Title: Wanderer's Path
Author: jmaria
Rating:
PG-13
Disclaimer: J.K.'s boss, I treat 'em way
nicer.
Spoilers: HBP
Words: 1700
Summary:
What leads you here, along this enchanted path?
Notes: I
swore I was going to leave it there, but they got the better of me.
Wanderer's Path
The wedding was like any wedding Millicent had ever gone to. The mothers of the bride and groom both got weepy, little children ran amok, and the bridal party looked uncomfortable in the horrid gowns the bride had chosen.
What was different was that there was a lot of attention being paid on the back row, and that one of the groomsmen was flirting with her. Of course, the said groomsman was Percy, so it was done rather discreetly.
The Burrow had been in utter chaos when they had arrived early for the ceremony, and Percy had been dragged away almost instantly for the photos. Millicent felt like a sore thumb sticking out over all the other women who were already at the Burrow - in matching red and gold taffeta. The colors were starting to make her eyes cross. But it dampened her options as who exactly to speak to in the interim.
So she sat, in her decidedly Slytherin dress in the back row. It was actually quite peaceful here. The Weasleys had gotten something right. She had just closed her eyes for a moment when she felt someone sit beside her.
"I thought you had to get ready to walk down the aisle?" Millicent grinned, her eyes still shut.
"Oh, I wasn't asked to stand up. The Weasleys' learned that after I stood up in Ginny's wedding, and I haven't been asked back," a dreamy voice said sadly, jarring Millicent's eyes open. "And Alicia really doesn't care for me after I commented on the dresses."
"What?" Millicent shook her head. "Lovegood, right?"
"Bulstrode," the dark blond replied, her hands ticking away to an unheard song. "I heard what you said to Ronald at George's party a few months back. It was well spoken."
"Excuse me?"
"No need for excuses. You've had quite a profound effect on Percy. Penny's noted it several times in our conversations."
"When would you have time to talk to Penny about me?"
"When I do the Quidditch Commentary for Puddlemere. I only do it when Lee is sick, but I attend every match just in case. It's a rather dull affair, actually."
"Then why do you do it?"
"I've nothing else to occupy my Saturdays."
A dark skinned man in black dress robes sat down beside Luna, his dreadlocks giving him away as Lee Jordan. He wrapped an arm casually around the smiling blond.
"I see you found the talk of the weddin', Lu."
"I thought that was your job," Luna smiled dreamily.
"You know, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were comin' on to me, Lu."
Millicent fought the smirk that was forming on her lips at this exchange. She wasn't supposed to find them entertaining, but they were. Luna patted Lee's thigh gently.
"Where's Roger off at?" Luna rolled her eyes.
"Rematch that just couldn't be avoided. I'm actually surprised that Ron's even here for the wedding. They're playing the Cannons."
"Roger?" Millicent asked, knowing she'd lost them somewhere along the way.
"Roger Davies. He and Lee are together," Luna said, turning back to Lee. "Molly'd kill him if he missed the wedding."
"Too true. So, is it true that you and Percy are shag buddies?" Lee whipped the conversation back to Millicent.
"Close enough," she said guardedly. "Why?"
"Because I reckon this is the most relaxed I've seen Percy since he's come back to the family, and he's definitely in better shape than he was with Josie," Lee grinned. "Good on ya for that small miracle."
"Josie?" Millicent frowned. "Who's she?"
The other two blinked at her, sharing a look. Millicent frowned even more. She could handle hearing about his exes. If this Josie character was an ex-girlfriend after all.
"Percy hasn't brought up Josie?"
"Percy hasn't even brought up why the Ministry let him go," she replied.
"I suspect it has something to do with Josie," a new voice said. Millicent turned to see Penny, who was now proudly showing off her rounded belly. "Hullo, Mil. It's good to see you again."
"So who's Josie?"
"Josie Denys is the ambassador to the Belgian Ministry of Magic for the states," Penny sighed. "She's got a half heritage for both, her mum's an American witch that teaches at the Salem Academy, and her Dad works for the Belgian Ministry. Because she's got dual citizenship, she was touring the Ministries a few years back for both countries, trying to build up international relations."
"That blew up in her face when she was caught in a restricted area of the British Ministry with none other than Percy. According to the rumors, they were caught snogging," Lee added.
"So Percy got sacked because he was snogging some stupid slag?"
"Yes and no. Percy - well, he's never really told me," Penny replied.
"What's everyone doing out here?" Molly Weasley tut-tuted as she bustled around in her very best dress robes.
The older witch blinked as she spotted just who she was speaking to. Luna and Penny smiled at her, and one look at Lee made him scurry back to where the groomsmen were getting ready.
"Hullo, Molly, Oliver's running a bit late," Penny said.
"He still scouting for a replacement seeker?" Luna asked.
"I'm afraid so. Liam hasn't woken up yet, has he?"
"Oh, no, he and Lizzie are still sleeping in Ginny's old room." The words had barely left her lips when a high pitched scream came from somewhere in the Burrow. Penny grimaced a bit, rising from her chair.
"Well, I better go check on my little devils. Honestly, if Oliver had told me that twins ran in his family, I might have run in the opposite direction."
"I know all too well what you mean, my dear. Hello, Millicent," Mrs. Weasley said stiffly.
"Hello, Mrs. Weasley. It's nice to see you again."
"We weren't sure if you would be able to make it," Molly fussed nervously. "Percy didn't reply for a few days, the official invitation went out a week after the engagement party, you see. And he answered promptly for that. We, that is Arthur and I were worried that he might not come - especially after Ron's awful behavior."
"It actually had nothing to do with that, Mrs. Weasley."
"We're all so glad you and Percy could both come today. Well, there are a few last minute preparations I've to attend to. I'll see you both later."
Molly turned to face the swarm of guests that began piling in, and Millicent watched as Luna's eyes went wide at the sight of them. She ducked her head behind Millicent. The older woman merely frowned at her.
"What are you doing, Lovegood?"
"Hide me from the twins' lawyer, please?" Luna begged, casting furtive glances over her shoulder.
"From who?"
"The chap in the emerald cloak."
Millicent glanced over at the group standing closest to the gate. There was a dark skinned man with neatly trimmed hair and black dress robes, the emerald cloak billowing in the sudden bout of breeze. A late bridesmaid pecked a kiss on the cheek of the other man, also wearing black robes. It took Millicent a moment to recognize them.
"Blaise Zabini is the twins lawyer? And was that Katie Bell kissing -"
"Marcus Flint? Yes," Luna frowned at her. "Where have you been? This is all old news, you know. Especially if I know it."
"I've been living in Hogsmeade. We're rather out of the loop."
Blaise choose that moment to make his way over to the two women. Luna muttered something under her breath, but Millicent couldn't make it out.
"Lovegood, I almost didn't recognize you without the radishes and corks," Blaise said.
"You don't still wear those, do you?" Millicent asked.
"No. I haven't worn them in three years, thank you very much," Luna sighed. "The fumes from one of Fred's charms contained an acid that destroyed them."
"Millicent?" Blaise laughed for the first time. "So the rumors are true, that you and Prefect Percy are -"
"If you plan on keeping those pearly whites, Zabini, you best shut your mouth now," Millicent smiled sweetly at him.
"I've promised Ginny I'd look after little James," Luna excused herself.
Millicent watched Blaise's eyes as they followed the blond woman's path back up to the house. She frowned. Marcus Flint sat down heavily beside her, drawing her attention away from Zabini.
"You're the last person I'd expect to see here," Flint smirked.
"Funny, hearing that coming from the man who married Katie Bell."
"Bell always drags me to these things," he muttered. "Heard you're shacking up with Weasley."
"Yeah, all six of them in fact, " Millicent grinned. She glanced over at Blaise, who was deep in thought beside her. "How long has he been hung up on Lovegood?"
"That? Probably since he saw her at Slughorn's party your sixth year. Heard she's quite a stir at the Quidditch matches," Flint replied.
"He's been holding on to that for nine years? Somehow, I doubt that," Millicent muttered.
"Well, he's been buggin' her for the last six weeks anyway."
The wedding was - well, a wedding. She didn't have much time to speak with Percy until after the ceremony. Most of the guests ignored her, with the exception of her two former Slytherin housemates, Bell, Lee, Luna, Penny, and a reluctant Oliver. Arthur Weasley came over once to reintroduce himself, and the twins came over to rib Percy. Alicia said a few words to her, and Longbottom even muttered a hello.
Blaise and Marcus caught her up on all the going ons of their former housemates. Crabbe had been sentenced to Azkaban about six years ago, Goyle'd married some Hufflepuff girl who was four years their junior, Tracey Davis had vanished during the war. Pansy, while not landing her dream husband Draco, had landed a fairly respectable job in the Ministry. Theodore Nott and Draco Malfoy were unaccounted for, however.
The night waned on and Millicent found herself being pulled toward the dance floor by Percy. It was comfortable. Percy pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"Are you ready to go?"
"More than you could possibly know," Millicent murmured.
