Chapter four.
The Wedding

"Ze wedding is ruined!" Fleur came rushing in carrying a tear-stained letter. Harry and Ron were sitting by the fire playing exploding snap while Hermione watched them. It was the day before the wedding and everyone was trying to make sure everything was organised.

"Fleur what's wrong?" Bill said concerned. He went over to her and put an arm around her. His face was scarred from the werewolf attack months ago.

"Ze place we were supposed to 'ave ze wedding, zey say we can't 'ave it zere anymore" Fleur cried. Bill steered her to a chair and she sat down.

"Fleur its not ruined, don't worry we'll find somewhere perfect" Bill said taking her hand.

"In one day Bill?" Fleur looked distraught like her life was over. Harry watched them as Bill struggled for an answer.

"What about Hogwarts?" Ron suggested. Fleur sat in silence tears still streaming down her face. "Well, it was just a suggestion" Ron muttered wishing he hadn't spoken.

"Actually Ron, that's not a bad idea" Bill said sitting down next to Fleur still holding her hand. Harry looked at Ron who looked surprised.

"Bill you can't be serious" Fleur looked at Bill, her eyes widened.

"Well, it was as good as a home to most of our guests. Including me. And it would be easy to organise. We could have the ceremony in the grounds and the after party in the great hall."

"As long as I'm marrying you eet will be perfect" Fleur smiled suddenly. "Oh Bill you 'ave such a clever brother" Fleur said happily getting up and kissing Ron on the cheek. Ron looked extremely pleased with himself. Hermione glared and made a disapproving noise.

"Well I'll just make the arrangements then" Bill got up and left the room with Fleur following him.

"Well one way or another we are returning to Hogwarts this year then" Harry said cheerfully. He was happy he would get to go there again, even if he wasn't returning in September. When Mcgonagall had been at the Burrow on business for the order, he had asked her if Hogwarts was re-opening and she'd said it was. Harry wondered how many students would attend, he guessed not many. Ginny walked in with a disgusted look on her face.

"The dress she's got me wearing. Its bright green! Is that her idea of beautiful?" Ginny shivered, she was one of Fleur's bridesmaids.

"Well, no matter how bad it is I'm sure you'll still look great" The words slipped out of Harry's mouth before he could stop himself. He hadn't spoken to Ginny about what happened between them on his birthday yet. He had the feeling she was avoiding him, although hard to do as they were staying in the same house, she seemed to leave the room whenever he entered. Ron and Hermione gave Harry looks that both asked what he was doing. The last they'd heard was Harry and Ginny weren't together. Which they weren't. Harry didn't really understand what was going on between them. Ginny smiled at him uneasily.

"I'd better go, phlegm will be looking for me in a minute" Ginny moved quickly out of the room. Hermione looked at Harry questioningly.

"Is something going on between you and Ginny?" She asked.

"Well she sort of er...kissed me the other night, and now she's avoiding me" Harry said awkwardly shifting in his chair. Hermione looked surprised. "You didn't tell us!"

Ron butted in. "Yeah like you didn't tell us who that letter was from Hermione" Ron said moodily. He had mentioned this at least ten times since she had received it.

"Oh for heavens sake Ron just drop it!" Hermione said looking annoyed.

"I will when you tell me who it was from" Ron stared at Hermione.

"It was from Viktor telling me he's coming to the wedding, that's all" Hermione snapped at him.

"What's he coming for!" Ron said angrily dropping the piece of toast he was holding. "Not that I care anyway, I dunno why you couldn't just tell me who it was from in the first place" Ron said quickly avoiding Hermione's stare. Harry could tell that Ron obviously did care.

"Because you get like this!" Hermione said exasperated.

"I don't get like anything," Ron said stubbornly still not looking at Hermione. Hermione looked at Harry and rolled her eyes. Harry smiled at her. He didn't know whether Ron would ever realise how obvious he was when it came to Hermione.

It was the day of the wedding and everyone was frantically getting ready. Harry and Ron had just changed into their dress robes. "Good thing you got Fred and George to buy me new ones, otherwise I'd have to wear that thing that looks like a dress again," Ron said gratefully. Ron's dress robes were now like Harry's except they were black. Harry's were dark green.

"Yeah it is. We going in the Ministry cars to the station?" Harry asked Ron trying to get his hair to lie flat though he knew it was useless.

"Yeah we've got extra protection today, Bill doesn't want anything going wrong" Ron said examining himself in the mirror.

"The cars are here" Mr Weasley called. Harry and Ron went down the stairs and into the kitchen joining the rest of the Weasley's.

"You two took your time" Hermione said walking up to Harry and Ron. She once again didn't have her usual bushy hair, it was straight. She must have used that sleek easy stuff again Harry thought as he remembered her telling him about it. Ron gaped at Hermione when he saw her.

"Hermione…you look.." Ron didn't finish his sentence.

"I'll take that as a compliment" Hermione smiled. With Krum coming too, today is going to seem very familiar Harry thought. He looked around for Ginny, no sign of her.

"Right, lets go then" Harry said. Harry saw instantly that the protection had increased there was people everywhere and twice the amount of cars their usually was. On the Hogwarts Express, which was how most of the guests were getting there, Harry saw a lot of members of the order who were there as guests, but probably also on guard.

When Harry arrived at the Hogwarts grounds he saw it looked like the perfect location for a wedding. The sun was shining and there were rows of seats with a space in the middle, which was obviously the aisle. At the front there was an arch with flowers hanging in midair around it. The ceremony was shorter than Harry had expected. Ginny, Harry thought didn't look even nearly as bad as she had made out. But then maybe I'm just biased Harry smiled to himself.

Once the ceremony was over everyone moved into the great hall. It had colourful banners everywhere with tables filled with endless plates of food. Fleur looked extremely happy, even though it wasn't the exact day she had planned as she danced with Bill. Harry, Ron and Hermione had sat down and were helping themselves to food when someone tapped Hermione on the shoulder. Hermione turned around. Harry saw it was Krum. "Can I haff a word with you Herm-own-ninny?" Hermione glanced at Ron who was crushing a potato with his fork.

"Yes I suppose so," Hermione said getting up from her seat. Her and Krum walked to a table a lot further away from Harry and Ron. Ron craned his head sitting up in his seat to see what they were doing.

"Why does their have to be so many people in the way?" Ron said to himself more than to Harry.

"Allright Harry!" Fred clapped Harry on the back making him choke on his pumpkin juice, George right behind him. "Were testing one of our products here, if it works it should be fun" Fred continued. Both of them were grinning at him.

"What is it" Harry asked.

"You see Harry, its a new kind of love potion…an unexpected one. You slip it in someone's drink and the next person they see...they fall in love with" George said.

"Well there's milder ones, and stronger ones you see. Personally I would never want to be on the receiving end of a stronger one. Never live it down." Fred said.

"Just make sure it never get's into my drink" Harry smiled at them.

"Never even dream of it Harry, now if you'll excuse us" The two of them walked over to talk to someone who Harry didn't know. Ron was still looking around for Hermione and Krum. Harry looked around the room; Lupin was dancing with Tonks and Hagrid with Madame Maxime. He caught Hagrid's eye, Hagrid waved at him. "Allright' 'arry?" Harry waved back and smiled.

Harry then caught sight of Ginny. He beckoned her over.

"What's Ron looking for?" Ginny asked looking confused.

"Hermione" Harry replied.

"Well, you can stop looking Ron she's coming over now" Ginny said sitting down next to Harry.

"Where?" Ron stood up. "Oh I see her" Ron looked at Ginny. Hermione smiled at them as she walked into view. "What did Vicky want?" Ron said harshly. Hermione's smile vanished.

"Ron, if you must know he wanted to know if there was anything happening between me and him. I told him there wasn't because I liked you, but if your going to be like that I might need to reconsider my response" Hermione snapped. Harry could tell that Hermione's straightforward answer had taken Ron by surprise. Harry was also a bit surprised by Hermione's reply. Maybe she's getting sick of waiting for Ron to do something Harry thought.

"No…don't do that," Ron said staring at Hermione. "So that means that you…?"

"Yes Ron it does." Hermione looked at Ron for a second and then after what seemed like hours of awkward silence flung her arms around his neck and kissed him. She broke away looking at Ron as if waiting for his response. Ron went slightly red but smiled and kissed her back.

"Finally" Ginny whispered. Harry looked at her. He didn't want to sit and watch his two best friends kissing for the rest of the day.

"Fancy taking a walk?" He muttered to Ginny.

"Yeah" Ginny grinned at him. Harry and Ginny got up and strolled outside the grounds. "Glad those two have finally got together, I was getting sick of them" Ginny said smiling.

"Yeah I know what you mean," Harry agreed. "Ginny...is it just me or have you been avoiding me since my birthday?"

Ginny stopped walking and faced Harry. "I knew what you were going to say, that the kiss shouldn't have happened and that we can't be together. The same old stuff. But surely if Ron and Hermione are going with you they are in more danger than me. So why haven't you broken off your friendships with them?" Harry had to admit Ginny had a good point.

"Ginny, after we kissed i realised I couldn't not be with you." Harry said glad they were getting things out finally. He leant down to kiss her but stopped.

"What?" Ginny asked nervously.

"Do you hear that? Voices are coming from over there" Harry walked through the trees and saw Professor Mcgonagall and Lupin. Ginny followed him. "Sssh" He told her looking through a tree branch. He could hear them clearer now.

"Remus i have told you what I think. I don't think we can trust anyone in the order at the moment, not even each other" Mcgonagall said quickly.

"Well, there must be someone who isn't being totally loyal to the order Minerva…how else would they have known?" Lupin said looking concerned.

"And then there's the issue with Severus, some of the things Albus said to me before he was killed, they just don't add up Remus" Mcgonagall said confused.

"If you would just tell me what Dumbledore had said i would be able to help you" Lupin looked at his watch.

"I cannot do that Remus, Dumbledore had sworn me to secrecy. I can't betray his trust. Even now." Mcgonagall continued.

"Very well Minerva, lets get back up to the great hall. I suspect Tonks will be wondering where I've got to."

Harry's breathing got louder as he looked at Ginny. They were both wondering what on earth that was all about.