Ginny turned over in bed, reaching for her blankets, hoping for more sleep. Unfortunately, someone else had other ideas.
"Up, up up! There's a lot to do today, and no time to slug around in bed!" It was her mother. Ginny could hear Hermione groan, and she let out a similar moan.
"Mum... I'm the bride... I'm supposed to look beautiful... and waking me up at four a.m. is not the way to make me look beautiful...!" she turned her back on her mother and was positively determined to go back to sleep.
"Ha! It's nine o'clock, not four. And I don't care if you're the Queen, you're still helping me today!" She felt her mother pull back the blankets, letting in a rush of cold air. Ginny squealed, and was disappointed to hear Hermione getting out of her bed. If Hermione was getting up, she supposed she also had to. Groaning, she stood up.
"There! Happy? I promise not to go back to sleep."
Her mother smiled. "Very happy. Meet me in the kitchen in a few."
Ginny and Hermione dressed, and began making it down the stairs. With such a busy day ahead of them, and such a cramped house, Ginny wasn't sure how they were going to keep her and Harry separated, but Hermione had promised she would. "You only get married once," Hermione said. "Hopefully." She added, and Ginny punched her in the arm. "Anyways, don't you want to do it right?" Ginny had muttered some kind of acquiescence, but in truth she was perfectly content seeing Harry. With so many months not seeing him at all, being in the same house and unable to talk to him would be painful.
"Good morning!" she called into the kitchen, upon hearing a bunch of people scraping cereal bowls from inside.
"No! Hermione- hold her back- Harry's in here!" she heard Ron yell. Hermione grabbed Ginny's arms and pulled her back. She then covered Ginny's eyes with her hands.
"Ouch!"
She heard the clattering of a bowl and the sound of someone being dragged from the room. "This is stupid!" Harry yelled.
"You're supposed to keep us separated until the wedding, genius. Killing Harry beforehand is not a good idea!" she called, struggling against Hermione's grip.
"Just following orders!" Ron yelled right back. "Alright, we're going inside. Ginny, promise me that before you go anywhere you announce your presence."
She sighed, unable to see a way out of this. "Fine."
She struggled against Hermione's grip once she heard the door to the garden slam. After a quick breakfast, she and Hermione also went outside, but not before Hermione made Ginny yell that she was coming. Again she heard a dull thud and an "ow" before hearing people run past (her eyes were covered again). She was beginning to worry for Harry's health.
They waited in the garden for the guests to arrive. At ten, Hagrid arrived.
"Hello, you two!" his eyes twinkled at Ginny and Hermione. "Cannot believe you're gettin' married today..." he blinked tears out of his eyes. "I remember when you an' Harry came to Hogwarts... I took 'im to Diagon Alley the first time, you know. And then you came the next year. An' all tha' crazy stuff happened.... such a shame. But here ya are!" He reached down, still crying, and pulled both Ginny and Hermione into a huge hug, slightly crushing them.
"Aw, Hagrid, it's ok," Hermione said, and Ginny patted his arm comfortingly. Luna came next with her father, and Teddy and his grandparents, along with Neville's grandmother. Ginny and Hermione spent a few hours talking with everyone, and occasionally one of her brothers would come by to say hello. Ginny had fun playing with Teddy, who was enamored with the small toys she could spout from the tip of her wand.
Harry told Ginny about his, Hermione, and Ron's encounter with Mr. Lovegood at his house during the war, and this was the first time Ginny had been with him for any extended period. She wasn't sure how to act, because she didn't feel that she could ever completely forgive him for putting them in danger, no matter what his cause. But Ginny didn't want to cause a problem, and she took her cues from Hermione, who, after all, had more cause to be angry with this man then she. But Hermione was perfectly friendly, and so Ginny was, too. Mr. Lovegood, though a little strange, seemed to be nice.
Hermione and Ginny were continuously running in and out of the house to help Mrs. Weasley, but still managed to keep the guests entertained as more and more people arrived. But at noon, it was past time for Ginny and Hermione and Luna to go inside and get ready. The wedding was at two.
Ginny's room was cramped, with three people, one large white dress, two less voluminous blue ones, and a table with make-up. Hermione and Luna dressed first, and Ginny sat on her bed (Hermione's had been charmed out of the way- they needed all the space they could get) and undressed. She lay down, and looked up at her ceiling, still covered with posters of Quidditch teams.
I can't believe I'm marrying Harry...she thought to herself. She remembered when it was Ron's first year, and she had seen him for the first time before he went onto the train. And then that summer, when she had to endure Ron talking about him constantly before she finally met him... and when she did, she stuck her elbow in a butter dish. I wonder if he remembers that? Ginny remembered being so terribly mortified afterwards. And then all those years at Hogwarts, where something terrible happened every year, and Harry always seemed to be involved. And more than one member of her family- including herself- owed their lives to him.
Well, isn't that what I'm giving him? She thought. I'm marrying him, and promising a life together. She shook her head, trying to break out of her flashback, and sat up. Hermione and Luna were in their dresses, and Ginny was still in her underwear, utterly useless.
"Alright, Gin, it's time to get ready," Hermione said matter-of-factly, reaching out a hand to help Ginny up.
"I heard that one your wedding day, it's good luck to turn the mirror around backwards. Keeps the evil spirits away. They come into your eyes through mirrors," Luna mused.
"Huh..." Ginny thought about that. Of course, she didn't believe what Luna was saying, but getting ready without a mirror seemed to be a good idea. She didn't feel like fussing her hair in front of a mirror. Picking up her wand, she conjured a purple cloth that settled itself over the mirror. "Much better." She stepped into her dress.
Hermione made a clucking sound with her tongue, which Ginny took to mean, "You don't really believe what she's saying, do you?" but just went over and picked up some of the makeup.
For the next few hours, Ginny was perfumed, cleaned, her hair brushed, her nails manicured, and made utterly presentable. At the end of the makeover, she smelled nice, her skin shined, her hair was lustrous, her dress fell nicely against her body, and she was confident that she wasn't wearing too much make-up and that she looked good.
Hermione and Luna stepped back and smiled, proud of their work. "You look great, Gin."
"Really beautiful," Luna said softly. "Harry's lucky." She thought for a moment. "Harry's very nice. Funny, too."
Ginny just nodded. "Yes, he is."
"And Ginny- you're packed and everything, right?" Hermione checked.
"Of course. I packed yesterday. Or repacked. And we went shopping last week, remember?"
Hermione shrugged. "Just making sure." She got a mischievous look on her face. "So... what are you wearing tonight?"
"That's for me to know and Harry to find out... not you! Mind your own business!"
"You're no fun!" Hermione said, poking Ginny, and Luna grinned.
"It's so nice being here. Thank you so much for picking me to be a bridesmaid, Ginny. I'm really happy for you."
"Me, too, Ginny. You and Harry are my best friends... I couldn't pick anyone better for either of you. And... Harry's got a really good heart," Hermione smiled to herself and hugged Ginny. She thought she heard Hermione sniffle. "He's a great wizard... and you're a great witch. I know you'll make each other happy."
"Oh, Hermione, I love you, too!"
They had to stop there, before they all started crying. A moment later, the door to Ginny's room opened and Mrs. Weasley walked inside.
"Do you two mind if I talk to Ginny for a moment? Alone?"
"Of course not, Mrs. Weasley." Hermione grabbed Luna by the arm and walked out of the room.
Mrs. Weasley sat down on Ginny's bed. "You look beautiful, sweetheart," she began. "And I know I've been an emotional wreck over the past few weeks, but you've got to understand... you're my youngest, and Harry's like a son to me too, you know." She looked at her hands, letting a few tears escape. "It's like losing two children at once!" she sobbed.
"Oh, mum!" Ginny sat down next to her mum and wrapped her arms around her, hugging her tightly. "You're not losing us... we're not going far." She pulled back, looking her mum in the eye. "I love you."
"I love you too, Ginevra." Ginny groaned at the use of her full name, and her mum kissed her on the forehead. Over the past few days, she'd been getting a lot of that. Everyone in her family had been taking her aside and talking to her- about getting married, about what it was like growing up with her, and her father started talking about what a wonderful daughter she was. It was as though she was dying, not getting married, and everyone was saying goodbye.
"Mum, really. I'm not going anywhere!"
"I know that. But sometimes it doesn't seem that way. With all of you, it seems that one of you is always moving away, getting married, or..." Mrs. Weasley let out another sob, but this time Ginny knew why. They were both thinking of Fred, and how he wouldn't do any of those things anymore. "But really Ginny, you do look beautiful. And I know you're making the right decision. As long as you know you're making the right decision. It's not too late-"
"I'm positive, mum." And it was true. She had been stressed about the wedding, but she had never doubted her decision for a moment. Marrying Harry was something she was sure about.
"Alright. And either of you- both of you- are always welcome here." Mrs. Weasley hesitated. "And Hermione. Make sure she knows that."
Ginny was puzzled. "I think she does know, Mum, she's always here."
"I just want her to know that, however dense my son may be, she is always welcome here."
Ginny giggled. For the past few months, it had been evident that Mrs. Weasley was perturbed at Ron. She had told Ginny that, "If Harry's mature enough to know what he wants, what's wrong with my son? Can't he see?" Ginny happened to agree. Her mother wouldn't be this antsy with Ron if his decision wasn't so obvious to everyone else; everyone knew he and Hermione were perfect for each other, and they could all see that Ron knew that, too. He just didn't get a move on.
"Soon enough, he'll get a move on. Or Hermione will make him. Don't worry, mum." She kissed her mum on the cheek, and then heard a clock strike two. She looked out the window and saw that everyone assembled outside in the wedding marquis.
"It's time," her mother said. "Are you ready?"
Ginny nodded, suddenly nervous. She stood up and opened the door, walking downstairs with her mother. Hermione and Luna were waiting for her in the kitchen, and they smiled and hugged her again. Mrs. Weasley squeezed her daughters hand, and they walked out to the garden. Her stomach was full of butterflies.
They reached the garden, and Ginny was partially concealed behind a rosebush. Mrs. Weasley went to sit down, and Mr. Weasley took her place. Hermione and Luna walked out in front of her, and then the wedding march was being played. Her father kissed her on the cheek, and then they began to walk.