Harry Potter and the Life After the Old
Chapter 7 – My Big Day
The dreams of a young girl very rarely come true. At least, that's my view on the matter. The dreams of meeting the tall, dark and handsome man, marrying him, and having children and a comfortable life never seem to come true. The dreams of becoming a rock star never happen either, although that has never been one of my ambitions. To marry on particular tall, not so dark, and handsome man has always been my dream. And since July when said pre-described man asked me to marry him, I realised that for me, my dream had come true. All those moments in front of the mirror, imagining him standing behind me, or those little fantasy lives in my head in which we would go on long walks together, and talk of marriage and children. The former we have talked about, however the latter has not even been mentioned by Harry. I think he is waiting to see how Ron and Hermione's baby turns out first. Or maybe Harry just does not want to talk about such things just yet.
As I sit here in a small anti-chamber in a church in Ottery St. Catchpole, I had the feeling that I've been told all brides get in their final moments of being single. All of a sudden, all my doubts about Harry's niggling little habits came back, and a wave of panic struck over me. I am about to commit my life, and many other things to the man I have always loved. I am about to change my life forever. I am about to almost start my life anew, with a new person, and a new set of circumstances, not to mention a small cottage in Ottery St. Catchpole which Harry had bought for the occasion of our marriage. It is around 15 minutes walk from the Burrow, down an equally long, dusty drive. Harry has sold his city centre flat in Birmingham, and had moved all of his things in. I have not seen the cottage yet, though I have a vague memory of seeing it once, while out walking. If he has bought the one I am thinking of, it is a pale stone built house, with two stories and a thatched roof. And I seem to remember a very scary Alsatian was in residence when I came across it. Well, no doubt the Alsatian has moved on with the houses previous owner. Well, at least I hope it has. And here I go again: the niggling little doubts about Harry's judgement in choosing a family cottage in which to live. Hermione told me that she and Ron had helped him to look for a smallish country cottage, and they had all settled on this particular on in the village.
Hermione now entered the room, and walked over towards me.
"Time to do the hair" she said. I turned around, the white wedding gown rustling as I stood.
"Just keep it simple, Hermione. Harry's favourite is to just have my hair down" I said, thinking of my hair, which now stretches down to my mid-back.
"What about a braided pony-tail? I've got better at doing those now" said Hermione. She has been trying to get me to change my mind about my hair style for ages.
"No, Hermione. This day isn't about being in fashion. It's about confirming my love for the man of my dreams, and if the man of my dreams likes it best when my, and I quote 'fiery red hair is cascading down my shoulders'" I said, remembering the time shortly after they had become engaged. We were in his kitchen, and had just finished a surprisingly nice dinner that he had made for us. We had finished the washing up, and the two wine glasses had just been put back into his cupboard. He took me in his arms, and we kissed. He pulled back and said to me the words I mentioned just now to Hermione. Since then, I've let my hair grow.
"As you wish. Sit straight, and I'll brush it for you" said Hermione, nudging my back, and grabbing a hair brush.
"You're not using a spell?" I said, surprised.
"Not on your life. I'm not using a spell or anything magic to do anything to your hair. Just a good old-fashioned muggle hairbrush" she said, gathering my hair, ready to brush it.
"I remember brushing your hair before your wedding" I said to her "Wonderful head of hair you've got. You must be a hair stylists dream"
"Yours is wonderful too, Ginny. Its soft, smooth, and silky. And of course it's Weasley red" she said to me, working the brush through my hair. I smiled. Harry says the same things about my hair.
Eventually, she finished brushing, and it was time for the veil. I stood in front of a full length mirror, and I just had to admire myself. The wedding dress had been chosen by me, from Madam Malkins, at Harry's expense. He had insisted that I got the dress that I wanted, no matter what it cost. I had chosen, and I do not regret my choice. I lost myself in my own thoughts of what life was going to be like after today, until my father appeared at the door.
"Well, Ginny. Are you ready? We're ready for you now" he said, holding out a hand. I smiled.
"Yes, I am" I replied, casting all doubt aside. This was my day, and I am damned if I'm going to let my brain spoil it for me.
oOo
The first thing that hit me when I woke up this morning was 'Where's Ginny?' Then I realised that Hermione had kidnapped her for the day, due to some muggle tradition where one is not allowed to see the woman of one's dreams until the time that they are to be married. I spent the night with Ron anyway. He came over to spend the last night in what he called my "Bachelor Pad". He has been watching far too much television. That aside, we had a great evening of reminiscing and drinking beer. Not too much though, because Ron thought it best that I was not hung over on my wedding day. Which is a very sensible thought, considering Ron's normal thought processes, which normally include: food, Quidditch and food. I say food twice because Ron has a phenomenal appetite. Oh and Hermione.
I am standing in my flat at the moment. Its five minutes to one, the appointed time. I have made sure that my hair is tied as properly as it can be, and my glasses are clean. I have a freshly ironed white shirt hung over the back of a chair next to me, and a tie. My black suit jacket is on a hanger. In typical style, I'm leaving things until the last minute. Quite literally the last minute. It has always been that way with Ron and I. I remember he was almost late for his wedding. He spent too long in the shower trying to wash out his hang over. By a stroke of good fortune, he managed to pull himself together, dress in record speed, and apparated away from my flat with a minute to spare, in order to take his place at the altar.
It is a funny feeling this whole marriage thing. I feel like my life is becoming in some way normal. That is a wish I have had for a long, long time. I remember saying it to Dumbledore during my sixth year, and I remember repeating it in my head. When Voldemort died, there was no chance of having a normal life, because I became "The-boy-who-did-in-the-bad-guy". I suppose I did not help myself by placing myself in the lime light by becoming a sports reporter, but in a way, I get the feeling that helped. People saw me a lot, and read about what I was doing. It was this that I think managed to get people to forget about what I had done to Voldemort, and soon enough people stopped bugging me about it. I feel relieved now, that I can lead a life that is private, that I do not have people buzzing around outside all the time, trying to find out where I am. This is partly why I have made both of my houses unplottable. Though now I'm selling my flat, I'll have to reveal it to the world so that someone can buy it. Hermione managed to adapt the spell slightly so it was visible to muggles only. This was mainly because it was in a muggle block of flats, and I do not want to even imagine what would happen if a landlord reported that one of the flats in his building has simply disappeared from view, the door replaced by a wall with a fire hose on it. I'm rambling, even in my head. I feel that today is a day where my normal life can be confirmed. There is only one reporter there, and standard for any Wizarding wedding. Each wedding gets a mention in the Daily Prophet. There is no Rita Skeeter, or anyone like her, because people have finally lost interest in "The-boy-who-lived" or "The Chosen One" or which ever your favourite title happens to be. It was at this moment that Ron appeared from the kitchen, also dressed in a suite.
"Well, well, Harry. Your big day" he said, smirking.
"Soon to be yours as well. How many weeks to go now?" I asked him, referring to his and Hermione's baby.
"She's due in a months time" he said "Yes it's a she"
"You kept that quiet" I said, adjusting my tie "What time is it?"
"Time we left I think" said Ron, looking at his watch "Don't want to be late…"
I nodded at him, and turned away from the mirror. I put on the suit jacket, and straightened the folds. I extracted my wand from my sleeve, and apparated to the church. I had to apparate to a special location just outside the church. Because it was a muggle church, and the vicar was a muggle, we had to apparate to locations just outside the church. Ron and I walked inside, and I led the way up the aisle to stand by the vicar. Ron took his place slightly to my right, and gave me the all important ring.
"Good luck, mate" he whispered as he handed it over, patting my shoulder.
"Thanks" I whispered back, and popped the ring into my pocket. I turned around, just as the organ started playing a rousing tune by a muggle composer that Hermione had chosen. There she was. Ginny. Her hair cascading past her shoulders, and looking, dare I say it, heavenly. She stood at the opposite end of the aisle with her father. Mr Weasley lead the way down the aisle. Ginny came and stood opposite me. We smiled, both quite unable to believe that it was actually happening. We waited for the organ piece to finish, and when it did, the vicar stepped forward.
oOo
There he goes. My best friend. I wonder what he was thinking when I got married. Probably much the same. It's strange though, this wedding for me. Because it's the marriage of my best friend to my sister. From the beginnings, I remember the shock of seeing him just walking into the common room, my sister running to him, and them just kissing. There and then. Right there. That was what shocked me most. I know Harry is not one for publicity, but he went and landed himself right in it there. But then again, people do strange things when they are in love. Look at me, for example. I've become, dare I say it, sensible. My wonderful wife is expecting our first daughter. And we still cannot decide what to call her. Hermione likes the name Alice, and I think that's decided. Also Camilla. But that's a debate for another day. Right now, there are more important things going on, the marriage of my best friend to my sister to name one.
I am currently standing just to the right of Harry, slightly behind him, watching my sister and my dad walking up the aisle together. It is strange to see my sister being given away. My older brothers are not married yet, Charlie does not seem to be attached, Fred and George, although attached are showing no signs of marriage, Percy, naturally has married, as has Bill. It's the children in the middle who are resisting Mum's pleas. I never thought that I would be married even before Percy. I had an idea that I might have been before Fred and George, though. And Ginny. I knew that she lost heart during her mid teens, and thought she was going to spend the rest of her life living at the top of a tower, crying. Then she got over the crush and she was fine. Then Harry kissed her, and it all went from there.
I say good luck to my friend and my sister, and to my friend, it's about bloody time.
oOo
I've known Harry right from the beginning of his time at Hogwarts, and although he's not the sort to have heartfelt chats, I know a lot about his personality. Probably more than he would like. He has always been very sheltered. That is why I am so pleased that he has managed to find someone so pretty, so level headed, and above all, so trusting. Ginny Weasley is an amazing woman, and pretty to top that. She asked me to help her dress, and borrowed the silver bracelet I wore to my own wedding. That was her something borrowed. Her something old is a necklace that she has had since she was six. A simple silver chain with a small diamond pendant. She said that it had been passed on to her when a relative had died, and a spell had been put on it to lengthen the chain as she grew older. I'm not sure about the something blue, but I think it's from her mother. If it is around, I've not seen it.
I followed Ginny and Mr Weasley out of the small ante-chamber, went and stood by the door. At the opposite end of the church, by the altar, I saw my husband and Harry exchanging a quick pre-marriage word. They had done the same at ours. Harry had leaned forward, whispered something in Ron's ear, and patted him on the shoulder, then Ron grinned at me, all be it rather sheepishly. To this day, I have no idea what they said to each other. The same thing happened today, only this time it was Ron whispering into Harry's ear, and Ron patting Harry's shoulder. Doubtless we will never find out what was said then either. Maybe it is just something men do before committing their lives to some one. The last goodbye to the world of the free has Ron once referred to it.
Harry looked down the aisle to watch his soon to be wife being led by her father. The organ piece I had helped them choose was played, excellently I might add by the Churches organist. I do not know if Ron is getting a similar strange feeling to me. The fact that I am watching my all time best girl friend, and my all time best boy friend getting married to each other made me smile, and think just how much things have changed over the last few years. It's now only a year after the defeat of Voldemort, and Harry has re-opened his life to love, and married his girl. I know that there has been a sort of silent agreement in the Wizarding world not to mention the last war, but I know for a fact that Harry still thinks about it, and from what Ginny has said, he opens up to her. It is this fact that shows just how much Harry has grown up over the last 3 years. He would never talk to anyone about anything 3 years ago. But he has found trust in Ginny, and they talk things through, and ultimately, that is what will keep them together. The fact that they love each other. Simple.
oOo
The church was only small, and all of the forty guests that had been invited sat comfortably in the pews. Those present included the entire Weasley family, including the various assorted girlfriends and wives, friends from Hogwarts, and a couple of teachers. A large man at the back of the church dominated the proceedings for a while after a heartfelt emotional outburst. Hagrid sat next to Headmistress McGonagall. The Professor had fought hard to keep the school open after the sixth year, and even though it was open, neither Ron, Hermione or Harry were in attendance for the entire year, except one brief stint during the Christmas holiday's when they came looking for clues about the Horcruxes.
Honorary invitations went out to Dumbledore and Sirius, who Harry hoped would be there in spirit. He and Ginny had written the invitations, and then cast them to the sky with a levitation charm that would keep them rising until either they left Earth altogether or they disintegrated. The mood had been sombre for the rest of that evening, and Ginny and Harry had sat for the rest of the evening in each others arms, letting their memories of the two lost men wash over them, glad that they had each other for comfort in such moments.
Remus Lupin was there, who sat alongside Bill. Since the incident in the sixth year which left Bill so horribly scarred, he and Remus had become friends, Bill turning to Remus for advice about how to control the occasional urges he feels from his wolf side. Next to Bill sat Fleur, his wife of 2 years. Other guests included Harry's dormitory mates, as well as Ginny's, and a few friends from the Daily Prophet, as well as Hermione's parents.
The proceedings were drawing to a close, and Harry and Ginny were repeating the wedding vows, as read by the vicar. He finished, and looked between the two of them.
"By the power vested in me by the Lord, our God, I know pronounce you Man and Wife" he said, closing his Bible "You may kiss the bride"
Ginny looked up into Harry's eyes, and smiled a wide smile. Harry, too, smiled, and lifted the veil. They shared a small kiss, and then turned to the congregation who were applauding them. The organ struck up once again with a lively Sortie, and they left the church.
Outside, they stood for photographs, and a small social. After which, Harry and Ginny were driven away in a car to their new home in the village.
Authors Note:
If you were wondering, the two pieces I was thinking of were:
Symphony No. 5 in F Minor (Toccata) by Charles-Marie Widor for the beginning of the ceremony. Can be found on the iTunes music store.
Sortie in E Flat by Louis Alfred James Lefébure-Wély for the end of the ceremony.