Ron watched the guests arrive. There were so many of them. He knew there was no backing out. His mother had made that perfectly clear. Lavender had trapped him.
Sod all, he'd trapped himself.
"Is she here yet?" Harry glanced at him while he poured himself three fingers of fire whiskey. "You're watching for her. It's obvious."
"I hate having to hurt her." Ron sighed.
"It didn't stop you." Harry tossed back his drink and exhaled a stream of white smoke. "I don't think this will hurt nearly as much as finding out you were having sex with Lavender while she planned your wedding."
"You think I don't know that?" Ron ran his hand through his hair and paced around the room. It felt good to give in to his agitation.
"I think you hurt our best friend. I think you had your mother and sister talk me around so that I hurt my best friend. I think we both deserved better from you." Harry narrowed his eyes. "And I know Hermione deserved better from me."
"She'll forgive me someday." Ron glanced back toward the window.
"I'm not sure she'll forgive me." Harry ground the words out.
"We're her family." Ron sighed. "We're all she has left."
"Neville and his grandmother adopted her." Harry's lips moved in the ghost of a smile. "She doesn't need us. She never really did."
"Mum will bark like a crup when she finds out." Ron rubbed his hand over his face. "Hermione Granger was a good catch, but Hermione Longbottom..."
"What?" Harry glared at Ron. "She's still Hermione. She's still the only person that's always stood by me."
"Yeah, she's that, but, as a Longbottom, she's more. She's the greatest treasure of an ancient and noble house. Bloody hell." Ron dropped onto a chair. "The noble houses don't produce witches very often. Hermione as a Longbottom, she's like a black, winged unicorn."
"I didn't know there were winged unicorns." Harry adjusted his glasses. "Hermione isn't some mythical figure. She's Hermione."
Luna smiled up at Theo as they approached the Weasley home from hers. He was dealing well with the new realities of his life. His appreciation for order and logic made the adjustment a bit of a trial. He was trying to relax his Slytherin tendencies and be more optimistic. Luna hummed. He would always be protective. He'd lost so much that what was still with him became far more precious. Draco and Hermione had changed things so quickly. It wasn't odd that it left Theo reeling.
"I don't understand why we are attending this wedding." Theo looked at the trees along the path. "He's nothing to her now."
"He will always be something to her. They fought a war together. Well, really they fought a war somewhat adjacent to each other. Their childhoods were spent keeping their mutual friend alive." Luna squeezed his arm gently. "Harry asked her to do this."
"Why are we attending?" Theo frowned as the orchard came into view.
"Hermione will be here. She'll need support from her friends and family." Luna smiled up at him as he slowly nodded his head. "Plus, it works toward her goal."
"A better world through weddings?" Theo chuckled.
"The magic of a wedding shouldn't be underestimated." Luna patted his arm. "There are several kinds of humming whizzerpods that only reproduce near bonding ceremonies."
Theo nodded, and she couldn't detect the tiniest hint of derision. She felt like the bubbles in those muggle drinks Hermione favored. This wizard, with all his caution and care, accepted her.
"Plus, watching Ron's face change colors when he sees Hermione and Draco will be quite amusing." Luna giggled. "He's very colorful."
Molly Weasley eyed her older sons through the window as they checked the arrangements for the wedding. Ron was getting ready in the room above her. Harry was helping him. Her older boys, well, it was best to keep them far from her youngest boy.
Bill and Charlie were still flinging stray hexes at Ron. George had to be restrained from blowing him up. Even Percy wouldn't stay in a room with him. Ginny was the only one of her children that didn't mind being around him.
Ron deserved their disdain. The fool had ruined a perfect future with a powerful witch. She'd like to hex him herself, but he was her youngest boy. Her foolish, somewhat dim lothario of a son had made his bed.
She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. Her guilt was acting against her magic. She needed to think peaceful thoughts.
"It will be okay, Mum." Ginny came into the room. "He will keep his job, and you'll have a grand baby soon."
"I keep telling myself those things." Molly sighed. "It doesn't make it better."
"Lavender is a better fit for him." Ginny shrugged. "Hermione is so goal oriented. She doesn't know how to enjoy herself. She wasn't suited to the life of a quidditch wife."
"She would have helped him. Quidditch won't last forever." Molly shook her head. "Lavender will worship him. She won't help him be a better man. She'll be content to let him be."
"He isn't a bad man. He will be okay. Ron deserves someone that really loves him." Ginny patted her mother on the shoulder. "And Lavender really does."
"Love isn't always enough." Molly looked at her daughter. "I feel guilty about using Harry to get Hermione to attend."
"We had no choice, Mum." Ginny stepped back and frowned. "Ron can't lose his job. There's the baby to consider."
Molly nodded and dropped her eyes to the thick carpet. She missed her old home. The new house didn't feel right, but then nothing had felt right since long before the war.