermione crying and trying to hide it. I moved up to stand behind her and put my arms around her, holding her close.
At one point I though the ambulance wasn't coming it took so long to get there. I felt Hermione breathe a sigh of relief when a paramedic shouted to his colleagues,
"He's still breathing."
I felt a great weight being lifted off my shoulders. Harry was alive. Maybe he and Ginny would have a second chance. When the paramedics had lifted Harry onto a stretcher, Ginny beckoned to us. Hermione and I pulled her into a tight hug.
"Who is his next of kin," the paramedic asked.
"He has no family," said Ginny quietly.
"But he lives with us," I said, pointing to Hermione and me.
"What about her?" he asked Ron, pointing to Ginny.
"She used to date him, but now they are just good friends," I lied.
"Well, I can only take one of you in the ambulance with him," said the paramedic.
"You go, Ginny," Hermione said. "We'll come in a bit. I promise."
Ginny smiled at us. Hermione hugged her again, then the paramedic helped her climb into the back of his vehicle. We saw Ginny take Harry's hand once more before the doors were shut and the ambulance drove away.
"They're taking him to a mugglehospital," I said, once the ambulance had disappeared.
"I know, Ron, I know," Hermione said. "But there's nothing we can do about it. We'll send Bill to St. Mungo's and ask a healer to come and see Harry, and we'll organise transport once Harry's in better health."
"Ok," I said, knowing that it wasn't really ok.
Three hours later Hermione and I arrived at the muggle hospital, carrying a change of clothes for Ginny. Hermione assured me that Ginny would want to change, and I thought it was probably true. Ginny wouldn't be too comfortable hanging around in a hospital in a wedding dress. I couldn't get over how different it was to St. Mungo's. Wherever you went there was an endless whirring of machines and a downright weird smell. When I questioned Hermione about it she told me to be quiet. Eventually, we found Ginny standing outside a side room, holding up an extendable ear, and I admit it, I was proud of her.
"Ginny Weasley," Hermione said, trying and failing to be stern.
"They wouldn't let me in," she explained. "I have to know what's going on."
"Fair enough," Hermione said, pulling an extendable ear out of her pocket as I did the same.
"…lucky if he gets through," one of the doctors was saying.
"He's strong," said the other. "He's got a fighting chance."
"It was a terrible incident though. I've never seen a worse case, where somebody came out alive."
"I know, still, he's young, he's strong, and from what I can gather was in fine health before the accident. He's not out of the water yet, but I reckon that the odds are in his favour."
"Hmm, and I'm sure that one young lady will be all too happy to help him recover."
Ginny blushed.
"It seems like an awkward situation, doesn't it? Well, let's go and tell her the good news."
Ginny, Hermione and me quickly pulled our extendable ears out of sight. I swear, they are without a doubt Fred and George's best invention.
"Miss Weasley," said the younger of the doctors emerging from the room. "It appears that Mr Potter has a good chance of survival. His condition is still critical, but time will tell. He's young and strong, he's got that in his favour."
"Thank you, Doctor," Ginny said, her cheeks fading back to their normal colour.
"You can go and see him if you like," the other doctor said, following his companion out of the room.
"Thank you," said Ginny and entered the room.
Hermione and I watched the doctors disappear around the corner before we pulled out the extendable ears again. We watched through the small pane of glass as Ginny took Harry's hand in hers. She kissed his fingers gently.
"I'm so sorry that I never read your letters, Harry. And I'm sorry that I never let you explain. I shouldn't have left like I did, I was just so hurt. I know that you didn't cheat on me, don't ask me how I know, because I have no idea. I can just feel it, deep down inside me. I'm sorry for leaving you, Harry, even after I promised you that I would never leave you. I love you, Harry. I never sopped loving you. Please don't think that I hate you, but I will understand if you hate me. I deserve it for what I did. Please get better Harry. I need you to get better. I love you so, so much. Please, Harry. Please."
She was crying again. I tell you, Weasley women have no control over their emotions, not that it's a bad thing, I suppose.
"I love you."
She stroked the hair away from his forehead. She must have hated to see him with so many tubes allowing him to live. I know that I hated to see Harry like that. He was always so strong, so unafraid. He could handle pain. It never bothered him. He was brave and he would do anything for anybody that he loved, and even those whom he hardly knew. That was who Harry was. We all knew that he'd given up a lot to fulfil his destiny and as he lay there with his life hanging in the balance, I had to wonder if he'd ever get to live the happy life that he deserved. I couldn't bear the thought of losing Harry, anymore than Ginny or Hermione could. Harry was my sixth brother, as much a part of my family as any of the others, but at least now, Ginny was with him and if he died, he wouldn't die alone.
For five days Ginny stayed by Harry's bed and never left it, except for when the doctors came, her one shower and visits to the toilet. And for five days, Hermione and I watched (and listened) from outside the small side room. Mum and Dad visited on the third day, so did Bill with Healer Augustus Pye from St. Mungo's. Healer Pye had managed to organise a bed in the wizarding hospital for when Harry was awake, but he could not do anything for Harry whilst in the care of muggles.
It was late on the fifth day, when Ginny was alone with Harry, and Hermione and I were ever faithfully watching through the glass, Harry's eyes flickered open. Well, obviously, out came the extendable ears Fred and George might be a in in the ass sometimes, but you've got to love them..
"Ginny?" Harry moaned, groping for his glasses. "Is that you?"
"It's me Harry," Ginny whispered, kissing his palm.
"Why are you here?"
"I've been here for five days Harry."
"Five days! I've been in here five days?"
"Yes and I haven't left your side."
"But, why Ginny? You haven't spoken to me in over a year."
"I love you, Harry. I never stopped loving you. I was just hurt. I'm so sorry that I left you. Please forgive me, Harry."
Ginny was once again crying. I remember repeating a short mantra in my head, forgive her. I put my arm around Hermione's shoulders, pulling her close. Those few days made me realise how lucky I was to have her.
"Please, Harry. I love you," Ginny pleaded again.
"I forgive you, Ginny. I love you. This last year has been agony without you. I love you so much."
We watched as Harry lifted his hand to her cheek and stroked her face gently. Ginny gazed into his eyes, which was something that she'd not done for a long time, too long. I must have had a huge grin on my face. Hermione was the same. That was how it was meant to be.
"I love you, Harry. I called off my engagement to Jack. You're the only one for me."
She bent down and kissed his lips gently.
"Where am I, Gin?" he asked.
"A muggle hospital. We haven't been able to get you to St. Mungo's yet. The muggles sent for an ambulance before we could contact the healers."
"I was coming to stop the wedding. I had to let you know how I felt."
"I figured as much."
Ginny was smiling. We'd not seen her smile for days.
"Listen. Ron and Hermione are outside, Harry. Do you want to see them?"
"Yeah. Will you tell them to come in?"
"No need. They'll be listening through some extendable ears no doubt. Come in you two."
Hermione looked at me guiltily. I grinned at her. She opened the door and we entered Harry's side room, trying to hide our red faces.
"It's good to see you awake, Harry," Hermione said.
Harry and Ginny were both smiling at us. I grabbed a couple of chairs for us and we sat down on the opposite side of the bed to Ginny.
"Yeah. We've missed you mate," I said.
"Sorry. I guess I just didn't see that truck coming," Harry said.
"It doesn't matter now," Ginny told him softly. "You're still here with us, and we're all together again."
Two days later Harry was transferred to St Mungo's hospital and was fixed up in no time by the expert healers Smethwyck and Pye. The portrait of Dilys Derwent, or whatever her name was, winked at us as we walked past her. She must have recognised us from that Christmas all those years ago.
So, everything was back to normal and we were all happier than we'd been for a long time. Harry and Ginny got engaged, I will spare you the mushy details, that's Hermione's area not mine.
And now it's today. Hermione's up in our bedroom, and I'm in the kitchen eating some beans on toast, simple yet delicious. The house is pretty quiet, now that Harry and Ginny are away on their honeymoon. It was their wedding today and it was about time too. Hermione, the most beautiful of the bridesmaids, and the others, Luna Lovegood, Susan Bones and Lavendar Brown wore pink gowns, pink I ask you, what was Ginny thinking? You could actually read Harry's emotions today, which is something that doesn't often happen, and an enormous grin never left his face. I was Harry's best man, and Hermione, in a moment of inspiration (I think that was how she put it) had organised pictures of James Potter, Lily Potter and Sirius Black to be blown up and placed at the front, to one side. For Harry, this was the closest he could get to having his parents at his wedding. It was a pretty eventful wedding. No drama, no near-fatal accidents, and no abandonment at the altar, thank God. I did find it highly amusing when Hagrid knocked over the cake. I won't be forgetting that one for a long time.
Harry and Ginny left for their honeymoon this evening. They have returned to the very place where they first became engaged. Harry always was romantic like that, and I'm glad it never rubbed off on me. If I ever start to turn sickly sweet like that you have my permission to shoot me. Hermione's thrilled for them. We're getting married soon so she's a bit snowed under with all the preparations but deep down she doesn't really care how it all comes off. We had the hardest adolescence imaginable, although Harry's was worse. What we went through as teenagers, with Voldemort, the war, the Order of the Phoenix, Sirius' death and all the tragedies, nobody deserves happiness more than us, more then Harry Potter. And in the words of Hermione:
"The path to true love never runs smooth… " but true love conquers all…