Chapter Ten
Harry looked at himself in the mirror, adjusting to his changed face. He'd taken a large dose of polyjuice potion, as well as having a bottle ready to go to take with him, and now looked like a ginger haired boy from nearby.
He didn't fully agreed that it was really needed; they wouldn't be staying at the Burrow for any longer than the wedding but he didn't want to put the Weasleys, in any more danger than he needed to, however annoying they could be.
"Harry! Are you ready to go?" Danica yelled from just outside the door, "We're all waiting!"
Harry rolled his eyes at her typical younger-sister impatience. He grabbed his small bag, holding everything he might need for the coming weeks just in case they didn't make it back to the Manor.
He walked over to his bedside table and picked up the Mokeskin pouch that Hagrid had sent him for his birthday. Inside he slipped a picture of him, Danica, Sirius, Lily and Severus at the beach, and the snitch from Dumbledore, even though he hated it. He knew it was something he might need or Dumbledore wouldn't have left it to him.
He still hadn't worked out what 'I open at the close' meant but it had been very late when they'd finally gone to bed last night so he'd not had much chance to think it over, or even tell his friends about it.
His pocket watch from James was tucked firmly in his waistcoat pocket, the bag could fit in his robe pocket, making sure it was tucked down the bottom and buttoned tightly.
They'd all agreed their bags needed go everywhere with them now. It had been a teary goodbye last night as Harry, Draco and Hermione said goodbye to Daphne, Pansy and Neville, knowing it would be the last time in a long while before they would be together again.
Harry heard his mother calling that they were going to be late if he didn't get a move on. He grabbed one of the many pictures Danica had drawn for him from the wall and folded it carefully before sticking in in the pouch as well.
Lily and Danica were dressed in matching lavender robes and standing just down the hall, waiting for him. He gave them a wide grin as Lily tutted, checking her watch. She smoothed his hair as they walked.
Draco, Lucius and Hermione, also all dressed neatly, were waiting in the entrance hall. Hermione was dressed in a floaty blue dress, her hair twisted up into a messy bun.
Draco and Lucius looked perfectly neat, as always. They were dressed simply and elegantly, Draco in midnight blue, Lucius in dark purple.
Tonks, Remus and Nikka had gone on ahead as they had offered to help with final arrangements.
They hurried out the Manor and down the stone path before joining hands and leaving the grounds with a loud pop. Harry only then thought, as he swirled in the suffocating darkness, that he should of said goodbye to Sirius.
Harry had never seen the Burrow looking so neat and tidy as it did when they arrived in a nearby field. Whoever Harry looked like had very good eye sight and he was enjoying being able to see without his glasses.
Fred and George were waiting for the steady stream of arriving guests and grinned, shoving each other to be the ones to escort them to the Burrow.
"Good to see you all." Fred beamed, having won the honour of escorting them with a nasty elbow to George's ribs, "May I escort you to the venue m' lady?" he asked, offering his elbow to Danica, who giggled slightly and blushed before taking the arm he offered her.
Close up, it was clear even more work had been done to make sure the Burrow was the perfect wedding venue; the lawn was perfectly cut and bright green, not a weed in sight let alone a gnome.
The chickens had been locked away, the yard scrubbed clean and sparkling with the effort. There was a huge white tent in the back garden, with rows and rows of fine golden chairs, covered in garlands of flowers.
Many of the chairs were already filled, the guests chatting excitedly to one another and complimenting each others' robes and dresses.
Hagrid spotted them first, standing up from a magically re-enforce chair at the back of the tent and wandering carefully over to say hello.
Harry had to slip way, it was important that no one guessed he was Harry, and standing next to his mother might have given the game away ever so slightly. He would make sure he could say hello to Hagrid later.
Ron was desperately trying to avoid a very old looking woman who seemed to be insulting everyone she met.
"Hi Ron." Harry grinned, pulling him out of the grumpy lady's way. She was muttering about never seeing her tiara again and shaking her head at everyone who looked even slightly like they might be from Fleur's side of things.
"Do I know you?" Ron asked, "Sorry, it's been a long day already."
Harry smirked, "I'm Joe, Joe Weasley. I think we met at a family reunion at some point."
Ron nodded, clearly trying to remember when that was, "Oh… cool. Do you need help finding your seat?"
Harry shook his head, "No, thanks. I'll manage." he gave Ron another smile.
His mind wandered back to meeting Ron for the first time, how desperate Ron was to be friends, how awkward and awful it made Harry feel. This Ron wasn't like that at all; this was a Ron Harry thought he might have been friends with, or at least more civil than they had been for the first few years.
Luna was inside the tent, looking around in awe. Harry had forgotten that she lived so close. She spotted Harry and gave him an excited way, pulling over a man that could only be her father.
"Hi Harry." she said cheerfully, "It's good to see you."
Harry frowned, "Umm… you need to call me Joe, I'm pretending to be a Weasley. How did you know it was me?"
Luna looked at him as though he had just asked something rather stupid, "Because it's you. Have you met Daddy?"
The strange man extended his hand for Harry to shake, "Pleasure to meet you. Luna has told me all about you; obviously I'm a huge supporter."
"Thanks." Harry grinned. For Harry, it was impossible to take a dislike to someone who was so open and truly themselves, "It's really nice to meet you, Mr Lovegood."
"Oh please, call me Xenophilius." he beamed. He wrapped an arm around Luna's shoulder, "We should be getting our seats, we'll catch you later."
Harry grinned, everyone seemed to happy.
He found a seat in the row behind his family, just a few seats over from Hermione, who was holding tightly to Viktor Krum's hand.
Nikka, Tonks and Remus finally finished with whatever they had been helping with and entered the tent looking tired but excited. Remus was wearing the same robes he'd worn to his wedding not so long ago.
Tonks's bright pink hair matched her ombre pink to dark red dress that ended just after her knees.
Nikka's purple hair earned her a few harsh looks from the same grumpy witch as before, her black and purple polka-dot dress suited her well and made her look very vintage, especially with the hair that she had neatly curled and pinned in place, two large victory rolls framing her face.
Bill looked very handsome walking down the centre aisle, greeting guests as he went. His brother Charlie following close behind. They stood at the top of the aisle with the same official that had conducted Dumbledore's funeral.
It wasn't long before gentle music started up from a band tucked in the corner. Harry stood, along with the rest of the guests, trying to see Fleur over the sea of hats.
She was led up the aisle by her father, who was beaming with pride. Her simple white dress almost glowed as she walked passed the crowds of guests, her beauty streaming from her in her happiness and making everyone around her look that much more beautiful from it.
Ginny and Gabrielle, who had been placed on bridesmaids duty, followed behind in matching dresses while clutching matching bunches of flowers. The dresses were bright red, with a v-neck fitted passed the hips that flared out from the knees, looking very dramatic.
Harry spotted Fleur's mother reaching out a hand for Fleur as she stopped next to Bill to take Fleur's flowers so she could hold hands with Bill.
Fleur's mother was, if it was possible, even more beautiful that Fleur was; she was slightly older than Lily was, by ten years at most and still had her long blonde hair like her daughter and large grey eyes.
Harry zoned out while the official married them, the man reminded him of Dumbledore too much and everything that had happened that evening. Even if that was slightly unfair, he just couldn't help it. At least he could pass off his tears as tears of joy, he was hardly the only guest crying.
"You may now kiss the bride."
Bill pulled Fleur to his chest and kissed her to the loud clapping of the crowd. There were certainly a lot more people at this wedding than there had been at Tonks and Remus's but the clapping wasn't any louder, or more joyful. Harry thought he might stick to a smaller wedding, if he ever got a chance to walk down the aisle.
"If everyone could stand please?" Molly asked.
Harry stood up as he was asked to and all of the chairs flew gracefully to the sides of the room, positioning themselves around small tables, covered in white tablecloths.
Harry saw Lucius guide Lily over to one of the tables and offer to get them some food. Draco was with them, watching everyone go by.
It took him a few more moments to spot Hermione, tucked in the corner with Viktor, giving him sneaky kisses and talking quickly.
Harry wandered towards his mother, running into Fleur's mother.
"Oh I'm so sorry." Harry said, trying desperately not to stare, however used to it she must have been it still wasn't polite, and Harry knew how much he hated it when people stared at him, "I was off in my own little world."
"It is all right." she said softly, "Non 'arm done. Do I know you?"
Harry felt himself blush, "No… I'm one of the Weasley cousins. Joe."
Fleur's mother smiled, "I'm Apolline, but of course you knew zat 'Arry. I zought I knew you." she said so only he could hear, giving him a wink.
"How did you know?" Harry asked, starting to wonder if he'd taken a bad batch of polyjuice, especially worrying as the rest of it was stored in Hermione's bag for when they went away.
"It is in zee genes." Apolline laughed, making Harry melt slightly inside, "We see people for Oo zey are not what zey look like."
Harry smiled, "You're an Angel calling?" he asked, spotting the broach that held her dress closed at the front.
"Oh yes." Apolline smiled, running her fingers over the badge, "From when I was at school. I zink zat my Gabrielle will be one as well, zough she is too young now. And, of course you know Fleur is."
Harry nodded, Gabrielle was currently laughing and dancing with Danica, Fred and George in some very complicated dance that only the two girls seemed to know the steps to and involved an awful lot of partner swapping that was clearly confusing Fred and George.
"Zank you for coming. It means a lot to my Fleur. She always 'as been so fond of ze ozer champions." Apolline said, gazing lovingly at her daughter.
"Could you all please clear the dance floor and put your hands together for Mr and Mrs Weasley!" the leader of the band announced.
Harry said goodbye to Apolline and wondered over to the table next to his family. Bill led Fleur gracefully onto the floor and twirled her round as the band started playing.
The song ended, Bill tipping Fleur over his arm to give her a kiss and inviting everyone else to dance.
Harry wished Cho was there, so that he could spin her around the dance floor trying his best not to step on her toes. He wouldn't really be able to dance with her though, he wasn't meant to be Harry; having perfect eye sight wasn't worth not being able to sit with his family, or dance with Cho.
Lucius and Lily were dancing and laughing over whatever they were talking about, earning a head shake from Molly who thoroughly disapproved of their 'affair'. Hermione was wrapped tightly in Viktor's arms as they swayed together at the edge of the dance floor.
Harry grabbed himself a large plate of food and people watched for most of the evening. For the first time in his life, he was invisible in a way even the cloak never made him. No one knew who he was, they all assumed someone else did, like most people did for everyone who was normal. There were less than ten people in the tent of what must have been close to two hundred who knew who he was.
Gabrielle asked him to dance, and whispered in his ear he was very brave for not looking like himself for the evening.
It was growing late when Hermione and Viktor flopped next to him, grinning madly.
"I simply cannot dance any more!" Hermione said, kicking off one of her shoes and rubbing her toes, Viktor took her foot from her and took over rubbing, "You all right… Joe?"
Harry grinned, "I'm good."
Viktor leaned in and gave Hermione a quick kiss, "Do you vant a drink?"
Hermione opened her mouth to say yes when a bright light flashed passed them, leaving an elegant lynx Patronus sitting bolt upright, in the middle of the tent.
"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."