At the end of May, two nights before Ginny's wedding, I found myself sitting in one of the rooms of the Leaky Cauldron with Luna, Hermione, Katie, Fleur, and Ginny herself.
Martha had let Ginny and the rest of her group of friends-including me-stay in two of the rooms for the night to celebrate her upcoming wedding.
We'd gone out earlier and had some fun around Hogsmeade, and then we'd even gone out and walked through some places in London. And now we were back at the Leaky Cauldron, congregated in the room Ginny was sharing with Hermione and Fleur. I'd be sharing the one next door with Katie and Luna.
"It was really nice of Martha to let us do this," Ginny said. "Being mostly surrounded by men really wears a girl down. I need all the quality time with you all that I can get."
"Promise you won't forget about us once you're a wife," Katie said.
Ginny scoffed. "Only if you won't!"
"I could never," Katie said. "I'm marrying your brother. He's going to drive me to drink every day for the rest of my life and I'm going to need a drinking buddy."
"Well, I'm marrying the damn Boy Who Lived," Ginny said. "So if you need a drinking buddy, you've got one, but I'm fairly certain I'm going to need to out-drink you."
"Debatable," Katie said with a shrug. "Have you met George?"
"Unfortunately," Ginny quipped.
"Speaking as someone who eez already married to a Weasley," Fleur said, cutting off Ginny and Katie's banter, "it may be Harry that needs a drinking buddy."
Ginny gaped at Fleur as the rest of us laughed.
"He's needed a drinking buddy long before he met me," Ginny protested. "If you think I'm the biggest source of stress in his life, you're delusional. I mean what about Voldemort?"
"What about him?" Katie asked, feigning ignorance. "You know, I bet he needed a drinking buddy too-after Harry slipped out of his grasp several times over the course of seventeen years. Maybe if he'd found someone to vent to, he wouldn't have been so angry."
"Oh, shut up," Ginny said through a giggle. "He was already writing in a diary, so if that didn't help, I don't know what would."
"And for the better part of a year, he was communicating through that diary to an eleven year old girl," Hermione added, her voice serious as she nudged Ginny. "He was already way too screwed up."
"Yeah," Ginny laughed, taking a sip of her drink. "If he was thinking he was going to get good life advice from an eleven year old, he must have been."
"No, I meant because-"
"We know what you meant, Hermione," Ginny said. "He'd already killed people and was trying to do so again through me. He used me and I was dumb enough to fall for it."
"You were only eleven," Hermione said gently.
"And it was Voldemort you were talking to," Katie added. "He'd manipulated adults."
"Still," Ginny shrugged. "Not one of my finer moments."
"What would you say is one of your finer moments?" Luna suddenly asked a moment later. "I thought we were here celebrating one, but so far our discussion has been quite depressing."
Ginny snorted. "Thanks, Luna, for your honesty." She set down her firewhisky on the floor beside her and leaned back on her hands as she thought. "Yeah, getting married is a finer moment. But making the Hogwarts Quidditch team was another one. Being a part of the D.A. Finishing school. Earning nearly all my OWLS and my NEWTs. Getting a really great job afterwards...having the best group of friends." She grinned at us. "What about you guys?" She turned to me. "Sophie-finer moments. Go."
I laughed. "Um-well...finding a family again," I said. "Being brave enough to get away from my foster home. Being brave enough to start over. Letting Tom and Martha take me in. Letting myself make friends. Letting myself learn to trust people again. Falling in love." I smiled wistfully as I ran my finger along one of the knots in the wooden floor. "Overcoming my fears. And most recently..."
"What?" Ginny asked. "What happened?"
I looked up at them and smiled. "I was talking to Tom and Martha yesterday and they agreed to have some of my photos framed and hung up around the pub. And they're going to have them listed for sale."
"What?"
"Sophie, that's great!"
"Congratulations!"
I blushed at their excitement and congratulatory words. "Thanks," I said. "I had been showing them the photos I'd had developed recently, as well as the ones from New York, and even Salem. And then we ended up going through the album that Fred gave me for Christmas. Tom told me I could be earning money off of them. And then Martha had the idea of selling them in the pub. A lot of people come through here so they'd get seen."
"Definitely!" Katie agreed in excitement.
"We're going to go through them again this weekend and then make duplicates of the ones we want to start selling and then resize them to be bigger. And then we'll have them framed and hung up."
"I'll buy one when Harry and I move into our new place," Ginny said.
"Oh, no-I could just give you one," I said.
"Soph, that's not typically how making a profit works," Ginny laughed. "You can't just give all of your photos away." She shook her head at me in amusement. "I insist on paying for it." She paused. "Only if you promise you won't be saving the money so that you can run away."
"No, I'm beyond that point," I assured her. "You're stuck with me."
"Good," Ginny said. "Like I said, I need all the girl friends I can get."
"Have you told Fred yet?" Katie asked. "About selling your photos?"
I nodded. "I told him this morning."
"What'd he say?" Katie grinned at me as she took a sip of her drink. "I'll bet he's really proud of you."
I smiled and nodded. "Yeah, he is. But without him, I wouldn't have even been able to take any of the photos that I took. He's the one who bought me my camera." It was the truth. Without Fred, I never would have been able to do this. I'd never consider buying a camera for myself and without one, I wouldn't even be able to take any photos. He'd remembered one thing I'd mentioned enjoying and had considered pursuing at one point, and he'd made sure I was able to do so. He never left me any room for excuses.
"When are the photos going up?" Hermione asked me.
"Monday morning," I answered.
"Are you nervous?" Fleur asked.
"Extremely."
"Don't be," Luna assured me. "Nerves attract Nargles."
I looked at Ginny who shrugged and took a sip of her drink. "You heard the girl. Nerves attract Nargles."
I laughed. "Got it. I'll have to remember that one."
That Friday, the day before Ginny's wedding, I stayed overnight at the Burrow. I headed over shortly after my shift at the Leaky Caukdron ended at five and I ate dinner there as well.
Bill and Fleur were already there, as well as Charlie, Ron, Hermione, Katie, Luna, and of course, Ginny and Harry. Fred and George would be showing up around six-thirty after the shop closed for the day.
The house was full and chaotic with all the people there. Victorie was fussy through dinner and Fleur had to leave the room with her to calm her down. After a bit, Bill got up and took over so that Fleur could eat.
Not long after, Fred and George arrived, and there was a burst of noise as everyone greeted them.
"What smells so good?" Fred asked his mother as he leaned over and kissed me hello.
"I made lasagna," Mrs. Weasley answered. "I'll warm some up for you. You would have gotten some fresh if you'd shown up a little earlier."
"Mum," Fred groaned. "George and I came over as soon as we closed up for the night. We didn't do a single thing extra and we couldn't have possibly come over any earlier. Besides, the food is only a few hours old. It basically is still fresh. Don't worry so much, okay? You know George would eat your food no matter how old it is."
Mrs. Weasley scoffed. "You'd eat anything no matter how old it is."
"She's right," I muttered as Fred nudged my shoulder.
Everyone continued to hang around in the kitchen while Fred and George ate, and not long after they had finished, Charlie announced he had a surprise for Ginny. She'd barely been able to ask what it was before Charlie had picked her up and flung her over his shoulder. She squealed and began punching his back, but he ignored her as he walked out the back door. He also ignored Mrs. Weasley calling after him and telling him to be careful.
"Bill, why don't you go after him," she suggested anxiously.
"Oh, we're going, believe me," Bill said with a look of mirth on his face as he reached for the doorknob. "If anything to see what he's got in mind." He looked back at the rest of us with a laugh and opened the door. Everyone else seemed to move at once as we all got up and hurried after him.
"Bill!" Mrs. Weasley scolded from behind us as she appeared in the doorway and watched as we all rushed across the lawn after Charlie, who was heading towards the pond. "I mean it!" Mrs. Weasley called. "Do not let Charlie do anything stupid."
"Too late for that," Fred mumbled from beside me. "He's always doing something stupid."
We reached the pond just in time to see Charlie reaching the end of the dock and tossing a shrieking Ginny into the water with a splash. He immediately followed her in after tugging off his shirt, getting a running start and doing a cannonball into the water, whooping loudly as he did so. Fred dropped my hand and pulled off his own shirt as he and George followed after Charlie, their footsteps loudly thunking against the wooden dock. Bill, Ron, and Harry followed shortly after, leaving the rest of us standing on the dock getting soaked by the splashing.
"Come on, jump in!" George yelled, breaking through the surface of the water and shooting a stream of water at us through his mouth.
Katie smiled and let out a laugh as she shook her head and stripped down to just her underwear before jumping in the water too.
"Sophie, if you don't get in the water now," Fred said, treading water just in front of me, "I'll come out there and throw you in. Fully clothed."
"Yeah? I dare you," I teased, crossing my arms and laughing.
"Oh, really?" Fred asked. He swiftly pulled himself from the water and ran towards me. I squealed and tried to run away, but he was too quick. He grabbed me around the waist and carried me to the edge of the dock, where he tossed me into the water, just like Charlie had thrown Ginny.
"Fred!" I cried as my head popped up through the surface of the water.
"I told you!" He yelled as he jumped in the water after me. "What have I said about underestimating me?"
"You've said not to do it, I know," I laughed as Fred swam over to me.
"Exactly." He leaned in and kissed me, snaking an arm around my waist under the water. He pulled away and smiled deviously as he rapidly shook his head, sprinkling water droplets from his hair splashing all over my face.
"Your Mum's going to kill you," I whispered. "I'm going to be trekking through her newly cleaned house soaking wet."
"No, you won't," Fred laughed. "Didn't any of your professors at Ilvermorny teach you about drying spells?"
"They did," I said slowly. "But I was thinking that I'd just conveniently forget about them just long enough to get you in trouble."
Fred scoffed and gave me an offended look. "That's rude," he said.
"And throwing me in the water fully clothed wasn't?" I asked.
"I gave you fair warning," Fred argued, shaking his head. "You chose to test me."
I playfully smiled and lowered myself down in the water so that it covered my mouth. And then I tilted my chin up and shot a stream of water out of my mouth, hitting Fred directly in the eye.
"Bloody hell!" He cried, his hand immediately going to his face to rub at his eye.
"You chose to test me," I said with an innocent shrug as I swam backwards away from him.
"Hey-no-get back here!" Fred cried, lunging forward after me. With a squeal of surprise, I turned onto my stomach and began to swim forwards away from him as quickly as possible.
Later that night, after our impromptu swim, we were all gathered in the yard just behind the Burrow. Bill had started a campfire in the section of the yard we'd used the past summer. It was surrounded by logs for us to sit on, and every single one of them was currently filled. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sat on the outskirts of the circle on some of the chairs from the kitchen table that they'd brought from inside the house. Tom and Martha, who had been invited for dinner tonight, and would be returning for the wedding tomorrow, were sitting beside them. Even my mother was here. She was coming to the wedding as well, which was nice. It had been really considerate for the Weasleys to include her.
"Brought you a drink," Fred said, appearing beside the log I was sitting on. He handed me a firewhiskey as he stepped over the log and sat down beside me.
"Thanks," I said, removing the top off the bottle and taking a sip. It warmed me up even more as I swallowed and took another quick sip. The dancing flames of the fire in front of me were already doing a good job at keeping me warm, and so was the blanket I'd wrapped around my shoulders after coming out of the pond, soaking wet and freezing. I'd kept the blanket around me even after Fred had cast a drying spell over himself and me. And then I'd made myself comfortable as Bill started the campfire.
"Is it weird?" I asked Fred as I gazed across the fire at Ginny and Harry. Ginny was leaning into Harry's side and his arm was around her as she laughed and took a sip of her drink.
"Is what weird?" Fred asked, tearing his gaze away from the fire, where he'd been staring into it absentmindedly.
"The fact that your little sister's getting married tomorrow," I said.
Fred shrugged as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, dangling his firewhiskey between his legs by the neck of the bottle. "Not really," he said. "I mean-it is a little weird, I suppose. It means she's a real adult now, you know? But she's always been fairly mature for her age."
"Has she?" I asked with a laugh. "I was under the impression that she took after you and George."
"Fair enough," Fred laughed. He took in a deep breath and sat up straight again as he gazed over at Ginny and Harry. "But I just mean-she can handle it. She's ready. She knows what she wants and she's not afraid to say it. She'll keep Harry on his toes-and keep him in line. More than I ever could. She's got six-" he broke off and cleared his throat as he gave his head a single shake and took a sip of his drink-"I mean five older brothers and doesn't need any of us."
"Of course she does," I said gently, reaching over to run a hand through Fred's hair. "You're still her big brother. And she knows you'll kick ass on her behalf any time she needs it."
Fred smiled and turned towards me as he rested a hand on my knee, brushing his thumb back and forth along my jeans. "I love you," he whispered, looking over at me with that tiny half-smile on his face.
I grinned and slid closer to him as Fred put an arm around me and kissed my temple.
"I love you, too," I whispered, staring into the flames of the fire as they crackled peacefully in front of us.
"I've been meaning to ask," Fred whispered after a moment. "Have you made a decision about wearing the dress I bought you to the wedding?"
"I have," I said. "I mean, the wedding is tomorrow, so I would hope so."
Fred laughed and lightly nudged my knee with his own. "You know what I was asking. What did you decide on?"
I pulled back from his shoulder and looked up at him coyly. "I guess you'll just have to wait and see."
Fred looked down at me with a slight frown. "I don't like waiting," he said. "I'm impatient."
"I know that," I responded. "And have no problem taking advantage of it."
"What a tease," Fred laughed. His eyes wandered over my face as he smirked. "If you're not telling me what you're wearing, I have no choice but to imagine you'll be showing up in nothing at all."
"Oh, you wish!" I cried, giving his knee a shove as he laughed.
"I'll join you, if you'd like," Fred added, lowering his voice as he leaned in slowly, pausing briefly after he spoke before leaning in to press a slow kiss to the spot just under my ear.
"Stop it," I said with a laugh, lightly pushing him away. "Your mother would kill us both if we did that."
"What a way to die," Fred whispered, pressing another, almost agonizingly slow kiss to the same spot near my ear.
"Weasley..." Tom's voice held a warning note as he spoke from behind us.
"Yes?" Fred asked innocently, pulling away slightly, but keeping his eyes on me as we both stifled our laughter.
"You'd better be behaving."
"Of course, Tom," Fred answered as he continued to smile down at me. When I started to giggle, he nudged me. "Shh, stop laughing," he said, making a face. It only made me laugh harder as I stifled it in Fred's shoulder.
"Thomas, you let them be," Martha said. "There's nothing wrong with him kissing her on the cheek."
"It wasn't her cheek, it was basically her neck. And it was the way he was kissing her, Martha," Tom said. "I won't have any of that going on right in front of me."
"This isn't even your house," Martha hissed. "You don't have any authority-"
"Yes I do," Tom hissed back. "When it comes to Sophie, I do."
"She is nearly twenty-two years old, Tom," Martha shot back.
"Do they always bicker like this?" Fred asked me in a whisper.
I nodded and shrugged. "I'm used to it."
"Do you think he's distracted enough where I could get away with kissing you again?"
"No, but I wouldn't object to you trying," I whispered.
"Neither would I," Fred answered. He leaned in again, kissing me on the lips this time as he tugged me closer to him.
"Weasley!" Tom barked.
"Leave. Them. Alone, Thomas!"
I could hear Martha punctuating every word with a smack to Tom's arm.
"Molly, your son is misbehaving!" Tom complained. But I could hear a slight laugh in his voice.
"Is he?" Mrs. Weasley asked casually. "I don't see a problem at all."
"Thanks, Mum," Fred said, turning to look at her. "I'm a little surprised. I didn't expect you to be on my side."
"I like seeing you happy," she shrugged. "And as long as you keep your affection at a respectable level, I have no problem with it. But if you start getting out of hand, I may just make you and George identical again." She smiled and gestured to her ear.
"Got it," Fred laughed. "Although...I do worry that George's missing ear makes him slightly more badass than me."
"Is that so?" Mrs. Weasley teased, raising her eyebrows and picking up her wand, twirling it between her fingers.
"On second thought, perhaps not," Fred said, eyeing his mother's wand wearily.
"That's what I thought," she laughed, tucking her wand away again.
The next morning, everyone was up early to get ready for the wedding. The tent had been set up in the backyard a few days before, and the flowers had arrived yesterday afternoon. We had plenty of food and plenty of drinks. The only thing left to get ready were the people.
And yet, things still felt chaotic. People were buzzing all over the house, colliding on the stairs and on the landings. To keep everyone out of the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley actually brought breakfast up to Ginny's room for us and some to Fred and George's old room for the boys. They were going to eat and get ready there since the twins' room was the biggest. It didn't do much to keep anyone off of the stairs, however. It seemed as if someone kept needing to get or check on something in another part of the house.
And it also didn't stop a few things going wrong and a lot of panic setting in over the course of the morning.
"Where the hell did Fleur go?" Ginny asked anxiously. "She disappeared after breakfast and she was supposed to do my hair! And my makeup! She was going to do everyone's. She's the best at it." She was pacing the room in circles and pulling a brush so rapidly through her hair that I was almost afraid she'd pull it all out.
"Ginny, you're going to-" I began, trying to reach for the brush, but Ginny was already walking past me on her next lap around the room.
"Never mind where Fleur is ," Katie said from where she had nearly her entire head stuck into her bag as she also dug around in it with her hand. "I can't find my shoes!"
"How do you lose shoes?" Ginny asked, pausing her pacing and turning to Katie. She continued yanking the brush through her hair. "Especially ones you weren't even wearing yesterday."
"George mentioned something about using them to knock some of the garden gnomes unconscious," Luna piped up. "Even though the garden was de-gnomed yesterday, apparently a few snuck back."
Everyone turned to Luna in shock, including Katie, who pulled her head out of her bag to gape at Luna.
"He-he what?" She asked, her voice a furious whisper.
"I told him not to do it," Luna said, looking around at each of us. She shrugged. "It's harmful to the gnomes."
Ginny and Katie burst into noise almost immediately.
"The gnomes? What about my shoes?"
"I'm going to kill him! Why do he and Fred always see to it that nothing goes smoothly? And where is Fleur?" Ginny let out a cry of frustration and yanked the brush through her hair again.
"Okay, okay enough!" Hermione said, taking the brush out of Ginny's hand. "Ginny, why don't you sit down and have a cup of tea."
"I don't need tea, I need Fleur," Ginny said.
"What you need is to get ahold of yourself!" Hermione demanded. "Fleur is probably with the baby!"
"Bill has the baby!" Ginny cried. "He's trying to put her down for a nap in Percy's old room. I could hear her screaming when I passed the door earlier and I could hear Bill shushing her."
"Well, Fleur has to be around here somewhere," I said.
"That doesn't help me," Ginny said. "I need her here."
"And I need to find my shoes," Katie said furiously, stomping towards the door. "If I come back covered in blood, then it's George's."
"If you come back covered in blood, I'll kill you!" Ginny yelled after her as Katie left the room and hurried up the stairs.
"Ginny...sit," Hermione ordered, pushing Ginny down into her desk chair.
"It'll be okay, Ginny," I said. "I'll go look for Fleur while Katie's getting her shoes back. It'll be fine."
I backed towards the door and stepped out into the hallway with one last nervous glance back into Ginny's room. I shut the door behind me and let out a puff of air as I stood and wondered where to begin looking for Fleur.
I started upstairs, wondering if she could have possibly gone in to help Bill get Victoire to sleep. As I was passing the bathroom, I noticed that the door was slightly ajar and I could hear the sound of vomiting coming from inside.
Frowning, I knocked twice and poked my head in. Fleur was knelt by the toilet, retching into it, as my mother stood behind her, rubbing her back.
"What's going on?" I asked quietly, stepping into the room and shutting the door completely. "Fleur, what happened?"
"I-I'm alright," Fleur said, catching her breath for a moment before the vomiting started again.
"No, you're not," I said. I looked at my mother. "What's going on?" I whispered.
She shrugged and shook her head. "I don't know. I just walked in on her vomiting, same as you did."
"I just felt sick from breakfast," Fleur said. "Eet must not have agreed with me. I weel be fine."
"She doesn't have a fever or anything," my mother said. She looked at me almost hesitantly as she chewed on a thumbnail. "I'm wondering if she's...you know." Her voice was a whisper as she widened her eyes and gestured to her stomach.
"Pregnant?" I whispered back. "You think so?"
My mother shrugged. "She could be."
"Too bad we don't have any of that potion Elizabeth used," I snorted. "The one that tasted bitter if she wasn't pregnant, but sweet if she was?"
"That's it!" My mother said. "You know...I have her old Potion book."
"Elizabeth's?" I asked in surprise.
My mother nodded. "Yeah, it was in the basement of the Proctor house. I took it. I mean, its technically a family heirloom. And it didn't belong to the town because no one knew about that hidden room anyway, so it wasn't being used as an artifact for a museum. So I took it and I've been messing around with some of the potions in it. Just out of curiosity. It was going to be yours one day if you wanted it. It was supposed to be passed down through the generations anyway. It just...skipped a bunch in the middle."
I gaped at her. "You didn't tell me you'd taken it."
"Would it have mattered to you? You had a lot of information dumped on you back then. Why would I have added to it by mentioning I had the book? I didn't even know if you'd be open to it, or-"
She was cut off by the sound of Fleur vomiting again.
I let out a sigh. "It probably doesn't matter anyway. But are you suggesting that we make that pregnancy potion? I'm not sure we have the time-or even a place to brew it. The kitchen's off limits. Not to mention, Ginny's hysterical and if Fleur doesn't turn up to do her hair and makeup, she's going to rip her hair out completely."
Fleur groaned. "Tell her to just give me a meenute."
"No-you're coming with me," my mother instructed, helping Fleur up. "Do you think you got it all out?" she asked.
"I think so," Fleur said breathlessly.
"Then come on," my mother said, leading her towards the door. "I'm going to make you a cup of tea."
"What are you doing?" I hissed. "How are you going to make this potion?"
"I don't have to make it," my mother hissed back. "It was one of the ones I'd already made when I was experimenting. It was one of the ones I was most curious about. It sounded fascinating."
"Fascinating, sure," I said. "And you just happened to have it with you?"
"No, it's back at the Leaky Cauldron. I'll get Fleur settled downstairs and then I'll pop back and get it." She reached out and patted my cheek. "Don't worry about a thing. You just finish helping Ginny and then get ready."
"What am I supposed to tell Ginny?" I asked.
"Whatever you'd like, I suppose. But you could just tell her the truth."
"That we think Fleur might be pregnant? I'm not going to tell Ginny that on her wedding day!"
"You don't have to say the word pregnant," my mother said. "You can just use the word sick. Or ill."
"I don't think those words are much better."
"Then just think of another excuse. You'll figure it out, dear," My mother said. And with that, she and Fleur had disappeared down the stairs.
I returned to Ginny's room to see that Hermione had gotten started on Ginny's hair herself in the time I'd been gone. Katie had found her shoes and had already put them on, along with her dress, but she was dejectedly fiddling with her own hair.
"Did you find Fleur?" Katie asked. "I think we're all going to need some help, here."
"Fleur's with the baby," I lied. Despite my mother's suggestions, I couldn't bring myself to tell everyone that Fleur was sick and possibly pregnant. It wasn't the time or place and it certainly wasn't my business to tell everyone. With any luck, Fleur's upset stomach wouldn't last all day. Maybe my mother had some cure for morning sickness conveniently at the ready as well. Besides, I reasoned, saying that Fleur was with the baby wasn't a complete lie. She very well might be with a baby right now. It just wasn't Victoire.
"Victoire still won't sleep?" Ginny asked. "She just had to choose the weekend of my wedding to be extra fussy, didn't she?"
"Ginny, we've got this under control," Hermione assured her. "I'm doing my best with your hair and it's just going to have to do for now. Unless Fleur can make it back in time to do it over."
"Please, just relax," I begged Ginny. "My mother's with Fleur now trying to help her." Another partial truth. She was helping. In a way. "Fleur will probably be back any minute."
"Okay," Ginny said, nodding to herself and taking a breath. "Okay." She looked at me. "You wouldn't have happened to see Harry out there anywhere, did you? How is he?"
"Haven't seen him," I shrugged.
"Can you go find out?" Ginny asked. "I just know he's probably too nervous to even put his shoes on the right feet. I need someone to collect intel for me. You know, so I can have a good laugh at his expense. And so I know I'm not the only one going insane at the moment."
"Believe me, you're not," Hermione sing-songed under her breath as Ginny reached up to lightly smack her arm.
"Yeah, I'll be right back," I said, leaving the room again in search of Harry. I wondered if I was going to be able to get myself dressed at some point before the wedding. Or if I'd be showing up in jeans and a sweater.
I was halfway up the stairs to Fred and George's room, when I heard a bang, a roar of laughter, and then a string of curse words. I sighed. I was afraid to even know what was happening, but it looked like I was about to find out.
Before I could even knock on the door, it flew open to reveal a slightly frantic looking Charlie. "Sophie!" He cried, brightening when he saw me. "Just the person I wanted to see!"
"Really?" I asked skeptically. Something was definitely up.
"Well, not quite," he admitted. "I just need someone who's good with mending charms. You wouldn't happen to be, would you?"
"I'm decent at them, I suppose," I shrugged. "Why? What-"
"Excellent, I'll take decent," Charlie interrupted, ushering me into the room and shutting the door.
"Soph?" Fred asked from where he was sitting cross-legged on one of the two beds in the room. He looked up at me in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm not quite sure," I said, looking at Charlie. "Originally, I was sent by Ginny to check on Harry."
"So she sent you to spy on us," George said. "But she put all kinds of charms over her own door so that not a single bloke can enter the room. Typical."
"She was concerned that Harry would have his shoes on the wrong feet," I said, peering over at Harry, who hadn't even started getting ready yet. In fact, none of the boys had, except for Charlie, who was wearing a dress shirt with an untied bow tie hanging from his neck. It was now that I noticed the bow tie had a burn hole in it.
"We're playing Exploding Snap," Charlie explained. "I burned my tie. I was about to try and track down someone who wasn't Mum to ask them to mend it, since all of us are shit at it, and Mum would kill me. But then I opened the door and there you were. Like a blessing from above."
He smiled at me cheekily and I sighed before holding my hand out for the tie. "Hand it over," I said.
"You're the best," Charlie said earnestly, pulling the tie from his neck and handing it to me.
"Yeah, yeah," I said. I perched on the bed beside Fred, pulled out my wand, and got to work. I glanced over at Harry. "In all seriousness, how are you doing?" I asked.
"I may not have shoes on now," Harry said, "but I'm sure when I do they will be on the wrong feet."
I smiled. "Ginny wouldn't want me telling you this, but she's she's not much better," I said. "Hermione and I have spent the morning doing damage control."
"Damage control?" Fred asked. "What do you mean?"
"Fleur was nowhere to be found this morning and was supposed to be doing everyone's hair. Then Katie couldn't find her shoes, no thanks to you, George. And then Ginny sent me to check on Harry, but now I'm sitting here fixing Charlie's tie."
"Katie was furious about the shoes," George laughed.
"Why couldn't you have just used your own for the gnomes?" I asked.
"And potentially ruin them?" George let out a dramatic gasp and pressed a hand to his chest.
"So Katie's were a better alternative? Why couldn't you have just used your wand?"
"Where's the fun in that?" George asked.
I rolled my eyes as I finished mending Charlie's tie and handed it back to him. "Good as new," I reported.
"You're a lifesaver," Charlie said. "Truly. I think I would've been murdered if I showed up with a hole burned through it."
"Mm," I nodded. "I have to unfortunately agree with you on that one." I let out a tired sigh and buried my head in my hands.
"You okay?" Fred asked quietly. I felt his hand on my lower back as he gently rubbed it in circles.
"It's only eleven in the morning and I'm exhausted," I groaned. "And it's not even my wedding."
"It'll be alright," Fred assured me. "Things are chaotic now, but the wedding will be beautiful, Ginny will have calmed down, Mum will cry, and then it'll be time for the reception when we can get the party started. You're just not used to family functions like this. But one day you will be."
I nodded and leaned over for a quick kiss before I stood up. "I guess I'd better head back to Ginny's room. You should all really get dressed. Does anyone need any more damage control before I go?" I leaned against the doorframe and smiled. "Need any help with your shoes, Harry?"
"We'll help him," the twins said. "He's in good hands."
I scoffed and looked at Harry. "Good luck."
"Thanks, I think I'm going to need it."
I left the room and decided to head back downstairs to check on Fleur while I was at it. When I got there, I found her sitting at the kitchen table as my mother placed a steaming hot mug of tea on the table in front of her. Mrs. Weasley was nowhere to be seen, which was a good sign. I didn't think she'd react well either to the news that Fleur had been vomiting
"Hey," I said quietly, stepping into the room as my mother sat down across from Fleur with her own mug of tea.
"Hi," my mother answered. "There's some leftover hot water in the kettle if you want some tea."
I shook my head. "I might make some to bring up to Ginny, though." I began busying myself with making Ginny's tea as Fleur stared down at her own mug. She looked pale, but at least she wasn't vomiting anymore.
"Go on," my mother said, "drink up. I added something that will make your stomach feel better. We don't need you vomiting during the ceremony. And, of course, I added the pregnancy potion as well. If I made it correctly, which I'm sure I have, the tea will either taste bitter if you aren't pregnant, and sweet if you are."
"I theenk I am," Fleur admitted, her voice a whisper. "I began to suspect it myself a few days ago, but hadn't had time to find out for sure. I can't be far along. It would only be about three and a half weeks. I didn't start feeling sick this soon with Victoire, so I didn't think I'd be this way now. On the day of Ginny's wedding..." She turned to me. "Is Ginny upset that I'm not upstairs with her?"
I shrugged one shoulder. "Hermione's got her under control. I, on the other hand, have been reporting back to her with everything going on outside of the little bubble that her bedroom has become. She sent me to look for you, and I just told her you were with Victoire and my mother was helping you get her to sleep. Didn't even mention you weren't feeling well."
"Thank you," Fleur whispered gratefully.
I nodded as I began adding sugar to Ginny's tea. "Then, I talked to Harry for her. And when I go back upstairs with her tea, I'll exaggerate Harry's nerves to make her feel better. She'll be fine."
"She's right," my mother said. "Don't you worry about Ginny. Right now, you just drink your tea." She nodded towards the mug that was currently being clutched between Fleur's well-manicured hands.
Fleur nodded and raised the mug to her lips as she took a sip of the tea.
"Well?" I asked, pausing in stirring the tea to look at Fleur as she lowered her mug back down to the table. "How'd it taste?
She swallowed and stared blankly down at the mug for a moment before a slightly smile appeared on her face. "Like there eez a pound of sugar in it," she whispered.
My mother and I looked at each other as my mother's hands went to her mouth in surprise. "It worked," she said. "It worked! And-honey, you're having a baby!" She laughed as she reached across the table to put a hand over Fleur's.
"Congratulations!" I exclaimed with a slight laugh of my own. "That's really great news. I'm sure Victoire will love having a little sibling. She may not be old enough to realize it now, but she will."
"Thank you," Fleur said. "Both of you. For all that you did." She smiled at my mother, and then at me, looking slightly dazed, but happy. "I only hope this baby will sleep better than Victoire does."
As I let out a quiet laugh, there was suddenly a commotion from the stairs as footsteps loudly pounded down them.
"Mum!" Fred's voice yelled. "Mum?"
Grabbing Ginny's now finished mug of tea, I headed for the door to the kitchen and slipped out of the room, just as Fred was reaching the bottom of the stairs.
"She's not in there," I whispered. "What's going on?"
"I can't tie this damn bow tie," Fred said, brandishing it in my face. "Regular ties? I can do them. I had to wear one almost every day for seven years. But these bastards?" He waved the bow tie in my face again. "They're torture devices invented to choke the shit out of us blokes!"
I let out a breath of laughter and set Ginny's tea down on one of the end tables in the living room before turning back to Fred and taking the tie from his hands. I slid it around the back of his neck and then began tying it in the front. "Tilt your chin up," I instructed quietly.
"You're lucky you don't have to wear one of these," Fred said as he did as I'd said and tilted his chin up. "I mean it, it's like being strangled."
"Girls have their own forms of fashion torture," I said. "Heels, mainly."
Fred shuddered. "I'm even more glad I don't have to wear those."
I smiled as I continued to work on the tie. "Why didn't you ask one of the other guys to do this for you?"
"Bill just got done finally getting Victoire down for a nap, so he's rushing to get dressed. Harry's hands are shaking too badly to even do a thing right now, which means both Ron and Charlie are helping him with his bow tie, because the two of them are both useless individually. And George is struggling with his own tie, but won't suck up his pride and ask someone to do it for him."
"I see," I answered. I paused briefly to gently tilt Fred's chin back up with my finger. "Chin up," I reminded him.
"How did you learn how to do this?" Fred asked after a few seconds of silence had passed. He peered down at me curiously the best that he could.
"Chin up, Fred," I demanded.
"It is up. And you didn't answer my question," he whispered.
I swallowed as I kept my focus on tying the tie. "Whether I want to admit it or not, I learned how to do a lot living with Eric. And also do things the Muggle way. Cook, clean, sew...tie bow ties. And regular ties. He made me learn because he couldn't do them either and he went to a couple of formal parties while I was there. Anniversary parties, birthday parties where formal dress was required. One of his friends got remarried so he went to their wedding. He always came back drunk..." I trailed off and sighed as I finished off the tie and adjusted it slightly. I pulled Fred's collar back down over it and adjusted that too before trailing my hands down his chest. "You look handsome," I told him, looking up into his face with a small smile.
Fred gave me a tiny smile in return. "You look beautiful, even though you aren't yet dressed for a wedding." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "What are you going to be wearing?"
"What's wrong with what I have on?" I teased.
"It's not the dress that I bought you," Fred said with a smile.
I let out a quiet chuckle. "You'll find out what I'll be wearing soon," I told him. "Hopefully. If I ever get the chance to get dressed. Otherwise, I will be wearing what I have on."
"Well, maybe you should get on with it," Fred said. "Go get dressed before someone else needs your help with something."
He nudged me towards the stairs and I laughed. I grabbed the mug of tea I'd made for Ginny and was turning back towards the stairs when Fleur came out of the kitchen, smoothing her hair behind her ears and looking quite a bit better.
"Oh-Fred," she said when she saw him. "Do you know if Bill ever got Victoire to sleep?"
"Yeah, it took him a bit, but he's upstairs now getting dressed."
"Oh, thank goodness," Fleur said with a thankful sigh. She grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the staircase. "Come on, I've got to hurry if I want to do six girls' hair and makeup, including my own."
I looked over my shoulder at Fred as Fleur continued to pull me towards the stairs and as I tried not to spill Ginny's tea.
"See you later," I mouthed to Fred.
Fred chuckled as he stood there with his hands in his pockets and watching us leave. "Can't wait to see what you'll be wearing," he commented.
I scoffed and turned back around as Fleur and I headed up the stairs. When we reached Ginny's room, Fleur let go of my arm and paused outside the door.
"Um-I would appreciate eet if you didn't say anything to anyone else just yet," she said quietly. "About-you know..." she dropped her voice to even more of a whisper, "the baby."
"No, of course not," I said. "I wasn't going to anyway. It's another reason why I didn't want to tell anyone that you were even feeling sick. I didn't want anyone to put the pieces together. It's your news to tell, not mine. And you literally just found out."
"I'm going to tell Bill later, obviously," she said. "And then in a bit, we'll tell the family. After we've gone for some check-ups and all that."
"Right, of course," I assured her. "I won't say a thing."
Fleur nodded. "Thanks." She smiled wryly. "It also wouldn't be polite to upstage Ginny at her wedding."
"She'd kill you herself," I whispered.
Fleur laughed as she put her hand on the doorknob and began to open the door to Ginny's room. "She would. That is, if she doesn't kill me now for being missing all morning."
She'd barely begun to open the door, when it was yanked open from inside and Ginny's arm flew out to grab Fleur's and pull her inside.
"About time!" She exclaimed.
I let myself into the room behind Fleur and tuned out Ginny and Fleur's voice as they discussed her hair. By now, Hermione and Luna were already dressed as well. Now it was my turn. I passed Ginny her tea, and then made my way to the closet and reached inside, pulling out the dress Fred had given me. The purple fabric softly brushed against my hands, gliding along my skin like water.
I swallowed as I looked over my shoulder at the other girls. They were all huddled around Ginny and Fleur, watching closely as Ginny described to Fleur exactly what she wanted done. They weren't even focused on me at all, so I took the opportunity to strip out of my clothes and slide on the dress. I knew that because of the open back, everyone would see the scars sooner rather than later. But that didn't stop me from being nervous. Up until this point, the only people who'd seen them were Tom, Martha, and Fred.
The dress did fit me perfectly, though. The skirt fell just above my knees, the soft fabric swishing against my legs. I slid on the pair of silver heels I'd bought in Hogsmeade with Rachel and then looked at myself in Ginny's full length mirror. I had to admit-I looked nice. But...
I turned my back to the mirror and turned my head so I could look at the reflection of my back. The fabric of the dress covered everything except the exact area where my scars were as if it were a window looking into my dark past. The red lines seemed to stand out more than ever against my skin, but I didn't know if that was simply my imagination or not.
I was distracted suddenly, by Ginny letting out a squeal. I looked towards her to see she had turned in her chair to look at me with excitement etched on her face. All of the other girls were staring as well.
"You're wearing it," Ginny said happily. "The dress."
I nodded and swallowed nervously. "Yeah."
Ginny smiled warmly as if she could sense my nervousness. She stood up and came to stand in front of me. "Shall we get it out of the way, then?" Before I could answer, she gently put her hands on my shoulders and turned me around.
I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around myself as I stood there, my exposed back visible for the first time to the group of girls behind me. My throat constricted as tears welled up in my eyes. I suddenly didn't know if I would be able to do this.
After another few seconds of silence, I turned back around to face the girls. "They're just...all you see, aren't they?" I whispered, swiping the back of my hand across my nose.
"No, they're not all I see," Ginny said. "They're a part of what I see."
"Even still..." I trailed off and shook my head. "I don't know what I was thinking. I can't possibly wear this dress. It's not-"
"You can wear it and you will wear it," Ginny interrupted. "I'm insisting as the bride that you do."
Fleur gently took my hand and led me to the chair Ginny had just been sitting in. She sat me down and dried my teary eyes before she began brushing eye shadow over my eyelids. "Ginny eez right," she said.
"About insisting I wear the dress?" I asked.
"No," Fleur laughed. "Your scars aren't all we see, they're just a part of it. And like we've told you before, they signify how resilient you are and what you've overcome. But eef you are worried about them being the only thing people see, give me a moment with your face and some eye makeup. Your eyes are already lovely, but if I accentuate them just right, then they will be all anyone can see."
"Your face is the only part of your body people should be ogling at anyway," Ginny said, standing at my shoulder and watching as Fleur worked. "If anyone stares at your scars, or any other part of your body that isn't your face, I'll ruin their face with my fist."
"Please don't," I said. "Not at your wedding."
"Then Fred will do it. But you deserve respect, Sophie. And there are some people you may need to demand it from. I've told you that I don't think anyone here will give you trouble, except perhaps Muriel, but she gives everyone trouble. But if anyone does say anything, consider giving them a good punch in the nose yourself."
"No," I said, opening my eyes to shoot Ginny a look.
"Close your eyes," Fleur said quietly. I did as she said and immediately closed them.
"Fine," Ginny answered. "But at least remember that they're the problem. They are the smaller person for judging someone they know nothing about."
I thought about that for a moment before smiling. "Thanks, Ginny," I said.
"It's actually quite empowering to show them off instead of hiding them," Hermione added. "You're owning the fact that you have scars and just by letting them be visible, it doesn't make you look insecure, even if you feel that way. It puts you in control. You chose to embrace a part of you that may be imperfect. And how people react to that is their choice, not yours. It'll reflect positively or negatively on their character."
She had a point. "You should all be motivational speakers," I said.
"No, we're just doing what friends do," Katie answered. "We wouldn't be good friends if we didn't encourage each other and remind each other that we are amazing."
I giggled. "Well, in any case...thanks."
We finished getting ready with only a few minutes to spare before we were due downstairs.
Since I was the only non-bridesmaid in the room, I slipped out of the room early, only after hugging Ginny, telling her she looked great, and congratulating her again.
I passed Mrs. Weasley on the stairs, who was wringing her hands nervously.
"Are they ready?" She asked. "We're starting any minute."
I nodded and put a hand on her arm as I smiled. "They are-and Ginny looks beautiful."
Mrs. Weasley's eyes filled with tears and she pulled me into a tight hug. "So do you," she said. She pulled away and held my face in her hands as she looked at me. She didn't say anything, but her expression told me everything I needed to know. It was an expression filled with love and joy and it said she was happy I was there. Not just at the wedding, but in general.
"Fred's down in the living room, waiting for you," Mrs. Weasley whispered. She patted my cheek gently before letting me go and heading into Ginny's room.
I took in a breath and slowly let it out before making my way down the rest of the stairs and into the living room. Fred was standing at the fireplace with his back to me. He was studying the pictures on the mantle-more specifically, Percy's photo.
I stayed where I was at the bottom of the staircase, letting Fred continue having the moment to himself. But he still knew I was there. He'd heard me come down the steps.
"He would've been really proud," Fred whispered without turning around. "I wish he was here. If anything, so George and I could've sent bits of wedding cake flying into his glasses."
I let out a quiet laugh. "Ginny's right," I said, "it does seem like you and George see to it that nothing goes smoothly."
Fred turned around then and when he saw me, his face melted into a smile.
"You wore it," he whispered, referring to the dress he'd given me.
"I did," I whispered back.
Fred slowly crossed the room to where I was standing, letting his eyes wander over me from head to toe.
"You look beautiful," he said, reaching up almost aimlessly to tug at his collar.
"Did I take your breath away?" I teased, looking up at him in amusement.
"Nah...torture device, remember?" Fred gestured to his bow tie.
"Ah, that's right." I looked down at my feet and held out one foot and then the other to show off my heels. "Me too. Guaranteed I'll be taking these off the second I'm able to."
Fred chuckled and looked back into my face as he put a hand on my cheek. "I have a confession," he said. "You may have taken my breath away just a little bit."
I laughed and blushed a faint pink as I glanced away.
"And I'm really glad you wore the dress," Fred went on. "I was hoping you would."
"I'm glad I wore it, too." I smiled as he took my hand and slowly spun me around so he could look at me from every angle.
"Perfect," Fred said, letting out a low whistle.
Just then, the front door opened, and an old woman in a navy blue outfit with a matching hat-complete with feathers-came into the room.
"Where is that bride?" She asked almost irritably. "It's one minute past the hour and everyone is waiting." Her eyes fell on Fred. "It's not a surprise that you're late," she said, making her way over to us. "Which one are you?" She reached up and took hold of Fred's chin, tilting his head from one side to the other so that she could look at his ears. "Fred, then," she said, releasing his face.
Fred scoffed and rubbed at the spots on his jaw where her hand had been. "You've got quite the grip for someone your age," he said.
"Just because I'm old, doesn't mean I have an excuse not to keep my wits and my strength about me," she replied. She finally seemed to notice me and raised an eyebrow. "And who are you?"
"This is Sophie...my girlfriend," Fred said. He was giving the woman a hard stare as if daring her to say something offensive. He glanced at me then looked back at the woman. "Sophie, this is Muriel."
Oh. Muriel. I should have known.
"It's nice to meet you," I said quietly, holding out my hand.
"Ah-an American," Muriel said, looking me up and down as she took my hand and gave it a firm shake. "Interesting. Well, you certainly seem polite, if not a little timid. You have lovely eyes, if I do say so myself." She looked me up and down as she continued to squint at me. She glanced at Fred. "However, I think you could do better."
Fred scoffed. "I don't even need to defend Sophie to you," he said. "But I'm going to anyway, because-"
"Save it, boy," Muriel snapped, holding up her hand as she kept her eyes on me. "I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to Sophie. If she's as polite and well-mannered as she seems, then she's too good for you. And clearly too pretty." She finally turned from me to look at Fred. "Ever heard of a comb, boy?" She asked. "And your mother would do well to take some scissors to that hair as well." She paused. "At least your bow tie is on straight this time. It's an improvement from when I saw you at William's wedding."
"Sophie did it," Fred said through clenched teeth as he tugged at the bow tie and his collar again.
"Ah, well," Muriel said, throwing up her hands. "Point proven."
"Come on, Soph, let's get out of here," Fred muttered, taking my hand and pulling me towards the door.
I uttered a quick nice to meet you to Muriel as we passed her and she turned to watch us go.
"Hold on," she said, just as we reached the door. We both froze before I turned slightly to see what she wanted. She came back over to us and walked behind me. "What are these?" She asked, gesturing up and down my back with her finger.
I looked up at Fred, who looked almost murderous at the moment, as if he was plotting the best way to push Muriel over without getting in trouble.
"They're, um, scars," I said, keeping my eyes trained on Fred's face as I gave his hand a squeeze. He squeezed my hand back as my heart pounded in my chest.
"How did you get them?" Muriel asked.
"It doesn't matter," Fred replied through clenched teeth.
"It does matter," Muriel said. "I'd like to know what kind of things your so called girlfriend is getting into where she's getting these kinds of injuries. Maybe she's reckless like you after all. Blows things up for the fun of it, perhaps. Walks into danger without thinking it through. She's American-maybe she got in trouble with the law there and had to run...the possibilities are endless. Or maybe she was injured because of you. One of your inventions gone wrong. Or maybe in one of your drunken fits."
Fred tugged me out of the way so that I was no longer between him and Muriel as he rapidly pulled out his wand and aimed it at Muriel's throat.
"Fred, no!" I cried, trying to yank his arm down.
"Her foster father tried to kill her, you insensitive old bat!" He roared at Muriel.
"Frederick Gideon Weasley!"
We all turned at the sound of Mrs. Weasley's voice. She was standing at the bottom of the stairs. I could see Ginny standing on the bottom step, peering slightly around the corner and stifling a laugh into her hand.
Mrs. Weasley, however, was not laughing. She was livid.
"How dare you!" She hissed. "How dare you pull your wand on her like that! And at your sister's wedding, no less!" Her voice actually shook slightly on her next words. "Your sister is getting married, Fred!"
"How dare I?" Fred cried. He pointed at Muriel. "How dare she! She had the nerve to imply Sophie got her scars because she's a criminal, or-or-" he broke off and shook his head. "She had the nerve to imply that I gave them to her!"
"I heard her," Mrs. Weasley snapped. "But it does not mean you pull your wand on her. So, lower it. Now."
Fred scowled, but lowered his wand anyway. He turned to glare at Muriel. "You don't know a thing about Sophie or her life. How dare you assume the worst before you've even gotten to know her. Not like you would've even tried. You've known me since I was born and you clearly don't know me well either if you'd assume that while I may enjoy pranks and jokes and inventing things, that I'd ever put anyone I love in harm's way."
"Well, it seems to me that for a while, you didn't even know that about yourself, boy," Muriel said. "Given the way you behaved after Percy died."
Fred's jaw clenched and his whole face flushed red, including his ears.
"Muriel," Mrs. Weasley said sternly. "Why don't you go take your seat? We're almost ready now."
"About time," Muriel muttered. "It's not as if I'm getting any younger."
"And if you talk to my son, or any of our other guests like that again, I'll ask you to leave."
"Leave?" Muriel asked, looking at Mrs. Weasley in a mix of shock, but also amusement. "I never thought I'd hear you threaten that, Molly." She sniffed as she seemed to consider her options for a moment. "In other circumstances, I would have taken you up on that. But this is a new hat-I've been dying to wear it somewhere. And I heard that there will be chicken for dinner. I never say no to a properly cooked chicken." She looked at Mrs. Weasley. "That is something you've always done well."
And with that, she turned and made her way back outside at surprising speed for such an old lady.
I felt my entire body relax as she left. I let out a sigh of relief mixed with exhaustion as I tipped my head forward and rested it against Fred's chest. My grip on his arm relaxed as well and I slid my hands down over his chest as his own arms wrapped around me. "I didn't expect it to be that bad," I whispered.
"Fred," Mrs. Weasley said, sounding exhausted herself. "Take Sophie and go find your seats. Send your father back, too. We're ready."
I felt Fred nod his head. He pulled away from me and walked back towards Ginny, who was still standing on the bottom step of the staircase. I saw Mrs. Weasley take notice of my scars and look at them sadly. She looked as if she was holding back from fretting over them, and I'm sure if we weren't moments away from the start of a wedding, she would have. But I kept my mouth shut and pretended I didn't notice her looking. I didn't want her to be upset over them. I was so beyond that at this point.
Fred had reached Ginny by now and he smiled as he looked at her, taking her all in. Her perfect, lacy, form fitting dress, her almost glowing red hair, her bright brown eyes and her many, many freckles that covered her pale skin.
"You look beautiful," Fred told her with a smile. "Don't give Harry too much trouble, you hear me? Go easy on him. Poor bloke's been through a lot."
Ginny laughed. "I'll try," she assured him.
"Always remember to brush your teeth before bed," Fred told her. "Kings can only move one space at a time in chess. Tuck your fingers down when you're chopping vegetables so that you don't cut them off. The word unnecessary has two S's, but only one C." He pretended to think. "What else...oh, and don't forget," he added, reaching out to squeeze her hand as he grinned at her, "you'll always be my little sister."
Tears immediately filled Ginny's eyes. She stomped her foot and looked up at the ceiling in annoyance. "I said I wouldn't cry!"
"I told you it was a good idea to put a waterproof charm on your makeup," Hermione said from further up the stairs. "To think you almost didn't listen to me."
"I know better than to not listen to you, Hermione," Ginny said with a watery laugh as she wiped her eyes with her thumb. She took in a quick breath and let it out as she set her shoulders straight and looked at Fred.
"Percy the Prat would be so happy if he were here," Fred said. "I know you wanted him to be, but the other five of us will have to do." He shrugged. "Normally, he'd be the one with all the right words to say to you. All the good advice and all the right compliments. But I hope I was sufficient enough instead."
Ginny looked at Fred as her eyes filled with tears again. "Fred!" She exclaimed in annoyance. "You need to stop making me cry! You're usually the one making me laugh."
"Sometimes until you do cry, though," Fred whispered.
Ginny let out a sob and threw her arms around Fred's neck, burying her face in his shoulder. "I love you, you prat," she whispered Fred wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up off her feet before placing her back down on the floor.
My own eyes were filled with tears at this point and one glance at Mrs. Weasley told me that she was crying as much as Ginny.
"Love you too, Gin," Fred answered. He squeezed her shoulder before heading back towards me, pausing only to give his mother a kiss on the cheek. And then he reached out for my hand.
I took it and he led me out into the backyard, towards the tent. Fred was quiet as we walked and so was I. I kept sneaking glances at him, though, wondering what was going through his head at the moment.
We actually passed Mr. Weasley on the way to the tent, which was convenient and saved us the trouble of having to find him to send him back to the house.
"Is Ginny ready?" Mr. Weasley asked. "The guests are starting to get restless. We're running late."
"She's ready," Fred said. "They're waiting for you in the living room."
"Oh, great," Mr. Weasley answered. "Like I said, the guests are getting anxious, but most of them should know now that a two o'clock start time is more like two-thirty in Weasley time. If we're lucky." He let out a laugh and clapped Fred on the shoulder. "You two alright?"
"Yeah, just had a nasty run in with Muriel," Fred said, running a hand through his hair as he sighed. "She saw Sophie's scars and wondered out loud if she was a criminal who had a run in with the law and then suggested that perhaps I was the one who gave them to her."
Mr. Weasley made a face. "I know she's your mother's great aunt, but we really need to stop inviting her to things." He looked at me and smiled. "Don't pay her any mind, Sophie. You look lovely. Muriel has trouble getting on with everyone she meets."
"So I've heard," I said with a slight smile.
"Mum actually told Muriel she could leave," Fred said. "But she wants to stay for the food."
"Ah, well I can't say I blame her for that," Mr. Weasley sighed.
"Arthur!" Mrs. Weasley was standing at the door to the house, hissing his name and gesturing for him to get a move on.
"Go on," Fred urged. "Before Mum keels over."
Mr. Weasley nodded, gave me a smile and squeezed my shoulder before jogging off towards the house.
Fred and I took our seats in the front row, next to George, and a moment later, Mrs. Weasley was hurrying up the aisle to her seat as well.
The Weasleys had hired a violinist to provide the music during the ceremony, and Mrs. Weasley gave her the signal to begin before sitting down on George's other side.
Luna stepped into the tent first and began making her way up the aisle. I turned to look at her and smiled. Ginny had chosen gold dresses for the bridesmaids, but all in different styles that suited each bridesmaid the best. Luna's dress happened to be knee length and sleeveless, the skirt flaring out at her waist. The gold color sparkled as if it were made of glitter. Fleur had pinned a yellow sunflower in Luna's hair at Luna's own insistence. Yellow was apparently very good luck.
"Did Harry manage to get his shoes on the right feet?" I whispered to Fred as Luna reached the front of the aisle. Hermione wasn't far behind her, and Katie wasn't far along after that. The last of the bridesmaids was Fleur, and once she'd made it to the front of the aisle, it would be Ginny's turn.
"He did," Fred whispered. He suddenly looked as if he were stifling a laugh. "But his dress shirt is on inside out. George handed it to him that way to see if he'd notice. He didn't."
"And you or George didn't tell him?" I asked.
"No," Fred said with a hushed laugh as he shook his head.
"Poor Harry," I said with a laugh, gazing up at the front of the tent. Harry was standing at the end of the aisle, with Ron standing next to him, along with the other groomsmen. I could just about tell that his shirt was on inside out, and I could definitely see that his hair looked as if he'd been running his hands through it nervously. The fact that I could even tell he'd been running his hands through his hair spoke to how nervous he must have been, given the fact that his hair normally looked as if he'd been messing with it. I smiled to myself as I let out another quiet breath of laughter.
Fleur had reached the front of the aisle by now and taken her spot next to Katie, who was busy making faces at George. Fleur nudged her as the violinist paused in her playing for a moment before playing a different song-the song Ginny would be walking up the aisle to.
She entered the tent a moment later, a beaming smile lighting up her face as she walked. Harry, on the other hand looked like he'd just been hit over the head.
Fred let out a quiet laugh from beside me. "The poor bloke looks a complete mess."
"Hey, at least his shoes are on the right feet," I shrugged as I laughed as well. "Ginny does look really beautiful, though."
"Yeah, she does," Fred answered as he watched his sister walk by us. She stopped at the end of the aisle, kissed her father on the cheek and then turned to look at Harry, still beaming.
A wizard from the Ministry of Magic was officiating the wedding and as he began speaking, Fred leaned closer to me so that he could whisper in my ear.
"Is it wrong if I say I think you look prettier, though?"
I smiled and turned to look at him as he pulled away. "It might be, but as long as you keep your voice down, you can tell me that as many times as you want. I won't tell anyone."
"Good," Fred answered, leaning over to give me a kiss.
We turned our attention back to the wedding after that, and halfway through it, I reached over and took Fred's hand, lacing my fingers through his. I saw him glance at me with a smile, but I kept my eyes on Ginny and Harry, even when Fred lifted my hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it before lowering it back down to his lap.
I couldn't quite explain what I felt as I watched Ginny and Harry recite their vows-promising each other things like forever. It was an odd concept to me. Like I had told Fred, for a long time, I'd never been able to look further ahead than a day or two. The idea of forever hadn't crossed my mind in so long-possibly ever. I couldn't have even promised it to myself, never mind another person. But Ginny and Harry did it so easily. They didn't even have to think about it-they never had. And the way they looked at each other-it was as if they looking at the sun after a long period of rain, or their home after a long period of being away. I suppose that's what they felt like to each other. Home.
Home was what being here felt like to me. Tom and Martha and the Leaky Cauldron felt like home. The Burrow and the Weasleys felt like home. England felt like home. And I could now see myself beginning to entertain the idea of forever, even more so than I could in February, when Fred had asked me about my future. Like he said, I had the time now. I wanted to put down roots here and continue to grow. I wanted a life here. A life with Fred. And as I watched Ginny and Harry say I do, I couldn't help but think of how much I suddenly wanted that. I wanted that with Fred. I wanted to promise him forever, because for the first time, forever was a promise I could keep.
The moment the officiant announced Ginny and Harry as husband and wife, the tent erupted into claps and cheers. Fred and George stood up and let out loud whistles and cheers as they clapped furiously. They were by far the loudest two people in attendance.
The tent was quickly turned into a reception area a few moments later as everyone waited their turn to congratulate Ginny and Harry. Photos were taken after that of the newlyweds as well as the wedding party. There was a professional photographer there, but I had brought my own camera along as well to take some pictures for my own benefit.
Ginny had actually mentioned that if she had known that I was so good at taking photos before she'd already booked the photographer, she would have asked me to officially take the photos at her wedding. It was a sweet sentiment, but I didn't see myself as a professional. At least not just yet. Maybe one day. If things went well with selling my pictures at the Leaky Cauldron, it would be even more encouragement. My options, and my future, were wide open.
"I wish that cranky hag of an old woman had left when Mum suggested she do so," Fred said sullenly during dinner. He had a clear view of Muriel from where he was sitting beside me, and he was aggressively cutting up his chicken as he glared at her. "But I'm glad Ginny ended up sticking her at Mum and Dad's table for dinner and not with us."
"Did she say something to you?" George asked with a frown.
"Of course she did," Fred said irritably. "It's Muriel."
I sighed and explained to George what had happened inside just before the wedding had started.
"She's worse than ever," George said as he shook his head in disbelief. "Normally, I'd be a little surprised that Mum even told her she could leave. She never stands up to Muriel. Usually she's telling us to be nice to her and ignore her comments because she's old. But now I understand. Muriel was way out of line."
"I wish I could've hexed her," Fred said, taking a sip of his drink and forcefully setting it back down on the table. "She's had it coming for years, but today..." he trailed off and shook his head. "Today, Georgie, I was seeing red."
"What happened to not letting people like her or like Marcus Flint take up too much space in our minds?" I asked. "You can be angry, but don't dwell on it too much because Muriel is Muriel and she's not going to change." I reached over and put a hand over Fred's, stopping him from taking his anger out on his chicken anymore. "Your sister just got married, Fred. Don't let Muriel ruin the day for you."
Fred finished chewing the bite of chicken that was in his mouth, staring stonily down at my hand lying over his as he did so. Finally, he swallowed and looked over at me. "I knew you were nervous about wearing that dress today and nervous about people seeing the scars. And for her to-"
"We were expecting her to say something," I said. "And so far, she's the only one who has. Plus, as Hermione told me earlier, Muriel's comments reflect negatively on her character. Not yours and not mine. Just her. Her bitterness is her problem and hers alone."
Fred leaned over and pressed a firm kiss to my forehead. "You're right. Besides, Muriel's, what, one hundred and ten years old now? This very well could be the last time we ever have to see her."
"That might be a little too harsh, don't you think?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Not really, not after what she said to you-and to me. She's old and ornery." He shook his head. "I told you that you need to hex me if I ever get like that and I mean it. I'd almost rather be dead than be as bitter and as mean as her. I've been at my lowest and most miserable and it was awful. I felt like a stranger in my own body because it wasn't me. It wasn't how I wanted to be. It wasn't how I wanted to live."
"Well, you're not living like that anymore," I whispered, smiling softly at him. "Seems to me like you're free."
Fred looked back over at me and smiled. "As free as I can be. And it does feel good." He leaned back in his chair and rested an arm over the back of mine as he lightly ran a finger up and down across the top inch or so of one of my scars that was visible over my chair. "Would you agree?" He asked.
I smiled and nodded my head. "I agree. It feels really good."
