On an afternoon four months previous, three young people sat outside the Burrow, eagerly awaiting the return of their best friend. Harry Potter, now 22, had his arm casually around Ginny Weasley's shoulders as they sat in the warm, fresh grass. Ginny's brother Ron was sprawled on the lawn at their feet, gazing lazily into the sun.
"I can't believe we haven't seen Hermione for nine months." Harry pushed his glasses back up his nose and shook his head. He was still sporting untidy black hair and the unmistakable scar, the only remainder of Lord Voldemort whose defeat five years ago had sent the whole wizarding world celebrating. He was still a good deal shorter than the lanky Ron, but his job as an Auror kept him fit and lean.
"Make that two years for me, I could not come when you visited her last year. And I can't wait to meet this guy of hers." The pretty redhead next to Harry gestured wildly.
"Husband, Ginny, husband! She is married, remember!" Ron, grass stains from the previous Quidditch game all over his shirt, corrected his sister.
"I can't believe she married that guy. I mean, she didn't even tell us before." Ginny could not get used to the idea of her best friend being married to someone neither she and nor anyone of her old Hogwarts friends knew.
"'Dear Harry, Ron and Ginny'" Ron started quoting the letter that had reached them half a year ago. "'I hope you are all well in old England. America and New York are as great as ever and Kondra University is still fascinating. I have very good news to tell you. It might come surprising for you, so I would advise you to sit down and stay calm. Harry, Ron, you met Paul, my fellow student and boyfriend when you came here. We have a very good relationship and I am happy to tell you that every day with Paul made it clearer that I have finally found someone who shares my opinions about life and how it should be like. This is the reason why Paul and me decided to take our relationship one step further. Last Saturday, we married in the New York Ministry of Magic. I am really sorry I did not tell you or invite you, please be not upset with me. It is not a big deal, the ceremony was simple and quiet, so you did not miss any big parties. I have thought this step through in every detail and I am very happy about it. I wanted to make sure that everything works out and is set, before telling anyone, so I could make that decision on my own, without any irrational interference. I am so glad to see you all soon! Love, Hermione.' Mental, I tell you!" Ron added.
After graduation from Hogwarts everyone was very keen to se what the most brilliant student of the year would do with her life. Great things were expected from her, but she managed to astonish everyone by announcing that she had been accepted to Kondra University in New York.
Kondra was the oldest, finest institution for studying the subject Hermione had discovered a true passion for: Magical Law. Out of thousands of applicant from all around the world, only fifty were accepted to start the extremely difficult law programme at Kondra. For a few months, it had seemed that Hermione would go into law practice and end up in the Wizengamot one day.
But once again and not surprisingly at all for those who knew her better, the books had captured Hermione once more and she dedicated all her energy into research of magical law policy and law history. Hermione lived up greatly to the challenges the academic world of Kondra offered her and quickly became completely absorbed in her studies and the new intellectual community she had found in New York. At 21, she finished the first part of her studies, one year earlier than it had been expected from her and was offered to proceed her studies at Kondra as a member of a 3-years exellence program in international wizarding law research.
By that time she had met Paul Collins, a Kondra student who was also part of the exellence programe and three years Hermione's senior. Paul had been to school in America, but his father was British and Paul was rooted in Britain as much as in America. Hermione and Paul started dating and he became her steady boyfriend. Equally ambitious and bright, the two were the perfect couple and Hermione was thrilled to have found her match. When Harry and Ron visited her nearly one year ago, they had met Paul and found him…
"A bit boring, if you ask me, Ginny. You know, he is no sports and owns far too many books that are not about Quidditch." Ron told Ginny, who had, for the hundrest time, asked the two young men to describe Hermione's husband.
"He is still perfect for Hermione." Harry said. "It is kind of not normal how well they fit together. I mean, alright, he is some kind of weird combination of Percy's ambitious and workaholic ways and Lupins' clear and conscientious character. And he is smart, I thought I had met the male Hermione, when I first saw him. But he is nice, very calm and down to earth."
"Hmm, and he looks kind of cute, judging from the pictures she sent." Ginny added thoughtfully.
Ron frowned: "Well, alright, he is tall and blonde and wears glasses."
Ginny frowned back: "You have no eye for the detail. He is very stylish and looks sort of strong to me."
"You seemed to have given that picture a very close look." Harry teased her.
"Darling, you know that no guy could ever be a match to you!" Ginny replied playfully. "Well." she added, "I will meet him today in less than three hours. And he will stay for a while, for an infinite number of very close looks."
Harry and Ron growned. They had both liked Paul, although he was not the type of guy they would choose to hang around with. Although Harry had in fact found it amazing how similar he was to Hermione, he secretly thought that he lacked so many qualities that made Hermione, well, Hermione. Paul did not have Hermione's passion when it came to all those little obsessions she so dearly groomed (SPEW, to mention only one of them). He was also no match to Hermione's humour and her temper that could be quite hot once awakened. But then, he seemed to give Hermione exactly what she wanted: He brought calm and order to her life, he made her happy and he more than understood her ambition and love for science.
Hermione's parents were of course thrilled by the polite and intelligent Paul Collins, although the sudden marriage half a year ago had caught them off guard. Like everyone, Harry thought.
A few weeks ago, Hermione had written another letter, anouncing something that had made everyone very happy. The American and the British Ministry for Magic had established a cooperation about international wizarding law which included a research office about law policy and history at the wizarding university in London. Kondra was invited to send four students from the excellence program to join that office, who would be finishing the program there. Hermione and Paul, as top students of the program had be selected and were thus coming to live in London for at lest the next year. Today was finally the day when they would arrive among Hermione's old friends, many of whom had not seen Hermione in years and were most eager to meet her husband.
"Well, perhaps she will come up with some amazing late wedding ceremony." Ginny said hopefully. "I would so much like to rehearse before doing it myself." She happily flashed a pretty ring at Harry, who grinned.
"You want to attend a really weird wedding, before making your own stunning entrance on our big day, dear, I see, how very thoughful of you!" He laughed.
"Speaking of weird, unexpected weddings." Ron said. "Looks who's here." He indicated the couple that had just entered the garden.
The man was tall, broad-shouldered and dark haired. Only the date on his birth certificate showed his real age of 44 years. He was extremely handsome with long dark hair that he had wiped in a ponytail, a strong-jawed face, a muscular body and a grin that made him seem as in his thirties. He was wearing a dark blue t-shirt, ragged blue jeans and heavy boots. His black leather jacket was thrown over his shoulder. The woman next to him was the complete opposite to his rather ragged, rebellious look. She was a pretty, petite blonde with a very winning smile. Her hair was straight and shoulder-long. She was looking up at the man who was (according to his birth certificate) seventeen years her senior, with pure affection and a good deal of admiration. Her tidy blue skirt and pink sweater made her look sweet and a little naïve.
"Hi Sirius! Hello Shelley!" Ginny waved over at the couple. Sirius yelled his greeting back at them and Shelley gave a small wave and a smile. When they had disappeared into the house, undoubtingly delivering the cake Shelley had been carrying, Ron turned to Harry and Ginny.
"Mental, I tell you! I thought I would laugh out loud when he first introduced her."
"Ron, don't be so rude! She is very nice and such a sweet person! OK, she does not exactly seem his type, but who care if they are happy? It has been working for over half a year now and look at him, he is so happy!" Ginny had sat up to defend Sirius' young wife with whom she had established a very nice friendship.
"Calm down Ginny, you know what I mean!" Ron sounded afraid of setting his sister's temper off that was very much like their mother's. "I just mean, she is really pretty and all, I don't doubt that. But she is so not what Sirius would normally go for. All that pink and the tea-roses in Grimmauld Place and that wedding, do you remember?"
Harry remembered only too well when about eight months ago, his godfather had announced he intended to marry Shelley, his girlfriend of a few weeks and asked Harry if he would be his best man. The wedding took place in a small, romantic chapel near the Burrow, the party afterwards consisted of a cosy little reception with many tea-roses and even more chit-chat. Harry had never really imagined his godfather's wedding, because he had found it too unlikely, but if he had, it certainly would not have involved a single tea-rose, but loads of dancing, alcohol, loud music and a crazy send-off to some crazy honeymoon. But to everyone's surprise, Sirius, who had been living his free bachelor-life to the fullest since he had been cleared of all charges, seemed comfortable and happy to let Shelley have her way with the wedding. Sure, he looked as out of place among all the light pink decorations as did tea-roses in Grimmauld Place, but nevertheless, he seemed to be happy.
Harry grinned. If he had been told a year ago that Sirius Black would end up married to a girl like Shelley, he most probably have pointed at the person who told him and have said: "Mental, I tell you!"
"We should get ready you know. If we don't help with dinner preperations, Mum will kill us." Ginny said, getting up from the ground and brushing the grass of her jeans.
"She wants everything to be perfect for Hermione's welcome party, doesn't she?" Harry asked.
"Yes of course. And she wants to impress Paul, she knows he is from a rather wealty home, that always makes her nervous." Ginny sighed. "Come on, guys, get up! We won't get out of this one!"
And, sure enough, Mrs. Weasley appeared in the garden, her hands on her hips, shouting something about lazybones.
What do you think so far? Please read and review! Cheers, Marie