Chapter 23- Another Birthday and Another Wedding
*****Ginny*****
It was all a stupid, stupid plan, and Ginny hoped that she would think the same if she were risking her life instead of sitting and standing and pacing and waiting. It was a stupid, dangerous plan. Wouldn't they suspect that Harry would end up here for the wedding anyway? The marriage wasn't secret, plenty of people would be there. Or maybe they thought the light side wouldn't be so stupid to do something so obvious as keep Harry Potter at his best friend's house.
Almost all of her family was out there right now. Just her and Mum at home, making food. She was not some woman to wait on the men to do the work! That wasn't a fair assessment of her mother either, who was as fierce as anyone, and also several women were on the mission, just neither of them. It was just… why was anyone out flying around, and why was she making pies?
What if someone died?
What if it was someone in her family? Or Harry or Hermione or Dora or Remus- because they were all her family, regardless of last name. And Fleur wasn't quite her sister yet but they'd- they'd bonded. Ginny remembered thinking unkind things about the older girl during Ginny's third year, and that had just been so petty.
When they had too much food, Ginny and her mother just stood outside, waiting.
Harry and Hagrid were back first. Harry was in Hagrid's arms.
"He's alright. Just had a rough landing," Hagrid said.
Harry made a groaning sound.
"There's a good lad," Hagrid coaxed. "Muriel fixed him up, and said he'd be just fine."
"Oh, let's get him inside," Mum ushered. Ginny stayed outside. Nothing she could do there. Mum had plenty of practice with healing charms with the boys and girl she raised.
Harry would be okay. It was then that she thought about Hedwig, and almost ran inside to ask. But what was the point? Ginny felt sick. If Harry was going to send Hedwig ahead, he would have done that days ago. Hedwig kept him company at the Dursley's house. She didn't make it through the trip, and asking wouldn't help anyone.
Tonks and Ron missed their arrival time, and the portkey came back empty. Ginny felt even worse. Where had they gone? Ginny didn't know where all the safe houses were. There was the Tonkses and Aunt Muriel… Ginny didn't know the others.
Dad and Fred next. Ginny almost cried when they landed, unharmed. Fred swept her in a hug.
"Your boyfriend says he wished he could see you," Fred told her. "Or wished the two of you were together, I guess he said. You're welcome for passing the message along."
"Ron and Tonks missed their portkey," Ginny said instead of thanks. She was too worried.
He father and brother looked at each other, and her father nodded.
"Did Harry and Hagrid arrive?" her father asked.
"Yeah," Ginny replied. "They're inside. Harry was hurt, but he's okay. Did Harry have Hedwig with him when he left?"
"Yes," Fred answered.
"I don't think she made it," Ginny explained.
Their father walked towards the house, and Fred was still hugging her.
"I- don't think I saw Ron since the beginning, but was hard to see anything. I think they got out fast. Tonks said no one would think she was worth going after, she hoped. And she had a bland face on. But… Mad-Eye died. I hope she didn't see because she was- his student in the aurors?" Fred checked.
"Yeah," Ginny answered, throat tight. Mad-Eye and Mundungus was the only pairing who didn't have at least one person in it who Ginny knew well, who Ginny loved, even. But that didn't mean they weren't important to other people.
Fred and Ginny broke apart with the next arrivals.
"George!" his twin shouted as two men fell to the ground, George and Remus.
"There's blood," Fred said, inspecting George's leg. Ginny could see bandages through a slit in the bloody jeans.
"Nasty cutting hex. Remus got the worse of it."
"I'm fine, I'm fine," Remus grumbled. "Had much worse, barely got me," Remus was saying. He seemed a little out of it. "Was a traitor- someone. George- Fred, ask him question. Tonks?" he asked, looking around aimlessly until eyes locked on Ginny.
"She and Ron missed their portkey," Ginny mumbled. She felt like she'd said it too many times already.
"Early groups didn't have enough time. We almost missed ours trying to get fixed up. I'm sure they're fine," George said firmly, a hand on Remus's shoulder and another on Fred's.
"Harry?" Remus asked next.
"He's fine," Fred said, " He's inside, where you're both going now.
"Traitor- someone," Remus insisted.
"He lost a lot of blood," George supplied. "And had pain potions without blood replenishers because they didn't have any."
Fred helped Remus and George inside, leaving Ginny alone again. Had she been alone? Fred hadn't told them about Mad-Eye. And Ginny hadn't heard anything about Mundungus.
Ginny!" Hermione greeting from the ground a moment later. Kingsley had his wand trained on Ginny. Ginny didn't even react. It had been a stupid, long night that wasn't over.
"Ron and Tonks aren't back, and Mad-Eye's dead," Ginny spouted out.
"Shit," Kingsley said, sounding strange in his lovely, deep voice. "Miss Granger, ask her a question."
"Ah… what did you tell me when I told you about going with Krum to the Yule Ball?" Hermione asked.
"I said that Ron was going to go crazy, but that's okay because he's an idiot. But he's not so much an idiot anymore, right?" Ginny said.
"No, he's not so much anymore," Hermione repeated, hugging tightly.
"Remus, George, and Harry were hurt, but they're okay," Ginny added.
Kingsley went inside, probably to interrogate the others, but Hermione waited with Ginny, but she was looking at the house.
"Harry's okay?" she said a minute later.
"Just a fall," Ginny said. "He was awake. He's had much worse just from quidditch," she said, feeling it was true. Because someone would have said if he wasn't okay.
Bill and Fleur missed their portkey. Neither Hermione nor Ginny commented on the brass bell appearing with no one attached. That worried Ginny even more than Ron's. Maybe Ron didn't have time, but surely Bill and Fleur should have?
Ginny didn't know how many minutes later it was when Bill and Fleus appeared, riding a thestral. Ginny still wasn't used to seeing the things- knowing that she'd been around them for years without knowing they existed was strange. Fleur slid down elegantly. Ginny wondered if either of them could see it. She didn't know that about her own brother. But she thought he probably could.
"We got chased in the wrong direction, and by the time we lost them, it was easier just to come here," Bill explained. "Is everyone else?" he asked.
Hermione spoke for Ginny this time. "We're still waiting on Ron and Tonks. They- probably got diverted like you did," she said, voice calm. Bill nodded stiffly, hugging Fleur. Tonks was Bill's friend too. "We've heard that Professor… that Mr. Moody died," Hermione finished.
"Let's go see the others, and then I might have to go," Bill murmured to Fleur.
"Why?" Ginny asked.
"Because if we don't get the body, they will," he said.
That seemed stupid. Her brother wasn't going to go get killed over someone who was already dead.
"Death Eaters are using inferi," he told her, because of course he knew what she was thinking. "Corpses reanimated. Don't want them doing that to him. Or having that eye," he said.
"You don't have to go," Ginny told him, firmly.
"I need to check in with the others," Bill said instead.
"I 'ope Ronald ees okay," Fleur told both of the girls, looking at each in turn "And Tonks," she added to Ginny, before turning and hurrying after Bill.
Ginny brooded over stupid plans until Tonks and Ron appeared.
"It's them!" Hermione screamed. They certainly would have been in trouble if the wards had let in anyone else.
Ginny ran forward and hugged them both together. Hermione joined her on Ron's side.
"What took you so long?" Ginny complained.
"Belatrix," Tonks- Dora- hissed. "I don't know if I'm going to tell Mum. I don't know if she'd be a danger to Mum, or just the rest of us not worthy to be in her family. And I don't know about Draco, though I'll warn him. I'm only sorry she's not dead now," she said. "Ron did great though. Stunned Rodolphus straight to the head, and something else nasty as well. I'm frankly surprised Bellatrix cared enough to stop her husband from falling to his death, but it did help us get away. We should all be quite proud of Ron. Did a junior auror's job tonight."
"You did?" Hermione said, her voice a little in awe- which was unusual.
"Always the tone of surprise," Ron grumbled, but he held on tighter to Ginny, and presumably Hermione as well.
"That's adorable. Ginny, where's Remus?" Tonks asked.
"And Harry?" Ron added.
"Both fine," Ginny managed, because Tonks had asked her. "A little… banged up, but okay. They're inside," Ginny said.
"Okay?" Tonks asked, a little more nervous.
"Yes, walking, talking, okay. Remus got a nasty cut, but he's fine. Harry- I think the motorcycle crash landed, but Hagrid said he's fine..
"I haven't seen him yet. We should check in, don't you think?" Hermione asked, looking between Tonks and Ginny. "And we need to all see Kingsley, right?" Hermione said. "He's very insistent on checking everyone's identity."
"Oh yeah, he gets that from Mad-Eye. I have an instant out- can't fake being a metamorphmagus. Is… everyone else okay? Are we the last ones back?" Tonks asked. Dora. Hermione probably mentioned Kingsley thinking he should be the one to break the news to Tonks. "Ginny, tell me right now," Dora said a second later.
"Mad-Eye died," Ginny said softly. Saying it any more slowly wasn't going to help.
"Shit," she hissed.
Ginny hugged her tightly, because what else was there to do.
"Oh, shit," Dora said again. "Shit. Crazy old man wanted to go out just like that. When they finally pushed him out of the aurors, he said he didn't want to go out peacefully in his sleep or drowning in his own drool."
"We're so sorry, Tonks," Hermione whispered, a little teary. Ginny hadn't figured out yet if that was a good thing to say or bad.
"It's a good way to go. And it... worked. Let's… go see Remus and Harry, and the others," Tonks said. She still had the face she arrived in, plain blonde, not really anything like herself. She knew Tonks sank into her 'normal' self sometimes when she was emotional, and Ginny wondered if that was coming, and if she could do anything more to help.
*****Ginny*****
Everyone knew that Mum was trying to keep the three of them spread apart from the moment Harry joined Hermione and Ron at the Burrow- as if to stop them from talking to each other so they couldn't leave to go off on whatever half-planned dangerous excursion they were going to do anyway. And they probably could use all the preparation time they could get.
"So you've been like… wanting to learn like domestic stuff- because you want to marry Malfoy?" Ron asked over a large pile of mixed family members' clothes that Ginny had had them bring up to her room 'to get out of the way'. "You know you could have a house elf?"
"Ignoring the intense instability of Draco's family status and uncertainty of his and our financial future… also, if we didn't have a house elf, I wouldn't be doing all of the household chores alone, and Draco knows that. Ted cooks more often than Andromeda," Ginny mentioned.
"I mean, I didn't think you'd be the type to want to like… cook and clean everything, but you're sure bonding with Mum over it a lot lately, aren't you?"
"I'm giving you as much privacy to get away to talk with Hermione and Harry as I can. And I'm not expecting an invitation, but I can do stuff, you know. I'm really not interested in napkin folding."
"That's- thanks, Gin."
"I know it. Now, go join them- they're outside." Ron glanced at the door skeptically. Their mother would see him.
"There's been really strong cushioning charms outside my bedroom window since I was six," Ginny said. "Go for it."
"Huh?" Ron asked.
"Dad will probably be in the shed for hours, and Mum's probably in the kitchen."
"You want me to jump out the window to avoid our mother?" Ron asked.
"It's a valid option. I snuck out pretty regularly to fly back then. Sometimes I didn't use the stairs down- I made a ladder, but it wasn't very good. I don't know if it was Bill or Dad who found out first, but the charms are always there. And you've got a wand of your own, so use it," Ginny said, shrugging, and turning back to their laundry task. She'd try out the domestic charms she'd made her mother teach her, and she wouldn't notice that the job was done in the time it would take the two teenagers to do it without magic. Because Ron wasn't any good at those charms, so he didn't bother, except scourgify- which he also wasn't that great at. Really, having Ginny clean anything without magic was just cruel.
"You're a really interesting person, Ginny," Ron said by the window, looking down.
"Thanks. Now get out of my room. I have it to myself little enough these days."
"You and Fleur seem to be getting on well," Ron said.
"We are. Get out. Love you," she added.
"Love you too."
*****Draco*****
Family dinners at the Tonks house happened naturally, usually. Everyone was eating more or less the same things at the same time, so they naturally ate together. Usually at the table, but sometimes around the telly if they put on a film or game. Draco Malfoy watched football on the telly. And cricket. Ted liked to keep up with how the leagues were doing. He would call his muggle brother on the telephone about it sometimes. The television and the telephone weren't related as far as Draco could tell, but he hadn't wanted to ask. He had learned how to work the telly, and he was sure he could have managed the telephone if he had anyone to call.
Football was like quidditch without most of the things that made quidditch interesting, including the frequency of scoring. But it wasn't too bad, and he could, perhaps, acknowledge that a time limit was a more realistic ending to a game, and that… perhaps the snitch was too important to be worth so many points and end the game. Cricket, it was noted that the British invented, and spread to their sphere of political influence, but never won a World Cup, which seemed a severe sore point. They'd been runners up two and three times ago, but not even gotten that far at the last one. Also, Muggles had two countries of Ireland, and one of them was part of the 'United Kingdom' and the other wasn't. Football had World Cups too. He wondered if wizards or muggles had started the term.
Cricket lasted for hours, and then they would pick back up the next day and keep playing. Which seemed more practical for the players in some ways than quidditch, playing without stopping, but you could never have an actually short game. Cricket was more of a thing to have on in the background, in Draco's opinion. Football might have had it right with ninety minutes or so. And the goals being rare did make them more exciting when they happened. He might have shouted at the telly along with Ted. But Ted wouldn't tell anyone, except probably Andromeda, who had been working late particular that evening. And it might have happened after that on a few other occasions when Andromeda was around. She didn't seem particularly interested in the football, but she had some players whom she liked, and would ask how they were doing.
On evenings when Dora was around last summer, it wasn't much different if she was there or not. She fit in the family, and Draco didn't fit any better or worse when she was there.
When Remus was there, it felt organized and intentional, best foot forward, and always at the table. Ted explained that they could tape a game on a V-C-R and watch it later. It was the same with Ginny, but on those times it actually was a truly planned occasion, mostly one of their birthdays. It made him realize more than anything else that he was just part of the family. That he wasn't special there because it was his home. He hoped it would be informal with Ginny if she were around more often, if it was just an average day.
They had wine with dinner when Remus was there, when they didn't usually. There was always alcohol around the house, but it wasn't often consumed. Ted would have a beer or ale or two or three while watching a match. From the name beer, Draco had been expecting something like butterbeer, which made him dislike what he had instead at first sip. It was cold. And didn't taste nearly as nice. In the Malfoy home, there had been wine, harder spirits that only his father had, usually with guests in a room alone, and butterbeer as a rare treat for Draco.
Draco was thinking about how he'd see Ginny in two days at her brother's wedding. Draco Malfoy would be seen publicly with the Weasley family. Just attending the wedding might change everything for him come September, but he would go anyway. There wouldn't be any of the crowd that his parents ran with, no Death Eaters, or society that was intentionally Death Eater-adjacent, but there would doubtless be people who Mr. Weasley associated with at the Ministry who associated with… it really didn't bear thinking on when he couldn't change it.
The Tonks family was having a lovely dinner which should have felt casual but didn't. And all of them would be at the wedding tomorrow as well, but Draco wouldn't arrive with any of them or appear to know them at all, probably. Part of the tension was probably that they hadn't seen Dora since the night that the Weasleys were at the house and told them that her mentor had died. Dora had written, but she hadn't come to the house. She didn't come over every week. It wouldn't have been strange not to see her under other circumstances.
But when your crazy aunt tries to kill you- again- and your mentor dies… seems like a good time to visit home. At least she'd written. Warned them to stay safe. But now she was here, and still not talking about any of that. But she had pink hair, which Draco hoped meant she was doing alright, though he didn't understand much of it.
When Dora went for the water in front of her instead of the wine as soon as she sat down, Draco knew. It was objectively nothing to go on, and he wasn't even sure where he'd heard that pregnant women weren't supposed to drink alcohol- or at least that muggles had decided that pregnant women shouldn't drink much alcohol. Probably from Andromeda or Ted. Dora had looked surprisingly happy that day, Draco thought.
"What?" Dora asked. "Something on my face?"
"No- nothing- just a thought. Probably wrong. Don't worry about it," he said, eyes slipping to her other glass, the full class of wine that her father had poured.
"No, you figured it out!" Dora declared, smiling. "Remus hasn't even, and I thought he might… smell it or something."
"What?" Lupin asked, confused. Oh, wasn't this a bad idea to tell her husband something like what Draco was pretty sure was coming with an audience?
"I'm pregnant!" she squealed. "We're having a baby!"
"That's… that's highly unlikely, isn't it? We… isn't that highly unlikely?" Remus asked, eyes wide. Oh, this wasn't good.
"Mum, could you double check me?" Dora asked, eyes wet.
Andromeda murmured a spell that Draco tried to follow, and a soft light settled around Dora's abdomen before dissipating.
"Oh, my baby!" Andromeda whispered.
"We're so excited for you, Dora," Ted said. "Let's get this drink away from you and over to Remus. I'm sure he needs it right now, and that's quite alright," Ted said, a hand on Remus's shoulder, putting the wine glass into both of the other man's hands.
"Oh, Remus, I know we weren't planning on this, especially this fast, but I'm just so excited!" Dora said.
"Well, I think we've all eaten enough. I made a cake! Let's grab it, why don't we, Remus? And I have a lovely scotch in the kitchen."
"Are you okay, Remus?" Dora asked.
"Yes," Lupin said, and kept moving.
"He's just had a bit of a shock, dear," Ted said. "I've seen plenty of men faint."
Draco wished them the best, but he wasn't sure which of them he was more worried about.
Pudding consisted almost entirely of Andromeda talking to Dora. Draco wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure what. Dora and Remus left quickly after.
*****Draco*****
He'd almost felt kinship with Potter when they were among the few not allowed to take the Apparition exam with the other sixth years. And Draco wouldn't be going anywhere as visible as the Ministry to take it now, any more than Potter would in a few days.
Every person in their world knew Harry Potter's birthday, almost as well as they knew that Halloween night, when Potter was exactly fifteen months old. There was a group who did the stupid math and wondered if the savior child was conceived on Halloween, and what that meant. If Draco bought any of it, he would have taken divination.
Dora and Remus would celebrate with Potter, probably. He didn't think they would infringe on Potter's day with news of the baby. Maybe it was too soon to tell anyone about the baby still at all. Miscarriages happened. His parents never talked about it, but Draco never thought he was intended to be an only child. He hoped that… if he and Ginny ever wanted children… that there was some truth in good Weasley genes for… successful childbearing. There were a lot of only children at Hogwarts, and Draco didn't think that many of the pureblood ones were by choice. Large families were expensive and not done, but surely some wanted two or three? Having two healthy daughters was one of the reasons his parents ever considered the Greengrass family. All things far in the future. He hoped in a world where he wouldn't be afraid to walk into his government's building.
He genuinely hoped that Ginny would enjoy Potter's birthday. And Dora.
And he would see them the next day.
*****Ginny*****
Birthdays seemed more significant now, after her whole life changed on one. And Harry didn't have a lot of good birthday memories, she knew. The way he still appreciated every gift, even though he had more than enough money to buy whatever he wanted… It would be one of his best birthdays just because he wasn't at the Dursleys'. And coming of age had to be special. Ginny hoped that Draco's had been special enough.
There was Mad-Eye's death hanging over them all, and Harry was probably still blaming himself for that. Ginny hadn't talked to him much. Hermione would do better. And Ron wasn't so hopeless on that stuff.
And, they were definitely about to go do something dangerous- Ron wasn't intending to go back to Hogwarts, Ginny knew- all of them knew, including their mother by now. Their dad and Fred and George had the ghoul ready to move into Ron's room when the three left, but she still didn't want to acknowledge it. But Harry's birthday and Bill and Fleur's wedding would be two perfect, peaceful days. And then Ginny would probably help with a distraction plan to let them sneak away that night or the next morning.
The Delacours had arrived the day before Harry's birthday, two days before the wedding.
All of the early extra cleaning they had suffered through before their arrival was worth it to see Fleur so happy.
Ginny was outside just in time to see the happy reunion.
"Maman! Papa! Gabrielle!" and they all wrapped into a family hug.
Fleur had insisted that they didn't need any more space if Ginny didn't mind. They had been offered Percy's old room multiple times. Hermione and Ginny were already on the floor, leaving Fleur the small bed, and the older young woman had insisted that she and Gabrielle wouldn't mind sharing. Ginny would be on the floor either way, and Hermione insisted she didn't care. It let Ginny's parents have a room other than the sitting room. Everyone would fit somehow.
Gabrielle was Fleur in miniature. Eleven years old, and evidently not at all shy.
As Mr. Delacour was introducing his family- Ginny liked the short man immediately- little Gabrielle only had eyes for Harry. Ginny couldn't blame the girl. Even if in not actually life threatening conditions in the younger girl's case… Ginny knew what it was like to be saved by The Harry Potter. It made Harry as uncomfortable now as it had when he was twelve, but Ginny smiled. Who knew- little girls grew up, and stranger things had happened. Katie Bell wasn't in the picture anymore, on friendly terms. They hadn't been particularly serious, but that was good for Harry. Too much of his life had been far too serious, and that might always be the case.
Ginny acquiesced to helping her mother make Harry's cake- a nearly perfectly round snitch that had to be levitated while icing, and would surely be flattened at some point anyway, but it was impressive.
Fred had helped her with a gift, but it had been her idea- more of an idea to benefit all three of them, really. Storage containers that would keep food fresh for months at a time. The twins used similar things in their joke shop. There was always enough food around the house that it was easy to put some away. Ginny gave them to Hermione that morning to give to Harry- or really to show to him and then keep in that bag of hers. Ginny didn't want to refer to their upcoming trip with the Delacours around- and the less said to Mum the better.
Harry's dinner was nice. Too much food even for the large number of guests- Tonks, Remus, and Hagrid added to the lot already staying at the Burrow, and Charlie home at last. It still felt more like the day before the first Weasley wedding of their generation than it did like Harry Potter's coming of age, but Ginny thought that Harry wouldn't mind in the least. Remus looked uncomfortable, but Ginny hadn't kept track of the moon, so maybe it was close to his time. Tonks looked carefree which was good to see. Ginny thought they were good for each other. Hagrid was wearing his awful suit- which between it and Fleur made Ginny think of the Beauxbatons Headmistress, and wonder if the woman would be at the wedding. Ginny had managed to stay away from the guest list.
It made sense that Harry couldn't have a normal day. No one else had the Minister of Magic show up to their party, but Ginny was sure it wasn't to give a gift. And he wanted to see Ron and Hermione as well. Everyone knew that the Death Eaters were exerting influence over the Ministry, and the Prophet, but most people thought well of Scrimgeour. Said he was tough. A good leader for this time of peril. Ginny wasn't much more impressed with the man than Fudge.
Ginny would find out what she could from Hermione and Ron later. For now, she would talk louder, smile wider, and be a good second hostess. She couldn't help but think of Narcissa Malfoy for a moment. But Weasleys and Prewetts knew how to do that too.
A/N: This is the first chapter that I've written in quite a long time, and it took quite a while, and I'm happy enough with it, I suppose. I had a whole lot pre-written before I started posting, and kept writing bits as I went. But lately, I started stretching out what I had written longer and longer between postings, because I just wasn't writing this story anymore, but now I am! Slowly, but I am. And I hope I can keep at it. Encouragements, please! Also, I hate how this site does spacing. I'd like to add some blank lines as minor scene breaks within one point of view...
I really think Mad-Eye's death wasn't something that would change. And I do think he'd want to go out like that. Hedwig's death seemed pretty likely to stay as was as well, so I left it untouched. Harry's belongings including Hedwig should have been secured to the motorbike, if they were going to go with this ridiculous transportation plan with it's many, many problems. One of which being that Harry shouldn't have been with poor Hagrid who can't properly do magic. No one would have suspected he'd be with Bill Weasley (just for example) any more than with Hagrid. I do definitely think about details even when they are details that appear to follow canon.