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Chapter Thirteen: The Preparations
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'Ouch, Ron, you elbowed me in the eye again.'

'If you'd quit moving around so much –'

'It's not my fault that you keep pushing me off the edge every three minutes and I need to fight to stay on the bloody bed.'

'Harry, if you'd just sleep on the floor, you wouldn't need to worry about me elbowing you or pushing you off.'

'I'd rather sleep on the floor, but there's no room!'

Ginny sat up and glared through the darkness. 'This is the second night in a row that I've lost sleep because of you two idiots!'

Hermione shifted beside Ginny. 'Everybody, calm down,' she said evenly. 'It's bad enough that we all have to sleep here together ...can't you all please shut up and let me go to sleep?'

Ginny sighed and leaned back on the mattress. It had been five days since Harry, Hermione and her brothers went to Romania. Tomorrow was Bill and Fleur's wedding, and the day after that was Ginny's birthday. The Burrow was now filled with distant relatives of the family who would be attending the wedding. Mrs Weasley had stuffed Ginny, Hermione and Harry into Ron's bedroom with him to make room; Ginny and Hermione were in Harry's bed, and Ron and Harry were in Ron's bed.

The room fell silent and Ginny began to drift off to sleep again. It was about two in the morning, she guessed – so it was, technically, already tomorrow. She had to be up at seven, but hadn't gotten to bed until after midnight. Now she was up again. If she didn't get some sleep, she'd probably pass out from exhaustion during the ceremony. And the two imbeciles in the bed next to hers weren't helping.

'Harry! Quit kneeing me in the ribs!'

'Bloody hell,' Ginny muttered under her breath. 'Keep it up, Ron, and Harry's knee will be the least of your worries.'

'Would you both stay still?' demanded Hermione.

'He won't stop moving,' complained Ron.

'You take up too much space,' Harry grumbled.

'Then switch,' Ginny growled. 'Harry can sleep with me and Hermione can sleep with Ron.'

'Harry is not sleeping with you,' insisted Ron. He sighed heavily. 'Ginny, I'm your brother. You can sleep with me if you've got such a bloody problem with everything.'

Ginny scowled. So it was perfectly fine for him to share his bed with Hermione, but because that meant Harry would be in her bed, it wasn't allowed? What a double-standard. 'Fine,' said Ginny. 'Then I guess I'll sleep in your bed and Harry can sleep with Hermione in this one. Hermione's rather pretty, though. I hope Harry doesn't get fresh with her in the night.'

'Hermione, get over here,' Ron said quickly.

Ginny smirked into the darkness and Hermione sighed before getting on her feet, leaving Ginny by herself on the bed. She heard a creak on the opposite side of the room as Harry got up from Ron's bed. He climbed in beside her and put an arm around her.

'Don't get any ideas, Potter,' she whispered. Harry laughed and pulled her closer to him. She sighed contentedly and got as close to him as possible. Tomorrow was the wedding. Harry would have to make a decision. She knew she should've felt slightly nervous or unsure, but the way he was holding her, she was positive that they'd be together by the time the wedding reception was done. She felt too safe in his arms to think otherwise. She shut her eyes and listened as Ron mumbled something to Hermione and she settled down beside him. 'There,' Ginny said when everyone was still. 'Can everybody sleep now?'

'Yes,' they said.

'Ron's going to keep his elbows to himself and Harry's not going to knee me in the ribs, or anywhere else, right?'

'Yes.'

'Okay. Goodnight.'

'Goodnight.'

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'Oh, zis is 'orrible!'

Hermione's eyes snapped open. It was still rather dark in the room and a little early for even her to be waking up. A tiny, almost non-existent amount of light was filtering in through the curtains, allowing her to see Ron, who was sleeping beside her. She was on her side, facing him, with his arm draped over her hip. She smiled and closed her eyes again.

'Ze wedding cannot 'appen now!Zis is a disaster!'

What? The wedding was off? Fleur and Bill's wedding?

Hermione slowly got out of bed, careful not to wake Ron, and crossed the room to where Ginny and Harry were snuggled up in their bed. Her head was on his chest and his arms were wrapped protectively around her. They looked so peaceful together that she felt bad for disturbing them, but Hermione grew annoyed when she poked Ginny in the arm and the girl groaned but didn't wake. The room was silent and Fleur's cries could be heard clearly from the kitchen.

'Ginny, wake up,' whispered Hermione. She tapped her again.

'No. I like it here,' Ginny mumbled, her eyes still shut. 'It's too early to get up.' She sighed and Harry opened his eyes, blinking stupidly.

'Go to sleep, Hermione,' murmured Harry. His hand began lazily tracing small circles on Ginny's back.

'Yeah, the wedding isn't for hours,' said Ginny (although she was right, Hermione knew Ginny really had no idea what time it was, anyway). She shifted and smiled slightly. 'We're sleeping, incase you haven't noticed.'

'There isn't going to be a wedding,' Hermione whispered hoarsely. 'Can't you hear Fleur crying down there? She said the wedding isn't going to happen.'

Harry smiled weakly, seemingly half-asleep. 'I guess we can sleep in then, huh?' he laughed. Ginny giggled softly and Hermione scowled.

'Phlegm said the wedding was off?' asked Ginny. Hermione nodded, waiting for Ginny to get out of bed. Instead, she whispered, 'Thank Merlin. I won't have to wear that awful dress.' Harry chuckled.

'Get up this instant, Ginny. We have to go downstairs and see what's wrong.'

'Why can't you go by yourself?' asked Ginny, whose eyes were still closed. 'I'm not going. I love my brother and I suppose I can live with her being his wife, but there's no way I'm going to drag my arse out of bed thisearly just to play matchmaker for them.'

Hermione couldn't go by herself! What if Fleur and Bill were downstairs breaking up? She and Ginny might be able to walk into the kitchen and calm them down, but it'd be horribly inappropriate and completely out of the question for only Hermione to walk in and try to sort things out.

'You're coming with me,' Hermione said, quiet but firm.

'Come on, Hermione. Let us sleep,' pleaded Harry. 'They have cold feet. That's all.'

'There's no way I'm coming with you,' muttered Ginny. 'The sun isn't even up yet.'

'Yes, it is.'

Ginny opened her eyes. 'Okay, so it is. But barely.' Hermione rolled her eyes. 'I don't want to go. I'm warm in here.'

'Of course you're warm,' Hermione whispered angrily. 'It's August. It's always warm. Besides, you'll need to get up soon, anyway.'

'Harry,' Ginny said sleepily, closing her eyes again and burying her face in his neck, 'tell her to leave me alone.'

Harry sighed. 'Leave her alone, Hermione.'

Ginny laughed. 'I don't want to get up,' she complained. 'If the wedding's really off ...I say we stay here all day. Hermione, you can take Ron down to my room and keep him busy.'

'And you and Harry will ...?'

Harry yawned and smiled. 'Keep busy.'

'I cannot believe zis! 'Ow could zis 'ave 'appened? I was supposed to 'ave a wedding today!'

Ginny's eyes snapped open when Fleur's sobs filled the room. 'They've really called it off?' Hermione shrugged. She didn't know what had happened, but from the sounds of it, Bill had really called it off. 'Shit.' Ginny exhaled dramatically and sat up. 'Let's go.' Harry sighed and shut his eyes sleepily as Ginny climbed over him and left the room with Hermione.

'Now, Fleur, everything will be fine,' said Mrs Weasley. 'You can just have three bridesmaids instead of four.'

Hermione and Ginny cautiously crept into the kitchen to find Fleur crying at the table, being comforted by Mrs Weasley and Fleur's sister, Gabrielle. Hermione wasn't surprised to see that Fleur's mother wasn't there, comforting her daughter. She probably needed her "beauty sleep".

'Yes, Fleur, eet will be okay,' said Gabrielle, who was rubbing her sister's back as she sobbed onto Mrs Weasley's shoulder. 'Nobody will notice that she is missing.'

Ginny yawned. 'Mum? What's going on?'

Mrs Weasley looked up at the girls and frowned. 'It appears that one of Fleur's bridesmaids had an ...accident, of sorts, and she won't be able to participate in the wedding.'

'Ze numbers will be uneven! Bill will 'ave four and I will 'ave three!' cried Fleur.

'And you're going to let that ruin your wedding? That's ridiculous!' Hermione said incredulously. She didn't mean for it to sound so accusing, but the look on Gabrielle's face told her it had.

'My seester is not –'

'She is right,' said Fleur. 'Zis is our day. Allete won't be zere and things will be uneven. Many of our family will point eet out and laugh, but I do not care! I am going to 'ave my wedding!'

Mrs Weasley sighed in relief and Gabrielle smiled at her sister. 'Crisis avoided,' Ginny mumbled so only Hermione could hear. 'Can I go to back to bed now?'

Hermione shrugged. 'I suppose,' she said quietly. 'We're going back to bed for a little while,' Hermione announced to the women in the kitchen. 'Wake us if you need anything else.'

She hadn't meant it literally – only as a friendly offer, one she never imagined Fleur would take her up on.

'I 'ave an idea!' exclaimed Fleur. 'You can be my bridesmaid, 'Ermione!'

'Wh-what?' Hermione stammered. At least Fleur had gotten her name right for once. 'I can't ...I can't be a bridesmaid. I don't have a dress! And I don't know what to do ...oh, I'm sorry but I can't.'

Fleur shook her head and stood up. 'No, you can. Zere is ze dress zat Allete was supposed to wear.' Hermione tried to remember which one Allete was. Was she the one who was full Veela? Allete ...she couldn't put a face to the name.

'Will it fit her, Mum?' asked Ginny, who seemed to be enjoying the scene before her more than she should have.

'I suppose we could give it a try ...' said Mrs Weasley. She considered Hermione for a moment. 'She's about the same height, and ...'

Oh, right. Allete was the one she and Ginny called "The Toothpick". Allete was tall and insanely thin. Hermione gasped and shook her head again. She was fairly slim herself, but she was no toothpick. 'I can't do it,' she said nervously.

'But of course you can,' said Gabrielle. 'Ginny and I are doing it.'

Hermione couldn't see a way out ...how could she possibly tell Fleur she wouldn't cooperate? Fleur wasn't her favourite person in the world, but she was marrying a Weasley, and Hermione would do anything for a Weasley. They were all too wonderful to disappoint, and she knew that Bill and Mrs Weasley would appreciate it if she agreed.

Nodding, she reluctantly said, 'Okay.'

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'Have you seen Hermione?' asked Ron. The wedding was starting in a half hour. Most of the guests were outside (the backyard was rather full by now), leaving only the wedding party and other important family members (Harry, included) inside.

Harry shook his head. 'No.'

Ron nodded and went back to the mirror, where he was desperately trying to master the art of tying a tie. He couldn't believe he had to wear one ...it was Bill's wedding. When it was Ron's wedding, Ron would wear a tie. Did he honestly have to wear the thing? Nobody would be looking at him, anyway. Sighing, he let it hang loosely around his neck and turned away from the mirror. He had never had that much trouble with his Hogwarts uniform.

'I can't believe she got roped into being a bridesmaid,' said Ron.

Harry stared blankly at him. 'Who?'

'Hermione.'

'Oh ...right,' Harry said. He furrowed his brow and stared off into space, looking like he was in deep thought about something. Ron wanted to ask him what was going on with him today (he'd been spacing out like this since they'd woken up and started getting ready for the wedding) but something told him it would be best to ignore his friend and hope it would pass. Harry didn't worry about insignificant things. He worried about things like Voldemort or Horcruxes. Anything Harry had to be concerned about couldn't be something Ron particularly wanted to hear before Bill's wedding – a happy occasion that he was celebrating with his family.

Perhaps it had something to do with Lucius Malfoy breaking out of Azkaban.It had been on the front page of the Daily Prophet three days ago. But that couldn't be what Harry was thinking about. This strange mood of his had only started a few hours ago, and he'd known about Malfoy for days.

Fred and George came into the room. 'Looking good, Harry,' said Fred.

'Ickle Ronniekins is wearing a tie,' gushed George. 'What a man he's turning into.'

'Shut up,' snapped Ron.

'Harry, you're sitting with us during the wedding,' Fred said.

Harry looked up at them. 'Huh? Yeah, yeah ...right. I am.' He nodded and looked away again.

The twins gave him a strange look. 'Since we weren't asked to be involved in the ceremony at all,' George said loudly, knowing that Bill was walking by.

Ron's eldest brother came in the room. 'I can't believe it,' said Fred, shaking his head slightly. 'We're family, and we don't even get a small role.'

'Charlie's your best man. Ron's a groomsman. Even Ginny's involved!' exclaimed George. Harry's head snapped up at the mention of Ginny.

Fred said, 'Yeah, come on, Bill. What're we supposed to do?'

Bill cleared his throat. 'You're supposed to sit down and not make a scene. You're supposed to keep all of your jokes and products away from the guests,' he recited, as if reading from an invisible rulebook. 'You're supposed to avoid Percy, and if you can't avoid him, you're supposed to remember that if you can't say anything nice, you shouldn't say anything at all.'

'Percy. I forgot he'd be here,' said Ron. He didn't want to see his brother, the one who, as far as he was concerned, wasn't his brother – especially after last Christmas. But his mum had made Bill invite him, and not even Mr Weasley was going to say otherwise.

'That goes for all of us,' continued Bill. 'I'm sure each and every one of us would like to hex Percy into oblivion, but not today. Not at my wedding. I'll be damned if I let anything ruin this for Fleur.'

Ron cleared his throat and left the room, Harry close behind him. They heard a loud series of screams echoing from the floor below them, followed by Fred and George's laughter, and Bill's screams of 'What did you do?'

Ron and Harry rushed down the stairs to the room where the girls were supposed to be putting on the finishing touches. Ron pushed open the door and froze. Fleur was screaming and waving her hands above her head, as if protecting her hair from something. Oriel, Fleur's best friend, was shrieking and pointing at something near the ceiling. Gabrielle was ducking and trying to calm her sister down at the same time. Ginny looked thoroughly amused as she watched the three girls shriek. Hermione's dress wasn't on properly on. It was the perfect length off the ground and fit fine in the waist. The problem wasn't until you saw her chest, which wasn't covered by anything except her bra. The section of the dress that should've been there was hanging down around her sides. She had her wand out and was waving it around, shooting spells into various corners, completely unfazed by her appearance.

At last, the cause for all the excitement was stopped: Hermione managed to Stun a slimy, hairy, winged creature that had been flying around the room and had no doubt been slipped inside by Fred or George.

'Oh!' cried Hermione, who finally noticed that Ron and Harry were standing in the doorway. She crossed her arms over her chest and blushed. Ginny smiled at them and, pulling Hermione along, walked over.

'Can you zip me up?' asked Ginny, putting her back to them. Ron was about to do it – he could've sworn she had been looking at him and she was his sister, after all – when Harry carefully moved her hair out of the way and gently pulled up the zipper, taking slightly too long in doing so. Ginny turned around again. 'Thanks. Hermione and I need to go see Mum.' She looked at Hermione, who was avoiding their eyes. 'The Toothpick's dress fits well in the waist, but it turns out that she's got a rather flat chest. We need to, er, increase the bust in the dress. Or shrink Hermione's,' she laughed.

'Not funny, Ginny. Let's go find your Mum so I can cover myself up!'

'Okay, don't get your knickers in a twist,' said Ginny. She smiled and they walked away to find Mrs Weasley.

'Ron!' Ron spun around and saw Bill rushing toward them. 'What happened? Who was screaming?'

'Bill!' screeched Gabrielle, appearing in the doorway. 'You cannot be 'ere! Eet is not right for you to see Fleur before ze wedding!'

'Is everything okay in there?' asked Bill.

'Yes, eet 'as been cleared up,' Gabrielle said before disappearing back inside the room and shutting the door.

'Okay, you,' said Bill, pointing at Ron, 'get upstairs and have someone fix your tie. And you –' he pointed to Harry 'go get Ginny and Hermione, and have them get all the girls to line up outside. We're starting this thing in a few minutes.'

Harry nodded and went off to find Hermione and Ginny. Ron went upstairs and found Charlie, who tied his tie for him.

Ten minutes later, everyone was scrambling to get outside and start the ceremony. Bill and Charlie were already out there, waiting for everyone else to come out.

'Okay,' said Mrs Weasley, who was rushing around, trying to get everyone in order. 'We'll start with Ginny and Mason.' Ginny's hair was in tight curls and her gold dress complimented her fair skin and hair colour rather nicely. She was standing beside a tall, attractive blonde boy about Ron's age. Mason was Fleur's favourite cousin, according to Bill, and although he seemed a tad standoffish, Ron was under strict orders to be friendly. 'Gabrielle, dear, you're next. Stand beside Seb.' Seb was a friend Bill made while in Egypt, who had gotten in that morning, just in time for the wedding. Gabrielle's long blonde hair was in the same style as Ginny's and the pale gold of the bridesmaids dresses made her hair appear all the more silvery. 'Hermione is here, and Ronnie, you're beside her,' said Mrs Weasley, pointing at the spot behind Gabrielle and Seb.

'I can't believe I'm doing this,' muttered Hermione. 'I mean ...look at me.' Ron grinned at her and listened as his mother directed Oriel, the maid of honour, to stand behind them. Oriel was stunning, and Ron was fairly certain that she was half (if not full) Veela. Nonetheless, Ron thought Hermione looked much nicer than Oriel.

'Get over yourself,' said Ron. 'You look great.' She smiled and blushed. Her brown hair was no longer bushy and frizzy. It was sleek and curled, framing her face. The gold dress she was in hugged her curves nicely and made Ron feel short of breath.

'You look lovely, dear,' Mrs Weasley told Fleur as she and her father stood behind Oriel. Fleur was in a white wedding dress and her long hair was in a fancy upsweep. She had Ron's Great Auntie Muriel's tiara on her head and it sparkled against her hair. She was holding onto her father, an older-looking blonde man. 'Okay, it's time to move. Good luck.' Mrs Weasley slipped past them and went to find her seat.

Ginny and Mason walked down the aisle slowly and everyone else moved up a few steps. Gabrielle and Seb went next, walking in the same pace as the previous two.

'I look ridiculous. I can't do this!' whispered Hermione as she and Ron began moving again.

Ron rolled his eyes. She didn't look ridiculous at all. If anything, she was outshining the bloody bride. 'Come on, Hermione. You can't quit now, y'know. I bet Voldemort must seem like a joke now, huh?' Ron joked. Hermione sighed and ignored his sarcastic remarks. 'You're doing this whether you want to or not. I'm not walking down that aisle thing by myself. I'll carry you – I'll drag you – if I have to.'

They walked down the aisle together, putting on fake smiles as they went. Chairs were on either side of them, the Weasley family on one side and Fleur's family on the other. Ron could see Harry at the front, beside Fred, George and Ron's parents. Ron also saw Percy, who was sitting far away from the family, with the Minister of Magic to his left. Ron felt a new sense of hate toward his brother. The only reason he had come to the wedding was so Scrimgeourwould have a chance to speak with Harry. Percy was probably counting the minutes until he could leave and return to his beloved Ministry. And now, so was Ron.

When they got to the altar that had been put in especially for the wedding, Ron and Hermione split apart and stood on opposite sides of it. Ron stood beside Charlie, waiting as Oriel walked down the aisle and stood beside Hermione.

Music began to play as Fleur and her father appeared. When she let go of her father's arm and came to stand beside Bill, Ron couldn't help but smile at the look on his brother's face.

Despite what any of them said about Fleur, she made Bill happy. Bill loved her. Someday, Ron would find a girl who made him feel like that.

Ron shifted his gaze to Hermione, who was staring at him fondly. He grinned and she blushed slightly, but didn't look away.

Maybe he had already found her.

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