'CHAPTER SIX: THE WEDDING DAY'

Harry awoke the next morning to the sound of a door being slammed. He forced his head off the pillow and looked around. There was Ron, looking equally confused and staring at the door. Soon afterwards they heard quick footsteps coming up the stairs and pretended to be asleep.

"I know you are both awake," Hermione's voice said sweetly after closing their door.

"What's going on?" Ron asked, squinting at the bushy-haired girl who had just opened the window's curtain.

"Ginny's upset again. Gabrielle just got here. Your mum insisted they both put on their dresses and then gushed all over Fleur's sister without one comment to Ginny except 'See, it's not so bad, is it?' and now she's angry."

Ron groaned, laying back in his bed, and said, "Girls! I bet she looked just fine!"

"She said it looks unbecoming to her figure," Harry told his best friend. "What? That's what Ginny told me yesterday afternoon."

Hermione shook her head. "It's really not that bad, I swear. But she won't listen."

"Maybe she thinks you're just being polite." His comment was meant to be off-hand, but suddenly he was caught up in something he did not want to be.

"That's brilliant, Harry! You should go tell her she looks lovely!"

"Why me?" he yelped in surprise.

"Because you would never say that to her unless she really did!" Hermione's smile was bright.

"I've told her she looks pretty before!" Harry said indignantly.

"When?"

He didn't have an answer, and she knew it. "Well...I've thought it before!"

"You are incredibly dense, Harry Potter. Now, go downstairs and tell her she looks nice!" His best friend snapped her fingers and pointed at the door. Harry looked at Ron, but he would not meet his gaze.

"Maybe it would be for the best if she thought she looked just as nice as everyone else today, right?" Hermione nodded and Harry growled menacingly at the side of Ron's face.

"Fine, I'll go. But I'm not telling her she looks lovely if she really doesn't."

"I promise she does, Harry." The girl's face looked pleased.

"So, I guess I'll get it over with now."

He strolled out of Ron's room and down the stairs very slowly. When he hit the landing that Ginny's room was on, he heard Fleur, Mrs. Weasley, and Gabrielle whispering loudly from the living area.

"Ginny?" He knocked on the door. "Can I come in?"

He stood there for a good five minutes before she cracked the door open. "Hermione told you to come down here, didn't she?" Harry could only see one side of her face.

"Actually, it was my idea," the green eyed boy said. Of course, he hadn't really volunteered himself, but she didn't need to know that. "Can I come in?" he asked again.

She nodded and stepped away from the door, quickly sitting on the edge of her bed and staring at her hands. Ginny was still wearing the bridesmaid dress. It was a dark pink in color, with small white flowers at the top and bottom. There were thin straps that held the dress up on her shoulders. It was somewhat tight in the chest, but flowed down, and brushing the floor when she walked.

"So, what's the problem?" he asked quietly, carefully taking a seat next to her.

"It's ugly."

"I don't think it is."

"You can barely tell that I have breasts."

Harry's throat made a funny noise and he looked away from her. They were both blushing.

"Well, that is definitely not true."

"And it clashes with my hair."

"You've got lovely hair."

Her head whipped up and she glared at him. "I know Hermione put you up to this, Harry, so stop it, alright? It's not making me feel any better."

"What would you say if I said it actually was my idea?"

"I'd say you'd gone mental," she answered seriously.

He grinned and nodded. "I'll give you that. Don't know what I was thinking, wanting to make you understand that you're pretty. Obviously it's a lost cause." Harry noticed her back stiffen and she turned to him again.

"Well, that's nice. Insult the ugly girl again, Potter."

And with that, she was flat on her back. Her hair covered the pillow as Harry leaned closer, holding her to the soft mattress. The familiar, flowery scent surrounded him and he felt mildly dizzy.

"Harry?" the girl asked quietly.

"Don't you ever," he said in a low, menacing voice, "ever call yourself ugly again, alright? You are the loveliest thing I've ever seen. The dress is very pretty, Ginny. And it does not make you look ten years old, and it does not clash with your hair. Because your hair is my favorite."

Harry registered that her face actually looked scared. He let go, but she stayed down and looked at him for a good five minutes.

"Sorry," he said, "I didn't mean to –"

She hugged him. They were in an awkward position, but Harry felt warmer than he had since Dumbledore had died.

"That was the best thing anyone has ever said to me. Thank you."

Clearing his throat in an embarrassed sort of way, Harry replied with a croaky, "Not a problem. I meant every word."

They repositioned themselves so that Ginny's head was lying on Harry's shoulder. His arms went up to encircle her waist and she gave a small sigh.

"I promise I won't tell any of my brothers what you just said. No sense in making you sound like a pansy."

Harry grinned into her hair. "Maybe you should tell Ron. Merlin knows he needs a few pointers on sweet talking Hermione."

She turned her head and gave him a mock-indignant look. "Is that what you were doing? Sweet talking?"

"No, never." His eyes were wide and she laughed a brilliant laugh that only Ginny could make sound beautiful. Harry's eyes closed; he wished he could stay there forever.

"Maybe we should go downstairs," Ginny suggested, thoroughly thwarting his plans.

"Sure."

"Just let me get out of this awful dress." She giggled and jumped out of his arms as he started to attack her again.

After getting Ginny all relaxed, Harry joined the rest of the family down stairs where people were still rushing around doing last minute wedding things. Mrs. Weasley's eyes were already starting to turn red. The one thing Mrs. Delacour and the Weasley matron had in common. Francis Delacour had shown up just about an hour ago, looking expectedly disappointed at what her daughter was marrying into. Her attitude was soon forgotten as Fleur rushed out the front door of the Burrow to hug her mother, looking happier than she had ever been. The part veela had quickly made introductions and then the two mothers were immersed in baby stories and talk of grandchildren.

"Fleur, would you like to go up and start getting ready, dear?" Molly asked her future daughter in law.

"Wee, zat iz a good idea, Molly!" Francis said with a wild head nod. Fleur rung her hands nervously and gave an almost imperceptible nod. They then rushed her up to the main bedroom on the first floor.

"Hermione, Ginny, can you two handle the rest of the decorations?" The girls yelled that they could, even though there was not much left to do. Ron and Harry got stuck with the table center pieces. The Burrow had been split into two parts, one for the wedding ceremony and one for the reception party afterwards. The two seventeen year olds found themselves on the East side, placing vases on every table's center. They then poured in a bit of water and two tea lights for each vase. Ron would then toss a handful of pink rose petals into the water, too. This took quite a bit of time, given that Bill and Fleur had invited half of France and England. Harry knew he would only know about an eighth of the people at the ceremony today. But that was all right with him. All the less time wasted talking to random guests and more getting to watch the groom's only baby sister.

'I did not just say that,' Harry shook his head as if to get the thoughts out of his mind.

"All right, mate?" he heard Ron ask. He was placing the final rose petals in the last vase. They both side with relief as Ron stood straight and they observed their hard work.

At that exact moment, Hermione made her way into the fenced in area. "Are you guys done yet? Ginny and I need your help over here."

"You could ask nicely, you know," Ron suggested.

"Or not." Hermione smirked and walked back into the main yard.

Harry laughed and slapped Ron on the back sympathetically. "I guess I'm not the only one it doesn't work for, mate. Tough luck for both of us."

Ron's face contorted into a bewildered expression, causing Harry to remember that no one else had been around when he had helped Ginny in the kitchen

Speaking of Ginny… she was currently dangling from a rickety old ladder, trying to hang balloons from the tall fence blocking off the reception area. Hermione was staring up at her, telling her whether to go a little to the left, or a little to the right.

"This is not working, Hermione!" Ginny growled after being told to move over to the right for the sixth time in less than thirty seconds. "Why can't we do this with magic?"

"Because you can't use magic, Ginny! You are not seventeen yet!"

"It's a stupid law, anyway," said the redhead climbing down off the ladder and shoving the balloons into her older brother's hands. "What happens if I get attacked, huh? Am I just supposed to say, 'Oh, I'm sorry, big bad Death Eater, but I'm not allowed to practice magic outside of Hogwarts… could you choose to kill someone who can defend themselves?' No thanks, Hermione!"

Hermione huffed. "Fine, go get ready then. The wedding starts in about forty five minutes."

"You want us to take care of these, Hermione?" Harry heard himself ask. "And then you can go get ready too."

"Thank you, Harry. That's nice of you to offer. I think I might just do that."

"I would have offered if he hadn't," Ron mumbled pitifully when she strolled away. Again, Harry slapped him on the back in sympathy and started to climb up the ladder where his ex-girlfriend had just been.

"Harry," groaned Ron impatiently, "we are seventeen! We can use magic… get your ass down here!" And the black haired boy grinned sheepishly at his best friend and made his way back down the ladder.

"He is going to just die when he sees you!" gushed Ginny as she spun around her best friend for the fifth time.

"Are you sure? Do you really think so?" The older girl blushed and looked down at her folded hands.

"Definitely."

The two girls were up in Ginny's room taking Harry's advice and getting ready for the wedding. Hermione was wearing a dark purple colored dress that went quite well with her skin tone, or so the lady at the shop had said. Her feet were donned with matching colored open toe sandals. A small, dainty bracelet hung from her wrist and dangling earrings fell from her ears. The necklace she wore matched the other jewelry perfectly, and yet they had found them at different shops.

"You look stunning," Ginny assured as Hermione gazed at herself critically in the mirror another time.

She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ears. "I hope so."

"I know so," said the girl with finality. "Now, what are we going to do with your hair?"

Ginny had already done her hair. It was tied in a very intricate and complicated knot at the top of her hair with small tendrils of waves falling out in random places. A tiny strand of 'Baby's Breath' was stuck in the knot, but it looked absolutely perfect on Ginny. Hermione expressed her want for smooth, perfect hair like her friends.

"You have got to be joking! Your hair is fantastic! Besides, the only boy you really care about wouldn't want it any other way, right? But we'll do something with it, I promise."

Hermione sighed. If only the boy she really cared about would actually acknowledge her effort to be pretty. Maybe then it would be worth it all.

"Let me just think for a minute." Ginny sat herself down on her bed and gazed at her friend critically. After five minutes, she squealed and said, "I've got it!"

And with that, she took her place behind Hermione, who sat in front of the mirror, and did her hair. In fifteen minutes, with a dose of Sleek Easy and some hair spray, Hermione's hair looked very well done. Ginny had decided to give the natural curls a bit more spunk and had to show Hermione how to do a 'Perfect Bouncy' charm on them. Or at least that is what the redhead called it. When the curls were bouncier than ever, Ginny took about a third of the hair and brought it behind the older girl's hair and pinned it with a fancy barrette that matched her clothing.

"Told you your hair was beautiful," Ginny said with a smug tone.

"Now it is," Hermione spoke with awe, touching one of the strands.

There was a knock at the door and then Mrs. Weasley stuck her head inside. "The ceremony is about to… Oh my! You girls look absolutely lovely!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said with a faint blush. "We'll be right down."

"Yeah, I just have to find my shoes!" Ginny called from her closet. "Ah ha! Found them!" She quickly slipped the heels on, giving them a nasty look and stood up straight.

"Fine, let's get going!" The women rushed out the door.

He was sure the wedding was great and that Fleur made a beautiful bride. He knew his Mother had been weeping and that Harry could not stop staring at his baby sister. But all Ron really cared about was the girl sitting next to him. The girl with lovely, soft, warm skin and dark, chocolate brown eyes. The girl whose hair was always pretty, but was even more so today. And the girl whose hand was currently resting softly in his large one.

Hermione would not leave his mind for one single second. Ever since he'd escorted her down to their seats his eyes were glazed over and dreamy like. He could not remember the exact moment when her hand came to his; who had initiated the touch. But it was there, lightly, but surely, and he wasn't letting it go anytime soon.

He could smell the sweet perfume he had given her two Christmases ago. The one she had said was 'unusual,' which really meant 'quite nice.' She must be running out of it by now, he would get her more for her birthday or something.

"Ron?" he heard her say softly, bringing him out of his reverie.

"Yeah?"

She was standing, holding out her hand to him once again. "It's time for the reception. Were you not listening?"

"Uh, no… I heard. Just waiting for everyone else I guess," he answered, trying to play it cool.

"Right," she responded with a raised eyebrow. "Well, everyone has been gone for about five minutes. What were you thinking about?" She pulled him out of the white chair and dragged him along the yard.

"I wasn't thinking of anything!" he said. She gave him another skeptical look. "Fine, I was thinking of something you wouldn't care anything about." She obviously knew this was a lie, but he couldn't handle telling her that he was thinking of her, and that she was all he ever thought about. He couldn't handle the rejection.

But Hermione just smiled knowingly and tugged him into the fenced off yard that had become the reception area.

"Looks nice," he observed. She nodded and they strolled over to the table where Ginny and Harry sat rather uncomfortably. They were not speaking, but kept shooting the other furtive looks when they thought that they were not looking.

"It was a beautiful ceremony, wasn't it?" Hermione asked Ginny. She also glanced at Harry, who nodded in a noncommittal sort of way.

"Yes, it was lovely." Ginny placed her elbow on the table and then her chin in the palm of her hand. "Kind of boring, standing up there the entire time, though. And it made me nervous, all those guests watching."

Ron noticed a trace of red on his best friend's cheeks when Ginny had said that. He also noticed Harry quickly turning his face away from the group, looking at anything but his little sister. Hermione and he shared a small smile, making Ron's heart lurch into his stomach.

Toasts were toasted, drinks were drunk, and the food was eaten. Harry figured that the party was over. But of course, he had forgotten the dancing.

'Why is there always dancing?' he asked himself, staring forlornly into his glass of rum and coke. He then took a deep swig and saw out of the bottom of his glass the girl he was avoiding. Ginny was currently dancing with one of Fleur's French cousins. The poof was twirling her around, making her laugh. Harry instantly hated him more than anyone in the world.

'Don't forget Voldemort and Snape, you idiot.'

He vaguely noticed Ron and Hermione dancing in a secluded corner and Bill swirling his beautiful bride around the dance floor. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were sitting calmly at a table just across from his, holding hands and whispering softly to themselves. Fred was here with Angelina Johnson and they were doing a sequel to their performance at the Yule Ball in Harry's fourth year. There were a lot of people at the wedding that Harry did not recognize, but they all seemed to have coupled up. And he felt a little left out. He had never been one to go with the crowd, but this time he really wished he could.

He shook his head and made a decision right then. By the time he turned eighteen, Voldemort would be long gone. It was not a pact he wished to break. There were so many things riding on his success of a murder. Everyone could live his or her lives again… and he could start his. But had it really only been this morning that Ginny was flat on her back…with him leaning over her. She had looked so…

'Stop it right now, Harry. Not a good road to turn on.'

"I'm leaving tomorrow," he told his best friends as soon as he reached their corner.

"What?" Ron asked stupidly.

"Harry –"

He held up a hand. "Just listen for a minute. I have got to go back to Godric's Hollow, if only for some peace of mind. And then I'll start looking for Horcruxes."

"What about Hogwarts?"

"If Hogwarts reopens, I'll be there on September first, Hermione. Don't you worry about that."

"We're going with you," Ron said seriously.

Harry nodded. "I figured as much, but you don't have to, alright? I'm just going to see the place where my Mum and Dad were killed."

"We're going," Hermione said. "And we'll be back by September first, anyway."

"Only if Hogwarts reopens."

"It will be opening, Mr. Potter," said a familiar voice behind him.

"Hello, Professor McGonagall." His voice cracked a bit. How much had she heard?

"Hello, you three. Good summer?" It was odd to see her out of her normal school attire. She actually looked quite nice in her dress robes.

They made small talk for a few minutes before the Professor started away to a friend she had not seen in a long time. "And don't worry, Mr. Potter, wherever you are going… it will be our secret." She actually gave him a small wink, and then turned away from the threesome.

Harry stared at the older woman in awe for a few seconds, before turning back to his friends. His mouth was still wide open.

"Well," said Ron, "tomorrow, then."