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It was as though it was meant to be. Five minutes after seven everyone had arrived, including Hedwig, everyone apart from the bride and groom and the ex-girlfriend and her new husband. Everyone was eerily silent, Fred and George included. Ginny sat adjacent to her ex, eyes flickering to his every few minutes or so.
Even the bristling Mrs. Weasley was incapable of incurring any sort of merrymaking, every attempt was thwarted. Bill and Fleur sat side by side, his head resting on her shoulder. Despite the several years of marriage their lovey-dovey behavior had not toned down whatsoever.
The food was at the ready, and Tonks had been assigned the very important task of handing out the napkins, seeing as it was one of the few jobs she could take on that would not endanger people or belongings. She and Remus had what one might call an 'extended' engagement, but there was no doubt in Harry's mind that they had every intention of going through with the marriage.
The patio door slid open slowly but surely, and it was a matter of seconds before a flash of red hair could be spotted, followed by a streak of brown. Madeline held Ron's hand tightly, nearly clasping it, as though she feared separation. The two of them were oddly formal, something that no one had expected from any of Ron's relationships, especially after Lavender.
Madeline was a pretty girl two years Ron's senior with eyes like amethyst and a coquette smile that encouraged her fiance. She was a proper young lady, having been shipped off to Beauxbatons at a young age, despite the fact that she was of Irish heritage. Fleur had introduced the two whilst the courtship betwixt Hermione and Ron was still continuing. Ron was the same man, more or less, though now he seemed more reserved, grown up. She did not rile him up and they did not having blazing rows that led to days of silence, the two of them were, dare I say it? Perfect together, one extremity balancing out the other.
Madeline's face broke out into a tense and coy smile as she curtsied gently, a gesture that Hermione would have undoubtedly mocked with fury. Molly embraced her briefly and the meaningless chatter started up almost immediately, no one was willing to admit that they were on tenterhooks concerning Hermione's eventual appearance.
She was another story, a long-winded one at that. She was under the newly instated Ministry's employ, sent all across the globe to reach out to different wizarding communities in hopes of reinstating some sort of unity. Draco Malfoy was traveling with acquaintances throughout the countryside and they met up at a conference. It was a hasty courtship, one that took the whole of a month before they eloped in Hungary not even a year after her and Ron's untimely break up.
The pair had taken to globe-trotting, both of them admitted travel fanatics. Despite her social arrangement she succeeded in recruiting two parliament leaders to meet with the Minister of Magic, something that led to her eventual promotion. Ron slapped Harry on the back loudly before pulling out the seat for his lady and taking a sip of pumpkin juice. Harry cast him a glance, knowing perfectly well that he was more nervous than the rest of them. He received a great deal of grief after his and Hermione's breakup, Molly seemed set on having her for a daughter-in-law and was most sorely disappointed to be proved wrong. While both she and her husband reconciled to Ron's fiance Harry doubted that they could ever establish the same sort of trust.
It was just so like Malfoy and unlike Hermione to enter with a bang! They apparated loudly onto the lawn, not bother to use the door as they stumbled forward, Hermione wrestling a man nearly two times her breadth and one foot taller than her as Malfoy waved his wand silently, splicing through the air. "Stick!" She gasped as the man began to throttle her and her husband obeyed, levitating the a nearby branch before plunging it into his heart. As he exploded into dust it was as though he had never been.
Everyone at the table sat in shock, though both Ron and Madeline stared purposefully away. Malfoy leant over, pulling his wife to her feet and muttering a spell that cleaned her off as she did the same for him, his hair slicking back promptly. "Hello, everyone!" She said brightly, as though this was not the least bit uncomfortable. "Sorry for all that, Mr. Mires was opposed to our stay in Romania and was quite vocal in that matter." She said, massaging her throat as her husband swiftly guided her to the table. "Everything looks delicious!" She exclaimed, conjuring a chair hurriedly.
Harry was the only one who acknowledged his presence and nodded while the rest of the family and others looked away for a moment. "How are you all doing? I'm sorry I haven't been able to stop by often, though I'm quite sure that you're not." She glared pointedly at Ron before turning to Molly and smiling.
"It has been quite busy, hasn't it, dear?" Arthur questioned pleasantly and his wife forced a look of unassuming congeniality before agreeing curtly.
"Gred, Forge, how goes the business?" Ginny questioned amicably, observing the shrewish expression that flew across her brothers' face at the mention.
"Splendidly." They replied simultaneously, taking advantage of the whole 'twin' cliche expertly.
"Sell a lot of Peruvian Instant Darkness powder lately? I remember that was a big seller." Ron commented for the first time, his eyes going immediately to Malfoy who blushed considerably. Pretending to drop his fork Ron ducked under the table after a moment, disgusted to see his enemy's hand perched on his ex-girlfriend's knee, and she squeezed it as well. The daggers he had been staring had sharpened.
Madeline shoveled forkfuls of food into her mouth, hoping to use this as an excuse to remain silent while Bill simply made moon-eyes at his wife and Fred and George amused themselves, as usual. Charlie's absence was work-related and it seemed up to Harry, Ginny and Tonks to keep the conversation stimulated.
"Harry, how goes your training?" The pink-headed klutz questioned from across the table, accidently knocking over her firewhiskey. Harry smiled vaguely, relieved that someone was making an effort.
"It's alright, I suppose. I reckon I'd be doing better if it weren't for...distractions." The Second Coming was more than a distraction, but it had shaved precious years off of Harry's Auror training. Remus and Mad-Eye, both excused, seemed most certain that he would be a shoo-in for the youngest Minister of Magic ever recorded, and even Harry found it tempting.
"What about you, Ginerva? Taking full advantage of your days off from the shop?" Harry supposed that the accounting gene from the Weasley juniors' uncle must have rubbed off on at least three of the seven siblings, seeing as Ginny had made her way in the business as well, opening up a store and taking after her elder brothers. Harry could not help being proud.
"I love your store, I stopped by about a fortnight ago, but you were out." Hermione commented happily.
"Purposefully," Ron coughed, and the entire table was silent. It was going to be a long dinner.
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