Neville's Sacrifice

Chapter Seven

Neville peered out between the pale lace curtains of the Weasley's spare bedroom. He could see white chairs bedecked with ribbons and bows lined up neatly in long rows. The grass running between the rows of chairs was an emerald so green that it almost looked fake. A large archway had been built at the end of the grass path, its surface entirely covered in pink and white teacup roses.

The trees on either side of the chairs had been enchanted to bloom, so that the beauty of their flowers could be added to the beauty of the archways.

He gazed out of the window, trying to convince himself that this was really happening. He was finally going to do what he had waited two years to do. Today was the day when Ginny would finally be his, his wife, forever.

He began dressing for the wedding. As he put his gleaming white dress shirt on, his mind turned to thoughts of his parents.

I wish my parents could be here. Neville thought sadly, his eyes filling with tears. It's great having Gran here, and Ginny's family almost feels like my own...but still...I wish for just one day, for this day, that I could have them back, have them recognize me, be proud of me.

His parents were still in St. Mungo's their condition unchanged since the day they had been brutally attacked by Bellatrix.

Even knowing that he had avenged his parents by killing Bellatrix didn't make the pain in his heart over their absence any less.

As Neville buttoned his shirt, sadness for what had happened to his parents invaded his mind, crushing the happiness that had been there moments before.

Just as he was falling into despair, the door opened and his gran walked in.

She saw Neville's face, red and streaked with tears. Guessing the reason, she put her hand on his shoulder and said, "I know you're thinking about your parents. I know how much you've missed them these many years. Your parents were stolen from you, stolen from you by the Death Eaters."

She reached up, and skilfully tied his bowtie for him. "Now thankfully, the Death Eaters are no more. I know if your parents could see what a fine your man you've turned into, they would be proud."

Neville leaned over, and kissed her withered, heavily powdered cheek.

"I love you Gran." He choked out, the tears welling up again.

"I love you too, Neville." She said, hugging him tightly. "Now dry your eyes. This is supposed to be a happy occasion."

Neville took the lacy purple handkerchief that she offered and wiped his eyes.

"I'd better go to my seat. The wedding will be starting soon." Neville's gran said, rising.

She left the room. Neville stood looking out of the window, lost in thought. The door suddenly opened and Ron stuck his head in. "Come on mate, he said, "it's time for us to take our places."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The sky outside of Ginny's bedroom window was a pale blue, unmarred by clouds or storms. The scent from the apple blossoms that covered the trees on either side of the isle and the teacups roses on the archway mingled together in a heady bouquet of scents that drifted gently on the morning sunshine into the open window.

Ginny sat in her wheelchair gazing out on the scene below, her heart beating in excitement. This was it, the day she'd been waiting for. The day she married Neville.

It was a day she thought might never come. After the accident she'd felt so down, so depressed. She hadn't wanted to live. Her thoughts had been so dark that she hadn't been able to believe that anyone would want to be with her now that she was paralyzed, would want to be with a helpless cripple.

When Neville had come around, asking for her, wanting to see her, she had been glad when Molly had made excuses and turned him away. When he had finally pushed past Molly and found her, alone in her room, she had been furious. Couldn't he see that she wanted to be alone? She hadn't wanted his pity, hadn't needed it. He couldn't possibly want to be with her now, so why pretend? He was just being noble. He was only wanting to marry her because they had been engaged...before....and he was too honourable to back out now. It was only after Neville had completely lost it and began shaking her, anger and desperation on his face that she had finally began to believe that he really did want her, for her, and that he still intended to marry her not because he pitied her, but because he loved her.

Neville had been wonderful since the accident. He had spent thousands of dollars remodelling his home so that Ginny would be able to go anywhere in the house with her wheelchair. He had widened doors, lowered counters and did anything else he could think of to make her life easier once they were married.

As she sat gazing wistfully out on where her wedding would soon be taking place only one dark cloud marred the otherwise happy day. The dark cloud was that she couldn't walk down the isle to Neville. She would have to be wheeled down, or use the hover mode on her new wheelchair. She wouldn't be able to walk down like a normal bride, stand beside him, look into his eyes. If only, if only she could do that, then this day really would be perfect.

Ginny was interrupted from her reverie by the sound of Hermione's voice.

"Ginny, come over here and let's get you dressed. It's almost time to go and you've not even started yet."

Ginny turned reluctantly away from the open window and turned her chair to face the room.

Everywhere Ginny looked there were splotches of bright colour, pinks and whites and emerald.

The white silk of her dress lay like snow upon the pink coverlet of her bed. Fleur and Hermione's bridesmaid dresses surrounded hers, their pinkness blending in with the pink of the bedspread.

Hermione walked across the pink, rose patterned carpet towards Ginny and said, "The dress is so full at the bottom I think it would be awkward for us to put it on you while you're seated. I think it would be better if we used Mobilicorpus to bring you upright and then lifted the dress over your head."

"I don't know about this. I think it might be dangerous. It might hurt her." Molly fretted, still not convinced that Ginny had fully regained her health.

"Oh mum, I'll be fine. Hermione knows what she's doing."

Molly gazed worriedly as Hermione drew out her wand.

Hermione pointed the wand at Ginny and said the Mobilicorpus spell.

Instantly Ginny felt herself rising up in the air, leaving the wooden cushioned cage of her wheelchair. As she levitated into the air she felt so alive, so free like some kind of bird...no more like something delicate and beautiful like a butterfly.

She floated in midair, her toes just scraping the carpeted floor beneath her.

Molly brought her wedding dress over from the bed. It was the same dress that she herself had worn, and her mother and her mother before her. Four generations of Prewitt women had worn this dress and now it was her daughters turn.

The watered silk of the dress felt cool against Ginny's skin as the dress was lowered over her head, like a cool stream on a summer's day.

She slid her arms into the quarter lengths sleeves admiring the way the pearls glinted and gleamed in the morning sunlight.

Molly came up behind her and began buttoning the small pearl buttons that ran up the back of the dress. Her eyes were wet with unshed tears, so great was her happiness that this day had finally arrived, that she was today she would see her little girl married.

When the last button was buttoned Molly stepped away. Hermione again raised her wand and with a gentle motion began to turn Ginny around until she was facing the large floor length mirror that was positioned in the far corner.

Ginny's eyes fell upon her reflection in the glass, and a torrent of emotions came over her. She suddenly burst into tears, her sobs reverberating around the suddenly silent room.

"Ginny, what is it? Did I hurt you?" Hermione asked as she rushed to Ginny's side.

"Get her down quick Hermione. Oh I knew she was still too fragile to be lifted up like this!" Molly exclaimed, also rushing to Ginny's side to help her down.

Ginny was still sobbing, her eye makeup running down her face in dark rivulets.

Molly and Hermione put their arms around Ginny's slender waist, and gently eased her down into her wheelchair.

Once Ginny was seated she seemed to grow calmer until the sobs lessoned into the occasional tear. When she could finally speak again she said "I wasn't hurt. Hermione didn't hurt me. It was just...seeing myself in the mirror...standing...it was just a shock. I haven't seen myself like that for so long."

Molly leaned down and hugged Ginny tightly. She began stroking her head as she whispered. "There there, let it out. I know things have been hard since the accident."

Molly drew out a white lace hanky and wiped Ginny's eyes with it.

"But this is your wedding day, so let's not have any more tears, unless they are tears of joy."