CHAPTER 2 : The Wedding
"Slyly they whispered away
As I played the last post on the bugle
I heard them say
Oh that boy's no different today
Except in every single way
Inside I felt along
So, so alone
Locked in a room
Waiting til kingdom come
Although I felt elated
I felt like I was scum
I was carried away
Caught up in an affray"
"Last Post on the Bugle" The Libertines
Harry sat uncomfortably in black dress robes at the table surrounded by laughter and people having a total ball. Harry, on the other hand, sat hollow-eyed and seemed oblivious to the fact that two people just shared vows of holy matrimony. He didn't notice that his two best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, were dancing awkwardly to a slow song. Ron's overly large feet were stomping Hermione's delicately sandaled ones. She winced every time that his boat of a shoe smashed onto her freshly manicured toes, but was enjoying herself none the less. Harry also failed to notice Ginny Weasley, whom he had dated the previous year was dancing happily with Seamus Finnigan, who seemed overjoyed that Ginny was paying him attention.
All around him people seemed to be happy and in most cases, in love or contemplating the thought of it. Remus Lupin and Tonks, who once more looked gorgeous, this time with raven hair and blue eyes clung happily to each other. Hagrid and Madame Maximecut a large path through the dancing crowd. Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood were gliding strangely around the outskirts of the dancers. Molly and Author Weasley, the proud parents swayed happily to the music. Fred and George danced wildly (even though it was a slow song) with Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet respectively. Bill, slightly scarred, and Fleur, looking beautiful in a strapless white gown were pressed up against each other, enthralled to be in wedlock
But all Harry could think about was Dumbledore. 'I'm with you.' rang through his head. Harry clenched his fists so hard he felt the nails dig through the skin. Harry shut his eyes, and as he did a figure flashed in his mind. It wasn't Dumbledore and it wasn't Sirius, nor was it either of his parents. The figure was of the young woman. Blonde hair with black tips, startling azure eyes, familiar facial features... but Harry had only seen the girl in his dreams. He was still trying to determine the origin of his dreams. He hadn't had a relevant one since fifth year. Was the girl relevant? If so what did she have to do with anything? He thought of the dream that he had a few days ago. Why was the baby glowing? What was the spell? He tried to connect the dream and the girl. But his eyes snapped open as he felt a hand upon his shoulder.
"Harry?" Hermione's soft voice asked. "Care for a dance?"
"Sure." Harry said politely, he didn't really feel like it, but the look on her face brought him to his feet.
"How are you feeling?" she asked looking up into his face. "You looked –." she paused, attempting to find the right word. "Depressed." she finished. Harry sighed.
"Just thinking." Harry murmured.
"About Dumbledore?" she asked.
"Tactful as ever." Harry replied, a ghost of a grin on his face. She laughed and squeezed his arm.
"You're a much better dancer than Ron." Hermione said. "At least you don't step on my feet every third step."
"Er – thanks?" he replied.
"Yes, it is a complement, but if you can believe that there is a worse dancer than Ron it'd have to be Dobby." she said grinning, her eyes sparkling. Harry glanced at the small house elf who was wobbling rhythmically nearly tripping over himself every other step. Harry laughed despite himself. "See now, that wasn't so hard was it?" Hermione said beaming.
"No." Harry said looking down into Hermione's sparkling face. "Thanks Hermione, you're–." he was interrupted by Ron jostling his arm.
"Mind if I cut in?" Ron asked taking Hermione's hand from Harry's without waiting for an answer. Ron turned in the opposite direction and carried Hermione off, but Harry could see her eyes shining brightly over Ron's shoulder. Harry jammed his hands into his pockets and stalked back to his empty table. He wallowed in the silence once more, and attempted to recall the image of the girl but the only real thing he could picture were her eyes, her deep cerulean eyes...
"Harry?"
"What?" he asked shortly, once again pulled out of his thoughts by a female voice.
"Wotcher." Tonks grinned, she almost seemed to glowing she looked so happy, and Harry immediately plastered a fake smile on his face.
"Hi Tonks." he said in a falsely cheerful voice.
"I'm so happy Harry." she gushed scooting her chair closer to his. "I know I shouldn't be 'cos of everything that's happening but I can't help meself." her blue eyes lit up as she scanned the room and lingered on Lupin's form.
"You deserve to be happy, and so does he," Harry said rubbing the back on his neck.
"So do you Harry..."
"No I don't." he cut her off. "Look, I can't be happy as long as I know that the betraying coward is still alive, and Voldemort is murdering more people everyday."
"That sniveling bastard will get his, don't you worry." Tonks eyes deepened with anger, her face no longer bright and happy, a scowl replaced the smile.
"Now see what I've done, go dance with Lupin, have a good time, I don't want to kill the mood – I just hope Fleur doesn't come and talk to me, I might talk her out of living happily ever after with Bill."
"I dunno, once Molly found out that I'm with Remus she was suddenly keen on Fleur being with Bill." she winked. "You can afford to have a good time Harry, you'll kick arse another day, just try to enjoy yourself a bit at the mo'." she gave him a peck on the cheek and left to join Lupin.
He then found himself scanning the crowd, his eyes stopped on a familiar figure. Ginny was attempting not to get her feet stomped on by Ron, who was too busy watching Hermione dance with Fred that he wasn't paying attention to Ginny. Ginny, however was looking for someone, her head spinning from side to side as they turned. She obviously found who she was looking for, Seamus cut in between Ron and Ron was forced to walk over to Harry, because Fred wouldn't let him cut in with Hermione.
"Hey mate." Ron said dolefully as he slumped into a chair by Harry.
"Great party Ron." he said.
"Yeah – what do you think Seamus is doing?" he asked craning his neck to see over the crowd,
"Not stepping on your sister's feet." he grinned.
"No –. He's kissing her." he stood up now, Harry's stomach dropped down to his feet. "That's right, just have a good old snog in public." he clinched his fists. "Doesn't even give two weeks to recover, just plunges right in."
"Well I did tell her to enjoy herself, even through we can't be together, she can move on, it's me with the problem." Harry said hollowly.
"I'm gonna go say something." Ron said clearly oblivious to Harry's words.
"Don't mate, let them be happy." Harry said. "If I can't be, I'd rather everyone else be." Harry almost grinned as he listened to Ron's mutterings, something about 'flog 'em to America and back'.
Harry attempted to enjoy himself for the rest of the reception, but failed miserably. Hermione dragged him out to dance again, but he found himself staring at Ginny. Ginny, looking very happy with Seamus.
After three hours of watching other people be happy he had had enough, he didn't want to think of having to go back to the Dursley's for another 3 weeks. He slipped away into the Burrow, and up to Ron's attic room. The sound of the party were just barely audible from that altitude, and as he lay in Ron's bed he relaxed for the first time since Dumbledore's death. His eyes drifted around the room, but soon they soon became heavy, his last thought focused solely on the blazing blue eyes of the girl.
She was laying against a hay bail. Her tatty black Stetson pulled down over her eyes, a large book fallen open at her side, her arms were crossed in front of her, she was clearly asleep. Suddenly a man in a black cloak appeared in front of her.
"Your time as come Kathryn Adara Riddle." the man whispered to himself. "Master will be most pleased he has finally acquired the last of his," he paused searching for the right word. "Belongings." he said finally, and chuckled to himself happily. She stirred softly in her sleep, as if attempting to ward out the sound and fall back asleep. Harry attempted to talk or manifest himself in the dream somehow. He knew for sure now that she was relevant to him. He was relevant to Voldemort.
"Crucio!" the man bellowed slashing his wand down on the defenseless girl. Piercing screams echoed around the barn. A light flashed and Voldemort sat in his throne of gold laughing manically to himself. "Oh how perfect. This will go to plan."
Harry awoke abruptly choking on his breath as he sat up in Ron's lumpy bed. Kathryn Riddle? He clutched his scar and glanced around the small attic that stood as his best friend's room and saw the sun setting beautifully, casting a myriad of pastels against the country side. As he made his way to the window and thinking about his dream, Voldemort's granddaughter, his socked foot caught on a loose floorboard. This successfully distracted Harry, and he proceeded to peer in the hiding place, temporarily forgetting about his dream. It was much like his own secret hiding place that he had at the Dursley's. His heart pounded as he pulled out the journal that Hermione had given the boys for Christmas fifth year - matching gifts - how that annoyed Harry. He opened the journal and flipped through it, and saw nothing, he bit his lip and drew out his wand. After a quick swish and flick he flipped through it again and stopped at a page where the ink spiraled out in Ron's messy scrawl.
Dear (was crossed out furiously) My (was also crossed out) To Hermione,
We've been friends for six years now and I know we haven't exactly gotten along but I think (was crossed out) know (was crossed out even more furiously) think that we've gotten closer since... oh bollocks!
Harry's heart pounded faster as his eyes followed the page further down.
I know that you know that you don't think I know... bugger!
Hermione,
Every time I look into your eyes, the eyes that remind me of chocolate frogs ... oh Merlin.
Harry heard movement below him, his heart lurched into his throat as he fumbled with his wand to perform the counter jinx. He shoved the journal back into the floorboard, jammed the board down, and vaulted back in to bed and pretended to be asleep. Though his mind was far from tired. Voices echoed up the staircase to Ron's attic room.
"What about Harry, Ron? Have you ever stopped to think about Harry?" Hermione's voice was angry.
"What should I? You do enough for the both of us." Ron hollered back.
"What a horrible thing to say Ron." she sounded hurt.
"Sorry." Ron said softly. This was followed by silenced and then a bit of rustling. Harry's stomach felt as if it were getting turned inside out as he thought of what his two best friends were doing. There was a faint knock on the door and Hermione came in, Ron followed closely behind her. Harry had a strong urge to leap out of bed and attack Ron, but couldn't think of why.
"Oh good, you're up Harry." Hermione said brightly.
"Hey mate." Ron said shoving his hands in his pockets and attempting to not look too happy.
"Hey." Harry managed to croak as he sat up and endeavored to locate his glasses which were somewhere amongst the clutter of chocolate frog wrappers, crumpled parchment and broken quills on Ron's bed stand. Hermione found them and handed them over with a smile. Harry noticed that a smile was quick to materialize on her lips lately. He nodded his appreciation and asked "How's the circus going on downstairs?"
"Well they just left to their honeymoon. Ron started.
"And guess who caught the bouquet?" Hermione cut in excitedly. Harry raised an eyebrow for the answer, he was not in the mood to guess. "Tonks!" she squealed knowing by the look on his face that he wasn't in a good moon, but attempted to make him smile anyway.
"Brilliant." Harry said, truly happy for Tonks.
"Yeah it was totally wicked mate, she made her hair change to a silver and put on a spot on French accent, parading around like Fleur." Ron stopped as Hermione began to laugh at the memory.
"Pardon monsieur quand c'est mon anneau?" Hermione said clasping her hands in front of her and looking pleadingly at Harry. "Oh she said that to Lupin." Hermione giggled, and Harry smiled at her.
"Yeah, didn't get that." Ron said glaring at Hermione with squinted eyes.
"She asked Lupin where her ring was." Hermione sighed in exasperation at him.
"Well how was I supposed to know? I don't go to France every summer like someone I know." Ron huffed. Before Hermione could retaliate Harry cut in and asked if there was any food left, he wasn't particularly hungry but he wanted to break up anything that would require the tow making up.
"Yeah mate, mum will be ecstatic that you want to eat. She claims that you've gotten too skinny."
"Well you have gotten a bit thin Harry." Hermione's voice was full of concern but Harry couldn't help be annoyed. How was he supposed to eat with as much as he has on his mind. The 'dream' girl, constantly worrying who Voldemort has killed, the hate coursing through his veins whenever Snape was mentioned, and there such a void since Dumbledore's death.
"Come on then Harry, plenty left from the party." Ron said after Harry's shrug after Hermione's comment.
