Chapter Eighteen: Bill's Wedding
Everyone had gathered for Bill's Wedding. Half of the Order was there. Neville was there. Even Percy was there. It seemed that when he heard his sister had become a death eater, he had realized that he had been a fool and came home with his tail between his legs, so to speak. Everyone was happy for the couple, but they all felt somewhat empty inside as well. Ginny was supposed to a brides maid, and instead she was a death eater.
This was the first time Neville had been seen in public since Ginny's defection. Somehow, as soon as she had disappeared, everyone knew how close they had been. He couldn't help but smile wrily and shake his head when he thought about it. It all fit everything she had said too perfectly. Both of them had been practically invisible before. She had been hidden behind the image everyone insisted upon seeing when they looked at her and he had been overlooked, but now that she was gone they all seemed determined to make it up to him, to correct the mistakes they had made with her by paying attention to her only friend, the only one who had understood her. The problem, and what made him want to laugh, was that they now treated him the exact same way they had treated her. He was perfect, idealized, their mascott. He lost count of how many people had apologized to him for what she had done, and he couldn't tell any of them that he didn't believe a word of it.
Ron was completely unpredictable now. It seemed as though what had happened with his sister had unhinged him. He was more dedicated than ever to helping Harry defeat Voldemort, that much was natural and to be expected. What was unsettling was how quickly he went from guilt ridden to outraged and back. You never knew how he would react to anything that reminded him of what had happened. He would walk past her room on the way to give Bill a note from Fluer and burst into tears as he railed about how it was all his fault, if he had only listened, if he had only done this or that. He would hear someone apologize to Neville and he would start screaming that it didn't matter what anyone did to her it was still her decision and her responsibility and she had no right to hold anything against them if she was the kind of person to go running to the death eaters when life got hard. Neville understood both reactions, really he did, but he still wanted to punch Ron everytime they saw each other.
Harry seemed to be in denial. He was fully convinced she was under a spell or a potion, no matter what anyone said. It was Malfoy's fault, or Snape's, or both, it had to be. For the most part he avoided thinking about it. Neville did punch him. He couldn't help it. He was fed up with the boy's ranting and raving about something of which he knew nothing. He apologized afterwards and mumbled something about "just couldn't hear anymore about it, wasn't mad at you, mad at everything, mad at everyone, won't stop talking about it, sorry."
Hermione, well, Hermione was successful where Harry wasn't. She completely ignored the situation and refused to acknowledge anyone's comment on the subject. Neville liked her reaction the most. It inspired the least anger. It may not have been what he considered appropriate, nothing short of believing her to be a sleeper for the Order was appropriate, but it was acceptable.
The ceremony was finished and everyone was at the reception when a group of uninvited guests arrived rather inappropriately dressed. They all wore black robes and silver masks. The death eaters had crashed the wedding.
Tables went flying. People were screaming. Wands were flashing. Some of the Order were quickly herding the defenseless out the way while the others confronted the new arrivals. It was a strange battle. There was no blood, no pain. The only spells being cast were stunning, petrification, and other binding spells at the enemy and their counters at allies on either side. Dray and Nevra were at the center of the death eater formation doing their fair share of cursing. Then she saw him, the reason they were there. Nevra moved toward her true father, the man that had raised her, had loved her, had given her everything, and looked him in the eye. Time froze. He nodded almost imperceptibly. She sent a jet of green light straight at his heart. As he crumpled to the ground she heard her mother scream, her brothers swear, and was caught by a pair of green eyes exactly where her fathers had been. Harry had recognized her. She turned to find Dray.
Dray shot a binding spell at Hermione and turned when her heard Molly scream. He knew it had been done. Nevra was by his side again. "Potter knows it was me." She said as she sent a jelly legs at Shacklebolt.
"Granger recognized me as well." He freed a petrified death eater. They looked at each other. There was no need to ask, by now they knew when the other was thinking the same thing they were.
They both tore off their masks and kissed long and deep in the middle of the battle field. They didn't notice that most of the fighting stopped to watch. They didn't notice Dare smile. They didn't noticed Molly faint.
Eventually they pulled apart. He kept one arm around her waist, signalled the death eaters with the other, and shouted a cheery "Congrats, Weasley," as he and Nevra disapperated together.
Dare was silent. He tried not to listen to anything anyone was saying. He had seen Arther nod. He knew father understood daughter. That was enough to get him through. They would all understand, someday, but for now he needed to endure their reactions without shouting at them or punching them. Dare had grown up. The way the last few letters of Nevra's were written he had figured she had achieved her ideals, her 'defection' and this display were proof, and so had he. He was no longer timid. He was no longer clutzy. He no longer deferred to anyone. In other words, he had become a man as surely as Nevra was now a woman. He would fight for the Order and make sure her sacrifice was not wasted.