Chapter 15: If It's Meant to Be, It'll Be
The Weasleys' front lawn had been decorated with a marquee for the second time in as many summers. Standing before her groom, the next soon-to-be Mrs. Weasley had a breathless smile on her face. For his part, Percy was torn between gaping in wonder at his bride and puffing out his chest with pride as Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister for Magic himself (!), blessed the union. The Minister glanced between Percy and Audrey with a wise, aged smile. "Therefore, by the power vested in me as the Minister for Magic, I now pronounce this couple husband and wife. You may kiss."
Percy was almost characteristically grave, solemn and poised as he lifted Audrey's veil. In the next instant, however, Audrey's radiant beam turned into a mischievous smirk and suddenly, it was she who was sweeping Percy into a dip. Laughing musically, the beautiful young woman pulled her groom close and snogged him deeply.
Roars of laughter, applause and cheers broke out – only to then be followed by shaky cries of shock as a display of Weasley Wizard Wheezes' fireworks went off in celebration around the kissing newlyweds, a set of which ended up blowing a hole clear through the tent's tarp roof.
Dreamily breaking apart from their wedding kiss, Audrey just laughed even more brightly. Percy's scowl of annoyance faltered somewhat at seeing the joy and amusement in his wife's eyes. All the same, watching the groom from where he stood off to one side in a tuxedo, Harry just knew that Percy was eventually going to have a talking-to with George.
Though this time, he was at a party undisguised for once, Harry nevertheless felt jumpy as he moved through the congregation, helping to clear away a pre-designated section of the tables and chairs to make room for a dance floor. He pretty much couldn't help the flashbacks of PTSD from the last time there had been a Weasley brother stand before a crowd of well wishers and say 'I Do.' Images of flashes of green light danced behind his eyelids; the sound of distant, long-ago screams rang in his ears.
When Harry now felt a tap on his shoulder, he damn near jumped a foot in the air and whirled about. His hand started to go for where he had hidden his wand in the back of his cummerbund.
Ginny frowned with bemusement, even as her blue eyes flashed with concern. "Easy there, tiger…."
Harry let out a shaky breath, his face collapsing into a smile, albeit still an uneasy one. "Sorry. Just…." He appreciated how he didn't need to any further explain himself: peering deep into his eyes, Ginny seemed to understand what the trouble was.
"It's different this time," she promised him softly, incredibly gentle. A beat, and then she smirked. "Ironic, isn't it? Bill is pretty laid back, yet his and Fleur's wedding was the most ostentatious thing since….. a Wizengamot confirmation hearing!" she threw out, momentarily at a loss for a good analogy; Harry smiled. "Percy is still the puffiest peacock there's ever been, and yet his and Audrey's day is actually…. refreshingly understated!"
"I think that says something more about the brides, not the grooms," Harry figured, looping an arm through that of his date. "Bill probably just gave Fleur carte blanche to do whatever she wanted, whereas Percy and Audrey…. well, they were kind of under a time constraint."
"And no mistake!" Ginny laughed. She glanced about the marquee, with its twinkling lights, some steam wafting off the bulbs, reflecting the balminess of this late August evening. "Throwing together a wedding, proposal to vows, in…. two and a half months or thereabouts?" Harry remembered her saying something of the same at Teddy's christening, and he watched as she gnawed on her bottom lip. "That's definitely going to be a Weasley wedding record!" A beat, and then she sniggered. "Try saying that three times fast!"
Harry immediately and dutifully did, his own smirk playing on his lips as he finally began to relax. "Weasley wedding record, Weasley wedding record…." In spite of his articulation being pretty good, he only managed to get through the first two repetitions before Ginny elbowed him, grinning.
"Enough! Come and dance? Lee Jordan is about to make the first call!"
Gulping, his throat dry as he took in the sight of her, Harry nodded.
He honestly had been surprised when Percy had appointed him as a groomsman – though, considering his date had been tapped as a bridesmaid, he probably should have been expecting it. Audrey had been adamant that she wanted those who had significant others to enter the marquee on each other's arms. With only a recovered and healing Lavender Brown unattached (though she had arrived with Seamus Finnegan on her arm), Audrey's wishes had thus predictably paired off Harry with Ginny, Luna with Neville, Fleur with Bill…. and Ron with Hermione. Harry now scanned above the heads of the crowd for his two best mates, but they had disappeared somewhere.
Watching him, Ginny read his thoughts. "They probably snuck behind Dad's tool shed to make out." She shrugged. "At least, that's what I would do…."
Deciding to have a bit of fun with her, Harry bent to whisper in her ear. "I know." He was smugly satisfied when he felt her shiver, and in 90 degree weather, no less.
Behind the DJ station (which Harry had to consider actually a step up from the 10-piece orchestra Fleur had commissioned for her nuptials), Lee Jordan was calling for quiet. The wedding party was introduced in an orderly fashion, one by one darting out onto the dance floor to applause.
"… And finally, we have the two people who everyone waited years for, blessed Merlin! – Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger!" Even with them being announced second to last before the happy couple, there was an awkward moment or two before Ron and Hermione came sprinting through the crowd, both looking oddly flushed. Hermione's lips looked red and kiss-swollen.
Ginny's grin was now positively wolfish. "I rest my case."
Harry cringed. "I don't think she's going to be snogging him once Ron tells her his news."
"What? About…." and Ginny glanced about before lowering her timbre sotto voce: "…. about not going back to school?"
Harry nodded. "I was hoping I could start him in on the Auror Registration Form once you girls had boarded the train. At this rate, he's going to risk getting rolled over into training for spring season, and he's way behind as it is!"
Ginny patted his arm. "He'll get there…." She promised. "….. provided Hermione lets him live." Harry chuckled uncomfortably.
Shrieks of mirth and wild whooping made them turn back; it appeared that Percy had successfully removed Audrey's garter. Now it was time for the new Mrs. Weasley to toss her bridal bouquet into the crowd. Hands reached and clasped skyward, only for the clump of flowers to not get very much loft. Ginny shrieked as the petals literally whacked her in the nose; thinking quickly, Harry ended up trapping the bouquet against her face with his hands.
Everyone roared with laughter, and though she accepted the bouquet, Ginny scowled, knowing well what the superstitious penalty was for catching the flowers. "I'm not getting married next!" she protested, stealing a glance towards Harry as her cheeks blushed pink.
"Course not – in our line-up, you'll be getting married sometime between last and never!" Bill hollered out, waltzing by onto the floor with his graceful French wife. Despite the teasing, Harry had to privately agree with him. Ginny still wanted to finish her final year at Hogwarts, and Auror training was kicking his arse – even a conversation discussing marriage was a long way off.
The conspicuousness of Ginny's unintentionally grabbing the spotlight made both she and Harry hang back from joining the first call of dancers following Percy and Audrey's first waltz as husband and wife. They contented themselves with watching Hermione and Ron hold each other quite close as they swayed softly to the music.
Harry smiled softly, happy for his best mates. "What last year's wedding should have been like for them."
"What the Yule Ball your fourth year should have been like for them," Ginny quipped, arms folded. "Speaking of, I don't see Viktor Krum anywhere, do you?"
"Thank Merlin he wasn't invited!" Harry huffed out through a breath. "He asked Hermione for a dance last year – I don't think I've ever seen your brother so upset!"
"Hm, we might yet," Ginny mused. "I don't ruddy think he's told her, about not re-enrolling at Hogwarts."
Harry sighed. "Well, the night's still young." He held out his hand to her. "Shall we?"
Taken aback, Ginny nodded.
It felt grand to hold her like this, without (mostly) a care in the world. It felt even grander to kiss her and not care who was watching, not even if it was Ron, though to the bloke's credit, he had taken his sister and Harry's reconciliation…. as well as could be expected.
Ginny finally asked for a rest after three or four numbers, and she and her boyfriend moved to the edge of the marquee, contenting themselves with people watching. Tucking her into his side, Harry kissed Ginny's auburn locks, beautifully curled for the occasion.
"I'm really going to miss you, come September 1st…."
She sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning against him. "You have no idea….. Last term was literally torture…. and yet somehow, I think this one will be worse…."
Shouts suddenly came up from the darkness behind them – a pair of familiar voices, in the midst of a heated argument. Harry grimaced. "Sounds like the other shoe has dropped…."
He didn't really want to listen to his best mates row, but Ron and Hermione didn't exactly give him any choice: from how loud they were yelling, they were in danger of letting the whole marquee in on their little spat.
"I want you there with me!" Hermione was pleading, sounding hurt. "I already know what it's like to be away from you, and let me tell you, Ronald Weasley, it isn't any fun!" Harry's teeth clenched together at the allusion to Ron's absence during the Horcrux Hunt.
There was a bit of crosstalk as Ron started to say something, but she interrupted him. "I might have understood…. if you'd just been a man and told me! Don't you want to finish your education?!"
"Not particularly. Harry isn't!"
Harry and Ginny heard Hermione let out a gasp, and they turned just in time to watch her stomp from the darkness and into the light of the marquee, fuming. Ron dithered after her, looking shell-shocked and a little lost.
Spotting him, Hermione's eyes narrowed into slits at Harry. "Did you put him up to this?" she demanded. Behind her, Ron reached for his lover, but she twisted away. "Don't touch me!" she spat. Ron wilted, looking deeply hurt.
Thinking fast, and before Hermione could do something rash like attack him, Harry dove into the crowd and quickly found Andromeda Tonks. Expectorating himself back out onto the edge of the tent, he found a disconsolate Hermione hugging herself, glancing down at where the hem of her red cocktail dress swished mournfully at her feet. Ron and Ginny were no longer in sight.
Harry stomped over to her. Hermione glanced up and before she could tell him off, blame him for her boyfriend wanting to stay a Hogwarts dropout, he thrust little Teddy Lupin at her.
"Here." At her blinking, blank look, he amended. "Experts saying holding babies makes you less angry. Besides, he's our godson, and right now, Ted wants his godmother."
She frowned hard at Harry, but the expression seemed somewhat forced, as she gingerly accepted Teddy when Harry passed him off. The baby's little fists almost immediately began playing with Hermione's chestnut curls, causing her lips to upturn into a soft smile.
Harry watched godmother and godson together for a moment before he spoke. "I didn't put Ron up to anything," he told her gently.
Hermione nodded stiffly, not looking at him. Her shoulders rose and fell through a deep, cleansing breath. "I know."
"'Mione, he and I were never the best of students anyway! – don't you remember how much work you and I had to put in to make sure he wasn't falling behind? Bloody hell, I was barely keeping up myself, in some subjects!"
There was a long beat before Hermione smirked. "Well, seeing as you lot were best mates with me, you were sort of being graded on a curve…."
Harry chuckled. Holding out his arms, he waited for Hermione to drift into them of her own accord, the hug smushing Teddy between them, who squirmed.
"I only want what's best for him…."
"This is what's best for him," Harry urged her. "Just as Ron knows that it's best for you if you make up your seventh year!"
Hermione nodded glumly against his chest. "Yeah. I know. And…. you're right. Just promise me you'll take care of him, in Auror training?"
Harry beamed down at her. "Godric's Honor."
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek in gratitude.
Mere days later, two couples were clutching at each other passionately on Platform 9 and 3/4s.
Ron and Hermione's lips were moving in the easy give-and-take of a languorous snog, the pair having by now grown quite comfortably into their new intimacy as a couple. The beautiful brunette witch threw her arms about Ron's neck.
"It's not too late…. You could get on the train with me right now; I'd vouch for you with McGonagall to give you a class schedule." She sniffled. "You could send for your trunk later, even….!"
Ron smiled sadly and shook his head. "It's not for me, love."
Hermione whimpered and flung her arms around him again as the Hogwarts Express's whistle blew out a warning. "I wish you could come with me!"
"I will be with you," Ron promised her, tucking a bushy lock behind her ear while he pressed a hand to her heart.
Cupping Ron's face in her palms, Hermione pressed her lips firmly to his for one more kiss. "I love you….." Then she turned and muscled Ginny aside so she could crush Harry in an almost sisterly embrace. "You lot will visit us in Hogsmeade, won't you?"
"Every weekend there's an outing," Harry promised her.
"…. and sometimes when there isn't one!" Ron finished, causing the girls to laugh.
Harry platonically kissed Hermione's forehead. "Just owl us ahead what Saturdays you'll be going into the Village. Ron and I have days off then, at least for now, so we'll meet you there wherever, whenever."
Harry glanced around the platform now, feeling nostalgic. Cloaked in the shadow of one stone stantion, he could see Luna passionately kissing Luna farewell before the blonde Ravenclaw boarded the train for her seventh year, same as Ginny. The only Weasley daughter now followed her boyfriend's gaze.
"There's another bloke who I wish would just re-do his final term. It won't be the same without Nev."
The clock began to strike the hour of eleven and steam enveloped the track from the impatient locomotive.
"Hurry up!" Harry nudged Ginny towards the train car. Behind him, Ron and Hermione were clutching at each other for one last kiss, embracing as the mist swirled about them. Then Hermione, her Head Girl badge glistening off her robes, lunged past Harry to scramble aboard after Ginny.
Walking along the side of the train, following and tracking the girls until they came to a compartment, Harry had to leap to tap his fist against the window. Wrenching it open, Ginny looked confused for only a moment, her blue eyes bulging as Harry took her face in his hands and yanked her forward, kissing her deeply on the mouth. Leaning halfway out of the train, Ginny sighed and melted into the kiss, deepening it, snogging him back, until the couple was forced to break apart as the Express started to move.
Ron and Harry jogged alongside the train until their feet ran out of platform, waving as their respective girlfriends glided away from them.
"Bye, love! Have a good term!" Ron called.
"We love you!" Harry echoed. "I love you, Ginny!" He glanced to Ron out of the corner of his eye, and was heartened to see how his best mate didn't flinch at the declaration of love.
There was a long moment when they just stood there, as the steam from the now departed train started to dissipate.
"Hard as it is, it had to happen, Harry," Ron mused. "'Mione and Gin Gin are where they belong now."
"Yeah, but the term will go by fast." Harry hoped. He slung a friendly arm over Ron's shoulders. "Well….. come on, mate! Let's get back to where we belong!"
And home they went.