Amid the Falling Snow

Chapter 11: A Wedding Disaster

"These dresses are really ugly," Hermione remarked as she and Ginny stood in front of the mirror.

"They are, aren't they?" Ginny agreed.

Their bridesmaid dresses were bright pink (clashing horribly with Ginny's hair) with ruffles everywhere manageable. The bottom looked like a dress worn in the 1800's, not to mention that there were flowers imprinted all over it. It was more than ugly; it was horrifying and blinding to the eyes.

There was a knock at the door, causing the two women to turn around. "Come in!" Ginny called.

"Oh my God! My eyes!" Harry teased, shielding his eyes with his hand.

"Oh shut it, Harry," Ginny snapped.

"I was only joking, Ginny. You look beautiful," he commented, kissing her.

"I don't know how. Helena is going to regret this," Ginny told him.

Harry merely laughed. "Are you two ready to go? The ceremony starts in a half hour."

They nodded, and Harry linked his arms into theirs and Apparated to the beach where the wedding was being held. When they arrived, they glanced around. There was a huge canopy over what looked like thousands of chairs. There was a light wind and the sun was just starting to set, leaving an orange tint on everything.

"Hey mate," Ron called, running over to them to greet them.

"Hey, Ron," Harry greeted, hugging him. "Nervous?"

"As hell," he responded. He turned to look at the women. "I'm sorry," he told them, trying hard not to laugh.

"Your soon-to-be wife is mad, you know that?" Hermione informed him, whacking his shoulder.

"Speaking of Helena, where is she?" Ginny asked. "I want to personally thank her for these dresses."

"She's in that tent over there," Ron said, pointing behind him.

"Ginny, don't get too worked up. You're still pregnant, you know," Harry cautioned.

"As if I didn't know that, love. Let's go, Hermione," Ginny suggested.

The two women went to the tent, expecting to find Helena, but found no one. They browsed around and found a note on the table. They exchanged worried glances, Hermione picking up the note to read it.

Ronald,

I'm so sorry to have to do this to you, but I can't marry you. I've...met someone else. I do hope you can handle everything. Again, I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me.

Goodbye,

Helena

"Oh no," Hermione whispered.

"What, what is it?" Ginny asked, grabbing the note from Hermione. When she read it, her eyes widened. "Oh no."

"What are we going to do? We can't give this to Ron. He'll be heartbroken!" Hermione said.

"We don't have any other choice, Hermione. He has to know," Ginny responded.

"Ginny, Hermione? I just wanted to be sure that you didn't kill Helena for those awful dresses..." Harry called from the other side of the opening. "Can I come in?"

"Harry..." Ginny replied worriedly.

"What? Is it the baby?" he asked, hurrying into the tent. He glanced around and saw the grim faces of the two women. "Where's Helena?"

Ginny handed him the note, and when he read it, his mouth opened wide and he stumbled backwards. "I guess we have to tell Ron..."

They nodded and exited the tent. Ron approached them with a smiling face. "How is my lovely bride?" Upon seeing their frowning, sad faces, his smile fell. "What aren't you telling me?"

"She's not here," Hermione whispered.

"Did she have a dress emergency?" he asked.

"She left this," Harry answered, handing him the note. "I'm so sorry, mate."

Ron face looked crestfallen, and Hermione felt so bad that he had to go through this.

"I have to go," Ron said after a few minutes of silence. He Disapparated, leaving sand swirling around the spot where he had just stood.

"I'll go and tell everyone," Harry offered. "I can't believe this is happening."

Neither could Hermione. Ron deserved more than that. Much, much more.

"We should go," Ginny recommended. "There's going to be a lot of angry people."

"Yeah..." Hermione agreed. "Ron's going to need us."

The two Apparated back to Harry and Ginny's house to wait for Harry to return. When he did, he didn't look like the happiest of people. "Your mum is furious and heartbroken at the same time, Gin. I didn't even know that was physically possible," Harry stated.

"Should someone go and see how Ron is?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"We all should," Harry decided after a moment.

"I'll go and see him later," Ginny told them. "I'm a little worn out by this baby."

"Alright. Let's go, Hermione. We'll see you later, then, love," he said, and before Hermione and Harry Apparated to Ron's house, he kissed her goodbye.

They knocked on the door, only to receive a drunken reply of, "Go away."

"Ron, it's Harry and Hermione. We've come to check up on you," Hermione called.

The sound of a glass dropping and the shuffling of feet could be heard on the other side of the door. After a few moments, the door opened and an unhappy Ron stood in the opening.

"Come in," he said flatly.

"Ron," Harry started. "Do you need anything?"

"No, no. Unless you can give back five years of my life," Ron replied dryly.

"We're here for you, Ron. Just know that. You'll always have us," Hermione whispered.

"Actually, I do need something. Get me another drink, will you?"

Hermione glanced over at Harry, who shook his head. "Ron, I think you've had enough to drink. Perhaps you should lie down..."

"I knew she was seeing someone else," Ron said suddenly. "I could tell. Just as I knew you were secretly dating Draco at Hogwarts, Hermione. "

"Hermione?" Harry looked over at her. "You were dating Draco?"

Hermione ignored him, keeping her focus on Ron. "I'm not boyfriend material, from what you made it seem like." He looked down at his shoes. "I guess I'm not husband material either."

"Is that what you think?" Hermione asked, her brows furrowed. "I never dated you because I never loved you. I can't force myself to love anyone."

Harry looked from Hermione to Ron in confusion. "Did you really date Draco, Hermione?"

"Yes, I did."

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"You hated him, remember?" she snapped. "But this isn't about me. We're here for Ron."

There was a pop and Ginny appeared. "Harry," she started, looking worried. "It's time."

***

"The Mudbloods go first," Greyback boomed. "Too many got away easy last time. We'll get them this time."

"Fenrir, I don't really understand why we're doing this. Shouldn't we have someone to follow? Who's going to be afraid of us alone?" Dolohov asked.

"No one," Draco piped up.

"Shut it, boy," Greyback sneered. "We have a leader."

"And who might that be?"

"Me," a voice whispered from the darkness. A tall man in a long, dark cloak moved forward.

"Who are you?" Crabbe asked.

"Snape?" Draco was surprised. He thought Snape was dead.

"Severus will lead us. He was the closest to The Dark Lord, and he knows what he's doing better than all of us," Lucius told everyone.

"Well, that certainly is interesting," Draco commented.

"Why is that?" Snape snapped.

"You certainly are one of the last people I'd ever want as a leader. Especially after all you've done," Draco answered.

"Why are you here, then?" he questioned. "If you don't like it, then leave. What's stopping you?"

"I can't," he replied incoherently.

"I see," Severus answered. "Tied down by your past. There isn't any way to escape the past life of a Death Eater. You joined years before, possibly a mistake on your part, and now you are drawn towards the massacre that is sure to follow. You, Draco, are bound by guilt, by fury, and by the want to kill burning in your veins."

"I don't want to kill people. That was in the past, and I didn't even want it then, either," Draco replied.

"It isn't the wanting that brings you back to your past. It's knowing you have to, because if you don't, your life is pay for the demur," Snape told him.

"Who are you to tell me what to do and think? You are nothing but a traitor!" Draco shouted.

"A traitor to whose side? Your side? What is your side, Draco? Do you think that the Ministry wants you? You are a Death Eater to them; they'd kill you soon as they looked at you."

"If that was so, they'd have killed me already. I am not a Death Eater, and although what I did in my past was wrong, I have the chance to redeem myself," Draco told him.

"Oh, is that so? How?"

"By not joining again," Draco whispered firmly. He then stood and Disapparated from the Manor before any of them could stop him.

Why did everything from his past keep coming back? First Hermione, and now the Death Eaters? Maybe he should leave; go to a far off land where no one would know him. Where no one would know his past, what he had to endure through his life. How could he keep fighting everything? He was growing tired, and he could only take so much.

If only he had someone to talk to. Someone who could help him make the right choices. But there was no one. He was alone...