Chapter 24- Another Wedding

*****Ginny*****

Fleur had been true to her word, Ginny's dress was really lovely. It was light purple with gold accents- which coordinated much better than Ginny would have thought- and plunged much deeper than Gabrielle's did. Ginny had never owned a dress like that. Bill had looked skeptically as his soon-to-be wife when he saw Ginny try it on the day before. Ginny would wait until the last minute the day of the wedding, just to be careful.

Fleur was beautiful, of course, in her fairly simple white dress with black embellishments around the waist.

Fleur had had all of the 'girls' get ready together, in Ginny's room, which made sense as they were already sleeping there, but it did make it more fun, and Fleur's mother bounced in and out of the room, speaking French to her daughters- and to Hermione once the brilliant girl revealed that she could manage the language well enough. Of course she could.

It was quite fun until Aunt Muriel arrived with her tiara for Fleur to wear. She didn't say she was bringing it until the day before, and Ginny knew that Fleur had had to change her plan for her hair to accommodate it, but she still smiled whenever anyone mentioned it.

"Oh dear, is this the Muggle-born? Bad posture and skinny ankles," Aunt Muriel said.

Ginny turned around, entirely composed. Fleur's face looked tight too. Doubtless she'd faced discrimination for being 'part-human' all her life.

"Hermione is top in her year," Ginny said.

"Oh yes, but brains never have really impressed the boys, have they?" the old woman jumped to. What would she know?

"They impress Ron," Ginny said… which really wasn't any of her business. "Sorry-" Ginny murmured to Hermione.

"The tiara is lovely. I'm just going to go find the boys. Thank you, Ginny, Fleur. Merci, Gabrielle."

"In this house, we don't identify people by their blood status," Ginny said after Hermione left. She hoped Gabrielle hadn't understood any of it. And Fleur was family now. She would have said it around Hermione except it would just make the older girl uncomfortable.

"But they married each other, didn't they? Two members of the Sacred Twenty-Eight don't just happen to find each other very often without that being some sort of factor," Aunt Muriel spoke lightly for her. "Obviously the Weasley ancestors were equally concerned with blood purity to tie you to a Malfoy- though someone else seemed to have compelled only males to be born, a different and more foolish prejudice with existing constraints on suitable marriage partners already. How is the young Malfoy heir?" Muriel checked. Ginny even knew the old hag liked her, liked anyone who would argue with her.

"He's doing well. We're happy. He'll be here today if he isn't already, and you won't say anything to him," Ginny outlined.

"I make no promises, child," Muriel said, sweeping out of the room like she wasn't one hundred and whatever.

Some people, Ginny complained to herself.

Ginny's eyes had drifted to the window often as her family set up as the girls got ready. The Marquee was pretty.

Harry was Polyjuice-ed, which Ginny supposed was better than him dodging people under his invisibility cloak. She wanted him there as much as anyone else did. But surely everyone expected him to be there already, didn't they?

When she saw Draco, arriving alone, Ginny was immediately impressed. She wondered if he bought the deep, dark navy robes for the occasion, or if he already owned them, or was that good with alterations. Andromeda had done wonders for Dora's wedding dress, Ginny knew.

He had a nice smile too, when he finally saw her. Ginny felt… just a bit like it was her own wedding she was walking down the aisle for.

*****Draco*****

No one needed to tell him that the younger red-headed boy next to Ron Weasley was a disguised Harry Potter.

Draco stood at a distance back. He would sit, but since Ginny was in the wedding and he likely would not see her before, he didn't feel the need to mingle at present.

He returned nods sent his way from Ginny's various relatives, including most of her brothers.

The boy with curly red hair was staring at Draco, and then very pointedly not staring at Draco, which was even more telling. And he was always next to the youngest Weasley boy. It was a good choice of disguise- wouldn't have been obvious if Potter were a better actor, or if Draco didn't know the other wizard so well. Whomever he was disguised as- almost certainly with polyjuice potion- was shorter and thicker. He would guess that those were Potter's fourth year dress robes, just changed from green to dark purple. It took more expertise to change the dimensions of the garment, and no one had bothered.

And no other distant young cousins were seating guests, and also Tonks and Remus walked straight for him to be helped to their own seats, as poor excuse to talk to them. Tonks's hair was light blond today, and her eyes- probably blue. She could have been Draco's sister, and she looked radiant. Remus looked ill, but he was putting forward a good face.

Lovegood was the only one who approached Draco for an actual conversation. She looked rather pretty in a tiered, flowing yellow dress. Unusual, but pretty, in her confidence. Draco had seen that her father looked far less good in the colour. He had heard that Xenophilius Lovegood was strange.

"Hello," Luna greeted him.

"Hello. You look lovely," Draco said, to be nice.

"You do as well," she answered. Because of course she wouldn't mind calling him lovely. "I was bitten by a gnome," she said solemnly.

"Do you- need it healed?" he asked. He couldn't direct the girl to Andromeda or Ted, who he wasn't supposed to know. Even talking to Lovegood wasn't ideal for his standing.

"Oh no, I'm waiting to see if I will be affected by Gernumbli magic," she said peacefully.

"Right," Draco said.

"Would you like to sit with us?" Ginny asked.

"Your… father has on a pendant that I don't want to be seen next to," Draco told her. "You might tell him about it- it's Grindelwald's symbol," Draco said. Because he'd done research after… his life was upended. Even though they were different in way of portraying their message, many of the old crowd who initially supported Tom Riddle were Grindelwald's former supporters.

"Oh- no, not at all. It's the Hallows, you know? The line is the Elder Wand, the circle is the Resurrection Stone, and the triangle draped over them is the Cloak of Invisibility," Luna recounted.

Draco had heard the Tale of Three Brothers from the time he was quite small. And… perhaps Grindelwald had taken the story literally.

"Perhaps, but it is still Grindelwald's symbol, and he should be careful who sees him wearing it," Draco said. "Enjoy the ceremony," he said in… dismissal- which seemed rude, but he couldn't be talking to Lovegood for too long- for her sake as much as his.

"I hope I get to come to your wedding," Luna said, "Or your second one," she said.

What?

"I literally have to stay married to Ginny. And I'll want to," Draco said.

"That doesn't mean you can't marry her twice," Luna shrugged, spinning and half-skipping off.

When everyone sat, Draco sat near the back on the groom's side.

The wedding was nice. The couple was obviously very much in love. The officiant was skilled, and transfigured the marquee and chairs into a more elaborate decorations and dancing floor. He was the same one who officiated Professor Dumbledore's funeral.

No thoughts of that day.

Especially when he could finally see Ginny. She was radiant. And her particular shade of red did look nicer than the veelas' blond.

"You are beautiful," he told her. He wished her engagement ring was on her finger.

"And you are quite handsome," Ginny replied, fitting arms around his neck, into a hug.

"They don't want to make a big announcement on Bill and Fleur's day, but Dora's pregnant," Draco said into Ginny's ear. They were reasonably alone and there was noise around.

"Oh wow, that's amazing," Ginny said, looking around.

"Remus looks scared as shit, but she seems very happy."

"I- suppose I can't blame him, but they'll be fine. He's got the fatherly thing down, and she'll be great," she said. Draco thought that being a good teacher to eleven to eighteen year olds didn't count much for fitness for being a father to his own newborn, but he wouldn't say so. Probably no one was ever ready. Maybe their split reaction was better than blind excitement. They were still there together.

He and Ginny danced. Because it was enjoyable, and because if they danced, they didn't have to speak to anyone else or find a place to sit amongst other guests. At least, those were some of Draco's deciding factors.

He didn't have to worry about anyone else asking Ginny to dance, because it was still unclear how closely she could touch a non-related male by the stipulations of the contract. But a dance with an unmarried unrelated man would have been unseamly on any accounts. Or an untrustworthy married man.

They partook in a taste of the champagne that floated amongst guests, but mostly, they danced.

They were nearby when the crowd parted and brokenly fell quieter.

A silver lynx patronus settled in the middle of the floor.

A deep voice came from the vicinity of the spell.

The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming.

Shit.

This was Ginny's house, and they needed to go.

"Trust me, and don't let go," Draco told her, holding Ginny tightly around her waist with one arm, his wand in the other.

Nearly everyone who was in support of Dumbledore's old crowd at the Ministry was here attending the wedding. What better time to properly take control?

They'd take down the anti-apparition wards if they were coming.

Destination, Determination and Deliberation.

"Hold on tight," he told Ginny, and tried.

Draco heard screams before the blackness.

He settled smoothly into their living room- the Andromeda and Ted's living room.

It… was so quiet... peaceful… Like the world wasn't mad.

Ginny burst into tears, still in his arms.

Draco couldn't do anything but rub her back and hope that his family arrived soon. Hope that this place was safe. Because he knew there were protections around it, Not many people were allowed in through the wards. But any protections could be broken with enough force. And he hoped that everyone at the wedding was safe. That was a lot of people to be concerned over, even though some much more than others.

"I should be there," Ginny said.

"You still have the trace," Draco said. And the government was corrupt enough to do anything, so he wasn't sure if that stopped mattering, or mattered more now than ever.

"They'd never be able to tell." Unless they saw her.

"Everyone was leaving. Your family will too," Draco said.

"That's my home," Ginny cried.

"I know. I know," was all Draco would say. He wanted to say that it was about the people, not the building. But the people were in danger too, and he'd taken Ginny away. And she'd let him. Not that he'd told her what he was doing. But she'd trusted him.

They could be distracted by Andromeda and Ted's arrival together.

"Oh, thank God," Ted said, gathering Draco and Ginny into his hug. Had Ginny had a real Ted Tonks hug before? Unimportant thoughts. But it felt like home to Draco, especially when Andromeda joined as well.

"Dora?" Draco asked, even though it was a pointless question.

"She and Remus have each other, and they will be fine," Aunt Andromeda answered calmly. She was an auror, and Lupun was an expert in defense in his own right. Andromeda spoke with a forced calm. Draco could speak like that too.

*****Ginny*****

It was Bill's wedding day.

She was wearing the most beautiful dress she had ever worn, and there were Death Eaters at her house. Maybe they'd go in her room.

Draco was rubbing her back, and it should have been… flirty with her dress revealing quite a lot of bare skin on her back that was usually covered in robes. His hands moved over skin and fabric alike, and she was sure that neither of them cared.

It was better when the Tonkses were there, hugging them both.

Draco asked about T-Dora, and they didn't know but seemed to feel okay.

"My family?" Ginny asked.

"I saw Harry and Hermione take your brother Ron and disapparate," Uncle Ted answered. He hadn't even met many of them as far as Ginny knew.

They would be off on their mission already then. No reason not to start now.

"I believe the others were all casting protective spells or apparating away with other people. I saw Bill leave with his wife's younger sister."

"Was Fleur okay?" Ginny asked.

"I'm sure she is," Andromeda said. If she wasn't, Bill would be with her. "I'm going to make tea," she announced, pulling away.

Ted guides them to the couch, where all three of them sit close.

Ted turns on the 'tele'.

Ginny allowed herself to be distracted by the images. It was a wonder. She couldn't blame her father for being fascinated with muggle objects. Some just seemed so cool.

Andromeda squeezed onto the couch too, after she came back with tea.

Ted selected a 'film' to make the tele play.

Ted made sandwiches at some point.

There was a second film on when her father's patronus appeared. The weasel.

Everyone's safe. Tonks and Remus too. At home. We don't know where you should stay. We love you.

Everyone was okay.

Andromeda cried. She didn't have to be strong anymore.

Ginny didn't know where she should go.

Ginny realized that she was crying too.

"Here for the night, I think. The couch has been transformed often enough, and 'Dromeda does a good job of it," Uncle Ted said. Ginny nodded.

The fallen Ministry needed to not know of Ron's task with Hermione and Harry. She would do anything to stop that.

*****Draco*****

Ginny left the next morning, and Dora and Remus arrived, looking like they probably hadn't slept.

They went to Tonks's room and didn't come out for hours.

Andromeda went to work and Ted didn't. He knew they'd had an argument about it, even though Draco didn't hear anything. Draco cooked to have something to do. He'd learned to use the muggle equipment well enough.

When Remus Lupin walked for the door when Draco suspects that Dora is still asleep in the later afternoon, it felt wrong.

"Where are you going?" Draco asked, closing the front door behind him.

"You should be inside," Remus said, looking around. The whole lot was just as protected as the house. No one would see them any more certainly.

"So should you," Draco said instead.

"There's more that I can do out there," he said.

Out there without his wife.

Out on his own- or not alone. Draco didn't think anyone really knew what to do, except maybe...

"So you're going to abandon your wife and unborn child to go run off with Potter?" Draco snarled, sure it was true.

"Harry needs me. And Tonks will be better off without me."

"Harry is a grown man who has Granger to look after him. And whatever Weasley's worth. Potter grew up without parents yeah? Because the people who raised him didn't become his parents. Pretty obvious to anyone with eyes," Draco said. Obvious once Draco tried to really see him. Not seeing the boy as another Draco, or an opposite-Draco. They boy had never gone home to his relatives for Christmas, always seemed to spend as much of the summer as he could with the Weasleys, and was so… unused to media attention but craved the attention of his friends. "Do you think he wants a kid to grow up without a dad?"

"I would come back when I could!" the man protested.

"Except Dora's kid wouldn't be like Potter. He'll have Dora, and wonderful grandparents, and he'll have me and Ginny. Me. Do you want me to be the closest person your child has to a father figure? Isn't that threat enough to keep you here? Because I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be in that child's life for as long as I live, and I'm not going to go off and do something stupid to make that end tomorrow," Draco ranted. It was what he felt. "I'll teach him spells before he's eleven, before he's six probably. I'll take her flying before she's old enough to remember, but she'll remember the fun of it." Draco had never realised... how much he wanted that. He hadn't often been around children. "And if she's a werewolf, I'll brew the Wolfsbane myself," he promised. "That future is the best damn opportunity of your life, and you don't want to miss it. Because Dora's only going to take your shit for so long. If you apparate away, make damn sure you're ready to be away. Because you wouldn't have to get yourself killed to get written out of the child's life. I don't know why I'm trying to convince you to stay. Yeah, Dora loves you, but she made the wrong choice, because you're a coward."

"I'm not a coward!" the man roared back. "I'm going to go fight to make the world a better place," he said.

"And if that were your motivation, it would be noble," Draco responded. Reckless, but a thing a 'good person' would do. "But you're just running away. Because you can't face fatherhood- and yeah, I don't know if your genetic child will be a werewolf. Seems like something you should have found out decades ago, but now it's too late. Did you even tell Dora you were leaving?"

"I'm not leaving," Remus Lupin snapped. "I never… envisioned anything about this life… not marriage, and certainly not a child and… Dora wasn't supposed to get pregnant. She said she was taking the potion. She said it didn't matter that I never wanted children," Remus said, looking Draco in the eye now. "But she would hardly even discuss me get a long term solution- she was very against it in case we 'changed our minds'."

"So… something went wrong. The potion was brewed incorrectly and was ineffective. If you're seriously thinking Dora did this on purpose, you need to talk to her about it," Draco said.

"I think Harry would have sent me home too," Remus said quietly. "Maybe I even wanted to be sent back," he said. "Dora's just… so happy, and I'm scared, and angry, and claustrophobic, and feel... I can't just… I don't know what to do. When Lily and James decided to have a baby when there was a war going on, I thought they were crazy. And now I… I never thought I'd be a father. I have never been around children under eleven except a few times with baby Harry, and that was so many years ago now- you're grown men now."

"Reasonable thoughts, all of them," Draco said. "Just- talk to her," Draco said.

"You're a good man," Remus whispered.

He was trying to be.

"Just go back inside and talk to your wife."

I had actually written the scene with Draco and Remus ages ago, but the rest quite recently.

It does really bother me that in an actual 1997 calendar, Harry's birthday was on a Sunday, so the wedding would be on a Monday, which would be quite unusual, but I just deferred to canon. It's admittedly hard to keep all those details. Also... the Premier League plays from mid-August to mid-May which I somehow never knew before, and is absolutely crazy to miss two of the loveliest months to play and attend games.