CHAPTER TWO

The current events of their world seemed to be almost completely forgotten for the day. Everyone was happy and excited – Harry tried to enjoy himself.

Bill Weasley – the eldest of the Weasley children – looked absolutely giddy through his heavy scars, and gave off the distinct impression of someone who wanted desperately to jump up and down and squeal.

People chatted excitedly as they took their magically-conjured seats set up in the backyard of the Burrow, settling in for Bill's marriage to Fleur Delacour. Fleur's relatives were all just as elegant and charming as she was, if not more so. It was hard to keep from staring at times.

But something else held Harry's attention as the wedding party entered the backyard. All of Bill and Fleur's siblings (minus Percy) were in the wedding, as were Tonks (whose short hair matched her pale blue gown), and two other girls whom Harry could only assume were friends or relatives that he was not familiar with. Despite everyone there and everything that was going on, Harry could not – for the life of him – take his eyes off of Ginny.

Before he knew it, the sun was setting, the wedding had ended, and the festivities began. There was, as always, a great amount of delicious food and good company.

Harry poured himself a generous glass of mead (he was, after all, of age now) and went to stand with the elder Weasley brothers, who were all talking loudly and laughing.

"Where's Ron?" Charlie asked after a few minutes. As if on cue, Ron and Hermione stumbled, hand in hand, out of the woods next to the house.

"Pay up." Said Fred, holding out a hand to his twin brother. George, with a somewhat sunken look about him and muttering something about "no more betting on the obvious," fished around in his pocket and pulled out five Galleons, handing them to his brother.

Ron walked over the group, a glass of mead in hand, blushing furiously and clearing his throat. The others were obviously avoiding his gaze and biting back comments and laughter. Ron looked around at them.

"What? Nothing happened." This comment caused the group to burst into laughter. "I mean it!" he exclaimed, turning an even deeper shade of red.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, little brother!" jeered Charlie, receiving more laughter.

"I'm serious." He grumbled.

"Okay, okay." Said George. "We believe you." Ron glared at him. "Really!"

Ron relaxed a bit and took a drink. Harry looked at his watch. It was already six o'clock. He had nearly twelve hours left with his friends, for early the next morning he would be heading out and beginning his mission to stop Voldemort. He rubbed his eyes and pushed the thought from his mind. He had to talk to Ginny.

He excused himself from the group and made his way toward Ginny and Hermione, who were chatting excitedly in the far corner of the yard. They stopped talking as he neared them, and Hermione beamed.

"Ginny…" he said. "There's a slow song playing…and the floor is practically empty aside from your parents and Bill and Fleur...so…"

"So let's go take up space." Ginny said, taking his hand in hers. She waved to Hermione with a nervous grin and headed for the dance floor that had magically taken the place of all the chairs.

Harry held her close as they swayed to the soft love song playing from what seemed to be thin air. He never wanted this moment to end. He wanted nothing more than to stay here like this and hold her forever. But the song would end, and the morning would come, and he might never see Ginny (or any of these people) ever again. He felt tears threatening his eyes and Ginny shaking in his arms.

He looked down at her and took her chin gently in his hand. She was crying, or closer to sobbing really.

"Ginny…please don't –"

"It isn't fair." She sobbed. "We had so little time. Everyone else gets ages, Harry, ages…" The music had stopped, but Harry still held her close and swayed, not wanted to let her go. She laid her head on his shoulder and he stroked her hair lovingly.

"It's not over." He whispered to her. "Not for good. Not if you'll wait for me."

"Haven't six years of waiting been enough? I want to be able to have you now, Harry. Now!" she said, backing away from him slightly. A few people were staring. "Don't I deserve it?"

"Of course you do." He said, wiping a tear from her cheek. "You deserve to have whatever you want."

"Then let me have it, Harry!" she exclaimed, new tears replacing the one he had just wiped away.

"I…I can't." he said lamely, tears threatening his own eyes. But he couldn't let himself cry. Many more people were staring. "We've been over this." He added in a gentle tone.

"I don't care!" she sobbed. "I don't care." She flung herself into his arms and hugged him with all her might. He went back to stroking her hair and let her cry – let himself cry.

Harry was aware that a lot of eyes were on them now. He was under the distinct impression that everyone pitied them. Everyone knew who he was and where he was going the next day, and reality seemed to set back in to everyone's minds. Harry didn't want to ruin this day. Not for Ginny, not for Bill, not for anyone.

"Let's go for a walk and let everyone get back to their fun." Harry whispered in her ear. She looked up at him and nodded, the two of them heading for the path that led around the woods.

Once they were out of the sight of the lights and out of earshot of the noise, they came to a halt in the moonlight. Harry looked down into her tear-stained face and kissed her. Bloody hell, it felt good to kiss her again. He had missed it so much.

"It may seem foolish," she said, pulling away slightly and looking into his eyes. "But I feel as if…this is right. As if I…as if I love you."

"Don't be daft." He said with a smirk. "I feel the same way." He peered down into her face and kissed her again. They were so enveloped in each other that they hardly knew what was going on. Before any of this had truly registered in Harry's mind, they were circling around the woods as to not be noticed when entering the front entrance of the house. His mind was whirling, but none of that mattered. All that mattered was her.