Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

Chapter 19 Planning Makes Perfect

"Oooohhh, that feels so good!"

After a long, uncomfortable pause, muffled giggles erupted in the dimly lit room.

"That is a phrase I could have gone my whole life without hearing my mother say."

Hermione, Fleur and Ginny burst into laughter, and Molly replied, "Oh, pfft, Ginny. No one thought that but you."

Hermione didn't say anything; she only smiled down at the floor. Because she was lying on her stomach on a massage table, she couldn't confirm by sight, but she would venture a guess that it was exactly what everyone in the room except Molly had been thinking.

"Have you ever gotten a massage, Molly?" Fleur asked.

"No, this is my first, but I must say, it will not be my last."

Hermione felt the masseuse pull the thin, cool sheet up to her shoulders and pat her on the back. "It's time to turn over now, Ms. Granger." The masseuse lifted the sheet into a tent and Hermione turned over, somewhat awkwardly, noticing that the masseuse had her head turned discretely, in the event that Hermione accidentally revealed more than was necessary. Hermione turned her head to see that Molly, Ginny and Fleur were also rolling over to their backs. She closed her eyes, complete relaxation enveloping her for the first time in months.

So much had happened in the final three months of term that her life had been hectic to say the least. Between her responsibilities as Transfiguration Professor, her new job with the Ministry and helping Ginny plan her wedding, she had barely had time to eat and sleep, let alone relax. Her workload had diminished once she left Hogwarts for the last time, amid many hugs and tears from her fellow teachers despite the fact that she was going to be living less than a mile away - with Harry in Hogsmeade.

She had only been living with Harry for a week, and she honestly had a difficult time remembering what it was like to live without him. Her entire life previous to her relationship with Harry was blurry, replaced with the sharp images and color that finding love had embedded in her mind. Or was it that she didn't want to remember her prior life -- a life that had at one time seemed so full but she now thought of as incomplete?

Instead of weakening their relationship, the row about the letter, and all that came after, strengthened it. The pressure they each felt to be perfect for the other was gone. The tension between the two as a result of their secrets was lifted, and the shared secret they had, their engagement, gave them a sense of togetherness they hadn't felt before.

The day after Harry proposed, they went to the Three Broomsticks to test the charmed ring. Harry laughed at Hermione as she gestured wildly while ordering a butterbeer from Madam Rosmerta at the bar. Although she did look a bit concerned for Hermione's mental health, they were both relieved when Rosmerta never looked twice at the glittering emerald band on Hermione's left hand.

That day after leaving the pub, they walked down the same street they walked down on Christmas night hand in hand, discussing their future, when Hermione suddenly stopped.

"I don't believe it," she said, looking at a house set back from the street a bit further than the others.

"What?"

"This house," Hermione replied, gesturing to a dilapidated Tudor style home, its front garden overgrown with weeds. "It's for sale."

"Who would want to buy that?" Harry asked.

Hermione looked at him in shock. "I love this house!"

Harry looked at the house again, taking its measure. "I'm sure it was beautiful in its day, but that day has long since passed. This isn't a fixer-upper, it's a reclamation project."

"It's been vacant for as long as I can remember. I wonder why they decided to sell it now?" Hermione wondered absently, as Harry pulled her down the street.

Three days later, they were walking through the house with Neville and Ginny. Harry asked Neville to inquire about the house in an effort to keep any potential gossip about Harry and Hermione looking at houses to a minimum. To continue the ruse, the four of them walked through the house together with the agent, Harry and Hermione giving their opinions as if they were not interested.

"So, what do you think?" Hermione asked in a whisper as they wandered away from the other three.

"It is maintained much better than it appears to be on the outside. There really isn't too much that needs to be done, besides some updating."

Hermione nodded her head, looking around the bedroom they were in with a serious expression.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, following her gaze.

"It just seems too perfect."

Harry grimaced. "What do you mean?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "We get engaged. The next day we walk past a house that I have loved for years, and it's for sale. We walk in it and it's perfect for us." She looked him full in the face. "Another example of reality being too good to be true."

"It does seem like everything is falling into place, doesn't it? It may seem all of a sudden, but it's taken us a long time to get to this point. It isn't as if I just met you three months ago and now we're considering buying a house."

"Are we considering buying a house?" Hermione said, excitement in her eyes.

Harry looked around again. "Yeah. I reckon we are."

Hermione clapped her hands together gleefully and threw her arms around Harry's neck then pulled back quickly and said seriously, "You know, if we do this, I won't be able to help you much at first, with everything going on and all. Is that all right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Harry said in mock defeat.

The offer they made the next day was accepted, and by the beginning of May, Harry had begun the process of painting and updating the five-bedroom house. Hermione found time to help whenever she could, usually late at night. By the end of term, the house was ready for both of its new occupants.

Harry's prediction that they would suffer if relying on their own cooking skills ended up being true. After much discussion and dismissal of alternatives, they talked to Dobby, still one of the few house elves that would take a salary, about coming to work for them. He had barely gotten the word "yes" out of his mouth before he was sobbing with joy, much to Hermione's consternation.

"Ms. Granger?"

She felt a light touch on her arm and opened her eyes. The masseuse was smiling warmly at her. "We're done."

"Thank you," Hermione replied. "That was wonderful."

"You're welcome. Once you are robed, your lunch will be served in the garden room."

The garden room turned out to be a lush conservatory filled with tropical plants. A gentle waterfall glided into a river that meandered slowly through the middle of the jungle, the soothing music of the water perpetuating the serene feeling of the massage. The river expanded into a large pond, filled with all sizes of Koi lazily swimming through the water, before narrowing again and disappearing into the jungle. A stone walkway followed the river, bending around palm trees and clusters of ferns and smaller paths jutted off at regular intervals, each disappearing behind a veil of colorful vines. A rustle of leaves and a whiff of air announced the departure of a tropical bird from the bush Hermione was passing.

"Neville would love this place," Ginny said with awe before pausing and adding, "I love this place!"

As instructed, they turned onto the fourth path, which revealed a table hidden behind the veil of vines, draped in a pristine white tablecloth and set for four. Each place setting contained a small parchment detailing the lunch specials for the day. Speaking very clearly into their plates, they ordered, their food appearing instantly in front of them.

"It's amazing the people that work here get anything done. I couldn't work or focus in such a relaxed state all the time," Ginny said, sitting down.

"This is quite a departure from the shop," Molly said, admiring the Birds of Paradise behind her. "I am so glad that we waited to use our Christmas gifts until now," she continued, picking up her fork. "This is just what we needed to rejuvenate ourselves for the coming week."

"I'm amazed you're able to relax at all, Ginny," Hermione said. "Can you believe you're getting married in one week?"

Ginny shook her head. "No, I can't. Everything has gone smoothly so far, hasn't it, Mum?" Ginny said.

"Yes," Molly agreed. "Everything that can be done is done. Whatever is left to do will get done without a hitch. I'm not stressed at all."

Ginny laid a hand on Molly's arm. "I have to tell you, Mum, you've handled this all much better than I thought you would."

"What does that mean?" Molly asked indignantly.

"Don't get offended! I was afraid that planning this would send you round the bend. But you have been so unflappable it's almost as if you're channeling McGonagall."

Molly smiled and speared a strawberry from her plate. "I'll take that as a compliment, I think."

"I think it's a compliment," Hermione piped up.

Ginny buttered a croissant and said thoughtfully, "I'm starting to wonder when the other shoe is going to drop."

"What does that mean?" Fleur asked nonplussed.

"I'm afraid something is going to go wrong - that it's all too good to be true."

"Hear, hear," Hermione said under her breath.

She lifted her fruit-laden fork to her mouth and saw everyone staring at her. "What does that mean?" Ginny asked.

"Oh, no! I don't think anything is going to go wrong with your wedding. I didn't mean that!" Hermione said hurriedly. "I was just agreeing with the sentiment of being worried when something seems too perfect. That's all."

"I guess you do have experience with that feeling, don't you?" Ginny asked mischievously.

"Yes, yes I do."

"Hermione, how is your new home?" Fleur asked.

Hermione felt her face light up. "It is amazing. Harry has done so much work on it. We have lots of empty rooms, but we'll grow into it eventually, I suppose."

"Does that mean we should expect an announcement any time soon?" Ginny asked.

"Announcement? About what?" Hermione said, her stomach stirring nervously.

"I don't know, maybe an engagement? Or if not that, maybe a new addition to your modern family..."

"Ginny! Don't be ridiculous. We aren't even married! Sprogs are far in our future." Attempting to steer the conversation away from her, Hermione said, "What about you? I would think children are nearer in your future than in mine! You're the one getting married, after all."

"Yes, what about you?" Molly said with interest. Hermione smirked, knowing that getting Molly on the subject of grandchildren would easily derail any questions about Harry and her. She glanced at Fleur, who was trying to be as inconspicuous as possible so the conversation wouldn't end up focusing on her.

Ginny glared at Hermione. "We were talking about you," she said sweetly.

"Oh, no! This is your week. We should be talking about you and your wedding."

"We've talked about my wedding during the facial, the manicure, pedicure and massage. Let's talk about something else." She looked pointedly at Hermione. "When are you going to get married, Hermione?"

Knowing that Ginny would not stop until she answered, Hermione replied firmly, "Not any time soon," as she fingered her ring on her hand in her lap.

"Why not?"

"We have too much going on right now. Besides, if we do get married, it will probably be an elopement."

"What?!" Molly exclaimed. "You can't elope!"

Molly, Ginny and Fleur were staring at Hermione with affronted looks on their faces. "If we do anything formal, it will make the papers and we don't want that. Plus, it would be impossible to plan anything in secret and keep the Daily Prophet out of the loop. We would rather just get married privately and not have the hoopla that would come with a big wedding."

"Are you disappointed?" Fleur asked kindly. "Did you always dream of a big wedding?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "What little girl doesn't dream about a big wedding? But I'm honestly not disappointed. I'm not fussed how, when or where we get married."

"Well, I'm disappointed," Molly said, placing her folded serviette on her empty plate. "I was looking forward to going to a wedding I didn't have to plan!"

Fate cooperated and Neville and Ginny's wedding went perfectly. So well, in fact, that guests were frequently overheard encouraging Molly to consider a career in magical wedding coordination. She protested and deflected the praise to Ginny and Neville, but Harry could tell from the flush on her cheeks that she was proud of her accomplishment.

Neville and Ginny were in the house, changing into their traveling clothes while the guests mingled in the garden, admiring Neville's work. The most prominent feature was a pond with a fountain shooting water five feet into the air. Crushed stone walkways meandered through the box hedgerows, which were broken up periodically by beds of brightly colored flowers. As Harry ambled along the path, he overheard more than one group discuss the possibility of Neville designing a garden for them.

When he saw Hermione talking to Remus and Amelia, Harry stopped and admired how beautiful she looked. Her hair was pulled up, loose ringlets of hair gracefully framing her face. She threw her head back and laughed at something Remus said. Amelia then began gesturing and talking at once, relating, Harry felt certain, another story of the Marauders' antics during their time at Hogwarts. He walked over to Hermione and put his arm around her waist, kissing her on the cheek.

"...so then, Lily uses the summoning charm and all of the Quidditch sets flew out of their boxes. They barely escaped before the bludgers started destroying the room. When they got back to the common room, James was furious, thinking that their plot had failed, but Lily was just beaming with pride that her charm had worked so well."

Hermione peered at Harry with a stern look. "Bludgers destroying the equipment closet? That sounds very familiar, Mr. Potter. Have you heard this story before?"

With a look of forced innocence, Harry replied, "Me?"

Remus laughed and looked toward the house. "Oh, here they come!"

Enthusiastic applause and appreciative whoops greeted Neville and Ginny as they stepped out of the house holding hands, beaming smiles on their faces. The guests lined up in two rows, raising their wands over their heads and murmuring incantations. Bubbles of all different shapes, sizes and colors burst from each wand and floated lazily down to the ground. Neville and Ginny began walking under the wands shaking hands and hugging their friends goodbye. When they reached the end of the line, Ginny hugged Hermione tightly as Neville and Harry gave each other a one-armed hug.

"Don't forget about our party," Hermione said to Ginny.

"We won't. We'll be back, I promise."

"Have fun you two," Harry said, punching Neville in the arm. Neville wiggled his eyebrows up and down and grabbed Ginny's hand. Molly handed Ginny a bouquet of roses and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks, Mum. It was perfect."

"You're welcome," Molly replied, sniffling discretely.

They stood back and waved to their guests one final time. Neville touched the bouquet, and the portkey took them to their honeymoon.

The crowd stood there for a moment, suspended by their exit. Slowly, people began to move again and ready themselves to leave. Harry tugged on Hermione's hand, pulling her into the garden away from the exiting crowd.

"I haven't been alone with you all day," he said, leading her to sit on a stone bench.

"You're alone with me all the time now that we're living together."

"It still doesn't seem like enough time."

"That's sappy."

"I know. Don't you love it?"

"Yes, I do," Hermione said, grinning. He leaned forward and kissed her lightly.

"I love your lips," he whispered.

"I know."

"Am I interrupting?"

Harry turned and saw Amelia Bones walking toward them, smiling.

"No," Hermione replied, standing up. "We're just waiting for everyone to leave so we can help Molly clean up."

"What good friends you are," Amelia replied.

"We try," Harry said, standing beside Hermione.

"Did you come to say goodbye?" Hermione asked.

"No, actually, I came to talk to Harry."

"Oh," Hermione said, obviously taken aback. "Okay, I'll just..."

"No, you can stay," Amelia said with a smile.

Harry stood there wondering what in the world the Minister of Magic wanted to talk to him about. A moment of awkward silence passed before Amelia asked, "Harry, still receiving lots of fan mail?"

"Oh, I don't know. Winky, a house elf at the castle, handles it for me. She only brings me mail if it is from a person on a list of names I gave her. As for everything else, I'm not sure where it goes."

Amelia nodded her head. "I told Edgar you probably never received the letters."

"Edgar?" Harry asked, looking at Hermione. "Edgar who?"

"Edgar Holmes, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He has sent you quite a few letters over the past several months."

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I've never heard of him. Why has he been sending me letters?"

"When you returned to England, he and I had a conversation about you. I told him that you had expressed interest in becoming an Auror when you were in school."

"That was a long time ago. A lot has happened since then."

"I told him that, too. I thought, and Dumbledore agreed with me when I mentioned it to him, that you probably had your fill of 'saving the world' and wouldn't be interested. But Edgar wanted to ask, so he sent you a letter or two."

Harry shook his head. "I'm not interested." Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and squeezed it, offering her silent support. "I have battled enough Dark Wizards to last me a lifetime. But thank you for the consideration."

"Oh!" Amelia said, taken aback. "We don't want you to be an Auror. Well, I guess if you wanted to, we wouldn't stop you. But we understand your position. No, Edgar was interested in talking to you about becoming an Auror trainer."

"A trainer?" Harry asked, stunned.

"Teacher, trainer, whatever you want to call it. You would, of course, have to complete the training in your own right before training other people. That would take about a year."

"A trainer," Harry whispered unbelievably.

"What would he teach?" Hermione asked much to Harry's relief. He was too shocked to think of any questions he would surely have later on.

"Not really sure. I guess that would be determined after he completed the training, to see where his expertise lies."

Harry was only half listening. Instead he was staring off into the middle distance thinking about the door that had just opened for him. He was partially aware that Hermione and Amelia were continuing the conversation without him as he struggled with a sudden, completely surprising urge to accept the job on the spot.

"Well," he heard Amelia's voice boom through his haze, "I just wanted to mention it to you. I knew that you wouldn't ignore Edgar on purpose. He was mildly offended, but I put that to rest. I knew that any son of Lily and James Potter would have better manners than that bred into them. Anyway, you think about it and let me know. See you Monday, Hermione."

"Yes, bye Amelia. And thank you!" she called as Amelia disappeared down the garden path.

After Amelia had completely disappeared around the corner of box hedges, Hermione spoke. "Harry?"

He swung his head around to hers. "Huh?"

A small smile played on her lips. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine...I think. That was weird."

"A bit out of the blue."

"You could say that."

"I guess you should have opened your post, huh?"

Harry shook his head. "I wouldn't have taken the job if I had gotten the letter. I probably wouldn't have even listened to them."

"Like you listened to Amelia?" Hermione said, her smile winning the battle.

"Was I rude?" Harry asked.

"No, but it was obvious you were in shock."

"I still am."

Hermione walked in front of Harry and placed his hands on her waist, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Are you going to listen to what they have to say now?"

Harry nodded his head, slowly. "Yes, I think so. It's funny. I haven't thought about doing anything but Quidditch in so long, I almost forgot that I'm qualified for anything else. If I am qualified, that is. They're probably just wanting to talk to me because of who I am."

"Who you are is what qualifies you for the job. You defeated Voldemort almost single-handedly. That is quite an accomplishment."

"That was six years ago."

"You're right. I hear after 18, a wizard's powers diminish drastically."

"Stop being sarcastic. You know what I mean."

"What I know is that you are a very talented wizard, in Quidditch and in Defense Against the Dark Arts. You have had the opportunity to exploit your skills in Quidditch over the last five years and you have been very, very successful. Now you have an opportunity to hone your other skills and see where that takes you."

"Do you want me to take the job?"

"Yes and no. Yes because then we would work together, which would be nice. And yes because it does seem a bit of a waste for your unique magical skills to be dormant. No, because I know how much you love Quidditch and what a good coach you are. I would hate for you to stop doing something you love." Harry felt Hermione's fingers running through the back of his hair. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "What do you want to do?" she asked quietly.

"There you two are!" Fred called merrily. "Come on and help us!" he said, beckoning them to follow him back to the house. "You can do that at home!"

"We'll talk later," Hermione said, turning to walk up the path.

Harry nodded, knowing already what he wanted to do.

"Wow, this place looks great!" Ginny exclaimed as she and Neville walked through the front door of Harry and Hermione's new house, seeing the renovations completed for the first time.

"It was all Harry. He deserves all the praise," Hermione said, beaming at him.

"Thank you, thank you," Harry replied dramatically, sweeping his hand in a grand gesture around the large rectangular vestibule. About thirty people, Ginny approximated, were wandering around the room, carrying plates of canapés and drinks and admiring Harry and Hermione's handiwork.

A grand staircase ran along the left wall of the hall sweeping in a gentle curve to the right so that the staircase was the most prominent feature one noticed when walking into the house. Four doors opened off of the vestibule, the first at the base of the stairs to the left, led into the Dining Room, which was anchored by a large, formal mahogany dining table currently laden with food. Another door, at the back of the entrance hall, somewhat hidden by the sweeping staircase, led into a well-appointed kitchen.

"How was the south of France?" Hermione asked.

"Amazing!"

"Look at the tan on you Neville," Hermione said admiringly.

Neville grinned. "I do look good, don't I?" Neville said with false machismo. Ginny scowled, freckles more prominent on her nose and chest instead of a bronze tan like Neville's. "That is the curse of fair skin, Ginny," Hermione said, draping her arm on her shoulder, commiserating with her friend.

"Don't remind me," she said bitterly.

Hermione looked at her watch and her eyes grew wide. "Oh! Harry, I have to run into town for something." She rose on her tiptoes and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Will you be okay here without me for a bit?"

"Hermione! Our guests are arriving! Can't it wait?"

"No, it's important," she said, giving Harry a meaningful look.

Ginny saw a flicker of comprehension before Harry replied, "Oh, all right then. Hurry back." He swatted her on the arse as she turned to go.

"Harry?!" she admonished, looking around.

"Sorry, couldn't resist," he said mischievously. Hermione gave him a stern look, which Ginny could tell was insincere, before breezing out the door.

"She loves it," Harry whispered.

"Is this your birthday party or a house-warming party?" Neville asked.

"Both. I just wanted it to be a house-warming party, but Hermione insisted that it be my birthday party, as well. You two want a tour?"

"Yes, we'd love a detailed tour and explanation on everything you did to the house," Ginny said playfully.

"Dobby?" Harry called.

The house elf hurried out of the door leading to the kitchen. "Yes, Harry Potter sir?"

"Would you listen for the door? Hermione has run into town and I'm going to take Ginny and Neville on a tour."

"Yes, sir."

"Dobby, I've told you to call me Harry."

Dobby's eyes grew wide and he bowed his head. "Yes, sir, I mean, Harry Potter."

Harry shook his head and grinned, rolling his eyes good-naturedly. "You don't have to say my full name, Dobby. Just Harry is fine."

Dobby beamed at being given the honor. "Thank you, sir."

As he led them up the staircase, Harry whispered with a smile, "We're making progress. He didn't cry when I asked him to call me Harry this time. I'm guessing in about five years, he will be saying 'Harry' only."

They started the tour upstairs, Harry showing them the master suite first. These two rooms covered the entire left side of the house, above the dining room and kitchen, making the master the largest room in the house. Ginny could see Hermione's touch immediately, a vase of flowers and a book evident on one bedside table. They had managed to have an appealing blend of masculine and feminine touches, without one overpowering the other. The walls were painted a warm earthy yellow, contrasting beautifully with the dark mahogany rough-hewn dresser and chest of drawers. The bed was enormous, a dramatic three-paneled headboard rising up the wall, and covered in white bedding, with different textured fabric adding the interest that color didn't provide.

"Wow!" said Neville. "This looks great. I love the floors."

"They were already here, thank God," Harry said, tapping his foot on the hardwood floor. "And, luckily, in very good shape. They just needed a bit of polishing."

"I'm so impressed," Ginny said. "How many rows did you have over this room?"

"Not one, if you can believe it. She chose the wall color; I chose the furniture. We compromised on the bedding. We went with white because everything I wanted was too 'butch' I believe was her word, and everything she wanted had flowers on it."

He walked into the bathroom, which, like his bathroom at the Shrieking Shack, was a replica of the prefects' bathroom at Hogwarts, only on a larger scale.

"And you've seen this before."

"Not very original," Ginny teased.

"We really love that bathtub."

"I bet," Neville said.

The next stop was a guest room, which contained Harry's furniture from the Shack. The other two rooms, although freshly painted, were empty. The fifth room, Harry explained, was Dobby's room, located downstairs behind the kitchen.

After greeting more guests, who were arriving in droves, and shaking hands with various people, he led them to the first door to the right off the vestibule. "This is obviously where we spend most of our time."

Ginny knew on sight that this had to be Hermione's favorite room. All four walls were covered from floor to ceiling with bookshelves, each bulging with books. There was not a spare space anywhere for trinkets or knick-knacks. The furniture and rugs from Harry's parlor at the Shrieking Shack were clustered around the fireplace, taking up one half of the room. Two large mahogany desks, sitting back to back, occupied the other half so that its occupants would be facing each other as they worked. One desk was covered with neat stacks of parchment and quills while the other looked barely worked on.

"Guess which one is mine," Harry said sarcastically.

"No need to," Neville replied with a smile.

"That will change soon, though."

"When school starts?" Ginny asked.

"No, next week. I've taken a job at the Ministry. I begin Auror training on Monday."

"What?" Neville exclaimed. "You are going to be an Auror?"

"No, an Auror trainer. But I have to go through the training first."

"That's unexpected," Ginny said.

"I know. Amelia talked to me about it after your wedding. Apparently Edgar Holmes, the head of Magical Law Enforcement, has been writing me letters about it for months. I suppose I should have taken your advice Neville and opened my post."

"I reckon so," Neville said, clearly pleased to be right.

"Was McGonagall upset?" Ginny asked.

"Not really. I got the impression she viewed my stint as Quidditch Coach as my way to be close to Hermione."

"She was right," Neville said definitively.

Harry shrugged his shoulders noncommittally as he led them through a door behind Hermione's desk. Once in the new room, Harry continued with his running commentary on the house. "This room used to be the library, but when we decided to combine the library and the parlor into the larger room, this room became my game room."

"Brilliant!" Neville replied happily, running his hand along the deep red felt top of a large billiard table that took up a large amount of the room. A dartboard hung in a corner. In the opposite corner sat a round wooden gaming table with ornately carved wooden legs, a wizard chess set in the middle, ready for its first move.

"Get ready for Neville to visit frequently," Ginny said sardonically.

"Anytime!" Harry said, slapping Neville on the back.

"Harry!" Ginny heard Hermione call from the entrance hall. "Come here for a moment!"

Ginny and Neville followed Harry out of the room and were blasted with whoops and yells of excitement. Seven people surrounded Hermione, all strangers to Ginny but apparently not to Harry. He bounded forward and shook hands and hugged each person in turn, all the while saying "I can't believe it!" Hermione looked on, beaming from ear to ear. Ginny caught her eye and Hermione walked over to her.

"Who are these people?" Ginny asked.

"Harry's friends from the States. I owled them a few weeks ago, telling them about the party. I didn't tell Harry because I wanted to surprise him."

Ginny looked at Harry, who was positively brimming with excitement as he talked to his friends. "You succeeded."

"It wasn't easy, I assure you."

Over Hermione's shoulder, Ginny saw Harry run up behind her, grab her around the waist and lift her off the ground. Hermione's shocked expression turned into laughter as he twirled her around before setting her down. "This is the best surprise ever." He kissed her firmly on the lips. "Now today is going to be perfect. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Harry, I don't know why you thought I wouldn't like Hermione," a petite woman with short, dark hair said, walking up to them with a gorgeous blonde man who had a tan that put Neville's to shame. Hermione looked at Harry with her eyebrows raised, to Harry's chagrined look.

"My guess is that he was secretly wanting to watch two women have a catfight over him," the dark-haired woman joked.

Everyone laughed as Harry blushed and the blonde man said, "Keep dreaming, Granger. I can't imagine why two women would fight over your skinny ass."

Confused, Ginny looked at Neville, who said, "Granger?"

"Oops, I guess I should say Potter. But he went by Ron Granger in the States. It's a hard habit to break." He stuck his hand out to Neville and said, "Hi, I'm Wyatt Jackson."

"Neville Longbottom."

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Harry said quickly intervening. "Neville and Ginny Longbottom, this is Wyatt Jackson and Darby Mayfair, and..." Harry paused, pointing to people in turn, "Steve Wilson, Roger Hamilton, Julius Jones, Cassie Hoover, and Jen Manchee. They were my teammates and housemates in San Diego."

"Nice to meet you," Ginny said, as Neville shook hands with the men. "So are you two...?" Ginny said, motioning between Darby and Wyatt.

"A couple?" Darby said incredulously. "Hardly."

"Only because she is playing hard to get."

Darby rolled her eyes. "He's only interested in me because I'm the only woman in California he hasn't slept with yet. He wants to complete his set."

"Now, that is not true. I've never even been to Sacramento. I'm sure there are tons of women there I haven't slept with."

"You are such a skank, Wyatt," the girl named Jen said, rolling her eyes.

"You just say that because you bat for the other team and I'm your competition," Wyatt said good-naturedly.

Ginny looked at Hermione to find an expression of astonishment on her face she was sure was mirrored on her own. She looked at Harry who was grinning and shaking his head, the look of someone that had heard this same exchange many times before on his face.

Darby turned and punched Wyatt on the shoulder, hard. "Ow!" He cried.

"Stop being yourself. You're scaring the Brits!"

"Sorry," he said, rubbing his arm.

"You lot want a tour?" Harry asked the group.

"We didn't travel thousands of miles to insult your friends," Darby assured him. "It just seems like it. Lead the way."

Harry gave Hermione a quick kiss and whispered something in her ear before beginning his tour. Hermione watched Harry walk off, a smug grin on her face. Ginny looked back and forth between the two, wondering what she was missing.

"Harry didn't know about his friends coming?" Ginny asked.

"No, I told you that already."

"Right," Ginny replied. "That seems like an interesting group. They all lived together?"

"Yes, you should hear some of the stories Harry tells about it."

"I've heard them," Neville said. "I'm going to talk to Oliver."

When Neville was out of earshot, Ginny turned to Hermione. "What is with that Wyatt bloke?"

Hermione laughed. "Harry says that he is quite the ladies man."

"Rather open about it, isn't he?"

"Apparently."

"He is gorgeous, though."

"Yes, he is. Oh, there's Minerva. I'll find you later." She started to walk off and turned back. "Remind me to tell you Wyatt's grand plan for Harry to win me over," she said with a grin, before bustling over to Minerva and giving her a hug.

Ginny turned around and surveyed the crowd, which had grown considerably larger since they arrived. It seemed as if Harry and Hermione had invited every wizard and witch they knew, which was saying something: Ministry officials, almost every Hogwarts teacher (except Snape), classmates and people from the ABMB. Most surprising was the inclusion of Colin Creevey, who was busy taking pictures of anyone that would let him, and Luna Lovegood, who was standing off by herself observing the scene. Despite the considerable size of their house, it looked as if they would run out of room for everyone soon. Ginny wandered into the dining room, looking for something to eat and was rather surprised to see that the trays of food were almost empty, apparently decimated by earlier guests.

Settling for a glass of wine, she went looking for Neville and waved at Luna as she walked into the game room. There she found Neville watching Seamus and Fiona play Fred and George in a game of billiards.

"Hiya, sis!" George bellowed, giving her a hug while Fred lined up his shot. George gave her a stern look. "If you're here, we're here and Mum is here, who is minding the shops?"

Ginny shrugged nonchalantly. "No idea," she deadpanned, knowing full well that both shops were adequately, even over, staffed.

"Quite a party, eh?" Fred said, coming to stand next to Ginny while Fiona put the three ball in a corner pocket. "Nice shot," he said.

Fiona grinned mischievously at him and began to run the table. "I reckon we've been played," he said out of the side of his mouth.

"Yep," Ginny said, taking a sip of her wine.

"Oi, everyone," Oliver Wood said, sticking his head into the room. "They're about to make some sort of announcement."

Pool cues were laid across the table as they returned to the now packed entrance hall. Harry and Hermione were standing at the front door, holding hands and smiling.

"When we put the guest list together, we were afraid we might run out of room," Harry's voice rang out across the crowd. "So we have a contingency plan." With that, he opened the door and the two of them walked down the front steps.

Everyone in the hall looked at each other and slowly began to follow them. Ginny watched Harry and Hermione's retreating backs, noting that they did not once look over their shoulder to see who, if anyone, was following them. Harry wrapped his arm around her shoulder and said something into Hermione's ear. Hermione looked at him with an absolutely adoring smile on her face and replied.

"Hey!"

Ginny turned her head to see Darby and Wyatt walking rapidly to catch up with them. Wyatt gave her a dazzling smile and she was again struck by how unbelievably handsome he was.

"Hello," Ginny replied with a smile. "Wyatt, Hermione said you had an interesting plan for Harry to win Hermione over. What was it?"

"Oh, that," Wyatt said sheepishly, an expression that Ginny guessed he wasn't used to having.

"Yes, why don't you tell her about your plan?" Darby asked, emphasizing the last word.

"It was really more of a joke. I wouldn't have gone through with it."

"Yeah, right," Darby replied.

Ginny looked from one to the other. "What was it?"

When it appeared that Wyatt wasn't going to say, Darby began, "Wyatt had the idea that he would come over here in Harry's place, get Hermione to forgive him, and then Harry could come over once the coast was clear."

"Why would Harry do that?"

"You should have seen him before he left last summer. He was a basket case," Darby continued. "He was so worried that Hermione hated him and wouldn't forgive him. I had to practically stun him to get him to take the portkey."

"I was just trying to help out a friend that was distraught," Wyatt said defensively.

"No, you wanted to see if you could charm someone in another person's body."

"That is not true!"

"In someone else's body?" Neville asked.

"Wyatt was going to take polyjuice so he looked like Harry."

"Ooooohhhhhh!" Neville, Ginny, Seamus and Fiona sounded together.

"It's a good thing Harry didn't agree to that. Hermione would have killed him if she found out," Fiona said.

"At the least," Ginny agreed. "She probably would have tortured him first."

"Well, Harry had enough sense to tell Wyatt no, thank God," Darby said. "Any idea where we're going?"

"It looks like they're heading to Hogwarts," Neville said.

"Well, that would be big enough, I guess," Seamus replied from the other side of Neville.

When Harry and Hermione disappeared through the gates to the castle, their suspicions were confirmed. The distance between Harry and Hermione and the crowd seemed to be growing. Soon they were lost from sight as they headed around the castle toward the Quidditch Pitch.

More than a little disgruntled at the sudden stroll through Hogsmeade and the grounds of the school, the mutterings of the crowd died as they walked through the gates of the Quidditch Pitch, to find Harry and Hermione standing in the middle of the pitch patiently waiting for them. Not entirely sure what to do, the crowd stopped at the edge of the playing field, just behind the goal posts, waiting on directions from their host and hostess.

Ginny looked around, finding perplexed looks on the faces of everyone gathered. Then she looked back to the smiling couple staring at them. A slow smile spread across her face as she began to understand what was going on.

As if on cue, Harry and Hermione pulled something from each of their pockets and put their hands up to their mouths. The shrill sound of a whistle filled the air, quickly followed by the sound of flapping fabric, as if a tablecloth was being dramatically removed from a table to reveal a surprise underneath.

A collective gasp escaped the crowd as Harry's voice, amplified to 100 times its normal volume, filled the stadium.

"Welcome to our wedding!"

The months of secretive planning were worth it when Hermione saw the stunned expressions on everyone's face. This was clearly the last thing that anyone expected. She heard, as if from far away, the rise of a hundred voices in exclamation and awe as they surveyed the scene before them on the pitch.

A hundred white wooden folding chairs were lined up in two groups, an aisle with a red carpet running between them. The end chair on every other row was adorned with a modest bouquet of yellow tulips and greenery, tied with a white ribbon. The carpeted aisle led to a dais, which was directly behind where Harry and Hermione stood. On the bottom step, two large white urns filled with an assortment of greenery flanked the dais, their matching slightly larger counterparts resting on the back corners of the stage. In the middle of the back of the stage was a white column topped with an enormous bouquet of yellow tulips.

Behind this, and to the crowd's right, was a white tent filled with tables and chairs, and a gigantic buffet table. The tables surrounded a wooden dance floor on which a stage was inconspicuously set, instruments at the ready for the absent band.

Hermione looked at Harry. "I think we surprised them, don't you?"

"Oh, yeah. Look at the expression on Fred and George's faces!"

Hermione found the twins, who were talking animatedly to each other and everyone around them, clearly awed by the magnitude of the surprise. Hermione caught Fred's eye, and he gave her a thumbs-up. George saw him and began clapping and whooping his pleasure. Soon, everyone around them joined in until all of their guests were applauding the couple in admiration.

Harry said, "Sonorus," and resumed speaking to everyone.

"Surprise!" he said, to gales of laughter.

"You two are the MASTERS!" George exclaimed to approval from everyone.

"Coming from you, George, that is truly a compliment," Harry replied. "We apologize for the deception, but as you know, we are quite an interesting subject to many in the wizarding world. We didn't want our wedding to become a media circus. That is why we chose to do it this way and only invite our closest friends -- people we know will not exploit our day for their own benefit."

Hermione saw similar looks of pride at being invited and trusted flash across the faces of many in the exclusive group. Colin, who was in the process of taking a picture, lowered his camera.

"Carry on, Colin. Take as many pictures as you want. We want you to," Harry said with a smile. "And Luna, you have our permission to write a story about the wedding. We trust that you will write the truth, if you deem us newsworthy at all."

Luna nodded her head and gave them a smile.

"Right, then. Let's get this show on the road! I've waited quite long enough to marry this beautiful woman!" he said, looking at Hermione.

As everyone seated themselves, Albus Dumbledore strolled up the center aisle. "You two certainly do know how to throw a party," he said, taking his place on the dais between the two.

Harry turned to face Hermione, who was looking a bit nervously at the audience. "Hey," he said softly, turning her face gently to his. "Are you nervous?"

Hermione looked into Harry's eyes and he saw her apprehension melt away. "Not anymore."

The same sensation Harry felt kissing Hermione in Molly's kitchen on Christmas morning overcame him once again. The entire world melted away into a fine white mist. All he was aware of was Hermione, and somewhere in the background, he could hear Dumbledore beginning to speak from far, far away.

Hermione concentrated on Harry's eyes like she had never concentrated on anything in her life.

She felt Harry grasp both of her hands, and she heard Dumbledore's soothing voice mumbling something in the distance. She was relieved that Harry was paying attention since she couldn't think, let alone comprehend what Dumbledore was saying. She hoped that when the time came for her to do something, her voice would work.

She doubted it would.

Who has the rings? Harry thought frantically.

Right. Dumbledore has the rings. Okay. That is okay.

Harry felt something in his hands. He glanced down and saw his hands holding Hermione's. When did she grab my hands?

Harry had the distinct impression that his wedding was happening and he wouldn't remember any of it. He was so distracted, although by what he didn't know, that he had no idea what was happening.

How long has Dumbledore been talking?

What is Dumbledore saying?

Concentrate!

What did he look down for? Hermione thought worriedly.

When his eyes returned to hers, her fears abated slightly. She saw a look of confusion in his eyes and realized that he was just as unfocused as she was. A large smile spread across her face as she did the only thing she could think of to focus him, and her, on the task at hand.

I love you, she mouthed silently to him, as Dumbledore droned on.

Those three silent words broke through and sound suddenly returned to Harry's world. He could hear Dumbledore clearly now, speaking about love and magic and the connection between the two. Harry squeezed Hermione's hands and returned her smile, mouthing the same words back to her.

"Harry?" Dumbledore said, holding out his palm, Hermione's ring resting brilliantly in the folds of his hand.

"Thanks," Harry said, taking the ring. He held Hermione's left hand gently in his and slid the ring on, saying, "With this ring, I thee wed."

Hermione watched the ring slide on her finger and returned her brimming eyes to Harry. He gently wiped a tear from her cheek, his heart overflowing with joy.

Hermione felt Harry's thumb on her wet cheek and stifled a sob.

I can't believe I'm crying like an idiot.

"Hermione?" Dumbledore said softly, holding out his hand.

She removed Harry's platinum band from Dumbledore's warm hand with a smile and returned to her safe haven, Harry's eyes. She moved the ring down Harry's finger, saying, "With this ring, I thee wed." Her fingers lingered on his ring for a moment, before softly traveling around to hold his hand again.

She looked at Harry and their life together - the past 13 years together - ran like a movie through her mind. Meeting Ron and him on the train...the mountain troll...Buckbeak...laughing in front of the common room fire...sitting by the lake doing homework...watching Harry fly around a dragon on his broomstick...the Department of Mysteries...giving him advice about girls...seeing him for the first time after five years...playing darts in London...their first kiss...Christmas....

Have we really only been together for seven months?

Harry never dwelled too much on his life before Hermione fell in love with him; that portion of his life was a void. The farther in the distance that life drifted, the less Harry remembered. Memories were indistinct unless she was part of them. He was struck by the unbelievable fact that he was standing here with the bossy girl who had been looking for Neville's toad all those years ago on the Hogwarts Express. And he knew that this moment had been destined from the very first "Hello."

"Harry?"

Harry looked at Dumbledore, who seemed to be very far away.

"I don't believe they have heard a word I've said," he said, and the laughter of their guests jolted Harry back to reality. He felt a flush creep along his cheeks and saw that Hermione's cheeks were just as red.

Harry grinned at Dumbledore. "You're right," he whispered. "Are we married yet?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled behind his spectacles. "Yes, you have been married for quite a while. I've just been entertaining the audience with my rather slight repertoire of jokes."

Harry glanced at their audience, finding amused faces staring back up at them.

Dumbledore leaned toward Harry and whispered, "You need to kiss your wife to make it official."

My wife!

Hermione felt Harry's hands gently cup her face as he leaned toward her. She kept her eyes fixed on his until the last possible moment, the intensity of the feelings reflected in his eyes beginning the kiss before their lips even touched. And then she felt it, the warm familiar embrace of his lips touching hers, lingering softly for what seemed like eternity.

She couldn't remember every kiss they shared. Certain moments were easily recalled, such as their first kiss and when they made love for the first time. This kiss, unlike the others, Hermione would refer to in the future as the perfect kiss. Gone was the uncertainty and curiosity of their first kiss. Absent, or at least not at the forefront of emotions, was the passion their kisses contained when they made love. In this kiss was every emotion, good and bad, they felt for the other - every memory, every hope, and every dream. With this kiss she felt a completeness that had even been absent from their relationship earlier that day.

As the two of them finally pulled apart and looked into each other's eyes, their commitment was sealed. They smiled the smile of unblemished joy and turned to face their friends and family as one.

The crowd stood on its feet and erupted into cheers and Harry and Hermione's thoughts turned to the future they would have together. Neither had the gift of sight that Harry's mother had, but if they did, they would see what Lily saw in her visions years ago. This scene of their wedding...the birth of their first child in two years' time...the birth of their third child in seven years...Hermione becoming the Minister of Magic at age 35 ...Harry winning the Quidditch World Cup for England on his third and final try...Harry becoming the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement in 20 years...both retiring at age 70 to spend time with their grandchildren....

But of these things they were not yet aware. Instead they were dreaming of a future anchored in the love that they found in the most unforeseen place - each other.

THE END

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