Chapter 6

The Wedding Preparations

Ivy and I hadn't talked to each other since the night Mad-Eye died. I didn't know if the reason was because she was still royally miffed with me, or if she was so busy with Harry, Ron and Hermione, but I was guessing it was a mixture of the two.

I kept myself busy by planning my escape with Emily.

"I turn seventeen on August the first, so I have to stay here for five more days and then we can run." I said one morning.

"No, you said yourself that in the Ministry's eyes, you become of age on July thirty-first, so you only have to stay four days." Emily said, petting Hellion as I fed Diablo.

"No, I have to stay for five days as a formality, if Voldemort's infiltrated the Ministry, he could change the law so I can't do magic until my legal birthday. And even if he didn't, Mrs Weasley and Fleur would kill me if I wasn't there for the wedding."

Fleur decided to have her wedding at the Burrow rather than in France like she had planned, and it was five days until the big day, and the most unexpected visitor came that day.

There was a knock on the door and I stowed mine and Emily's plans away, tucking them under the bed and saying "Come in!"

The door opened and in came Fleur with a short young woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes, she was carrying a backpack.

"Dominique?" I asked, looking at her.

"'ANNAH!" Dominique Lafleur (mostly known as Dommie) said, rushing over and hugging me. "Eet 'as been too long!" she said happily. "Fleur 'as invited me to be een 'er wedding as a bridesmaid, eesn't zat great?" Dommie asked.

"That's awesome, congratulations." I said, beaming at her.

"Oh, 'Annah, zere is somezing I must ask of you, as well." Fleur said, smiling to me "I know we are not ze best of friends, but, I would like to let you loan one of my dresses for ze wedding."

"Ok, that'll work, thanks, Fleur." I said, beaming.

"Zat eez wonderful!" Fleur beamed, taking a hold of my arm quickly "I will need you downstairs to fit you for your dress!" she added, flowing me down the stairs, where Mrs Weasley was kneeling in front of Ginny, who was wearing a pale gold dress.

"We were going to go wiz pale pink, but it would have looked 'orrible on Ginny because ze colour would 'ave clashed wiz her 'air." Fleur explained, standing me next to Ginny and conjuring a measuring tape to measure my height and my waist size (which Fleur was shocked at. "You must eat more, 'Annah, you are skin and bone!" she said.).

Fleur walked off upstairs and came down with a midnight blue dress.

"Put it on so I can check ze fit."

I nodded, stripping just as Harry came down the stairs.

"HARRY!" I screamed, covering myself "Get out! I'm not decent!"

Harry laughed and stayed "Han, you're my sister, it's not like I haven't seen you half naked before." he said.

I sighed and put the dress on, which was slightly baggy.

"You are smaller zan Ginny." Fleur said "Zis dress fits 'er perfectly." she added as she altered it with her tongue in her teeth. "Perfect." she said when the dress fit me like a glove "Now all we need is for Mrs Weasley to feet it for you and you'll be ready for ze wedding."

I nodded "Thanks, Fleur." I said as Fleur conjured my other clothes back on me, the dress in her hands.

"Harry, I need help trying to find a sock that may have fallen out of your rucksack." Mrs Weasley said.

"Oh, ok." Harry said, sighing as I went back upstairs for Emily.

"Hey, Fleur get you to try on the dress?" Emily asked as I sat down.

I nodded. "Yeah." I said, taking out the plans again. "So, did we agree that if anything we want to set up a base camp in a forest?" I asked.

Emily nodded. "Yeah," she said as the door opened with a slight creak.

"What are you two doing?" Dommie asked.

"Crap on a cracker!" Emily hissed, trying to hide the plans, only to have Dommie take them.

"Survival plans?" Dommie asked. "A checkleest for supplies? 'Annah, what are you and zis girl doing?"

I sighed "We've got to run." I explained "I have a feeling that this Ministry is going to fall soon, and then I won't be safe at Hogwarts." I said "This is Emily Ravenwood, she's a wanted Death Eater, she deserted them and now she's on the run, so I promised her she'd come with me."

Dominique nodded "I see." she said, hanging her head "Zat ees understandable." she said "You are wanted by 'E-'O-Must-Not-Be-Named, no?" she asked.

I nodded "I nearly died the last time we met." I said.

Dommie nodded "I see." she said. "Mrs Weasley 'as asked me to get you and Emily downstairs to 'elp wiz Bill and Fleur's wedding preparations."

I nodded, Emily and I standing up. "Sure, we're in." I said brightly, following Dommie downstairs, where Mrs Weasley was waiting.

"Hannah Potter, reporting for duty, Mrs Weasley!" I said happily, saluting Ron's mother.

"Sweet of you to help, Hannah, really. You too, Emily." Mrs Weasley said, handing me a rolling pin "Would you mind helping me back canapés for the wedding, Hannah?" Mrs Weasley asked, handing Emily a cloth "And Hermione could really use your help with polishing the cutlery, Emily." she added, smiling as Emily walked away.

Mrs Weasley put some dough in front of me to roll flat as she mixed the canapé filling. As she did so, she and I got to talking.

"So," she said as I rolled "I've heard from Harry that you're planning on dropping out of Hogwarts."

I paled. Harry, you rat! I thought before taking a deep breath "Yes, Mrs Weasley, I plan on it."

"May I ask why you and Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ivy are abandoning your education?" Mrs Weasley asked.

I took a deep breath, suddenly scared.

Hey, honesty is the best policy. I thought before I answered.

"Well, I…I have this bad feeling in my stomach that…that the Ministry is going to fall soon." I explained.

"Could you elaborate in what you mean by 'the Ministry is going to fall?'" Mrs Weasley asked.

I sighed "I have a feeling that You-Know-Who is going to take over the Ministry soon. I had a dream before I came here that Yaxley has put the Imperious Curse on Pius Thicknesse." I explained.

Mrs Weasley laughed "Oh, Hannah, dear, it was only a dream, you must have misunderstood it as real." she said.

I shook my head as I started cutting canapé shells "I didn't misunderstand." I said calmly before taking a deep breath and telling the first person outside my friends Ivy, Sheila Alexander, Ramona "She-Cat" Capodebt and Emily "I'm a Seer, just like my Divination teacher, Professor Trelawney, I think that this dream was a sign that the Ministry is going to be taken over by You-Know-Who." I admitted.

Mrs Weasley nodded "Yes, but I fail to see how a possible vision means you must abandon your education." she said.

I sighed "If the Ministry is taken over by You-Know-Who, then Hogwarts will be effected, and with You-Know-Who as Minister for Magic, he could put Death Eaters in as Professors or worse, put a Death Eater in as Headmaster, with that in mind, with this possibility looming, I feel that Hogwarts won't be safe for me anymore, so I have to run to keep from being murdered."

Mrs Weasley looked at me, shock clear in her eyes before she nodded "Yes, I understand." she said "Although I am a little disappointed that you are abandoning your education, I understand your predicament. Many people had to go on the run the last time that You-Know-Who was in power." Mrs Weasley said.

Nothing more was said on me running off to honestly Skinner knew where after that statement, Mrs Weasley just gossiped away happily about how excited we were for the wedding and how I was going to be disguised for it ("I don't care how you disguise me as long as I have my black hair still." I had said.)

Mrs Weasley took my request to heart and found a Muggle girl that was my size with my black hair. I was elated at that and was very excited to slip on the dress Fleur was loaning me.

That night, I went up to Ron's room after dessert, where he was told to clean out his room, and found him with Harry and Hermione.

"Hey, guys." I said, looking around.

"Ivy's downstairs, if that's who you're looking for, Hannah." Harry said.

"Actually, I'm not on speaking terms with Ivy right now." I said, sitting on Ron's bed. "What's up?" I asked.

"Harry's saying that we can't go with him anymore." Hermione said.

"Go with him where?" I asked.

"To kill Voldemort." Harry answered quickly "I have to do something for Dumbledore, so I'm dropping out of Hogwarts to do it."

I sighed. "Ok." I said. "You want me to -?" I asked.

"No." Harry said "I've got Ron and Hermione and Ivy, I'll be fine." Harry responded with a smile.

I huffed. Harry was always up to something, and he was always excluding me from his harebrained schemes.

I shrugged, having a feeling that Mrs Weasley needed help with something, so I left with a mumbled "See you, Harry."

I rushed back downstairs to see Mrs Weasley standing in the living room with a pile of wedding presents around her.

"Need help, Mrs Weasley?" I asked, smiling.

"Thank you, Hannah, dear, I could use the help with sorting out the wedding presents." Mrs Weasley said.

I beamed "Ok," I said, sitting on the floor and taking a present.

"Sweet of you. Just read the labels I've put on the bins and you'll be fine." Mrs Weasley said "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go and double check if we have enough canapés for the wedding. Ta, Hannah." Mrs Weasley said, walking away and leaving me to sort the presents as someone else came in.

"Need a hand?" Ivy's voice said timidly.

I looked up and shrugged "Sure, pull up a floor." I said coldly.

"You're still mad at me." Ivy said, sitting down across from me and reading the labels Mrs Weasley wrote.

I nodded "Little bit." I said "I mean, can you blame me? You called me a traitor and said that because of Draco, I've changed for the worse." I said, trying to sound civil.

"I'm sorry about that." Ivy said. "It's just…the war's getting to me, too. All the stress of what I'm helping Harry do just made me snap at you. I never meant to say that, so I'm sorry, please accept my apology."

I smiled "Apology accepted." I said, placing my present back down and hugging her "Besides, we've been through enough fights, haven't we?"

Ivy nodded "Absolutely." she said.

With that said, me and Ivy started sorting out presents happily, chatting away until Mrs Weasley relieved us to substitute Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"See you, guys." I said, walking away, Ivy following me.

"You going to be ok? When you're on the run, I mean." Ivy asked.

I nodded "Yeah, I think I will. You?" I asked.

Ivy nodded "I think so. As long as I've got Harry, Ron and Hermione with me, I'll be ok."

I smiled "Same here, as long as I've got Emily, I'll be fine, too." I said.

"You and Ivy can go up to bed, dears!" Mrs Weasley called.

I turned around "Thank you, Mrs Weasley!" I said, me and Ivy going up to Ginny's room.

Fleur's parents were arrived the next morning at eleven o'clock sharp. It seemed that Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were resentful towards Fleur's family at this point, because Ron stomped upstairs to put on matching socks and Harry tried (and miserably failed.) to flatten his messy hair.

The only thing I didn't like was that I was forced to wear one of Ginny's sundresses, which I couldn't stand. I vowed only to wear dresses on special occasions.

I had never seen the Burrow looking so tidy. The rusty cauldrons and Wellington boots were replaced by two new Flutterby Bushes, the chickens were shut away and the garden was spruced up, weeded and pruned.

The first sense of Mr Weasley coming back was a high pitched laugh. (The reason why the Delacours weren't just Apparating here was because of the many security enchantments placed on the Burrow by the Order and the Ministry.) Harry and I looked to each other and agreed that this welcoming ritual wasn't going to be much fun.

Mr Weasley came through the front gate, ladden with luggage and leading a tall, beautiful blonde woman, who could only be Fleur's mother.

"Maman!" Fleur cried, running up to hug her "Papa! Gabrielle!"

Monsieur Delacour was nowhere near as attractive as his wife. He was a foot shorter, plump and had a pointy black beard, but, he was friendly enough! He kissed Mrs Weasley twice on both cheeks, leaving her flustered.

"You 'ave been too much trouble!" he said in a deep voice "Fleur 'as told us you 'ave been working very 'ard."

Mrs Weasley giggled "Oh, it was nothing, nothing, no trouble at all!"

Ron kicked a gnome which was coming out from behind one of the Flutterby bushes.

"Dear lady!" Monsieur Delacour said, his hands still holding one of Mrs Weasley's. "We are most honoured at the approaching union of our two families! Allow me to present my wife, Apolline."

Madam Delacour stooped down and kissed Mrs Weasley's cheeks.

"Enchantée." Madam Delacour said happily "Your 'usband 'as been telling us such amusing stories!"

Mr Weasley laughed, and Mrs Weasley gave him a dark look, making him assume the look appropriate to the sickbed of a close friend.

"And of course you 'ave met my leetle daughter, Gabrielle!" Monsieur Delacour said, addressing a girl who was Fleur in miniature. She had long waist length silvery blonde hair. She flashed a dazzling smile towards Mrs Weasley and hugged her before turning to my brother, smiling and fluttering her eyelashes. Ginny cleared her throat loudly.

I rolled my eyes.

"Ah, you must be 'Annah Potter!" Gabrielle said happily, curtsying to me. "Enchantée."

"Well, come in, do!" Mrs Weasley said, ushering the Delacours in after many uses of the terms "No, please!" and "After you!" and "Not at all!"

Downside to all this company, the Burrow wasn't used to holding this many people. After many protests from the Delacours, Mr and Mrs Weasley were sleeping in the sitting room; Gabrielle was sleeping with Fleur in Percy Weasley's old room. Bill was going to share with Charlie Weasley, his best man when Charlie arrived from Romania; Harry and Ron were sleeping in Ron's room; and me, Ivy, Ginny, Dommie and Emily were sleeping in Ginny's room.

That night, me, Emily, Ivy, Dommie and Ginny were gossiping when Mrs Weasley came in.

"Hannah, dear, seeing as the wedding is the same day as your birthday, and the Ministry sees you as a woman tomorrow, we're going to celebrate your birthday tomorrow along with Harry's. is there anything that you want to do? Seventeen, after all, it's a very important day." Mrs Weasley asked.

"It's ok, Mrs Weasley, I don't want much." I said. "Really, I'm used to my birthday not being a very big deal. A normal dinner is fine enough for me, it is a day before the wedding." I said.

"Oh, all right, dear, if you're sure," Mrs Weasley said. "I'll invite Remus and Tonks then, shall I? And how about Hagrid? Maybe the James' and Michael and Ekaterina and her twins, Polina and Sophia?"

"Sure, Mrs Weasley, invite whoever you want." I said, smiling.

"Is there anyone that you want there tomorrow?" Mrs Weasley asked.

I looked down, there was one person that I wanted, but he wouldn't be able to come because of Voldemort.

"No, Mrs Weasley." I lied, smiling. "Thanks. That'd be great. But please don't go to too much trouble…"

"Not at all…no trouble…" Mrs Weasley said, giving me a searching look and smiling sadly at me before she walked out the door.

I sighed. I really hated that I was inconveniencing and upsetting her so much.

"You were lying." Ivy said, making me turn to her "There is someone that you wanted here tomorrow."

I nodded "Yeah." I muttered. "But he won't be able to make it."

"Who?" Emily asked, making Ginny, Dommie and Ivy glare at her as if she was the stupidest girl on the planet.

"MALFOY!" they yelled together.

I shrugged, lying down on the cot "I'll talk about it in the morning, you guys. Goodnight." I said, closing my eyes.

"Night." Ginny, Dommie, Emily and Ivy said together as I went to sleep.

A/N: Ok, Potter fans, Dumbledore's will is released next chapter! So, what should Hannah and Ivy get in the will? I seriously have no idea. Any ideas will help as long as they are relevent to the story and can help Hannah and Ivy on their adventure. Please I need ideas! Thank you!