Saturday was cold and bright, and Ginny was glad she'd wrapped herself warmly.
"I can't believe I backed out of telling your mum last night," Draco grouched beside her. Ginny smiled a superior smile. He glared at her but said nothing. She knew that she had won that bet.
Hermione's flat was a five minute walk from the Leaky Cauldron. Ginny was surprised that she'd not been there before now. Approaching slowly, she could see that the lot of units was well laid out. Hermione's flat was the one closest to the street. As they approached the door Ginny caught a glimpse of a central garden behind the building. Hermione opened the door before they even made it to the step.
"Come in, come in… I spent all night cleaning, so you might as well come in quickly and enjoy it before it gets dirty again…"
Ginny shook her head at her friend as she stepped into the small house. It was rather bare, and the smells in the air said that cauldrons had been bubbling in this room until recently. Severus came in and waved them to the chairs that had been hastily set up in the corner. Hermione smiled up at him then went to get tea for them all.
"Nervous?" Draco asked. Severus glared at him. Draco chuckled. "She's hardly going to leave: she organised it."
"I know," Severus snapped. "You circumvented the entire problem, so you can say nothing."
Draco shrugged. "Suppose."
"Where did you put all the cauldrons?" Ginny asked.
Severus grinned nastily. "On the back step."
"Won't the muggles see?"
"Oh, probably. I left them there for Hermione to find."
Ginny giggled softly. "I'll bet she's been working hard to try and be anything but a crazy woman…" Severus answered her with another grin.
Hermione came back in, humming softly, with a tray of tea and cakes. She set it on the small table. "Help yourself," she said. "I have some things to take care of."
"That sounds ominous," Ginny commented once Hermione had left the room again.
"She looks like Loony Lovegood," Draco added.
Ginny elbowed him. "Luna is a good person," she defended the woman. "Crazy now… but that's no excuse to call her names."
"Merlin, she's as bad as Hermione," Severus grumbled.
"Hardly," Draco commented. Severus shrugged. "Hey, you're the one marrying her," Draco added. Severus glared. Being nervous really took the edge off Severus' nastiness, however.
There was a light knock on the door. Ginny got up to answer it. "Pansy!"
Pansy stepped in over the threshold, her long dark hair falling in a curtain over her shoulders. "I heard that there was to be a small celebration today. I love parties," she added, sitting in a chair beside Severus.
"So, sir; nervous?" She also laughed at Severus' glare. "Well, I can't talk. I'm getting married tomorrow. I'm terrified," she confided.
"Of marrying my brother?" Ginny scoffed. "Just boss him around. You'll be fine."
Pansy pressed her lips together lightly. "No. Terrified that he'll mess up his lines. Or trip on the walk. Or stand on my feet during the bridal dance…" She smiled at Ginny's laugh.
Their talk was interrupted by a short, old man entering from the kitchen. Severus stood. "Hello," he said.
"Hello, yourself." The man snapped. "I take it you're the groom?"
"I suppose," Severus mumbled.
"Well, get over here then."
Ginny, Draco and Pansy watched amusedly as the little old man – with almost no hair and large nose – bossed Severus into standing straight, cleaning his clothes, brushing his hair. "Here's the ring," the man said. Severus took the small piece of gold. "Now, stand still."
Music started from somewhere. After a few moments – and the little man backhanding Severus' arm when he shuffled his feet – Hermione appeared in the doorway. Her mess of hair was somehow pulled up in a way that it formed ringlets down her back. She was wearing a long-sleeved dress with a dark blue overdress. She stepped over to the little man, stood facing Severus.
"Right," the little man said shortly. "It is the wish of these two people to come together in marriage. Today, we recognise this wish before the assembled people and before the magic. Firstly, do you people recognise the validity of the marriage forming here today?"
"We do," they answered.
"Secondly, we ask the magic to give some recognition of the validity of the marriage forming here today." They waited for perhaps ten seconds before a sparkle of silver showered the two.
"Good," the little man said. "Very pretty. Now, Severus Snape, do you take Hermione Joan Granger to be your lifelong partner, your wife, for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," Severus said.
"And Hermione Joan Granger, do you take Severus Snape to be your lifelong partner, your husband, for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," Hermione said.
"Good. Now, exchange rings." They did so. "By these tokens, you will always be assured of the love and commitment of the other. You may kiss."
And they did. The little man stepped back, and Ginny was sure that she saw him wipe his eyes. But when Severus and Hermione separated, he was all business once more.
"You are now husband and wife. Be welcomed by these assembled people." The three witnesses stood to congratulate them. "Good luck," the little man said, a smile on his face which said that they'd need it. Hermione shook the man's hand.
"Thankyou for doing such a good job on short notice," she said. Ginny wondered where the envelope had appeared from, and where it disappeared to once the little man took it.
"Pleasure," the man said. "Have a long and happy life together," he said from the doorway, then he was gone.
"Who on earth was that little man?" Severus asked.
Hermione shrugged. "I looked him up in the floo directory."
"No wonder he wasn't busy," he mumbled.
Hermione tapped him on the chest. "Not nice. Now, let's all have some lunch, then you can all go away and we can properly make this house our own."
Ginny didn't even want to think about that. They ate the lunch that Hermione had provided (roast duck, potatoes, apples and carrots), feasted on the dessert Ginny had brought (sticky date puddings with butterscotch sauce and cream) and drank champagne and the lovely white wine that Pansy had brought.
"Thanks for coming," Hermione said once they'd all finished.
"Now, go away," Severus added.
"Sure," Draco replied. "We'll just leave you with all the dishes, then."
And they jumped up and got out the door before Hermione or Severus could insist that they clean up. They waved, closed the door, and walked to the street.
"So, Pansy," Draco said, "doing much this afternoon? I am currently aware that I haven't seen your for a long time."
"Unfortunately," Pansy replied, "I have a wedding to organise. And a mother-in-law to boss around."
"Tough luck," Draco said.
"Not really," Pansy smiled slightly. "She's remarkably easy to work with."
"By the way," Ginny interrupted, "I gave him the ring."
"Oh? Congratulations," Pansy said. "Shall I tell Ron?"
"No," Draco said. Pansy looked to him for an explanation. He rolled his eyes. "We have a bet going."
"A bet?" she asked Ginny.
"He said that he could do a better job of telling people than I could. He took Hermione, Severus and my mother. I have you, Ron and dad."
"Ah," she said. "I take it that Severus and Hermione know. Have you told her mother yet?"
Draco glared. "No."
Pansy's smile widened a little. "Well, good luck…" and with that, she apparated away.
Draco frowned. "I forgot that she had a habit of doing that."
Ginny held Draco's arm. "Let's go and visit the Burrow."
Draco grimaced. "Must we?"
Ginny grinned. "Yes."
Ron was sitting at the kitchen table at the Burrow, peeling pumpkin. "Hi," he said to Ginny. Then he realised that Draco was in the room as well. "Oh. I suppose that your better nature showed through, then?" he said to Ginny.
She shrugged. "Yes. Where's dad?"
"In his office; where else?"
"Look after Draco for a little while, will you?"
"Oh, ok. Malfoy – grab a knife. I'll teach you how to peel pumpkin."
"Why don't you just charm it off?"
"It doesn't taste the same."
Draco snorted. Ron shrugged. "You can face mum's wrath, if you like."
Draco sat down and picked up a knife.
Ginny smiled and went up the stairs. Her mother was sitting with her father in his study. They weren't saying anything, just sitting. Ginny knocked on the doorframe.
"Come in, love," her dad said. "I want to say something. I know that… this ministry idea is never going to get off the ground. I'm sorry that I've put you through so much hardship…" her mum squeezed his hand.
Ginny moved over to hold his other hand. "It's ok, dad. You needed something to believe in. What are you going to do now?"
"Find a job," he said. "I don't know what I'll do, but I'll find something. Can… Can you forgive me for being so stupid?"
"Dad, you weren't being stupid. But, yes, I'll forgive you for trying to avoid change. I love you, dad."
He hugged her and her mother patted her arm. After a moment, he pulled back. "Was there something you wanted, love?"
"I… I just need to get something, then I'll tell you what I wanted." Ginny left them in the study, hurried downstairs.
Ron was in hysterics. "You need to leave some pumpkin behind to eat, Malfoy," he said around his laughter.
Ginny looked over at Draco. He had a small pile of massacred pumpkin. She squashed the laugh that bubbled up in her when Draco looked over at her, stricken.
"Ginny, this is torture!"
"No, it's not," she said. "It's hard work, is all. And it takes some time to learn. Ron, shut up. Draco, come with me."
Ron snickered as Ginny escorted Draco onto the stairs. "Draco… Mum and dad are up there, together. I couldn't tell them on my own."
He looked down at her. "What, couldn't bring yourself to win the bet?"
"Seriously, Draco," she said. "They're my parents and I want them to be happy for me. For us."
"I know," he said quietly. He pulled her close, kissed her quickly. "Let's do this, then."
Both her mum and her dad looked surprised when she stepped over the threshold with Draco in tow. Surprised, but not shocked.
"Mum, dad, we… have something to tell you."
"It's ok, Gin-baby," her dad said. "We know."
"What?" Ginny said, shocked.
Her parents smiled sadly at each other. "Why do children think they can keep things from their parents?" Her mother said. "Ginny, love, we know. We know that you were doing… illegal things, to help us with money. There was really nowhere else for the money to come from. When you told me about the ring… well, it was only a small leap of logic. We…"
Her dad said, "we want you to know that we're proud of you for taking responsibility for your actions. It made me so upset, knowing that you were… well, being Robin Hood, I suppose. And… it caught up with you. But we're very proud of you for not backing away from it."
"Malfoy…" her mother said. "No, I suppose I should call you Draco. We want you to know that… we love our daughter. And we want her to be happy. Or, at the very least, not unhappy. Can you do that?"
Draco, as shocked as Ginny was, replied, "Yes, I think I can. I hope I can. I want to."
Her dad smiled. "I think the words you're looking for are, 'I will'."
Draco nodded. "Thankyou. I will."
"And, Ginny dear, you'll put your heart into this, won't you? Marriages aren't one-sided affairs."
"I will, dad. I promise."
Her parents glanced at each other. Her mum stepped forward, caught them both in a hug. Her dad stood back, shook Draco's hand when Molly let them go. "Welcome to the family, Draco," he said.
"Thankyou," Draco said, and Ginny didn't need to look at him to see the tears on his face. She could hear them in his voice.
"Thankyou," she echoed.
"Well," her mum said, brushing her eyes and becoming all business. "Let's get you both downstairs. Draco, you can prove your willingness to be part of this family by learning how to peel pumpkin."
He groaned, and Ginny giggled. "Ron already tried to teach him."
Molly frowned. "Ron couldn't teach a stick how to stand still. Come on, Draco. You'll be peeling properly by the end of the afternoon." Ginny waved at Draco as he sent her a look that said, 'save me'. "And you, Ginny Weasley, can go and turn over the farthest left garden bed." Her father gave her a smile.
"I'll come and help you," he offered.
"Thanks, dad, I'd like that."