There was absolutely no way that this was happening, Millicent thought. She was standing in the middle Madame Malkin's wearing a set of ivory wedding robes while Molly Weasley, Fleur and Madame Malkin herself sniffled loudly. She turned, looking into the full length mirror and nearly gasped. The robes reached her ankles and were trimmed with ivory lacy that perfectly matched the color of the silk robes. The neckline was plunging but without being risqué and also trimmed with lace. She looked…amazing. Despite her hesitation about this "wedding", Millicent couldn't help but feel the tears prick in her eyes.

Ginny folded her arms and smiled. "I think we've found the set we've been looking for!" Striding over to the group, she looked over at Madame Malkin. "I'd like you to put this on the Malfoy tab," she said.

Millicent turned so quickly that she nearly fell off the woodblock she had been standing on, "Ginny! You don't have to do that. I have the funds to pay for this dress, it's no problem."

"Oh no, Millicent, this is Draco and my wedding present. The man is driving me nutters with his insistence that we get you a house elf!" She scoffed, and folded her arms.

Molly pulled her youngest daughter into a tight hug, "Well dear, that's very generous of you!" She then bustled about, helping Millicent get out of the beautiful wedding robes and having Madame Malkin package them up carefully, emphasis on carefully. She nearly drove the old shop owner mad with her incessant drivel about how the robes had to be perfectly arranged.

Millicent brushed a few wispy strands of her dark brown hair from her face. The wedding was two weeks away…two weeks! Fred was still insisting that they wait until the right moment to tell their parents that they've decided to split instead of spend their lives together. She wondered, idly, if they were going to be halfway through the vows before Fred finally got the gall to tell them! But it wasn't her choice…it wasn't her family. Even though, it was truly starting to feel like she did have a family.

Ginny nonchalantly walked up beside Millicent, "Would you care to give mum the slip for a little while?" She asked mischievously, "I want to show you something."

With nary a glance back, Millicent and Ginny slipped out the back and into the alleyway behind the shops. "What did you want to show me?" Millicent asked after they had walked past several shops. Suspicion rose in her as they went further and further down the alley, "Ginny?"

A smile crept over her face, "Just relax, this is the best part of getting married." She stopped abruptly in front of an unmarked door before pushing it open. "Brides first," She said with a laugh.

Millicent gasped as friends past, present and future raised their glasses with a very loud chorus of "SURPRISE". She gasped and her face tinged pink with shock and embarrassment. This was all a setup! Not getting the dress, but certainly Ginny paying for the dress and asking her to slip past Molly.

So many of her friends were here, it was absolutely incredible. Some of the people she knew at work where here, mingling. Draco Malfoy was chatting animatedly with Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe, both of whom she hadn't seen since she had left Hogwarts. Pansy and Theodore were sipping champagne and regaling a very excited Fleur about their recent trip to France. The entire Weasley clan was out in force, although Fred was conspicuously absent, and everything seemed perfect.

Wiping a tear from her eye, Millicent smiled, "Thank you all so much for coming out. I…" She laughed, "I had no idea you would all be here!"

"Slytherins are sneaky!" Draco yelled from his position in the corner and despite former house tensions, everyone laughed.

A flute of champagne was handed to her by a young woman that she knew only by reputation: Gabrielle Delacour. "Congratulations, Mees Bulstrode," She said cordially.

"Please, Gabrielle, you can call me Millicent. We'll be family, after all." Millicent didn't know what had possessed her to say that. This marriage wasn't real…this was all a big, elaborate lie. The very thought of hurting all these people made Millicent's chest tight with tears. How could she have done this to them? How could Fred? Where the hell was Fred?

Bridget hugged Millicent from behind, her lips done up with a very light amount of lipstick. "Don't worry Aunt Millie," She said and grasped her hand. Swinging it lightly, she motioned for her to bring her head down as if she had a secret. Her small hand came to wrap around the glass, "Don't drink that."

Millicent's expression went blank for a moment before she smiled. "I won't," She set the glass down and gave Bridget a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'd be tempted to overdo it," She laughed. "Now, where is Fred?"

"He's changing Lila's diaper," Bridget said matter-of-factly.

At that moment, Millicent was inordinately glad that she wasn't holding champagne. She would've spilled it, spit it or merely gulped it all down. "He's changing Lila's diaper?" She queried.

"Daddy made him, he said that they wanted to be here to surprise here…and that he could surprise you any day of the week," She recounted.

The logic made sense…and that sure sounded like Bill. "Would you show me where Uncle Fred is? I'd like to say hello to him."

Skipping along, Bridget pulled Millicent along to a room off the side of the banquet hall that the Weasley family had rented. She pointed and then bounded off, leaving Millicent alone with Fred.

What was it with these bloody diapers! They looked the same in the front AND the back! Fred stared at the diaper in his hand and sighed, "Sorry Lila, I got no idea what I'm doing here." Her toothless smile made him chuckle.

Millicent pushed the door open and she smiled, "Need some help?" She asked, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. It wasn't much of a room but seemed to be a place for nursing mothers and the like. There were sofas lined up against the wall, some plants around the walls and trash receptacles around for dirty diapers and the like.

"I'm glad you're here," He said and tossed the clean diaper at her with a smile. "When did you get here?"

She caught the diaper with ease and removed her cloak. She was a little embarrassed to be wearing her old frumpy black robes while all of the guests were nicely dressed but for changing a diaper, she was perfectly dressed. "Didn't your brother teach you the charm?"

Fred's face darkened, "Why that bloo—" he looked down at the baby, "—umm…big ninny."

Millicent chuckled and gently tapped her wand on the diaper, "Parvulus!" The diaper quickly opened up and fitted itself perfectly. "There, all done." She was careful to hold the baby's head as she picked her up. Cradling her close, she noticed Fred was staring at her, "What?"

Sheepishly, he looked away, "Nothing. I was just thinking that you're good with children." His hand came up to run through his dark red hair; he sighed heavily, sinking down onto one of the sofas. "What are we doing?" He whispered.

Millicent sat down beside him, shifting the baby to snuggle into her chest, "I don't know, Fred." Her hand came to rest on his, "We're in too deep."

"I know," He whispered, "I know." His hand curled around Millicent's, "I knew they were planning this wedding shower."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Millicent asked, looking over at him.

He shrugged, inhaling deeply, "I don't know. I guess I knew how much my mother wanted it and then, how much you'd like it." It sounded stupid now but he truly felt that this would work out for the best when he decided to keep it to himself.

"Our wedding is less than two weeks away, Fred. It has to be soon," She didn't know why she was hurting like this. Ginny's words were flooding her: "He doesn't want to say forever because he can't predict forever."

Fred didn't have a chance to reply, Molly bustled in looking annoyed, "Fred! Millicent, this is a wedding shower, not a private party. Come now! I want to see you two mingling, and I hope, Millie, you'll tell us who is going to be standing up with you at the wedding! I still have to get those dresses ordered!"

"Sorry, Molly," Millicent carefully got up, Fred's hands came to steady her waist as she did. Lila was a fragile baby and they both wanted to be as careful as possible. Casting one look back at Fred, she quickly rejoined the party; after all, she wanted to enjoy her own wedding shower.

Fred stood up, tossing Lila's dirty diaper into the trash. He smiled sheepishly at his mother who was standing at the door, hands on hips. "Hullo, mum," He said and moved toward the door.

"Oh no you don't Fred," She snapped. "I want to talk about tonight!"

"Tonight," Fred wondered aloud. "Mum, I don't know what you're talking about."

Molly frowned, "Your brothers have gotten it into their head that they're going to be doing some sort of bachelor party for you. But I want to make myself very clear, Fred," Her arm came up to pat his shoulder. "You're a good boy, be a good boy tonight."

His mother was telling him to keep control of himself? He didn't know whether or not to be so happy that she liked Millicent that much or insulted. "I won't do anything to hurt Millicent, mum, that I can promise you." He leaned in and kissed her cheek.

Molly watched her son away and wiped a tear from her eye. It was really happening…her son was growing up, becoming a man and a husband. It was everything she'd always wanted for her children. Turning, she made her way back through the open door…everything was working out.

The party had gone smoothly as if it had been some kind of dream. The food was delicious, Millicent got to catch up with all of her old friends and Fred was able to show off his fiancée to his family. Even Fabian had made a special guest appearance to pay tribute to young lovers (and to avoid Molly's incessant screeching for the next year). After people began to clear out, the house elves had cleaned up quickly and quietly.

It was nearly suppertime when the Weasley Brothers (yes, even George), Draco Malfoy and some of Fred's old friends came to collect him to head for the Witches' bar for a night of fun. Oliver Wood led the way with several hundred galleons in his fist, "Fred my good friend, time to say goodbye to all your old lady friends."

Fred was embarrassed that he actually frequented this particular establishment with regularity up until he met Millicent. The thought actually shocked him…he had always been a hit with the ladies and enjoyed the attention. Now, he was already acting like a married man. He hadn't so much as sniffed in another woman's direction since she came into his life!

Bill patted Fred on the back roughly, "C'mon and go inside, Fred. Fleur's only letting me stay out until eight tonight. I have to be home to tuck my girls in!" Jeers greeted his statement but Bill just smiled smugly, "You'd be running home too if you had a wife who looked like mine." He elbowed Charlie who pushed him gently.

"Bloody hell, let's get some firewhiskey into this kid before he starts thinking clearly," He guided Fred into the bar where witches were dressed in little more than their wands and panties. A few men sat around the bar, flirting with the waitresses or watching the show, but it seemed pretty empty nonetheless.

Draco motioned for one of the more voluptuous waitresses over, "My brother in law here is getting married in a couple of weeks. It's our job to show him a good time before he takes the plunge."

The woman winked provocatively, "Our groom's seat is up front…I'll send Jade right over. First lap dance is free." With that, she hopped up on the bar, exposing far too much of the skin underneath her short muggle skirt. She handed him a glass filled near to the brim with firewhiskey, "Enjoy."

Mindlessly, Fred was pushed over to the "groom's" seat and watched as a young witch come out wearing what looked like Hogwarts' robes. Her hair was bleach blonde and so long that it nearly reached the back of her knees. Her eyes were a startling shade of green and he knew immediately that's why they called her Jade. But…she was too skinny and bony; her breasts were too small, not like Millicent's. Fred nearly shook himself, when the hell had Millicent become the standard by which all women were measured? Surely he'd had too much firewhiskey! Looking down at the glass he found that he hadn't had anything to drink at all…

The unmarried men entertained themselves with strippers while the married men hung back, having a drink and watching Fred. It was Oliver, though, who noticed that Fred didn't seem to be enjoying himself.

"Bloody hell, I've never seen Fred look so…uninterested with a woman straddling him," He said, downing another shot of firewhiskey.

Charlie nodded in agreement, "I never thought I'd see the day."

George scoffed, "I don't believe for a second that he loves that Millicent Bulstrode. I don't care how much weight she's dropped or how she looks now, she's still the rotten girl she was in school."

Draco frowned heavily, "You didn't know anything about Millicent in school, Weasley." His stormy grey eyes were already to blaze with fury. "She might not have been everything your precious Penelope was, but she sure as hell wasn't rotten."

Teeth gnashed as George set his glass down, "Don't you dare talk about my wife, Malfoy. She's nothing like that bitch!"

Draco knew he wasn't going to win this one; the Weasley brothers always sided with one of their own. That's why he almost spit out his entire mouthful of firewhiskey when Bill folded his arms, "You think I'd pick some bitch for the godmother of my daughter?"

"Dunno, Bill, maybe you ran out of respectable women to be godparent to your gaggle of girls." George rolled his eyes. He didn't even see the punch that was headed for his eye. The impact sent him crashing against the bar, "Bloody fucking hell, Bill!"

"That wasn't Bill," A cold voice answered from behind him. George turned around to see a very irate Fred standing behind him. Fred. "Let's pretend for a minute that you don't abuse your wife and you're not sleeping around," Fred hissed. "Millicent is the kindest, sweetest, most wonderful woman that I've ever met. And you don't have to bloody like her but you damn well better keep your mouth shut about her!"

Silence fell over the group as George stared his twin brother. The owner of the establishment began to make his way over to them but the issue was resolved when George stood up and stalked out. "Congratulations Fred, I hope you know what you're getting into," He snapped.

Fred shook his hand and sighed. Charlie put his arm around Fred's shoulders, "Don't let him get you down, mate. He needs more help than any of us can give him." Bill nodded his agreement. Fred found that he suddenly felt a lot better…he smiled. "C'mon now, I want to buy my brothers some lovely ladies!" He raised his glass, "To marriage!"

The rest of the men chuckled and raised their glasses, "To marriage!"

Millicent was jolted out of her sleep by heavy knocking on her door. A cold sweat broke out on her body as she reached for her wand. Looking around, she found that she was disoriented…damn it, she had fallen asleep on the couch again! At least she had remembered to shut the floo network off so that no unsuspecting callers got a view of her passed out on the couch in nothing but her Holyhead Harpies shirt and not much else.

The knocking didn't stop and Millicent grabbed a bathrobe off the back of the bathroom door. "Who is it?" She yelled her wand at the ready.

"It's your loving husband," A slurred voice came from behind the door. "Let me in!"

Breathing a sigh of relief, she opened the door to find a sloppily drunk Fred with his hand at the ready, as if he were still knocking. "Fred, what in the bloody hell are you doing here?" She said, pulling him out of the hall so he wouldn't wake up any of her neighbors, "It's two in the morning!"

"Two in the morning or two in the evening," He asked, as if he thought was being witty before he crashed into her.

Millicent recoiled from him as he breathed in her face, "Definitely two in the morning. Ugh, you smell like a bucket of firewhiskey." She sighed and made sure he plopped down on the couch, "Wait here and…Fred, don't vomit on anything."

His head lolled back as he stretched out on the couch, "You know what Millicent?"

Trying not to laugh, she went about making a strong pot of coffee. "What is it Fred?" For another few minutes, he was quiet. Millicent was almost positive he had passed out. She almost jumped out of her skin when he spoke again.

"You're really pretty," He said sleepily. "And I love you."

Millicent tried not to take it to heart. He was drunk, he didn't mean it…he couldn't mean it. She looked over to find Fred's glazed eyes staring over at her, "Do you feel sick, love?"

"Millie, I said I love you," he sounded agitated but definitely not angry. "Do you love me back?" Through the haze of the alcohol, he could see her thinking, the wheels turning in her head; he had been so sure that she loved him but he wanted to hear it for himself. He had to know…

Walking back into the room, she placed a warm cup of coffee in his hand and took a seat next to him. "Fred," She brought her hand up to run over his soft red hair, "I've never been in love before. I don't know how it goes." For a moment, it almost looked like he was going to cry and Millicent felt her heart sink. "But I think…maybe…" She swallowed the hard lump in her throat, "I do love you."

A triumphant smile came over his face and he leaned down, pressing his lips to hers. In the deep recesses of his mind, he knew everything was perfect and right. He knew that sex right now would complicate things…but he also knew that he was hornier than Neville's toad. Her lips were soft and yielding on his and through the thin shirt she wore, he could feel the taut peaks of her nipples. Not to mention that she was almost completely naked under that shirt…

A moan tore from her throat as he ran his hands up her thighs and rested them right next to the most sensitive place on her body. "Fred, are you sure you're up for this?" She asked breathily.

"I'm drunk, love, not dead," He answered and kissed her hard.

Standing, the two of them made their way to the bed and Fred pushed back against it. He kissed her all over, laving his mouth over every place on her. In turn, Millicent used her nails to rake down his back. Their sweat slicked bodies found a furious rhythm that left Millicent and Fred both panting. Together they came, one life, one body…soon to be one forever. There was nothing but him and her and the drowsiness that at last overtook them.

Millicent had awoken the next morning to find that Fred had already left. He rarely got up earlier than she did, but in the note he left he said that he had a meeting at Zonko's. The only grace she got was that he wanted to meet her for lunch today at the restaurant they had gone to on their first date.

Smiling, she took a long hot shower and heated up some breakfast. She wasn't really hungry but she certainly didn't want to be starving when she got to the restaurant. Being a Monday, she didn't have to go into work but she did check her owls and make sure that the floor manager was keeping an eye on everything. All the owls were the same, except one that she received from Fabian telling her that he had filled Marcus' position and, although she didn't ask for it, she could have a week off for her honeymoon of course.

Suddenly the good mood that Millicent had been in came crashing down. How could she accept such generosity when she this wedding was all a farce? The Weasleys thought that she and Fred were already married and this ceremony was only a formality. Then again, why turn down a week off that she'd need getting herself back on her feet. She did love Fred, even if she didn't want to, even if she knew that he didn't love her back (despite what he had said while drunk); she needed the time to recuperate from the worst heartbreak she'd ever have. She wasn't just losing the man she loved; she was losing the family that she longed for since birth.

The restaurant was nearly empty at half past twelve on a Monday. The Hogwarts kids had been let out for Christmas break the following Friday and most of the shopkeepers packed up and went on their break at the same times. The streets were nearly deserted; it made Fred easier to spot as he came bustling down the cobblestone street with his cloak pulled around him.

"You could've waited inside for me, love." He said, holding the door open for her.

Millicent hated how much that word 'love' affected her so deeply. She nodded and allowed him to talk her cloak. She wondered if this was all planned, them getting the exact same table and the exact same waiter.

"Today I'm paying," Fred said and nodded at the waiter, "We'd like the Brill with the French Onion Soup." His eyes sparkled as he looked over at her, "Is that okay Millie?"

Millicent just nodded; she was dumbfounded that, one, he actually remembered what they ate and two, that he insisted on paying for it. "Fred, that's a very large sum of money. I don't mind paying…"

"Don't worry about a thing," He said with a wink, "I got a new job working at the Daily Prophet."

Millicent gasped in delight, "Fred, you didn't! Oh that's wonderful!" She stood and hugged him tightly. "How'd you convince Fabian to give you Marcus' job?"

Fred laughed, "Uncle Fabian used to take me to work with him. He always wanted me to take over that job but I was always so hell bent on working at Zonko's."

"Fred, you love creating pranks," She said quietly. Why had he done this? Things weren't making sense; he had traded in his lifelong job for a salaried job at the Daily Prophet. What was this about?

He just smiled, "I'm still going to creating pranks and the like, but I've decided it's time to get a steady job. I can't very well support myself on pranks forever." He took a long drink of the water that had been placed before him, "Besides, we'll get to be work buddies."

This time, Millicent frowned; it was one thing to work in the same office. It was quite another to be 'buddies'. "Fred, what the bloody hell are we doing here?" She snapped. "Have you told your mother we aren't married yet?"

Red spread across his cheeks, "Millie, is this any place to be talking about that?" He asked, eyes darting back and forth as if he thought that someone might hear.

"I think it's the perfect time Fred. I care for you and your family very deeply." She was trying to keep her cool but was failing fast. She wanted this to be over right now. "This is tearing me apart! Make a decision!"

Fred folded his arms, "You think this is easy for me?" He retorted. "You think I want to tell my mother that we've lied to her for months? Let her plan a fake wedding? Millie, it kills me too!"

"Then do something about it!" She snapped, "If you even love me a little bit, end this. Either marry me or grow a pair and tell your mother we lied!"

"Oh it's that simple, is it?" He yelled back, "How would you know what telling your mum that you lied for so long about something she wants so much? Your mother probably would've been proud of you!" The second he said it, he immediately regretted it. He moved to apologize but Millicent shook her head fiercely.

"You're probably right; my parents were the scum of the earth." She didn't know why tears were streaming down her face. "But your parents aren't. Your mum and dad are everything I never hoped to have. They're nice to me, Fred. I haven't known them as long as you but I don't want to lie anymore."

Fred's hands came up to cover his face, "Bloody fucking hell, Millicent. We're in too deep." He brought his hands back down on the table to hard that the plates clinked. "The wedding gifts, the dresses, the flowers and now this!" He reached into his pocket and handed her a small package. "Uncle Fabian gave it to me…open it."

Tears were streaming down on her face as she tore off the old newspaper to find a box. She gasped when she opened it to find a beautiful square-cut diamond ring encrusted with emeralds on either side.

"It was my grandmother's," He said almost inaudibly. "When he came to the party and found out that you didn't have one, I was properly chastised." Leaning back in his seat, his eyes met Millicent's tear filled ones, "Please, put it on."

Millicent didn't argue with him, she merely slipped the ring on her finger to find that it magically adjusted to her size. "It's…it's beautiful," she said after a moment. "But I can't take this. It belongs to your wife." She moved to take it off but Fred stood and grabbed her hand.

"You are my wife," He said as he gently cupped her face. The feeling of wet tears against his hand made him want to cry with her.

Sniffling loudly, she pulled free of his hand, "Not for real, I'm not."

Fred found that his words stung her, "As real as there ever has been, Millicent. I care about you too. I…"

Millicent's eyes widened, "What are you saying, Fred?" Was this it? Was she finally going to be happy?

"I think we can make this marriage work, for both of us." Fred didn't know those words were going to come out of his mother until they were out there. Suddenly, he wondered if someone else in the restaurant had said them. Looking down, he found that Millicent was crying again, "Oh Millie, I don't want to make you cry again."

Standing up, she flung her arms around him and pressed her lips to his. When she pulled back, she found that Fred was smiling, "You're really serious?"

"As the Dementor's kiss," He said and kissed her again. Happiness was bursting in his chest; he felt that, for the first time in a long time, he was doing the right thing. And it felt good. Very, very good.

To my lovely reviewers :D And here's a present to my lovely friend who got ignored this afternoon :(